Incidence of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Renal Graft Catheter Arteriography Using Iodine-Based Contrast Medium.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to assess the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), dialysis, and graft loss after direct intraarterial infusion of iodine-based contrast medium (CM) in renal allograft recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred patients underwent renal graft catheter arteriography between 2006 and 2014. CIN was defined as an increase in serum creatinine value of 0.5 mg/dL or more above the creatinine value before arteriography. CIN could be assessed in 37 patients with creatinine levels obtained before arteriography and 24-72 hours after arteriography. Dialysis requirement and renal allograft loss at 30 days after the procedure were recorded in all 100 patients. RESULTS: In the 37 patients who could be assessed for CIN, three patients (8%) met the criteria for CIN. In a subgroup analysis, there was an increased incidence of CIN in patients undergoing angiography alone (25%) compared with those in the angioplasty and stenting group (0%) (p = 0.028). At 30 days after the procedure, none (0/100) of the patients required dialysis or had graft failure. CONCLUSION: In a cohort of patients with a single renal allograft undergoing renal graft catheter arteriography using iodine-based CM, the overall incidence of CIN was low and no major adverse outcomes were noted at 30 days after the procedure. However, in a subgroup analysis, the patients who underwent arteriography alone-that is, without angioplasty or stenting-had a statistically significant higher rate of CIN.

The positive predictive value of BI-RADS microcalcification descriptors and final assessment categories.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to retrospectively assess the likelihood of malignancy of microcalcifications according to the BI-RADS descriptors in a digital mammography environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 146 women with calcifications who underwent imaging-guided biopsy between April 2005 and July 2006. Digital mammograms procured before biopsy were analyzed independently by two breast imaging subspecialists blinded to biopsy results. Lesions described discordantly were settled by consensus. One of the radiologists provided a BI-RADS final assessment score. RESULTS: The overall positive predictive value of biopsies was 28.8%. The individual morphologic descriptors predicted the risk of malignancy as follows: fine linear/branching, 16 (70%) of 23 cases; fine pleomorphic, 14 (28%) of 50 cases; coarse heterogeneous, two (20%) of 10 cases; amorphous, 10 (20%) of 51 cases; and typically benign, zero (0%) of 12 cases. Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact testing showed statistical significance among morphology descriptors (p < 0.001) and distribution descriptors (p < 0.001). The positive predictive value for malignancy according to BI-RADS assessment categories were as follows: category 2, 0%; category 3, 0%; category 4A, 13%; category 4B, 36%; category 4C, 79%; and category 5, 100%. CONCLUSION: BI-RADS morphology and distribution descriptors can aid in assessing the risk of malignancy of microcalcifications detected on full-field digital mammography. The positive predictive value increased in successive BI-RADS categories (4A, 4B, and 4C), verifying that subdivision provides an improved assessment of suspicious microcalcifications in terms of likelihood of malignancy.