Our objective was to investigate the indications, effectiveness, and safety of Amplatzer™ Vascular Plugs (AVPs) in clinical practice. To retrospectively identify patients managed with AVPs at the ...Dijon University Hospital between January 2011 and April 2021, we searched materials vigilance registries and procedure reports. The 110 identified patients underwent 111 procedures with delivery of 202 AVPs into 118 vessels; 84% of the procedures were performed by radiologists with over 10 years’ experience and 67% were scheduled. Varicocele, haemostasis, pelvic varicose veins, and arterio-venous dialysis fistulas accounted for 69% of procedures. The technical and clinical success rates were 99% and 97%, respectively. The single major complication was AVP migration in a high-flow internal iliac vein, with no residual abnormalities after successful device retrieval. Several AVPs and/or concomitant injection of coils or liquid agents were used in 80% of cases. The use of AVPs alone occurred chiefly for splenic artery embolisation in trauma patients and for collateral vein occlusion in dysfunctional arterio-venous dialysis fistulas. No cases of recanalisation occurred during the 19 ± 29 month follow-ups. Based on their good safety and effectiveness profile, AVPs deserve to be part of the therapeutic armamentarium of every interventional radiologist.
The fluorescent carbon dot (C-dot) is a new class of carbon nanomaterials. It has a discrete or quasispherical structure, typically measures less than 10 nm and contains sp(2)/sp(3) carbon, ...oxygen/nitrogen-based groups and surface-modified functional groups. Compared with semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), C-dots offer much lower toxicity and a better biocompatibility profile. Their other favorable features include easy and inexpensive synthesis and surface modification potential. C-dots can be morphologically classified into graphene-based quantum dots (GQDs) and amorphous carbon nanodots (ACNDs). Numerous methods have been developed to synthesize C-dots, and are mainly divided into 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' routes. In the top-down route, C-dots (mostly GQDs) is derived from the separation of large carbon precursors. The 'bottom-up' method primarily involves the dehydration, polymerization and carbonization of small molecules to form the GQDs and ACNDs through thermal/hydrothermal synthesis, microwave irradiation, and solution chemistry. Potential applications of C-dots have been explored in a number of cellular and in-vivo imaging approaches. However, some difficulties remain, including limited penetration depth and poorly controlled in-vivo pharmacokinetics, which depends on multiple factors such as the morphology, physiochemical properties, surface chemistry and formulation of C-dots. The exact mechanism of in-vivo biodistribution, cellular uptake and long-term toxicological effect of C-dots still need to be elucidated. An integrated multi-disciplinary approach involving chemists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, clinicians, and regulatory bodies at the early stage is essential to enable the clinical application of C-dots.
To validate a triple-echo gradient-echo sequence for measuring the fat content of the liver, by using hydrogen 1((1)H) magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy as the reference standard.
This prospective ...study was approved by the appropriate ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. In 37 patients with type 2 diabetes (31 men, six women; mean age, 56 years), 3.0-T single-voxel point-resolved (1)H MR spectroscopy of the liver (Couinaud segment VII) was performed to calculate the liver fat fraction from the water (4.7 ppm) and methylene (1.3 ppm) peaks, corrected for T1 and T2 decay. Liver fat fraction was also computed from triple-echo (consecutive in-phase, opposed-phase, and in-phase echo times) breath-hold spoiled gradient-echo sequence (flip angle, 20 degrees), by estimating T2* and relative signal intensity loss between in- and opposed-phase values, corrected for T2* decay. Pearson correlation coefficient, Bland-Altman 95% limit of agreement, and Lin concordance coefficient were calculated.
Mean fat fractions calculated from the triple-echo sequence and (1)H MR spectroscopy were 10% (range, 0.7%-35.6%) and 9.7% (range, 0.2%-34.1%), respectively. Mean T2* time was 14.7 msec (range, 5.4-25.4 msec). Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.989 (P < .0001) and Lin concordance coefficient was 0.988 (P < .0001). With the Bland-Altman method, all data points were within the limits of agreement.
A breath-hold triple-echo gradient-echo sequence with a low flip angle and correction for T2* decay is accurate for quantifying fat in segment VII of the liver. Given its excellent correlation and concordance with (1)H MR spectroscopy, this triple-echo sequence could replace (1)H MR spectroscopy in longitudinal studies.
Purpose
Radioembolization has emerged as a treatment modality for patients with primary and secondary liver tumours. This observational study CIRT-FR (CIRSE Registry for SIR-Spheres Therapy in ...France) aims to evaluate real-life clinical practice on all patients treated with transarterial radioembolization (TARE) using SIR-Spheres yttrium-90 resin microspheres in France. In this interim analysis, safety and quality of life data are presented. Final results of the study, including secondary effectiveness outcomes, will be published later. Overall, CIRT-FR is aiming to support French authorities in the decision making on reimbursement considerations for this treatment.
Methods
Data on patients enrolled in CIRT-FR from August 2017 to October 2019 were analysed. The interim analysis describes clinical practice, baseline characteristics, safety (adverse events according to CTCTAE 4.03) and quality of life (according to EORTC QLQ C30 and HCC module) aspects after TARE.
Results
This cohort included 200 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (114), metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC; 38) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (33) amongst others (15). TARE was predominantly assigned as a palliative treatment (79%). 12% of patients experienced at least one adverse event in the 30 days following treatment; 30-day mortality was 1%. Overall, global health score remained stable between baseline (66.7%), treatment (62.5%) and the first follow-up (66.7%).
Conclusion
This interim analysis demonstrates that data regarding safety and quality of life generated by randomised-controlled trials is reflected when assessing the real-world application of TARE.
Trial Registration
Clinical Trials.gov NCT03256994.
Acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal (UGI) hemorrhage is a frequent complication associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The most common cause of UGI bleeding is peptic ulcer ...disease, but the differential diagnosis is diverse and includes tumors; ischemia; gastritis; arteriovenous malformations, such as Dieulafoy lesions; Mallory-Weiss tears; trauma; and iatrogenic causes. Aggressive treatment with early endoscopic hemostasis is essential for a favorable outcome. However, severe bleeding despite conservative medical treatment or endoscopic intervention occurs in 5–10% of patients, requiring surgery or transcatheter arterial embolization. Surgical intervention is usually an expeditious and gratifying endeavor, but it can be associated with high operative mortality rates. Endovascular management using superselective catheterization of the culprit vessel, « sandwich» occlusion, or blind embolization has emerged as an alternative to emergent operative intervention for high-risk patients and is now considered the first-line therapy for massive UGI bleeding refractory to endoscopic treatment. Indeed, many published studies have confirmed the feasibility of this approach and its high technical and clinical success rates, which range from 69 to 100% and from 63 to 97%, respectively, even if the choice of the best embolic agent among coils, cyanaocrylate glue, gelatin sponge, or calibrated particles remains a matter of debate. However, factors influencing clinical outcome, especially predictors of early rebleeding, are poorly understood, and few studies have addressed this issue. This review of the literature will attempt to define the role of embolotherapy for acute nonvariceal UGI hemorrhage that fails to respond to endoscopic hemostasis and to summarize data on factors predicting angiographic and embolization failure.
To compare image quality and the radiation dose of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) subjected to the first deep learning-based image reconstruction (DLR) (50%) algorithm, with images ...subjected to the hybrid-iterative reconstruction (IR) technique (50%). One hundred forty patients who underwent CTPA for suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) between 2018 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Image quality was assessed quantitatively (image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR)) and qualitatively (on a 5-point scale). Radiation dose parameters (CT dose index, CTDIvol; and dose-length product, DLP) were also recorded. Ninety-three patients were finally analyzed, 48 with hybrid-IR and 45 with DLR images. The image noise was significantly lower and the SNR (24.4 ± 5.9 vs. 20.7 ± 6.1) and CNR (21.8 ± 5.8 vs. 18.6 ± 6.0) were significantly higher on DLR than hybrid-IR images (p < 0.01). DLR images received a significantly higher score than hybrid-IR images for image quality, with both soft (4.4 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 0.8) and lung (4.1 ± 0.7 vs. 3.6 ± 0.9) filters (p < 0.01). No difference in diagnostic confidence level for PE between both techniques was found. CTDIvol (4.8 ± 1.4 vs. 4.0 ± 1.2 mGy) and DLP (157.9 ± 44.9 vs. 130.8 ± 41.2 mGy∙cm) were lower on DLR than hybrid-IR images. DLR both significantly improved the image quality and reduced the radiation dose of CTPA examinations as compared to the hybrid-IR technique.
Endovascular embolization agents are particles and fluids that can be released into the bloodstream through a catheter to mechanically and/or biologically occlude a target vessel, either temporarily ...or permanently. Vascular embolization agents are available as solids, liquids, and suspensions. Although liquid adhesives (glues) have been used as embolic agents for decades, experience with them for peripheral applications is generally limited. Cyanoacrylates are the main liquid adhesives used for endovascular interventions and have a major role in managing vascular abnormalities, bleeding, and many vascular diseases. They can only be injected as a mixture with ethiodized oil, which provides radiopacity and modulates the polymerization rate. This review describes the characteristics, properties, mechanisms of action, modalities of use, and indications of the cyanoacrylate-Lipiodol
combination for peripheral embolization.