Percutaneous insertion of a novel dedicated metal stent to treat malignant hilar biliary obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous bilateral biliary stenting is an established method for the management of unresectable malignant hilar biliary obstruction. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel uncovered biliary stent, specifically designed for hilar reconstruction. METHODS: This, single-center, retrospective study included 18 patients (mean age 71 ± 11 years; 61.1% male) undergoing percutaneous transhepatic Moving cell stent (MCS) placement for hilar reconstruction using the stent-in-stent technique for malignant biliary strictures, between November 2020 and July 2021. The Patients were diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (12/18; 66.6%), gallbladder cancer (5/18; 27.7%), and colorectal liver metastasis (1/18; 5.5%). Primary endpoints were technical (appropriate stent placement) and clinical (relief from jaundice) success. Secondary endpoints included stent patency, overall survival, complication rates and stent-related complications. RESULTS: The technical and clinical success rates were 100% (18/18 cases). According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, the estimated overall patient survival was 80.5% and 60.4% at 6 and 12 mo respectively, while stent patency was 90.9% and 68.2% at 6 mo and 12 mo respectively. The mean stent patency was 172.53 ± 56.20 d and median stent patency was 165 d (range 83-315). Laboratory tests for cholestasis significantly improved after procedure: mean total bilirubin decreased from 15.2 ± 6.0 mg/dL to 1.3 ± 0.4 mg/dL (P < 0.001); mean γGT decreased from 1389 ± 832 U/L to 114.6 ± 53.5 U/L (P < 0.001). One periprocedural complication was reported. Stent-related complications were observed in 5 patients (27.7%), including 1 occlusion (5.5%) and 1 stent migration (5.5 %). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous hilar bifurcation biliary stenting with the MCS resulted in excellent clinical and technical success rates, with acceptable complication rates. Further studies are needed to confirm these initial positive results.

Current status of non-surgical treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the 7th leading cause of death due to cancer in industrialized countries and the 11th most common cancer globally, with 458918 new cases (2.5% of all cancers) and 432242 deaths (4.5% of all cancer deaths) in 2018. Unfortunately, 80% to 90% of the patients present with unresectable disease, and the reported 5-year survival rate range between 10% and 25%, even after successful resection with tumor-free margins. Systemic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and minimally invasive image-guided procedures that have emerged over the past years, are used for the management of non-operable PC. This review focuses on currently available non-surgical options of locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

A single-centre experience of 200 consecutive unselected patients in percutaneous EVAR.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the feasibility and safety of percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair (P-EVAR) in an "unselected" population of patients using Prostar XL closure device, comparing our results with the literature data reported for open EVAR (O-EVAR) and P-EVAR in selected populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 200 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms to be treated with the P-EVAR procedure, without any selection criteria. Four hundred percutaneous femoral accesses using the Prostar XL closure device were performed. The early follow-up protocol consisted of a Doppler ultrasound (US) examination. Later evaluations were performed with US and computed tomography. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all percutaneous accesses (100 %). Ten early complications related to access site were recorded (10/400; 2.5 %): four pseudoaneurysms and six cases of lower limb ischaemia. Five of ten complications occurred in patients presenting calcification of the common femoral arteries, whereas 4/10 were in patients with "complex" groin anatomy. Eight of ten complications occurred at the access site of the main body of the prosthesis using a sheath size >20 Fr. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair in "unselected" patients is safe and efficient, with a very low risk of access-related complications, comparable to P-EVAR in selected populations and to the best O-EVAR series.

[Rescue endovascular revascularization in two patients with bilateral atherosclerotic renal artery occlusion]. / Rivascolarizzazione endovascolare di salvataggio in due pazienti con occlusione aterosclerotica bilaterale dell'arteria renale.

Renal artery stenosis is found in 2% and 40% of general and high cardiovascular risk populations, respectively. Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) has become an increasingly recognized clinical condition, especially in older or otherwise atherosclerosis-prone populations. This increase in prevalence has led to a dramatically increased use of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty. Randomized trials have failed to demonstrate any superiority of renal revascularization over medical therapy as far as control of hypertension, mortality or cardiovascular events is concerned. However, in this report we present two cases in which rescue endovascular revascularization in patients affected by bilateral ARAS permitted withdrawal from hemodialysis treatment and the restoration of a certain degree of renal function. In conclusion, for certain carefully-selected high-risk patients, renal revascularization may still have an important role. The two cases presented in this article are good examples of the extraordinary benefit that endovascular revascularization can bestow.

Fibromuscular dysplasia of renal arteries presenting with bilateral renal infarction in a young man.

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) describes a group of conditions which cause nonatheromatous arterial stenoses, most commonly of the renal and carotid arteries, typically in young women. We report the case of a previously healthy 43-year-old white man presenting with acute bilateral flank pain. The pain was more severe on the left side. Initially treated for ureteral colic, he was transferred to the nephrology unit upon recognition of a rising serum creatinine. He was found to have FMD of bilateral renal arteries with resultant infarctions in both kidneys. He was treated with intravenous heparin and, then, warfarin at discharge. At a 16-month review, the patient remained pain-free with normal renal function and with antiplatelet and dual antihypertensive therapy. In conclusion, renal infarction complicating FMD is rare, with most cases involving causative cardiovascular risk factors, including coagulopathy, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation or structural cardiac abnormalities, none of which was present in this case. What makes this case interesting are the clinically significant bilateral renal infarctions due to atypical asymmetric FMD in both kidneys in a young man.