Efficacy of a Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Bare Metal Stents for Symptomatic Femoropopliteal Peripheral Artery Disease: Primary Results of the EMINENT Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: A clear patency benefit of a drug-eluting stent (DES) over bare metal stents (BMSs) for treating peripheral artery disease of the femoropopliteal segment has not been definitively demonstrated. The EMINENT study (Trial Comparing Eluvia Versus Bare Metal Stent in Treatment of Superficial Femoral and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery) was designed to evaluate the patency of the Eluvia DES (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA), a polymer-coated paclitaxel-eluting stent, compared with BMSs for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions. METHODS: EMINENT is a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter European study with blinded participants and outcome assessment. Patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (Rutherford category 2, 3, or 4) of the native superficial femoral artery or proximal popliteal artery with stenosis ≥70%, vessel diameter of 4 to 6 mm, and total lesion length of 30 to 210 mm were randomly assigned 2:1 to treatment with DES or BMS. The primary effectiveness outcome was primary patency at 12 months, defined as independent core laboratory-assessed duplex ultrasound peak systolic velocity ratio ≤2.4 in the absence of clinically driven target lesion revascularization or surgical bypass of the target lesion. Primary sustained clinical improvement was a secondary outcome defined as a decrease in Rutherford classification of ≥1 categories compared with baseline without a repeat target lesion revascularization. Health-related quality of life and walking function were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 775 patients were randomly assigned to treatment with DES (n=508) or commercially available BMSs (n=267). Baseline clinical, demographic, and lesion characteristics were similar between the study groups. Mean lesion length was 75.6±50.3 and 72.2±47.0 mm in the DES and BMS groups, respectively. The 12-month incidence of primary patency for DES treatment (83.2% [337 of 405]) was significantly greater than for BMS (74.3% [165 of 222]; P<0.01). Incidence of primary sustained clinical improvement was greater among patients treated with the DES than among those who received a BMS (83.0% versus 76.6%; P=0.045). The health-related quality of life dimensions of mobility and pain/discomfort improved for the majority of patients in both groups (for 66.4% and 53.6% of DES-treated and for 64.2% and 58.1% of BMS-treated patients, respectively) but did not differ significantly. At 12 months, no statistical difference was observed in all-cause mortality between patients treated with the DES or BMS (2.7% [13 of 474] versus 1.1% [3 of 263]; relative risk, 2.4 [95% CI, 0.69-8.36]; P=0.15). CONCLUSIONS: By demonstrating superior 1-year primary patency, the results of the EMINENT randomized study support the benefit of using a polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent as a first-line stent-based intervention for patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease attributable to femoropopliteal lesions. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT02921230.

Long-Term Follow-up and Mortality Rate of Patients of the Randomized Freeway Stent Study.

PURPOSE: This follow-up study was designed as a reopen of the completed Freeway Stent Study and collected mortality and clinical outcome data for at least 5 years after enrollment to evaluate long-term patient safety and treatment efficacy. The primary study enrolled 204 patients with stenosis or occlusion in the superficial femoral artery and proximal popliteal artery. Patients were randomized to primary nitinol stenting followed by standard PTA or primary nitinol stenting followed by FREEWAY™ paclitaxel-eluting balloon PTA. METHODS: Previous patients were recontacted by phone or during a routine hospital visit, and medical records were reviewed. Vital and clinical status information was collected. RESULTS: No increased late mortality was observed at 5 years, with an all-cause mortality rate of 12.0% in the FREEWAY drug-eluting balloon group versus 15.0% in the non-paclitaxel PTA group. No accumulation of any cause of death was observed in either group, nor was there any correlation with the dose of paclitaxel used. Freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 5 years was significantly higher in the FREEWAY drug eluting balloon group (85.3%) compared to standard PTA group (72.7%) Log-rank p = 0.032. CONCLUSION: The safety results presented support the recent conclusions that the use of paclitaxel technology does not lead to an increase in mortality. At the same time, the efficacy results clearly demonstrate that the potential benefits of drug-eluting balloon treatment are maintained over a 5-year period.

Preliminary results of the Austrian National Registry regarding the novel iCover bridging stent graft in fenestrated endovascular aortic repair.

OBJECTIVE: Bridging stentgrafts (BSGs) are one of the primary limiting factors regarding long-term results after fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (fEVAR). This study aims to report for the first time the outcome of a novel BSG called iCover from a national, multicentric retrospective database. METHODS: A cohort of 58 patients received 212 BSGs for the renovisceral arteries in fEVAR. Patients were followed-up clinically and with computed-tomography angiography. Study end points were mortality, occurrence of complications, technical success of the BSG implantation, defined as successful deployment with vessel patency and absence of type 1c, 3b, and 3c endoleak, and stability over the follow-up. RESULTS: Three BSG unrelated mortalities (5.1 %), four BSG unrelated major complications (6.8 %) and five minor complications (8.6 %) occurred. The technical success of iCover was 207/212 (97.6 %), target vessel patency was 100 % over a follow-up of 4.0 months, and no late BSG related endoleak was detected. In two cases, the BSG was dislodged from the balloon and could be parked in a safe position without further sequelae (0.9 %). CONCLUSION: The iCover represents a feasible BSG for fEVAR with an excellent safety profile and technical success rate in the early phase. Prudent post-dilatation and monitoring of the proximal and distal stent ends can potentially further improve outcome. Longer follow-up series are necessary.

The "central vein sign": is there a place for susceptibility weighted imaging in possible multiple sclerosis?

OBJECTIVES: Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) may have the potential to depict the perivenous extent of white matter lesions (WMLs) in multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to assess the discriminatory value of the "central vein sign" (CVS). METHODS: In a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study, 28 WMLs in 14 patients with at least one circumscribed lesion >5 mm and not more than eight non-confluent lesions >3 mm were prospectively included. Only WMLs in FLAIR images with a maximum diameter of >5 mm were correlated to their SWI equivalent for CVS evaluation. RESULTS: Five patients fulfilled the revised McDonald criteria for MS and nine patients were given alternative diagnoses. Nineteen MS-WMLs and nine non-MS-WMLs >5 mm were detected. Consensus reading found a central vein in 16 out of 19 MS-WMLs (84 %) and in one out of nine non-MS-WMLs (11 %), respectively. The CVS proved to be a highly significant discriminator (P < 0.001) between MS-WMLs and non-MS-WMLs with a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and accuracy of 84 %, 89 %, 94 %, 73 % and 86 %, respectively. Inter-rater agreement was good (κ = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: Even though the CVS is not exclusively found in MS-WMLs, SWI may be a useful adjunct in patients with possible MS. KEY POINTS: • MRI continues to yield further information concerning MS lesions. • SWI adds diagnostic information in patients with possible MS. • The "central vein sign" was predominantly seen in MS lesions. • The "central vein sign" helps discriminate between MS and non-MS lesions.

Changes in the Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Carinthia, Austria, 2012-2023.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths and remains a major burden on healthcare systems worldwide. The incidence of HCC continues to rise globally, despite preventative efforts being made. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate epidemiological changes observed in the etiology and survival outcomes of HCC patients at Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee between 2012 and 2023. METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-center cohort study. Two time-periods (2012-2017 and 2018-2023) were created to enable comparison between the respective intervals. IBM SPSS was used to analyze statistical data. RESULTS: More patients were diagnosed with HCC during the second time period (n = 128, n = 148). The median age of diagnosis was 72.5 years (SD 8.6). Patients were on average 2 years younger in the second time period compared to the first (p = 0.042). Alcohol remained the leading underlying etiology of HCC and no statistically significant change was seen over time (p = 0.353). Nevertheless, a clear upward trend in the number of NASH cases was evident over time (n = 15, n = 28, respectively). Nearly half of the patient population had a normal AFP (<7 µg/L) level at the time of diagnosis (n = 116, 42.6%). The survival time for HCC patients remained similar between time periods, with a median overall survival time of 20.5 months (95% CI 16.8-24.2, p = 0.841), despite improvements in management strategies and the availability of new systemic treatments. More advanced-stage HCC cases were documented in the second period (BCLC-C, n = 23 to n = 46, p = 0.051). An increased number of HCC patients without liver cirrhosis were identified during the second time period (n = 22, n= 47, respectively, p = 0.005). NASH was the most common underlying etiology in patients without liver cirrhosis (50%) compared to alcohol use in being the primary cause in cirrhotic patients (65%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: HCC continues to be an important health concern in our society. The number of HCC patients without liver cirrhosis is steadily increasing, with NAFLD/NASH, due to underlying lifestyle diseases playing an important etiological role. Continued efforts should be made to prevent HCC and to screen at-risk population groups. Preventative strategies and screening techniques should be adjusted in light of the changing epidemiological landscape of HCC, where more focus will have to be placed on detecting HCC in patients without underlying cirrhosis.

Endovascular stroke therapy outside core working hours in a nationwide stroke system.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular therapy (EVT) has been established as a major component in the acute treatment of large vessel occlusion stroke. However, it is unclear whether outcome and other treatment-related factors differ if patients are treated within or outside core working hours. METHODS: We analyzed data from the prospective nationwide Austrian Stroke Unit Registry capturing all consecutive stroke patients treated with EVT between 2016 and 2020. Patients were trichotomized according to the time of groin puncture into treatment within regular working hours (08:00-13:59), afternoon/evening (14:00-21:59) and night-time (22:00-07:59). Additionally, we analyzed 12 EVT treatment windows with equal patient numbers. Main outcome variables included favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale scores of 0-2) 3 months post-stroke as well as procedural time metrics, recanalization status and complications. RESULTS: We analyzed 2916 patients (median age 74 years, 50.7% female) who underwent EVT. Patients treated within core working hours more frequently had a favorable outcome (42.6% vs 36.1% treated in the afternoon/evening vs 35.8% treated at night-time; p=0.007). Similar results were found when analyzing 12 treatment windows. All these differences remained significant in multivariable analysis adjusting for outcome-relevant co-factors. Onset-to-recanalization time was considerably longer outside core working hours, which was mainly explained by longer door-to-groin time (p<0.001). There was no difference in the number of passes, recanalization status, groin-to-recanalization time and EVT-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of delayed intrahospital EVT workflows and worse functional outcomes outside core working hours in this nationwide registry are relevant for optimization of stroke care, and might be applicable to other countries with similar settings.

Radial access for peripheral vascular intervention: the S.M.A.R.T. RADIANZ Vascular Stent System.

INTRODUCTION: Radial access is the standard of care for nearly all cardiac catheterization procedures. It improves patient satisfaction, reduces the length of stay, and is associated with fewer complications. However, few devices and tools are available for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease via a transradial approach (TRA). The S.M.A.R.T. RADIANZ Vascular Stent System is among the RADIANZ suite of products, which is aimed at expanding the portfolio of devices to treat peripheral arterial disease. AREAS COVERED: In this Expert review, the following areas will be covered: (1) Current Landscape of peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) using TRA (2) Detailed description of the S.M.A.R.T. RADIANZ Vascular Stent System. (3) Ongoing clinical trials to evaluate safety of this approach. (4) Future directions and current regulatory status. EXPERT OPINION: TRA for PVI is a promising approach. It holds the possibility of substantially improving the care of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Numerous challenges must be overcome to realize the full potential of a radial-to-peripheral (RTP) approach. The length of devices and the small sheath size are the main constraints of this approach. The results of the ongoing RADIANCY trial will demonstrate the safety, in selected patients, of the RADIANZ suite of products.

Pharmacokinetic analysis after implantation of everolimus-eluting self-expanding stents in the peripheral vasculature.

BACKGROUND: A novel self-expanding drug-eluting stent was designed to release everolimus 225 µg/cm(2) to prevent restenosis following peripheral arterial intervention. The purpose of this study was to measure the pharmacokinetic profile of everolimus following stent implantation. METHODS: One hundred four patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease underwent implantation of everolimus-eluting stents in the femoropopliteal arteries. In a prespecified subset of 26 patients, blood samples for assay of everolimus content were collected prior to stent implantation, at 1, 4, and 8 hours postprocedure, prior to discharge, and at 1 month postprocedure. RESULTS: A total of 39 stents, ranging from 28 mm to 100 mm in length, were implanted in 26 patients, resulting in a total delivered everolimus dose range of 3.0 to 7.6 mg. Following the procedure, the maximum observed everolimus blood concentrations (C(max)) varied from 1.83 ± 0.05 ng/mL after implantation of a single 80-mm stent to 4.66 ± 1.78 ng/mL after implantation of two 100-mm stents. The mean time to peak concentration (T(max)) varied from 6.8 hours to 35 hours. The pharmacokinetics of everolimus were dose-proportional in that dose-normalized C(max) and area under the curve values were constant over the studied dose range. CONCLUSIONS: After implantation of everolimus-eluting self-expanding stents in the femoropopliteal arteries, systemic blood concentrations of everolimus are predictable and considerably lower than blood concentrations observed following safe oral administration of everolimus.

Dual-energy CT angiography in peripheral arterial occlusive disease-accuracy of maximum intensity projections in clinical routine and subgroup analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of dual-energy CT angiography (DE-CTA) maximum intensity projections (MIPs) in symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). METHODS: In 58 patients, DE-CTA of the lower extremities was performed on dual-source CT. In a maximum of 35 arterial segments, severity of the most stenotic lesion was graded (<10%, 10-49% and 50-99% luminal narrowing or occlusion) independently by two radiologists, with DSA serving as the reference standard. RESULTS: In DSA, 52.3% of segments were significantly stenosed or occluded. Agreement of DE-CTA MIPs with DSA was good in the aorto-iliac and femoro-popliteal regions (κ = 0.72; κ = 0.66), moderate in the crural region (κ = 0.55), slight in pedal arteries (κ = 0.10) and very good in bypass segments (κ = 0.81). Accuracy was 88%, 78%, 74%, 55% and 82% for the respective territories and moderate (75%) overall, with good sensitivity (84%) and moderate specificity (67%). Sensitivity and specificity was 82% and 76% in claudicants and 84% and 61% in patients with critical limb ischaemia. CONCLUSION: While correlating well with DSA above the knee, accuracy of DE-CTA MIPs appeared to be moderate in the calf and largely insufficient in calcified pedal arteries, especially in patients with critical limb ischaemia.

Single rotation CTA of extracranial carotids integrated with cerebral CTP provides sufficient quality for decision making in patients with ischaemic stroke.

PURPOSE: Large volume computed tomography scanners with 16 cm Z-axis single rotation coverage enable joggle-mode scanning of cerebral computed tomography perfusion and single rotation computed tomography angiography of cervical arteries. Our study aims to evaluate the feasibility of scanning cervical arteries, acquired with single rotation computed tomography angiography during computed tomography perfusion in ischaemic stroke patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 143 patients were scanned with a single contrast medium injection of 60 ml. Hounsfield units of the cervical arteries and veins were objectively measured and carotid bifurcations were subjectively reviewed. The incidence of artefacts and supra-aortic vessel coverage was recorded. RESULTS: Single rotation computed tomography angiography of the neck demonstrated supra-aortic vessels to their origins in 58 (40.6%) patients. Ninety-nine per cent (1140/1152) of arterial segments were adequately opacified (≥150 Hounsfield units). Arteries were adequately contrasted compared to veins in 81.3% (915/1126) of segments. However, the opacification was reversed in 14.0% (158/1126) of segments, indicating a delayed timing of acquisition; 95.5% (273/286) of carotid bifurcations were of good image quality. Measurement of internal carotid artery stenosis in single rotation computed tomography angiography according to the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial correlated well with digital subtraction angiography (R=0.87, P<0.05). Significant artefacts resulted from metal/dental implants (10.5%), contrast in central veins (7.7%) and the shoulder region (4.9%). CONCLUSION: Single rotation computed tomography angiography of the neck incorporated into cerebral computed tomography perfusion with single contrast medium administration revealed adequate image quality for further decision-making in our patient sample. The main drawbacks were inadequate coverage of supra-aortic arteries and possible delay in timing of the joggle.

Clinical Outcomes of Ambulatory Endovascular Treatment Using 4-French and 6-French Femoral Access Strategies: The Bio4amb Multicentre Trial.

PURPOSE: Ambulatory peripheral vascular interventions have been steadily increasing. In ambulatory procedures, 4F devices might be particularly useful having the potential to reduce access-site complications; however, further evidence on their safety and efficacy is needed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BIO4AMB is a prospective, non-randomized mulitcentre, non-inferiority trial conducted in 35 centres in Europe and Australia comparing the use of 4F- and 6F-compatible devices. The main exclusion criteria included an American Society of Anaesthesiologists class ≥ 4, coagulation disorders, or social isolation. The primary endpoint was access-site complications within 30 days. RESULTS: The 4F group enrolled 390 patients and the 6F group 404 patients. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. Vascular closure devices were used in 7.7% (4F group) and 87.6% (6F group) of patients. Patients with vascular closure device use in the 4F group were subsequently excluded from the primary analysis, resulting in 361 patients in the 4F group. Time to haemostasis was longer for the 4F group, but the total procedure time was shorter (13.2 ± 18.8 vs. 6.4 ± 8.9 min, p < 0.0001, and 39.1 ± 25.2 vs. 46.4 ± 27.6 min, p < 0.0001). Discharge on the day of the procedure was possible in 95.0% (4F group) and 94.6% (6F group) of patients. Access-site complications were similar between the groups (2.8% and 3.2%) and included predominantly groin haematomas and pseudoaneurysms. Major adverse events through 30 days occurred in 1.7% and 2.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulatory peripheral vascular interventions are feasible and safe. The use of 4F devices resulted in similar outcomes compared to that of 6F devices.

How to Handle a COVID-19 Patient in the Angiographic Suite.

This is a single-center report on coordination of staff and handling of patients during the outbreak of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) in a region with high incidence and prevalence of disease. The selection of procedures for interventional radiology (IR), preparation of staff and interventional suite before the arrival of patients, the facility ventilation systems and intra- and post-procedural workflow optimization are described. The control measures described may increase the cost of the equipment, prolong procedural times and increase technical difficulties. However, these precautions may help control the spread of COVID-19 within the healthcare facility.

Feasibility and potential value of flat-panel detector-based computed tomography in myelography after spinal surgery.

OBJECT: The purpose of this study was to assess the value of myelography using flat-panel detector-based computed tomography (fpCT) in 5 patients in whom the image quality of multislice CT (MSCT) or MR imaging was limited by metal artifacts. METHODS: The application of fpCT to myelographic imaging of the lumbar spine and cervicothoracic junction after surgery was feasible. Multiplanar, preferably sagittal, and 3D reconstructions adequately depicted disc space implants and provided high resolution images of osseous structures. RESULTS: The images obtained with fpCT allowed evaluation of anatomical details such as single nerve roots and proved especially valuable in a patient with impaired MR imaging results caused by metal artifacts from an intraoperative abrasion. In a case of recurrent disc herniation, imaging results of myelographic fpCT and MSCT scanning were in good agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The novel imaging technique the authors describe yielded adequate results in patients with a history of spinal surgery, may be superior to MSCT scanning in depicting osseous structures and metallic implants, and has the potential to provide multilevel spinal images. Myelographic fpCT scanning may be the preferred modality in patients with expected or known metal artifacts on myelographic MSCT scans and/or MR images.

FDG PET/CT in the detection of recurrent rectal cancer.

The purpose of this study was to assess the additional value of combined fluorine 18 (18F)-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in the follow-up of rectal cancer after surgery. Forty-eight examinations in 30 patients were evaluated retrospectively. CT and PET components were interpreted separately, and this was followed by a consensus reading. Sites of increased FDG uptake as well as PET/CT findings were categorized as benign (1), equivocal (2), or malignant (3). The standard of reference was histology or clinical and imaging follow-up for at least 6 months. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy for differentiating benign (14/31) from malignant (17/31) uptake sites in the small pelvis were 100%, 64%, 77%, 100%, and 84% for PET/CT, and 100%, 29%, 63%, 100%, and 68% for PET, respectively. Regarding extrapelvic abnormalities, PET/CT was able to distinguish benign (31/88) from malignant (57/88) with a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of 100%, 87%, 93%, 100%, and 95%, compared with 96%, 68%, 85%, 91%, and 86% for PET. The rare case of an FDG uptake of adrenal adenoma is documented. PET/CT is valuable in the staging of rectal cancer, particularly for excluding recurrent disease suspected by PET interpretation alone in a considerable number of patients.

The Randomized Freeway Stent Study: Drug-Eluting Balloons Outperform Standard Balloon Angioplasty for Postdilatation of Nitinol Stents in the SFA and PI Segment.

PURPOSE: The prospective randomized multicenter Freeway study evaluated the possible hemodynamic and clinical benefits of primary stent insertion followed by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with drug-eluting balloons (DEB) over post-stent insertion PTA with standard balloons in the treatment of symptomatic femoropopliteal arteriosclerotic lesions. METHODS: In total, 204 patients in 13 centers in Germany and Austria were enrolled and randomized to primary stenting followed by either FREEWAY™ drug-eluting balloon or standard PTA balloon angioplasty. The primary endpoint was the rate of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 6 months; the secondary endpoints include TLR rate at 12 months and primary patency, shift in Rutherford classification, ankle-brachial index (ABI) and major adverse events (MAE) at 6 and 12 months. Lesion characteristics and vessel patency were analyzed by an independent and blinded corelab. RESULTS: At 6-month and 12-month follow-up, TLR rate was lower in the DEB arm compared to standard PTA but did not reach statistical significance (4.1% vs. 9.0% p = 0.234 and 7.9% vs. 17.7% p = 0.064, respectively). Primary patency was significantly better for patients treated with the DEB at 6 months (90.3% vs. 69.8% p = 0.001) and 12 months (77.4% vs. 61.0% p = 0.027). Improvement in Rutherford classifications was likewise significantly better for patients in the DEB group at 6 (94.9% vs. 84.3% p = 0.027) and 12 months (95.5% vs. 79.9% p = 0.003). The percentage of patients with an improved ABI of 1.0-1.2 was significantly higher in the DEB group compared to the PTA group at 6 months (55.3% vs. 35.3%; p = 0.015) but without significant difference at 12 months (48.2% vs. 32.9%; p = 0.055). At 6 months, rate of major adverse events (MAE) was 1% in both arms, and at 12 months 2.2% for the DEB and 3.8% for the PTA group. CONCLUSION: The Freeway Stent Study shows that the usage of DEB as a restenosis prophylaxis seems to be safe and feasible. The 12-month follow-up results give a clear sign in favor of the DEB group.

Sonography of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans of the groin.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an uncommon tumor that arises from the dermis of adults. Its malignant potential is considered to be intermediate. Because the diagnosis of DFSP can frequently be suspected on the basis of physical examination reports on its sonographic appearance are rare. We report a case that highlights the value of sonography in assessing the subcutaneous extent of DFSP.