An overview of interventional radiology techniques for the diagnosis and management of vascular anomalies: Part 2.

Minimally invasive percutaneous and endovascular strategies performed by interventional radiologists have become the mainstays of treatment for vascular anomalies with improved outcomes, decreased complication rates, and less morbidity. The aim of this article is to introduce physicians who care for patients with vascular anomalies to state-of-the-art advancements in interventional radiology for diagnosis and treatment. Part 2 of this review discusses embolization, endovenous laser ablation, and image-guided percutaneous biopsy. Please see Part 1 for a discussion of sclerotherapy and cryoablation. Select vascular anomalies will be discussed as examples to highlight IR diagnostic and/or treatment techniques.

An overview of interventional radiology techniques for the diagnosis and management of vascular anomalies: Part 1.

Minimally invasive percutaneous and endovascular strategies performed by interventional radiologists have become the mainstays of treatment for vascular anomalies, with improved outcomes, decreased complication rates, and reduced morbidity. The aim of this article is to introduce physicians who care for patients with vascular anomalies to state-of-the-art advancements in interventional radiology (IR) for diagnosis and treatment. Part 1 of this review will focus on sclerotherapy and cryoablation. Part 2 will discuss embolization, endovenous laser ablation, and image-guided percutaneous biopsy. Select vascular anomalies will be discussed as examples to highlight IR diagnostic and/or treatment techniques.

The Current Status of the Interventional Radiology Fellowship Match: Results of a Resident Survey.

PURPOSE: To survey residents who participated in the 2015 interventional radiology fellowship match regarding the overall process, including the number of interviews received, programs ranked, money spent, and perceived effect on board preparation. METHODS: An IRB-approved, anonymous web-based survey was distributed via email link to 151 individuals in 41 states who had interview at 1 of 2 IR fellowship programs in the United States. Most of the survey's 12 questions were based on a five-point Likert scale, while others were free-text response. RESULTS: Seventy-five out of 151 residents completed the survey (response rate 49.7%). When asked if the current timing of the core board examination worked well with the IR interview schedule, 62 (96.6%) either strong disagreed or disagreed. Sixty respondents (87%) reported that preparing for and traveling to IR interviews had a very negative or somewhat negative effect on boards preparation. When asked what change they would make to the timing of IR interviews or the core examination, 55 (79.7%) thought that IR fellowship interviews should occur earlier in the year. The median number of IR programs applied to, interviews offered, interviews completed, and programs ranked were 28, 13, 10, and 10, respectively. When asked how much money was spent on the application and interview process, 39% spent between $5000 and $9999, and 17% spent more than $10000. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial percentage of radiology residents who participated in the 2015 IR fellowship match have concerns about the proximity of board preparation to the match process. Consideration for restructuring the timing of this process is recommended.

Reasons for cannabis use among youths at ultra high risk for psychosis.

AIM: Cannabis use is prevalent in schizophrenia and its risk states, despite its association with anxiety and positive symptoms. While schizophrenia patients report using cannabis for mood enhancement and social motives, it is not known what motivates clinical high risk (CHR) patients to use cannabis. METHODS: Among 102 CHR patients, 24 (23%) endorsed cannabis use, and were queried as to reasons for use, using a scale previously administered in schizophrenia patients. We hypothesized a primary motivation for mood enhancement related to anhedonia. We evaluated the 'self-medication' hypothesis by examining if motivation for symptom relief was associated with concurrent severity of symptoms. RESULTS: The rank order of reasons for use in CHR patients was similar to that previously reported by schizophrenia patients, with mood enhancement and social motives as primary reasons for use, and the motivation to use cannabis for symptom relief comparatively less common. Motivation for mood enhancement had a trend association with anhedonia. Motivation for symptom relief was entirely unrelated to concurrent severity of positive and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: As in schizophrenia, CHR patients primarily use cannabis for mood enhancement, especially in the context of decreased motivation to seek pleasure otherwise. Negative symptoms may drive cannabis use in schizophrenia and its risk states, which may exacerbate positive symptoms. By contrast, CHR patients do not report using cannabis to 'self-medicate' emergent positive symptoms. The understanding of motives for cannabis use among CHR patients may be informative for treatments aimed at reducing use, such as motivational interviewing.

The subjective experience of youths at clinically high risk of psychosis: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the experience of individuals across stages of schizophrenia is important for development of services to promote recovery. As yet, little is known about the experience of individuals who exhibit prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia. METHODS: Audiotaped interviews were conducted with 27 participants of diverse racial-ethnic backgrounds who were at clinically high risk of psychosis (15 males and 12 females; mean age 21). Phenomenological qualitative research techniques of coding, consensus, and comparison were used. RESULTS: Emergent themes differed by gender. Themes for males were feeling abnormal or "broken," focus on going "crazy," fantasy and escapism, and alienation and despair, with a desire for relationships. Themes for females were psychotic illness among family members, personal trauma, struggle with intimate relationships, and career and personal development. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of relative social engagement and future orientation of females identified as at risk for psychosis is novel and has implications for outreach and treatment.

Assessing depression in youth at clinical high risk for psychosis: a comparison of three measures.

Depressive symptoms are prevalent among individuals at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis. Prior studies have used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and the "dysphoric mood" item of the Scale of Prodromal Symptoms (SOPS) to assess depressive symptoms in CHR samples. We compared the psychometric properties of these instruments in a CHR cohort, to support the selection of appropriate depressive symptoms measures in future studies and in clinical settings. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed through correlations with SOPS items that were expected or not expected to be related to depressive symptoms. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing scores between patients with and without a major depressive disorder diagnosis. We hypothesized based on the schizophrenia literature that the BDI would have superior internal consistency and discriminant validity compared to the HDRS, and that all three measures would show convergent validity and criterion validity. The BDI demonstrated superior internal consistency and construct validity in this at-risk sample. The BDI and HDRS differentiated patients with major depressive disorder, but SOPS dysphoria did not. This has implications for the choice of depression measures in future CHR studies and for the interpretation of past findings.

Obsessive compulsive symptoms in individuals at clinical risk for psychosis: association with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, particularly aggressive obsessions, are prevalent in schizophrenia patients and associated with other symptom severity, suicidal ideation and functional impairment. In a psychosis-risk cohort, obsessive-compulsive diagnosis and symptoms were assessed in terms of prevalence and content, and for associations with clinical measures. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were prevalent in the CHR cohort, as was suicidal ideation. The presence and severity of aggressive obsessions were associated with depression, suicidal ideation and social impairment. The high prevalence of aggressive obsessions and associated suicidal ideation in a clinical high risk cohort, and their relationship to depression, is relevant for risk assessment and treatment strategies.