Computed tomography fluoroscopic-guided percutaneous spinal interventions in the management of spinal pain.

Local back pain and radiculopathy can be debilitating for sufferers of these conditions. There are a multitude of treatment modalities, ranging from conservative approaches such as bed rest, physical therapy and chiropractic manipulation, to more invasive options such as percutaneous spinal intervention (PSI) and surgery. We present here the techniques employed in the use of minimally invasive, image-guided percutaneous techniques under computed tomography fluoroscopy in our institutions. The inherent high spatial and tissue contrast resolution not only allows ease of trajectory planning in avoiding critical structures, but also allows precision needle placement. Cervical, lumbosacral, and sacroiliac pain can therefore be evaluated and treated both safely and effectively.

An alternative approach to determining therapeutic choices in advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC): maximizing the diagnostic procedure and the use of low-volume lung biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Accurate mutational analysis, especially epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, of diagnostic biopsies from all Asian NSCLC patients is crucial to their clinical management, but faces problems. Here, we explore, within usual hospital constraints, the practicalities of incorporating mutational analysis in every newly diagnosed case of NSCLC, namely, maximizing tissue acquisition during the diagnostic procedure and determining the maximum quantity and quality of DNA sequence data available from these biopsies. METHODS: Sixty-eight Chinese patients were enrolled. Thirty-five underwent surgical resections for early-stage tumors. Thirty-three underwent diagnostic procedures, i.e., needle aspirates under bronchoscopic or computed tomographic/fluoroscopic guidance, or forceps biopsies via bronchoscopy. Separate samples for research purposes were obtained from these 33 patients during the diagnostic procedure. All samples were analyzed for mutations in EGFR exons 18 to 21, p53 exons 4 to 9, and Kras exon 2. RESULTS: No deaths occurred in this study. Success rates in obtaining sequence data from surgical samples versus low-volume samples for EGFR, p53, and Kras were 100% versus 85%, 100% versus 82%, and 100% versus 85%, respectively. Sequencing nine polymerase chain reaction products from each low-volume sample resulted in the exhaustion of all extracted DNA from three samples. CONCLUSIONS: Acquiring a separate low-volume lung biopsy sample for mutational analysis in lung cancer patients during the diagnostic procedure is feasible and may be a valuable complement to the usual diagnostic workflow in future.

Kinks of the transplant renal artery without accompanying intraarterial pressure gradient do not require correction: five-year outcome study.

Significant transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) results in an intraarterial pressure gradient and increasing graft dysfunction correctable by endovascular therapy. Kinks of the transplant artery cause velocity gradients on Doppler ultrasound, but some will have no intraarterial pressure gradient across the kink. It is not known whether these nonflow limiting kinks progress further to threaten graft function and should undergo endovascular correction. This is a longitudinal study of conservatively managed arterial kinks to define their natural history. Fourteen patients who had undergone angiography over a 5-year period for suspected TRAS had kinks of the renal artery. True intraarterial pressures were measured in all cases by slow withdrawal of an end-hole catheter after intraarterial injection of a vasodilator. Those with a significant pressure change (> or =10% change in peak systolic pressure across the area of suspicion) underwent endovascular treatment. The rest were managed conservatively, with maximal antihypertensive therapy. Outcome of all 14 cases was determined by follow-up of creatinine levels, blood pressure (BP) control and graft outcome over a 3-5-year period (median 4 years). Of the 14 patients with kinks, 10 were male and 4 female; age range 23-67 years (mean 47 years). Eleven had received cadaveric transplants and 3 were allografts; 12 had end-to-side and 2 end-to-end anastomosis, 11/14 cases had an intraarterial pressure ratio of <10% and at median 4 years follow-up on conservative treatment, the serum creatinine of these 11 patients did not differ significantly from those who underwent successful endovascular treatment (mean 118 micromol/l versus 149 micromol/l; p = 0.30, Mann Whitney test). Mean blood pressure was 137/82 mmHg, with a range of 124-155/56-95 mmHg. Only one patient has required an unexplainable increase in antihypertensive medication. Grafts (2/11) were lost and both had chronic rejection on histology. There were no unexplained graft failures. Kinks of the renal transplant artery with normal intraarterial pressures do not appear to progress and threaten renal graft function. Satisfactory graft outcome was seen on 5-year follow-up with conservative therapy alone.