Pre-operative sentinel lymph node localization in breast cancer with superparamagnetic iron oxide MRI: the SentiMAG Multicentre Trial imaging subprotocol.

Objective: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) with a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) tracer was shown to be non-inferior to the standard combined technique in the SentiMAG Multicentre Trial. The MRI subprotocol of this trial aimed to develop a magnetic alternative for pre-operative lymphoscintigraphy (LS). We evaluated the feasibility of using MRI following the administration of magnetic tracer for pre-operative localization of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) and its potential for non-invasive identification of lymph node (LN) metastases.

A randomised sham controlled trial of vertebroplasty for painful acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures (VERTOS IV).

Background: The standard care in patients with a painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is conservative therapy. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV), a minimally invasive technique, is a new treatment option. Recent randomized controlled trials (RCT) provide conflicting results: two sham-controlled studies showed no benefit of PV while an unmasked but controlled RCT (VERTOS II) found effective pain relief at acceptable costs.

Clinical course of pain in acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Purpose: The authors prospectively determined the natural course of pain in patients with conservatively treated acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF). In addition, the type of conservative therapy that these patients received was assessed.

Materials And Methods: Patients older than 50 years, referred for spine radiography for acute back pain, were asked to complete a baseline clinical questionnaire.

Vertebroplasty versus conservative treatment in acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (Vertos II): an open-label randomised trial.

Background: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is increasingly used for treatment of pain in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, but the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and safety of the procedure remain uncertain. We aimed to clarify whether vertebroplasty has additional value compared with optimum pain treatment in patients with acute vertebral fractures.

Methods: Patients were recruited to this open-label prospective randomised trial from the radiology departments of six hospitals in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Postprocedural CT for perivertebral cement leakage in percutaneous vertebroplasty is not necessary--results from VERTOS II.

Introduction: During percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV), perivertebral cement leakage frequently occurs. There is some concern that cement deposits may migrate towards the lungs via the veins during follow-up. We used baseline and follow-up computed tomography (CT) to assess the incidence and extend of late cement migration in a large consecutive patient cohort.

Uterine artery embolization for symptomatic adenomyosis with or without uterine leiomyomas with the use of calibrated tris-acryl gelatin microspheres: midterm clinical and MR imaging follow-up.

Purpose: To evaluate clinical and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging results after uterine artery embolization (UAE) in women with symptomatic adenomyosis with or without uterine leiomyomas.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-eight women with symptomatic adenomyosis with or without uterine leiomyomas were treated with UAE with calibrated tris-acryl gelatin microspheres. Based on MR findings, women were categorized as having pure adenomyosis (group A; n = 15), adenomyosis dominance with fibroid tumors (group B; n = 14), or fibroid tumor dominance with adenomyosis (group C; n = 9).