Type 1 diabetes is not associated with an increased prevalence of hepatic steatosis.

AIM: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is commonly associated with Type 2 diabetes. Recently, it has been suggested that NAFLD is also frequently associated with Type 1 diabetes and diabetic complications. In this study, we set out to determine whether Type 1 diabetes was associated with liver fat content measured using magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-eight patients with Type 1 diabetes, 264 patients with Type 2 diabetes and 67 participants without diabetes were included in this study. Hepatic steatosis was defined as a liver fat content > 5.5%. RESULTS: People with Type 1 diabetes and controls were similar for age and BMI. Liver fat content was significantly higher in patients with Type 2 diabetes than in patients with Type 1 diabetes and controls. In the control group, nine people (13.4%) had steatosis compared with six (4.7%) patients with Type 1 diabetes (P = 0.04). Among patients with Type 2 diabetes group, 166 (62.8%) had steatosis. In multivariate analysis that included patients with Type 1 diabetes and participants without diabetes, steatosis was associated only with BMI, whereas age, sex, statin therapy and Type 1 diabetes were not. In patients with Type 1 diabetes, there was no correlation between liver fat content and estimated glomerular filtration rate or carotid intima media thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that Type 1 diabetes was not associated with an increased prevalence of steatosis. Moreover, our study provided no specific arguments concerning a link between liver fat content and diabetic complications in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

Body fat distribution and adipokine secretion are not associated with diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: The link between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and adipokines is controversial. Some studies suggest that visceral fat and adipokines could be additional risk factors for DR. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between abdominal fat or adipokine secretion and DR in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: A total of 179 patients with type 2 DM were included. Each patient underwent measurement of plasma adiponectin and leptin and an evaluation of body fat distribution (visceral and subcutaneous) with MRI. The severity of DR was evaluated according to the classification of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Patients were classified in 3 groups: absence of DR, mild and moderate DR, and advanced DR (severe, proliferative and laser-treated DR). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the 3 groups for adiponectin, leptin and visceral or subcutaneous fat accumulation. Patients with DR had a mean duration of diabetes, serum creatinine concentration and percentage of macroalbuminuria significantly higher than patients without DR (p < 0.001, p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). Serum adiponectin increased with the diabetic nephropathy stage (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that body fat distribution and adipokine secretion are not associated with DR in patients with type 2 DM.

[Role of percutaneous arterial embolization in renal pathology]. / Place de l'embolisation artérielle percutanée en pathologie rénale.

Therapeutic embolization in renal pathology is used for various conditions in cancerology, traumatology, urology, nephrology and for iatrogenic complications of percutaneous manoeuvers. Any department of vascular radiology may be requested to use this technique, especially in emergent traumatology or palliative cancerology. The authors study the various conditions that may benefit from these procedures and give the highlights of the main indications and the main types of embolic agents used. Complications, side effects and the major precautions are also reviewed.

[Rotator cuff tears: value of 3.0T MRI]. / Perforations de la coiffe des rotateurs: intérêt de l'IRM 3,0T.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the value of 3.0T MR imaging for the detection of rotator cuff tendon tears and surgical planning by correlating imaging findings to surgical findings. Materials and methods. Prospective follow-up of patients who underwent 3.0T MR imaging of the shoulder in our department between November 2005 and June 2007. Surgical findings were correlated to imaging findings for 48 patients who underwent surgery: detection, size, partial thickness or complete, and tendon edges. RESULTS: In this patient group, the positive predictive value of MRI for detecting surgical tears was 100% (100% of complete tears and 92% of partial thickness tears). No change in surgical management was recorded when arthroscopy was performed based on MRI findings (size of tear). CONCLUSION: 3.0 T MRI is valuable for the detection of small tears, especially for partial thickness tears due to increased spatial resolution. The identification of surgical candidates and surgical planning are improved due to more accurate measurements of tear size and quality of the tendon edges.

[Fast technique to quantify liver steatosis at 3T: principles, parametric imaging and applications]. / Technique rapide de mesure de la stéatose hépatique à 3T: théorie, imagerie paramétrique, applications.

The purpose of this article is to present a fast and clinically usable technique for quantification of liver steatosis. This technique, based on a triple-echo gradient-echo sequence (in-phase, opposed-phase, in-phase), has recently been validated with excellent correlation and accuracy compared to proton MR spectroscopy. The theoretical principles are reviewed, with emphasis on the need to correct for the T2* decay inherent to the use of in-phase and opposed-phase sequences. T1 decay also is negligible due to the use of a low flip angle (20 degrees). The advantage of this technique is that it can generate a parametric representation (map) of liver steatosis, after fast and simple post-processing, based on measurements from standard images (addition, subtraction, division, multiplication) available on the MR scanning console. This parametric method allows quantification of steatosis in focal lesions. The main limitation of the technique relates to its ambiguity with lipid content over 50%, a phenomenon that does not occur with liver steatosis.

[Pulmonary embolism by cyanoacrylate following embolisation of an arteriovenous malformation]. / Embolie pulmonaire de cyanoacrylate après embolisation d'une malformation artérioveineuse.

INTRODUCTION: Symptomatic complications can occur after intravascular injection of cyanoacrylate glue. We report a case of pulmonary embolism following embolisation of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). CASE REPORT: A 46-year-old woman was found to have an internal iliac AVM which was obliterated using N-butyl-2 cyanoacrylate (NBCA) mixed with lipiodol. The early clinical course was uneventful. On the third post-operative day she complained of sudden, transient chest tightness. On admission one hour later the chest pain had disappeared. Physical examination was normal. A chest roentgenogram showed multiple, dense, branched opacities scattered throughout both lung fields which were confirmed on HRCT, suggesting diffuse scattered embolism of iodine- labelled NBCA. The radiological signs persisted 6 months later. CONCLUSION: Endovascular treatment of arteriovenous malformations with NBCA can be responsible for symptomatic pulmonary embolism. This is not detectable radiologically in the absence of contrast medium. Radiologists should be aware of these often asymptomatic, but sometimes fatal, embolic complications.

[Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: main imaging features]. / La pyélonéphrite xanthogranulomateuse: principaux aspects en imagerie.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare form of chronic pyelonephritis, which frequently has a pseudotumoral appearance, as a result of which differential diagnosis with malignant renal neoplasia is difficult, especially as there are no specific signs of this lesion. The aim of this article is to notice the various histological, clinical and radiological characteristics, and the different modalities of diagnostic and treatment of this affection.

Diffuse xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis with psoas abscess in a pregnant woman.

We report the first case, to our knowledge, of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) with psoas abscess occurring during pregnancy. A 37-year-old woman in the third trimester of pregnancy presented with low back pain and a fever. From sonographic features, a multidisciplinary team decided to perform computed tomography of the abdomen with contrast agent injection, which strongly suggested diffuse XGP of the left kidney with a psoas abscess. Cesarean section at 32 weeks was followed by extended nephrectomy. Pathological examination of the operative specimen confirmed the diagnosis. Outcomes were favorable in the mother and baby. The diagnosis and treatment of XGP during pregnancy are discussed.

[Liver steatosis and in-out of phase MR imaging: theory and clinical applications at 3T]. / Stéatose hépatique et séquence phase-opposition de phase: aspects théoriques et applications pratiques à 3T.

Liver steatosis may evolve into steatohepatitis then cirrhosis with related complications. It may also contribute to hepatocellular failure, sometimes fatal after major hepatectomy, especially in the setting of liver transplantation with living donor. Imaging must allow non-invasive detection and accurate quantification. In and out of phase MR imaging routinely performed in clinical practice is a simple and robust means of achieving these goals. In this article, we will review the histological, pathophysiologic, and clinical features of liver steatosis and the key points of in and out of phase pulse sequences and underlying physical principles. The T2* relaxation, cause of a loss of signal between both echo times must be taken into account. Echo times must be known for image interpretation, and optimized, especially at 3T. Finally, the T1 of lipids and water is different and causes T1 effects that may lead to quantification errors while being advantageous for image interpretation. The combination of these factors allows detection and quantification of liver steatosis in routine clinical practice.

Imaging of Von Meyenburg complexes.

Von Meyenburg complexes, or biliary hamartomas, are frequently incidentally detected. They are usually easy to characterize with magnetic resonance imaging. However, in some occasions they are difficult to differentiate from other liver lesions, in particular from small liver metastases. Von Meyenburg complexes are developmental malformations of the ductal plate. They can be found in association with Caroli disease and Caroli syndrome. Like other ductal plate malformations, Von Meyenburg complexes associated with cholangiocarcinoma have been described and their relationship has been established. This review provides an update on the etiopathogenesis of Von Meyenburg complexes, illustrates the imaging features on ultrasound, CT and MRI of this condition and discusses the most common diagnostic pitfalls. The relationships between Von Meyenburg complexes and the various ductal plate malformations and the most recent literature data regarding the relationships between Von Meyenburg complexes and cholangiocarcinoma are presented.

Transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: An old method, now flavor of the day.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the recommended treatment for patients suffering from intermediate, B stage, hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite an undisputed pharmacokinetic advantage, TACE with microspheres has not been shown to be superior in terms of survival compared to conventional TACE using Lipiodol(®). The best guarantee to reduce toxicity and maximize the efficacy of TACE is to strictly observe the contraindications for the procedure (Child-Pugh>B8, reduced portal flow, very large tumor, any technical contraindication and renal impairment), and rigorous application of the administration requirements for the Lipiodol(®) emulsion or loaded microspheres (assessment of hepatic vascularization investigating for accessory vascularization, injection methods). Tumor response should be assessed after four weeks by CT or MRI using the modified RECIST criteria.

Anatomy of liver arteries for interventional radiology.

The availability of intra-arterial hepatic therapies (radio and/or chemo-embolisation, intra-arterial hepatic chemotherapy) has convinced radiologists to perfect their knowledge of the anatomy of the liver arteries. These sometimes, complex procedures most often require selective arterial catheterization. Knowledge of the different arteries in the liver and the peripheral organs is therefore essential to optimize the procedure and avoid eventual complications. This paper aims to describe the anatomy of the liver arteries and the variants, applying it to angiography images, and to understand the implications of such variations in interventional radiological procedures.

Transcatheter arterial embolization for acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Indications, techniques and outcomes.

Over the past three decades, transcatheter arterial embolization has become the first-line therapy for the management of acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding that is refractory to endoscopic hemostasis. Advances in catheter-based techniques and newer embolic agents, as well as recognition of the effectiveness of minimally invasive treatment options, have expanded the role of interventional radiology in the treatment of bleeding for a variety of indications. Transcatheter arterial embolization is a fast, safe, and effective minimally invasive alternative to surgery, when endoscopic treatment fails to control acute bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract. This article describes the role of arterial embolization in the management of acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding and summarizes the literature evidence on the outcomes of endovascular therapy in such a setting.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for acute variceal gastrointestinal bleeding: Indications, techniques and outcomes.

Acute variceal bleeding is a life-threatening condition that requires a multidisciplinary approach for effective therapy. The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure is a minimally invasive image-guided intervention used for secondary prevention of bleeding and as salvage therapy in acute bleeding. Emergency TIPS should be considered early in patients with refractory variceal bleeding once medical treatment and endoscopic sclerotherapy fail, before the clinical condition worsens. Furthermore, admission to specialized centers is mandatory in such a setting and regional protocols are essential to be organized effectively. This procedure involves establishment of a direct pathway between the hepatic veins and the portal veins to decompress the portal venous hypertension that is the source of the patient's bleeding. The procedure is technically challenging, especially in critically ill patients, and has a mortality of 30%-50% in the emergency setting, but has an effectiveness greater than 90% in controlling bleeding from gastro-esophageal varices. This review focuses on the role of TIPS in the setting of variceal bleeding, with emphasis on current indications and techniques for TIPS creation, TIPS clinical outcomes, and the role of adjuvant embolization of varices.

Papillary necrosis: a late complication of nephropathia epidemica?

In the following we describe a case of nephropathia epidemica, which exhibited, a few years after acute infection, arterial hypertension and multiple papillary necrosis. Papillary necrosis was diagnosed by i.v. pyelography and CT Scan. A complete evaluation of the patient failed to show any other etiology for medullary necrosis. If arterial hypertension has already been reported as a complication of nephropathia epidemica, papillary necrosis is exceptional, but may be explained by the severe vascular troubles engendered by Hantavirus infection in kidney medulla.

Hepatic arterial infusion of cisplatin diluted in hypotonic 25 g/l glucose solution administered in balloon-occluded hepatic artery: experimental rationale and clinical pilot study.

Reduced osmolarity in incubation medium was previously shown to increase in vitro cellular accumulation and cytotoxicity of cisplatin on cancer cells. We confirmed in the present work that cisplatin diluted in an hypotonic 25 g/l glucose solution (124 mOsm) was dramatically more cytotoxic in vitro than cisplatin diluted in normotonic 9 g/l NaCl (300 mOsm) on the human HT29 colon and MCF7 breast cancer cells. We conducted then a pilot clinical study on the administration of cisplatin diluted in hypotonic 25 g/l glucose solution given through the balloon-occluded hepatic artery for the treatment of liver metastases from colon or breast cancer tumors. Nine patients (5 men, 4 women; mean age 58, range: 44-71) with confirmed isolated, unresectable metastases from colorectal (7) or breast (2) tumors were included in this study and a total of 23 cycles were administered (2.55 per patient; range 1-5) with an average dose of 50 mg cisplatin (range: 12.5-100). Hepatic artery dissection due to balloon injury with partial or complete arterial obstruction were encountered in 2 patients. Pain in the liver and epigastric area was the main symptom which was constant and intense during the IAH cisplatin injection. Fever > 38 degrees C was observed in 15/23 cycles and increase of creatinine in 1/23 cycles. Transient increase of hepatic transaminases without change in prothrombin time was registered in all patients. However one patient who received the highest dose of 100 mg cisplatin developed a persistent but reversible clinical jaundice and a transient increase in prothrombin time. One patient achieved a partial response (12 weeks), 7 had stable disease (mean duration: 6 weeks) and one had a progressive disease. Hepatic arterial infusion of cisplatin diluted in hypotonic 25 g/l glucose solution and administered through the balloon-occluded hepatic artery is a feasible approach. Total dose of cisplatin in hypotonic glucose solution will not exceed 80 mg by cure in a further phase II study.

[Four years followup of complicated Cockett syndrome treated by iliac vein endoprosthesis]. / Suivi à 4 ans des endoprothèses veineuses iliaques dans le syndrome de Cockett compliqué.

The purpose of this study was to check the long-term patency of the left common iliac vein endoprosthesis in Cockett syndrome and to confirm this appropriate etiological treatment in complicated cases. Three patients had respectively a pulmonary embolism, left common iliac vein occlusion with protein S deficiency, and venous claudication (Paget-von Schroetter syndrome) as complications of the Cockett syndrome. Treatment with endoprosthesis was performed. A mean follow-up of 48.6 months (31-61 months) revealed a clinical improvement without any recurrence of complications. The patency of the left common iliac vein flow was maintained. Indications on this treatment are being discussed.

[Practical role of ultrasonography and clinical examination for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Prospective study]. / Rôle pratique de l'échotomographie et de l'examen clinique dans le diagnostic de l'appendicite aiguë. Etude prospective.

The aim of this 100-patient prospective study was to compare three types of investigations in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis: initial clinical examination, initial appendicular ultrasound examination, and final results of repeated clinical examinations carried out within the first 48 hours. Final results included initial evaluation, obvious clinical results and definitive results from patients under 48 hour observation for uncertain diagnosis. Clinical initial or appendicular ultrasound examinations were poorly contributive to diagnosis (overall accuracy: 76 percent). On the contrary, repeated clinical examinations yielded a 100 percent sensitivity, a 94 percent specificity, a 94 percent positive predictive value, a 97 percent negative predictive value and a 97 p. 100 overall accuracy. No morbidity was noted in observing patients for 48 hours. Unwarranted appendectomies were carried out in 3 percent of cases. Ultrasonography of the appendix seems useful for the differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis.