Healing of acute anterior cruciate ligament rupture on MRI and outcomes following non-surgical management with the Cross Bracing Protocol.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate MRI evidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) healing, patient-reported outcomes and knee laxity in patients with acute ACL rupture managed non-surgically with the Cross Bracing Protocol (CBP). METHODS: Eighty consecutive patients within 4 weeks of ACL rupture were managed with CBP (knee immobilisation at 90° flexion in brace for 4 weeks, followed by progressive increases in range-of-motion until brace removal at 12 weeks, and physiotherapist-supervised goal-oriented rehabilitation). MRIs (3 months and 6 months) were graded using the ACL OsteoArthritis Score (ACLOAS) by three radiologists. Mann-Whitney U tests compared Lysholm Scale and ACL quality of life (ACLQOL) scores evaluated at median (IQR) of 12 months (7-16 months) post-injury, and χ2 tests compared knee laxity (3-month Lachman's test and 6-month Pivot-shift test), and return-to-sport at 12 months between groups (ACLOAS grades 0-1 (continuous±thickened ligament and/or high intraligamentous signal) versus ACLOAS grades 2-3 (continuous but thinned/elongated or complete discontinuity)). RESULTS: Participants were aged 26±10 years at injury, 39% were female, 49% had concomitant meniscal injury. At 3 months, 90% (n=72) had evidence of ACL healing (ACLOAS grade 1: 50%; grade 2: 40%; grade 3: 10%). Participants with ACLOAS grade 1 reported better Lysholm Scale (median (IQR): 98 (94-100) vs 94 (85-100)) and ACLQOL (89 (76-96) vs 70 (64-82)) scores, compared with ACLOAS grades 2-3. More participants with ACLOAS grade 1 had normal 3-month knee laxity (100% vs 40%) and returned to pre-injury sport (92% vs 64%), compared with participants with an ACLOAS grades 2-3. Eleven patients (14%) re-injured their ACL. CONCLUSION: After management of acute ACL rupture with the CBP, 90% of patients had evidence of healing on 3-month MRI (continuity of the ACL). More ACL healing on 3-month MRI was associated with better outcomes. Longer-term follow-up and clinical trials are needed to inform clinical practice.

Multidetector spiral CT renal angiography in the diagnosis of giant renal artery aneurysms.

A case of giant renal artery aneurysm in a 63-year-old man is presented. Renal artery aneurysms are rare (incidence of <1%) and this case is one of the largest giant renal artery aneurysms recorded in the literature. This case also demonstrates the value of multidetector spiral CT renal angiography (CTA) in the diagnosis, planning and treatment of renal aneurysms.

Multidetector spiral CT renal angiography in the diagnosis of renal artery fibromuscular dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role and detection rate of multidetector spiral CT renal angiography (CTA) as compared with conventional angiography (CA), the commonly accepted gold standard, in the diagnosis of renal artery fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). In addition, the role of CTA reconstructions (multiplanar reformatted images (MPR), maximum intensity projections (MIP) and shaded-surface display (SSD)) in the detection of FMD was also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CTA results were retrospectively reviewed in 21 hypertensive patients with CA-proven FMD. Clinical indications for referral included resistant hypertension (requiring greater than three antihypertensive medications), labile hypertension, hypertension in combination with renal impairment and the presence of abdominal bruits in the context of systemic hypertension. In some cases, these clinical indications were supplemented by positive results in other tests, including plasma renin assay, captopril scintigraphy and/or Doppler ultrasound. The findings of CA in these 21 patients were compared to CTA. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 62.33+14.32 years (range 24-85 years). CTA identified all 42 main renal arteries (100%) and all 10 accessory renal arteries (100%) visualized on CA. In the diagnosis of FMD, CTA detected all 40 (100%) lesions detected by CA. No single CTA reconstruction technique was able to detect all lesions noted on corresponding CA, however, upon review of all CTA reconstructions (MPR, MIP and SSD) in each case, every lesion was correctly identified by CTA. CONCLUSION: Our experience suggests that CTA is a non-invasive, reliable and accurate method for the diagnosis of renal artery fibromuscular dysplasia. Moreover, in our experience CTA has many advantages as a diagnostic screening tool over CA, including accessibility, speed, lower complication profile, versatility and cost-effectiveness. CTA shows great potential as a guiding tool for directing subsequent procedures such as CA+balloon angioplasty.

Renal tumors: technical success and early clinical experience with radiofrequency ablation of 18 tumors.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and technical efficacy of image-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of small peripheral renal tumors and to report our early results with this treatment modality. METHODS: Twenty-two RFA sessions for 18 tumors were performed in 11 patients with renal tumors. Indications included coexistent morbidity, high surgical or anesthetic risk, solitary kidney, and hereditary predisposition to renal cell carcinoma. Ten patients had CT-guided percutaneous RFA performed on an outpatient basis. One patient had open intraoperative ultrasound-guided RFA. Technical success was defined as elimination of areas that enhanced at imaging within the entire tumor. With the exception of one patient with renal insufficiency who required gadolinium-enhanced MRI, the remaining patients underwent contrast-enhanced CT for post-treatment follow-up assessment. Follow-up was performed after 2-4 weeks and then at 3, 6, 12 months, and every 12 months thereafter. RESULTS: Fourteen (78%) of 18 tumors were successfully ablated with one session. Three of the remaining four tumors required two sessions for successful ablation. One tumor will require a third session for areas of persistent enhancement. Mean patient age was 72.82 +/- 10.43 years. Mean tumor size was 1.95 +/- 0.79 cm. Mean follow-up time was 10.91 months. All procedures were performed without any major complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our early experience with percutaneous image-guided radiofrequency ablation demonstrates it to be a feasible, safe, noninvasive, and effective treatment of small peripheral renal tumors.

Helical CT in the diagnosis of acute lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

INTRODUCTION: A pilot study to evaluate helical computer tomography (CT) as a diagnostic tool for acute lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT) bleeding. CT was compared to conventional angiography (CA) and colonoscopy for the diagnosis and detection of bleeding site in suspected cases of acute lower GIT bleeding. METHODS: Seven patients presenting with acute lower GIT bleeding, between June and November 2002, underwent CT examinations. All of these seven patients underwent CA following CT. Emergency colonoscopies were performed on five patients investigated with both CT and CA. Median delay from the most recent episode of hematochezia to CT was two and a half hours, to CA was 3h, and to colonoscopy was 4h. None of the patients underwent nuclear medicine (NM) bleeding studies. RESULTS: Haemoglobin drop in all patients was greater than 15 g/L in the first 24h of presentation. The mean age was 68.86 years (range, 49-83 years). Comparing CT and CA, there were four concordant and three discordant results. Both modalities had concordant findings of two active bleeding sites, one non-bleeding rectal tumour, and one negative case result. In three patients, the source of bleeding was found on CT whereas CA was negative. Emergency colonoscopies performed in all of these three patients confirmed blood in the colon/ileum. CONCLUSION: Early experience suggests that CT is a safe, convenient and accurate diagnostic tool for acute lower GIT haemorrhage. It raises questions regarding the sensitivity of CA. A new management algorithm for acute lower GIT haemorrhage using CT as the pre-CA screening tool is being proposed based on the preliminary findings. Positive CT will allow directed therapeutic angiography, while negative CT will triage patients into alternative management pathways.