Predictive Factors for Symptomatic Dislodgement of Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage Catheter in Patients with Malignant Biliary Obstruction.

Purpose: To evaluate the factors that predict symptomatic dislodgement of a percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) catheter in patients with malignant biliary obstruction. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 572 patients with malignant biliary obstruction who underwent 733 PTBD catheter insertions between January 2010 and February 2015. The duration of catheter placement, approach site, location of the catheter tip, insertion angle, presence of a closed-loop pigtail, and tube diameter were evaluated. Results: During the follow-up period, 224 PTBD catheter dislodgements (30.56%) were observed in 157 patients. Among them, 146 (19.92%) were symptomatic. The mean duration from catheter insertion until dislodgement was 32 days (range: 1-233 days). Male (odds ratio [OR]: 1.636, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.131-2.367, p = 0.009), right-sided approach (OR: 1.567, 95% CI: 1.080-2.274, p = 0.018), increased insertion angle (OR: 1.015, 95% CI: 1.005-1.026, p = 0.005), and incomplete closed-loop pigtail formation (OR: 1.672, 95% CI: 1.098-2.545, p = 0.016) were independent factors predictive of symptomatic dislodgement of a PTBD catheter. Conclusion: Factors predictive of symptomatic catheter dislodgement included male sex, a right-sided approach, increased insertion angle, and incomplete closed-loop pigtail formation.

Fluoroscopic Stent Placement as a Bridge to Surgery for Malignant Colorectal Obstruction: Short- and Long-Term Outcomes.

Purpose: To assess the outcomes of single-stage surgery following fluoroscopic stent placement for malignant colorectal obstruction. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 46 patients (28 male and 18 female; mean age, 67.2 years) who had undergone fluoroscopic stent placement followed by laparoscopic resection (n = 31) or open surgery (n = 15) for malignant colorectal obstruction. The surgical outcomes were analyzed and compared. After a mean follow-up of 38.9 months, the recurrence-free and overall survival were estimated, and prognostic factors were evaluated. Results: The mean interval between stent placement and surgery was 10.2 days. Primary anastomosis was possible in all patients. The mean postoperative length of hospitalization was 11.0 days. Bowel perforation was detected in six patients (13.0%). During the follow-up, ten patients (21.7%) developed recurrence; these included five of the six patients with bowel perforation. Bowel perforation had a significant effect on recurrence-free survival (p = 0.010). Conclusion: Single-stage surgery following fluoroscopic stent placement may be effective for treating malignant colorectal obstruction. Stent-related bowel perforation is a significant predictive factor for tumor recurrence.

Usefulness of 18F-FDG PET/CT and Multiphase CT in the Differential Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Combined Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Cholangiocarcinoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of multiphasic CT and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT for the differentiation of combined hepatocellular carcinomacholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: From January 2007 to April 2016, 93 patients with pathologically confirmed HCC (n = 84) or cHCC-CCA (n = 9) underwent CT and PET/CT imaging. Contrast enhancement patterns were divided into three types based on the attenuation of the surrounding liver parenchyma: type I (early arterial enhancement with delayed washout), type II (early arterial enhancement without delayed washout), and type III (early hypovascular, infiltrative appearance, or peripheral rim enhancement). Results: cHCC-CCAs (89%) had a higher PET/CT positive rate than did HCCs (61%), but the PET/CT positive rate did not differ significantly (p = 0.095). Among the 19 cases of the type II enhancement pattern, 3 (21%) of 14 HCCs and 4 (80%) of 5 cHCC-CCAs were PET/CT positive. cHCC-CCAs had a significantly higher PET/CT positive rate (p = 0.020) in the type II enhancement pattern. Conclusion: The PET/CT positive rate of cHCC-CCA was significantly higher than that of HCC in lesions with a type II enhancement pattern. The 18F-FDG PET/CT can be useful for the differentiation of cHCC-CCA from HCC in lesions with a type II enhancement pattern on multiphasic CT.

[Percutaneous Transgastric Stent Placement for Malignant Gastroduodenal Obstruction]. / ì• ì„± 위십이지장 협착 환자에서의 ê²½í”¼ì  위 ê²½ìœ ìŠ¤í íŠ¸ 설치.

Purpose: To evaluate the technical feasibility and clinical efficacy of percutaneous transgastric stent placement after the failure of treatment attempt with the transoral approach in malignant gastroduodenal obstruction patients. Materials and Methods: From October 2008 to April 2016, nine patients (M:F = 4:5; mean age = 66 years) with malignant gastroduodenal obstruction underwent stent placement via a gastrostomy tract, which was attributed to the failure of the transoral approach. The primary etiologies of the obstruction were pancreatic (n = 5), gastric (n = 2), and metastatic (n = 2) cancers. Through percutaneous gastrostomy, dual stents (inner bare metal and outer polytetrafluoroethylene-covered) were deployed at the obstruction site. The technical and clinical success rates, as well as complications were evaluated during the follow-up period. Results: Stents were successfully inserted in eight patients (88%). We failed to insert stent in one patient due to the presence of a tight obstruction. After stent placement, symptoms improved in seven patients. Gastrostomy tube was removed 9 to 20 days (mean = 12 days) after the stent insertion. During the mean follow-up of 136 days (range, 3-387 days), one patient developed a recurrent symptom due to tumor overgrowth. However, there were no other major complications associated with the procedure. Conclusion: Percutaneous transgastric stent placement appeared to be technically feasible and clinically effective in patients who underwent a failed transoral approach.

Percutaneous Transcholecystic Removal of Common Bile Duct Stones: Case Series in 114 Patients.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous transcholecystic removal of common bile duct (CBD) stones in 114 patients. Materials and Methods This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board. From September 2011 through February 2017, 114 consecutive patients (68 men, 46 women; mean age, 73 years) underwent percutaneous transcholecystic removal of CBD stones. All patients had acute cholangitis or cholecystitis. Stones were extracted through a 12-F sheath by using a Wittich nitinol stone basket uder fluoroscopic guidance. Technical success rates, complications, and long-term follow-up were evaluated. Results Technical success was achieved in 96 of 114 (84.2%) patients. In 18 patients, stone removal was unsuccessful due to failure of cystic duct cannulation (n = 11), proximal migration of the CBD stone (n = 3), multiple CBD stones (n = 3), and low insertion of the cystic duct (n = 1). No major procedure-related complications were seen. During the mean follow-up of 644 days (range, 11-2206 days), CBD stones recurred in 12 patients after a mean of 884 days (range, 439-1799 days) after the procedure. Conclusion Percutaneous transcholecystic removal of common bile duct stones seems to be a safe and effective method. © RSNA, 2018 Online supplemental material is available for this article . See also the editorial by vanSonnenberg and Panchanathan in this issue.

Clinically intractable chronic unilateral hematuria: Successful treatment with renal segmental artery embolization.

Chronic unilateral hematuria (CUH) is characterized by intermittent or continuous gross hematuria that cannot be diagnosed using standard radiology and hematology. The authors report a case of CUH with no discrete lesion at ureteroscopy, successfully treated by selective renal artery embolization. Renal artery embolization could be a treatment option for selected patients with clinically intractable CUH.

Percutaneous transluminal forceps biopsy in patients suspected of having malignant biliary obstruction: factors influencing the outcomes of 271 patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate predictive factors for false-negative diagnosis of percutaneous forceps biopsies in patients suspected of having a malignant biliary obstruction METHODS: Two hundred seventy one consecutive patients with obstructive jaundice underwent percutaneous forceps biopsy. In each patient, three to five specimens (mean, 3.5 specimens) were collected from the lesion. The final diagnosis for each patient was confirmed with pathologic findings at surgery, additional histocytologic data, or clinical and radiologic follow-up. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors associated with false-negative diagnosis. RESULTS: One hundred ninety four of 271 biopsies resulted in correct diagnoses of malignancy, while 20 biopsy diagnoses were proved to be true-negative. There were 57 false-negative diagnoses and no false-positive diagnoses. The diagnostic performance of transluminal forceps biopsy in malignant biliary obstructions was as follows: sensitivity, 77.2%; specificity, 100%; and accuracy, 78.9%; positive predictive value, 100%, negative predictive value; 25.9%. Periampullary segment of common bile duct, intrahepatic bile duct and metastatic disease were the significant risk factors of false-negative diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous forceps biopsy provides relatively high accuracy in the diagnosis of malignant biliary obstructions. The predictive factors of false-negative biopsy were determined to be biopsy site and origin of primary tumour. KEY POINTS: • Percutaneous forceps biopsy provides relatively high accuracy in diagnosis of malignant biliary obstructions. • The predictive factors of false-negative biopsy were biopsy site and origin of primary tumour. • The procedure-related complications were low.

Malignant Hilar Biliary Obstruction: Treatment by Means of Placement of a Newly Designed Y-Shaped Branched Covered Stent.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the technical feasibility and clinical efficacy of placement of a newly designed Y-shaped branched covered stent for palliative treatment of malignant hilar biliary obstruction. METHODS: From June 2011 to September 2014, 34 consecutive patients with malignant hilar biliary obstruction underwent percutaneous placement of a Y-shaped branched covered stent for palliative treatment. Technical and clinical success, complications, cumulative patient survival, and stent patency were evaluated. RESULTS: Stent placement was technically successful in all patients. All patients showed adequate biliary drainage on the follow-up cholangiogram. Mean serum bilirubin level (10.9 mg/dl) decreased significantly 1 week (5.7 mg/dl) and 1 month (2.6 mg/dl) after stent placement (p < 0.01). Complications associated with the procedure included hemobilia (n = 3) and biloma (n = 1). During the mean follow-up period of 225 (range 12-820) days, nine patients (26.5%) developed stent occlusion caused by tumor overgrowth (n = 8) and sludge (n = 1). Two of them underwent coaxial placement of a second stent with good results. The median survival time was 281 days and median primary stent patency was 337 days. There were no significant differences in the patient survival and stent patency rates in relation to age, sex, or Bismuth type. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous placement of the Y-shaped branched covered stent seems to be technically feasible and clinically effective for palliative treatment of malignant hilar biliary obstruction.

Successful Chemotherapy Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma and Multi-organ Dysfunction with Infiltration of Eosinophils: A Case Report.

Eosinophils are derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Peripheral blood eosinophilia is defined as an absolute eosinophil count of ≥0.5×10(9)/L. Eosinophilia is classified into primary or clonal eosinophilia, secondary eosinophilia, and idiopathic categories including idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Both hematopoietic and solid neoplasms may be associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia, but multiple myeloma is rarely associated with eosinophilia. We now report the case of a 31-year-old man with multiple myeloma associated with marked eosinophilia who developed multiple organ dysfunction with infiltration of eosinophils. He recovered after treatment with chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation.

A prospective comparison of standard-dose CT enterography and 50% reduced-dose CT enterography with and without noise reduction for evaluating Crohn disease.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare standard-dose CT enterography (CTE) and 50% reduced-dose CTE, obtained with and without an image noise reduction method, in the evaluation of Crohn disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Ninety-two patients (69 men and 23 women; mean age [± SD], 31.2 ± 9.5 years) with Crohn disease underwent CTE. Using a dual-source scanner equipped with a proprietary noise reduction method (iterative reconstruction in image space [IRIS]), three sets of CTE images were obtained: standard-dose filtered back projection (FBP) (i.e., weighted FBP), low-dose (i.e., 50% reduction) FBP, and low-dose IRIS CTE. Image noise was measured. Two independent radiologists evaluated subjective image quality (1 [worst] to 4 [best]) and findings of active Crohn disease in the terminal small-bowel segment, including mural hyperenhancement, thickening and stratification, comb sign, and increased perienteric fat attenuation (1 [definitely absent] to 5 [definitely present]). RESULTS: The mean (± SD) volume CT dose index (CTDI(vol)) was 7.0 ± 0.9 mGy and 3.5 ± 0.5 mGy for standard-dose and low-dose CTE examinations, respectively. The mean (± SD) image noise for standard-dose FBP, low-dose FBP, and low-dose IRIS CTE was 10.6 ± 1.7 HU, 13.9 ± 2.1 HU, and 9.7 ± 1.7 HU, respectively (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Both assessors found that image quality was poorer with low-dose (mean grade (± SD), 2.3 ± 0.4-2.7 ± 0.5) than in standard-dose (3 ± 0) CTE (p < 0.01), and one found that image quality was poorer with low-dose IRIS (2.3 ± 0.4) than with low-dose FBP (2.7 ± 0.5) CTE (p < 0.01). Low-dose (with or without IRIS) and standard-dose CTE showed ≥ 85% agreement (one-sided 95% CI ≥ 77%) in interpretation of bowel findings. CONCLUSION: Low-dose CTE using 50% reduced-dose performed similarly to standard-dose CTE in identifying findings of enteric inflammation of Crohn disease. Although a noise reduction method markedly reduced image noise in half-dose examinations, its effect on image quality was not as great and was reader dependent.

Transcatheter arterial embolization using ethanol in a dialysis patient for contracting enlarged polycystic kidneys.

The mass effect of nephromegaly in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease may cause pain and symptoms by compressing the alimentary tract, lungs, and heart. Conventional therapies exist to contract enlarged polycystic kidneys including surgical and interventional procedures. A surgical nephrectomy is often difficult to perform in dialysis patients due to the associated risks related to surgery. In contrast, renal transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with metallic coils, which is a less invasive interventional procedure, can also be utilized to contract enlarged kidneys in dialysis patients as an effective treatment. However, metallic coils present the possibility of recanalization and cost issues. Thus, we used ethanol instead of coils in renal TAE to resolve these issues. We report a dialysis patient with enlarged polycystic kidneys and poor oral intake due to abdominal distention that was successfully treated by TAE with absolute ethanol.

Double-layered PTFE-covered nitinol stents: experience in 32 patients with malignant esophageal strictures.

We evaluated the effectiveness of a double-layered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered nitinol stent in the palliative treatment of malignant esophageal strictures. A double-layered PTFE-covered nitinol stent was designed to reduce the propensity to migration of conventional covered stent. The stent consists of an inner PTFE-covered stent and an outer uncovered nitinol stent tube. With fluoroscopic guidance, the stent was placed in 32 consecutive patients with malignant esophageal strictures. During the follow-up period, the technical and clinical success rates, complications, and cumulative patient survival and stent patency were evaluated. Stent placement was technically successful in all patients, and no procedural complications occurred. After stent placement, the symptoms of 30 patients (94%) showed improvement. During the mean follow-up of 103 days (range, 9-348 days), 11 (34%) of 32 patients developed recurrent symptoms due to tumor overgrowth in five patients (16%), tumor ingrowth owing to detachment of the covering material (PTFE) apart from the stent wire in 3 (9%), mucosal hyperplasia in 2 (6%), and stent migration in 1 (3%). Ten of these 11 patients were treated by means of placing a second covered stent. Thirty patients died, 29 as a result of disease progression and 1 from aspiration pneumonia. The median survival period was 92 days. The median period of primary stent patency was 190 days. The double-layered PTFE-covered nitinol stent seems to be effective for the palliative treatment of malignant esophageal strictures. We believe that the double-layer configuration of this stent can contribute to decreasing the stent's migration rate.

Anomalous bronchial artery originating from the right coronary artery in a patient with angina (2009: 4b).

Bronchial artery origins are subject to a wide range of anatomic variations, of which interventional radiologists should be aware. The authors report a patient with angina in whom an anomalous bronchial artery originated from the sinus node branch of the right coronary artery, causing a coronary steal phenomenon. The patient's symptom was successfully treated by transcatheter embolisation of the anomalous bronchial artery, which seems to be an effective alternative to surgery.

Stent-induced esophageal perforation: treatment by means of placing a second stent after removal of the original stent.

A case of esophageal perforation caused by a retrievable covered stent is presented. The distal end of the stent was protruding into the mediastinum, which made it impossible to negotiate a guidewire through the stent into the distal esophagus. The stent was successfully removed with use of a stent retrieval set, and esophageal perforation was treated with a second, covered stent with a good result. Fatality associated with this complication might be prevented by virtue of the retrievability of the stent we used. This result points to the effectiveness of a retrievable stent for the palliative treatment of malignant esophageal stricture.

Malignant duodenal obstructions: palliative treatment using self-expandable nitinol stents.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of fluoroscopic per oral placement of self-expandable nitinol stents in the palliative treatment of malignant duodenal obstructions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Under fluoroscopic guidance, 82 patients (56 male and 26 female; mean age, 62.3 y) with malignant duodenal obstructions were treated with per oral placement of four types of self-expandable nitinol stents. All patients presented with severe nausea and recurrent vomiting, and their obstructions were inoperable. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in 78 of 82 patients (95.1%). After stent placement, food intake capacity improved in 74 of 78 patients (94.9%). Stent migration occurred in one patient 4 days after placement. A covered stent was placed to cover the ampulla of Vater in 15 patients without external biliary drainage; three of them (20%) became jaundiced. During the mean follow-up period of 74.7 days (range, 9-374 d), eight patients developed recurrent obstructive symptoms caused by tumor ingrowth (n=2) or tumor overgrowth (n=6). They were successfully treated by additional stent placement. The primary stent patency rates were 97.0%, 79.8%, and 44.0% at 30-, 90-, and 180 days, respectively (mean patency, 228.2 d; 95% CI, 153.9-302.5). CONCLUSIONS: Fluoroscopic per oral placement of self-expandable nitinol stents is an effective palliative treatment for malignant duodenal obstructions.

Malignant tracheobronchial strictures: palliation with covered retrievable expandable nitinol stent.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and clinical effectiveness of a covered retrievable expandable nitinol stent for the treatment of malignant tracheobronchial stricture and/or esophagorespiratory fistula (ERF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: With fluoroscopic guidance, stents were placed in 35 symptomatic patients with malignant tracheobronchial stricture and/or ERF in most cases caused by lung or esophageal cancer. The site of stricture was most commonly at the trachea or left main bronchus. If there were complications, the stent was removed with a retrieval set. Nine patients had combined symptomatic ERF. RESULTS: A total of 47 tracheobronchial stents were placed and were technically successful and well-tolerated in all patients. Improvement of dyspnea was achieved in 92% of the patients (24 of 26 patients). Associated ERF in nine patients was effectively treated with tracheobronchial stent placement with or without esophageal stent placement. Stent migration, tumor overgrowth, symptomatic sputum retention, and hemoptysis occurred in 17% (6/35), 6% (2/35), 20% (7/35), and 17% (6/35) of patients, respectively. There were no documented cases of tumor ingrowth. Stent removal was performed easily in five patients when stent migration (n = 2), severe pain (n = 1), tumor overgrowth (n = 1), or persistent gastrobronchial fistula (n = 1) developed. All patients died 2 days to 26 weeks (mean, 9.62 weeks) after stent placement because of disease progression (n = 18), pneumonia (n = 9), hemoptysis (n = 5), or unknown cause (n = 3). CONCLUSION: Use of a covered retrievable expandable nitinol stent is a safe and effective method for relieving dyspnea. This procedure contributed to improved quality of life for patients with malignant tracheobronchial stricture and/or ERF. Stent retrievability was useful in resolving stent-related complications.

Bile duct: analysis of percutaneous transluminal forceps biopsy in 130 patients suspected of having malignant biliary obstruction.

PURPOSE: To evaluate percutaneous transluminal forceps biopsy in patients suspected of having a malignant biliary obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty consecutive patients (82 men and 48 women; mean age, 59 years) with obstructive jaundice underwent transluminal forceps biopsy during or after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. The lesions involved the common bile duct (n = 58), common hepatic duct (n = 39), hilum (n = 14), ampullary segment of the common bile duct (n = 11), right or left intrahepatic bile duct (n = 5), or the entire extrahepatic bile duct (n = 3). In each patient, three to five specimens (mean, 4.1 specimens) were taken from the lesion with 5.4-F biopsy forceps. The final diagnosis for each patient was confirmed with pathologic findings at surgery, additional histocytologic data, or clinical and radiologic follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed with the chi(2) test; a P value < or =.05 was considered to indicate a significant difference. RESULTS: Ninety-eight of 130 biopsies resulted in correct diagnoses of malignancy. Five biopsy diagnoses proved to be true-negative. There were 27 false-negative diagnoses and no false-positive diagnoses. The diagnostic performance of transluminal forceps biopsy in malignant biliary obstructions was as follows: sensitivity, 78.4%; specificity, 100%; and accuracy, 79.2%. Sensitivity of biopsy in the 82 patients with cholangiocarcinoma was higher than in the 43 patients with malignant tumors other than cholangiocarcinoma (86.6% vs 62.8%, P <.005). Sensitivity was significantly lower in the ampullary segment of the common bile duct than in other sites (P <.01). No major complications related to the biopsy procedures occurred. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous transluminal forceps biopsy is a safe procedure that is easy to perform through a transhepatic biliary drainage tract. It provides relatively high accuracy in the diagnosis of malignant biliary obstructions.

Malignant gastric outlet obstructions: treatment by means of coaxial placement of uncovered and covered expandable nitinol stents.

PURPOSE: To assess whether coaxial placement of uncovered and covered expandable nitinol stents overcomes the disadvantages of the increased migration rate seen with covered stents and the tumor ingrowth seen in uncovered stents in the treatment of malignant gastric outlet obstructions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two types of expandable nitinol stent were designed: an uncovered stent and a covered stent. Under fluoroscopic guidance, the uncovered and covered stents were placed coaxially with complete overlap in 39 consecutive patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction caused by stomach cancer. Food intake capacity was graded on a scale of 0-4. Stent patency rate was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Technical success rate was 97% (38 of 39 patients). After stent placement, food intake capacity improved at least one grade in 36 patients. Stent migration occurred in three patients (8%), that is, partial (n = 2) or complete (n = 1) upward migration of the inner covered stent into the stomach. Two of these patients were treated by placement of an additional covered stent. During the mean follow-up period of 134 days (range, 15-569 d), 10 patients developed recurrent symptoms of obstruction with tumor overgrowth being the most common cause. Nine underwent placement of an additional covered stent with good results. The median period of primary stent patency was 157 days (mean, 278 d). The 30-, 60-, and 180-day patency rates were 97%, 91%, and 39%, respectively. Four patients (10%) died within 1 month after the procedure. CONCLUSION: Coaxial stent placement technique seems to contribute to decreasing the migration rate of the stent and decrease the rate of recurrent obstruction by preventing or delaying tumor ingrowth.