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D O'Driscoll

Publications and source records attributed to D O'Driscoll.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Lobular carcinoma in situ on core biopsy-what is the clinical significance?

AIM: To retrospectively review the surgical histological findings in all cases where lobular carcinoma in situ(LCIS) was identified on percutaneous core biopsy (CB) performed as part of the Cambridge and Huntingdon breast screening programme. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all the core biopsies performed in our department for screen detected abnormalities over a 5-year period between 1 April 1994 and 31 March 1999. All patients where LCIS was identified on CB were reviewed. As the significance of LCIS on CB was unclear all went on to surgical excision. We reviewed the clinical and imaging findings, biopsy technique and subsequent surgical histology of each patient. RESULTS: During the study period 60 769 women were invited for screening, of whom 47 975 attended (attendance rate = 79%). Of these, 2330 (4.9%) were recalled for assessment and 749 (1.6%) underwent CB. A malignant diagnosis was obtained in 311 (42%), 211 invasive and 100 in situ lesions. LCIS was identified on CB in 13 (2%). LCIS was the only lesion identified in seven cases. All seven cases subsequently underwent surgical excision. Surgical histology revealed a single case of LCIS and invasive lobular carcinoma. There were two cases of LCIS and DCIS one with a probable focus of invasive ductal carcinoma. In one case LCIS was identified in association with a radial scar. In three of the seven cases LCIS was the only abnormality on both CB and surgical biopsy. CONCLUSION: Our series shows that isolated LCIS on CB following mammographic screening is an infrequent finding, and it may be associated with either an invasive cancer or DCIS. It is therefore advisable that when LCIS is identified on CB, surgical excision of the mammographic abnormality should be performed. Decisions on management should be undertaken in a multidisciplinary setting taking into account clinical and imaging findings.

Aged↗

Interval cancer peer review in East Anglia: implications for monitoring doctors as well as the NHS breast screening programme.

AIM: To devise a method for reviewing interval cancers that will both educate radiologists and facilitate improvement of breast screening practice. To evaluate different methods for case classification to find one that best serves this purpose. METHOD: The method of peer review and the means by which interval cancers are classified is described. The way in which cases are designated false-negative is an issue of acceptability for radiologists, and so three different methods are evaluated. Each is applied to the data set collected in this region over a 3-year period. RESULTS: For cases read by five readers, when a consensus method was used for classifying cases, the proportion of cases classified as false-negative was 14%. Using a method in which only one of the five readers had to classify a case as false-negative for it to be categorized as such, the proportion of false-negative cases rose to a maximum of 38%. The minimum proportion of cases that could be considered to be false-negative was 6% and was obtained when all five readers had to classify a case as false-negative for it to be so categorized. Consistent with its majority viewpoint, the consensus method gave results for proportions of total cases classified as false-negative which were similar to those given by methods in which cases are classified as false-negative if either three of five readers, or at least 60% of readers, classified it as such. CONCLUSION: For the peer review method to achieve its dual aims of educating radiologists and auditing performance, the participating radiologists must share ownership of the results and view the analysis as fair. The method used to classify interval cancers as false-negative will influence the number so classified. A consensus method has been found to give a result that is both fair and acceptable to our radiologist. Using this method 16% of all reviewed cases were classified as false-negative and 60% as true interval cancers. Britton, P. D. (2001). Clinical Radiology56, 44-49.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Screening with breast ultrasound in a population at moderate risk due to family history.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a pilot study to compare ultrasound and mammographic screening with particular respect to specificity, in a cohort of women at moderate family history risk of breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: High resolution ultrasound of both breasts was undertaken in 149 women at moderate risk of breast cancer who were referred for mammographic screening. The two tests were read blind to the other. Core biopsy was undertaken for solid lesions found on ultrasound. RESULTS: 149 Patients, mean age 42.15 years, were screened with bilateral ultrasound. 90 Examinations were normal. 46 Women had cysts, two had lesions previously biopsied and found to be benign, and one had a lymph node. 10 Focal solid lesions were biopsied on account of their ultrasound findings, 6.7% (95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) 2.7% to 10.7%). All but one of the 149 mammograms were normal. In this case both mammography and ultrasound showed a focal solid lesion that at core biopsy was found to be a fibroadenoma. Histology showed seven fibroadenomata, two areas of fibrocystic change, and one adenoid cystic carcinoma. Positive predictive value for biopsy was 10%. Mean follow up was 13.7 months. There was one interval cancer. CONCLUSION: Screening with breast ultrasound, in a cohort of women at moderate risk of breast cancer due to family history, has an acceptable biopsy rate. Screening with ultrasound and mammography in patients with an increased risk of breast cancer may be beneficial and a randomised study to examine issues of acceptability, reproducibility, and cost effectiveness is apt.

Adult↗

Hepatic artery aneurysm.

Hepatic artery aneurysms (HAAs) are rare. A review of the English language literature from 1985 to 1995 for reports of visceral artery aneurysms showed HAA to be the most frequently reported visceral aneurysm during that decade. This increase in incidence relates to the increasing use of percutaneous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. A second factor is the increased use of diagnostic CT scanning after blunt liver trauma. The purpose of this pictorial review is to illustrate the imaging presentation and radiological management of HAAs.

Aneurysm↗

Isolated iliac artery aneurysms with associated hydronephrosis.

An isolated iliac artery aneurysm is where there is aneurysmal dilatation of one or more branches of the iliac system, with no associated dilatation of the aorta. Such aneurysms are rare and comprise 1% of all intra-abdominal aneurysms. The signs and symptoms of such an aneurysm are influenced by its concealed location within the bony pelvis. Awareness of these special characteristics improves the chances of early diagnosis and proper treatment before possible rupture. We present the clinical and radiological features of three such aneurysms. Ultrasound was the first imaging modality to be performed. Ipsilateral hydronephrosis was demonstrated in each case, this lead to imaging the pelvis and the correct diagnosis. We review the clinical and radiological literature and conclude that the pelvis should be imaged in all cases of unexplained hydronephrosis.

Aged↗

Effective dose to the patient undergoing superior vena cava stent.

Metallic stents have been recently introduced for treating superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction. Dose data, in terms of dose-area product (DAP), from 44 patients referred for SVC stent placement on a digital unit have been retrospectively analysed in terms of their fluoroscopic and radiographic components. The mean DAP for the 44 examinations was 42 Gy cm2 and the effective dose was estimated to be 5.8 mSv. The fluoroscopic component was approximately 80%, with a mean screening time for these examinations of 17 min. The mean number of digital exposures was 86.

Aged↗

Intrathoracic lipoma masquerading as subclavian artery trauma.

A 58 year old man was admitted to the accident and emergency department following an industrial accident in which he sustained a three part fracture dislocation of his right humerus. Chest radiography revealed a large mass in the right upper hemithorax and, when the patient became hypotensive, an emergency thoracotomy was performed. The mass was found to be a massive intrathoracic lipoma. This case shows how preexisting intrathoracic lesions may be mistaken for subclavian or great vessel trauma following violent shoulder girdle injury. The differential diagnosis of traumatic and non-traumatic intrathoracic mass lesions in chest radiography should be considered carefully.

Accidents, Occupational↗

The ability of computed tomography to identify a painful zygapophysial joint in patients with chronic low back pain.

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cross-sectional analytic study. OBJECTIVES: To assess in patients with chronic low back pain whether the presence or absence of pain originating from the lumbar zygapophysial joints correlates with changes seen on computed tomography. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Results of studies have been divided as to whether or not radiologic imaging is able to predict those patients with pain originating from the zygapophysial joints. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with low back pain lasting for longer than 3 months underwent computed tomography and blocks of the zygapophysial joints at L5-S1, L4-L5, and L3-L4. The zygapophysial joints of all images were scored by three independent, masked radiologists. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement was poor with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.34-0.66 using total joint scores for all three assessors. Using the results of a repeat assessment with two radiologists there was no statistically significant difference in joint scores between those with and those without pain originating from the zygapophysial joint. CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography has no place in the diagnosis of lumbar zygapophysial joint pain.

Adult↗

Biochemical evidence for osteomalacia with carbamazepine therapy.

Many anticonvulsants are known to cause osteomalacia, however, carbamazepine has not previously been studied in this regard. We studied 31 patients on carbamazepine (mean dose 758 mg +/- s.d. 468 mg per day), as a single drug for epilepsy for a duration of 20.5 +/- 10 months. Three patients (10%) had hypocalcaemia, and serum calcium was significantly lower (P less than 0.01), and serum alkaline phosphatase significantly higher (P less than 0.05) than matched control subjects. Serum phosphorus was significantly inversely correlated and serum alkaline phosphatase was positively correlated with both dose and duration, but not blood levels of carbamazepine. These findings are consistent with mild biochemical changes of osteomalacia. None of the patients were symptomatic. Serum bilirubin (mean 2.6 +/- 1.4 mumol/l) was very significantly lower (P less than 0.01) than in controls. Both the calcium and bilirubin disturbances are probably due to carbamazepine causing hepatic microsomal enzyme induction.

Adolescent↗