Spinal Hematomas: What a Radiologist Needs to Know.

Spinal hematomas are a frequent indication for radiologic evaluation and can be a diagnostic dilemma for many radiologists and surgeons. There are four types of spinal hematomas: epidural, subdural, subarachnoid, and intramedullary (spinal cord) hematomas. Because they differ by their location in relationship to the meningeal membranes and spinal cord, unique radiologic appearances can be recognized to distinguish these types of spinal hemorrhage. Anatomic knowledge of the spinal compartments is essential to the radiologist for confident imaging diagnosis of spinal hematomas and to specify correct locations. MRI is the modality of choice to diagnose the location of the hematoma, characterize important features such as age of the hemorrhage, and detect associated injury or disease. Each type of spinal hematoma has imaging patterns and characteristics that distinguish it from the others, as these specific spinal compartments displace and affect the adjacent anatomic structures. Early detection and accurate localization of spinal hematomas is critical for the surgeon to address the proper treatment and surgical decompression, when necessary, as neurologic deficits may otherwise become permanent. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ©RSNA, 2018.

Utility of Intravascular US-Guided Portal Vein Access during Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation: Retrospective Comparison with Conventional Technique in 109 Patients.

PURPOSE: To compare safety and effectiveness of intravascular ultrasound (US)-guided portal vein access during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation with conventional TIPS technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, TIPS creation using intravascular US guidance in 55 patients was compared with conventional TIPS creation in 54 patients by 10 operators over a 3-year period. Operators were classified as experienced if they had performed ≥ 20 TIPS procedures at the beginning of the study period. Time to portal vein access, total radiation dose, and needle pass-related capsular perforation were recorded. RESULTS: Baseline demographic characteristics of patients were similar (P > .05). Mean time to portal venous access was 46 minutes ± 37 for conventional TIPS and 31 minutes ± 19 for intravascular US-guided TIPS (P = .007). Intravascular US guidance allowed significantly shorter times (48 min ± 30 vs 28 min ± 16; P = .01) to portal vein access among operators (n = 5) with limited experience but failed to achieve any significant time savings (44 min ± 43 vs 34 min ± 22; P = .89) among experienced operators (n = 5). Needle pass-related capsular perforation occurred in 17/54 (34%) patients with conventional TIPS and 5/55 (9%) patients with intravascular US-guided TIPS (P = .004). Radiation dose was 2,376 mGy ± 1,816 for conventional TIPS and 1,592 mGy ± 1,263 for intravascular US-guided TIPS (P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Intravascular US-guided portal vein access during TIPS creation is associated with shorter portal vein access times, decreased needle pass-related capsular perforations, and reduced radiation dose.