ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Central Venous Access Device and Site Selection.

The use of central venous access devices is ubiquitous in both inpatient and outpatient settings, whether for critical care, oncology, hemodialysis, parenteral nutrition, or diagnostic purposes. Radiology has a well-established role in the placement of these devices due to demonstrated benefits of radiologic placement in multiple clinical settings. A wide variety of devices are available for central venous access and optimal device selection is a common clinical challenge. Central venous access devices may be nontunneled, tunneled, or implantable. They may be centrally or peripherally inserted by way of veins in the neck, extremities, or elsewhere. Each device and access site presents specific risks that should be considered in each clinical scenario to minimize the risk of harm. The risk of infection and mechanical injury should be minimized in all patients. In hemodialysis patients, preservation of future access is an additional important consideration. The ACR Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances in which peer reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Radiologic Management of Mesenteric Ischemia: 2022 Update.

Mesenteric ischemia is a serious medical condition characterized by insufficient vascular supply to the small bowel. In the acute setting, endovascular interventions, including embolectomy, transcatheter thrombolysis, and angioplasty with or without stent placement, are recommended as initial therapeutic options. For nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia, transarterial infusion of vasodilators, such as papaverine or prostaglandin E1, is the recommended initial treatment. In the chronic setting, endovascular means of revascularization, including angioplasty and stent placement, are generally recommend, with surgical options, such as bypass or endarterectomy, considered alternative options. Although the diagnosis of median arcuate ligament syndrome remains controversial, diagnostic angiography can be helpful in rendering a diagnosis, with the preferred treatment option being a surgical release. Systemic anticoagulation is recommended as initial therapy for venous mesenteric ischemia with acceptable rates of recanalization. If anticoagulation fails, transcatheter thrombolytic infusion can be considered with possible adjunctive placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt to augment antegrade flow. The ACR Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where peer reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Radiologic Management of Lower Gastrointestinal Tract Bleeding: 2021 Update.

Diverticulosis remains the commonest cause for acute lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding (GIB). Conservative management is initially sufficient for most patients, followed by elective diagnostic tests. However, if acute lower GIB persists, it can be investigated with colonoscopy, CT angiography (CTA), or red blood cell (RBC) scan. Colonoscopy can identify the site and cause of bleeding and provide effective treatment. CTA is a noninvasive diagnostic tool that is better tolerated by patients, can identify actively bleeding site or a potential bleeding lesion in vast majority of patients. RBC scan can identify intermittent bleeding, and with single-photon emission computed tomography, can more accurately localize it to a small segment of bowel. If patients are hemodynamically unstable, CTA and transcatheter arteriography/embolization can be performed. Colonoscopy can also be considered in these patients if rapid bowel preparation is feasible. Transcatheter arteriography has a low rate of major complications; however, targeted transcatheter embolization is only feasible if extravasation is seen, which is more likely in hemodynamically unstable patients. If bleeding site has been previously localized but the intervention by colonoscopy and transcatheter embolization have failed to achieve hemostasis, surgery may be required. Among patients with obscure (nonlocalized) recurrent bleeding, capsule endoscopy and CT enterography can be considered to identify culprit mucosal lesion(s). The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm associated with median arcuate ligament syndrome.

Aneurysm of the pancreaticoduodenal artery arcade has a well-documented association with occlusion of the celiac axis. The etiology of celiac occlusion is most commonly atherosclerotic disease. Occlusion or severe stenosis of the celiac artery secondary to a median arcuate ligament is less frequently encountered, and symptoms can be vague or completely lacking. We present a case of an asymptomatic 25-year-old woman who, in the course of being evaluated as a potential donor for living-related kidney transplantation, underwent a computed tomography angiography (CTA) scan that revealed an aneurysm of the pancreaticoduodenal artery. The aneurysm, as well as severe compression of the celiac axis by the median arcuate ligament, was confirmed by catheter angiography. The patient underwent successful endovascular coil embolization of the aneurysm. In our review of the existing medical literature, our patient is the youngest reported case of pancreaticoduodenal aneurysm caused by median arcuate ligament syndrome.

Utility of percutaneous intervention in the management of tunneled hemodialysis catheters.

A variety of interventional techniques have been developed to restore function to dysfunctional tunneled hemodialysis catheters (THC). The relative efficacies of these techniques were evaluated retrospectively to determine which therapy might be most beneficial. The records of malfunctioning THCs referred to interventional radiology between November 1995 and December 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. Dysfunctional THCs were studied using DSA images obtained while injecting contrast through the lumens of the THCs. The interventions performed were categorized into 1 of 5 groups: no treatment or conservative measures such as vigorous flushing; advancing a guidewire through the THC to reposition the catheter tip or to dislodge a small thrombus; catheter exchange over a guidewire; fibrin stripping of the THC using a loop snare; or prolonged (4 or more hr) direct thrombolytic infusion. A Cox Proportional Hazards model was developed to compare the rate of failure among the procedures. There were 340 THC studies. The catheters were managed as follows: 93 patients received conservative management only, 15 had a guidewire advanced through the catheter, 147 underwent catheter exchange, 62 were treated with a fibrin stripping procedure, and 23 received a thrombolytic infusion. Estimated 30-day patency rates for THCs were 38.2% for conservative management, 30.9% for guidewire manipulation of catheter tip, 53.6% for catheter exchange, 76.1% for fibrin stripping, and 69.8% for thrombolytic infusion. Differences among the treatments were observed (p < 0.01) and pairwise comparisons were made among the treatment groups. Failure rates were significantly higher in the catheter exchange (p <0.01) and guidewire manipulation at catheter tip (p <0.01) groups when compared with the fibrin stripping group. The catheter exchange and guidewire manipulation groups also experienced higher rates of failure when compared with the thrombolytic infusion group, although the differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.08, p = 0.17, respectively). Four procedure-related complications requiring hospitalization or other intervention occurred. Three of these were in the catheter exchange group with one incidence of sepsis, one drug reaction, and one hematoma. Fibrin stripping and thrombolytic infusion provided the greatest efficacy in the treatment of poorly functioning THCs, but all therapies demonstrated wide-ranging results. Central line exchanges did not provide a superior secondary patency and experienced more complications.