Superselective splenic artery embolization for the management of splenic laceration following colonoscopy.

Splenic injury is a rare complication following colonoscopy with fewer than 100 reported cases worldwide to date. We describe a case of splenic laceration presenting 5 days following diagnostic colonoscopy. Although hemodynamically stable, active contrast extravasation on contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography predicted likely failure of conservative management.

Preparation for percutaneous ablation procedures.

Percutaneous tumor ablation is now commonly used to treat a wide range of focal tumors. Patients eligible for ablation often have complex medical problems that preclude them from receiving other treatments. The interventional radiologist needs to perform a careful clinical evaluation of each patient before the procedure to determine which patients are suitable candidates for treatment and to identify patients who may be at a higher risk for complications.

Imaging features following transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation are currently the most widely used modalities in the minimally invasive treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. This article briefly summarizes the minimally invasive therapeutic options in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma focusing on transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation and describes normal post-treatment imaging appearances. Imaging features of post-treatment local tumor recurrence as well as procedure-related complications following these interventions have also been described.

Adrenal venous sampling: promises and pitfalls.

Purpose Of Review: To describe the current indications for adrenal vein sampling (AVS), variability in institutional protocols for performing the procedure, shortage of expert interventional radiologists trained in this procedure, pitfalls in technique and strategies to improve success. A major emphasis of the review will focus on the interpretation of the AVS results.

Recent Findings: Published protocols for performance of the AVS procedure and variability in the diagnostic criteria differentiating aldosterone-producing adenoma from bilateral adrenal hyperplasia vary significantly.

Portal vein thrombosis following percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography-An unusual presentation of Prothrombin (Factor II) gene mutation.

Portal vein thrombosis is an uncommonly reported complication of percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC). A thorough review of the available literature shows no reported cases. In this case, a 29 year old female presented on two separate occasions with portal vein thrombosis following PTC without drain placement.

Polo-like kinase controls vertebrate spindle elongation and cytokinesis.

During cell division, chromosome segregation must be coordinated with cell cleavage so that cytokinesis occurs after chromosomes have been safely distributed to each spindle pole. Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is an essential kinase that regulates spindle assembly, mitotic entry and chromosome segregation, but because of its many mitotic roles it has been difficult to specifically study its post-anaphase functions. Here we use small molecule inhibitors to block Plk1 activity at anaphase onset, and demonstrate that Plk1 controls both spindle elongation and cytokinesis.