Management of ectopic intestinal variceal bleeding following pancreatic transplant: Two cases.

Ectopic variceal bleeding is a potentially under recognized source of gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage. While vascular complications following pancreatic transplant are relatively common, the development of symptomatic ectopic venous varices has rarely been reported. We report two patients with a remote history of simultaneous kidney pancreas transplant (SPK) presenting two decades after transplant with an occult GI bleed. In both cases, a lengthy diagnostic course was required. The varices were treated with coil embolization via transhepatic approach. Our findings add to the limited literature on this topic and aid in the recognition, diagnosis, and management of this unusual presentation.

New Insights on Liver-Directed Therapies in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing over the past decades, but improvements in systemic and locoregional therapies is increasing survival. Current locoregional treatment options include ablation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), transarterial radioembolization (TARE), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). There is ongoing research regarding the combination of systemic and local therapies to maximize treatment effect as well as in new non-invasive, image-guided techniques such as histotripsy. There is also active research in optimizing the delivery of therapy to tumors via nanostructures and viral-vector-mediated gene therapies. In many cases, patients require a combination of therapies to achieve tumor control and prolong survival. This article provides an overview of the most common liver-directed therapies for HCC as well as insight into more recent advances in personalized medicine and emerging techniques.

Pelvic Venous Disorders: An Update in Terminology, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Pelvic venous disorder (PeVD) is a term that encompasses all the interrelated causes of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and perineal/lower extremity varicose veins of pelvic venous origin historically known as nutcracker syndrome, pelvic congestion syndrome, and May-Thurner syndrome, resulting in a more precise diagnosis that accounts for the underlying pathophysiology and anatomy. PeVD manifests as CPP with associated vulvar and lower-extremity varicosities, left flank pain and hematuria, and lower extremity pain and swelling secondary to obstruction or reflux in the left renal, ovarian, or iliac veins. This article will focus specifically on the most current nomenclature, evaluation, and management of CPP of venous origin.

Percutaneous Intentional Extraluminal Recanalization of Chronic Total Occlusions: A Review of Reentry Devices.

Percutaneous intentional extraluminal recanalization (PIER) is an endovascular subintimal crossing technique used to treat chronic total occlusions (CTOs) of the peripheral arteries. Intraluminal revascularization remains the standard over PIER when technically feasible; however, when intraluminal approaches fail, PIER may be preferred prior to pursuit of surgical bypass grafting. The major cause of failure of PIER is inability to reenter the true lumen after crossing the CTO. Therefore, several reentry devices and endovascular techniques have been developed to allow for the operators to safely and quickly access the true lumen distal to the occlusion. Reentry devices currently available on the market include the Pioneer Plus catheter, Outback Elite catheter, OffRoad catheter, Enteer catheter, and GoBack catheter. These devices have unique methods of use and specific advantages with regard to their technical success along with reduced procedural and fluoroscopic time. In addition, there are other endovascular techniques available that may facilitate true lumen reentry and these will also be reviewed.

Secondary Interventions After TEVAR for Aortic Dissection.

The goal of thoracic endograft placement in type B aortic dissection is to prevent aneurysmal degeneration and other complications. Although TEVAR is a highly effective tool for managing type B aortic dissection, many patients will require additional interventions. In this article, we present a case-based review of techniques for the management of persistent false lumen perfusion and stent-graft induced new entry tears after TEVAR for aortic dissection.

Role of Radioembolization for Biliary Tract and Primary Liver Cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma are often amenable to locoregional therapy, including percutaneous ablation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), or transarterial radioembolization (TARE). TARE is a technique that delivers a high dose of radiation to the tumor, while limiting the dose to the normal liver parenchyma and the adjacent organs. It has been shown to effectively provide disease control with relatively few toxicities, and in certain cases results in a complete response. It is the preferred therapy as a bridge to liver transplant and can provide necessary compensatory future liver remnant hypertrophy before planned surgical resection.

Availability of Common Pediatric Radiology Studies: Are Rural Patients at a Disadvantage?

BACKGROUND: Many families wish to have radiologic tests performed locally, especially when obtaining these tests in specialized pediatric centers would require long-distance travel with associated costs and inconveniences. The differential availability of specialized and common pediatric uroradiographic tests in rural and urban areas has not been described. We undertook this study to describe the availability of common radiographic tests ordered by pediatric urologists, and to identify disparities in the availability of radiographic tests between urban and rural locations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We surveyed all freestanding hospitals in Washington State on the availability of flat-plate abdominal radiograph (AXR), renal-bladder ultrasounds (RBUS), voiding cystourethrograms (VCUG), MAG-3 renal scans, and nuclear cystograms (NC) for children, as well as testing restrictions, availability of sedation for urology tests, and presence of onsite radiologists. Rural and urban hospitals were compared on these characteristics. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 74 of 88 institutions (84.1%); 17 (23.0%) were rural (population <2500), 32 (43.2%) were in urban clusters (population 2500-50,000), and 25 (33.8%) were in urban areas (population >50,000). Seventy-three (98.6%) institutions offered AXR, 68 (91.9%) offered RBUS, 44 (59.5%) offered VCUG, 26 (35.1%) offered MAG-3, and 15 (20.3%) offered NC to children. All urban and most (16/17; 94.1%) rural institutions had shareable digital imaging capability. AXR (100% versus 96%, P = 0.88) and RBUS (70.6% versus 96%, P = 0.15) availability was similar in rural and urban settings, whereas VCUG (11.8% versus 72%, P = 0.001), MAG-3 (5.9% versus 60%, P = 0.006), and NC (0% versus 44%, P = 0.017) were more commonly available in urban settings. Fewer rural hospitals employed full-time, in-house radiologists (35.3% versus 96%, P < 0.0001) or offered sedation (6.3% versus 36%, P = 0.01) for testing, but an equal proportion had age restrictions on the tests offered (40% versus 17.6%, P = 0.50). Fellowship-trained pediatric radiologists (0% versus 16%, P = 0.39) and child life specialists (0% versus 20%, P = 0.28) worked exclusively in urban settings. Most hospitals offering specialized radiographic tests (VCUG: 90.9%; P < 0.0001 and MAG-3: 92.3%; P = 0.002) had onsite radiologists. CONCLUSIONS: The geographically widespread availability of AXR and RBUS may represent an opportunity to offer families care closer to home, realizing cost and time savings. Anxious children and those requiring more specialized studies may benefit from referral to urban centers. The lack of rural radiologists may be an actionable barrier to availability of specialized radiology testing.

Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair: Review of Current Devices and Treatments Options.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair is a minimally invasive approach to repairing a number of mechanical defects of the thoracic aorta utilizing an intraluminally deployed stent graft, usually without the need for open surgery. A number of manufacturers have developed endograft systems, utilizing various stent materials (ie stainless steel vs nickel titanium [nitinol]), cover material (ie polytetrafluoroethylene vs woven polyester), radial force, flexibility, and seal zone attachment methods. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the four FDA-approved endografts currently used in the United States for descending thoracic aortic pathologies and compare their most salient features. This overview is aimed to assist the vascular interventionalist in further guidance of device selection on a case-by-case basis.

Bad for Breathing: A Pictorial of Drug-Induced Pulmonary Disease.

Drug-induced lung disease has been described with over 300 different agents, some of which are asymptomatic and may first present on imaging. These pulmonary diseases may present with variable imaging manifestations, and often overlap with other etiologies such as rejection, lymphoproliferative disorders, and infection that may be suspected in this patient population. However, there are several drugs that have classic imaging appearances, and in the proper clinical context, the radiologist should include their toxicity in the differential diagnosis, potentially expediting withdrawal of the drug and avoiding irreversible lung injury such as fibrosis.