Serial angiography and angioscopy of late lumen enlargement after drug-coated balloon for dysfunctional arteriovenous fistula.

The use of a drug-coated balloon (DCB) to treat dysfunctional arteriovenous fistula (AVF) has shown promising results. After percutaneous coronary intervention with DCB, late lumen enlargement (LLE) often develops in the early follow-up phase, but questions regarding the natural history of changes in lesions after DCB angioplasty have not been clearly elucidated. Here, we reported on a patient in whom angiography and angioscopy were performed immediately and 4 months after DCB angioplasty to treat cephalic vein stenosis of the dysfunctional AVF. Immediately after DCB application, angiography showed good dilatation and blood flow and mild vascular dissection that did not affect blood flow. Angioscopy showed that although the balloon had damaged the intima and the paclitaxel particles had adhered to the vessel wall. Four months after DCB treatment, follow-up angiography and angioscopy were performed. Angiography showed LLE in the cephalic vein of the AVF that had been treated by DCB angioplasty. Angioscopy showed that the intima of the vessel had almost completely healed, and the paclitaxel particles had disappeared. LLE might occur when DCB is used for AVF.

A Case of Jejunal Artery Aneurysm Successfully Treated with Endovascular Embolization.

Jejunal artery aneurysms are extremely rare; only 58 cases have been reported up to 2022. The high rupture rate necessitates a curative treatment. Only four cases of true jejunal artery aneurysms treated with endovascular embolization were reported. We report a case of a 75-year-old man with a true jejunal artery aneurysm who was successfully treated with endovascular embolization. The aneurysm was located in the third jejunal branch. The proximal and distal distance to the superior mesenteric artery and the first bifurcation of the third jejunal branch, respectively, were too short to perform isolation. First, we performed packing in the aneurysm, followed by secondary parent artery embolization. Finally, we achieved total occlusion of the aneurysm and its parent artery with preserved distal intestinal blood flow.

A Case of Refractory Esophageal Varices Caused by an Inferior Mesenteric Arteriovenous Malformation with All Portal System Occlusion Successfully Treated via Transarterial Embolization.

Inferior mesenteric arteriovenous fistulas/malformations are rare, reported in only 40 cases as of 2021. Their main manifestations include portal hypertension and ischemic bowel disease. We report the case of a 50-year-old man with refractory esophageal varices caused by this condition that was successfully treated with transarterial embolization. Computed tomography revealed an inferior mesenteric arteriovenous malformation and ascending blood flow into the esophageal varices through a remarkably dilated marginal vein. All portal systems were occluded, possibly because of the myointimal hyperplasia of the inferior mesenteric vein. The patient recovered without hemorrhagic events after transarterial embolization and endoscopic injection sclerotherapy. This is the first report of an inferior mesenteric arteriovenous malformation resulting in refractory esophageal varices with all-portal system occlusion successfully treated with transarterial embolization.

The diagnostic challenge of non-traumatic bladder rupture: a pictorial essay.

Non-traumatic bladder rupture (NTBR) is relative rare pathology including spontaneous rupture and iatrogenic injury. As increasing the medical intervention for the pelvic malignancy or elderly population, NTBR will be encountered more frequently. There are few previous studies summarizing the imaging features of NTBR. We reviewed imaging characteristics of 18 previous cases of NTBR experienced. In addition, 3 presentative cases that can be a pitfall to differentiate from NTBR. The aim of this article is to clarify the key CT findings of NTBR and its pitfalls.

A Case of Intraprocedural Plaque Protrusion during Carotid Artery Stenting Using the Stent-in-Stent Technique for Carotid Artery Stenosis with Unstable Plaque.

Objective: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) using the stent-in-stent technique was reported to prevent intraprocedural plaque protrusion (PP) in patients with carotid artery stenosis with unstable plaque. We report a case of intraoperative PP after CAS despite the use of stent-in-stent technique. Case Presentation: A 63-year-old man presented with rapid progression of right carotid artery stenosis with unstable plaque during follow-up and was admitted to undergo CAS. Under local anesthesia with Mo.Ma Ultra and FilterWire EZ protection, CAS was performed using the stent-in-stent technique. The first 8 mm × 29 mm Carotid Wallstent (CWS) was placed. The second CWS (6 mm × 22 mm) was placed in a stent-in-stent manner to match the stenotic lesion, and conservative postdilation was performed. Then the third CWS (6 mm × 22 mm) was added due to the presence of PP on intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS). No postoperative neurological abnormalities were found, and no new high-signal areas were observed on diffusion-weighted MRI the day after surgery. The patient was discharged without postoperative complications. No stroke and restenosis were observed at 3 months after CAS. Conclusion: PP can occur even with stent-in-stent technique, suggesting the importance of diagnosis by IVUS.

Treatment of Coral Reef Aorta by Endovascular VIABAHN VBX Balloon-Expandable Stent-Graft Placement.

Coral reef aorta (CRA) has been described as a rare disease characterized by the presence of dense calcifications of the aorta. In this study, we report on two patients with CRA caused by intermittent claudication (IC) who underwent endovascular VIABAHN VBX balloon-expandable stent-graft (VVBX) placement. Both patients underwent successful endovascular VVBX placement via transfemoral artery approach, and hemostasis was achieved via vascular closure device. Their symptoms were observed to disappear completely after treatment, and they were discharged without serious adverse events. No symptoms were noted at 1.5-year and 1-year follow-up.

Useful Parameters in Dynamic Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography for Identifying Early Response to Chemotherapy in a Rat Liver Tumor Model.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study is to determine a parameter on the time-intensity curve (TIC) of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (DCE-US) that best correlates with tumor growth and to evaluate whether the parameter could correlate with the early response to irinotecan in a rat liver tumor model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty rats with tumors were evaluated (control: Saline, n = 6; treatment: Irinotecan, n = 14) regarding four parameters from TIC: Peak intensity (PI), k value, slope (PI × k), and time to peak (TTP). Relative changes in maximum tumor diameter between day 0 and 10, and parameters in the first 3 days were evaluated. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare differences in tumor size and other parameters. Pearson's correlation coefficients (r) between tumor size and parameters in the control group were calculated. In the treatment group, relative changes of parameters in the first 3 days were compared between responder and non-responder (<20% and ≥20% increase in size on day 10, respectively). RESULTS: PI, k value, PI × k, and TTP significantly correlated with tumor growth (r = 0.513, 0.911, 0.665, and 0.741, respectively). The mean RC in k value among responders (n = 6) was significantly lower than non-responders (n = 8) (mean k value, 4.96 vs. 72.5; P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Parameters of DCE-US could be a useful parameter for identifying early response to irinotecan.

A Rat Model of Frozen Shoulder Demonstrating the Effect of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization on Angiography, Histopathology, and Physical Activity.

PURPOSE: To assess the angiographic findings and the effects of transcatheter arterial embolization on physical activity and histopathology using a frozen shoulder rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, the angiographic and histopathologic findings of rats in which the shoulder was immobilized with molding plaster for 6 weeks (n = 4) were compared to control rats with normal non-immobilized shoulders (n = 4). Next, a total of 16 frozen shoulder rats were divided into 2 groups. In the transcatheter arterial embolization group (n = 8), imipenem/cilastatin was injected into the left thoracoacromial artery. The changes of physical activity before and after procedures were evaluated and compared with a saline-injected control group (n = 8). Histopathologic findings were also compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Angiography revealed abnormal shoulder staining in all of the rats with a frozen shoulder. On histopathology, the numbers of microvessels and mononuclear inflammatory cells in the synovial membrane of the joint capsule were significantly higher compared with the control rats (both P = .03). In the transcatheter arterial embolization group, the running distance and speed were improved (P = .03 and P = .01, respectively), whereas there were no significant differences in the control group. The number of microvessels and mononuclear inflammatory cells in the transcatheter arterial embolization group were significantly lower than the control group (P = .002 and P = .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The rat frozen shoulder model revealed the development of neovascularization. Transcatheter arterial embolization decreased the number of blood vessels and inflammatory changes in the frozen shoulder and increased the moving distance and speed of the rats.

Efficacy of Multichannel Balloon Angioplasty in Calcified Common Femoral Artery Lesions.

This report describes 7 cases in which multichannel balloon angioplasty was performed for severely calcified common femoral artery stenosis. After the successful passage of a guidewire through the stenosis, another guidewire with a tip load of 12g or 14 g was passed through a different channel inside the calcified plaques, followed by balloon angioplasty via each route. After the procedure, ankle brachial index improved from 0.49 ± 0.23 to 0.89 ± 0.05 on an average, and 6 of the 7 patients had patent arteries at a median follow-up period of 13 months. Multichannel balloon angioplasty offers the promise of being an effective endovascular intervention to expand calcified lesions.

Comparison of embolic effect between water-in-oil emulsion and microspheres in transarterial embolization for rat hepatocellular carcinoma model.

AIM: To compare two different embolic materials, water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion followed by gelatin particles and microspheres in transarterial embolization (TAE), using a rat hepatocellular carcinoma model. METHODS: Twenty rats bearing N1S1 cells were divided into the W/O emulsion group and Microsphere group. Water-in-oil emulsion was created by a glass membrane emulsification device. The tumor vascularity was measured by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography 24 h before and 10 min and 48 h after TAE. Tumor necrosis, hepatic infarction ratio surrounding the tumor, and locations of the embolic materials 48 h after TAE were assessed. The changes of serum liver enzymes were also evaluated. Statistical significance was determined by using either the Mann-Whitney U-test or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The tumor vascularity 48 h after TAE was significantly higher in the Microsphere group (20.1 vs. 3.76%, P = 0.016). The overflow of Lipiodol into the portal veins surrounding the tumor was seen, whereas microspheres were seen only in the artery. The percentage of necrotic area and complete response ratio in the W/O emulsion group was significantly higher (99.9 vs. 87.6%, P = 0.029 and 87.5 vs. 28.6%, P = 0.041, respectively). Serum aspartate aminotransferase and serum alanine aminotransferase levels 48 h after TAE were significantly higher in the W/O emulsion group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The embolization using W/O emulsion followed by gelatin particles showed stronger antitumor effects with the occlusion of both the tumor feeding artery and the portal vein compared with microspheres, which occluded only the arteries.