Role of interventional radiology in the management of acute gastrointestinal bleeding

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding(GIB) can lead to significant morbidity and mortality without appropriate treatment. There are numerous causes of acute GIB including but not limited to infection, vascular anomalies, inflammatory diseases, trauma, and malignancy. The diagnostic and therapeutic approach of GIB depends on its location, severity, and etiology. The role of interventional radiology becomes vital in patients whose GIB remains resistant to medical and endoscopic treatment. Radiology offers diagnostic imaging studies and endovascular therapeutic interventions that can be performed promptly and effectively with successful outcomes. Computed tomography angiography and nuclear scintigraphy can localize the source of bleeding and provide essential information for the interventional radiologist to guide therapeutic management with endovascular angiography and transcatheter embolization. This review article provides insight into the essential role of Interventional Radiology in the management of acute GIB.

Interventional radiology treatment for pulmonary embolism

Venous thromboembolism(VTE) is an illness that has a potentially life-threatening condition that affects a large percentage of the global population. VTE with pulmonary embolism(PE) is the third leading cause of death after myocardial infarction and stroke. In the first three months after an acute PE, there is an estimated 15% mortality among submassive PE, and 68% mortality in massive PE. Current guidelines suggest fibrinolytic therapy regarding the clinical severity, however some studies suggest a more aggressive treatment approach. This review will summarize the available endovascular treatments and the different techniques with its indications and outcomes.

Machine learning prediction of hepatic encephalopathy for long-term survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in acute variceal bleeding

BACKGROUND Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is an effective intervention for managing complications of portal hypertension,particularly acute variceal bleeding(AVB).While effective in reducing portal pressure and preventing rebleeding,TIPS is associated with a considerable risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy(OHE),a complication that significantly elevates mortality rates.AIM To develop a machine learning(ML)model to predict OHE occurrence post-TIPS in patients with AVB using a 5-year dataset.METHODS This retrospective single-center study included 218 patients with AVB who underwent TIPS.The dataset was divided into training(70%)and testing(30%)sets.Critical features were identified using embedded methods and recursive feature elimination.Three ML algorithms-random forest,extreme gradient boosting,and logistic regression-were validated via 10-fold cross-validation.SHapley Additive exPlanations analysis was employed to interpret the model’s predictions.Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves and stepwise Cox regression analysis to compare overall survival(OS)between patients with and without OHE.RESULTS The median OS of the study cohort was 47.83±22.95 months.Among the models evaluated,logistic regression demonstrated the highest performance with an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.825.Key predictors identified were Child-Pugh score,age,and portal vein thrombosis.Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients without OHE had a significantly longer OS(P=0.005).The 5-year survival rate was 78.4%,with an OHE incidence of 15.1%.Both actual OHE status and predicted OHE value were significant predictors in each Cox model,with model-predicted OHE achieving an AUC of 88.1 in survival prediction.CONCLUSION The ML model accurately predicts post-TIPS OHE and outperforms traditional models,supporting its use in improving outcomes in patients with AVB.

Recent advances in endovascular techniques for management of acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Over the past two decades,transcatheter arterial embolization has become the first-line therapy for the management of 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 management of hemorrhage for a variety of indications,such as peptic ulcerbleeding,malignant disease,hemorrhagic Dieulafoy lesions and iatrogenic or trauma bleeding.Transcatheter interventions include the following:selective embolization of the feeding artery,sandwich coil occlusion of the gastroduodenal artery,blind or empiric embolization of the supposed bleeding vessel based on endoscopic findings and coil pseudoaneurysm or aneurysm embolization by three-dimensional sac packing with preservation of the parent artery.Transcatheter embolization is a fast,safe and effective,minimally invasive alternative to surgery when endoscopic treatment fails to control bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract.This article reviews the various transcatheter endovascular techniques and devices that are used in a variety of clinical scenarios for the management of hemorrhagic gastrointestinal emergencies.

Post-traumatic hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm treated with endovascular embolization and thrombin injection

Post-traumatic hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm is unc-ommon,appearing in approximately 1%of hepatic trauma cases.Most are extrahepatic(80%)and have a late onset.Although they are usually asymptomatic, they should always be treated becasue of the high risk of complications,especially breakage.Currently the treatment of choice is endovascular embolization with coils or the exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm using other intravascular devices.Recently there have been accounts of a treatment that combines embolization with coils and image-guided percutaneous human thrombin injection.We present a case of post-traumatichepatic artery pseudoaneurysm that was successfully treated using this combined technique.

Postoperative biliary adverse events following orthotopic liver transplantation: Assessment with magnetic resonance cholangiography

Biliary adverse events following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) are relatively common and continue to be serious causes of morbidity, mortality, and transplant dysfunction or failure. The development of these adverse events is heavily influenced by the type of anastomosis during surgery. The low specificity of clinical and biologic findings makes the diagnosis challenging. Moreover, direct cholangiographic procedures such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography present an inadmissible rate of adverse events to be utilized in clinically low suspected patients. Magnetic resonance (MR) maging with MR cholangiopancreatography is crucial in assessing abnormalities in the biliary system after liver surgery, including liver transplant. MR cholangiopancreatography is a safe, rapid, non-invasive, and effective diagnostic procedure for the evaluation of biliary adverse events after liver transplantation, since it plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and management of these events. On the basis of a recent systematic review of the literature the summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity of MR cholangiopancreatography for diagnosis of biliary adverse events following OLT were 0.95 and 0.92, respectively. It can provide a non-invasive method of imaging surgical reconstruction of the biliary anastomoses as well as adverse events including anastomotic and non-anastomotic strictures, biliary lithiasis and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction in liver transplant recipients. Nevertheless, conventional T2-weighted MR cholangiography can be implemented with T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MR cholangiography using hepatobiliary contrast agents (in particular using Gd-EOB-DTPA) in order to improve the diagnostic accuracy in the adverse events’ detection such as bile leakage and strictures, especially in selected patients with biliary-enteric anastomosis.

Manual aspiration thrombectomy for acute and subacute inferior vena cava thrombosis and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis(DVT), which can lead to pulmonary embolism(PE), is a major contributor to the global disease burden and is the third most common cardiovascular pathology after coronary artery disease and stroke. Venous thromboembolic disease, which encompasses the disease entities of DVT and PE, affects up to 10 million cases every year and represents a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. Standard anticoagulation therapy alone is ineffective at promoting deep venous system thrombus removal. Many patients develop postthrombotic syndrome(PTS) despite being on adequate anticoagulation therapy. Aggressive therapy for rapid thrombus removal is important to prevent the development of PTS. Besides impeding the onset of PTS, rapid clearance of the thrombus is also required in the treatment of phlegmasia cerulea dolens, an uncommon but life-threatening complication of acute DVT that can lead to arterial insufficiency, compartment syndrome, venous gangrene, and limb amputation. Manual aspiration thrombectomy(MAT) can provide rapid and effective therapy that could be compared to the open surgical thrombectomy approach with minimal risk of morbidity, mortality, or recurrence after surgery. Though many devices have been developed to date for pharmacomechanical thrombolysis, the cost of the treatment using these devices is very expensive. MAT is simple to perform, easy to learn, inexpensive, and rapid. This review will outline and dissect several studies and case reports, sourced from the Pub Med database, on the subject of the use of MAT in treating inferior vena cava thrombosis and lower extremity DVT, including in patients with compression of the iliac vein and phlegmasia cerulea dolens.

Role of transcatheter arterial embolization for massive bleeding from gastroduodenal ulcers

Intractable bleeding from gastric and duodenal ulcers is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Aggressive treatment with early endoscopic hemostasis is essential for a favourable outcome. In as many as 12%-17% of patients,endoscopy is either not available or unsuccessful. Endovascular therapy with selective catheterization of the culprit vessel and injection of embolic material has emerged as an alternative to emergent operative intervention in high-risk patients. There has not been a systematic literature review to assess the role for embolotherapy in the treatment of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding from gastroduo-denal ulcers after failed endoscopic hemostasis. Here,we present an overview of indications,techniques,and clinical outcomes after endovascular embolization of acute peptic-ulcer bleeding. Topics of particular relevance to technical and clinical success are also discussed. Our review shows that transcatheter arterial embolization is a safe alternative to surgery for massive gastroduodenal bleeding that is refractory to endoscopic treatment,can be performed with high technical and clinical success rates,and should be considered the salvage treatment of choice in patients at high surgical risk.

Management of duodenal ulcer bleeding resistant to endoscopy:Surgery is dead!

Acute massive duodenal bleeding is one of the most frequent complications of peptic ulcer disease.Endoscopy is the first-line method for diagnosing and treating actively bleeding peptic ulcers because its success rate is high.Of the small group of patients whose bleeding fails to respond to endoscopic therapy,increasingly the majority is referred for embolotherapy.Indeed,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 management of hemorrhage from peptic ulcers over the past decade.Embolization may be effective for even the most gravely ill patients for whom surgery is not a viable option,even when extravasation is not visualized by angiography.However,it seems that careful selection of the embolic agents according to the bleeding vessel may play a role in a successful outcome.The role of the surgeon in this clinical sphere is dramatically diminishing and will certainly continue to diminish in ensuing years,surgery being typically reserved for patients whose bleeding failed to respond all previous treatments.Such a setting has become extremely rare.

透析静脉通路狭窄:球囊血管成形术治疗——1min和3min扩张时间对照

目的前瞻性评估透析静脉通路狭窄行球囊血管成形术球囊扩张时间对手术成功性和术后初期血管开放情况的影响。

评价不可切除的肝细胞癌经动脉化疗栓塞后的长期毒副作用——单中心研究

目的评价肝细胞癌(HCC)病人经动脉化疗栓塞治疗(TACE)后6个月及1a的毒副作用。病例均进行规范化肿瘤治疗,可以与全身化疗的肝癌病人比较。材料及方法

Transarterial chemoembolization with pirarubicin-eluting microspheres in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Preliminary results

Purpose:To present the early results of pirarubicin-eluting microsphere transarterial chemoembolization(PETACE)for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Materials and methods:We retrospectively analyzed 55 consecutive patients with HCC who received PE-TACE between April 1,2015 and August 30,2016.The complication rate,tumor response rate,progression-free survival(PFS),and overall survival(OS)were analyzed.Results:Adverse events were generally mild and included abdominal pain and fever,although a major complication was reported in 1 patient(1.8%).During a median follow-up of 10.0 months(range,3.0-24.0 months),14 patients(25.5%)achieved a complete tumor response,25(45.5%)had a partial response,9(16.4%)showed stable disease,and 7(12.7%)had disease progression.The 1-month overall response rate was 70.9%,and the local tumor response rate was 89.0%.The 1-month tumor response rate was 100%for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC)stage A or B disease and 62.8%for BCLC stage C disease.The median PFS was 6.1 months(95%confidence interval[95%CI],3.4-8.8 months;range,1.0-24.0 months).The median OS was 11.0 months(95%CI,7.1-14.9 months;range,2.0-24.0 months).Kaplan-Meier analysis(log-rank test)found significant differences in OS between patients grouped by tumor number(P=0.006),tumor size(P=0.035),and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG)score(P=0.005).The tumor number(1 vs.>2)was the only factor independently associated with OS(hazard ratio[HR],2.867;95%CI,1.330-6.181;P=0.007).Conclusions:PE-TACE for unresectable HCC may be safe,with favorable tumor response rates and survival time,especially in patients with a single large tumor.Longer follow-up using a larger series is necessary to confirm these preliminary results.

Transhepatic venous approach to permanent pacemaker placement in a patient with limited central venous access

The end-stage renal disease population poses a challenge for obtaining venous access required for life-saving invasive cardiac procedures. In this case report, we describe an adult patient with end-stage renal disease in whom the hepatic vein was the only available access to implant a single-lead permanent cardiac pacemaker. A 63-year-old male with endstage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis and permanent atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter presented with symptomatic bradycardia. Imaging studies revealed all traditional central venous access sites to be occluded/non-accessible. With the assistance of vascular interventional radiology, a trans-hepatic venous catheter was placed. This was then used to place a right ventricular pacing lead with close attention to numerous technical aspects. The procedure was completed successfully with placement of a single-lead permanent cardiac pacemaker.

ERCP无法治疗的良性吻合口胆道狭窄:一种避免留置导管的新型经皮球囊扩张技术

目的评价一种新型经皮3次球囊扩张方案治疗良性吻合口胆道狭窄的远期通畅率。方法对于肝胆道手术或肝移植术后出现良性胆道狭窄且内镜无法治疗的病人,采用周期性经皮治疗的方法:在第1天进行20 min球囊扩张,并于第3、5天重复操作。

Utility of liver biopsy in predicting clinical outcomes after percutaneous angioplasty for hepatic venous obstruction in liver transplant patients

AIM: To determine utility of transplant liver biopsy in evaluating efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA) for hepatic venous obstruction(HVOO). METHODS: Adult liver transplant patients treated with PTA for HVOO(2003-2013) at a single institution were reviewed for pre/post-PTA imaging findings, manometry(gradient with right atrium), presence of HVOO on prePTA and post-PTA early and late biopsy(EB and LB, < or > 60 d after PTA), and clinical outcome, defined as good(no clinical issues, non-HVOO-related death) or poor(surgical correction, recurrent HVOO, or HVOOrelated death). RESULTS: Fifteen patients meeting inclusion criteria underwent 21 PTA, 658 ± 1293 d after transplant.In procedures with pre-PTA biopsy(n = 19), no difference was seen between pre-PTA gradient in 13/19 procedures with HVOO on biopsy and 6/19 procedures without HVOO(8 ± 2.4 mm Hg vs 6.8 ± 4.3 mm Hg; P = 0.35). Post-PTA, 10/21 livers had EB(29 ± 21 d) and 9/21 livers had LB(153 ± 81 d). On clinical follow-up(392 ± 773 d), HVOO on LB resulted in poor outcomes and absence of HVOO on LB resulted good outcomes. Patients with HVOO on EB(3/7 good, 4/7 poor) and no HVOO on EB(2/3 good, 1/3 poor) had mixed outcomes. CONCLUSION: Negative liver biopsy greater than 60 d after PTA accurately identifies patients with good clinical outcomes.

Cutting balloon treatment of anastomotic biliary stenosis after liver transplantation: Report of two cases

Biliary stenosis is a common complication after liver transplantation,and has an incidence rate ranging from4.7%to 12.5%based on our previous study.Three types of biliary stenosis(anastomotic stenosis,nonanastomotic peripheral stenosis and non-anastomotic central hilar stenosis)have been identified.We report the outcome of two patients with anastomotic stricture after liver transplantation who underwent successfulcutting balloon treatment.Case 1 was a 40-year-old male transplanted due to subacute fulminant hepatitis C.Case 2 was a 57-year-old male transplanted due to hepatitis B virus-related end-stage cirrhosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma.Both patients had similar clinical scenarios:refractory anastomotic stenosis after orthotopic liver transplantation and failure of balloon dilation of the common bile duct to alleviate biliary stricture.

Isolated limb infusion chemotherapy with or without hemofiltration for recurrent limb melanoma

AIM: To better define the efficacy and the safety of intra-arterial infusion performed with or without hemofiltration for recurrent limb melanoma. METHODS: Patients with the following characteristics were included in the study: recurrent limb melanoma not indicated for surgical resection, measurable disease in the extremity, > 18 years, performances status(Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) was 0-1 and life expectancy of at least 6 mo. Twenty nine consecutive patients were enrolled in the study. Patients underwent fluoroscopic placement of angiographic arterial and venous catheters to infuse the drug in the artery [isolated limb infusion(ILI)], and to stop the out flow(venous). Melphalan was rapidly infused into the isolated limb via the arterial catheter after the inflation of venous balloon catheter. Then the circulation of the limb was completely blocked with a pneumatic cuff at the root of the limb. Haemofiltration(HF) was available only in the main center, and was performed with an extracorporeal perfusion system, in order to reduce high systemic toxic peaks of drug.RESULTS: Thirty seven ILI were done in 29 cases(31 ILI-HF and 6 ILI) between 2001 and 2014 at Ancona and Pesaro Hospitals, Italy. Clinical outcomes were monitored 30 d after treatment. Eleven patients(38%) received infusion of melphalan alone, 7(24%) melphalan associated to mitomicin C and 7(24%) melphalan associated to cisplatin, the remaining 4 were treated with cisplatin, melphalan and epirubicin or cisplatin and mitomicin C. The overall response rate was 66%, in particular, 3 patients(10%) were complete responders and 16(56%) were partial responders; whereas 7 patients(24%) had stable disease, and 3(10%) showed progressive disease. Limb toxicity was assessed adopting Wieberdink scale, with evidence of 90% of low grade(I and II) toxicity.CONCLUSION: ILI-HF and ILI are effective and safe treatments for recurrent non-resectable limb melanoma. They present evidence of favorable clinical benefit and is effective in delaying progression.

Arterial embolization is the best treatment for pancreaticojejunal anastomotic bleeding after pancreatoduodenectomy

Massive pancreaticojejunal anastomotic bleeding, mainly from the gastroduodenal stump, is one of the most common complications of pancreato-duodenectomy. Selective angiography should be systematically the first step of investigative procedure in such situations. Pharmacoarteriography may be used if the bleeding point is not spontaneously identified, and allows safe and effective treatment with transcatheter arterial embolization compared to blind open surgical hemostasis. Coil embolization of the common or proper hepatic artery on either side of the bleeding point with "sandwich technique" is then the preferred technique to prevent retrograde filling. Surgery should be performed only as a last resort.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of uterine artery embolization vs. surgery for symptomatic uterine fibroids

Purpose: The aim of this study was to systematically review the safety and efficacy of uterine artery embolization(UAE) versus surgery for symptomatic uterine fibroids. Materials and Methods: An electronic search of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases was conducted from their inception to May 2017 for randomized controlled trials(RCTs) that assessed UAE versus surgery for the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids. The references of the included studies were also retrieved. Two reviewers independently screened the studies based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted the data, and assessed the methodological quality. The meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: A total of seven RCTs involving 859 patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed a shorter hospital stay and recovery time for UAE as compared to surgery. Surgery was not reported to be better for improving health-related quality of life in any of the included studies. There were no significant differences in patient satisfaction(1-2 and 5 years), and intra-procedural complications or major complications(1 year). However, the rates of minor complications(1 year) and further interventions(2 and 5 years) were significantly higher in patients who underwent UAE rather than surgery. The rates of pregnancy and live births were significantly lower among patients who underwent UAE than surgery. Conclusion: UAE is safe and effective, and has the advantages of shorter hospital stay and recovery time as compared to surgery. However, UAE has the risk of re-intervention, and lower pregnancy and live birth rates.

一种诊断肝纤维化的有效方法——评Wáng等IVIM诊断肝纤维化的论文

自从Le Bihan等作者于1986年描述体素内不相干运动(intravoxel incoherent motion,IVIM)磁共振弥散成像以来,这项技术取得了很大进展[1-4]。特别是在肝硬化和纤维化的情况下,许多研究显示了各种病理对弥散参数的影响。然而由于IVIM弥散参数值扫描的不稳定性,这些参数在个体患者诊断方面临床意义不大[5]。精确测量PF(f)和Dfast(D*)非常困难[6,7]。许多研究者试图提高测量精度、更好地理解扩弥散模式、改进图像采集序列或图像后处理。但是直到今天,肝脏IVIM参数测量的稳定性仍然不足,并难以满足日常的临床应用[5]。