Contrast echocardiography grading predicts pulmonary arteriovenous malformations on CT.

Background: Untreated pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) can present with life-threatening complications. Agitated saline solution transthoracic contrast echocardiography (TTCE) has been recommended as the screening test of choice for PAVMs in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). A TTCE grading system has been proposed but not validated.

Reperfusion of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations after embolotherapy.

Purpose: To describe the mechanisms and risk factors associated with reperfusion of successfully treated pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) after embolotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Among 112 consecutive patients with PAVMs treated by embolotherapy, 19 patients were identified who had 33 angiographically confirmed reperfused PAVMs. A retrospective analysis of computed tomography (CT) and angiography was performed in patients with documented reperfused PAVMs in which reperfused PAVMs were compared with nonreperfused PAVMs.

Reperfusion of splanchnic artery aneurysm following transcatheter embolization: treatment with percutaneous thrombin injection.

We describe a case of reperfusion of an aneurysm of the pancreaticoduodenal artery following transcatheter coil embolotherapy. The lesion was successfully treated by direct puncture of the aneurysm under computed tomographic guidance, followed by injection of thrombin. This technique is useful when an endovascular approach is not feasible.

Embolotherapy of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: efficacy of platinum versus stainless steel coils.

Purpose: To compare the results of embolotherapy of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) with use of platinum versus stainless-steel coils.

Materials And Methods: From a database of 78 consecutive patients with PAVMs treated by embolotherapy between May 1992 and September 2001, 54 patients with 306 PAVMs were selected for retrospective evaluation. Exclusion criteria were PAVMs with less than 12 months of follow-up computed tomography (CT) of the thorax (n = 15), embolotherapy with a mixture of embolic materials (n = 8), and repeat embolotherapy for previous treatment failures (n = 1).

Radiofrequency ablation of malignant hepatic neoplasms.

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of malignant neoplasms of the liver.

Methods: Sixty-seven patients received RFA for primary or secondary hepatic malignancies. Patients were followed prospectively with computed tomography (CT) scanning to assess for therapeutic response, disease progression and complications.