Background and Aims Chemoembolization is a standard treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Radioembolization with 90Y microspheres is a new, transarterial approach to radiation therapy. We performed a comparative effectiveness analysis of these therapies in patients with HCC. Methods We collected data from 463 patients who were treated with transarterial locoregional therapies (chemoembolization or radioembolization) over a 9-year period. We excluded patients who were not appropriate for comparison and analyzed data from 245 (122 who received chemoembolization and 123 who received radioembolization). Patients were followed for signs of toxicity; all underwent imaging analysis at baseline and follow-up timepoints. Overall survival was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes included safety, response rate, and time-to-progression. Uni- and multi-variate analyses were performed. Results Abdominal pain and increased transaminase activity were more frequent following chemoembolization (P<.05). There was a trend that patients treated with radioembolization had a higher response rate than with chemoembolization (49% vs. 36%, P=0.104). Although time-to-progression was longer following radioembolization than chemoembolization (13.3 months vs 8.4 months, P=0.046), median survival times were not statistically different (17.4 months vs 20.5 months, P=0.232). Among patients with intermediate-stage disease, survival was similar between groups that received chemoembolization (17.5 months) and radioembolization (17.2 months, P=0.42). Conclusion Patients with HCC treated by chemoembolization or radioembolization with 90Y microspheres had similar survival times. Radioembolization resulted in longer time-to-progression and less toxicity than chemoembolization. Post-hoc analyses of sample size indicated that a randomized study with >1000 patients would be required to establish equivalence of survival times between patients given the different therapies.

Characterization of renal tumors is critical to determine the best therapeutic approach and improve overall patient survival. Because of increased use of high-resolution cross-sectional imaging in clinical practice, renal masses are being discovered with increased frequency. As a result, accurate imaging characterization of these lesions is more important than ever. However, because of the wide array of imaging features encountered as well as overlapping characteristics, identifying reliable imaging criteria for differentiating malignant from benign renal masses remains a challenge. Multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging based on various anatomic and functional parameters has an important role and adds diagnostic value in detection and characterization of renal masses. MR imaging may allow distinction of benign solid renal masses from several renal cell carcinoma (RCC) subtypes, potentially suggest the histologic grade of a neoplasm, and play an important role in ensuring appropriate patient management to avoid unnecessary surgery or other interventions. It is also a useful noninvasive imaging tool for patients who undergo active surveillance of renal masses and for follow-up after treatment of a renal mass. The purpose of this article is to review the characteristic MR imaging features of RCC and common benign renal masses and propose a diagnostic imaging approach to evaluation of solid renal masses using multiparametric MR imaging. RSNA, 2017.

Urachal anomalies are more common than previously thought, with more cases discovered incidentally, because of the increased use of cross-sectional imaging. Although an abnormal persistence of an embryologic communication between the bladder and the umbilicus is often recognized and managed in childhood, it may persist into adulthood, with a greater risk of morbidity. Congenital urachal anomalies that are detected early can benefit from an optimized management including surgical approach with a complete resection of the urachal remnant in cases when spontaneous resolution or medical management has failed. At imaging, the different types of urachal anomalies have a distinct appearance. A patent urachus is recognized as an elongated patent connection between the bladder and the umbilicus. An umbilical-urachal sinus is depicted as a blind focal dilatation at the umbilical end, whereas a vesicourachal diverticulum is a focal outpouching at the vesical end. Urachal cysts are visualized as midline fluid-filled sacs most frequently located near the bladder dome. Complications of urachal anomalies have nonspecific clinical findings and can mimic other abdominal and pelvic processes. Potential complications, such as infection and tumors, should be recognized early to ensure optimal management. Understanding of the embryonic development of the urachus is necessary for the radiologist to diagnose the wide variety of urachal disease. RSNA, 2016.

Context Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST (unidimensional)], World Health Organization [WHO (bi-dimensional)] and European Association for Study of the Liver [EASL (necrosis)] guidelines are commonly used to assess response following therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). No universally accepted standard exists. Objectives To evaluate intermethod agreement between these 3 imaging guidelines and to introduce the concept of the “primary index lesion” as a biomarker for response. Design Single-center comprehensive imaging analysis. Setting and Participants 245 consecutive patients with HCC who were treated with chemoembolization or radioembolization between January 2000 and December 2008. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans (N=1065) were reviewed to assess response in the “primary index lesion,” defined as the largest tumor targeted during first treatment. Main Outcome Measures Intermethod agreement (k statistics) between RECIST, WHO, and EASL guidelines response; correlation of WHO and EASL response in the primary index lesion with time to progression and survival. Results κ coefficients were 0.86(95% confidence interval [CI],0.80–0.92) between the WHO and RECIST guidelines, 0.24(95% CI, 0.16–0.33) between RECIST and EASL and 0.28 (95% CI, 0.19–0.36) between WHO and EASL. Disease progressed in 96 patients; 113 died. The hazard ratio for time to progression in responders compared with nonresponders was 0.36(95% CI, 0.23–0.57) for WHO, 0.38(95% CI, 0.24–0.58) for RECIST, and 0.38(95% CI, 0.22–0.64) for EASL. Hazard ratios for survival in responders compared with nonresponders in univariate and multivariate analyses were 0.46(95% CI, 0.32–0.67) and 0.55(95% CI, 0.35–0.84); they were 0.36(95% CI, 0.22–0.57) and 0.54(95% CI, 0.34–0.85) for EASL. Hazard ratios for survival in responders vs nonresponders in patients with solitary and multifocal HCC were 0.39 (95% CI, 0.19–0.77) and 0.51 (95% CI, 0.32–0.82) for WHO and 0.26 (95% CI, 0.10–0.67) and 0.47 (95% CI, 0.28–0.79) for EASL. Conclusions Among a group of patients with HCC, agreement for classification of therapeutic response was high between RECIST and WHO, but low between each of these and EASL. Application of these methods to measure response in a primary index lesion resulted in statistically significant correlations with disease progression and survival.