Ranjith Vellody

Interventional therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma is the third most common cause of cancer-related death. In the past few years, staging systems have been developed that enable patients to be stratified into treatment algorithms in a multidisciplinary setting. Several of these treatments involve minimally invasive image-guided therapy that can be performed by radiologists.

Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of pediatric thyroid nodules

BackgroundThe role of US-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) of thyroid nodules is not well-established in children.ObjectiveTo retrospectively assess the utility of US-FNAB of pediatric thyroid nodules.Materials and methodsWe reviewed Department of Radiology records to identify children who underwent US-FNAB of the thyroid between 2005 and 2013. Two board-certified pediatric radiologists reviewed pre-procedural thyroid US exams and documented findings by consensus. We recorded cytopathology findings and compared them to surgical pathology diagnoses if the nodule was resected. We also recorded demographic information, use of sedation or general anesthesia, and presence of on-site cytopathological feedback. The Student’s t-test was used to compare continuous data; the Fisher exact test was used to compare proportions.ResultsUS-FNAB was conducted on a total of 86 thyroid nodules in 70 children; 56 were girls (80%). Seventy-eight of the 86 (90.7%) US-FNAB procedures were diagnostic; 69/78 (88.5%) diagnostic specimens were benign (including six indeterminate follicular lesions that were proved at surgery to be benign) and 9/78 (11.5%) were malignant/suspicious for malignancy (all proved to be papillary carcinomas). There was no difference in size of benign vs. malignant lesions (P = 0.82) or diagnostic vs. non-diagnostic lesions (P = 0.87). Gender (P = 0.19), use of sedation/general anesthesia (P = 0.99), and presence of onsite cytopathological feedback (P = 0.99) did not affect diagnostic adequacy. Microcalcifications (P < 0.0001; odds ratio [OR] = 113.7) and coarse calcifications (P = 0.03; OR = 19.4) were associated with malignancy. Diagnoses at cytopathology and surgical pathology were concordant in 27/29 (93.1%) nodules; no US-FNAB procedure yielded false-positive or false-negative results for malignancy.ConclusionUS-FNAB of pediatric thyroid nodules is feasible, allows diagnostic cytopathological evaluation, and correlates with surgical pathology results in resected nodules.

Acute Renal Artery Occlusion with Prolonged Renal Ischemia: A Case of Successful Treatment with Stent Placement and Catheter-directed Thrombolysis

We present a case of acute renal artery occlusion caused by a high-grade stenosis associated with in-situ thrombosis. Endovascular renal artery stent placement combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis reversed the renal ischemia with restoration of renal function despite the prolonged ischemia.

Endovascular treatment of thrombosed inferior vena cava filters: Techniques and short-term outcomes.

Purpose: To present the techniques for endovascular treatment of thrombosed filter-bearing inferior vena cavae (IVCs), along with short-term clinical and imaging follow-up. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 consecutive patients (17 females and 28 males), aged 19-79 years (mean age of 49 years), who had IVC filter placement complicated by symptomatic acute or chronic iliocaval thrombosis and underwent endovascular therapy were studied. All patients presented with lower extremity swelling and/or pain. One patient also had bilateral lower extremity swelling and chronic gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding which was secondary to chronic systemic to portal venous collaterals. Patients underwent one or more of the following endovascular treatments depending on the chronicity and extent of thrombosis: (a) catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) (n = 25), (b) pharmacomechanical thrombolysis (PMT) (n = 15), (c) balloon angioplasty (n = 45), and/or (d) stent placement across the filter (n = 42). In addition, 16 patients underwent groin arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation (36%) and 3 (7%) had femoral venous thrombectomy to improve flow in the recanalized iliac veins and IVCs. Results: Anatomical success was achieved in all patients. Follow-up was not available in 10 patients (lost to follow-up, n = 4; expired due to comorbidities, n = 2; lost to follow-up after re-intervention, n = 4). At a mean follow-up time of 13.3 months (range 1-48 months), clinical success was achieved in 27 patients (60%), i.e. in 21 patients without re-intervention and in 6 patients with re-intervention. Clinical success was not achieved despite re-intervention in eight patients. Higher clinical success was noted in patients who did not require repeat interventions (P = 0.03) and the time to re-intervention was significantly shorter in patients who had clinical failure (P = 0.01). AVF creation did not improve the clinical success rate (P = 1). There was no significant difference in clinical success between patients who had acute or subacute thrombosis compared to those who had chronically occluded filter-bearing IVCs (P = 1). Conclusion: This study suggests that endovascular therapy for thrombosed filter-bearing IVCs is safe and technically feasible.

Imaging of Renin-Mediated Hypertension in Children

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to review the imaging findings of common and uncommon causes of renin-mediated hypertension in children using a multimodality radiologic approach. CONCLUSION Pediatric hypertension, although uncommon, is often due to aortic or renal artery narrowing. Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and characterization of pediatric renin-mediated causes of hypertension.

Endovascular Treatment of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding From Systemic-to-Mesenteric Venous Collateral Vessels Caused by Inferior Vena Cava Occlusion: Report of Two Cases

The present report describes two cases of chronic lower gastrointestinal bleeding caused by systemic-to-mesenteric venous collateral vessels resulting from longstanding inferior vena cava obstruction. They were successfully treated with caval balloon angioplasty and stent placement. No recurrent bleeding was seen at 15 and 24 months of follow up, respectively.

Development of an operative suspension system for the performance of MRI-OR-guided laparoscopic anoplasty

BackgroundMRI-guided laparoscopic assisted anorectoplasty (MRI-LAARP), a new approach for surgical correction of high imperforate anus, does not bisect the sphincter complex as in the PSARP and is able to pull the neorectum through the entire sphincter complex unlike the LAARP. There is no available MRI-compatible device to position and transport patients during this procedure. We report on the design of such a device here.Methods and deviceThe device was constructed from 1.0″ polyvinylchloride tubing and poly-methyl methacrylate (Plexiglass®) platform. The device has a stable, rigid base on which platform is secure. An adjustable and removable superstructure is secured to this base to suspend legs for lithotomy position.ResultsMRI-LAARP has been performed on 6 patients. The device has performed well and meets requirements set forth in development including construction with MRI-compatible materials, size fitting in the MRI bore, ability to hold patient in lithotomy position, ability to position and support MRI flex coils, and providing stability while transporting to a separate OR with needle in position.ConclusionsThis device provides a stable structure to position and transport a patient with a needle in a tenuous position without dislodgement allowing this procedure, and potentially other procedures, to be done in hospitals without MROR capability.

Magnetic resonance angiography of the pediatric abdomen and pelvis: Techniques and imaging findings

Although traditional catheter-based angiography has been the gold standard for pediatric abdominal and pelvic vascular imaging for the past several decades, advances in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) have made it a viable alternative. MRA offers several advantages in that it is noninvasive, can be performed without ionizing radiation, and does not necessarily rely on contrast administration. The ability of modern MRA techniques to define variant vascular anatomy and detect vascular disease may obviate traditional angiography in some patients.

Temporary Placement of Stent Grafts in Postsurgical Benign Biliary Strictures: a Single Center Experience

Objective To evaluate the effect of temporary stent graft placement in the treatment of benign anastomotic biliary strictures. Materials and Methods Nine patients, five women and four men, 22-64 years old (mean, 47.5 years), with chronic benign biliary anastomotic strictures, refractory to repeated balloon dilations, were treated by prolonged, temporary placement of stent-grafts. Four patients had strictures following a liver transplantation; three of them in bilio-enteric anastomoses and one in a choledocho-choledochostomy. Four of the other five patients had strictures at bilio-enteric anastomoses, which developed after complications following laparoscopic cholecystectomies and in one after a Whipple procedure for duodenal carcinoma. In eight patients, balloon-expandable stent-grafts were placed and one patient was treated by insertion of a self-expanding stent-graft. Results In the transplant group, treatment of patients with bilio-enteric anastomoses was unsuccessful (mean stent duration, 30 days). The patient treated for stenosis in the choledocho-choledochostomy responded well to consecutive self-expanding stent-graft placement (total placement duration, 112 days). All patients with bilio-enteric anastomoses in the non-transplant group were treated successfully with stent-grafts (mean placement duration, 37 days). Conclusion Treatment of benign biliary strictures with temporary placement of stent-grafts has a positive effect, but is less successful in patients with strictures developed following a liver transplant.

Selective Management of Multiple Bronchopleural Fistulae in a Pediatric Patient on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Multidisciplinary Approach

INTRODUCTION This case highlights the successful utilization of a multidisciplinary approach to numerous bilateral bronchopleural fistulae (BPF) using minimally invasive techniques. In this study, we present a previously healthy 14-year-old male hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 influenza and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus coinfection complicated by severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and multifocal necrotizing pneumonia, with significant lung tissue damage requiring prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. METHODS The development of multiple BPFs precluded lung recruitment necessary to wean from ECMO. Treatment options were very limited and endobronchial valves were considered. However, localizing single airleaks with a fogarty balloon is normally the technique to determine appropriate location to place the valves. With multiple fistulae, this technique would be ineffective. Therefore, the patient was brought to interventional radiology and bronchography was performed for selective fistula mapping. With this precise localization, the multiple fistulae were ultimately controlled using image-guided embolization and the placement of multiple endobronchial valves. The success of this intervention enabled positive pressure ventilator support and rehabilitation required for weaning from ECMO support. CONCLUSION This case highlights the successful utilization of a multidisciplinary approach to numerous bilateral BPFs using minimally invasive techniques.