Left spermatic vein retrograde sclerosis: comparison between sclerosant agent injection through a diagnostic catheter versus through an occluding balloon catheter.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the technical success between left spermatic vein (LSV) scleroembolisation achieved with the injection of sclerosant through a diagnostic catheter and through an occluding balloon (OB), in the treatment of male varicocele.

Materials And Methods: From January 2012 to September 2013, we prospectively enrolled 100 patients with left varicocele and an indication for LSV scleroembolisation related to symptoms or spermiogram anomalies; patients were randomised to two groups (we wrote a list of 100 lines assigned casually with A or B and each patient was consecutively allocated to group A or B on the basis of this list). Patients in group A underwent injection of the sclerosing agent through an angiographic diagnostic catheter (free catheter technique) and patients in group B through an OB catheter (OB technique).

The use of microwaves ablation in the treatment of epiphyseal osteoid osteomas.

Objective: This study was designed to demonstrate the feasibility and the reliability of microwave ablation (MWA) of epiphyseal osteoid osteomas (OO).

Materials And Methods: From February to November 2012, 7 patients (4 males and 3 females; age range 16-30 years) with epiphyseal OOs were treated with MWA. The treatment was performed with 16 G antennas with a power of 20 W for 2 min.

Intrasomatic injection of corticosteroid followed by vertebroplasty increases early pain relief rather than vertebroplasty alone in vertebral bone neoplasms: preliminary experience.

Purpose: In this prospective multicenter study, we evaluate the effectiveness of corticosteroid plus vertebroplasty rather than vertebroplasty alone in the analgesic treatment of single-level vertebral neoplasms or pathological fractures.

Materials And Methods: From January 2009 to February 2011, we prospectively enrolled 20 consecutive patients (11 women, nine men; age range 46-78 years; mean age 65.1 years) with single-level vertebral neoplasm or pathological fractures totally or partially refractory to analgesic treatment, with indication to vertebroplasty.

Vertebroplasty in multiple myeloma with osteolysis or fracture of the posterior vertebral wall. Usefulness of a delayed cement injection.

Aim: The goal of this study was to specifically address the incidence of dorsal leakage when performing vertebroplasty in patients with posterior wall osteolysis or fracture, by using a delayed injection of cement with the aim of increasing its viscosity.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively reviewed the records of 24 patients (13 women, 11 men; age range 42-67 years; mean age 54.7) with diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent 34 vertebroplasties between January 2007 and January 2010 for painful osteolytic localization of MM with dorsal cortical osteolysis or fracture.

Sacroplasty for local or massive localization of multiple myeloma.

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of cementoplasty in the treatment of sacral multiple myelomas. We retrospectively reviewed the records of eight patients (four women and four men; age range 47-68 years; mean age 57.8) who underwent cementoplasty for painful osteolytic localization of multiple myeloma between April 2007 and May 2009.

Prevalence of "high-riding" superior pericardial recesses on thin-section 16-MDCT scans.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of "high-riding" superior pericardial recess (HRSPR) on thin-section (1 mm) 16-multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans.

Materials And Methods: Three hundred and fourteen consecutive chest CT scans obtained with a thin-section 16 MDCT were retrospectively evaluated. The prevalence and characteristic of HRSPR were analyzed.

Interventional treatment of iatrogenic lesions and hepatic arteries.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the angiographic findings and the results of interventional treatment in iatrogenic lesions of the hepatic artery.

Materials And Methods: Twelve patients (6 men and 6 women), aged 46 to 75 years (mean age 56.3 years), with acute hepatic bleeding secondary to percutaneous, surgical or laparoscopic procedures, were diagnosed using angiography and treated with endovascular percutaneous procedures.

Primitive mesenteric gastrointestinal stromal tumor with autonomic nerve/ganglionic differentiation presenting as a huge mass with small synchronous nodules.

We present a case of a primary mesenteric ectopic gastrointestinal stromal tumor. The pathologic characteristics of this neoplasm, autonomic nerve/ganglionic differentiation and presentation as a huge mass with small synchronous nodules, have not been previously described in the literature.

Transcatheter arterial embolization of concurrent spontaneous hematomas of the rectus sheath and psoas muscle in patients undergoing anticoagulation.

We report a case of concurrent rectus sheath and psoas hematomas in a patient undergoing anticoagulant therapy, treated by transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of inferior epigastric and lumbar arteries. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated signs of active bleeding in two hematomas of the anterior and posterior abdominal walls. Transfemoral arteriogram confirmed the extravasation of contrast from the right inferior epigastric artery (RIEA).

Nonoperative management of iatrogenic lesions of celiac branches by using transcatheter arterial embolization.

We present our experience in the nonoperative management of iatrogenic lesions of celiac branches by using transcatheter arterial embolization. We treated 6 pseudoaneurysms (5 intrahepatic and 1 of the gastroduodenal artery), 6 vessel lacerations (1 common hepatic artery, 1 right hepatic artery, 1 gastroduodenal artery, 2 pancreatoduodenal, 1 polar intrasplenic artery), 1 arterioportal fistula, and 1 arteriobiliary fistula; all the bleeding lesions were secondary to surgical, endoscopic, or interventional radiologic procedures.

Intrapleural fibrinolysis in the management of empyemas and haemothoraces. Our experience.

Purpose: We evaluate our experience in the management of empyemas and haemothoraces by means of intracavitary trans-catheter instillation of urokinase (UK).

Material And Methods: We reviewed 54 patients (44 men and 10 women) ranging in age from 12 to 86 years (average 56.3) admitted between May 1999 and April 2001 with loculated pleural effusions (45 empyemas and 9 haemothoraces) and treated by percutaneous drainage and intrapleural urokinase instillation.