Duplex ultrasound as first-line screening test for patients suspected of renal artery stenosis: prospective evaluation in high-risk group.

Our objective was to assess how far the progress in ultrasound devices has increased feasibility and accuracy of Duplex ultrasound (DUS) for the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis (RAS), in a population with high prevalence of atherosclerotic renovascular lesions. Ninety-one hypertensive patients with atherosclerotic disease were prospectively evaluated by both DUS and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the renal arteries. Only proximal criteria (peak systolic velocity >180 mm/s or renal-to-aortic ratio >3.

[MR aortofemorography versus DSA: prospective evaluation].

Purpose: To determine how far MRA of lower limbs obviates the need for pre-therapeutic DSA.

Materials And Method: Three-step 3-D gadolinium enhanced aortofemorography with a moving bed was prospectively compared to DSA in 49 consecutive patients (40 males, 9 females; age range 38-80 years; mean age 64 years). According to Leriche and Fontaine's clinical gradation of lower limb ischemia, 5 patients were graded I, 37 graded II, 4 graded III, and 3 graded IV.

Percutaneous catheter drainage of abdominal abscess after abdominal surgery. Results in 121 cases.

One hundred and twenty-one peritoneal, retroperitoneal and pelvic abscesses were treated percutaneously using CT or US guidance. The lesions developed after abdominal surgery. Sixty-three abscesses (52%) were situated in the peritoneal cavity, 31 (26%) in the retroperitoneal cavity and 27 (22%) in the pelvis.