Congenital Lung Malformations: A Pictorial Review of Imaging Findings and a Practical Guide for Diagnosis.

The term congenital lung malformation (CLM) is used to describe a wide range of pathological conditions with different imaging and clinical manifestations. These anomalies stem from abnormal embryological lung development, potentially occurring across various stages of prenatal life. Their natural history can be variable, presenting in a wide range of severity levels and encompassing asymptomatic individuals who remain so until adulthood, as well as those who experience respiratory distress in the neonatal period.

[Contrast Media Toxicity and Its Prevention].

Intravenous iodinated contrast media are commonly used in clinical practice, ranging from medical imaging to interventional radiology (IR) procedures and endovascular interventions. Compared with patients with normal renal function, nephropathic patients have an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). Nevertheless, this condition cannot represent a limit to diagnostics or endovascular interventions.

Anterior and Posterior Nutcracker Syndrome Combined with May-Thurner Syndrome: First Report of This Unique Case.

Background: Anterior nutcracker syndrome is defined as the compression of the left renal vein (LRV) between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the aorta, whereas posterior nutcracker syndrome refers to the compression of the retroaortic LRV between the aorta and the vertebral column-the presence of the circumaortic left renal vein may predispose to "combined nutcracker syndrome". May-Thurner syndrome consists of obstruction of the left common iliac vein caused by the crossing right common iliac artery. We report a unique case of combined nutcracker syndrome associated with May-Thurner syndrome.

Embolization for acute nonvariceal bleeding of upper and lower gastrointestinal tract: a systematic review.

Background: Acute non-variceal gastrointestinal bleedings (GIBs) are pathological conditions associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Embolization without angiographic evidence of contrast media extravasation is proposed as an effective procedure in patients with clinical and/or laboratory signs of bleeding. The purpose of this systematic review is to define common clinical practice and clinical and technical outcomes of blind and preventive embolization for upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

[Quantitative imaging in nephrology: limits and potentials of elastosonography].

Chronic kidney disease is characterized by increasingly amplified fibrotic processes regardless of etiology. The severity of renal fibrosis seems to correlate with an increased risk of end-stage renal disease; therefore, monitoring of renal fibrosis over time may play an important role in the follow-up of both focal and diffuse renal diseases and in evaluating the response to treatments. Renal biopsy is the only method capable of providing objective and comparable information on the extent of fibrosis, but it is not suitable for outpatient monitoring of chronic kidney disease due to its invasiveness.

Spontaneous Retroperitoneal Hematoma Treated with Percutaneous Transarterial Embolization in COVID-19 Era: Diagnostic Findings and Procedural Outcome.

(1) Background: Spontaneous retroperitoneal hematomas are a relatively common occurrence in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 related pneumonia, and endovascular treatment of trans-arterial embolization (TAE) may be a life-saving procedure after failure of medical and supportive therapy. The aim of our study was to evaluate spontaneous retroperitoneal hematomas in the COVID-19 era, focusing on their imaging features at CTA and DSA and on the safety, as well as technical and clinical success, of TAE, comparing patients affected by COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. (2) Materials and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 24 patients with spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma who underwent TAE; of these, 10 were hospitalized for COVID-19-related pneumonia, while the other 14 were without COVID-19 infection.

The risks associated with percutaneous native kidney biopsies: a prospective study.

Background: The known risks and benefits of native kidney biopsies are mainly based on the findings of retrospective studies. The aim of this multicentre prospective study was to evaluate the safety of percutaneous renal biopsies and quantify biopsy-related complication rates in Italy.

Methods: The study examined the results of native kidney biopsies performed in 54 Italian nephrology centres between 2012 and 2020.

Pulmonary Vasculitides: A Radiological Review Emphasizing Parenchymal HRCT Features.

Vasculitides represent a heterogeneous group of immune-mediated disorders, characterized by a systemic inflammatory destructive process of the blood vessels resulting either in ischemia or hemorrhage. The organ involved and vessel size influence the pattern of presentation of the pathology. The lung is commonly involved in systemic vasculitides, with heterogeneous clinical, radiological, and histopathological presentations.

Performing an Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Needle Kidney Biopsy: An Up-To-Date Procedural Review.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy (PRB) has revolutionized the clinical practice of nephrology in the last decades. PRB remains an essential tool for the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic management of several renal diseases and for the assessment of renal involvement in systemic diseases. In this study, we examine the different applications and provide a review of the current evidence on the periprocedural management of patients.

[GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2: cardioprotection, and more!].

Optimal glycemic control in diabetic patients remains a difficult goal to achieve. Hypoglycemia, nausea and weight gain can compromise the patients' adherence to antidiabetic therapy over time. GLP-1 receptor agonists have been shown to improve glycemic control and reduce the incidence of side effects both when used in monotherapy and in combination with other hypoglycemic drugs.

Liquid and Solid Embolic Agents in Gonadal Veins.

Male varicocele and pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) are common pathologies with high predominance in young patients, having a high impact on the quality of life and infertility. Lately, the use of different endovascular embolization techniques, with various embolizing agents, shows good technical results and clinical outcomes. With the aim of presenting the "state of the art" of endovascular techniques for the treatment of male varicocele and PCS, and to discuss the performance of the different embolic agents proposed, we conducted an extensive analysis of the relevant literature and we reported and discussed the results of original studies and previous meta-analyses, providing an updated guide on this topic to clinicians and interventional radiologists.

Quantitative Evaluation of Fibrosis in IPF Patients: Meaning of Diffuse Pulmonary Ossification.

To investigate the role of diffuse pulmonary ossification (DPO) in disease severity in a population of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) patients. This retrospective study was carried out on 95 IPF patients-44 with DPO on high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and 51 with no calcifications detected on HRCT. Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) acquired nearest to the HRCT were collected.

From Nutcracker Phenomenon to Nutcracker Syndrome: A Pictorial Review.

Left renal vein (LRV) entrapment, also known as nutcracker phenomenon if it is asymptomatic, is characterized by abnormality of outflow from the LRV into the inferior vena cava (IVC) due to extrinsic LRV compression, often accompanied by demonstrable lateral (hilar) dilatation and medial (mesoaortic) stenosis. Nutcracker syndrome, on the other hand, includes a well-defined set of symptoms, and the severity of these clinical manifestations is related to the severity of anatomic and hemodynamic findings. With the aim of providing practical guidance for nephrologists and radiologists, we performed a review of the literature through the PubMed database, and we commented on the definition, the main clinical features, and imaging pattern of this syndrome; we also researched the main therapeutic approaches validated in the literature.

Complications in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Focus on Their Clinical and Radiological Features.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fibrotic lung disease with uncertain origins and pathogenesis; it represents the most common interstitial lung disease (ILD), associated with a pathological pattern of usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP). This disease has a poor prognosis, having the most lethal prognosis among ILDs. In fact, the progressive fibrosis related to IPF could lead to the development of complications, such as acute exacerbation, lung cancer, infections, pneumothorax and pulmonary hypertension.

Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia: Evolution of Morphological Patterns Assessed by HRCT.

To evaluate the radiological findings in patients with cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) before steroid treatment and their behavior after therapy, we retrospectively evaluated a total of 22 patients with a diagnosis of COP made by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), biopsy or clinical/radiological features, and the patients were followed between 2014 and 2018 at the hospital; the demographic data, symptoms, radiologic findings, diagnostic methods and treatment plans of patients were collected from patients' hospital records. At least two CT scans of 22 patients (16 female and six men) were evaluated, the first one before starting steroid therapy and the others after therapy. At baseline CT scans, the most common radiological finding was the presence of consolidations (18/22 patients, 81.

HRCT Patterns of Drug-Induced Interstitial Lung Diseases: A Review.

Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs) represent a heterogeneous group of pathologies, which may be related to different causes. A low percentage of these lung diseases may be secondary to the administration of drugs or substances. Through the PubMed database, an extensive search was performed in the fields of drug toxicity and interstitial lung disease.

Morphological Patterns of Sarcoidosis and Clinical Outcome: Retrospective Analysis through a Multidisciplinary Approach.

The aim of this work was to verify the correlations between different pulmonary morphological patterns and functional outcomes in sarcoidosis patients, using a validated score for the comparison between the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of patients belonging to different imaging patterns. From the electronic database of the reference center for interstitial lung diseases of our University Hospital, we retrospectively selected 55 patients with a diagnosis of sarcoidosis according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria; we evaluated the initial HRCT examination and pulmonary function tests collected at baseline and after a year. Patients were divided into typical (48% of patients) and atypical (52%) HRCT patterns, and a computer tomography activity score (CTAS) was associated with each HRCT appearance detected; clinical history, impact of therapy, and extra-thoracic locations were also considered.

[Osteoporosis and chronic kidney disease: review and new therapeutic strategies].

Osteoporosis affects a segment of the population in which Chronic Kidney Disease is also greatly represented. Nephropathic patients may present peculiar biochemical abnormalities related to Chronic Kidney Disease, defining the Mineral and Bone Disorder. This kind of anomalies, in the worst scenarios, configure the typical histomorphology patterns of Renal Osteodystrophy.

Arteriovenous fistula and pre-surgery mapping: Potential role of physical exercise on endothelial function.

Background: The success of the construction of an arteriovenous fistula for haemodialysis is related to the vascular function of the vessels involved in the anastomosis, with particular reference to radial artery distensibility after reactive hyperaemia test and to the fall of resistance index. Only few studies have evaluated the impact of exercise protocols on the endothelial and morphological characteristics of the vessels of the upper limb with inconclusive results. In this pilot longitudinal study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of a standardized exercise protocol on the haemodynamic and resistive index of the arteries of the upper limb of uraemic patients.

A Case of Rare Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage and Review of Literature.

It is well known that some disorders can cause concomitant kidney dysfunction with lung involvement. These syndromes, characterized by the simultaneous presence of intra-alveolar hemorrhage and acute glomerulonephritis, are caused by numerous and variable disorders. The most frequent are the antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis and Goodpasture syndrome.