Thoracolithiasis: a case report

We present a rare case of incidentally found mobile thoracolithiasis in a 76-year-old cirrhotic patient on serial computed tomography scans performed before and after transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma. Mobility and calcification are the important clue to diagnosing this benign condition and avoiding unnecessary surgery.     

Evaluation of cancer treatment in the abdomen: Trends and advances

Response evaluation in Oncology has relied primarily on change in tumor size. Inconsistent results in the prediction of clinical outcome when size based criteria are used and the increasing role of targeted and locoregional therapies have led to the development of new methods of response evaluation that are unrelated to change in tumor size. The goals of this review are to expose briefly the size based criteria and to present the non-size based approaches that are currently applicable in the clinical setting. Other paths that are still being explored are not discussed in details.     

Role of magnetic resonance imaging as an adjunct to clinical staging in cervical carcinoma

Magnetic resonance imaging depicts the morphological details of the female pelvis and is useful for evaluating both benign and malignant cervical masses. Clinical assessment of the extent of cervical cancer is crucial in determining the optimal treatment strategy, but clinical staging by itself has limitations. Clinical staging, as defined by FIGO (International Federation of Gynecologic Oncology), is based on the findings of physical examination, lesion biopsies, chest radiography, cystoscopy, and renal sonography and can be erroneous, depending on the stage of the disease, by 16% to 65%. The prognosis of cervical cancer is determined not only by stage, but also by nodal status, tumor volume, and depth of invasion, none of which are included in the FIGO guidelines. Magnetic resonance imaging has been described as the most accurate, noninvasive imaging modality in staging cervical carcinoma. This review outlines the magnetic resonance features of normal cervix, primary disease (by stage), and recurrent disease and discusses the role of magnetic resonance imaging in staging and clinical decision making.