Abdominal #37

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78-year-old woman:

      • Presents with sudden, intense right upper quadrant pain
      • A previous ultrasound reported liver cysts
      • A new ultrasound was performed

What is the suspected diagnosis?

 

Which follow-up imaging is indicated?

 

What is the suspected diagnosis? Which follow-up imaging is indicated?

Findings:

A cystic liver lesion is identified in segments VII–VIII. The lesion demonstrates heterogeneous echoic content, with signal hyperintensity on T1-weighted sequences, signal hypointensity on T2-weighted sequences compared to the cystic fluid, areas of restricted diffusion and no contrast enhancement.

Diagnosis:

Hemorrhagic liver cyst

Differential diagnosis includes:

  • Liver cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma
  • Hydatid cyst

MRI is helpful in excluding cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma by demonstrating the absence of mural enhancement. Imaging features of hydatid cysts depend on the stage (Gharbi/WHO classification). Characteristic signs include the “water lily” sign, daughter cysts, or a simple cyst with a double wall.

Tips:

  • The mobility of septa on US imaging, when not found on CT images, is suggestive of a hemorrhagic content.
  • Enhancement of thick septa, mural nodules or thickened wall are typically found in malignant lesions.
  • MRI signal intensities help to differentiate hemorrhagic content of a cyst from other mucinous cyst.

Potential causes of intracystic bleeding:

  • Trauma
  • High intracystic pressure leading to epithelial lining necrosis and damage to fragile vessels
  • Rapid cyst enlargement causing rupture of cyst wall vessels

MRI






Abdominal #36

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38-year-old male:

    • Diabetes mellitus


T2 fast spin echo axial images

T1-gradient echo in-phase

T1-gradient echo out-of-phase
What is unusual on the presented image? How many organs are affected?
    • Diffusely lowered T2 signal intensity of liver and pancreas parenchyma with loss of signal on T1-weighted images in phase to a minor degree also in the spleen, in keeping with iron accumulation
    • Wavy contours of the liver, the hypotrophied right lobe is markedly more affected with iron deposition
    • Pancreatic hypotrophy without dilatation of the main pancreatic duct (orange arrow)

 


Can you guess the diagnosis?
    • Primary haemochromatosis

Primary haemochromatosis

  • Iron overload disorder usually due to mutations in the HFE gene
  • In men it manifests earlier than in women due to the protective role of menstrual bleeding
  • Most frequently affects the liver, but the pancreas, heart, musculoskeletal system, and CNS may also be involved
  • It can lead to cirrhosis, HCC, diabetes, cardiopathy
  • Concomitant liver steatosis may complicate image interpretation on both CT and MRI
  • Liver iron concentration can be quantified on MRI with T2* sequences
  • Treatment: frequent phlebotomies

Secondary haemochromatosis

  • Due to frequent blood transfusions (usually in haematologic or oncologic patients)
  • Similar imaging findings but primarily affects spleen and bone marrow with sparing of the pancreas

Head and Neck #22

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Clinical Data

72-year-old woman:

    • Presenting with acute-onset confusion and anterograde amnesia

1. What structures are affected?

2. What is the differential diagnosis?

3. What is the most likely diagnosis?

What structures are affected?
  • Anteromedial thalami
What is the differential diagnosis?
    • Artery of Percheron (AOP) infarct (characteristic pattern)
    • Top‑of‑basilar thrombus (should also involve occipital lobes/cerebellum)
    • Deep cerebral venous thrombosis (check CTV or MRV)
    • Wernicke encephalopathy (mammillary bodies + clinical context)
    • Flavivirus encephalitis (clinical context and patient’s history)
What is the most likely diagnosis?
  • Artery of Percheron (AOP) infarct
What is the most likely aetiology?
  • The AOP variant exists in ≈4–12 % of individuals
  • Occlusion produces the classic triad: altered consciousness, vertical gaze palsy, and memory impairment. Some symptoms might be absent (variable AOP anatomy)
  • Initial ER examination might be non-specific since gaze palsy may be absent and memory impairment is hard to assess in the setting of altered consciousness. Familiarity with this entity is therefore important, as radiology might be the first clue
  • Recognising vascular aetiology early is important, as it guides further therapy

Abdominal #35

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60-year-old patient:

      • With AML and multiple myeloma, AML induction therapy started two months ago
      • High-resolution CT to rule out fungal pneumonia raised suspicion for small liver lesions, follow- up MRI was performed (largest liver lesion depicted)
      • Concomitant enlarging lesion of the left ninth rib with soft tissue mass
      • Histopathological confirmation was obtained

.

What is the correct diagnosis?
    • Progress of multiple myeloma with hepatic manifestations/infiltrations

 

Explanation:
Extraosseous myelomatous masses are rare and found in less than 5% of patients with multiple myeloma. Although hepatic involvement in multiple myeloma has been described at autopsy in up to 30% of patients, clinical diagnosis is significantly less common. Diffuse and nodular patterns of plasma cell infiltration have been reported. Most often, focal liver lesions have been observed as non- or mildly enhancing on CT scan and as moderate or minimally enhancing on MRI

References:
– Patlas M, Khalili K, Dill-Macky MJ, Wilson SR. Spectrum of imaging findings in abdominal extraosseous myeloma. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004 Oct;183(4):929-32. doi: 10.2214/ajr.183.4.1830929. PMID: 15385283.

– Marcon M, Cereser L, Girometti R, Cataldi P, Volpetti S, Bazzocchi M. Liver involvement by multiple myeloma presenting as hypervascular focal lesions in a patient with chronic hepatitis B infection. BJR Case Rep. 2016 May 8;2(3):20150013. doi: 10.1259/bjrcr.20150013. PMID: 30459962; PMCID: PMC6243346.

Head and Neck #21

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Clinical Data

62-year-old female:

    • With subacute-onset visual disturbances

What is the differential diagnosis?

1. AQP4‑NMOSD optic neuritis (most likely)
2. MOGAD optic neuritis (usually more anterior, optic sheath oedema)
3. Multiple sclerosis optic neuritis (short segment, unilateral)
4. Granulomatous/infective optic neuritis (sarcoid, TB, syphilis)

What is the differential diagnosis?
  • AQP4-NMOSD
Teaching Points
  • NMOSD ON shows longitudinally extensive, often bilateral nerve involvement with predilection for the posterior nerve and chiasm
  • Imaging pattern plus seropositivity establishes diagnosis; spinal MRI is recommended to look for LETM
  • Early treatment improves visual prognosis, so pattern recognition is key. Bilateral posterior optic nerve + chiasm = think NMOSD
  • Always check the chiasm when evaluating optic neuritis
  • Correlate imaging with AQP4/MOG antibody testing—imaging guides the right test

Abdominal #34

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35-year-old patient:

    • Presenting with right flank pain and elevated CRP
    • CT in portal venous phase was performed

.   

 

What is your diagnosis and what patient information will lead you to the correct pathogenesis?
    • Subphrenic abscess with focal calcification, history of prior appendectomy

 

Explanation:
Lost appendicoliths (as well as gall stones) can cause delayed abscesses years after the surgical procedure. Due to a tilted position of the patient during surgery, the lost stones may “travel” towards the upper abdomen and can cause abscesses in the Morison pouch.
Therapy consists of surgical or interventional removal of the stone and drainage of the abscess.

References:

– Singh AK, Hahn PF, Gervais D, Vijayraghavan G, Mueller PR. Dropped appendicolith: CT findings and implications for management. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2008 Mar;190(3):707-11. doi: 10.2214/AJR.07.2917. PMID: 18287442.

Musculoskeletal #50

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32-year-old male:

    • With chronic back pain lasting for 6 months, worsening at night, with a feeling of morning stiffness lasting about 2-3 hours, slight anaemia in laboratory tests, history of Crohn’s disease

MRI of the sacroiliac joints was performed (STIR, T1):

.   

Taking into account clinical data and MR images, what is the correct diagnosis?
      • B) Axial spondyloarthritis (axSPA)
Referring to the ASAS criteria, what MR imaging features typical of axSPA do you recognise in the images?
      • A) Bone marrow oedema
      • B) Joint space fluid
      • D) Erosions
      • E) Sclerosis

Explanation:
There are areas of bone marrow oedema in the left SI joint, with a small amount of joint space fluid in the upper segments, along with increased subchondral sclerosis and erosions. No features of capsulitis, no evident backfill or ankylosis visible. Joint space enhancement cannot be confirmed—this was a non-contrast study.

What are the initial eligibility requirements for assessing a patient according to the ASAS criteria?
      • Chronic back pain lasting more than three months
      • Onset of pain before age 45

Explanation:
To be eligible for the ASAS criteria, patients must have chronic back pain (lasting more than three months) with onset before age 45.
They can then be classified into one of two groups: the “imaging arm” if they have evidence of sacroiliitis (on X-ray or MRI) and at least one other feature of spondyloarthritis, or the “clinical arm” if they are HLA-B27 positive and have two or more other features of spondyloarthritis (e.g. uveitis, enthesitis, dactylitis, positive family history for axSPA, psoriasis, increased C-reactive protein level, etc).

Musculoskeletal #49

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43-year-old patient:

        • Evaluation of right foot pain and swelling

T1, T2 and t1 POST-CONTRAST SEQUENCES

What are the findings?

Dumbbell-shaped lesion in third web space near the metatarsophalangeal joint with isointensity on T1 and hypo to isointensity and T2 sequences and inhomogeneous contrast enhancement

What is the most appropriate diagnosis?

Morton’s neuroma in third web space

Musculoskeletal #48

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29-year-old female:

      • Left knee pain for three months
      • Body mass index: 35
      • X-rays are unremarkable

Showing images from an MRI

Coronal PDFS
Coronal PDFS
Coronal T1
What is wrong in the bone marrow?
    • Bone marrow reconversion: Signal intensity is that of normal red marrow being low T1 signal but still higher than skeletal muscle. Marrow reconversion occurs in the reverse order of normal red to yellow marrow conversion.
What could be the cause in general?
    • Physiological (e.g. cigarette smoking, obesity, high altitude), iatrogenic (e.g. post erythropoietin treatment), pathological (e.g. diabetes mellitus, severe chronic anaemia).
What could be the cause in this specific case?
    • Obesity (BMI 35)
Reference:

Musculoskeletal #47

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54-year-old male:

      • Chronic shoulder pain and limited ROM
What is causing the symptoms? Describe all abnormalities you see.

Adhesive capsulitis


There is a thickening and edema of the inferior joint capsule in the axillary recess which is characteristic of adhesive capsulitis.

Additionally, there is an interstitial tear of supraspinatus tendon.

Explanation:

Adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder, is an inflammatory condition characterized by shoulder stiffness, pain, and significant loss of passive range of motion.
The joint capsule exhibits inflammation, thickening and fibrosis, leading to pain and loss of ROM.
In most cases, adhesive capsulitis is a self-limited disease with high spontaneous recovery rates within 18 to 30 months.