Atypical pulmonary metastases in children: pictorial review of imaging patterns

COVID-19 Pneumonia and Lung Cancer: A Challenge for the Radiological Review of the Main Radiological Features, Differential Diagnosis and Overlapping Pathologies

The COVID-19 pneumonia pandemic represents the most severe health emergency of the 21st century and has been monopolizing health systems’ economic and human resources world-wide. Cancer patients have been suffering from the health systems’ COVID-19 priority management with evidence of late diagnosis leading to patients’ poor prognosis and late medical treatment. The radiologist plays a pivotal role as CT represents a non-invasive radiological technique which may help to identify possible overlap and differential diagnosis between COVID-19 pneumonia and lung cancer, which represents the most frequent cancer histology in COVID-19 patients. Our aims are: to present the main CT features of COVID-19 pneumonia; to provide the main differential diagnosis with lung cancer, chemotherapy-, immunotherapy-, and radiotherapy-induced lung disease; and to suggest practical tips and key radiological elements to identify possible overlap between COVID-19 pneumonia and lung cancer. Despite similarities or overlapping findings, the combination of clinics and some specific radiological findings, which are also identified by comparison with previous and follow-up CT scans, may guide differential diagnosis. It is crucial to search for typical COVID-19 pneumonia phase progression and typical radiological features on HRTC. The evidence of atypical findings such as lymphadenopathies and mediastinal and vessel invasion, as well as the absence of response to therapy, should arouse the suspicion of lung cancer and require contrast administration. Ground-glass areas and/or consolidations bound to radiotherapy fields or pneumonitis arising during and after oncological therapy should always arouse the suspicion of radiation-induced lung disease and chemo/immunotherapy-induced lung disease. The radiological elements we suggest for COVID-19 and lung cancer differential diagnosis may be used to develop AI protocols to guarantee an early and proper diagnosis and treatment to improve patients’ quality of life and life expectancy.

Parosteal osteosarcoma with high-grade transformation and lung metastasis after 12 years: a rare presentation

Parosteal osteosarcoma represents a low-grade, well-differentiated type of cortical surface osteosarcoma with a relatively better prognosis. Systemic metastasis is rare overall and occurs in 10-15% of patients only. Delayed recurrences (>5 years) of parosteal osteosarcoma are even rarer and only few isolated case reports of local recurrence with systemic metastasis occurring beyond 10 years exist in the literature. We present here a case of femoral parosteal osteosarcoma, successfully treated previously, that recurred with high-grade transformation locally and with lung metastasis after 12 years. The patient was managed by lung wedge resection followed by type A1 rotationplasty. Histopathology report confirmed evidence of high-grade transformation (de-differentiation) both locally and at the metastatic site, in view of strong CDK4 and MDM2 nuclear immuno-expression. The present report highlights the importance of long-term follow-up, even for a seemingly less aggressive osteosarcoma variant with identification of a novel pattern of lung metastasis.

Pediatric Pulmonary Nodules: Imaging Guidelines and Recommendations

Incidental pulmonary nodules are not infrequently identified on computed tomography imaging in the pediatric population and can be a challenge in suggesting appropriate follow-up recommendations. An evidence-based and practical imaging approach for diagnosis and appropriate directed management is essential for optimal patient care. This article provides an up-to-date review of the pediatric pulmonary nodule literature and suggests a practical algorithm to manage pulmonary nodules in the pediatric population.