Detection of bladder tumors with 3-dimensional sonography and virtual sonographic cystoscopy

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Post-Treatment Surveillance of Bladder Cancer: 2021 Update

Urothelial cancer is the second most common cancer, and cause of cancer death, related to the genitourinary tract. The goals of surveillance imaging after the treatment of urothelial cancer of the urinary bladder are to detect new or previously undetected urothelial tumors, to identify metastatic disease, and to evaluate for complications of therapy. For surveillance, patients can be stratified into one of three groups: 1) nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer with no symptoms or additional risk factors; 2) nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer with symptoms or additional risk factors; and 3) muscle invasive bladder cancer. This document is a review of the current literature for urothelial cancer and resulting recommendations for surveillance imaging. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Imaging of Bladder Cancer: Standard Applications and Future Trends

The evolution in imaging has had an increasing role in the diagnosis, staging and follow up of bladder cancer. Conventional cystoscopy is crucial in the diagnosis of bladder cancer. However, a cystoscopic procedure cannot always depict carcinoma in situ (CIS) or differentiate benign from malignant tumors prior to biopsy. This review will discuss the standard application, novel imaging modalities and their additive role in patients with bladder cancer. Staging can be performed with CT, but distinguishing between T1 and T2 BCa (bladder cancer) cannot be assessed. MRI can distinguish muscle-invasive from non-muscle-invasive tumors with accurate local staging. Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) score is a new diagnostic modality used for the prediction of tumor aggressiveness and therapeutic response. Bone scintigraphy is recommended in patients with muscle-invasive BCa with suspected bony metastases. CT shows low sensitivity for nodal staging; however, PET (Positron Emission Tomography)/CT is superior and highly recommended for restaging and determining therapeutic effect. PET/MRI is a new imaging technique in bladder cancer imaging and its role is promising. Texture analysis has shown significant steps in discriminating low-grade from high-grade bladder cancer. Radiomics could be a reliable method for quantitative assessment of the muscle invasion of bladder cancer.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Post-Treatment Surveillance of Bladder Cancer

Urothelial cancer is the second most common cancer, and cause of cancer death, related to the genitourinary tract. The goals of surveillance imaging after the treatment of urothelial cancer of the urinary bladder are to detect new or previously undetected urothelial tumors, to identify metastatic disease, and to evaluate for complications of therapy. For surveillance, patients can be stratified into one of three groups: (1) nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer with no symptoms or additional risk factors; (2) nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer with symptoms or additional risk factors; and (3) muscle invasive bladder cancer. This article is a review of the current literature for urothelial cancer and resulting recommendations for surveillance imaging. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Imaging in Localized Bladder Cancer: Can Current Diagnostic Modalities Provide Accurate Local Tumor Staging?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Local tumor staging is paramount in the evaluation and management of bladder cancer. While neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical cystectomy and urinary diversion remains the gold standard for management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, bladder-sparing regimens involving systemic chemotherapy and pelvic radiotherapy remain a viable option for select patients. Moreover, pre-cystectomy identification of patients with a complete response to NAC may obviate the need for radical cystectomy, but accurate post-therapy staging can be difficult to achieve. Contemporary imaging techniques may provide additional benefit in local tumor staging beyond standard imaging and cystoscopic biopsy. Our purpose is to summarize the ability of different imaging modalities to accurately stage bladder cancer patients in the treatment-naïve and post-chemotherapy settings.

RECENT FINDINGS

Contemporary investigations have been studying multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) in the evaluation of bladder cancer. Its recent incorporation into bladder cancer staging is mainly being assessed in treatment-naïve patients; however, different sequences are being studied to assess their accuracy after the introduction of chemotherapy and possibly radiation. Multiple recent studies incorporating cystoscopy and biopsy are proving to be less accurate than originally predicted. Imaging has generally had a very limited role in guiding therapy in localized bladder cancer, but with the incorporation of newer sequences and techniques, imaging is poised to become vital in decision-making strategies of this cancer. Reliable local tumor staging through improved imaging may help better select patients for bladder-sparing treatments while maintaining optimized oncologic outcomes and allow this paradigm to become more acceptable in the urologic oncology community.

Three-Dimensional Virtual Sonographic Cystoscopy for Detection of Ureterocele in Duplicated Collecting Systems in Children

OBJECTIVES

Ureterocele is a sac-like dilatation of terminal ureter. Precise anatomic delineation is of utmost importance to proceed with the surgical plan, particularly in the ectopic subtype. However, the level of ureterocele extension is not always elucidated by the existing imaging modalities and even by conventional cystoscopy, which is considered as the gold standard for evaluation of ureterocele. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of three-dimensional virtual sonographic cystoscopy (VSC) in the characterization of ureterocele in duplex collecting systems.

METHODS

Sixteen children with a mean age of 5.1 (standard deviation 1.96) years with transabdominal ultrasonography-proven duplex system and ureterocele were included. They underwent VSC by a single pediatric radiologist. All of them subsequently had conventional cystoscopy, and the results were compared in terms of ureterocele features including anatomy, number, size, location, and extension.

RESULTS

Three-dimensional VSC was well tolerated in all cases without any complication. Image quality was suboptimal in 2 of 16 patients. Out of the remaining 14 cases, VSC had a high accuracy in characterization of the ureterocele features (93%). Only the extension of one ureterocele was not precisely detected by VSC.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest three-dimensional sonography as a promising noninvasive diagnostic modality in the evaluation of ectopic ureterocele in children.

What's new in urologic ultrasound?

Ultrasound is an imaging technology that has evolved swiftly and has come a long way since its beginnings. It is a commonly used initial diagnostic imaging modality as it is rapid, effective, portable, relatively inexpensive, and causes no harm to human health. In the last few decades, there have been significant technological improvements in the equipment as well as the development of contrast agents that allowed ultrasound to be even more widely adopted for urologic imaging. Ultrasound is an excellent guidance tool for an array of urologic interventional procedures and also has therapeutic application in the form of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for tumor ablation. This article focuses on the recent advances in ultrasound technology and its emerging clinical applications in urology.

Accuracy of three-dimensional and two-dimensional ultrasonography for measurement of tumor volume in dogs with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

OBJECTIVE

To determine the accuracy of 3-D and 2-D ultrasonography for quantification of tumor volume in dogs with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder.

ANIMALS

10 dogs with biopsy-confirmed TCC.

PROCEDURES

The urinary bladder of each dog was distended with saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (5.0 mL/kg), and masses were measured via 3-D and 2-D ultrasonography. Masses were also measured via 3-D ultrasonography after bladders were distended with 2.5 and 1.0 mL of saline solution/kg. Subsequently, the bladder was deflated and distended with CO(2) (5.0 mL/kg); CT was performed after IV contrast medium administration. Tumor volumes were calculated via 3-D ultrasonography, 2-D ultrasonography, and CT (reference method) and compared via ANOVA, Deming regression, and Bland-Altman plots. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to assess effects of bladder distension on 3-D tumor volume measurements. Repeatability of measurements was estimated via the coefficient of variation for each method.

RESULTS

Repeatability was considered good for all 3 methods. There was no significant difference in tumor volume measurements obtained via 3-D ultrasonography at different degrees of urinary bladder distension. Results of Deming regression and Bland-Altman plots indicated excellent agreement between tumor volume measurement with 3-D ultrasonography and CT, but not between 2-D ultrasonography and CT.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Tumor volume in dogs with TCC of the urinary bladder was accurately measured via 3-D ultrasonography. Use of 3-D ultrasonography can provide a less expensive and more practical method for monitoring response to treatment than CT and was more accurate than 2-D ultrasonography.

Optimal risk-adapted surveillance strategies for NMIBC, including upper tract imaging

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) represents approximately 70% of all incident cases of bladder cancer. The financial burden of NMIBC continues to increase, underscoring the importance of efficient, evidence-based management of this disease. Consensus guidelines differ on risk definition and in management recommendations. This article reviews the incidence and financial impact of NMIBC and details the recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance made by the American Urological Association, International Consultation on Bladder Cancer-European Association of Urology, and National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Established and developing adjunctive laboratory and imaging tests directed at diagnosis and management of NMIBC are also discussed.

Modification of the hand-held Vscan ultrasound and verification of its performance for transvaginal applications

PURPOSE

The purpose of this work was to validate a new clinical obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) application for a hand-held ultrasound (US) device. We modified the smallest hand-held device on the market and tested the system for transvaginal (TV) use. This device was originally conceived for abdominal scanning only.

METHODS

The validation involved 80 successive patients examined by the same operator: 25 obstetric and 55 gynecologic cases. US examination was performed transvaginally with two US systems: the hand-held Vscan (General Electrics; GE Vingmed Ultrasound; Norway) for which an intravaginal gadget TTGP-2010® (Troyano transvaginal gadget probe) was designed, and the Voluson 730 Expert (multifrequency transvaginal ultrasound of 3-9MHz; GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA). We performed the same measurements with both US systems in order to confirm whether or not their diagnostic capability was similar. Quantitative difference in measurements between the systems was assessed, as well as the overall diagnostic detection rate and suitability for telemedicine.

RESULTS

Regarding lesion visibility with Vscan, optimal distance was 8-16cm depending on the examination type, and the total detection rate was 98.7%. The exception was an ovarian endometrioma, diagnosed as a follicular cyst using the hand-held device. Assessment of reproducibility in 180 measurements showed that the measurements obtained with Vscan were 0.3-0.4cm lower than those obtained with the high resolution US device (Voluson 730 Expert). Nevertheless, Pearson's correlation coefficient was high for biparietal diameter (0.72) and gynecological (GYN) (0.99) measurements, and for overall correlation (0.997). Image transport on USB and SD-flash cards proved convenient for telemedicine.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel TV application of a hand-held US device is demonstrated for OB-GYN. Heart, abdominal and obstetrics presets of the Vscan together with color-Doppler enable a detection capability comparable to that of a high-definition US device. The lower values of the measurements obtained by the hand-held device (by 0.3-0.4cm) must be taken into account, although they have no effect on its diagnostic capability.

Assessment of cystitis glandularis by transvaginal sonography in women

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this retrospective study were to determine the accuracy of transvaginal sonography for diagnosing cystitis glandularis in women and to describe the sonographic features of cystitis glandularis masses in confirmed cases.

METHODS

For 90 patients with clinically or sonographically suspected cystitis glandularis, we retrospectively reviewed the imaging files. Twenty-one cases were confirmed by histopathologic examination. All patients had undergone transvaginal sonography to evaluate bladder masses in a standardized manner no more than 1 week before histopathologic examination. Findings from preoperative transvaginal sonography of the masses were described and compared with histopathologic findings.

RESULTS

Cystitis glandularis masses were correctly identified on transvaginal sonography in 15 of 21 cases (71.4%), whereas 6 of 21 (28.6%) had negative preoperative sonographic findings. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of transvaginal sonography for diagnosing cystitis glandularis were 71.4% (15 of 21), 92.8% (64 of 69), 75.0% (15 of 20), and 91.4% (64 of 70), respectively, and the total accuracy was 87.8% (79 of 90).

CONCLUSIONS

Detection of cystitis glandularis masses by transvaginal sonography depends on the mucosal surface roughness, bladder wall thickness, outer bladder wall continuity, mixed echoes, sparse vessels, and mobility of the cervix. Transvaginal sonography is a promising modality for identifying cystitis glandularis masses.

Detection of bladder cancer recurrence with real-time three-dimensional ultrasonography-based virtual cystoscopy

This prospective study evaluated the accuracy of grey-scale two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonography and real-time threedimensional (3D) ultrasonography-based virtual cystoscopy for detecting early recurrence of bladder cancer in previously treated patients (n = 40). Real-time 3D ultrasonography-based virtual cystoscopy images were compared with both 2D ultrasonography and interval conventional cystoscopy pathology results. Ultrasound examinations were performed before routine follow-up with conventional cystoscopy. Overall sensitivity for real-time 3D ultrasonography-based virtual cystoscopy was lower than for 2D ultrasonography, indicating it did not provide additional information. The results of combined (2D and 3D) ultrasonography and conventional cystoscopy differed significantly. Where lesions were detected with combined ultrasonography, the number of previous cystoscopies was lower and the tumour stage was significantly higher at initial diagnosis, compared with cases where no lesions were detected. The results suggest that ultrasonography before cystoscopy can be performed more frequently - or, if no lesions are detected by ultrasonography, the interval between cystoscopies can be prolonged - in patients at high risk of bladder cancer recurrence.

Does 3D Ultrasound Enhance the Diagnosis of Bladder Tumours in Patients with Haematuria?

Purpose. Bladder cancer is a frequent cause of haematuria in elderly patients, and bladder ultrasound (US) is a valuable tool in diagnosing these malignancies. We examined the accuracy of 3D bladder US in diagnosing bladder tumors in patients with haematuria. Patients and Methods. Twenty-one patients observed in the emergency department for haematuria underwent a kidney and bladder US. Patients with normal or uncertain bladder US findings underwent a 3D US and a cystoscopy. Results. In 5 (23.8%) patients, the 3D US detected bladder tumours not seen in 2D US. All these patients were found to have bladder tumours on cystoscopy. Another 5 (23.8%) patients with uncertain findings on 2D US had normal 3D US and cystoscopy. 3D US showed a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 100% with a positive predicted value and negative predictive values of 100% and 93.8%, respectively. Conclusion. 3D US was more sensitive than 2D US in diagnosing bladder tumours in patients with haematuria.

Volume US of the urinary tract in pediatric patients-a pilot study

Three-dimensional ultrasonography (3DUS) adds functionality to two-dimensional ultrasonography (2DUS) by allowing examiners to explore volume datasets using multiplanar or rendering methods already familiar to radiologists. In this pilot study, 30 patients referred for ultrasound examination of the urinary tract were examined by 3DUS. Three abnormalities initially not detected by 2DUS were seen: bilateral bladder diverticulae, urachal remnant and bilateral accessory renal arteries. Rendered images of the bladder trigone were feasible in the majority of patients. Potential applications of this technology in pediatric uroradiology and technical pitfalls are illustrated.

Accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the detection of bladder cancer

OBJECTIVE

To assess the accuracy contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in bladder cancer detection using transurethral biopsy in conventional cystoscopy as the reference standard and to determine whether CEUS improves the bladder cancer detection rate of baseline ultrasound.

METHODS

43 patients with suspected bladder cancer underwent conventional cystoscopy with transurethral biopsy of the suspicious lesions. 64 bladder cancers were confirmed in 33 out of 43 patients. Baseline ultrasound and CEUS were performed the day before surgery and the accuracy of both techniques for bladder cancer detection and number of detected tumours were analysed and compared with the final diagnosis.

RESULTS

CEUS was significantly more accurate than ultrasound in determining presence or absence of bladder cancer: 88.37% vs 72.09%. Seven of eight uncertain baseline ultrasound results were correctly diagnosed using CEUS. CEUS sensitivity was also better than that of baseline ultrasound per number of tumours: 65.62% vs 60.93%. CEUS sensitivity for bladder cancer detection was very high for tumours larger than 5 mm (94.7%) but very low for tumours <5 mm (20%) and also had a very low negative predictive value (28.57%) in tumours <5 mm.

CONCLUSION

CEUS provided higher accuracy than baseline ultrasound for bladder cancer detection, being especially useful in non-conclusive baseline ultrasound studies.

Comparison of virtual cystoscopy and ultrasonography for bladder cancer detection: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Bladder cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in patients presenting with haematuria. Early detection is crucial for improving patient prognosis. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to evaluate and compare the detection validity (sensitivity and specificity) of virtual cystoscopy (VC) and ultrasonography (US).

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and the Cochrane Library for studies evaluating diagnosis validity of VC and US between January 1966 and December 2009. Meta-analysis methods were used to pool sensitivity and specificity and to construct a summary receiver-operating characteristic (SROC) curve.

RESULTS

A total of 26 studies that included 3084 patients who fulfilled all of the inclusion criteria were considered for inclusion in the analysis. The pooled sensitivity for bladder cancer detection using CT virtual cystoscopy (CTVC), MR virtual cystoscopy (MRVC) and US was 0.939 (95% CI, 0.919-0.956), 0.908 (95% CI, 0.827-0.959) and 0.779 (95% CI, 0.744-0.812), respectively. The pooled specificity for bladder cancer detection using CTVC, MRVC and US was 0.981 (95% CI, 0.973-0.988), 0.948 (95% CI, 0.884-0.983) and 0.962 (95% CI, 0.953-0.969), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odd ratio (DOR) estimate for CTVC (604.22) were significantly higher than for MRVC (144.35, P<0.001) and US (72.472, P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that both CTVC and MRVC are better imaging methods for diagnosing bladder cancer than US. CTVC has higher diagnostic value (sensitivity, specificity and DOR) for the detection of bladder cancer than either MRCT or US.

New Italian guidelines on bladder cancer, based on the World Health Organization 2004 classification

OBJECTIVE To provide evidence-based recommendations on bladder cancer management METHODS A multidisciplinary guideline panel composed of urologists, medical oncologists, radiotherapists, general practitioners, radiologists, epidemiologists and methodologists conducted a structured review of previous reports, searching the Medline database from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008. The milestone papers published before January 2004 were accepted for analysis. The level of evidence and the grade of the recommendations were established using the GRADE system. RESULTS In all, 15 806 references were identified, 1940 retrieved, 1712 eliminated (specifying the reason for their elimination) and 971 included in the analysis, as well as 241 milestone reports. A consensus conference held to discuss the discrepancies between the scientific evidence and the clinical practice was then attended by 122 delegates of various specialities. CONCLUSION Recommendations on bladder cancer management are provided.