Adrenal masses: characterization with combined unenhanced and delayed enhanced CT

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of a dedicated adrenal computed tomographic (CT) protocol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred sixty-six adrenal masses were evaluated with a protocol consisting of unenhanced CT, and, for those with attenuation values greater than 10 HU, contrast material-enhanced and delayed enhanced CT. Attenuation values and enhancement washout calculations were obtained. An adenoma was diagnosed if a mass had an attenuation value of 10 HU or less at unenhanced CT or a percentage enhancement washout value of 60% or higher. RESULTS: The final diagnosis was adenoma in 127 masses and non-adenoma in 39. Masses measuring more than 10 HU on unenhanced CT scans were confirmed at biopsy (n = 28) or were examined for stability or change in size at follow-up CT performed at a minimum interval of 6 months (n = 33). Thirty-six (92%) of 39 non-adenomas and 124 (98%) of 127 adenomas were correctly characterized. The sensitivity and specificity of this protocol were 98% and 92%, respectively. This protocol correctly characterized 160 (96%) of 166 masses. CONCLUSION: With a combination of unenhanced and delayed enhanced CT, nearly all adrenal masses can be correctly categorized as adenomas or non-adenomas.     

Adrenal masses: CT characterization with histogram analysis method

PURPOSE: To evaluate a histogram analysis method for differentiating adrenal adenoma from metastasis at computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a retrospective review of 2 years of clinical CT records, 223 adrenal adenomas in 193 patients (115 with contrast material-enhanced CT, 43 with unenhanced and enhanced CT, and 35 with unenhanced CT) and 31 metastases (25 patients with enhanced CT) were found. In 158 patients with adenomas at enhanced CT, diagnosis was based on stable mass size for more than 1 year (n = 135) and characteristic signal intensity decrease at chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging (n = 23). In 35 patients with adenomas at unenhanced CT, mean attenuation was 10 HU or less. Diagnosis of all metastases was based on rapid growth of a mass or new mass in less than 6 months in patients with cancer. Adrenal metastases with extensive necrosis were excluded. Histogram analysis was performed in a circular region of interest (ROI) for mean attenuation, number of pixels, and range of pixel attenuation for all pixels and for the subset of pixels with less than 0 HU ("negative" pixels). Correlation between mean attenuation and percentage negative pixels was calculated. RESULTS: Negative pixels were present in all 74 unenhanced adenomas with mean attenuation of 10 HU or less and in 14 of 16 unenhanced adenomas with mean attenuation above 10 HU. Of 184 enhanced adenomas, only 20 had mean attenuation of 10 HU or less, but 97 contained negative pixels (77 of these 97 masses had mean attenuation above 10 HU). Increase in percentage negative pixels was highly correlated with decrease in mean attenuation of both unenhanced and enhanced adenomas. None of the adrenal metastases had mean attenuation of 10 HU or less or contained negative pixels. CONCLUSION: The histogram method is far more sensitive than the 10-HU threshold method for diagnosis of adrenal adenomas at enhanced CT, with specificity maintained at 100%.     

Adrenal masses falsely diagnosed as adenomas on unenhanced and delayed contrast-enhanced computed tomography: Pathological correlation

Objectives To assess the accuracy of CT for the diagnosis of histologically confirmed adrenal adenoma and nonadenoma using CT numbers. Materials and methods Our study included 91 adrenal masses in 83 patients; histopathological diagnoses were 45 adenomas, 31 pheochromocytomas, 6 hyperplasias, 4 metastasis, and 5 miscellaneous lesions. Unenhanced CT in 46 patients and unenhanced and delayed contrast-enhanced (DCE) CT in 37 patients were retrospectively reviewed to examine the correlation between CT findings and those on pathological examination and to obtain diagnostic accuracy. Results Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for adenoma were 40% (18/45), 91% (42/46), and 66% (60/91) with unenhanced CT, and 96% (24/25), 61% (11/18), and 81% (35/43) with DCE CT. Adrenal masses falsely diagnosed as adenoma on unenhanced CT included three hyperplasias and one endothelial cyst, and those falsely diagnosed as adenoma on DCE CT were five pheochromocytomas, one oncocytic coritical tumor, and one primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical dysplasia. Twenty-five lipid-poor adenomas were falsely diagnosed as nonadenomas on unenhanced CT and one degenerated adenoma both on unenhanced CT and on DCE CT. Conclusion Diagnosing adenoma merely on CT numbers can lead to misdiagnosis. The lower specificity than expected is due to pheochromocytomas presenting as false positives. An erratum to this article can be found at     

肾上腺结核的增强CT表现特征与临床病程的相关性

目的探讨肾上腺结核的增强CT表现特征与临床病程的相关性，以提高该病的影像诊断水平。方法经临床证实的肾上腺结核30例，在CT强化图像上观察肾上腺的位置、大小、形态、密度以及强化特征，并结合临床和病理资料加以分析，采用Cochran Armitage趋势检验进行统计分析。结果肾上腺结核累及双侧共27例（90．0％），单侧3例（10．0％）。肾上腺肿块样增大13例，轻度或中度增大17例，轮廓仍保持完整。肾上腺增大密度均匀2例（6．7％），不均匀增大28例（93．3％）。周边强化16例（53．3％），钙化17例（56．7％）。经抗结核治疗后的6例复查CT示，5例双侧增大的肾上腺体积缩小或恢复正常，其内低密度消失，新出现点状钙化2例。钙化多见于临床后期，17例钙化中，病程〉12个月者10例，存在随病程增长而递增的分布趋势（x^2=7．47，P〈0．05），而周边强化则多见于临床早期，16例中有11例临床病程≤12个月，存在随病程增长而递减的分布趋势（x^2=6．60，P〈0．05）。结论肾上腺结核CT具有特征性表现，与临床病程存在一定的相关性，为临床治疗及疗效判断提供指导。     

The characterization of small hypoattenuating renal masses on contrast-enhanced CT

PurposeTo determine if small hypoattenuating renal masses can be characterized as simple cysts or renal cell carcinomas on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT).Materials and methodsWe retrospectively identified 20 small (≤1.5 cm) hypoattenuating renal masses seen on contrast enhanced CT, consisting of 14 simple cysts and six renal cell carcinomas. Three independent readers recorded subjective visual impression (five-point scale from 1=definitely fluid to 5=definitely solid), CT attenuation, border (well circumscribed or ill defined), and shape (ovoid or irregular) for each lesion.ResultsThe overall area under the receiver operator characteristic curves for subjective visual impression, CT attenuation, border, and shape were 0.97, 0.82, 0.59, and 0.55, respectively. Using dichotomized ratings (1–2=cyst and 3–5=carcinoma), subjective impression had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 79–100%, respectively, for the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Using a threshold of 50 Hounsfield Units (HU) or more, CT attenuation had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 43–64%, respectively.ConclusionSmall hypoattenuating renal masses can be characterized with reasonable accuracy by subjective impression and CT attenuation; lesions that appear solid on visual inspection or have an attenuation value of 50 HU or more are likely to be renal cell carcinoma.     

Complex cystic renal masses: characterization with contrast-enhanced US

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare contrast material-enhanced ultrasonography (US) with computed tomography (CT) in the classification of complex cystic renal masses with the Bosniak system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethics committee approval and written informed consent were obtained. Forty patients (17 women, 23 men; age range, 31-77 years) with 44 complex cystic renal masses detected with conventional US were prospectively examined by using second-harmonic US with a second-generation contrast agent and multiphasic helical CT. Thirty-six patients had one lesion, and four patients had two lesions. Surgical resection in nine patients and imaging follow-up in 31 patients were used to determine the outcome. RESULTS: On contrast-enhanced US images, masses were classified as Bosniak category II (n = 18), IIF (ie, lesions were classified as category II and follow-up was needed) (n = 16), III (n = 7), or IV (n = 3) lesions. On CT images, masses were classified as Bosniak category II (n = 24), IIF (n = 10), III (n = 7), or IV (n = 3) lesions. Interobserver agreement was high (kappa = 0.86, P < .001) for classification with US. Complete concordance between the readers was found for classification with CT. Complete concordance between contrast-enhanced US and CT was observed in the differentiation of surgical and nonsurgical complex cysts. Complete concordance among the three readers in the assessment of vascularity with contrast-enhanced US was found. Interobserver agreement in the evaluation of enhancement on CT images was high (kappa = 0.88, P < .001). Concordance between contrast-enhanced US and CT in the evaluation of vascularization was high (kappa = 0.77, P < .001). CONCLUSION: The study data suggest that contrast-enhanced second-harmonic US is appropriate for renal cyst classification with the Bosniak system.     

Adrenal masses: characterization with T1-weighted MR imaging

The ability of a T1-weighted spin-echo magnetic resonance (MR) sequence to allow differentiation of benign from malignant adrenal masses at 0.5 T was investigated in 28 patients with 35 adrenal masses. All nine lesions with an adrenal mass-liver signal intensity ratio of 0.71 or less were metastases, and all 15 with a ratio of 0.78 or more were adenomas. Eleven masses (31%)--including six adenomas, three metastases, a pheochromocytoma, and a neuroblastoma--had ratios between these values. Nine of ten masses with adrenal mass-fat intensity ratios of 0.35 or less were metastases, and all 12 with ratios of 0.42 or more were benign. Eleven masses (31%), four malignant and one benign, had ratios between these values. The ratios for two masses could not be calculated due to lack of fat. The specificity of T1-weighted MR imaging in differentiating benign from malignant adrenal masses appears similar to that reported for T2-weighted imaging. However, significant overlap occurred, as has also been reported for T2-weighted imaging. While both imaging sequences may help distinguish benign from malignant adrenal masses in some cases, biopsy is still necessary when an accurate histologic diagnosis is essential.     

The value of 15-minute delayed contrast-enhanced CT to differentiate hyperattenuating adrenal masses compared with chemical shift MR imaging

Objectives

To investigate the diagnostic performance of 15-min delayed contrast-enhanced computed tomography (15-DECT) compared with that of chemical shift magnetic resonance (CSMR) imaging in differentiating hyperattenuating adrenal masses and to perform subgroup analysis in underlying malignancy and non-malignancy.

Methods

This study included 478 adrenal masses in 453 patients examined with 15-DECT and 235 masses in 217 patients examined with CSMR. Relative percentage washout (RPW) and absolute percentage washout (APW) on 15-DECT, and signal intensity index (SII) and adrenal-to-spleen ratio (ASR) on CSMR were measured. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 15-DECT and CSMR were analysed for characterisation of adrenal adenoma. Subgroup analyses were performed in patients with and without underlying malignancy. Attenuation and size of the masses on unenhanced CT correlated with the risk of non-adenoma.

Results

RPW calculated from 15-DECT showed the highest diagnostic performance for characterising hyperattenuating adrenal masses regardless of underlying malignancy, and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 91.7 %, 74.8 % and 88.1 %, respectively in all patients. The risk of non-adenoma increased approximately threefold as mass size increased 1 cm or as its attenuation value increased by 10 Hounsfield units.

Conclusions

15-DECT was more accurate than CSMR in characterising hyperattenuating adrenal masses regardless of underlying malignancy.

Key Points

? Delayed contrast-enhanced CT and chemical shift magnetic resonance (CSMR) characterise adrenal lesions. ? 15-min DECT is more accurate than CSMR in characterising hyperattenuating adrenal masses. ? Sensitivity of CSMR decreases as the CT attenuation of adenomas increases. ? Risk of non-adenoma is increased 2.9-fold as size increased by 1 cm. ? Risk of non-adenoma is increased 2.9-fold as attenuation increased by 10 HU.     

Delayed CT to evaluate renal masses incidentally discovered at contrast-enhanced CT: demonstration of vascularity with deenhancement

PURPOSE: To determine whether delayed computed tomography (CT) can help confirm vascularity in a neoplasm and differentiate it from a high-density cyst when a well-demarcated homogeneous high-attenuating (> 30-HU) renal mass is incidentally discovered during contrast material-enhanced CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 25 patients, 26 well-demarcated, homogeneous high-attenuating renal masses (mean diameter, 2.5 cm; range, 1-4 cm) detected at initial postcontrast CT were further evaluated with delayed CT (mean, 38 minutes; range, 15-240 minutes) performed with identical parameters. On both the initial postcontrast and delayed CT scans, region-of-interest measurements were obtained in renal masses and in the gallbladder or low-density renal cysts as controls. Correlation with surgical or additional imaging findings was used to determine proof of diagnosis. RESULTS: Nine of the masses demonstrated no change in attenuation between initial postcontrast and delayed CT, indicating that they represented avascular lesions consistent with high-density cysts. These cases were confirmed with prior or follow-up imaging studies that demonstrated stability. Seventeen masses (nine surgically proved neoplasms and eight neoplasms that demonstrated interval growth at follow-up or previous CT) demonstrated decreased attenuation at delayed CT compared with initial postcontrast CT, which indicates vascularity. CONCLUSION: Delayed CT of incidentally discovered well-demarcated homogeneous high-attenuating (> 30-HU) renal masses detected at postcontrast CT enables differentiation of high-density cysts from renal neoplasms by demonstrating deenhancement as a proof of vascularity and, hence, neoplasm.     

Enhancement patterns of focal liver masses: discordance between contrast-enhanced sonography and contrast-enhanced CT and MRI

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the origin of the infrequent discordance between the contrast enhancement patterns of liver lesions on sonography and those on CT and MRI. Forty-four discordant cases were reviewed retrospectively. CONCLUSION: Four categories of discordance were identified, one of which is unexplained. Contrast agent diffusion caused portal venous phase discordance in malignant tumors (n = 6) whereby CT and MRI contrast material diffused through the vascular endothelium into the tumor interstitium, concealing washout. Sonographic microbubbles were purely intravascular and showed washout. Arterial phase timing discordance occurred in metastatic lesions (n = 10) with hypervascularity and rapid washout on contrast-enhanced sonography. CT arterial imaging performed later showed hypovascularity. Rapidly enhancing hemangiomas (n = 7) exhibited hypervascularity on CT when contrast-enhanced sonography also showed peripheral nodules and fast centripetal progression. Discordance caused by fat in lesions (n = 4) or liver (n = 10) reflected the inherent echogenicity of fat on sonography compared with its low attenuation on CT and low signal intensity on MRI. Infrequent cases of discordance remain unexplained. Recognition of the cause of the infrequent disagreement in enhancement patterns on contrast-enhanced sonography with those on CT and MRI improves diagnostic interpretation.     

CT of hepatic masses: significance of prolonged and delayed enhancement

Hepatic masses showing higher density than that of liver after 3 min (prolonged enhancement) and/or having prominent enhancement after the arterial-dominant phase (delayed enhancement) of dynamic CT (bolus enhancement followed by serial scans) were reviewed. Prolonged enhancement was noted in any hepatic masses, but mainly in cavernous hemangioma and capsule of hepatocellular carcinoma, whereas delayed enhancement occurred in capsule of hepatocellular carcinoma and occasionally in metastatic tumor. The volume of arterial and portal blood supply, turnover rate of blood, extent of the interstitial space, and diffusion rate between the vascular and interstitial space, as well as dose and speed of contrast agent administered, seemed to be important factors in such contrast enhancement. Prolonged enhancement and delayed enhancement are nonspecific but still are of some value in the differentiation of hepatic masses on dynamic CT.     

CT增强延迟扫描对肝门胆管癌诊断价值的评价

目的：评价CT在增强后动态双期扫描的基础上加作延迟扫描对肝门附近胆管癌检出的价值。方法：搜集52例肝门部疑有肿块或梗阻的病人,采用螺旋CT机扫描,经静脉注射对比剂后于肝动、静脉期作连续扫描及延迟期4mm薄层病灶区域连续扫描。所有病例在注射对比剂后分别于6、8、10、15、20、30min对瘤灶作连续扫描获得系列延迟图像,于肝实质和肿块区连续采集CT值,并描绘折线图。对肿块作定量分析,评价其在定性诊断方面的意义。结果：（1）8－15min为延迟扫描的最佳时段。（2）29例胆管癌,动态扫描中肿瘤呈低密度23例（79．3％）、等密度4例（13．8％）、高密度2例（6．9％）。延迟图像中肿瘤呈等密度8例（27．6％）、高密度21例（72．4％）、无低密度者。延迟扫描可使大部分胆管癌呈现相对高密度（U＝－4．3073,P＜0．01）,使肿瘤边界明确化。（3）肝门肿块及梗阻病例,延迟期肝门转移性肿块无一例呈相对高密度,延迟三相扫描可有效区分胆管癌和引起梗阻的其他原因（χ^2＝9．09,P＜0．01）。结论：评价肝门部肿块时,在动态扫描的基础上加作8－15min延迟扫描有助于肝门胆管癌的检出。     

Diagnosis of cerebral metastases: double-dose delayed CT vs contrast-enhanced MR imaging

For patients suspected of having cerebral metastases, double-dose delayed CT (DDD-CT) has proved significantly more sensitive than CT scans obtained immediately after administration of a lesser dose of iodinated contrast material. Previous reports confirm the advantages of postcontrast MR imaging over contrast-enhanced CT, but data comparing DDD-CT and contrast-enhanced MR have not been reported. This study describes comparative imaging results in 23 patients who had contrast-enhanced MR imaging to clarify equivocal findings on DDD-CT studies. Contrast-enhanced MR demonstrated more than 67 definite or typical parenchymal metastases. T2-weighted MR revealed more than 40, while DDD-CT revealed only 37 typical metastatic lesions. Three patients had five or fewer lesions on DDD-CT and lesions "too numerous to count" on MR. The frequency of equivocal or unconvincing lesions was similar on DDD-CT (11) and contrast-enhanced MR (10). On T2-weighted images, we noted a substantially higher number of equivocal lesions (19), fewer definite metastases, and a number of definite metastases that had no corresponding lesion on the enhanced studies, confirming the inability of T2-weighted imaging to specifically identify cerebral metastases. In one case, multiple tiny lesions on T2-weighted images were not apparent on DDD-CT scans and were recognized only in retrospect on contrast-enhanced MR images. In this series, MR with enhancement proved superior to DDD-CT for lesion detection, anatomic localization of lesions, and differentiation of solitary vs multiple lesions. Cost-benefit considerations precluded a comparison between the two techniques in all patients suspected of having cerebral metastases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evaluation of adrenal masses in oncologic patients: dynamic contrast-enhanced MR vs CT

The CT examinations, precontrast gradient echo MR images, and fast contrast enhanced dynamic MR studies were evaluated in 44 patients with 52 adrenal masses and known malignant disease of different origin. Morphologic features (size, shape, attenuation, contour, and enhancement) on CT scans, signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images, and patterns of enhancement on Gd-DTPA enhanced dynamic MR studies were analyzed in all patients. With dynamic contrast enhanced studies with prolonged imaging up to 15 min after Gd-DTPA, masses with moderate enhancement and complete washout after 10 min were considered as adenomas. Computed tomography and plain MR had a sensitivity of 0.71 and 0.96, a specificity of 0.75 and 0.88, and overall accuracy of 0.56 and 0.71, respectively. Simultaneous use of precontrast MR and dynamic contrast enhanced studies led to an accurate diagnosis in 88% (sensitivity = 1.0, specificity = 0.91) and thus should be considered in oncologic patients with undetermined adrenal masses.