Flow-diverter treatment for renal artery aneurysms: One-year follow-up of a multicentric preliminary experience.

PURPOSE Renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) are rare in the general population, although the true incidence and natural history remain elusive. Conventional endovascular therapies such as coil embolization or covered stent graft may cause sidebranches occlusion, leading to organ infarction. Flow-diverters (FD) have been firstly designed to treat cerebrovascular aneurysms, but their use may be useful to treat complex RAAs presenting sidebraches arising from aneurysmal sac. To evaluate mid-term follow-up (FUP) safety and efficacy of FD during treatment of complex RAAs. METHODS Between November 2019 and April 2020, 7 RAAs were identified in 7 patients (4 men, 3 women; age range 55-82 years; median 67 years) and treated by FD. Procedural details, complications, morbidity and mortality, aneurysm occlusion and segmental artery patency were retrospectively reviewed. Twelve months computed tomography angiography (CTA) FUP was evaluated for all cases. RESULT Deployment of FD was successful in all cases. One intraprocedural technical complication was encountered with one FD felt down into aneurism sac which requiring additional telescopic stenting. One case at 3 months CTA FUP presented same complication, requiring same rescue technique. At 12 months CTA FUP 5 cases of size shrinkage and 2 cases of stable size were documented. No rescue surgery or major intraprocedural or mid-term FUP complication was seen. CONCLUSION Complex RAAs with two or more sidebranches can be safely treated by FD. FD efficacy for RAA needs a further validation at long term FUP by additional large prospective studies.

Chest CT Scan for the Diagnosis of Pediatric Pulmonary TB: Radiological Findings and Its Diagnostic Significance.

Diagnosing active TB in children remains a clinical challenge, due to difficulties in achieving a definite microbiological confirmation, aspecific clinical manifestation, low sensitivity of chest radiography (CXR). For this reason, the use of chest computed tomography (CT) scan to evaluate suspected TB pediatric cases is increasing. We retrospectively reviewed records of patients aged <16 years diagnosed with active TB at the Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart to describe CT findings and to evaluate the need for its execution for diagnosis. In 41 cases, 7 CXR were normal (17.1%) while no CT scan was evaluated as negative. In 19 cases (46.3%), CXR was considered non-probable TB pulmonary, compared with 11 of 37 cases (29.7%) of CT. In 15 cases (36.6%) CXR was described as probable for TB pulmonary, instead 26 of the 37 cases evaluated by CT (70.3%) were classified as probable TB. We describe CT findings in patients with pediatric TB. We confirmed that CT can improve the diagnostic accuracy. In particular, the comparison between the CT and CXR ability in detecting cases of pulmonary TB in accordance with the proposed radiological probability criteria, showed a superiority of CT in detecting probable TB pictures (70.3%) compared with 36.6% of the x-Ray.

Bail-out intracranial stenting with Solitaire AB device after unsuccessful thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke of anterior circulation.

BACKGROUND: Recent trials established the efficacy of mechanical stent-retriever thrombectomy for treatment of stroke patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation. However, stent-retriever thrombectomy may not accomplish successful recanalization in all patients. The aim of this study is to report the role of bail-out permanent stenting after failure of mechanical thrombectomy. METHODS: Among 430 patients included in a prospectively maintained database, we analysed 325 cases of anterior circulation LVO. Mechanical thrombectomy (mTICI 2b-3) was effective in 213/325 (65%) and failed in 112/325 (35%). Bail-out intracranial stenting was performed in 17/325 (5.2%) patients. In all cases a fully retrievable detachable stent was used (Solitaire AB, Medtronic). RESULTS: No intraprocedural technical complications occurred. Successful reperfusion (mTICI 2b/3) was achieved in 12/17 patients (70.6%). Three (17.6%) patients died: one extensive infarction in the internal carotid artery territory, one large intracerebral haemorrhage, and one massive pulmonary embolism. Haemorrhagic conversion, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, occurred in 2/17 (11.7%). Good clinical outcome (mRS 0-2) at 3-months was achieved in 41.2% of patients. CONCLUSION: Bail-out intracranial stenting after unsuccessful thrombectomy is technically feasible and the associated haemorrhagic risk seems acceptable in selected patients. We suggest that bail-out intracranial stenting, is safe and effective in selected patients with LVO stroke who failed to respond to thrombectomy.

Uterine fibroid embolization efficacy and safety: 15 years experience in an elevated turnout rate center.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effectiveness and safety of UFE as alternative to surgery, in treatment of uterine fibromatosis. METHODS/MATERIALS: 255 patients (aged 26-55) with symptomatic UF, indication for surgery, followed in our center (2000-2014), single or multiple fibroids, pain and/or functional/compressive disorders, underwent embolization: injection of PVA particles (150-900 µm) from distal portion of uterine arteries (ascending section). Primary end-point: flow-stop distally to injection site, disappearance of lesion design, preservation of flow in main trunk of UA. Secondary end-point: control of pain and functional/compressive disorders during follow-up (2-7 years). RESULTS: Procedure was performed bilaterally in 250 patients (98%). Mean duration: 47 min (average fluoroscopy: 10:50 min). Post-embolization pelvic pain (according with VAS score) was on average 2.2 at discharge (24 h). Follow-up at 2 years: resolution of menstrual disorders in 78% of patients and improvement in 14%; pain disappeared in 66%; significant improvement of menstrual flow and HCT/HB levels, decrease in total uterine (57.7%)/dominant fibroid (76.1%) volume. Recurrence in 18 patients. CONCLUSIONS: UFE represents an excellent alternative to surgical treatment: it is safe, tolerable and effective both in short and long term, with evident advantages in economic and social terms.

CT-guided fine-needle ago-biopsy of pulmonary nodules: predictive factors for diagnosis and pneumothorax occurrence.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate variables that could predict diagnosis during CT-guided fine-needle aspiration. METHODS: Data from 249 patients who underwent FNAB from January 2010 to December 2012 were analyzed in a retrospective observational study. RESULTS: Mean age was 66.7 ± 11.5 years, male/female ratio 158/91 (63 vs. 37 %). The nodules were in right lung in 123 patients (49 %), in left lung in 126 patients (51 %), the upper, lower and middle lobe localizations were, respectively in 122 (49 %), 100 (40 %) and 17 (6 %) patients. Mean nodule-chest wall distance was 63.89 ± 21.38 mm. The tumor location, the needle diameter, the presence of necrosis or cavitation, the node-chest wall distance and the number of passages were not related to the diagnostic outcome (p = NS). The nodule diameter was predictive of diagnosis. Odds ratio for a 10-30 mm tumor was 2.51 (95 % OR: 1.24-5.08, p value = 0.011), the odds ratio for a 30-50 mm tumor was 2.39 (95 % OR: 1.22-4.69, p value = 0.011), and the odds ratio for a tumor larger than 50 mm was 4.44 (95 % OR: 1.89-10.44, p value = 0.001). Post-procedure pneumothorax occurred in 62 cases (25 %). The determinant factors for pneumothorax occurrence were emphysema, odds ratio 6.87 (95 % CI 1.07-44.10, p value = 0.04), and the number of pleural passages, odds ratio of 5.47 (95 % OR: 1.92-15.58), 7.44 (95 % OR: 2.58-21.5), 6.13 (95 % OR: 2.07-18.11) p value = 0.001 for one, two, three or more of three passages, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, nodule size is the most important diagnostic factor during fine-needle aspiration, while the number of passages and the presence of emphysema constitute risk factors for pneumothorax occurrence.