Vertebroplasty in multiple myeloma with osteolysis or fracture of the posterior vertebral wall. Usefulness of a delayed cement injection.

AIM: The goal of this study was to specifically address the incidence of dorsal leakage when performing vertebroplasty in patients with posterior wall osteolysis or fracture, by using a delayed injection of cement with the aim of increasing its viscosity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively reviewed the records of 24 patients (13 women, 11 men; age range 42-67 years; mean age 54.7) with diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent 34 vertebroplasties between January 2007 and January 2010 for painful osteolytic localization of MM with dorsal cortical osteolysis or fracture. All vertebroplasties were performed with an 8 min delay, which was half of the allotted injecting time given for the chosen cement. In 11 cases there were fractures involving the posterior wall, in 1 case with dorsal fragment dislocation, and in 33 cases there was dorsal cortical osteolysis. All of the patients showed no response to standard treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and analgesic treatments. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all cases. In 20 patients, we treated only one high-risk vertebral lesion, in six patients we treated two segments, and in one patient we treated three segments. All patients experienced improvement in symptoms after the procedure as demonstrated by improved visual analogue scores (VAS) and performance status (PS) and decreased doses of analgesic. There was a dorsal leakage in 2/34 (5.8%) treated vertebral bodies in which an epidural space tumor extension was also diagnosed, without increasing neurological symptoms after the intervention. CONCLUSION: From these results vertebroplasty with delayed injection of cement is safe and effective in the treatment of vertebral localization of myeloma with osteolysis or fracture of the posterior vertebral wall.

Sacroplasty for local or massive localization of multiple myeloma.

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of cementoplasty in the treatment of sacral multiple myelomas. We retrospectively reviewed the records of eight patients (four women and four men; age range 47-68 years; mean age 57.8) who underwent cementoplasty for painful osteolytic localization of multiple myeloma between April 2007 and May 2009. The patients had difficulty walking because of increasing pain. Six patients had persistent pain despite other cementoplasties for vertebral and femoral localization, whereas two patients referred at the time of diagnosis had only sacral lesions. The clinical indication for treatment was (1) a pain intensity score ≥5 on visual analogue scale (VAS) and (2) pain totally or partially refractory to analgesic treatment in patients with a life expectancy >3 months. Technical planning was based on computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Six patients had previously undergone radiotherapy or chemotherapy and were receiving varying doses of analgesics, whereas sacroplasty represented the first treatment for two patients. Five patients had monolateral local involvement, and the other patients had massive involvement of the sacrum; Technical success was achieved in all cases. We had only one small and asymptomatic foraminal leak. All patients experienced improvement in symptoms after the procedure, as demonstrated by improved VAS scores and performance status (PS) and decreased analgesic dose constant during follow-up. In our experience, percutaneous stabilization can be used effectively and safely in patients with focal or extensive involvement of the sacrum by multiple myeloma.

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm treated using stent-graft implantation and retrograde gastroduodenal artery coil embolization.

Endovascular treatment options for visceral artery pseudoaneurysms depend on lesion location and size. Exclusion methods fall into two categories, embolization and stent placement, and these procedures aim to exclude the pseudoaneurysm from the circulation and if possible to maintain distal blood flow. Embolization of the afferent artery can be used in pseudoaneurysms that arise from a donor artery without collateral supply such as a visceral branch, whereas in the case of visceral arteries with well-established collateral supply, the embolization of both proximal and distal branches to the pseudoaneurysm is mandatory in preventing backflow from the collateral circulation. A direct embolization delivering coils or glue into the sac can also be performed if the aneurismal neck is narrow. Stent-graft placement represents another option to exclude the pseudoaneurysm, in the case of wide neck, reduced arterial tortuosity and large-diameter arteries. We present a case of common hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm involving the gastroduodenal artery origin treated by a combination of techniques. An hepatic stent-graft implantation plus retrograde embolization of the gastroduodenal artery through the pancreaticoduodenal anastomosis from the superior mesenteric artery was performed.

MDCT anatomic assessment of right inferior phrenic artery origin related to potential supply to hepatocellular carcinoma and its embolization.

PURPOSE: To prospectively assess the anatomic variation of the right inferior phrenic artery (RIPA) origin with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans in relation to the technical and angiographic findings during transcatheter arterial embolization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Two hundred patients with hepatocellular carcinomas were examined with 16-section CT during the arterial phase. The anatomy of the inferior phrenic arteries was recorded, with particular reference to their origin. All patients with subcapsular HCC located at segments VII and VIII underwent arteriography of the RIPA with subsequent embolization if neoplastic supply was detected. RESULTS: The RIPA origin was detected in all cases (sensitivity 100%), while the left inferior phrenic artery origin was detected in 187 cases (sensitivity 93.5%). RIPAs originated from the aorta (49%), celiac trunk (41%), right renal artery (5.5%), left gastric artery (4%), and proper hepatic artery (0.5%), with 13 types of combinations with the left IPA. Twenty-nine patients showed subcapsular HCCs in segments VII and VIII and all but one underwent RIPA selective angiography, followed by embolization in 7 cases. CONCLUSION: MDCT assesses well the anatomy of RIPAs, which is fundamental for planning subsequent cannulation and embolization of extrahepatic RIPA supply to HCC.

Application of a new combined guiding technique in RF ablation of subphrenic liver tumors.

We present an unreported technique used to treat with RF ablation hepatic subphrenic hepatocellular carcinoma. It consists in the combination of fluoroscopic and computed tomography guidance for lesions already embolized with lipiodol located at the hepatic dome, approached in parallel fashion with a 22-gauge chiba "finder" needle followed by the RF electrode.

Percutaneous nitinol stent implantation in the treatment of nutcracker syndrome in young adults.

The present report describes three young adults with nutcracker syndrome caused by left renal vein stenosis managed with nitinol stent implantation. The patients treated included a 20-year-old woman with persistent microhematuria and dyspareunia and two 18-year-old men with proteinuria, hematuria, and flank pain. All three patients were asymptomatic after a follow-up of 14-18 months.

Nutcracker syndrome due to left renal vein compression by an aberrant right renal artery.

Classic nutcracker syndrome is caused by left renal vein compression between the superior mesenteric artery and aorta, leading to retrograde venous hypertension associated with such urinary abnormalities as hematuria or proteinuria. We describe a case of symptomatic nutcracker syndrome treated by means of stent placement in which hypertension in the left renal vein was caused by stenosis of this vein compressed by an aberrant right renal artery at a point closer to the inferior vena cava.

Prevalence of "high-riding" superior pericardial recesses on thin-section 16-MDCT scans.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of "high-riding" superior pericardial recess (HRSPR) on thin-section (1 mm) 16-multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred and fourteen consecutive chest CT scans obtained with a thin-section 16 MDCT were retrospectively evaluated. The prevalence and characteristic of HRSPR were analyzed. RESULTS: HRSPR was depicted in 21 patients (11 men and 10 women) (6.6%) who ranged in age from 28 to 72 years (mean age, 57 years). The extended recesses were rounded/oval shaped in five patients and triangular, spindle, half moon or irregular shaped in the other 16 patients. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest as HRSPRs are more frequently and better depicted on thinsection MDCT scans, and this improves the capability to distinguish this superior extension of the superior aortic recess from abnormal findings such as lymphadenopathy, cystic lesions, and aortic dissection.

Interventional treatment of iatrogenic lesions and hepatic arteries.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the angiographic findings and the results of interventional treatment in iatrogenic lesions of the hepatic artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients (6 men and 6 women), aged 46 to 75 years (mean age 56.3 years), with acute hepatic bleeding secondary to percutaneous, surgical or laparoscopic procedures, were diagnosed using angiography and treated with endovascular percutaneous procedures. RESULTS: Angiography revealed 7 pseudoaneurysms, 3 arterial lacerations, 1 arterio-portal fistula e 1 arterio-biliary fistula that were treated by Trans-catheter Arterial Embolization (TAE) (n=11) and stentgraft placement (n=1). Only one patient had a relapse two days after TAE and died of haemorrhagic shock. The other patients had a benign clinical course with an average follow-up of 9.6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Interventional radiological procedures are effective in the management of iatrogenic lesions of the hepatic arterial vessels since they are minimally invasive, have a high success rate, and a low incidence of complications compared to the more complex and dangerous surgical or laparoscopic options.