A Rare Case of Congenital Internal Carotid Artery Agenesis and Contralateral Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm.

Agenesis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare congenital entity. This anomaly is typically occult in nature. However, the effects of an incidental discovery secondary to a contralateral ICA aneurysmal rupture can be devastating. The association between agenesis of the ICA and contralateral intracranial aneurysm formation is significantly higher than de novo incidental intracranial aneurysms in the general population. It is important to evaluate the presence of a contralateral intracranial aneurysm in the setting of known agenesis of the ICA. This allows for the performance of prophylactic embolization and characterizes collateral cerebral circulation.

Fix the Flat: Applying the Principles of Tire Aerosol Repair to Prevent Exsanguination From a Hemorrhagic Intrahepatic Mass.

Metastatic neoplasias often require increased blood supply for proliferation. Tumors that outgrow their blood supply can undergo necrosis, leading to the formation of mass-like abscesses. Depending on the location, these lesions can form fistulas with nearby organs resulting in poor patient outcomes. Interventional operators may use unconventional methods to the benefit of patients when resolving these complex lesions. The following case describes a patient with a large right hemorrhagic intrahepatic collection and formation of a duodenal fistula, resulting in acute blood loss anemia. Although there is not a standardized treatment for this complication, we present a novel therapeutic technique that incorporates similar principles analogous to the standard canned aerosol tire repair device.

Pancreatic metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma: Case report and literature review.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid malignancy. Papillary thyroid carcinoma generally spreads locally to the cervical lymph nodes, but distant metastases are seen in 5%-7% of cases. Most distant metastases occur in the bone, lung, and brain. Pancreatic metastases of PTC are extremely rare. Herein we present a patient with PTC treated with total thyroidectomy and two rounds of radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation that was subsequently found to have a pancreaticmetastasis detected on fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18 F-FDG PET/CT) imaging 3 years from the initial diagnosis.

A Simple Target Will Save the Day and the Kidney: This Is How We Perform Our Endovascular Fenestrated Graft Procedure.

With the advent of state-of-the-art imaging modalities, increasing population age, and advanced preventive medical treatments, medical device design attempts to keep up with procedural demand. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a recognized, potentially fatal disease process where strides have been made in screening, detection, and treatment since its discovery. With the introduction of percutaneous endograft procedures in 1991, open surgical treatment is nearly a lost art. Endovascular aortic repair is now the gold standard. However, short landing zone necks, hostile angulation, and markedly dilated seal zones present challenges for one size fits all endovascular aortic devices. Suprarenal and juxtarenal fenestrated aortic grafts are the most advanced individually customized grafts invented to date. Subsequently, proper placement of these complex devices still presents challenges. We present a method for preoperative renal stent placement for target purposes. This article includes a pictorial guide and describes the tips and pitfalls for easy proper AAA exclusion with a fenestrated aortic graft. We were successful in the deployment of the fenestrated graft device and the exclusion of an aortic aneurysm while preserving the patency of the renal arteries. The patient had no postoperative complications. During 18-month postoperative surveillance, imaging demonstrated proper graft positioning without evidence of an endoleak. In fenestrated endovascular aortic repair, preoperative renal stenting is paramount for targeting purposes. This allows for the precise and timely deployment of the renal limbs through the fenestrations while minimizing the risk of postoperative complications, including renal artery occlusion.

The Path of Most Resistance: A Rare Instance of Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Identified Within Skeletal Muscle.

Soft tissue neoplastic metastases, specifically to the skeletal muscle, are uncommon in comparison to metastases within the abdomen, thorax, or intracranial regions. Specifically, pancreatic adenocarcinoma with skeletal muscle metastasis is a rare clinical phenomenon and is hardly reported. There is a high mortality rate after the diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, attributed to inadequate screening and advanced staging upon incidental discovery. Rarely, metastatic lesions manifest in the skeletal muscle and are hardly documented. Some of the factors that deter skeletal muscle tumor implantation include the deficiency of skeletal muscle mediators and genetic makeup of the primary tumor. Surgical resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with adjuvant chemotherapy demonstrates the best prognosis; however, surgical management is usually limited to patients without known metastatic disease. Alternative treatment options such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are used in the palliative care setting. Here, we present the case of a patient with previously diagnosed and treated pancreatic adenocarcinoma in remission, with biopsy-proven metastases isolated within the skeletal muscle.

Aortic Valve Leaflet Disruption: A Severe Complication of Impella 5.5.

A 73-year-old male with a history of severe coronary artery disease and prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) presented with chest pain and elevated troponins. His workup revealed an ejection fraction of 15%, severe native coronary disease, as well as stenosis of his bypass grafts. He underwent a high-risk redo CABG with an Impella 5.5® (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) placement. The device was removed on postoperative day eight, at which time he went into cardiogenic shock from aortic valve leaflet injury. Given that he had no calcium deposits around the aortic valve annulus and severe aortic insufficiency, a multidisciplinary heart team decided he would be best served by a surgical aortic valve replacement. He was taken back to the operating room for a surgical aortic valve and intra-aortic balloon pump. His postoperative course was complicated by pneumonia, sepsis, and renal failure requiring continuous renal replacement therapy. He was discharged to a rehabilitation facility after 42 days. The following case encompasses the high morbidity risk of acute aortic valve insufficiency after Impella placement, never before documented in an Impella 5.5.

Optimizing the Interventional Approach for Embolization of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations in Patients With Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome.

Techniques in vascular and interventional radiology are adapted to the ever-evolving clinical challenges that interventional operators face. In the case of rare diseases, supporting literature that guides an operator's plan for intervention is limited. As a result, published case reports and series can be utilized to direct future intervention and potentially help others tasked with similar clinical scenarios. The proceeding case offers an interventional solution to a clinical manifestation of an otherwise rare disease, Osler-Weber-Rendu (OWR) syndrome. The supporting literature for techniques in embolization of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in OWR syndrome is limited due to disease rarity. Therefore, the objective of the following case is to offer clinical insights on how to perform this procedure successfully and critique methods previously utilized.

Vascular Complications of Splenectomy in a Patient with Gastric Dieulafoy-like Lesions in Left-sided Portal Hypertension Secondary to Splenic Vein and Artery Thrombosis.

Due to lower clinical significance, the management of Dieulafoy and Dieulafoy-like lesions is less commonly reported than the management of their impending venous equivalent, variceal bleeding. Though Dieulafoy and Dieulafoy-like lesions are often benign, they can become life-threatening in certain clinical scenarios, especially with substantial changes in hemodynamic blood flow, which results in hemorrhage. Post-procedural hemodynamic blood flow should be carefully monitored in patients who receive procedures that drastically alter hemodynamic flow pressures. Factoring in the presence of Dieulafoy and Dieulafoy-like lesions might deepen the complexity of an intuitive surgical or interventional procedure for an experienced operator, and should, therefore, involve the cooperative effort between surgical, interventional, and diagnostic services to appropriately manage the patients. The case we present demonstrates the dire consequences of a routine splenectomy when a considerable change in hemodynamic pressure across benign Dieulafoy-like lesions occurs in a patient with both splenic artery and venous thrombosis.

Covered or Not, Here I Come: Stanford Type B Aortic Dissection Repair With a Covered and Uncovered Stent Hybrid Technique.

The complications resulting from aortic dissections are often devastating. Historically, when a Stanford B aortic dissection extended into the visceral abdominal aorta, only surgical management was considered to limit visceral organ malperfusion. Complications of surgical management for Stanford B aortic dissections are as high as 50%. The inherently high complication and mortality rate for any acute aortic dissection, in addition to the complication rates resulting from surgical management, have demonstrated poor outcomes. This is especially true when aortic dissections involve the visceral segment, where thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) becomes limited or contraindicated. In the last two decades, various approaches for TEVAR have improved in both endograft design and interventional technique. The current literature demonstrates improved outcomes for patients that receive TEVAR for Stanford B aortic dissections, including those that involve the visceral segment. Despite favorable prognostic advancement in TEVAR, the proven management complexity of Stanford B aortic dissections continue to reflect the pitfalls of the endovascular devices that are currently available. We describe a covered and uncovered stent hybrid technique in patients with complicated Stanford B aortic dissections involving the visceral segment, considering these deficiencies. Hundred percent technical success was demonstrated in the short and mid-term surveillance periods.

The Dark Side of Gadolinium: A Study of Arthrographic Contrast at Extreme Concentrations.

Magnetic resonance arthrography is used to optimally image the detailed intraarticular anatomy of the joint space. A common iatrogenic complication of arthrography is the extra-articular injection of the gadolinium solution in the periarticular tissues; however, a less common complication involves the abnormal concentration of gadolinium within the prepared injectate. The following describes the inadvertent injection of a hyper-concentrated intraarticular solution of gadolinium and the subsequent appearance that resulted in the post-procedure magnetic resonance imaging examination. In addition, an in-vitro experiment was performed to determine the exact etiology of the abnormal magnetic resonance imaging findings that resulted in this case. The subsequent discussion revisits the signal intensity of gadolinium at extreme concentration ranges and proposes modifications of procedure protocol to mitigate the chance of a repeat event.

Pseudoangiomatous Stromal Hyperplasia of the Breast: A Rare Finding in a Male Patient.

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) in male patients is a rare condition that represents a hormonally-induced proliferation of mesenchymal tissue of the breast. This benign pathology is often undiagnosed due to many reasons. When PASH presents as a breast mass, it appears innocent, developing as a smooth and well-circumscribed tumor. Furthermore, it does not elicit suspicious findings on imaging. These points often halt further investigation of many breast abnormalities. Breast masses are statistically most likely to be gynecomastia when they arise in men. However, they are important to investigate because, although rare, breast cancer can occur in men. Furthermore, the benign conditions of the breast that commonly affect women can also impact male patients. It is oftentimes overlooked that men too can experience hormonal stimulation of the breast tissue. The following case describes this rare but important instance of a male patient diagnosed with PASH following a previous diagnosis of infiltrative ductal carcinoma in situ of the contralateral breast.

David Versus Goliath: The Clinical Consequences of an Influenza A Viral Infection in an Unvaccinated Patient.

Acute influenza virus (AIV) infection can manifest as a severe life-threating illness in patients who are not vaccinated, and furthermore, have comorbidities that place them at risk for rapid respiratory decompensation. Each year influenza causes death in individuals with high risk for contracting this infection, although the illness is preventable by vaccination. Complications of AIV infection, such as bacterial pneumonia are treatable, but other severe complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) leading to diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) are limited to supportive therapy and self-resolution. In most cases, ARDS leading to DAD is fatal, due to the insidious severity of symptoms which lead to rapid oxygen desaturation without correction, and despite supportive therapy. Regardless of a poor prognosis, the clinical signs and symptoms are congruent with imaging and attest to the importance of vaccination, which protect against high mortality rates.

When Technology Exceeds its Application: The First Reported Reconstruction of the Iliocaval Confluence Using an Aortic Endograft.

Severe venous dysfunction in the setting of subacute iliocaval occlusion is a high cause of morbidity and mortality in patients. Fortunately, the development of the appropriate interventional management has allowed for better patient prognosis, despite device limitations. Severe cases of venous insufficiency, anatomically challenging vasculature, and device failure remain imperative when discussing the caveats for interventional success. The current gold standard of treatment for iliocaval disease has proven to be venoplasty in conjunction with stent placement within thrombotic occlusive areas. Though intuitive for modern day interventionists, this standard is not always forthright, especially when the most prevailing interventions fail to adequately treat certain venous pathologies. In this case, interventional operators must be willing to adapt their technical proficiency and knowledge of readily available devices to successfully treat the progressive nature of venous insufficiency. The following report demonstrates an example of how an interventional operator acclimated their interventional approach to successfully treat a severe and technically challenging case of subacute iliocaval occlusion, using an aortic endograft. In this first documented deployment of an aortic endograft in an iliocaval confluence, the results show resolution of the patient's subacute iliocaval occlusive disease, as well as complete iliocaval patency and the absence of post-procedural complications.

Pediatric Traumas and Paradigm Shifts: The Necessary Adaption of the Steerable Microcatheter in Pediatric Interventional Radiology.

The use of traditionally available intra-arterial devices have historically been designed with the adult patient population in mind. Currently, there are not manufactured devices specifically tailored for use during pediatric interventional procedures, pressuring interventional operators to adapt commonplace and readily available devices for interventional management. Experienced interventional operators understand that pediatric and adult interventions can entail vastly different management, affecting patient care and outcomes. To address the pitfalls in pediatric interventional management, an accredited fellowship specifically for pediatric interventional radiology is available. However, devices must equally evolve with the training available in order to adequately address interventional management of the pediatric patient population. Interventional device innovation can be considered the initial step towards bridging the technical and procedural gaps necessary for refining pediatric intervention. The introduction of steerable microcatheters in interventional radiology has innovated procedural protocols, but has never been documented in pediatric patients until this time.

Time is Brain: The Future for Acute Ischemic Stroke Management is the Utilization of Steerable Microcatheters for Reperfusion.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and is one of the leading causes of patient disability. Treatments for intracranial intravascular damage as a result of stroke have evolved extensively over recent decades, as management has become increasingly innovative. Various prospective studies and years of data have refined the current guidelines for treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and also reflect on the novel interventions for stroke management. Nonetheless, AIS remains a difficult and multifactorial etiology of disease to treat. As physicians adapt evidence-based knowledge to their interventional management of patients with AIS, the accompanied use of intravascular devices, such as steerable microcatheters, reduces radiation and procedure time. Considering all of the applications for steerable microcatheters, the use of these devices for AIS interventions may be most necessary.

Vascular Physics: Explaining the Nature of Escape Veins and When to Use Endovascular Ligation.

Small branching veins that arise from the venous outflow of surgical arterial-venous fistulas (AVFs) are frequently seen during fistulograms performed to evaluate for poorly functioning AVFs. It is hypothesized that the presence of escape veins can decrease the performance of native AVFs during hemodialysis by diverting flow. Though interventional methods for exclusion of escape veins are effective, the mechanism of disruption these small branching vessels cause on flow through AVFs is unknown. Furthermore, an objective method for identifying escape veins that cause significantly diminished venous flow has not been defined. The following describes the detrimental nature of escape veins using tenants of physics and electrical circuitry. Subsequently, the proceeding study shows the identification of small branching escape veins in patients during fistulography. Intravascular pressure measurements were obtained proximal and distal to the ostium of the offending collaterals in these patients. Escape veins causing a pressure gradient of at least 5 mmHg were treated, and pressure measurements were repeated following intervention. The patients were entered into a database and hemodialysis blood flow rates were monitored to determine if escape vein intervention increased AVF performance.

I Want My Bullet Back: Percutaneous Endovascular Removal of a Right Atrial Foreign Body.

The incidence and prevalence of firearm-related homicide in the United States make headlines daily. As a result, an epidemic of penetrating injuries is on the rise. Specifically, foreign bodies such as bullets and shrapnel are usually left inside the human body due to penetrating injuries, unless they are in close proximity to vital structures. We present a case of a bullet within the right atrial chamber of the heart, which was successfully removed by a minimally invasive endovascular approach.

You Can Do That? Performing Total Recanalization of Completely Stented Arterial-venous Grafts.

Establishing venous access in chronic dialysis patients is conducted by the insertion of polytetrafluoroethylene arterial-venous (AV) grafts. The continual access of these grafts allows for potential failure over extended periods of hemodialysis treatment, as a result of thrombosis and pseudoaneurysm formation. Patency of AV grafts requires interventional management of thrombosis and pseudoaneurysm formation, including thrombectomy and covered stent placement, respectively. In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Gore REVISE study, giving indication for covered stents within AV grafts. If covered stent placement is required to treat a thrombosed AV graft, it is still possible to perform a percutaneous thrombectomy procedure afterwards. Direct access of the AV graft by passing through both the graft material and covered stents allows for interventional radiology management to be performed without compromise of the stent or graft. This interventional method of direct access can salvage the AV graft before considering further invasive management, such as a new surgical venous access site.

Solving the Chinese Finger Trap: A Novel Method for Simultaneous Superior and Inferior Vena Cava Filter Removal.

As many as 130,000 inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are placed annually, with as few as 5,000 retrieved a year for patients who no longer require protection from deep vein thrombosis. Superior vena cava (SVC) filter placement is an even less common occurrence and is usually reserved for special cases. Furthermore, the simultaneous placement of IVC and SVC filters is most rare, whereas simultaneous IVC and SVC filter removal has not been reported in the literature. We present a case and a novel technique for successful concurrent removal of IVC and SVC filters in a patient.

A Novel Nonvascular Application of the Steerable Microcatheter.

The percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) is a relatively common interventional procedure used to treat a multitude of nephro-urological conditions. Traditionally, interventional radiologists use ultrasound guidance, needles, catheters, and guidewires to access the collecting system percutaneously. The placement of a nephro-ureterostomy stent may be precluded by challenging renal calyx anatomy or an underlying disease process that obstructs placement. In cases of complex obstruction, accessing the renal collecting system may require deviation from conventional methods. We present a case that after many failed attempts with a wide variety of guidewires and catheters, a steerable microcatheter (SMC) was used to safely and effectively access the renal collecting system. This novel technique utilizes the SMC to efficiently achieve complicated PCN stent placement, relieving the renal drainage system obstruction and potentially minimizing or avoiding complications, such as urosepsis and/or renal failure.