Image-guided thermal ablation of central renal tumors with retrograde cold pyeloperfusion technique: a monocentric experience.

Purpose: To evaluate feasibility, safety and efficacy of image-guided thermal ablations associated with retrograde pyeloperfusion in patients with centrally located renal tumors.Materials and methods: 48 patients (15 women, 33 men, mean age 69.1 ± 11.8) were treated with image-guided thermal ablation associated with pyeloperfusion for 58 centrally located renal tumors (mean diameter 32.3 ± 7.32 mm). 7 patients had a single kidney. Microwave and radiofrequency ablation were used. All treatments were performed with ultrasound, CT, or fusion imaging guidance under general anesthesia and simultaneous retrograde cold pyeloperfusion technique.Results: Procedure was feasible in all cases. Technical success and primary technical efficacy were reached in 51/58 (88%) and 45/54 tumors (83%). With a second ablation performed in 5 tumors, secondary technical efficacy was achieved in 50/50 (100%) tumors. Minor and major complications occurred in 8/58 (13%) and 5/58 (8%) tumors. No significative change in renal function occurred after treatment.During follow-up, 5 recurrences occurred, that were retreated with a second ablation. At last follow up (mean 32.2 ± 22.0 months), 41/48 (85%) treated patients were free from disease. The median TTP and PFS were 27.0 (range, 2.3-80.0) and 26.5 months (range, 2.3-80.0), respectively.Conclusion: Image-guided thermal ablation associated with protective pyeloperfusion is a feasible, safe, and effective treatment option for patients with central renal tumors with a minimal impact on renal function and relevant potential to avoid nephrectomy.

FemoSeal® vascular closure device for antegrade common femoral artery access: Safety and technical notes.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively assess the efficacy and safety of FemoSeal® vascular closure device to achieve hemostasis following antegrade common femoral artery puncture after lower limb revascularization using vascular sheaths from 5 to 8 Fr. METHODS: We reviewed the hemostatic outcome achieved with FemoSeal in 103 consecutive patients (mean age: 69 ± 8 years, 71 males) that undergone to 111 antegrade common femoral artery accesses for percutaneous lower limbs revascularization using 5- to 8-Fr vascular sheaths. We used FemoSeal in an unselected population, without exclusion criteria. The primary outcome was the technical success, meant as achieving complete hemostasis without immediate complications. RESULTS: Hemostasis was achieved in all 111 puncture sites (100% technical success). We observed eight (7%) puncture site minor complications (hematomas), none of which affecting the patients' outcome or requiring further therapies or increasing the hospital stay. There were no statistically significant differences between the variables potentially related to the occurrence of complications (age, international normalized ratio, platelet count, partial thromboplastin time ratio, body mass index, and common femoral arteries calcification grade) in patients with and without complications. Complications group mean body mass index was 26.4 ± 2.8 kg/m2 versus non-complications group 26.6 ± 4.4 kg/m2, p = 0.92. Mean international normalized ratio and partial thromboplastin time ratio were 1.05 ± 0.01 and 1.05 ± 0.14 versus 1.13 ± 0.2 (p = 0.39) and 1.12 ± 0.23 (p = 0.53), respectively. Common femoral arteries calcification grade was the same (mean: 1, p = 1). Platelet count was 202 × 103/mL ± 66.7 versus 226 × 103/mL ± 91.2, p = 0.55. Mean age was 72.3 ± 10 years versus 72.8 ± 8 years, p = 0.86. CONCLUSION: The low rate (7%) and grading of the adverse events, combined with the high technical success rate (100%), in an unselected group of patients treated in daily routine, suggest high safety and efficacy of FemoSeal vascular closure device in antegrade common femoral artery puncture site hemostasis when using vascular sheaths ranging from 5 to 8 Fr. Therefore, FemoSeal could be considered as a first-line hemostasis strategy in such cases.

Thyroid skeletal metastasis: pain management with verteblation.

The combination of percutaneous vertebroplasty with radiofrequency ablation (verteblation) has not shown to be an effective measure of pain management in patients with metastatic lesions of the spine. The use of this novel technique has not been previously described in metastatic disease from thyroid cancer. We would like to report our experience after treating a patient affected by a thyroid carcinoma and an osteolytic spine metastasis. The patient suffered from life-limiting pain and was successfully treated with a combination of vertebroplasty and radiofrequency ablation. This case shows that the indications of verteblation may be expanded in the palliative treatment of metastatic disease from thyroid carcinoma.