Lucio Castellan

Arterial complications of pancreatitis : diagnostic and therapeutic role of radiology

Hemorrhage from pseudoaneurysm complicating pancreatitis is an infrequent but very severe condition. In most cases, acute, massive gastrointestinal bleeding is typical at onset, and prognosis of these cases is usually poor. Nine cases of arterial lesions secondary to pancreatic inflammation are presented, eight related to chronic pancreatitis and one to acute postoperative pancreatitis. Five patients were evaluated during emergency episodes because of acutely gastrointestinal bleeding (four cases), and pseudocyst acute bleeding (one case). Four patients were selectively evaluated: three had a history of self-limiting gastrointestinal hemorrhage, whereas one had experienced no episodes of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Angiography was performed in all cases and was always diagnostic, even in the two cases of very small pseudoaneurysms. Transcatheter arterial blockade was attempted in five patients and failed to control the hemorrhage in one acutely bleeding patient because of irreversible shock. Two cases of pancreatic hemorrhage not related to a pseudocyst were effectively and permanently treated by embolization. A case of a pseudoaneurysm associated with a pseudocyst required surgery in addition to embolization for a definitive treatment. Nevertheless, when a pseudoaneurysm or a pseudocyst hemorrhages acutely, transcatheter arterial blockade can control the hemorrhage and improve the hemodynamic status of the patient before surgery.

White Matter Lesions Progression in Migraine with Aura: A Clinical and MRI Longitudinal Study

To prospectively evaluate longitudinal changes in white matter lesions (WMLs) in migraineurs with aura, by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to correlate WMLs modifications with patients’ clinical characteristics.

Measurement of blood-brain barrier permeability with t1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in brain tumors: a comparative study with two different algorithms.

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of measuring different permeability parameters with T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in order to investigate the blood brain-barrier permeability associated with different brain tumors. The Patlak algorithm and the extended Tofts-Kety model were used to this aim. Twenty-five adult patients with tumors of different histological grades were enrolled in this study. MRI examinations were performed at 1.5 T. Multiflip angle, fast low-angle shot, and axial 3D T1-weighted images were acquired to calculate T1 maps, followed by a DCE acquisition. A region of interest was placed within the tumor of each patient to calculate the mean value of different permeability parameters. Differences in permeability measurements were found between different tumor grades, with higher histological grades characterized by higher permeability values. A significant difference in transfer constant (K trans) values was found between the two methods on high-grade tumors; however, both techniques revealed a significant correlation between the histological grade of tumors and their K trans values. Our results suggest that DCE acquisition is feasible in patients with brain tumors and that K trans maps can be easily obtained by these two algorithms, even if the theoretical model adopted could affect the final results.

Complications of endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms

The number of neuroendovascular treatments of both ruptured and unruptured aneurysms has increased substantially in the last two decades. Complications of endovascular treatments of cerebral aneurysms are rare but can potentially lead to acute worsening of the neurological status, to new neurological deficits or death. Some of the possible complications, such as vascular access site complications or systemic side effects associated with contrast medium (e.g. contrast medium allergy, contrast induced nephropathy) can also be encountered in diagnostic angiography. The most common complications of endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms are related to acute thromboembolic events and perforation of the aneurysm. Overall, the reported rate of thromboembolic complications ranges between 4.7% and 12.5% while the rate of intraprocedural rupture of cerebral aneurysms is about 0.7% in patients with unruptured aneurysms and about 4.1% in patients with previously ruptured aneurysms. Thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications may occur during different phases of endovascular procedures and are related to different technical, clinical and anatomic reasons. A thorough knowledge of the different aspects of these complications can reduce the risk of their occurrence and minimize their clinical sequelae. A deep understanding of complications and of their management is thus part of the best standard of care.

Excess Prevalence of Supraaortic Artery Lesions in Renovascular Hypertension: An Arteriographic Study

PurposeHigh renin or renovascular hypertension (RVH) has been associated with a higher risk of stroke than low-to-normal renin hypertension. Our present purpose was to investigate the angiographic prevalence and distribution of lesions of the supraaortic arteries in a series of consecutive patients with RVH compared with control patients with low-to-normal renin primary hypertension (PH).MethodsThirty-two consecutive hypertensives (21 females, 11 males, aged 23–72 years) were investigated by renal and aortic arch digital subtraction arteriography (DSA). None of them had any history or symptoms of cerebrovascular disease. In each, the presence and severity of lesions at 17 different segments of the supraaortic arteries were evaluated and a score for supraaortic lesions was then calculated based on the number and severity of lesions. RVH was diagnosed in 16 patients with renal artery stenoses and normalization of blood pressure after percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) (n=12) or surgery (n=4). The cause of renal artery obstruction was fibrodysplasia in 5 patients (31%) and atherosclerosis in 11 (69%). PH was diagnosed in 16 patients based on a normal renal DSA and exclusion of all other possible causes of hypertension.ResultsThe RVH and PH groups were similar with respect to age, sex, body mass index, diabetes, smoking habits, serum triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood pressure values, and differed only in plasma renin activity (6.0±1.7 ng AngI/ml/h in RVH vs. 1.4±0.3 in PH, mean±SEM, p=0.008). The score for supraaortic arterial lesions was significantly higher in RVH than in PH (181±32 vs. 17±9, p=0.001). This difference was also evident when the five patients with fibrodysplasia were compared with five age- and sex-matched PH patients. The sites most frequently involved were the carotid artery bulb and the internal carotid artery sinus. At each affected site the score was higher for RVH than for PH.ConclusionFor the same demographic features and risk profile, RVH was associated with a higher prevalence and severity of supraaortic artery lesions than PH.

Evaluation of IAUGC indices and two DCE-MRI pharmacokinetic parameters assessed by two different theoretical algorithms in patients with brain tumors

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) quantifies blood-brain barrier (BBB) microvascular permeability in brain tumors where it is structurally and functionally abnormal. Twenty-five patients with glioblastomas (105 regions of interest) were compared using DCE-MRI metrics obtained with Tofts-Kety (TK) and extended TK (ETK) models using different arterial input function assessments and different initial area under the gadolinium curve (IAUGC) indices. Strong correlations between ve and IAUGC90 were found (EKT model: R=0.75 and R=0.69), while correlations of K(trans) with both IAUGC80/90 indices were weak. Differences in the permeability parameters, calculated by these two models, were found. While the IAUGC method can be implemented more easily than pharmacokinetic models, at this time, the IAUGC approach alone does not substitute pharmacokinetic models in BBB permeability characterization.

Intravascular Ultrasound Evaluation for Assessment and Therapeutic Decisions in Aortic Diseases

Intravascular sonography (IVS) was employed in several aortic pathologies. Acute dissecting aneurysm, chronic or recurrent dissection in previously re paired aneurysm, iatrogenic (postcatheterism) dissection, noncommunicating dissection (mural hematoma), chronic and acute partial thrombosis, and mural fibrosis following aspecific aortitis were studied. The stationary and dynamic observations combined with angiographic findings provided useful information for characterization of the lesions and for therapeutic decisions. In all 14 pa tients studied, supplemental data achieved from IVS suggest that a combination of angiography and IVS is the most nearly complete examination for concomi tant and fast diagnostic workup.

Intra-operative vertebroplasty combined with posterior cord decompression. A report of twelve cases.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (VP) is a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of vertebral pathology providing early vertebral stabilization and pain relief. In cases of vertebral pathology complicated by spinal cord compression with associated neurological deficits, VP alone cannot be performed free of risks. We describe a combined approach in which decompressive laminectomy and intra-operative vertebroplasty (IVP) are performed during a single session. Among the 252 VP performed in our centre in the past three years, 12 patients (12 vertebral levels) with different pathologies (six symptomatic haemangiomas, two metastatic fractures, four osteoporotic fractures) were treated with an open procedure combined with surgery. All cases were treated with decompressive laminectomy and IVP (mono/bipeduncular or median-posterior trans-somatic access). Five patients with symptomatic haemangiomas were treated with endovascular embolization prior to the combined approach. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was applied to assess pain intensity before and after surgery. The neurological deficits were evaluated with an ASIA impairment scale. In all cases benefit from pain and neurological deficits was observed. The mean VAS score decreased from 7.8 to 2.5 after surgery. The ASIA score improved in all cases (five cases from D to E and five cases from C to D). No clinical complications were observed. In one case a CT scan performed after the procedure showed a foraminal accumulation of PMMA, but the patient referred no symptoms. IVP can be successfully applied in different pathologies affecting the vertebrae. In our limited series this approach proved safe and efficient to provide decompression of spinal cord and dural sac and vertebral body stabilization in a single session.

A case of atypical progressive multifocal encephalopathy mimicking acute ischemic stroke: case report and review of literature

Progressive multifocal encephalopathy (PML) is a rare but often fatal infectious brain disease caused by the reactivation of John Cunningham polyomavirus. Reactivation occurs in immunocompromised individuals with AIDS and leukemia, on chemotherapy or being treated with immunosuppressant drugs (e.g. monoclonal antibodies). Cases of PML have been described in patients treated with natalizumab, efalizumab and rituximab used, respectively, for the treatment of (1) multiple sclerosis, (2) psoriasis and (3) haematological malignancies or systemic autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus). The authors describe an unusual case of acute brainstem and cerebellar PML following chemotherapy for chronic lymphatic leukemia diagnosed 4 years before the onset of PML in a 75-year-old man. The patient was treated with high dose chemotherapy and rituximab with complete response. The onset of symptoms of PML was very rapid and occurred after more than two years from last rituximab infusion; patient had a sudden neurological deterioration, with rapid progression to death in about a month from the onset of symptoms. Lesions were localized in the cerebellum, brainstem and such pattern has been reported in very few cases in the literature.

A fatal and unusual iatrogenic fourth right lumbar artery injury complicating wrong-level hemilaminectomy: a case report and literature review

Abstract The authors describe an unusual case of a fatal iatrogenic fourth lumbar artery injury during left hemilaminectomy in a 38-year-old woman. At autopsy, gross inspection revealed hemoperitoneum with 1,800 ml of free blood and massive retroperitoneal extravasation. A laceration with irregular and jagged margins was detected on the wall of the fourth right lumbar artery. The autopsy and the post-mortem TC investigations demonstrated that wrong-level hemilaminectomy was performed for the herniated disc.