Department of Abdominal Imaging, The division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Prof. Dr. Khaled M. Elsayes
Department of Abdominal Imaging, The division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common primary hepatic malignancies and one of the fastest-growing causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States. The molecular basis of HCC carcinogenesis has not been clearly identified. Among the molecular signaling pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of HCC, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is one of the most frequently activated. A great effort is under way to clearly understand the role of this pathway in the pathogenesis of HCC and its role in the transition from chronic liver diseases, including viral hepatitis, to hepatocellular adenomas (HCAs) and HCCs and its targetability in novel therapies. In this article, we review the role of the β-catenin pathway in hepatocarcinogenesis and progression from chronic inflammation to HCC, the novel potential treatments targeting the pathway and its prognostic role in HCC patients, as well as the imaging features of HCC and their association with aberrant activation of the pathway.
Angiosarcoma is a rare, aggressive subtype of soft-tissue sarcoma with a propensity for local recurrence and metastasis associated with a generally poor prognosis, unless diagnosed early. Given the vascular endothelial cell origin of angiosarcoma, tumours may develop in essentially any organ; however, there is a predilection for the skin where half of all tumours arise, increasing in prevalence with age. The most common risk factors are chronic lymphoedema and history of radiation. We review the most important radiological findings along the spectrum of angiosarcoma from head to toe throughout the body, including uncommon and rare locations. Key imaging features of angiosarcoma across multiple organ systems will be described, as well as the impact on management and prognosis.
The 2017 version of LI-RADS for CT and MR imaging has important changes from the previous versions, including modifications to diagnostic categories and new categories for assessing treatment response. The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) is a reporting system created for the standardized interpretation of liver imaging findings in patients who are at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This system was developed with the cooperative and ongoing efforts of an American College of Radiology–supported committee of diagnostic radiologists with expertise in liver imaging and valuable input from hepatobiliary surgeons, hepatologists, hepatopathologists, and interventional radiologists. In this article, the 2017 version of LI-RADS for computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging is reviewed. Specific topics include the appropriate population for application of LI-RADS; technical recommendations for image optimization, including definitions of dynamic enhancement phases; diagnostic and treatment response categories; definitions of major and ancillary imaging features; criteria for distinguishing definite HCC from a malignancy that might be non-HCC; management options following LI-RADS...
1 September 2019 in Radiology: Artificial Intelligence
Prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma response to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) using quantitative imaging and clinical measurements of pretreatment lesions is a potentially usef... Purpose To evaluate a fully automated machine learning algorithm that uses pretherapeutic quantitative CT image features and clinical factors to predict hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) response to t...
Computed tomographic (CT) enterography is an emerging alternative to traditional fluoroscopy for the assessment of disorders of the small bowel. The greatly improved spatial and temporal resolution provided by multidetector CT scanners, combined with good luminal distention provided by negative oral contrast agents and with good bowel wall visualization, have made CT enterography the main imaging modality not only for investigating proved or suspected inflammatory bowel disease but also for detecting occult gastrointestinal tract bleeding, small bowel neoplasms, and mesenteric ischemia. CT enterography is particularly useful for differentiating between active and fibrotic bowel strictures in patients with Crohn disease, thus enabling selection of the most appropriate treatment (medical management or intervention) for an improved outcome. CT enterography allows excellent visualization of the entire thickness of the bowel wall and depicts extraenteric involvement as well, providing more detailed and comprehensive information about the extent and severity of the disease process.
1 February 2019 in Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS®) is a comprehensive system for standardizing the terminology, technique, interpretation, reporting, and data collection of liver observations in individuals at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). LI-RADS is supported and endorsed by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Upon its initial release in 2011, LI-RADS applied only to liver observations identified at CT or MRI. It has since been refined and expanded over multiple updates to now also address ultrasound-based surveillance, contrast-enhanced ultrasound for HCC diagnosis, and CT/MRI for assessing treatment response after locoregional therapy. The LI-RADS 2018 version was integrated into the HCC diagnosis, staging, and management practice guidance of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). This article reviews the major LI-RADS updates since its 2011 inception and provides an overview of the currently published LI-RADS algorithms.