High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to study 16 resected rectosigmoid specimens of patients treated with total colectomy for severe ulcerative colitis (UC). Six normal colon specimens were also studied as a control group. Moreover, a parallel study of the pelvis of 24 patients with a proven diagnosis of UC was performed with the same MR system. Both in vitro and in vivo MRI findings [thickening and signal intensity (SI)] of the mural layers were qualitatively evaluated by two radiologists and compared with gross and microscopic aspects. In vitro results showed that MRI was able to identify all layers of the colonic wall. In particular in UC specimens, MRI identified thickening and the peculiar abnormal hyperintensity of the mucosal and submucosal layers on spin-echo (SE) T1-weighted images. In vivo results confirmed the high-signal intensity of the mucosal and submucosal layers. These findings were not observed in the control group in which the superficial layers appeared low in intensity on SE T1 images. Our preliminary experience suggests that MRI should be considered a new imaging modality for detecting UC colonic wall changes.

POEMS syndrome is a multisystem disorder related to a plasma-cell dyscrasia. It is usually seen between the ages of 40 and 50 years and is very rare in childhood. Radiologically, this syndrome is characterized by sclerotic focal bone lesions with a normal radionuclide bone scan. We report a case of POEMS syndrome in a 15-year-old boy in whom plain radiographs and multidetector-row spiral CT (MDCT) provided information that was helpful in the clinical assessment.

Tubulocystic renal cell carcinoma is a rare subtype of renal tumor according to the 2016 World Health Organization, and less than 100 cases have been documented up to date in literature. The imaging features are not well known and to the best of our knowledge, there is not a radiology description of recurrence from tubulocystic renal cell carcinoma in the literature. We describe the case of a 70-year-old man with unusual cystic lesions in the left hypochondrium 11 years after a nephrectomy for tubulocystic renal cell carcinoma on the same side, and we report a review of the clinical characteristics of metastatic tubulocystic renal cell carcinoma.

A 70-year-old man was referred to the Urology Department of United Hospital of Ancona for an irregular thickening of the left anterior-lateral bladder wall found during a computed tomography (CT) scan after episodic gross haematuria. The patient reported no urinary symptoms and had no family history of bladder cancer. The patient's body mass index was 35.86. He was receiving anticoagulant therapy for atrial fibrillation. Physical examination revealed a left inguinal hernia that was gradually increasing in size over the last 6 months.

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