Efficacy and safety of transcatheter chemoembolization of the internal thoracic artery in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Embolization of collateral arteries is important for transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of TACE, and the prevention and management of complications among patients in whom the internal thoracic artery (ITA) was involved.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 3614 cases of HCC were treated with 12 645 TACEs and 211 of these cases were given ITA angiography, including 156 cases of which the ITA was involved. We performed 562 TACEs in the 156 cases. We analyzed imaging examinations, types of embolization, and the incidence, prevention, and treatment of complications.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ITA was successfully embolized in 156 cases. Angiography of the ITA showed that the major trunks were thickened with an increased number of branching vessels, contributing to intrahepatic and extrahepatic tumor blood supply. Different embolization methods were selected according to the blood supply, to effectively embolize the tumor and mitigate or avoid serious complications. TACE with ITA embolization extended the mean interval time between two treatments from 2.54 months (1 - 17 months) to 4.23 months (1 - 30 months) compared with that without ITA embolization. The ITA supplied the HCC in the following instances: HCC was located in the ventral hepatic area and abutted the diaphragm (P = 0.0064) and repeated TACE (P = 0.0003). The survival rate of TACE with ITA embolization for HCC was better than TACE without ITA embolization (P < 0.00001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In cases with massive HCC or nodular HCC, the ITA may be involved in supplying blood to the tumor. This occurs when the tumor is positioned in the ventral hepatic area and abuts the diaphragm (S2, S4, and S8), and especially if cases have a previous history of TACE. In this case series, embolization was effective, extended the mean interval time of interventional therapy, and prolonged survival time.</p>

Endovascular embolization of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The major consequence of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) is the direct inflow of blood from the pulmonary artery to the pulmonary vein which induces hypoxemia. Severe complications include transient ischemic attacks, paradoxical embolization in the central nervous system, massive hemoptysis or hemothorax, etc. The conventional treatment is surgical intervention. However, this can be very traumatic and dangerous. Endovascular embolization has advantages over surgery such as a faithful therapeutic effect, a low complication rate, repeatability, etc.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients (n = 23) with symptomatic PAVMs underwent endovascular embolization; 11 were males and 12 were females, with ages ranging from 6 months to 58 years. During the embolization, microcoils were applied in 6 cases and standard steel coils were used in 17 cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Multiple PAVMs lesions were found in 16 cases and single PAVMs lesion was found in 7 cases. Embolotherapy was carried out 28 times for 23 patients. The success rate was 100%. The results of pulmonary arteriography after treatment showed that single lesion disappeared completely while the main abnormal vessels in multiple lesions also disappeared. The mean blood oxygen saturation increased from (78.04 + or - 8.22)% to (95.13 + or - 3.67)% after the procedure. A correlated groups t test showed changes in blood oxygen saturation before and after embolization (t = 9.101, P < 0.001). Symptoms of cardiac insufficiency disappeared in 5 cases and vascular murmur in the chest disappeared in 13 cases. After embolization, mild chest pain occurred in 11 cases, small amounts of pleural effusion occurred in 5 cases, and 1 patient died 2 months later because of a pyogenic infection secondary to the pulmonary infarction. Among the 22 remaining cases, with overall follow-up ranging from 18 months to 12 years, general conditions were fine, daily lives were normal and there were no neurologic symptoms or signs, except for 3 patients with diffused PAVMs who had persistent blood oxygen saturation between 85% and 90%. Symptoms of hypoxia never recurred in the other cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Endovascular embolization of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations can significantly improve blood oxygen saturation and reduce serious complications such as cerebral infaction. Therefore, this kind of interventional procedure is a safe and effective treatment method with a low complication rate.</p>

Role of interventional endovascular therapy for delayed hemorrhage after pancreaticoduodenectomy / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Delayed massive hemorrhage (DMH) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a serious complication and one of the most common causes of mortality after PD. Its ideal management remains unclear. This paper is to present our experience in the endovascular treatment of patients with DMH after PD using different techniques and materials.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>During a seven years period, 19 patients (fifteen men, four women) with DMH arter PD were treated with endovascular procedures, including transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with coils embolization in eight cases, with coils plus N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA)-Lipiodol mixture in six cases, and stent-graft placement in five cases. The mean age of the patients was 58.2 years. Follow-up, including clinical condition, liver function tests, and Doppler ultrasound examinations, was documented.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The immediate technical success rate was 84.2% (16/19). There were no significant procedure-related complications. Hemostasis was not achieved with interventional procedures in three patients: one died of uncontrolled bleeding four days after the second TAE, and two patients required emergency laparotomy without re-angiography because of worsening clinical status. Among the 16 patients with successfully stopped bleeding who became hemodynamically stable after the procedure without evidence of further bleeding, two patients died during the peri-interventional procedure period because of multiple organ failure, and fourteen patients survived to hospital discharge. The mean length of follow-up was 14.6 months. Recurrent bleeding after discharge did not occur in any of these cases. Clinical and laboratory follow-up findings were unremarkable. Doppler ultrasound examination verified patency of the hepatic artery in the four patients with stent-graft placement during the follow-up period (5 months-29 months; mean, 15.3 months).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Interventional endovascular procedure is a safe and technically feasible solution to control DMH. The first-line treatment for the bleeding is TAE. Stent-graft placement with preservation of the organ arterial flow, if technically possible, is a valuable alternative to TAE and surgical intervention for management of DMH.</p>

Supplementary inferior phrenic artery embolization in the interventional treatment of hemoptysis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Transcatheter bronchial artery embolization (BAE) is widely used for the treatment of hemoptysis and the immediate success rate is high, but there are still some hemorrhage recurrences. One of the common reasons for failure of BAE is collateral branches as blood supply. The inferior phrenic artery (IPA) is one of the most common collateral branches that is scarcely reported. Our purpose was to observe manifestations of IPA supplying to hemoptysis and evaluate the efficacy and safety of IPA embolization.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Angiography during interventional treatment of 178 hemoptysis patients in the past 7 years confirmed that IPA hemorrhage resulted in hemoptysis in 25 patients (26 - 67 years old) who had: lung cancer (11 patients), bronchiectasis (11 patients), chronic lung inflammation (2 patients), and pulmonary tuberculosis (1 patient). Among the 25 patients, 7 patients had twice interventional operations within one week and 6 patients still experienced intraoperative hemoptysis after conventional embolization of the bronchial artery, the internal thoracic artery, and the intercostal artery, then had the second interventional operation immediately. The total number of cases were 191. Selective embolization of the IPA was performed using polyvinyl alcohol microspheres, gelatin sponge particles, and microcoil. The safety and clinical significance of IPA embolization were evaluated. The Pearson chi(2) test and Fisher's exact probability test were used in this study.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Selective IPA angiography showed increased diameter of the IPA, disorganization of the branches, and varying degrees of angiogenesis. In 11 cases, contrast material was seen in vessels supplying the tumor and in the tumor. In 9 cases, contrast material had leaked into the area supplied by the IPA; in 8 cases, non-specific flake-like deposits of contrast material were seen; and in 14 cases, abnormal communication or shunt was visualized. Lesions were closely related to the pleura in 25 patients. Fifteen lesions were close to the diaphragmatic pleura, seven close to the mediastinal pleura, and three close to the lateral pleura of the lower lung. Eleven cases had inferior thoracic pleural thickening and adhesions. The IPA was embolized in 25 cases, and the success rate of hemostasis was 100%. The IPA was not embolized in the other 166 cases, and the success rate of hemostasis was 92.17 %. In the 25 cases with IPA embolization, the involvement of the IPA in the blood supply of the hemoptysis was correlated with the duration of the disease (P = 0.0344). The involvement of IPA in the blood supply of the hemoptysis was not correlated with the characteristic of the lung lesions (benign or malignant) (P = 1.0000). Duration of follow-up was 8 months to 5 years. Hemoptysis recurred in four patients 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after interventional operation, respectively, and was controlled by conservative treatment. Twenty-one patients had no recurrence of hemoptysis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Bleeding from the IPA can result in hemoptysis and failure of BAE in the treatment of hemoptysis. If IPA hemorrhage contributes to hemoptysis, supplementary IPA embolization may be a safe and effective treatment.</p>

Emergency intervention therapy for renal vascular injury / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the interventional techniques in the treatment of renal vascular injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 16 patients with renal vascular injuries were treated by superselective arterial embolization. The renal injuries resulted from renal biopsy in 7 patients, endovascular intervention in 2, percutaneous puncture and pyelostomy in 2, local resection of renal tumor in 1 and trauma in 4. With regards to clinical manifestations, there was hemorrhagic shock in 8 patients, severe flank pain in 14, and hematuria in 14. CT and ultrasonography confirmed that 15 patients had perirenal hematoma. The embolization was performed with microcoils in 13 and standard stainless steel coils in 3 patients, associated with polyvinyl alcohol particles (PVA) in 9, and gelfoam particles in 6 cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Renal angiogram revealed arteriovenous fistula in renal parenchyma in 9 cases, pseudoaneurysm in 3 and extravasation of contrast media in 4. The arterial embolization was successful in all 16 cases in a single session. The angiography at the end of therapy showed that abnormal vessels had disappeared without other major intrarenal arterial branch occlusion. In 13 patients with hemodynamical compromise, blood loss-related symptoms were immediately relieved after blood transfusion. In 14 patients with severe flank pain, the pain was progressively relieved. Hematuria ceased in 14 patients 2-14 days after the embolization procedures. The renal function was impaired after the procedure in 6 cases, in which preoperative renal insufficiency was exacerbated in 3 and developed new renal dysfunction in 3, 2 of whom received hemodialysis. The ultrasonography showed that perirenal hematoma was gradually absorbed within 2-6 months after the procedure. All patients were followed up in 6-78 months (mean, 48 months). Six patients died of primary diseases (5 cases of renal failure and multiple organ failure and 1 case of malignant tumor). Ten patients survived without bleeding and further intervention. The deterioration of renal function did not occur and the serum creatinine and blood urea were in normal range.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Transcatheter selective renal arterial embolization is a safe and effective method in the treatment of renal vascular injuries.</p>

Clinical application of the three-dimensional CT of the flat-panel digital subtraction angiography system / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of the three-dimensional (3D) CT module of the flat-panel digital subtraction angiography (DSA) system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective analysis was conducted among 278 patients receiving examination with rotational 3D-CT of INNOVA 3100 flat-panel DSA system. AW4.3-04 workstation was used to perform the 3D reconstruction and INNOVA CT reconstruction, and the imaging data were analyzed in comparison with the clinical results.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 3D-CT of the flat panel DSA system displayed the conditions of cerebral aneurysms in 54 cases, cerebral arteriovenous malformation in 25 cases, and the intracranial conditions in 24 cases. The blood supply and tumor vessels were clearly displayed in 57 cases, and the effects of embolization and endovascular stenting were evaluated in 27 and 21 cases, respectively. The rotational 3D-CT was used to evaluate complete embolization in 24 cases, and failed to display the feeding arteries of small tumors in 11 cases. The vascular lesions, biliary tract lesions, and the occurrence of hemorrhage during interventional therapy were observed in 58, 5 and 25 cases, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The 3D-CT module of the flat-panel DSA system can easily display abnormal vascular lesions and provide comprehensive anatomical information to facilitate interventional therapies and complication monitoring.</p>