Ultrasound assessment of rectus femoris and anterior tibialis muscles in young trauma patients.

Purpose: Quantitative and qualitative changes of skeletal muscle are typical and early findings in trauma patients, being possibly associated with functional impairment. Early assessment of muscle changes-as evaluated by muscle ultrasonography-could yield important information about patient's outcome.

Methods: In this prospective observational study, we used ultrasonography to evaluate the morphological changes of rectus femoris (RF) and anterior tibialis (AT) muscles in a group of young, previously healthy trauma patients on enteral feeding.

Interventional radiological treatment of renal transplant complications: a pictorial review.

Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with chronic renal failure, which produces a dramatic improvement in the quality of life and survival rates, in comparison to long-term dialysis. Nowadays, new imaging modalities allow early diagnosis of complications, and thanks to the recent developments of interventional techniques, surgery may be avoided in most cases. Knowledge in the types of renal transplant complications is fundamental for a correct pre-operative planning.

The role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in visualizing atherosclerotic carotid plaque vulnerability: which injection protocol? Which scanning technique?

Purpose: To correlate the degree of plaque vulnerability as determined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with histological findings. Secondary objectives were to optimize the CEUS acquisition technique and image evaluation methods.

Materials And Methods: Fifty consecutive patients, either symptomatic and asymptomatic referring to our department in order to perform carotid endarterectomy (TEA), were enrolled.

Radiofrequency ablation plus drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for the treatment of single large hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the single-step combined therapy with radiofrequency ablation and drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization in single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) larger than 3cm. Secondary aim was to compare the results with those obtained in a matched population treated with drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization alone.

Methods: 40 consecutive cirrhotic patients with single HCC were prospectively enrolled and treated.

Diagnostic accuracy of CT angiography in the evaluation of stenosis in lower limbs: comparison between visual score and quantitative analysis using a semiautomated 3D software.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of a semiautomated 3-dimensional (3D) computed tomographic angiography software in the evaluation of lower limb stenoses compared to reader evaluation, using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as standard of reference.

Materials And Methods: Forty patients with peripheral vascular occlusive disease underwent both DSA and computed tomographic angiography. The vascular tree was divided into 6 segments from distal aorta to popliteal artery.