The role of nasoenteric intubation in the MR study of patients with Crohn's disease: our experience and literature review.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare magnetic resonance (MR) enteroclysis with MR enterography to verify whether nasoenteric intubation in patients affected by Crohn's disease can provide supplementary information to that afforded by MR study of the small bowel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a 12-month period, 40 patients (28 women and 12 men, mean age 35 years) affected by Crohn's disease underwent MR imaging. Distension of the small-bowel loops was obtained by administering polyethylene glycol: 15 patients were given the mixture by mouth (MR enterography), whereas the remaining 25 received it via nasoenteric intubation (MR enteroclysis). Our study protocol included morphological sequences taken before and after intravenous injection of contrast medium and real-time functional sequences. Accuracy criteria for the execution of the examinations were designed according to 11 bands. RESULTS: Complete distension of the small-bowel loops was obtained in the 25 patients who underwent MR enteroclysis, with the additional advantage of a suitable assessment of those segments involved in the pathological process. This was not the case for the 15 patients who underwent MR enterography, because both the jejunum and the small-bowel loops appeared partially collapsed. CONCLUSIONS: MR enteroclysis is the most effective technique for studying the small bowel in Crohn's disease, as it not only provides a suitable morphological assessment but also supplies functional information.

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol polymer trans-arterial embolization in emergency peripheral active bleeding: initial experience.

AIM: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes of superselective embolization using ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx Liquid Embolic System; ev3 Neurovascular, Irvine, CA, USA) as the primary treatment in active peripheral emergency arterial bleeding. METHODS: Between January 2014 and June 2014, all patients with active peripheral arterial bleeding who were treated by embolization were retrospectively analyzed. We selected 15 (age 37-91 year old) patients embolized with Onyx, chosen as embolic agent in an intention-to-treat fashion. Multidetector computed tomography was performed in all patients. RESULTS: Active bleeding was detected in all cases. Digital subtraction angiography confirmed CT findings in all cases. The causes of bleeding were traumatic in 8 patients, angiodysplasia in 1 patient, duodenal ulcer in 1, chronic pancreatitis in 1 and unknown in 4 patients. Nine patients were under anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. Embolization was possible in all patients. The technical success rate was 100%. The immediate bleeding control rate was 100%. No rebleeding at 30 days occurred (0%). There were no major complications, or deaths attributable to the treatment. No patient needed surgery or new embolization during a mean follow-up period of 5.1 months (range, 4.5-6 months). CONCLUSION: Control of massive active peripheral emergency arterial bleeding using superselective embolization with Onyx is feasible and safe.

Maxillofacial fibrous dysplasia: personal experience with gadoliniumenhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

PURPOSE: The authors sought to identify radiological criteria assisting in the diagnosis of craniofacial fibrous dysplasia and differential diagnosis of fibro-osseous lesions by comparing computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and histological results in 23 patients with presumed fibrous dysplasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 2000 to March 2005, 23 patients (17 women and six men, aged 9-66 years) with facial bone disease underwent CT and MRI studies. Imaging findings were compared with the results of histological examination performed within 1 month of the radiological diagnosis. RESULTS: The combination of CT and MRI led to a presumptive diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia in all cases, but histology confirmed the diagnosis in 18 cases only. In two cases that had initially been considered cyst-like variants of fibrous dysplasia and were associated with irregular enhancement at MRI, histology characterised the lesions as single locations of multiple myeloma. In one case, targeted biopsy of areas showing intense enhancement led to a diagnosis of low-grade fibrosarcoma; in the remaining two cases, the definitive diagnoses were ossifying fibroma and myeloproliferative disease. CONCLUSIONS: MRI proved useful in differentiating fibrous dysplasia from other bone diseases, defining clinical behaviour, identifying neoplastic foci within dysplastic tissue and distinguishing benign from malignant bone lesions. The authors suggest a broader use of contrast-enhanced MRI for the diagnosis and follow-up of dysplastic lesions of the facial bones and for planning appropriate surgical treatment.