Accuracy of CT and MRI to assess resection margins in primary malignant bone tumours having histology as the reference standard.

AIM To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in assessing the resection margins of primary malignant bone tumours. MATERIALS AND METHODS Resected primary malignant bone tumour specimens removed from 46 patients (27 male; mean age: 48±22 years) were imaged using MRI (fat-saturated proton density-weighted and three-dimensional fat-suppressed T1-weighted gradient-recalled-echo) and CT immediately after surgery. A radiologist and an orthopaedist evaluated bone and soft-tissue margins of the specimens on both examinations. Histological evaluation was performed by a senior orthopaedic oncology pathologist. Margins were classified as R0 (safe margin…

Rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: from diagnosis to treatment

Rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy (RCCT) is a very common condition caused by the presence of calcific deposits in the rotator cuff (RC) or in the subacromial-subdeltoid (SASD) bursa when calcification spreads around the tendons. The pathogenetic mechanism of RCCT is still unclear. It seems to be related to cell-mediated disease in which metaplastic transformation of tenocytes into chondrocytes induces calcification inside the tendon of the RC. RCCT is a frequent finding in the RC that may cause significant shoulder pain and disability. It can be easily diagnosed with imaging studies as conventional radiography (CR) or ultrasound (US). Conservative management of RCCT usually involves rest,…

Shoulder ultrasound: current concepts and future perspectives

Ultrasonography is an established and effective imaging technique that can be used to evaluate articular and periarticular structures around the shoulder. It has been shown to be useful in a wide range of rotator cuff diseases (e.g. tendon tears, rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy and bursitis) as well as non-rotator cuff abnormalities (instability, synovial joint diseases and nerve entrapment syndrome). A scanning protocol is highly recommended to reduce the rate of operators’ errors by following a standardized scheme including a list of main structures. Shoulder ultrasound has several advantages: it is a relatively cheap and widely available technique, free from ionizing radiation, that c…

Misdiagnosis of vertebral fractures on plain films: Are radiologists really working so bad?