Jeet Minocha

Alpha-Fetoprotein Response After Locoregional Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Oncologic Marker of Radiologic Response, Progression, and Survival

PURPOSE Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is considered to be an indicator of tumor activity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We present a novel correlation of AFP response to radiologic response, time-to-progression (TTP), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) in patients treated with locoregional therapies. PATIENTS AND METHODS Four hundred sixty-three patients with HCC were treated with chemoembolization or radioembolization at our institution. One hundred twenty-five patients with baseline AFP higher than 200 ng/mL were studied for this analysis. AFP response was defined as more than 50% decrease from baseline. One hundred nineteen patients with follow-up imaging were studied for the AFP imaging correlation analysis. AFP response was correlated to radiologic response, TTP, PFS, and OS. Multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS Eighty-one patients (65%) showed AFP response. AFP response was seen in 26 (55%) of 47 and 55 (70%) of 78 of patients treated with chemoembolization and radioembolization, respectively (P = .12). WHO response was seen in 41 (53%) of 77 and 10 (24%) of 42 of AFP responders and nonresponders, respectively (P = .002). The hazard ratio (HR) for TTP in AFP nonresponders compared with responders was 2.8 (95% CI, 1.5 to 5.1). The HR for PFS was 4.2 (95% CI, 2.4 to 7.2) in AFP nonresponders compared with responders. The HR for OS in AFP nonresponders compared with responders was 5.5 (95% CI, 3.1 to 9.9) and 2.7 (95% CI, 1.6 to 4.6) on univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively. CONCLUSION The data presented support the use of AFP response seen after locoregional therapy as an ancillary method of assessing tumor response and survival, as well as an early objective screening tool for progression by imaging.

Efficacy and Safety of Flow-Directed Pulmonary Artery Catheter Thrombolysis for Treatment of Submassive Pulmonary Embolism

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of flow-directed catheter thrombolysis for treatment of submassive pulmonary embolism (PE). MATERIALS AND METHODS In this single-institution retrospective study, 19 patients (nine men and 10 women; mean age [± SD], 54 ± 13 years) with submassive PE underwent catheter-directed thrombolysis between 2009 and 2013. Presenting symptoms included dyspnea in 18 of 19 (95%) cases. Submassive PE was diagnosed by pulmonary CT arteriography and right ventricular strain. PE was bilateral in 17 of 19 (89%) and unilateral in two of 19 (11%) cases. Thrombolysis was performed via a pulmonary artery (PA) catheter infusing 0.5- 1.0 mg alteplase per hour and was continued to complete or near complete clot dissolution with reduction in PA pressure. IV systemic heparin was administered. Measured outcomes included procedural success, PA pressure reduction, clinical success, survival, and adverse events. RESULTS Procedural success, defined as successful PA catheter placement, fibrinolytic agent delivery, PA pressure reduction, and achievement of complete or near complete clot dissolution, was achieved in 18 of 19 (95%) cases. Thrombolysis required 57 ± 31 mg of alteplase administered over 89 ± 32 hours. Initial and final PA pressures were 30 ± 10 mm Hg and 20 ± 8 mm Hg (p < 0.001). All 18 (100%) technically successful cases achieved clinical success because all patients experienced symptomatic improvement. Eighteen of 19 (95%) patients survived to hospital discharge; 18 of 19 (95%) and 15 of 16 (94%) patients had documented 1-month and 3-month survival. One fatal case of intracranial hemorrhage was attributed to supratherapeutic anticoagulation because normal fibrinogen levels did not suggest remote fibrinolysis; procedural success was not achieved in this case because of early thrombolysis termination. No other complications were encountered. CONCLUSION Among a small patient cohort, flow-directed catheter thrombolysis with alteplase effectively dissolved submassive PE and reduced PA pressure. Postprocedure short-term survival was high, and patients undergoing thrombolysis required close observation for bleeding events.

Prophylactic Embolization of the Gastroduodenal and Right Gastric Arteries Is Not Routinely Necessary before Radioembolization with Glass Microspheres

the utility of aggressive retrieval methods for technically complex cases. As the number of implanted optional IVC filters continues to increase, interventional radiologists will continue to see an increasing number of complex filter retrievals. In cases in which advanced techniques prove unsuccessful individually, combined approaches such as the sling and grasping forceps technique described herein may be the difference between successful filter retrieval and conversion of the filter into a permanent device.

Ultrasound-guided intranodal lymphangiography followed by thoracic duct embolization for treatment of postoperative bilateral chylothorax

Percutaneous thoracic duct embolization (TDE) is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive option for treating chylothorax. A recent report demonstrated the feasibility of ultrasound‐guided intranodal lymphangiography as an alternative to pedal lymphangiography for visualization of the thoracic duct, promising relative technical ease and decreased procedure time for TDE.

Should transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt stent grafts be underdilated

Although underdilation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) stent grafts is commonly performed to limit complications arising from excessive portosystemic shunting, it is uncertain whether underdilated stents retain their smaller diameter indefinitely or eventually expand to nominal caliber. In this investigation, postprocedure computed tomography (CT) was used to compare diameters of underdilated TIPSs and TIPSs expanded to a nominal diameter of 10 mm in 61 cases. The groups had comparable shunt diameters on post-TIPS imaging (9.8 mm vs 9.9 mm; P = .079), with similar incidences of hepatic encephalopathy (34% vs 20%; P = .372), indicating stent self-expansion over time, and bringing into question the advantages of underdilation for customization of shunt caliber.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for the treatment of medically refractory ascites

PURPOSE This study was performed to assess the safety, efficacy, and clinical outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation for treatment of medically refractory ascites and to identify prognostic factors for clinical response, morbidity, and mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this retrospective study, 80 patients (male:female, 52:28; mean age, 56 years; mean Model for End-Stage Liver Disease [MELD] score, 15.1) who underwent elective TIPS creation for refractory ascites between 1999-2012 were studied. A medical record review was performed to identify data on demographics, liver disease, procedures, and outcome. The influence of these parameters on 30-day, 90-day, and one-year mortality was assessed using binary logistic regression. Overall survival was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier statistics. RESULTS TIPS was successfully created using covered (n=70) or bare metal (n=10) stents. Hemodynamic success was achieved in all cases. The mean final portosystemic pressure gradient (PSG) was 6.8 mmHg. Thirty-day complications included mild encephalopathy in 35% of patients. Clinical improvement in ascites occurred in 78% of patients, with complete resolution or a ≥50% decrease in 66% of patients. No predictors of response or optimal PSG threshold were identified. The 30-day, 90-day, and one-year mortality rates were 14%, 23%, and 33%, respectively. Patient age (P = 0.026) was associated with 30-day mortality, while final PSG was associated with 90-day (P = 0.020) and one year (P = 0.032) mortality. No predictors of overall survival were identified. CONCLUSION TIPS creation effectively treats medically refractory ascites with nearly 80% efficacy. The incidence of mild encephalopathy is nontrivial. Older age and final PSG are associated with mortality, and these factors should be considered in patient selection and procedure performance.

Magnetic resonance elastography identifies fibrosis in adults with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency liver disease: a prospective study

Limited data exist on the clinical presentation and non‐invasive detection of liver fibrosis in adults with homozygous Z genotype alpha‐1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency.

Root Cause Analysis of Rebleeding Events following Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation for Variceal Hemorrhage

PURPOSE To identify fundamental causes underlying recurrent variceal hemorrhage (VH) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) to ascertain opportunities for improvement of TIPS-based management of VH and prevention of rebleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS This single-center retrospective study comprised 166 patients (male-to-female ratio 101:65; median age, 52 y; median Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, 14) who had TIPS created for VH in 1998-2014. Medical record review was used to identify patients who had recurrent VH events, and root cause analysis allowed identification of the most probable causal factors. A 5-person interventional radiology physician group generated quality improvement (QI) recommendations for process changes to address causal factors, with consensus achieved using a modified Delphi method. RESULTS Variceal rebleeding occurred after TIPS in 25 (15%) patients. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year variceal rebleeding incidence was 17%, 21%, and 21%, respectively. Variceal rebleeding was associated with high 90-day all-cause mortality incidence (10/25; 40%). Male sex (P = .018) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (P = .009) were statistically associated with variceal rebleeding. The most common primary and secondary causes of recurrent VH were lack of or insufficient variceal embolization (64%). Other causal factors included TIPS stenosis or occlusion (28%) with recurrent portosystemic gradient (PSG) elevation (20%), severe coagulopathy (20%), inadequate portosystemic gradient reduction (12%), and TIPS underdilation (4%). To potentially address variceal rebleeding, 14 preventive QI recommendations were developed. CONCLUSIONS Although recurrent VH rates after TIPS are not trivial, rebleeding may be related to addressable underlying causal factors. Further investigation may assess the efficacy of QI-based procedure methodologic enhancements in reducing rebleeding incidence after TIPS.

Survival benefit of TIPS versus serial paracentesis in patients with refractory ascites: a single institution case-control propensity score analysis

AIM To compare the impact of covered stent-graft transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) versus serial paracentesis on survival of patients with medically refractory ascites. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this retrospective study, cirrhotic patients who underwent covered stent-graft TIPS for refractory ascites from 2003-2013 were compared with similar patients who underwent serial paracentesis during 2009-2013. Demographic and liver disease data, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores, and survival outcomes were obtained from hospital electronic medical records and the social security death index. After propensity score weighting to match study group characteristics, survival outcomes were compared using Kaplan-Meier statistics with log-rank analysis. RESULTS Seventy TIPS (70% men, mean age 55.7 years, mean MELD 15.1) and 80 paracentesis (58% men, mean age 53.5 years, mean MELD 22.5) patients were compared. The TIPS haemodynamic success rate was 100% (mean portosystemic pressure gradient reduction 13 mmHg). Paracentesis patients underwent a mean of 7.9 procedures. After propensity score weighting to balance group features, TIPS patients showed a trend toward enhanced survival compared with paracentesis patients (median survival 1037 versus 262 days, p = 0.074). TIPS conferred a significant increase or trend toward improved survival compared with paracentesis at 1 (66% versus 44%, p = 0.018), 2 (56% versus 38%, p = 0.057), and 3 year (49% versus 32%, p = 0.077) time points. Thirty and 90 day mortality rates were not statistically increased by TIPS. CONCLUSION Covered stent-graft TIPS improves intermediate- to long-term survival without significantly increasing short-term mortality of ascites patients, and suggests a greater potential role for TIPS in properly selected ascitic patients when medical management fails.

Older patient age may predict early mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation in individuals at intermediate risk.

PURPOSE To identify prognostic factors for early mortality among patients with intermediate-risk Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores undergoing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this single-institution retrospective study, 47 patients (31 men; mean age, 54 y) with intermediate MELD scores (ie, 18-25) underwent TIPS creation between 1999 and 2012. Medical records were reviewed to identify demographic (age, sex), liver disease (Child-Pugh, MELD), and procedure data (indication, urgency, stent type, portosystemic pressure gradient reduction, complications), and the influence of these parameters on 90-day mortality was assessed by multivariate binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS TIPSs were successfully created for variceal hemorrhage (n = 24), ascites (n = 17), hydrothorax (n = 5), and portal vein thrombosis (n = 1). Hemodynamic success rate was 94% (44 of 47), and mean portosystemic pressure gradient reduction was 13 mm Hg. The 90-day mortality rate was 36% (17 of 47). Patient age (P = .026) was significantly associated with 90-day mortality. Mean ages of living versus dead patients were 51 and 60 years, and mortality rates in patients aged 54 years or younger versus 55 years or older were 21% (five of 24) and 52% (12 of 23), respectively. There was no difference in MELD scores between these age groups (20.6 vs 21.0; P = .600), and MELD score was not a predictive factor on regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS Age is a prognostic factor for early mortality in TIPS recipients with intermediate MELD scores. Mortality rates are higher in patients at least 55 years of age, but MELD score does not predict survival in this subset. Age should be contemplated when selecting patients at intermediate risk for TIPS creation.