Endovascular thrombectomy provides durable, symptomatic relief in iliocaval tumor thrombosis.

AIMS: Iliocaval venous tumor thrombus is a morbid condition associated with chronic venous stasis, lower extremity edema/pain, extensive thrombus burden and high mortality secondary to critical flow obstruction, intracardiac thrombus extension and tumor embolization. Typically resistant to medical therapy, management is primarily surgical, presenting challenges for medically complex patients with widespread or end-stage disease. Mechanical or aspiration thrombectomy represents an appealing treatment strategy but data are lacking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a single-center, 10-year, retrospective review of patients with pathology-confirmed, iliocaval tumor thrombus who underwent thrombectomy. 14 patients met inclusion criteria and were managed by 18 procedures over this period. RESULTS: The most common malignancy was renal-cell carcinoma (n=7; 50%); other types included germ cell (n=2; 14%), other genitourinary (n=2; 14%), neuroendocrine (n=1; 7%), soft tissue (n=1; 7%), and skin cell malignancies (n=1; 7%). All patients had thrombus involving the distal inferior venous cava (IVC), 50% had bilateral iliac involvement and 29% atrial involvement. Common indications were venous obstruction symptoms (n=11; 65%) and evidence of embolism (n=6; 35%). All patients tolerated the procedures without acute complication. The technical success rate was 94%, with marked improvement of flow and reduction in thrombus burden, and 79% had subjective symptomatic improvement. All patients survived for >2 weeks and 50% had long-term survival of >1 year, with 86% of these patients having renal-cell carcinoma (RCC). Three patients underwent multiple thrombectomies within days to weeks, with ultimate symptomatic improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our study results suggest mechanical or aspiration thrombectomy as a safe and efficacious treatment for patients with iliocaval tumor thrombus.

Cost drivers in endovascular pulmonary embolism interventions.

AIM: To determine the costs associated with endovascular pulmonary embolism (PE) interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Procedural costs were determined utilising time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC). A multidisciplinary team created process maps describing personnel, space, equipment, materials, and time required for each procedural step. Costs and capacity cost rates were determined using institutional and publicly available financial data. RESULTS: Process maps were developed for catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis (USAT), pharmaco-mechanical thrombectomy (PMT), mechanical-aspiration thrombectomy (MAT), and aspiration thrombectomy (AT). Total costs were CDT $3,889, USAT $9,017.10, PMT $9,565.98, AT $12,126.42, and MAT $13,748.01. Tissue plasminogen activator costs represented 46.4% of the total materials cost for CDT, 13.1% for PMT, and 10.8% for USAT. Intensive care unit costs constitute 33.4% in CDT, 13.5% in USAT, and 13.1% in PMT of the total procedure costs. Highest total procedural costs were AT and MAT with materials cost comprising 82.6% and 80.3% of total costs, respectively. CONCLUSION: Costs were greatest with large-bore mechanical aspiration and least with catheter-directed thrombolysis using a multi-side hole infusion catheter. In the absence of a reference standard technique, physician-driven device selection can substantially impact the price of a procedure. Device choice and costs must be weighed against long-term technical and clinical success to maximise the healthcare value equation.

Endovascular Release of a 50-Year-Old Adams-Deweese IVC Clip to Facilitate Percutaneous Repair of Mitral Valve Regurgitation.

Percutaneous mitral valve (MV) repair using MitraClip requires large-caliber venous access. We describe a patient with a ligated inferior vena cava due to an Adams-DeWeese clip placed 50 years prior, who had progressive shortness of breath and lower extremity symptoms secondary to severe mitral regurgitation and chronic iliocaval deep venous thrombosis. Due to comorbidities, MitraClip was recommended over surgery for MV repair. Caval luminal gain was required to facilitate endovascular access for the MitraClip system. Stent-mediated release of the inferior vena cava clip allowed successful passage of the delivery sheath from the common femoral vein to MV and subsequent valve repair.

Treatment of metastatic placental site trophoblastic tumor with surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and coil embolization of multiple pulmonary arteriovenous fistulate.

Placental Site Trophoblastic Tumor (PSTT) is a rare malignancy that often presents with extensive disease and can be resistant to traditional treatments. We present the case of a woman with stage IV PSTT who was initially managed with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by tumor debulking. Adjuvant therapy was guided by further pathologic analysis that revealed high levels of staining for PD-L1 as well as the presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Subsequently, the patient was treated with traditional chemotherapy with the EP/EMA regimen with the addition of pembrolizumab. The patient's treatment course was complicated by the development of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, autoimmune thyroiditis thought to be secondary to immunotherapy, and significant tinnitus secondary to platinum agents. Currently the patient is in follow up and remains in a complete remission.

Transfemoral Venous Access Facilitates Upper Extremity Dialysis Interventions: Procedural Success and Clinical Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To report technical success and clinical outcomes of transfemoral venous access for upper extremity dialysis interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 15 patients underwent a transfemoral venous approach for fistulography (n = 4; 27%) or thrombectomy (n = 11; 73%) over a 14-month period. Access characteristics, sheath size, thrombectomy method, angioplasty site, fluoroscopy time, radiation dose, technical and clinical success, complications, and post-intervention primary and secondary patency rates were recorded. RESULTS: Access type included arteriovenous fistulas (n = 10; 67%) and grafts (n = 5; 33%). The most common configuration was brachio-brachial (n = 6; 38%). Mean age of access was 37 months. Mean prior interventions were 4. Right CFV access was used in all patients using 6-8-French (most common: 7-French [n = 10; 67%]) sheaths. Most thrombectomies (n = 11; 73%) required both pharmacologic and mechanical maceration (n = 9; 82%). All accesses required angioplasty to treat underlying stenosis at the outflow vein (n = 12; 80%) or arteriovenous anastomosis (n = 9; 90%). Mean fluoroscopy time was 26.43 min. Air kerma and dose area product were 178.06 ± 225.77 mGy and 57,768.83 ± 87,553.29 µGym2, respectively. Procedural and clinical success rates were 93% and 80%, respectively. Technical failure was due to persistent stenosis in one patient. Clinical failure was due to unsuccessful dialysis immediately following intervention in three patients. Mean post-intervention primary patency and secondary patency durations were 2.8 and 4.8 months, respectively. Primary patency rates at 1 and 3 months were 50% and 35%, respectively. Secondary patency rates at 1 and 3 months were 58% and 30%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A transfemoral venous approach for intervention of upper extremity dialysis accesses may be a valuable adjunct to traditional approaches.

Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a potentially lethal outcome of pulmonary embolism. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is aimed at improving pulmonary perfusion and pulmonary hemodynamics and has gained a lot of interest recently in patients either unsuitable for or refractory to surgical pulmonary endarterectomy. This article outlines the clinical features and diagnostic criteria, imaging evaluation, current medical and surgical treatment options for CTEPH. BPA is discussed in detail, focusing on the rationale, patient selection, technical details, post-procedural care and outcomes.

Regional cerebral perfusion in Landau-Kleffner syndrome and related childhood aphasias.

Assessment of cerebral perfusion may elucidate pathogenesis of Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS). We obtained 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT studies in five children with LKS and in three children with syndromes of verbal-auditory agnosia. In LKS, perfusion showed temporoparietal asymmetry (9.56% +/- 3.44%) (n = 4) or bilateral parietal abnormality (n = 1). SPECT in non-LKS patients was normal (n = 1), showed (n = 1) totihemispheral hypoperfusion accompanying structural abnormality or (n = 1) a pattern resembling but distinct from LKS. Seizures in LKS patients had never occurred (n = 1), were controlled satisfactorily (n = 2), or poorly (n = 2). Maximum EEG abnormality was left centrotemoral-occipital (n = 1), left frontocentral (n = 1), bitemporal/left central (n = 1), and left central/parasagittal (n = 1). Asymmetric temporoparietal perfusion appears characteristic of LKS, differing from findings in other childhood linguistic disturbances. This abnormality occurs across a spectrum of seizure expression, diverging from the distribution of EEG abnormalities. The SPECT abnormalities parallel PET-defined LKS metabolic abnormalities, and may indicate central pathogenetic features of the disorder.

The effectiveness of subgingival scaling and root planning. I. Clinical detection of residual calculus.

This study evaluated the ability of clinicians to detect residual calculus following subgingival scaling and root planing and compared the clinical detection to the microscopic presence and surface area occupied by calculus found on teeth extracted after instrumentation. Interexaminer and intraexaminer reproducibility in clinically detecting subgingival calculus was also determined. One hundred one extracted teeth with 476 instrumented tooth surfaces were evaluated stereomicroscopically for the presence of calculus and the percent surface area with calculus was determined by computerized imaging analysis; 57% of all surfaces had residual microscopic calculus and the mean percent calculus per surface area was 3.1% (0 to 31.9%). Shallow sites had greater surface area of calculus than moderate and deep sites. The difference was not significant. The interexaminer and intraexaminer clinical agreement in detecting calculus was low. There was a high false negative response (77.4% of the surfaces with microscopic calculus were clinically scored as being free of calculus) and a low false positive response (11.8% of the surfaces microscopically free of calculus were clinically determined to have calculus). This study indicates the difficulties in clinically determining the thoroughness of subgingival instrumentation.

Intracochlear schwannoma presenting as diffuse cochlear enhancement: diagnostic challenges of a rare cause of deafness.

Intracochlear schwannoma is a rare, treatable, cause of unilateral hearing loss. Due to the small size, position, and variable clinical and imaging features, diagnosis presents a significant challenge and is often delayed. We present a case of a patient with an intracochlear schwannoma presenting as a diffuse enhancement of the cochlea, mimicking an infectious or inflammatory process. The absence of focal nodularity in this lesion on multiple high-resolution MRI examinations led to a delay of over 3 years from the patient's initial presentation to surgical diagnosis. Clinical history and examination, imaging features, pathologic findings, and surgical management options are described.

A rare cause of calf swelling: the Morel-Lavallee lesion.

INTRODUCTION: Calf swelling is a common clinical presentation with a wide and varied differential diagnosis. The Morel-Lavallee is a rare cause of subcutaneous swelling, caused by post-traumatic shearing of the hypodermis from the underlying fascia. The potential space so created fills with blood, lymph and necrotic fat giving specific findings on MR evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case of a 53-year-old man with calf swelling is presented, with clinical and MRI correlation. Treatment options and clinical course are discussed. CONCLUSION: The Morel-Lavallee lesion is a rare but important cause of calf swelling. MRI is the mainstay of diagnosis and treatment includes both surgical and minimally invasive modalities.

Carotid artery dissection following a minor household accident in a 10-month-old child.

INTRODUCTION: Dissection of the carotid arteries is an important cause of ischaemic stroke in childhood. Rarely, blunt trauma to the soft palate can result in an internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection leading to thrombosis, embolism and stroke. CASE PRESENTATION: A 10-month-old child was admitted to hospital having presented with minor intra-oral trauma following a fall from a sofa whilst carrying a spoon in her mouth. After an interval, the child's level of consciousness decreased. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and neck revealed occlusion of the left ICA, oedema of the perivascular tissues and cerebral ischaemia in the left middle cerebral artery territory. CONCLUSION: A carotid artery dissection after minor trauma to the soft palate is a rare, but potentially severe complication. The combination of minor precipitating trauma, prolonged symptom-free intervals and complexity of clinical neurological assessment in small children contributes to a difficult diagnostic dilemma.