Percutaneous sclerotherapy for mediastinal cyst resulting in dyspnea due to tracheal compression in an elderly patient: A case report.

Surgical resection is usually indicated for symptomatic mediastinal tumors. However, surgery potentially increases postoperative complications and hospitalization length in patients who are elderly, in poor general condition, or have tumors located in the thoracic inlet. We present an 84-year-old female with progressive cough and dyspnea for 1 week. Simple radiogram and computed tomography scan showed a large superior mediastinal cyst, sized 8.3 × 6.1 × 4.6 cm, narrowing the trachea. Ultrasonography- and fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous sclerotherapy using alcohol and bleomycin was applied a single time. The patient was discharged 2 days later without complication, and she did not develop symptoms over a 6-year period. Percutaneous sclerotherapy, especially in patients who are elderly or in poor general condition, could be an effective and reliable tool for cyst management.

Biliary stone removal through the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage route, focusing on the balloon sphincteroplasty flushing technique: a single center study with 916 patients.

PURPOSE: To present our experience in biliary stone removal (BSR) through the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) route in 916 patients, and discuss its clinical usefulness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2001 to 2015, 916 patients (479 male patients and 437 female patients; age range, 22-92 years; mean age, 67 years) with 52 recurring cases, so a total of 968 cases, were enrolled in this study and retrospectively reviewed. PTBD was performed in all patients. BSR was performed using a combination of a balloon sphincteroplasty flushing technique, a pushing technique after sphincteroplasty, and classical extraction technique, decided case by case. RESULTS: A complete removal was achieved in 893 cases (92.3%) and the overall clinical success rate was 99.3%. Failure occurred in 7 cases (0.7%), and the causes of failure were stone impaction (n = 5) and intrahepatic bile duct stricture (n = 2). Sphincteroplasty was performed in 902 cases (93.2%). Balloon sphincteroplasty flushing technique was used in 829 (85.6%) cases. There was no major complication. Transient minor complications were seen in 86 cases (8.9%). CONCLUSIONS: BSR through the PTBD route using a combination of techniques, including balloon sphincteroplasty flushing, is a safe and effective treatment modality to remove biliary stones.

A Case of Fibrovascular Polyp of the Stomach: Sonographic and Computed Tomographic Findings.

Fibrovascular polyps are rare, pedunculated, tumor-like lesions that are usually found in the esophagus; occurrence in the stomach is very rare. To our knowledge, sonographic and CT findings of a fibrovascular polyp in the stomach have never been reported. Here, we report a case of a fibrovascular polyp that was identified in the gastric antrum and prolapsed into the duodenal bulb. Sonography revealed a hyperechoic polypoid mass in the gastric antrum, which prolapsed into the duodenal bulb upon a change in the patient's position. CT also revealed a pedunculated polypoid mass with an inner fatty component.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Gastrointestinal Bleeding Secondary to Gastrointestinal Lymphoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding caused by GI lymphoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 11 patients who underwent TAE for GI bleeding caused by GI lymphoma between 2001 and 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 20 TAE procedures were performed. On angiography, contrast extravasation, and both contrast extravasation and tumor staining were seen in 95 % (19/20) and 5 % (1/20) of the procedures, respectively. The most frequently embolized arteries were jejunal (n = 13) and ileal (n = 5) branches. Technical and clinical success rates were 100 % (20/20) and 27 % (3/11), respectively. The causes of clinical failure in eight patients were rebleeding at new sites. In four patients who underwent repeat angiography, the bleeding focus was new each time. Three patients underwent small bowel resection due to rebleeding after one (n = 2) or four (n = 1) times of TAEs. Another two patients underwent small bowel resection due to small bowel ischemia/perforation after three or four times of TAEs. The 30-day mortality rate was 18 % due to hypovolemic shock (n = 1) and multiorgan failure (n = 1). CONCLUSION: Angiogram with TAE shows limited therapeutic efficacy to manage GI lymphoma-related bleeding due to high rebleeding at new sites. Although TAE can be an initial hemostatic measure, surgery should be considered for rebleeding due to possible bowel ischemic complication after repeated TAE procedures.

Transcatheter arterial embolization for traumatic mesenteric bleeding: a 15-year, single-center experience.

PURPOSE: We aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for mesenteric bleeding following trauma. METHODS: From 2001 to 2015, 12 patients were referred to our interventional unit for mesenteric bleeding following trauma, based on clinical decisions and computed tomography (CT) images. After excluding one patient with no bleeding focus and one patient who underwent emergency surgery, a total of 10 patients (male:female ratio, 9:1; mean age, 52.1 years) who underwent super selective TAE of visceral arteries were included in this study. Technical and clinical success, complications, and 30-day mortality rate were analyzed. RESULTS: In 10 patients who underwent TAE, the types of trauma were motor vehicle collision (n=6), fall (n=2), assault (n=1), and penetrating injury (n=1), and the bleeding arteries were in the pancreaticoduodenal arterial arcade (n=4), jejunal artery (n=3), colic artery (n=2), and sigmoid artery (n=1). N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) (n=2), microcoils (n=2), and combinations of NBCA, microcoils, or gelatin sponge particles (n=6) were used as embolic agents. Technical success was achieved in all 10 patients, with immediate cessation of bleeding. Clinical success rate was 90% (9/10), and all patients were discharged with no further treatment required for mesenteric bleeding. However, one patient showed rebleeding 10 days later and underwent repeated TAE with successful result. There were no TAE-related ischemic complications such as bowel infarction. The 30-day mortality rate was 0%. CONCLUSION: Our clinical experience suggests that TAE used to control mesenteric bleeding following trauma is safe and effective as a minimally invasive alternative to surgery.

Diagnostic Usefulness of Low-Dose Nonenhanced Computed Tomography With Coronal Reformations in Patients With Suspected Acute Appendicitis: A Comparison With Standard-Dose Computed Tomography.

PURPOSE: The aims of the study were to evaluate the usefulness of low-dose (LD) nonenhanced CT (NECT) with coronal reformation in diagnosing acute appendicitis and to compare LD NECT with standard-dose (SD) NECT and SD contrast-enhanced CT (CECT). METHODS: A total of 452 patients suspected of having acute appendicitis underwent CT using a scan 1 (SD NECT and SD CECT1, n = 182) or a scan 2 protocol (LD NECT and SD CECT2, n = 270). The diagnostic performance and interobserver agreement for diagnosing acute appendicitis were compared. RESULTS: Although the area under the curves of both reviewers of LD NECT were lower than those of SD CECT2, area under the curves of both reviewers for SD NECT were not significantly different for SD CECT1 and LD NECT (all P > 0.05). The interobserver agreements within each scan were excellent (all κ > 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose NECT with coronal reformation showed high diagnostic performance and can be used as the first-line imaging tool in the work-up of patients with suspected acute appendicitis.

Diagnostic performance of abdominal CT for diagnosis of pelvic fractures: comparison with pelvic CT.

BACKGROUND: In the emergency department, patients with abdominopelvic trauma inadvertently undergo both abdominal computed tomography (CT) (for intra-abdominal and intra-pelvic organs) and pelvic CT (CT with multiplanar reformation in three orthogonal planes of the bony pelvis). However, the systemic use of CT is concerning given the cumulative radiation dose. PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of abdominal CT in comparison to pelvic CT in patients with suspected pelvic fractures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-two patients who underwent abdominal CT and pelvic CT within a 2-week period to evaluate pelvic fractures were included. Two reviewers retrospectively analyzed eight anatomical regions of the pelvic bones on both abdominal CT and pelvic CT over a 1-week interval. The interpretation of pelvic CT scans by two senior musculoskeletal radiologists was considered as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance and inter-observer agreement of both CT scans were evaluated. RESULTS: For reviewers 1 and 2, abdominal CT showed high accuracy (98% and 98%, respectively) as did pelvic CT. For both abdominal CT and pelvic CT, fracture detection in all anatomical regions of the pelvic bones was not significantly different for the two reviewers (P ≥ 0.25). Inter-observer agreement for all anatomical regions of the pelvic bones was excellent or good (k = 0.785-1.0). CONCLUSION: Not only pelvic CT but also abdominal CT is acceptable for detection of pelvic fractures, in spite of its thicker sections and different reconstruction algorithm. Therefore, if abdominal CT has already been performed, additional pelvic CT might no longer be necessary in order to exclude a pelvic fracture.

Does the Degree of Perihepatitis Have Any Relevance to the Severity of the Manifestations of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease on Multidetector Computed Tomography?

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the degree of perihepatitis and the severity of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). METHODS: A total of 177 women with PID who underwent biphasic abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans were enrolled. Two reviewers retrospectively reviewed the CT scans with consensus and subjectively categorized the severity of PID into 4 grades (normal, mild, moderate, and severe). Another reviewer independently assigned the extent (grades 0 to 4) and the depth (grades 0 to 4) of hepatic surface enhancement in terms of the degree of perihepatitis. Relationships between the degree of perihepatitis and the CT severity as well as each CT manifestation of PID were evaluated using the χ test or a cumulative logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 177 patients, 99 (55.9%) showed hepatic surface enhancement. The severity of PID on MDCT was significantly related with the degree of perihepatitis (all P < 0.001). Salpingitis, oophoritis, pelvic fat haziness, complicated ascites, and omental/mesenteric fat infiltration were significantly related with the degree of perihepatitis (all P < 0.05). Among these variables, omental/mesenteric fat infiltration (odds ratio = 10.9) and salpingitis (odds ratio = 6.0) were the CT manifestations that were most associated with the presence of perihepatitis in PID. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of perihepatitis seems to show a relationship with the severity of PID on MDCT. Omental/mesenteric fat infiltration and salpingitis can be strongly related with perihepatitis in PID.