[Optimized imaging for suspected acute organ bleeding].

Clinical/methodological Problem: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) is the standard procedure for diagnosing acute organ bleeding. It provides rapid, precise and comprehensive visualization of the bleeding situation, which is crucial in emergency situations.

Radiological Standard Procedures: The examination is usually conducted in three phases: native, arterial and venous.

Improved emergency activation in interventional radiology reduces procedure delay and facilitates treatment success in patients with acute arterial bleedings.

Background: Research of interventional treatment success in arterial bleeding cases is almost exclusively focused on technical and procedural factors. This study investigates the effect of an improved preprocedural activation algorithm for acute arterial bleedings treated by interventional radiology.

Methods: During the three-year study period (2018-2021), the authors implemented an always-reachable, simple-to-remember emergency phone number routed to the responsible interventional radiologist on call and compared this pathway to the previous activation process.

Influence of a 7-day Transalpine Trail Run on cardiac biomarkers and myocardial function.

Intense physical exercise is known to increase cardiac biomarkers; however, it is unclear, whether this phenomenon is physiological, or if it indicates myocardial tissue injury. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of seven consecutive days of excessive endurance exercise on continuous assessment of cardiac biomarkers, function, and tissue injury. During a 7-day trail-running competition (Transalpine Run, distance 267.

Spectral computed tomography angiography using a gadolinium-based contrast agent for imaging of pathologies of the aorta.

Objectives: Especially patients with aortic aneurysms and multiple computed tomography angiographies (CTA) might show medical conditions which oppose the use of iodine-based contrast agents. CTA using monoenergetic reconstructions from dual layer CT and gadolinium (Gd-)based contrast agents might be a feasible alternative in these patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of clinical spectral CTA with a Gd-based contrast agent in patients with aortic aneurysms.

Retrospective evaluation of interventional radiological treatments for chronic mesenteric ischemia in Germany based on a four-year period of the DeGIR Registry: comparison of outcomes with international quality standards.

Purpose: Endovascular treatment has emerged as the gold standard for managing chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) resulting from arterial stenosis or occlusion. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and complication rates of continuous interventional radiology treatment for CMI in Germany between 2018 and 2021, comparing these findings with international quality standards.

Materials And Methods: Data for CMI therapy with stenting and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was obtained from the quality management system of the German Interventional Radiological Society (DeGIR).

Assessment of Efficacy and Complications of Endovascular Interventions for Critical Limb Ischemia in Germany: A Nationwide Study.

Purpose: Endovascular interventional radiological procedures have become the mainstay for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI) due to arterial stenosis or occlusion. Open surgical or endovascular procedures, such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or stenting can be used as a treatment strategy. The aim is to evaluate the success and major complication rates of interventional radiology treatments for CLI in Germany in 2021, and to compare these results with internationally published data.

Automated assessment of cardiac pathologies on cardiac MRI using T1-mapping and late gadolinium phase sensitive inversion recovery sequences with deep learning.

Background: A deep learning (DL) model that automatically detects cardiac pathologies on cardiac MRI may help streamline the diagnostic workflow. To develop a DL model to detect cardiac pathologies on cardiac MRI T1-mapping and late gadolinium phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) sequences were used.

Methods: Subjects in this study were either diagnosed with cardiac pathology (n = 137) including acute and chronic myocardial infarction, myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or classified as normal (n = 63).

CT-Guided Liver Biopsy: Evaluation of Spectral Data From Dual-Layer Detector CT for Improved Lesion Detection.

Purpose: Evaluation of dual-layer spectral computed tomography (CT) for contrast enhancement during image-guided biopsy of liver lesions using virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) and virtual non-contrast (VNC) images.

Methods: Spectral CT data of 20 patients receiving CT-guided needle biopsy of focal liver lesions were used to generate VMI at energy levels from 40 to 200 keV and VNC images. Images were analyzed objectively regarding contrast-to-noise ratio between lesion center (CNR) or periphery (CNR) and normal liver parenchyma.

Safety and efficacy of interventional treatment of acute limb ischemia in Germany 2021.

Purpose: Interventional procedures have become a mainstay in the therapy of acute limb ischemia caused by embolism or arterial thrombosis. Treatment options include pharmacological thrombolysis (PT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT). The aim of this study was to evaluate success and major complication rates of interventional radiological treatments of arterial embolism and thrombosis in Germany in 2021 and to compare their results with accepted international quality standards.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation (TIPS) in the angio-CT-a hybrid intervention with image fusion.

Objective: For transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation, ultrasound guidance for portal vein puncture is strongly recommended. However, outside regular hours of service, a skilled sonographer might be lacking. Hybrid intervention suites combine CT imaging with conventional angiography allowing to project 3D information into the conventional 2D imaging and further CT-fluoroscopic puncture of the portal vein.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Interventional Radiology in Germany.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on interventional radiology (IR) in Germany in 2020 and 2021.

Materials Und Methods: This retrospective study is based on the nationwide interventional radiology procedures documented in the quality register of the German Society for Interventional Radiology and Minimally Invasive Therapy (DeGIR-QS-Register). The nationwide volume of interventions in the pandemic years 2020 and 2021 was compared with the pre-pandemic period (Poisson-test, Mann-Whitney test).

Feasibility of Network-Based, Online Endovascular Simulator Training in Real Time: Results from a Pilot Study.

Purpose: To test the feasibility of an online, simulator-based comprehensive interventional radiology (IR) training curriculum in times of COVID-19-induced travel restrictions.

Materials And Methods: A network of six VIST simulators (Mentice, Gothenburg, Sweden) was installed in six geographically different radiology departments. Two courses with six sessions each took place.

Safety of sheathless vascular access using braided 4 F selective catheters for common body interventions - a retrospective study.

Background: Besides other factors, complication rate of transarterial interventions depends on the size of the vascular access. Therefore, the vascular access is mostly chosen as small as possible while still allowing all planned parts of the intervention. This retrospective analysis is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of sheathless arterial interventions for a broad spectrum of interventions in daily practice.

Coronary plaque characterization assessed by delayed enhancement dual-layer spectral CT angiography and optical coherence tomography.

This study aimed to prospectively evaluate delayed enhancement imaging by spectral computed tomography using soluble iodine containing contrast media to improve the in vivo characterization of coronary plaque types based on the quantification of delayed iodine enhancement. Patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent spectral coronary CT-angiography (SCCTA). Absolute delayed iodine enhancement in all visible coronary plaques was assessed.

Nationwide Provision of Radiologically-guided Interventional Measures for the Supportive Treatment of Tumor Diseases in Germany - An Analysis of the DeGIR Registry Data.

Purpose: In addition to direct oncologic therapy, interventional radiology plays an important supportive role in oncologic therapy primarily guided by other disciplines. These supporting measures include diagnostic punctures, drainages, biliary interventions, central venous access including port implantations, osteoplasties, pain therapies etc.).

Efficacy of ultrasound assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis compared to catheter-directed thrombolysis in vitro.

Background: Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) is an effective and safe endovascular method used in critical limb ischemia and many other thromboembolic events. Ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (US-CDT) is an emerging technique considered to accelerate thrombolysis and therefore is supposed to improve outcome.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of US-CDT in comparison to standard CDT in vitro.

Risk factors assessment for radiographically guided port implantations with forearm access.

Introduction: Port implantations at the forearm are associated with an increased risk of relevant vein thrombosis. Therefore, with this study we sought to identify the responsible risk factors to improve technical quality of the method.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 313 patients with port implantation at the forearm in 2019.

DeGIR Quality Report 2019: Report on the treatment quality of minimally invasive methods - Interventional therapy (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Purpose: To analyze the quality of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair using the data of the DeGIR quality management system. Comparison of data between 2011 and 2019.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of all data registered in the DeGIR quality management system of the year 2019 was performed regarding the treatment quality for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

Availability of interventional-radiological revascularization procedures in Germany - an analysis of the DeGIR Registry Data 2018/19.

Purpose: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common condition with high socio-economic relevance. Therefore, qualified nationwide provision of interventional treatments of PAD is important for maintaining a high quality medical service in Germany.

Materials And Methods: All data on revascularization procedures from the quality management system of the German interventional radiological society (DeGIR) for the years 2018 and 2019 were retrospectively analysed.

Calcium scoring using virtual non-contrast images from a dual-layer spectral detector CT: comparison to true non-contrast data and evaluation of proportionality factor in a large patient collective.

Objective: Determination of coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) in non-contrast computed tomography (CT) images has been shown to be an important prognostic factor in coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of CACS from virtual non-contrast (VNC) imaging generated from spectral data in comparison to standard (true) non-contrast (TNC) imaging in a representative patient cohort with clinically approved software.

Methods: One hundred three patients referred to coronary CTA with suspicion of CAD were investigated on a dual-layer spectral detector CT (SDCT) scanner.

Coronary calcium scoring assessed on native screening chest CT imaging as predictor for outcome in COVID-19: An analysis of a hospitalized German cohort.

Background: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of risk factors for a poor outcome have been identified. Thereby, cardiovascular comorbidity has a major impact on mortality. We investigated whether coronary calcification as a marker for coronary artery disease (CAD) is appropriate for risk prediction in COVID-19.

[Comparison of radiation exposure in common hepatic interventions : A retrospective analysis of DeGIR registry data].

Background: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and biliary interventions are common procedures.

Objectives: In this retrospective study, the radiation exposure of patients undergoing hepatic intervention will be analyzed and compared depending on the type and objective of the intervention.

Materials And Methods: This is an analysis of 7003 data sets of performed TACEs and biliary interventions from the DeGIR registry for the years 2016, 2017, and 2018.