Fracture of inferior vena cava stent after endovascular treatment for Budd-Chiari syndrome:A case series and literature review

Budd-Chiari syndrome(BCS)is a rare condition characterized by hepatic venous outflow obstruction.Balloon angioplasty,with or without stenting,is the recommended first-line treatment modality in Asian countries.As a supplement to balloon angioplasty,expandable metallic Z-stent deployment can effectively improve long-term inferior vena cava(IVC)patency.Although stent placement is a standard and frequently performed treatment,very few IVC stent-related complications,such as stent fractures,have been reported.Here we present a case series and a comprehensive review of IVC stent fractures in patients with BCS.The most common characteristic of IVC stent fractures is a protrusion of the proximal segment of the IVC stent into the right atrium and its systolic and diastolic movements along with heart rhythms.Accurate stent deployment,large-diameter balloon dilation,patient breath-holding training,preferential selection of a triple stent,and the use of an internal jugular vein approach to stent deployment may ensure precise stent localization and avoid postoperative complications.

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein thrombosis

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) with portal vein thrombosis(PVT) is complex andrequires an understanding of multiple therapeutic options. PVT is present in 10%-40% of HCC at the time of diagnosis, and is an adverse prognostic factor. Management options are limited, as transplantation is generally contraindicated, and surgical resection is only rarely performed in select centers. Systemic medical therapy with sorafenib has been shown to modestly prolong survival. Transarterial chemoembolization has been performed in select cases but has shown a high incidence of complications. Emerging data on treatment of PVT with Y-90 radioembolization suggest that this modality is well-tolerated and associated with favorable overall survival. Current society guidelines do not yet specifically recommend radioembolization for patients with PVT, but this may change with the development of newer staging systems and treatment algorithms. In this comprehensive literature review, we present current and available management options with the relative advantages, disadvantages and contraindications of these treatment options with summarized data on overall survival.

Portal hypertension: Imaging of portosystemic collateral pathways and associated image-guided therapy

Portal hypertension is a common clinical syndrome, defined by a pathologic increase in the portal venous pressure. Increased resistance to portal blood flow, the primary factor in the pathophysiology of portal hypertension, is in part due to morphological changes occurring in chronic liver diseases. This results in rerouting of blood flow away from the liver through collateral pathways to low-pressure systemic veins. Through a variety of computed tomographic, sonographic, magnetic resonance imaging and angiographic examples, this article discusses the appearances and prevalence of both common and less common portosystemic collateral channels in the thorax and abdomen. A brief overview of established interventional radiologic techniques for treatment of portal hypertension will also be provided. Awareness of the various imaging manifestations of portal hypertension can be helpful for assessing overall prognosis and planning proper management.

Nationwide trends and predictors of inpatient mortality in 83884 transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

AIM: To evaluate and validate the national trends and predictors of in-patient mortality of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in 15 years.METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample which is a part of Health Cost and Utilization Project, we identified a discharge-weighted national estimate of 83884 TIPS procedures performed in the United States from 1998 to 2012 using international classification of diseases-9 procedural code 39.1. The demographic, hospital and co-morbility data were analyzed using a multivariant analysis. Using multi-nominal logistic regression analysis, we determined predictive factors related to increases in-hospital mortality. Comorbidity measures are in accordance to the Comorbidity Software designed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.RESULTS: Overall, 12.3% of patients died during hospitalization with downward trend in-hospital mortality with the mean length of stay of 10.8 ± 13.1 d. Notable, African American patients (OR = 1.809 vs Caucasian patients, P < 0.001), transferred patients (OR = 1.347 vs non-transferred, P < 0.001), emergency admissions (OR = 3.032 vs elective cases, P < 0.001), patients in the Northeast region (OR = 1.449 vs West, P < 0.001) had significantly higher odds of in-hospital mortality. Number of diagnoses and number of procedures showed positive correlations with in-hospital death (OR = 1.249 per one increase in number of procedures). Patients diagnosed with acute respiratory failure (OR = 8.246), acute kidney failure (OR = 4.359), hepatic encephalopathy (OR = 2.217) and esophageal variceal bleeding (OR = 2.187) were at considerably higher odds of in-hospital death compared with ascites (OR = 0.136, P < 0.001). Comorbidity measures with the highest odds of in-hospital death were fluid and electrolyte disorders (OR = 2.823), coagulopathy (OR = 2.016), and lymphoma (OR = 1.842).CONCLUSION: The overall mortality of the TIPS procedure is steadily decreasing, though the length of stay has remained relatively constant. Specific patient ethnicity, location, transfer status, primary diagnosis and comorbidities correlate with increased odds of TIPS in-hospital death.

Effects of Yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy on non-conventional liver tumors

The liver is a common site of metastasis, with essentially all metastatic malignancies having been known to spread to the liver. Nearly half of all patients with extrahepatic primary cancer have hepatic metastases. The severe prognostic implications of hepatic metastases have made surgical resection an important first line treatment in management. However, limitations such as the presence of extrahepatic spread or poor functional hepatic reserve exclude the majority of patients as surgical candidates, leaving chemotherapy and locoregional therapies as next best options. Selective internal radiation therapy(SIRT) is a form of catheter-based locoregional cancer treatment modality for unresectable tumors, involving trans-arterial injection of microspheres embedded with a radioisotope Yttrium-90. The therapeutic radiation dose is selectively delivered as the microspheres permanently embed themselves within the tumor vascular bed. Use of SIRT has been conventionally aimed at treating primary hepatic tumors(hepatocellular carcinoma) or colorectal and neuroendocrine metastases. Numerous reviews are available for these tumor types. However, little is known or reviewed on non-colorectal or nonneuroendocrine primaries. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to systematically review the current literature to evaluate the effects of Yttrium-90 radioembolization on non-conventional liver tumors including those secondary to breast cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, ocular and percutaneous melanoma, pancreatic cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and lung cancer.

Usefulness of intra-procedural cone-beam computed tomography in modified balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration of gastric varices

AIM:To evaluate whether intra-procedural conebeam computed tomography(CBCT)performed during modified balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration(mB RTO)can accurately determine technical success of complete variceal obliteration.METHODS:From June 2012 to December 2014,15 patients who received CBCT during m BRTO for treatment of portal hypertensive gastric variceal bleeding were retrospectively evaluated.Three-dimensional(3D)CBCT images were performed and evaluated prior to the end of the procedure,and these were further analyzed and compared to the pre-procedure contrast-enhanced computed tomography to determine the technical success of m BRTO including:Complete occlusion/obliteration of:(1)gastrorenal shunt(GRS);(2)gastric varices;and(3)afferent feeding veins.Post-mB RTO contrast-enhanced CT was used to confirm the accuracy and diagnostic value of CBCT within 2-3 d.RESULTS:Intra-procedural 3D-CBCT images were 100% accurate in determining the technical success of m BRTO in all 15 cases.CBCT demonstrated complete occlusion/obliteration of GRS,gastric varices,collaterals and afferent feeding veins during m BRTO,which was confirmed with post-m BRTO CT.Two patients showed incomplete obliteration of gastric varices and feeding veins on CBCT,which therefore required additional gelfoam injections to complete the procedure.No patient required additional procedures or other interventions during their follow-up period(684 ± 279 d).CONCLUSION:CBCT during mB RTO appears to accurately and immediately determine the technical success of mB RTO.This may improve the technical and clinical success/outcome of m BRTO and reduce additional procedure time in the future.

Coil-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration for gastric varices in a Chinese case

Gastric varices are a major complication of portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis and are associated with more massive bleeding events and higher mortality rate.Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration(BRTO)have been well documented as effective therapies for portal hypertensive gastric variceal bleeding.In China,TIPS are well accepted but BRTO is not well recieved due to the increase risk of complications associated with traditional BRTO.However,modified-BRTO,known as coil-assisted and plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration(CARTO and PARTO,respectively),is receiving increased attention due to devoid of BRTO’s shortcomings.No CARTO case from China has been reported in literature thus far.Here,we present a Chinese case of CARTO to treat gastric varices bleeding.