Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) with Small Beads for the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the most frequent cause of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTSs) in elderly populations. Minimally invasive treatments of BPH are safe and effective and are gaining popularity among both professionals and patients. Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) has proven to be effective in Trans-Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) in terms of prostate volume reduction and LUTS relief. PAE entails the selective catheterization of the prostatic artery and later embolization of distal vessels with beads of various calibers. Universal consensus regarding the ideal particle size is yet to be defined. We retrospectively evaluated 24 consecutive patients (median age: 75 years; range: 59-86 years) treated with PAE at our institution from October 2015 to November 2022. Particles of different sizes were employed; 12 patients were treated with 40-120 µm particles, 5 with 100 µm, 5 with 100-300 µm and 2 with 250 µm. Technical success, defined as selective prostate artery catheterization and controlled release of embolizing beads, was achieved in all patients. Removal vs. retention of the urinary catheter at the first post-procedural urological visit was the main clinical objective. No major peri-procedural complications were recorded, with 56% of patients successfully removing the urinary catheter.

Robotics in Interventional Radiology: Review of Current and Future Applications.

This review is a brief overview of the current status and the potential role of robotics in interventional radiology. Literature published in the last decades, with an emphasis on the last 5 years, was reviewed and the technical developments in robotics and navigational systems using CT-, MR- and US-image guidance were analyzed. Potential benefits and disadvantages of their current and future use were evaluated. The role of fusion imaging modalities and artificial intelligence was analyzed in both percutaneous and endovascular procedures. A few hundred articles describing results of single or several systems were included in our analysis.

Ablative Therapies for Breast Cancer: State of Art.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women. In the past two decades, new technologies and BC screening have led to the diagnosis of smaller and earlier-stage BC (ESBC). Therefore, percutaneous minimally invasive techniques (PMIT) were adopted to treat patients unfit for surgery, women who refuse it, or elderly patients with comorbidities that could make surgery a difficult and life-threatening treatment. The target of PMIT is small-size ESBC with the scope of obtaining similar efficacy as surgery. Minimally invasive treatments are convenient alternatives with promising effectiveness, lower morbidity, less cost, less scarring and pain, and more satisfying cosmetic results. Ablative techniques used in BC are cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound (US), and laser ablation. The aim of our study is to discuss the current status of percutaneous management of BC, evaluate the clinical outcomes of PMIT in BC, and analyze future perspectives regarding ablation therapy in BC.

Chest X-ray findings in a large cohort of 1117 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a multicenter study during COVID-19 outbreak in Italy.

To describe radiographic key patterns on Chest X-ray (CXR) in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, assessing the prevalence of radiographic signs of interstitial pneumonia. To evaluate pattern variation between a baseline and a follow-up CXR. 1117 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection were retrospectively enrolled from four centers in Lombardy region. All patients underwent a CXR at presentation. Follow-up CXR was performed when clinically indicated. Two radiologists in each center reviewed images and classified them as suggestive or not for interstitial pneumonia, recording the presence of ground-glass opacity (GGO), reticular pattern or consolidation and their distribution. Pearson's χ2 test for categorical variables and McNemar test (χ2 for paired data) were performed. Patients mean age 63.3 years, 767 were males (65.5%). The main result is the large proportion of positive CXR in COVID-19 patients. Baseline CXR was positive in 940 patients (80.3%), with significant differences in age and sex distribution between patients with positive and negative CXR. 382 patients underwent a follow-up CXR. The most frequent pattern on baseline CXR was the GGO (66.1%), on follow-up was consolidation (53.4%). The most common distributions were peripheral and middle-lower lung zone. We described key-patterns and their distribution on CXR in a large cohort of COVID-19 patients: GGO was the most frequent finding on baseline CXR, while we found an increase in the proportion of lung consolidation on follow-up CXR. CXR proved to be a reliable tool in our cohort obtaining positive results in 80.3% of the baseline cases.