Palliative transarterial embolization of renal tumors in 20 patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate immediate technical and clinical results of palliative transarterial renal embolization in patients with symptomatic renal tumors.

Methods: Parenchymal embolization of 20 renal tumors was performed in 20 symptomatic patients with hematuria and/or lumbar pain and/or para-neoplastic syndrome. Seven patients were inoperable because of poor general condition, and 15 patients had metastatic lesions.

Endovascular treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia: results in 14 patients.

We evaluated immediate and long-term results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent placement to treat stenotic and occluded arteries in patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia. Fourteen patients were treated by 3 exclusive celiac artery (CA) PTAs (2 stentings), 3 cases with both Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) and CA angioplasties, and 8 exclusive SMA angioplasties (3 stentings). Eleven patients had atheromatous stenoses with one case of an early onset atheroma in an HIV patient with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Circulating levels of the neuropeptide hormone somatostatin may determine hepatic fibrosis in Schistosoma mansoni infections.

The neuropeptide hormone somatostatin reduces fibrosis and Schistosoma-caused clinical morbidity in the rodent model. In our study we aimed to delineate an association between fibrosis and the inability to generate critical levels of endogenous somatostatin in S. mansoni infected subjects.