Jack I. Eisenman

Collateral Vein Sign: Angiographic Demonstration of Renal Vein Invasion in Renal Carcinoma

Angiography currently assumes a major role in the diagnosis and staging of adenocarcinoma of the kidney. The diagnosis may be confirmed by angiography performed in place of biopsy in metastatic hypernephroma (5). The extent of the tumor and its blood supply can be mapped out preoperatively, facilitating the choice of surgical approach and permitting adequate control of bleeding during surgery. Spread of the tumor beyond the kidney may also be documented by angiography. The purpose of this report is to describe the angiographic appearance of collateral veins about the kidney involved with hypernephroma. These vessels indicate partial or complete obstruction of the renal vein and are almost always associated with renal vein invasion by tumor. The presence of these veins is referred to as the “Collateral Vein Sign.” Review of our cases of adenocarcinoma of the kidney with renal angiography disclosed 10 cases with renal vein invasion. In all of these cases, the collateral vein sign was present. These findings...

The isolated iliac artery aneurysm.

* From the Departments of Radiological Sciences (Dr. Eisenman and Dr. Finck) and Surgery (Dr. Doering), University of Califorma, California College of Medicine and Los Angeles County General Hospital, Unit II, Los Angeles, California. † Reprint requests to the Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, California College of Medicine, 1721 Griffin Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90031. Common iliac artery aneurysm has received little attention in the surgical and radiologic literature (1, 2). The increasing age of the population and availability of methods of treatment demand early recognition by the physician. The following case report is offered as an example of the diagnosis of this entity incidental to the patient’s initial chief complaint.

Radionuclide venography and the role of radionuclides in the detection of venous disease.

Until recently, the true incidence of venous thrombosis in the general population was difficult to determine. However, with the availability of noninvasive screening techniques, such data are now being gathered. The incidence of calf vein thrombosis, as measured by the fibrinogen uptake test in inpatient (medical and surgical) population, ranges from 30% to 60%.’ In carefully examined autopsy specimens, the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in the leg varied from 26% to 86%.’-’ 2

Light intensity variation. A novel approach to subtraction technique.

Abstract The authors describe a simple method of subtraction which involves varying the light intensity in printing the diapositive and final subtraction. Once standardized, subtraction can be performed routinely. This technique eliminates the necessity for second-order subtraction and simplifies the procedure by using conventional x-ray film for the final subtraction film.