VI steps to achieve VI-RADS assessment

Abstract

Bladder cancer is categorized into nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), distinguished by the presence of detrusor muscle invasion. Urothelial cell carcinoma is the most common subtype of bladder cancer. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is the standard approach for staging and managing NMIBC, while radical cystectomy remains the cornerstone treatment for MIBC.

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), comprising morphological imaging sequences (high-resolution T2-weighted images) and functional imaging sequences (dynamic contrast-enhanced images and diffusion-weighted images), serves as an ideal modality. It provides high-contrast resolution for visualizing bladder wall layers, thereby enabling proper and timely staging of bladder cancer. MRI can guide sampling resection and identify patients understaged after primary TURBT, facilitating appropriate surgical restaging.

In 2018, the Vesical Imaging Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS), implementing a 5-point scale, was developed to standardize MRI protocols and reporting criteria—including tumor location, size, morphology, and invasiveness. The aim of this article is to navigate through all the steps to achieve VI-RADS assessment and to discuss practical pearls and pitfalls in the use of mpMRI. This approach can aid in pre-TURBT prediction of muscle invasion, representing an important asset in bladder cancer staging.