Percutaneous Lung Biopsies With Robotic Systems: A Systematic Review of Available Clinical Solutions.

Objectives: This systematic review aims to assess existing research concerning the use of robotic systems to execute percutaneous lung biopsy. Methods: A systematic review was performed and identified 4 studies involving robotic systems used for lung biopsy. Outcomes assessed were operation time, radiation dose to patients and operators, technical success rate, diagnostic yield, and complication rate. Results: One hundred and thirteen robot-guided percutaneous lung biopsies were included. Technical success and diagnostic yield were close to 100%, comparable to manual procedures. Technical accuracy, illustrated by needle positioning, showed less frequent needle adjustments in robotic guidance than in manual guidance (P < .001): 2.7 ± 2.6 (range 1-4) versus 6 ± 4 (range 2-12). Procedure time ranged from comparable to reduced by 35% on average (20.1 ± 11.3 minutes vs 31.4 ± 10.2 minutes, P = .001) compared to manual procedures. Patient irradiation ranged from comparable to reduced by an average of 40% (324 ± 114.5 mGy vs 541.2 ± 446.8 mGy, P = .001). There was no significant difference in reported complications between manual biopsy and biopsies that utilized robotic guidance. Conclusion: Robotic systems demonstrate promising results for percutaneous lung biopsy. These devices provide adequate accuracy in probe placement and could both reduce procedural duration and mitigate radiation exposure to patients and practitioners. However, this review underscores the need for larger, controlled trials to validate and extend these findings.

Thermoablative Treatment of De Novo Tumor in Kidney Allograft.

BACKGROUND: The overall cancer risk increases in transplant patients, including in kidney allografts. This study aimed to analyze the outcome of patients with kidney allograft malignant tumors who underwent percutaneous thermal ablation. METHODS: We included 26 renal allograft tumors, including 7 clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCCs), 16 papillary RCCs, 1 clear-cell papillary RCC, and 2 tubulocystic RCCs, treated in 19 ablation sessions. Outcomes of thermal ablation therapy were assessed, including technical success, adverse events, local tumor progression, development of metastases, survival after thermal ablation, and changes in renal function. RESULTS: Success rate was achieved in all ablation sessions (primary success rate: 96%; secondary success rate: 100%). No adverse events were observed in grades 3, 4, or 5. The median follow-up period was of 34 mo (15-69 mo). Two patients died during follow-up from a cause independent of renal cancer. The median decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate 1 y after procedure was -4 (interquartile range, -7 to 0) mL/min/1.73 m 2 . One patient returned to dialysis within the year of the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous thermal ablation shows convincing results for treating malignant renal graft tumors and should be a useful treatment option. The shorter hospitalization time, the advantage of avoiding a potentially challenging dissection of the transplant, and the excellent preservation of allograft function appear encouraging to extend this indication.

Review of craniofacial pain syndromes involving the greater occipital nerve: relevant anatomy, clinical findings, and interventional management.

Craniofacial pain syndromes exhibit a high prevalence in the general population, with a subset of patients developing chronic pain that significantly impacts their quality of life and results in substantial disabilities. Anatomical and functional assessments of the greater occipital nerve (GON) have unveiled its implication in numerous craniofacial pain syndromes, notably through the trigeminal-cervical convergence complex. The pathophysiological involvement of the greater occipital nerve in craniofacial pain syndromes, coupled with its accessibility, designates it as the primary target for various interventional procedures in managing craniofacial pain syndromes. This educational review aims to describe multiple craniofacial pain syndromes, elucidate the role of GON in their pathophysiology, detail the relevant anatomy of the greater occipital nerve (including specific intervention sites), highlight the role of imaging in diagnosing craniofacial pain syndromes, and discuss various interventional procedures such as nerve infiltration, ablation, neuromodulation techniques, and surgeries. Imaging is essential in managing these patients, whether for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The utilization of image guidance has demonstrated an enhancement in reproducibility, as well as technical and clinical outcomes of interventional procedures. Studies have shown that interventional management of craniofacial pain is effective in treating occipital neuralgia, cervicogenic headaches, cluster headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, and chronic migraines, with a reported efficacy of 60-90% over a duration of 1-9 months. Repeated infiltrations, neuromodulation, or ablation may prove effective in selected cases. Therefore, reassessment of treatment response and efficacy during follow-up is imperative to guide further management and explore alternative treatment options. Optimal utilization of imaging, interventional techniques, and a multidisciplinary team, including radiologists, will ensure maximum benefit for these patients.

Percutaneous liver interventions with robotic systems: a systematic review of available clinical solutions.

OBJECTIVE: Robotic-guided interventions are emerging techniques that are gradually becoming a common tool for performing biopsies and tumor ablations in liver. This systematic review aims to evaluate their advancements, challenges, and outcomes. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed database to identify relevant articles published between January 2000 and February 2023. Inclusion criteria focused on studies that assessed robotic systems for percutaneous liver biopsies and tumor ablations. Data extraction was performed to collect information on study characteristics; robotic systems; components and software; imaging modality; degree of freedom; and needle insertion methods. The outcome measures analyzed were procedure time, radiation dose, and accuracy. RESULTS: 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. The robotic devices used included MAXIO, EPIONE, ROBIO-EX, AcuBot, and ACE robotic systems. The data set consisted of 429 percutaneous thermal ablations and 57 biopsies, both robot-guided. On average, the mean deviation of probes was reduced by 30% (from 1.6 vs 3.3 mm to 2.4 vs 3.9 mm (p < 0.001)), and 40% (p < 0.05) fewer readjustments were required during the robotic-assisted interventions. Moreover, robotic systems contributed to a reduction in operating time, ranging from 15% (18.3 vs 21.7 min, p < 0.001) to 25% (63.5 vs 87.4 min, p < 0.001). Finally, the radiation dose delivered to both the patient and the operator was decreased by an average of 50% (p < 0.05) compared to manual procedures. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Robotic systems could provide precise navigation and guidance during liver biopsies and percutaneous ablations.

Contrast enhancement early after renal malignancy cryoablation: imaging findings associated with benignity.

OBJECTIVES: Contrast enhancement by MRI done early after cryoablation for renal malignancies may suggest residual tumor (RT). However, we have observed MRI enhancement within 48 h of cryoablation in patients who had no contrast enhancement 6 weeks later. Our purpose was to identify features of 48-h contrast enhancement in patients without RT. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous cryoablation of renal malignancies in 2013-2020, exhibited cryoablation-zone MRI contrast enhancement 48 h later, and had available 6-week MRI scans. Persistent or growing CE at 6 weeks vs. 48 h was classified as RT. A washout index was calculated for each 48-h MRI, and its performance for predicting RT was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: We included 60 patients with 72 cryoablation procedures and 83 cryoablation zones exhibiting 48-h contrast enhancement; mean age was 66 ± 17 years. Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma accounted for 95% of tumors. Of the 83 48-h enhancement zones, RT was observed in eight while 75 were benign. The 48-h enhancement was consistently visible at the arterial phase. Washout was significantly associated with RT (p < 0.001) and gradually increasing contrast enhancement with benignity (p < 0.009). A washout index below - 1.1 predicted RT with 88% sensitivity and 84% specificity. CONCLUSION: MRI contrast enhancement 48 h after cryoablation of renal malignancies was usually benign. Washout was associated with residual tumor, with a washout index value below - 1.1 exhibiting good performance in predicting residual tumor. These findings may help to guide decisions about repeat cryoablation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Magnetic resonance imaging contrast enhancement 48 h after cryoablation of renal malignancies rarely indicates residual tumor, which is characterized by washout with a washout index lower than - 1.1. KEY POINTS: • Contrast enhancement at the arterial phase of magnetic resonance imaging done 48 h after cryoablation of a renal malignancy is usually benign. • Residual tumor manifesting as contrast enhancement at the arterial phase is characterized by subsequent marked washout. • A washout index below - 1.1 has 88% sensitivity and 84% specificity for residual tumor.

[Nephron sparing in the management of localized solid renal mass]. / Épargne néphronique dans la prise en charge des tumeurs rénales malignes solides localisées.

Managing a malignant renal tumor requires, first of all, a reflection on the necessity of its treatment. It must consider the renal function, altered at the time of diagnosis in 50% of cases. The treatment method chosen depends on many factors, in particular, the predicted residual renal function, the risk of chronic kidney disease, the need for temporary or long-term dialysis, and overall long-term survival. Other factors include the size, position, and number of tumors and a hereditary tumor background. When a renal-sparing management alternative is available, total nephrectomy should no longer be performed in patients with small malignant renal masses (cT1a). This may consist of surgery (partial nephrectomy or lumpectomy), percutaneous thermo-ablation (by radiofrequency, microwave, or cryotherapy). In patients with limited life expectancy, imaging-based surveillance may be proposed to suggest treatment in case of local progression. Good coordination between urologist, radiologist, nephrologist, and sometimes radiotherapist should allow optimal management of patients with a malignant renal tumor with or without underlying renal failure.

Prognostic value of genotyping in hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review.

Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death. Advances in sequencing technology are opening genomics to widespread application for diagnosis and research. The poor prognosis of advanced HCC warrants a personalized approach. The objective was to assess the value of genotyping for risk stratification and prognostication of HCC. We performed a systematic review of manuscripts published on MEDLINE from 1 January 2009 to 1 January 2022, addressing the value of genotyping for HCC risk stratification and prognostication. Publication information for each has been collected using a standardized data extraction form. Twenty-five articles were analysed. This study showed that various genomics approaches (i.e., NGS, SNP, CASP or polymorphisms in circadian genes' association) provided predictive and prognostic information, such as disease control rate, median progression-free survival, and shorter median overall survival. Genotyping, which advances in understanding the molecular origin, could be a solution to predict prognosis or treatment response in patients with HCC.

Performance of Radiomics in Microvascular Invasion Risk Stratification and Prognostic Assessment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death. Advances in phenomenal imaging are paving the way for application in diagnosis and research. The poor prognosis of advanced HCC warrants a personalized approach. The objective was to assess the value of imaging phenomics for risk stratification and prognostication of HCC. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of manuscripts published to January 2023 on MEDLINE addressing the value of imaging phenomics for HCC risk stratification and prognostication. Publication information for each were collected using a standardized data extraction form. RESULTS: Twenty-seven articles were analyzed. Our study shows the importance of imaging phenomics in HCC MVI prediction. When the training and validation datasets were analyzed separately by the random-effects model, in the training datasets, radiomics had good MVI prediction (AUC of 0.81 (95% CI 0.76-0.86)). Similar results were found in the validation datasets (AUC of 0.79 (95% CI 0.72-0.85)). Using the fixed effects model, the mean AUC of all datasets was 0.80 (95% CI 0.76-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Imaging phenomics is an effective solution to predict microvascular invasion risk, prognosis, and treatment response in patients with HCC.

Comparison of susceptibility-weighted angiography (SWAN) and T2 gradient-echo sequences for the detection of acute cerebral venous thrombosis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the diagnostic accuracy and lesion conspicuity of susceptibility-weighted angiography (SWAN) and T2* for the clot detection in acute cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) by comparison with contrast-enhanced MR venography. METHODS: Venous thrombi detection and conspicuity were assessed by two readers for 18 venous segments on both T2*, SWAN source images, 2D SWAN reformats matching with T2*, and 3D SWAN images (SWAN-MinIP). Images obtained with the three reading techniques were systematically scored and compared to CE MRV findings, in a blinded fashion, per patient and per segment, and compared to each other. RESULTS: In 30 patients, 137 thrombosed venous segments were evaluated. The sensitivity of T2*, SWAN source images, 2D SWAN, and SWAN MinIP were, respectively, of 89.3%/82.1%, 82.1%, and 82.1% for dural sinus thrombosis and of 100%/100%/100%/96.6% for cortical venous thrombosis. There were significant differences in thrombus detection between T2* and SWAN: T2* versus SWAN source images and 2D SWAN (p = 0.04) and versus SWAN MinIP (p = 0.03). There were no significant differences between the three modalities of SWAN images. T2* was more sensitive than all SWAN images for both sigmoid sinus thrombosis and intracranial internal jugular vein thrombosis (p = 0.04). Inter-observer agreement was slightly superior with T2* (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this small cohort, SWAN sequence at 3T did not yield additional value for thrombus detection in acute CVT compared to T2*. This study highlights SWAN's greatest weakness both for diagnostic accuracy and lesion conspicuity compared to T2* for acute venous clot detection near the skull base.

Performance of Sonoelastography for predicting malignancy in soft tissue.

BACKGROUND: Separating benign from malignant soft-tissue masses often requires a biopsy. The objective of this study was to assess whether shear-wave elastography (SWE) helped to separate benign from malignant soft-tissue masses. METHODS: In 2015-2016, we prospectively included patients with soft-tissue masses deemed by our multidisciplinary sarcoma board to require a diagnostic biopsy. All patients underwent ultrasonography (US) followed by SWE to measure elasticity. We compared benign and malignant tumors, overall and after separating tumors with vs. without a fatty component. The biopsy findings, and surgical-specimen histology when available, served as the reference standard. RESULTS: We included 136 patients, 99 with non-fatty and 37 with fatty soft-tissue masses. Mean elasticity and tumor-to-fat elasticity ratio (T/F) values were significantly lower for the benign than the malignant soft-tissue masses in the overall cohort (30.9 vs. 50.0 kilopascals (kPa), P = 0.03; and 2.55 vs. 4.30, P = 0.046) and in the non-fatty subgroup (37.8 ± 31.9 vs. 58.9 ± 39.1 kPa, P = 0.049 and 2.89 ± 5.25 vs. 5.07 ± 5.41, P = 0.046). Data for fatty tumors were non relevant due to lack of conclusive results. By receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, a T/F cutoff of 3.5 had 46% sensitivity and 84% specificity for separating benign and malignant soft-tissue masses. CONCLUSIONS: SWE had good specificity and poor sensitivity for separating benign from malignant soft-tissue masses.

[Cancer imaging and prevention of renal failure]. / Imagerie des cancers et prévention de l'insuffisance rénale.

The risk of acute renal failure (ARF) following iodinated contrast media injection has long been overestimated because of the previous use of more toxic ICPs and uncontrolled studies. Nowadays, this concept is being questioned. Patients with severe renal failure and/or ARF are the only group still considered at risk. In these patients, it is necessary to discuss an alternative without an iodinated contrast agent. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound, MRI, spectral CT or PET-CT scan can be used instead of contrast-enhanced CT. Preventive measures should be applied when appropriate substitute to CT is not available or not diagnosed (minimum necessary dose of ICP, interruption of some treatments and prior hydration). These recommendations formalized by the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) in 2018 address most situations faced by clinicians. In complex situations, an opinion from a nephrologist remains necessary after asking the radiologist about the availability of acceptable substitutes.

Percutaneous Thermal Ablation for Renal Tumors in Patients with Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome.

BHD syndrome is characterized by an increased risk of bilateral and multifocal renal cell carcinoma (RCCs), but is rarely metastatic. Our report aims to analyze the outcome of patients with BHD syndrome who underwent percutaneous thermal ablation (TA). The present report included six BHD syndrome patients (five men) with a mean age of 66 ± 11 (SD) years who had a proven germline FLCN gene mutation and underwent TA for a renal tumor. Nineteen renal tumors (median two tumors per patient; range: 1-3), including seven chromophobe RCCs, five clear-cell RCCs, four papillary RCCs, two clear-cell papillary RCC, and one hybrid oncocytic/chromophobe tumor were treated in 14 ablation sessions. The mean size of the tumors was 21 ± 11 (SD) mm (median: 20 mm; interquartile range (IQR): 14-25 mm) for a mean volume of 7 ± 11 (SD) mL (median: 3; IQR: 1-5 mL). Technical success was achieved in all ablation sessions (primary success rate, 100%). The procedure was well tolerated under conscious sedation with no significant Clavien-Dindo complication (grade 2, 3, 4). All patients were alive with no distant metastasis during a median follow-up period of 74 months (range: 33-83 months). No local tumor progression was observed. The mean decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate was 8 mL/min/1.73 m2. No patients required dialysis or renal transplantation. In this case series, percutaneous TA appeared as a safe and efficient nephron-sparing treatment for treating RCCs associated with BHD syndrome, even in the case of advanced chronic kidney disease.

Symptomatic Schmorl's nodes: role of percutaneous vertebroplasty. Open study on 52 patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility and clinical outcome of combined CT and fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous vertebroplasty in the management of painful Schmorl's nodes (SN). METHODS: A prospective study was carried out from January 2014 to January 2016 in 52 consecutive patients. Thirty-two men and 30 women aged between 42 and 88 years old were consecutively included. Technical success was defined as the ability to deposit cement in the subchondral endplate anteriorly, around the SN and posteriorly to the SN, in a cupule-like shape. Data regarding procedure time, amount of cement injection, and cement leakage were also noted. Assessment of pain was performed with VAS score and Oswestry disability index. All patients underwent a clinical and radiological follow-up at 1 day, 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year after procedure. RESULTS: Technical success was 100%. Mean procedural time was 15 min, and mean injected cement volume was 2.8 mL. The VAS and Oswestry disability index decreased respectively from 7.2 ± 1.5 to 2.1 ± 1.0 and from 59.2 ± 16.2 to 17.1 ± 5.0 at 1 month. Follow-up mean VAS scores were 2.4 (± 1.4) at 6 months and 2.2 (± 1.2) at 12 months. CONCLUSION: PVP appears as a feasible procedure in patients with painful SN with satisfying pain decrease in the following year after procedure.

Contained Herniated Lumbar Disc: CT- and Fluoroscopy-Guided Automated Percutaneous Discectomy-A Revival.

The combination of a new device and dual guidance (computed tomography [CT] and fluoroscopy) is similar to other percutaneous devices in achieving a mechanical decompression of the disc. The difference, however, is that the target of the decompression with the current technique is the herniated disc itself. The goal of this combined technique is to create a space, an "olive" around the probe, allowing a decrease in pressure inside the hernia. Percutaneous discectomy under combined CT and fluoroscopic guidance is a minimally invasive spine surgery that should be considered as an alternative to surgery in properly selected patients.