Balloon-assisted packing of wide-neck aneurysms with a mixture of n-butyl cyanoacrylate, Lipiodol, and ethanol: an experimental study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of balloon-assisted packing with a mixture of n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA), Lipiodol, and ethanol for wide-neck aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 10 carotid aneurysms with wide necks created in a swine model, 3 aneurysms (long and short diameters 10.9 × 9.8 mm; neck width 8.3 ± 1.2 mm (mean ± SD)) and 7 aneurysms (11.2 × 9.5 mm; neck width 8.3 ± 1.4 mm) were packed with a mixture of NBCA, Lipiodol, and ethanol in the ratios 1:1:0 (NL11) and 1:1:2 (NLE112), respectively. A microcatheter was advanced into the aneurysm and a balloon catheter was inflated at the aneurysm neck. Ten minutes after injection, the balloon catheter was deflated and its removal was attempted. RESULTS: For all three aneurysms in the NL11 group, the balloon catheter and the microcatheter adhered strongly to the vessel and could not be adjusted. For all seven aneurysms in the NLE112 group, both the balloon catheter and the microcatheter could be easily removed, which enabled successful full packing of the aneurysm by re-advancing the microcatheter and re-injecting NLE112 after re-inflation of the balloon catheter. CONCLUSION: Although at a preliminary stage, balloon-assisted NLE injection is feasible for packing a wide-neck aneurysm.

No Intense 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake in Positron Emission Tomography of a Metastatic Orbital Tumor From Breast Carcinoma.

A 47-year-old woman with a history of invasive ductal carcinoma in the right breast reported decreased vision in the OD for the past 3 months. Her best corrected visual acuity was 0.1 OD and 1.0 OS. T1-weighted MRI revealed enlargement of the right lateral rectus muscle with a faint tumor outline and no contrast enhancement in the lesion. F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography did not demonstrate intense uptake at the lesion. Because the patient demonstrated optic neuropathy due to compression by the enlarged muscle, balanced orbital decompression (of the deep lateral and medial orbital walls) was performed simultaneously with a tumor biopsy. Visual acuity of the OD was dramatically improved to 1.0. The histopathological examination demonstrated similar findings to her breast carcinoma. F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography does not always show a positive result for an orbital tumor that has metastasized from the breast.

Comparison of bony nasolacrimal canal narrowing with or without primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction in a Japanese population.

PURPOSE: To compare the minimum diameter of the nasolacrimal canal and its location between patients with or without primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) in a Japanese population. METHODS: One hundred one patients with unilateral primary acquired NLDO (Group A, 101 affected sides; Group B, 101 unaffected sides) and 50 non-NLDO patients (Group C, 100 sides) were included. Anteroposterior and transverse diameters were measured at the canal entrance and the shortest point using contiguous 1-mm axial computed tomographic images. Canal shapes were classified into 2 types: the "funnel" type (a canal with both minimum diameters at the canal entrance) and the "hourglass" type (a canal with at least one minimum diameter in the canal). The distance from the entrance to the part with the shortest diameter was measured on sides with the hourglass type. RESULTS: The funnel type was found more frequently in Groups A and B than in Group C (p<0.050), although a difference was not found between Groups A and B (p=0.778). The distance of the transverse diameter was significantly shorter in Groups A and B than Group C (p<0.050), although no significant difference was found in this distance between Groups A and B (p=1.000). There were no significant differences between the groups for each value except for the above mentioned (p>0.050). CONCLUSIONS: Primary acquired NLDO patients exhibited the funnel type more frequently or there was a shorter distance from the entrance to the part with the shortest diameter than non-NLDO patients, which may enhance the risk of primary acquired NLDO.

Acute appendicitis with intestinal malrotation: the usefulness of coronal computed tomography.

We herein present a rare case of acute appendicitis with intestinal malrotation. Coronal images of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed the small intestine on the right side and the large intestine on the left side, thus indicating intestinal malrotation (non-rotation type). In addition, an enhanced, tubular, fluid-filled structure was detected attached to the cecum, which was located superior to the urinary bladder, suggesting acute appendicitis. The present study shows that coronal CT images provide important information for the diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis in patients with intestinal malrotation.

Prostate-supplying arteriogram created by multidetector-row CT during pelvic arteriography: contribution to the treatment strategy of prostatic artery embolization for prostatic hyperplasia.

We describe an 85-year-old man suffering lower urinary tract symptoms, who underwent prostatic artery embolization (PAE) based on a prostate-supplying arteriogram created with multidetector-row computed tomography during pelvic arteriography. This arteriogram was synthesized from a background bone volume-rendered (VR) image, an aorta-pelvic artery VR image, and a prostate-supplying artery VR image. Because the bone background VR image is combined with the aorta-pelvic artery VR image, the prostate-supplying arteriogram can simultaneously show the pelvic branch arteries present on the ventral side, inside, and the dorsal side of the pelvic bone. It showed that the left prostatic artery supplied the urethra at the outlet of the urinary bladder. PAE of the left prostatic artery was performed with catheter navigation based on the prostate-supplying arteriogram. There was marked relief of the lower urinary tract symptoms at the 12-month follow-up.

Changes in inflammatory, coagulopathic, and fibrinolytic responses after endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm: relationship between fibrinogen degradation product levels and endoleaks.

PURPOSE: To compare the inflammatory, coagulopathic, and fibrinolytic responses after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of an abdominal aortic aneurysm between two stent grafts. Fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) levels were compared between patients with or without an endoleak. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EVAR was performed in 88 patients using an Excluder (37 patients) or a Zenith (51 patients). White blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, platelet count, and FDP levels were measured before and after EVAR. RESULTS: WBC and CRP increased and the platelet count decreased significantly on days 1 and 3 after EVAR in the Zenith group compared with the Excluder group. The change in FDP from baseline to 7 days after EVAR was -1.99 ± 7.46 vs. 8.59 ± 9.38 µg/mL in patients with (n = 24) vs. without (n = 64) an endoleak (p < 0.001). A change in FDP of 3.1 µg/mL was the optimal cutoff point for predicting the presence of an endoleak (accuracy 0.762; sensitivity 0.875; specificity 0.717). CONCLUSION: Inflammatory, coagulopathic, and fibrinolytic responses were greater in the Zenith group than in the Excluder group. A change in FDP of ≤3.1 µg/mL was predictive of an endoleak after EVAR.

N-butyl cyanoacrylate embolization with blood flow control of an arterioportal shunt that developed after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

We present a case of a patient with rapid deterioration of esophageal varices caused by portal hypertension accompanied by a large arterioportal shunt that developed after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma. We used n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) as an embolic material to achieve pinpoint embolization of the shunt, because the microcatheter tip was 2 cm away from the shunt site. Under hepatic arterial flow control using a balloon catheter, the arterioportal shunt was successfully embolized with NBCA, which caused an improvement in the esophageal varices.

Volume-rendered hemorrhage-responsible arteriogram created by 64 multidetector-row CT during aortography: utility for catheterization in transcatheter arterial embolization for acute arterial bleeding.

Aortography for detecting hemorrhage is limited when determining the catheter treatment strategy because the artery responsible for hemorrhage commonly overlaps organs and non-responsible arteries. Selective catheterization of untargeted arteries would result in repeated arteriography, large volumes of contrast medium, and extended time. A volume-rendered hemorrhage-responsible arteriogram created with 64 multidetector-row CT (64MDCT) during aortography (MDCTAo) can be used both for hemorrhage mapping and catheter navigation. The MDCTAo depicted hemorrhage in 61 of 71 cases of suspected acute arterial bleeding treated at our institute in the last 3 years. Complete hemostasis by embolization was achieved in all cases. The hemorrhage-responsible arteriogram was used for navigation during catheterization, thus assisting successful embolization. Hemorrhage was not visualized in the remaining 10 patients, of whom 6 had a pseudoaneurysm in a visceral artery; 1 with urinary bladder bleeding and 1 with chest wall hemorrhage had gaze tamponade; and 1 with urinary bladder hemorrhage and 1 with uterine hemorrhage had spastic arteries. Six patients with pseudoaneurysm underwent preventive embolization and the other 4 patients were managed by watchful observation. MDCTAo has the advantage of depicting the arteries responsible for hemoptysis, whether from the bronchial arteries or other systemic arteries, in a single scan. MDCTAo is particularly useful for identifying the source of acute arterial bleeding in the pancreatic arcade area, which is supplied by both the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries. In a case of pelvic hemorrhage, MDCTAo identified the responsible artery from among numerous overlapping visceral arteries that branched from the internal iliac arteries. In conclusion, a hemorrhage-responsible arteriogram created by 64MDCT immediately before catheterization is useful for deciding the catheter treatment strategy for acute arterial bleeding.

Arterial supply to the bleeding diverticulum in the ascending duodenum treated by transcatheter arterial embolization- a duodenal artery branched from the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery.

We present a case of endoscopically unmanageable hemorrhagic diverticulum in the ascending duodenum. The ventral and dorsal walls of the ascending duodenum were supplied from the first jejunal artery (1JA) and inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (IPDA), respectively. The hemorrhage mainly occurred from IPDA. The abruptly branching of IPDA from superior mesenteric artery enabled successful catheterization of the IPDA with an angled microcatheter. Hemostasis was obtained by embolization using n-butyl cyanoacrylate. Gastroendoscopy depicted a duodenal hemi-circumferential ulcer. No symptoms related to hemorrhage were found at the last follow-up at 12 months.

Emergency balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration of ruptured gastric varices.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of emergency balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) for ruptured gastric varices. METHODS: Emergency BRTO was performed in 17 patients with gastric varices and gastrorenal or gastrocaval shunts within 24 h of hematemesis and/or tarry stool. The gastric varices were confirmed by endoscopy, and the gastrorenal or gastrocaval shunts were identified by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT). A 6-Fr balloon catheter (Cobra type) was inserted into the gastrorenal shunt via the right internal jugular vein, or into the gastrocaval shunt via the right femoral vein, depending on the varices drainage route. The sclerosant, 5% ethanolamine oleate iopamidol, was injected into the gastric varices through the catheter during balloon occlusion. In patients with incomplete thrombosis of the varices after the first BRTO, a second BRTO was performed the following day. Patients were followed up by endoscopy and CE-CT at 1 d, 1 wk, and 1, 3 and 6 mo after the procedure, and every 6 mo thereafter. RESULTS: Complete thrombosis of the gastric varices was not achieved with the first BRTO in 7/17 patients because of large gastric varices. These patients underwent a second BRTO on the next day, and additional sclerosant was injected through the catheter. Complete thrombosis which led to disappearance of the varices was achieved in 16/17 patients, while the remaining patient had incomplete thrombosis of the varices. None of the patients experienced rebleeding or recurrence of the gastric varices after a median follow-up of 1130 d (range 8-2739 d). No major complications occurred after the procedure. However, esophageal varices worsened in 5/17 patients after a mean follow-up of 8.6 mo. CONCLUSION: Emergency BRTO is an effective and safe treatment for ruptured gastric varices.

Successful treatment of endoscopically unmanageable rectal varices by balloon-occluded antegrade transvenous sclerotherapy followed by microcoil embolization.

The present report describes two cases of endoscopically unmanageable rectal varices that were treated by balloon-occluded antegrade transvenous sclerotherapy (BATS) followed by microcoil embolization. Follow-up endoscopy confirmed eradication of the rectal varices. Balloon-occluded rectal venography showed stasis of contrast material and sclerosing agent for 30 minutes in both cases of rectal varices, which indicated that the inflow vessel was a single dilated superior rectal vein without other minor inflow vessels. BATS appears to be a feasible therapeutic option for the treatment of rectal varices of this hemodynamic type.

Midterm results of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: comparison of instruction-for-use (IFU) cases and non-IFU cases.

PURPOSE: To investigate the midterm results of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) and compare the endoleak (EL) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) prognoses between instruction-for-use (IFU) patients and non-IFU patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 124 patients (104 men, 20 women; mean age 76.2 years; age range 58-93 years) with AAA who underwent EVAR with the Zenith (68 patients) or Excluder device (56) and were analyzed, 86 were IFU and 38 non-IFU. RESULTS: The mean absorbed dose of radiation exposure was 1907 mGy in the IFU group and 2283 mGy in the non-IFU group (p = 0.013). Thirty-five patients experienced EL: 8 (6.5 %) type I and 27 (21.8 %) type II. Type I ELs were observed in 3 patients in the IFU group (3.5 %) and 5 patients in the non-IFU group (13.2 %). Of the 14 patients with AAA diameter expansion of ≥ 5 mm, 6 (6/86, 7.0 %) belonged to the IFU group and 8 (8/38, 21.1 %) to the non-IFU group (p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: The frequency of AAA expansion ≥ 5 mm was higher in non-IFU patients than in IFU patients. Therefore, careful follow-up is necessary for non-IFU patients rather than IFU patients.

Clinical evaluation of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with 2-day-soluble gelatin sponge particles for hepatocellular carcinoma-comparison with insoluble gelatin sponge particles.

PURPOSE: To compare therapeutic effect, adverse events, and embolized hepatic artery impairment in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization between Lipiodol plus insoluble gelatin sponge particles (Gelpart) and Lipiodol plus 2-day-soluble gelatin sponge particles (2DS-GSPs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were assigned to the 2DS-GSP group or the Gelpart group. Radiographic response at 3 months per modified Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors was evaluated as the primary endpoint; secondary endpoints were safety (per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0) within 3 months and hepatic branch artery impairment at the time of repeat chemoembolization (grade 0, no damage; grade I, mild vessel wall irregularity; grade II, overt stenosis; grade III, occlusion of more peripheral branch artery than subsegmental artery; grade IV, occlusion of subsegmental artery). Grade II, III, or IV indicated significant hepatic artery impairment. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients with 143 nodules were randomized to the 2DS-GSP group and 36 patients with 137 nodules were randomized to the Gelpart group. No significant differences in patient background existed between groups. Target lesion response and overall tumor response in the 2DS-GSP and Gelpart groups were 77.7% versus 76.9% and 78.3% versus 77.8%, respectively, with no significant differences. No significant difference in adverse events existed between groups. Hepatic artery impairment was observed in 5% of patients in the 2DS-GSP group (n = 32) and in 16% in the Gelpart group (n = 33; P< .001). CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with 2DS-GSPs resulted in the same therapeutic and adverse effects as chemoembolization with Gelpart while causing significantly less hepatic artery impairment.

Hepatoma feeding arteriogram created by CT during aortography using IVR 64-multidetector-row CT for catheterization in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

CT during aortography (CTAo) using IVR 64-multidetector-row CT (IVR-64MDCT) enables the rapid and simultaneous depiction of both the hepatic and extrahepatic feeding arteries in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and can be achieved using a reasonable volume of contrast medium. The scan time is approximately 6 s from the diaphragm to the kidney using CTAo with 64MDCT with a slice thickness and slice interval of 0.5 mm. The hepatoma feeding arteriogram appears in the angiographic monitor after CTAo, and can then be used to guide catheterization. We introduce the process for creating a hepatoma feeding arteriogram, synthesized from the following three volume-rendered images: background bone, aorta to hepatic-branch artery, and hepatoma to feeding artery. Uniquely, the hepatoma feeding arteriogram enables investigation of the feeding artery from the tumor side, rather than from the aorta side, and appears superior to selective arteriography in terms of detecting small HCC and its accompanying fine feeding arteries. Identification of these arteries by CT angiography with intravenous contrast medium injection is difficult because of the similarity in CT values between the feeding artery and the surrounding liver, thereby preventing the creation of a hepatoma feeding arteriogram. CTAo accelerates the process of deciding upon the catheter treatment strategy, shifting the decision to the point at which the feeding artery is investigated, because the hepatoma feeding arteriogram enables instant identification of the feeding artery and its connection to the hepatic branch artery. CTAo with IVR-64MDCT can potentially contribute to remarkable advances in IVR, especially transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for HCC.

Percutaneous transportal outflow-vessel-occluded sclerotherapy for gastric varices unmanageable by balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration.

In this report we introduce percutaneous transportal outflow-vessel-occluded sclerotherapy (PTOS) for gastric varices unmanageable by balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) in two cases and evaluate its safety and efficacy. The PTOS is a technique which could obstruct gastric varices subsequent to the occlusion of the outflow route, being based on the rationale of BRTO. In the PTOS procedure, coil embolization of the outflow vessel is first conducted through a microcatheter advanced beyond the gastric varices via the percutaneous transhepatic approach; sclerosing agent (5% ethanolamine oleate) is then injected into the gastric varices after confirmation of static blood flow in the varices. Two patients underwent initial BRTO that eventually failed because of the presence of numerous fine and abruptly angled outflow vessels (case 1), and the presence of a tortuous and elongated outflow vessel accompanied by numerous small collateral outflows that could not be occluded (case 2). Cases 1 and 2 received PTOS using 5% ethanolamine oleate (15 mL and 10 mL, respectively). Portal venous pressure following PTOS showed an increase from 29 to 34 mmHg in case 1 and remained at 24 mmHg in case 2. No major complication was encountered in either patient. One-year follow-up gastroendoscopy showed no recurrence of gastric varices in either patient. Although PTOS is slightly more invasive than BRTO, PTOS can be used as an alternative catheter treatment procedure for gastric varices that are unmanageable by BRTO.

Evaluation of the role of cisplatin-conjugated-soluble gelatin sponge: feasibility study in a swine model.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and the delivery function of cisplatin-conjugated-soluble gelatin sponge in a swine model. METHODS: Fifteen healthy young swine were assigned into three groups: transarterial cisplatin infusion group, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with cisplatin-conjugated 120-min soluble gelatin sponge (TACE-120) group, and TACE with cisplatin-conjugated 360-min soluble gelatin sponge (TACE-360) group. A total volume of 0.8 mL/kg cisplatin in each group and 8 mg/kg soluble gelatin sponge in TACE-120 and TACE-360 groups were injected from the left hepatic artery in small increments for 10 min. Common hepatic angiography and whole-blood sampling via the left hepatic vein were conducted to explore recanalization immediately after the procedure and again at 10, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, and 420 min later. The area under the plasma concentration curve (AUC) of non-protein-bound platinum was compared among the three groups. Each liver was removed and cut into 10-cm-thick sections for calculating liver-damaged volume ratio. RESULTS: Sequential angiography depicted gradual recanalization of the occluded hepatic artery and total recanalization at 120 and 360 min after embolization in the TACE-120 and TACE-360 groups, respectively. Of the three groups, AUC(0-30), AUC(30-120), and AUC(120-420) were significantly highest in the transarterial cisplatin infusion group (p < 0.001), the TACE-120 group (p < 0.001), and the TACE-360 group (p < 0.001), respectively. The liver-damaged volume ratio in the TACE-360 group was small (8.20 %) but significantly higher than that in the TACE-120 group (2.67%, p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Cisplatin-conjugated soluble gelatin sponge functions as a cisplatin carrier and is associated with tolerable liver damage.

Basic study of a mixture of N-butyl cyanoacrylate, ethanol, and lipiodol as a new embolic material.

PURPOSE: To clarify the configuration change of N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) polymerization with increasing proportion of ethanol, the properties of a mixture of NBCA with lipiodol plus ethanol (NLE), and the feasibility of use of NLE for aneurysm packing in a swine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The polymerization configuration of NLE was explored using ratios of 1-4 parts NBCA and 1-3 parts ethanol per 1 part of lipiodol; a 1:1 ratio of NBCA to lipiodol (NLE110) was used as a control. The distance that NLE migrated into saline flowing in a tube was measured. A carotid artery aneurysm was created in each of 18 swine. Aneurysmal packing with three configurations--NLE110, NLE at a ratio of 1:1:2 (NLE112), and NLE at a ratio of 1:1:3 (NLE113)--was attempted in six swine for each configuration. RESULTS: Regardless of NBCA composition, medium-sized droplets, a single large droplet, and a noodle-shaped extrusion were observed in NLE with lipiodol versus ethanol ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3. NLE110 migrated as viscous fluid to 190 cm from the injection site, whereas NLE112 migrated for 81 cm ± 11 and NLE113 migrated for 74 cm ± 9. Instant outflow of NLE110 from the six aneurysms caused occlusion of the parent artery, with adhesion to the microcatheter. Packing was achieved with minimal adhesion for all six of the aneurysms packed with NLE112 or with NLE113. CONCLUSIONS: With high ratios of ethanol, the NLE polymerization configuration acquired solid-like properties with potent occlusive ability and negligible adhesion to the microcatheter, suggesting its feasibility for packing of aneurysms.

Inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm treated with coil packing and stent placement.

Two cases with a pancreaticoduodenal arterial aneurysm accompanied with superior mesenteric artery (SMA) stenosis were previously described and both were treated surgically. However, for interventional treatment, securing a sufficient blood supply to the SMA should be a priority of treatment. We present the case of a 71-year-old male with a 20 mm diameter pancreaticoduodenal arterial aneurysm accompanied by SMA stenosis at its origin. The guidewire traverse from SMA to the aneurysm was difficult because of the tight SMA stenosis; however, the guidewire traverse from the celiac artery was finally successful and was followed by balloon angioplasty using a pull-through technique, leading to stent placement. Thereafter, coil packing through the SMA achieved eradication of the aneurysm without bowel ischemia. At the last follow-up computed tomography 8 mo later, no recurrence of the aneurysm was confirmed. The pull-through technique was useful for angioplasty for tight SMA stenosis in this case.