ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Lower Extremity Chronic Venous Disease.

Lower extremity venous insufficiency is a chronic medical condition resulting from primary valvular incompetence or, less commonly, prior deep venous thrombosis or extrinsic venous obstruction. Lower extremity chronic venous disease has a high prevalence with a related socioeconomic burden. In the United States, over 11 million males and 22 million females 40 to 80 years of age have varicose veins, with over 2 million adults having advanced chronic venous disease. The high cost to the health care system is related to the recurrent nature of venous ulcerative disease, with total treatment costs estimated >$2.5 billion per year in the United States, with at least 20,556 individuals with newly diagnosed venous ulcers yearly. Various diagnostic and treatment strategies are in place for lower extremity chronic venous disease and are discussed in this document. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Workforce Diversity of Interventional Radiology Physicians in North America: Reflections on the U.S. Experience.

Achieving parity in representation within the field of Interventional Radiology (IR) across women and specific subsets of minority groups has been a challenge. The lack of a strongly diverse physician workforce in gender, race, and ethnicity suggests suboptimal recruitment after, during as well prior to IR training. There is a dearth of studies which effectively characterize the national demographic trends of the evolving IR workforce. This has prevented an accurate appraisal of continuing efforts to narrow the gaps in physician workforce diversity across the field of IR. To support these needs, this article illustrates historic trends while providing contemporary data that canvasses the status of diversity within the current IR physician and IR trainee workforce. It highlights the representation of those individuals historically underrepresented in medicine as well as women. It also highlights current obstacles to achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion within the field of IR as well as existing efforts that have been employed to mitigate this gap.

Varicoceles: Overview of Treatment from a Radiologic and Surgical Perspective.

A testicular varicocele is the result of the expansion of the venous pampiniform plexus of the scrotum. Often painless, a significant number of patients experience orchialgia, swelling, testicular atrophy, and abnormalities in spermatic parameters. Treatment of symptomatic varicocele involves a radiologic or surgical intervention to obstruct the reflux of venous drainage. Testicular anatomy, diagnostic evaluation and imaging, options for surgical intervention, and a step-by-step description of retrograde embolization and antegrade scrotal sclerotherapy are discussed. Furthermore, included is an overview of postprocedural management and patient outcomes for radiological interventions, and the most up-to-date evidence on the efficacy of varicocele treatments as well as how they compare to each other.

Closing the Gaps in Racial Disparities in Critical Limb Ischemia Outcome and Amputation Rates: Proceedings from a Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation Research Consensus Panel.

Minority patients such as Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans are disproportionately impacted by critical limb ischemia and amputation due to multiple factors such as socioeconomic status, type or lack of insurance, lack of access to health care, capacity and expertise of local hospitals, prevalence of diabetes, and unconscious bias. The Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation recognizes that it is imperative to close the disparity gaps and funded a Research Consensus Panel to prioritize a research agenda. The following research priorities were ultimately prioritized: (a) randomized controlled trial with peripheral arterial disease screening of at-risk patients with oversampling of high-risk racial groups, (b) prospective trial with the introduction of an intervention to alter a social determinant of health, and (c) a prospective trial with the implementation of an algorithm that requires criteria be met prior to an amputation. This article presents the proceedings and recommendations from the panel.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Radiologic Management of Lower Gastrointestinal Tract Bleeding: 2021 Update.

Diverticulosis remains the commonest cause for acute lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding (GIB). Conservative management is initially sufficient for most patients, followed by elective diagnostic tests. However, if acute lower GIB persists, it can be investigated with colonoscopy, CT angiography (CTA), or red blood cell (RBC) scan. Colonoscopy can identify the site and cause of bleeding and provide effective treatment. CTA is a noninvasive diagnostic tool that is better tolerated by patients, can identify actively bleeding site or a potential bleeding lesion in vast majority of patients. RBC scan can identify intermittent bleeding, and with single-photon emission computed tomography, can more accurately localize it to a small segment of bowel. If patients are hemodynamically unstable, CTA and transcatheter arteriography/embolization can be performed. Colonoscopy can also be considered in these patients if rapid bowel preparation is feasible. Transcatheter arteriography has a low rate of major complications; however, targeted transcatheter embolization is only feasible if extravasation is seen, which is more likely in hemodynamically unstable patients. If bleeding site has been previously localized but the intervention by colonoscopy and transcatheter embolization have failed to achieve hemostasis, surgery may be required. Among patients with obscure (nonlocalized) recurrent bleeding, capsule endoscopy and CT enterography can be considered to identify culprit mucosal lesion(s). The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Endovascular Removal of Thrombus and Right Heart Masses Using the AngioVac System: Results of 234 Patients from the Prospective, Multicenter Registry of AngioVac Procedures in Detail (RAPID).

PURPOSE: To assess device and procedural safety and technical success associated with the use of the AngioVac System to remove vascular thrombi and cardiac masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Registry of AngioVac Procedures in Detail (RAPID) study prospectively collected data for 234 patients receiving treatment with AngioVac at 21 sites between March 2016 and August 2019: 84 (35.9%) with caval thromboemboli (CTEs), 113 (48.3%) with right heart masses (RHMs), 20 (8.5%) with catheter-related thrombi (CRTs), and 4 (1.7%) with pulmonary emboli (PEs). Thirteen patients had a combination of procedures during the same admission. RESULTS: Using the AngioVac system, 70%-100% thrombus or mass removal was achieved in 73.6% of patients with CTEs, 58.5% of patients with RHMs, 60% of patients with CRTs, and 57.1% of patients with PEs. Extracorporeal bypass time was < 1 hour for 176 (75.2%) procedures. Estimated blood loss was < 250 mL for 179 procedures (76.5%). Mean hemoglobin decreased from 10.4 g/dL ± 2.9 preoperatively to 9.4 g/dL ± 2.6 postoperatively. Transfusions were administered in 59 procedures (25.2%) with 47 transfusions (78.2%) being ≤ 2 U. There were 36 procedure-related complications, including 1 death. CONCLUSIONS: The RAPID registry data demonstrate that the AngioVac System can be safely and effectively used to remove vascular thrombi and cardiac masses across a broad range of patient populations. The limited use of the device to remove pulmonary emboli in the present series precludes recommending the use of the AngioVac device for this indication.

Ergonomics in IR.

Ergonomic research in the field of interventional radiology remains limited. Existing literature suggests that operators are at increased risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders related to the use of lead garments and incomplete knowledge of ergonomic principles. Data from existing surgical literature suggest that musculoskeletal disorders may contribute to physician burnout and female operators are at a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. This review article aims to summarize the existing ergonomic challenges faced by interventional radiologists, reiterate existing solutions to these challenges, and highlight the need for further ergonomic research in multiple areas, including burnout and gender.

"What Program Directors Think" V: Results of the 2019 Spring Survey of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR).

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) surveys its membership annually on hot topics and new developments in radiology residency training. Here we report the results of that annual survey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based survey was posed to the APDR membership in the Fall of 2018. Members were asked 43 questions on program staffing, resident education resources/funding, impact of the integrated-Interventional Radiology residency program on Diagnostic Radiology program resources, resident interest in imaging informatics, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements on resident practice habits data reporting, institutional reliance on residents for clinical coverage, teaching format in the post-oral board era, resident conference attendance, confidentiality of the Match rank list, Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology pathway recruitment and selection, Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology program relationships, independent resident call, pediatric radiology training, diversity and unconscious bias training, and social media in radiology education. RESULTS: Responses were collected electronically, results were tallied using Qualtrics software, and qualitative responses were tabulated or summarized as comments. There were 86 respondents with a response rate of 31.3%. CONCLUSION: Survey result highlights include perceived resident interest in imaging informatics with the vast majority of residency programs offering an informatics curriculum; the provision of resident practice habits data by nearly all residency programs despite lack of clarity surrounding this Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirement; continued use of case-taking in the post-oral boards era; frequent disclosure of the Match rank list to departmental and hospital administration; low penetration of unconscious bias training in academic radiology; and finally, the successful integration of interventional and diagnostic radiology training programs.

Cost Analysis of Dialysis Access Maintenance Interventions across Physician Specialties in U.S. Medicare Beneficiaries.

Background Dialysis maintenance interventions account for billions of dollars in U.S. Medicare spending and are performed by multiple medical specialties. Whether Medicare costs differ by physician specialty is, to the knowledge of the authors, not known. Purpose To assess patency-adjusted costs of endovascular dialysis access maintenance by physician specialty. Materials and Methods In this retrospective longitudinal cohort study, patients who were beneficiaries of Medicare undergoing their first arteriovenous access placement in 2009 were identified by using billing codes in the 5% Limited Data Set. By tracking their utilization data through 2014, postintervention primary patency and aggregate payments associated with maintenance interventions were calculated. Unadjusted payments per year of access patency gain were compared across physician specialty. A general linear mixed-effects model adjusted for covariates was used, as follows: patient characteristics, access type (fistula vs graft), clinical severity, type of intervention (angioplasty, stent, thrombolysis), clinical location (hospital outpatient vs office-based laboratory), and resource utilization (operating room use, anesthesia use). Results First arteriovenous access was performed in 1479 beneficiaries (mean age, 63 years ± 15 [standard deviation]; 820 men) in 2009. Through 2014, 8166 maintenance interventions were performed in this cohort. Unadjusted mean Medicare payments for each incremental year of patency were as follows: $71 000 for radiologists, $89 000 for nephrologists, and $174 000 for surgeons. Billing for operating room (41.8% [792 of 1895], surgery; 10.2% [277 of 2709], nephrology; and 31.1% [1108 of 3562], radiology) and anesthesia (19.9% [377 of 1895], surgery; 2.6% [70 of 2709], nephrology; 4.7% [170 of 3562], radiology) varied by specialty and accounted for 407% and 132% higher payments, respectively. After adjusting for clinical severity and location, type of intervention, and resource utilization, nephrologists and surgeons had 59% (95% confidence interval: 44%, 73%; P < .001) and 57% (95% confidence interval: 43%, 72%; P < .001) higher payments, respectively, for the same patency gain compared with radiologists. Operating room use and anesthesia services were major drivers of higher cost, with 407% (95% confidence interval: 374%, 443%; P < .001) and 132% (95% confidence interval: 116%, 150%; P < .001) higher costs, respectively. Conclusion Patency-adjusted payments for hemodialysis access maintenance differed by physician specialty, driven partly by discrepant rates of billing for operating room and anesthesia use. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by White in this issue.

Second International Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia.

DESCRIPTION: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disease with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 5000 that is characterized by the presence of vascular malformations (VMs). These result in chronic bleeding, acute hemorrhage, and complications from shunting through VMs. The goal of the Second International HHT Guidelines process was to develop evidence-based consensus guidelines for the management and prevention of HHT-related symptoms and complications. METHODS: The guidelines were developed using the AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II) framework and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology. The guidelines expert panel included expert physicians (clinical and genetic) in HHT from 15 countries, guidelines methodologists, health care workers, health care administrators, patient advocacy representatives, and persons with HHT. During the preconference process, the expert panel generated clinically relevant questions in 6 priority topic areas. A systematic literature search was done in June 2019, and articles meeting a priori criteria were included to generate evidence tables, which were used as the basis for recommendation development. The expert panel subsequently convened during a guidelines conference to conduct a structured consensus process, during which recommendations reaching at least 80% consensus were discussed and approved. RECOMMENDATIONS: The expert panel generated and approved 6 new recommendations for each of the following 6 priority topic areas: epistaxis, gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia and iron deficiency, liver VMs, pediatric care, and pregnancy and delivery (36 total). The recommendations highlight new evidence in existing topics from the first International HHT Guidelines and provide guidance in 3 new areas: anemia, pediatrics, and pregnancy and delivery. These recommendations should facilitate implementation of key components of HHT care into clinical practice.

Effort Thrombosis Presenting as Unilateral "Pumped" Arm in a Climber.

Upper extremity injuries are common among the growing population of climbers. Although conditions affecting musculoskeletal structures are the most common causes of symptoms, a comprehensive differential diagnosis is necessary to avoid the misdiagnosis of high-morbidity conditions in this patient population. We present a case of a climber with acute edema, erythema, and pain of the entire right upper extremity. After confirmation of an upper extremity deep vein thrombosis by ultrasound, and in the absence of secondary causes for his thrombotic process, he was diagnosed with effort thrombosis. The patient was treated acutely with anticoagulation, catheter thrombectomy, direct thrombolysis, and balloon angioplasty followed by surgical decompression of the subclavian vein. Owing to the importance of early diagnosis and initiation of treatment, it is critical to keep disorders affecting the upper thoracic vascular structures in consideration.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Radiologic Management of Iliofemoral Venous Thrombosis.

Iliofemoral venous thrombosis carries a high risk for pulmonary embolism, recurrent deep vein thrombosis, and post-thrombotic syndrome complicating 30% to 71% of those affected. The clinical scenarios in which iliofemoral venous thrombosis is managed may be diverse, presenting a challenge to identify optimum therapy tailored to each situation. Goals for management include preventing morbidity from venous occlusive disease, and morbidity and mortality from pulmonary embolism. Anticoagulation remains the standard of care for iliofemoral venous thrombosis, although a role for more aggressive therapies with catheter-based interventions or surgery exists in select circumstances. Results from recent prospective trials have improved patient selection guidelines for more aggressive therapies, and have also demonstrated a lack of efficacy for certain conservative therapies. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Recent Trends in Clinical Setting and Provider Specialty for Endovascular Peripheral Artery Disease Interventions for the Medicare Population.

PURPOSE: To describe national trends in peripheral endovascular interventions by physician specialty, anatomic segment of disease, and clinical location of service. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Current Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify claims for peripheral vascular interventions (PVIs) in 2011-2017 Physician Supplier Procedure Summary master files, which contain 100% Part B Medicare billing. Market share was defined as enrollment-adjusted proportion of billed PVI services for each specialty. Annual volume of billed services was additionally evaluated by clinical location (inpatient, outpatient, office-based laboratories) and anatomic segment of disease (iliac, femoral/popliteal, infrapopliteal). RESULTS: Aggregate PVI claims increased 31.3%, from 227,091 in 2011 to 298,127 in 2017. Annual market share remained relatively stable for all specialties: surgery, 48.3%-49.6%; cardiology, 37.2%-35.1%; radiology, 12.8%-13.3%. Accounting for Medicare enrollment, the volume of iliac interventions decreased by 18% over the study period, while femoral/popliteal interventions increased modestly (+7.5%) and infrapopliteal interventions increased (+46%). The greatest proportional increase in infrapopliteal claims occurred among radiologists (surgeons +40.4%, cardiologists +32.1%, radiologists +106.6%). Adjusting for enrollment, claims from office-based laboratories increased substantially (+305.7%), while hospital-based billing decreased (inpatient -25.7%, outpatient -12.9%). Office-based laboratory utilization increased dramatically with all specialties (surgery +331.8%, cardiology +256.0%, radiology +475.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of PVIs continues to increase, while specialty market shares have stabilized since 2011, leaving surgeons and cardiologists as the major providers of endovascular peripheral artery disease care. The greatest relative increases are occurring in infrapopliteal interventions and office-based laboratory procedures, where radiologist involvement has increased dramatically.

Gender Disparity in Inpatient Mortality After Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation in Patients Admitted With Hepatorenal Syndrome: A Nationwide Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate inpatient mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation compared with medical management (MM) in patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). METHODS: Patients with cirrhosis admitted with HRS between 2005 and 2014 were identified using associated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes in the National Inpatient Sample (n = 153,112). Non-TIPS candidates and patients with parenchymal renal disease were excluded (n = 73,454). The remaining admissions were assigned to groups of TIPS (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code 39.1; n = 971) or MM (n = 78,687). Inpatient mortality was analyzed by treatment type and patient gender using χ2 tests. Logistic regression was performed to control for baseline differences in patient demographics, comorbid disease, and pretreatment mortality risk. RESULTS: Baseline patient demographics were similar. Patients treated medically had higher baseline disease severity (median mortality risk score, 8.3 with MM versus 6.1 with TIPS; P < .01). Inpatient mortality was strongly modified by patient gender. TIPS creation conferred inpatient mortality benefit in men (28% of the MM group versus 10% of the TIPS group, P < .01) independent of all covariates (odds ratio, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.78; P < .01). Women treated with TIPS creation experienced no mortality benefit (29% MM versus 32% TIPS; odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-3.23; P = .23). CONCLUSIONS: TIPS creation is associated with reduced inpatient mortality in men, but not women, admitted with HRS. Drivers of this gender-based disparity are currently unclear and warrant focused investigation.

Bowel Penetration by Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Feasibility and Safety of Percutaneous Retrieval.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and technical feasibility of inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) removal when filter elements penetrate adjacent bowel. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A multicenter retrospective review of IVCF retrievals between 2008 and 2018 was performed. Adult patients with either CT or endoscopic evidence of filter elements penetrating bowel before retrieval were included. Technical success of IVCF retrieval was recorded. Patient records were assessed for immediate, 30-day, and 90-day complications after retrieval. RESULTS. Thirty-nine consecutive adult patients (11 men and 28 women; mean age, 51.2 years; age range, 18-81 years) qualified for inclusion. Filter dwell time was a median of 148 days (range, 32-5395 days). No IVCFs were known to have migrated or caused iliocaval thrombosis. Five IVCFs (12.8%) had more than 15° tilt relative to the inferior vena cava (IVC) before retrieval. Three IVCFs (7.7%) had fractured elements identified at the time of retrieval. Mean international normalized ratio (INR) was 1.24 ± 0.53 (SD), and mean platelet count was 262 ± 139 × 103/µL. Ten patients (25.6%) were on antibiotics at the time of retrieval. All 39 IVCFs were successfully retrieved (technical success = 100%). Two patients experienced minor complications in the immediate postprocedural period, which resulted in a minor complication rate of 5.1%. There were no complications (major or minor) identified in any patient at 30 or 90 days after retrieval. The overall major complication rate was 0%. CONCLUSION. Endovascular retrieval of IVCFs with CT evidence of filter elements that have penetrated adjacent bowel is both safe and technically feasible.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Radiologic Management of Venous Thromboembolism-Inferior Vena Cava Filters.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE)-deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism-is a common cause of morbidity and mortality. The mainstay of VTE prophylaxis and therapy is anticoagulation. In select patients with VTE, inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are used to prevent pulmonary embolism by trapping emboli as they pass from the lower extremity venous system through the IVC. These guidelines review the indications for placement of IVC filters in acute and chronic VTE, as well as the indications for retrieval of implanted IVC filters. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.