Prostatic Arterial Embolization for Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Associated with Benign Prostatic Enlargement.

Purpose Of Review: Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is an emerging minimally invasive technique for lower urinary tract symptom reduction from benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). While the technique is becoming increasingly popular with patients and interventional radiologists, most urologists remain skeptical of the PAE's long-term efficacy and comparative success to the gold standard transurethral resection of the prostate.

Recent Findings: PAE has been found in multiple meta-analyses to perform similarly to the gold standard transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with regard to patient-driven measures like IPSS and IPSS-QoL, while also performing favorably in objective measurements including Qmax and PVR out to at least 12 months post intervention.

Assessing the Effects of Geniculate Artery Embolization in a Nonsurgical Animal Model of Osteoarthritis.

Purpose: To create a nonsurgical animal model of osteoarthritis (OA) to evaluate the effects of embolotherapy during geniculate artery embolization (GAE).

Materials And Methods: Fluoroscopy-guided injections of 700 mg of sodium monoiodoacetate were performed into the left stifle in 6 rams. Kinematic data were collected before and after induction.

Improving Cone-Beam CT Angiography for Prostatic Artery Embolization: Is a Low-Dose Protocol Equivalent to the Standard?

Purpose: To compare the utility of low-dose versus standard cone-beam computed tomography (CT) angiography protocols in identifying nontarget embolization (NTE) during prostatic artery embolization (PAE).

Materials And Methods: A prospective, single-center, Phase-1 study (NCT02592473) was conducted for lower urinary tract symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Prostate volume, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), peak flow rate, UCLA Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI), and postvoid residual were recorded at baseline and 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24-months after PAE.

Decreased portal vein velocity is predictive of the development of portal vein thrombosis: A matched case-control study.

Background & Aims: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in cirrhosis may lead to hepatic decompensation and increased mortality. We aimed to investigate if decreased portal vein (PV) velocity is associated with future PVT.

Methods: Data on adult patients with cirrhosis and PVT between January 1, 2005 and July 30, 2015 were obtained.

Venous Compression Syndromes: a Review.

Venous compression syndromes present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge as the clinical presentation can be vague, diagnostic criteria are often not present, and high quality standardization of when and how to treat is not available in part due to the limited number of cases reported and also due to the limited literature available. Significant venous compression should be considered when clinical symptoms correlate to location of compression and there is evidence of hemodynamic changes including venous hypertension, collateral/variceal formation, and/or thrombus formation. In general, treatment of venous compression should address the etiology of the compression as opposed to just treating symptoms associated with it such as significant varices or anticoagulation for thrombus to avoid recurrence of symptoms.

Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview of Recent Developments and a Look to the Future.

Alzheimer's disease is a major public health concern, affecting an estimated 40 million people worldwide. Over the past few years, several new diagnostic tests and new diagnostic nomenclatures have emerged, and more than 70 disease-modifying agents are in clinical trials. Naturalistic studies that include biomarkers-such as genomics, metabolomics, and imaging-have yielded additional insights into disease mechanisms and timelines of preclinical disease onset.

Meta-Analysis of Prostatic Artery Embolization for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Purpose: To perform meta-analysis of available data on prostatic artery embolization (PAE).

Materials And Methods: Meta-analysis was conducted on articles published between November 2009 and December 2015. Peer-reviewed studies with > 5 patients and standard deviations and/or individual-level data on one or more of the following outcomes were included: prostate volume (PV), peak flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual (PVR), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level.

Caregiver burden in atypical dementias: comparing frontotemporal dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Caregiver burden is a significant issue in the treatment of dementia and a known contributor to institutionalization of patients with dementia. Published data have documented increased caregiver burden in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) compared to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Another atypical dementia with high-perceived caregiver burden is sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), but no formal studies have assessed this perception.

Transcaval Aortic Access for Percutaneous Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Initial Human Experience.

Transcaval aortic access has been used for deployment of transcatheter aortic valves in patients in whom conventional arterial approaches are not feasible. The present report describes its use for thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in a 61-year-old man with a descending thoracic aneurysm. Transcaval access was performed in lieu of a surgical iliac conduit in view of small atherosclerotic pelvic arteries.

Fluoroscopy-guided jejunal extension tube placement through existing gastrostomy tubes: analysis of 391 procedures.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fluoroscopically placed jejunal extension tubes (J-arm) in patients with existing gastrostomy tubes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 391 J-arm placements performed in 174 patients. Indications for jejunal nutrition were aspiration risk (35%), pancreatitis (17%), gastroparesis (13%), gastric outlet obstruction (12%), and other (23%).

Outcomes of Percutaneous Management of Anastomotic Ureteral Strictures in Renal Transplantation: Chronic Nephroureteral Stent Placement with and without Balloon Dilatation.

Purpose: This study was designed o evaluate outcomes of percutaneous management of anastomotic ureteral strictures in renal transplants using nephroureteral stents with or without balloon dilatation.

Methods: A retrospective audit of 1,029 consecutive renal transplants was performed. Anastomotic ureteral strictures were divided into two groups: nephroureteral stent only (NUS) and NUS+PTA (nephroureteral stent plus percutaneous transluminal angioplasty), with each cohort subdivided into early versus late presentation (obstructive uropathy occurring <90 day or >90 days from transplant, respectively).

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for genetic prion disorder due to F198S mutation in the PRNP gene.

Importance: To describe the first case of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) performed for the prevention of genetic prion disease in the children of a 27-year-old asymptomatic woman with a family history of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Sheinker syndrome (GSS).

Observations: PGD and fertilization cycles resulted in detection of 6 F198S mutation-free embryos. Of these, 2 were selected for embryo transfer to the patient's uterus, yielding a clinical twin pregnancy and birth of healthy but slightly premature offspring with normal development at age 27 months.

The rise and fall of arterial interventions: presentations at the Society of Interventional Radiology annual scientific meeting.

Purpose: To address hypotheses concerning a decline in presentations pertaining to vascular interventions by interventional radiologists and the loss of ground in other areas, such as oncology, of presentations in vascular interventions at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting.

Materials And Methods: All abstracts for scientific presentations and scientific exhibits from the program book of the SIR annual meeting were reviewed from the period 1996-2006. The abstracts were grouped in different classes, such as (a) type of methodology, (b) reports on arterial interventions, (c) reports on oncologic interventions, and (d) geographic origin.

Successful recanalization of bile duct occlusion with a radiofrequency puncture wire technique.

A radiofrequency (RF) wire puncture technique was used in the recanalization of biliary anastomotic occlusions in five patients. The technical success of recanalization, which was defined as successful puncture and crossing of the obstruction followed by balloon cholangioplasty and internal-external biliary drainage without evidence of complications, was 100%. The average follow-up was 13 months (range, 11-16 months).

Inhibition of prostaglandin E(2) signaling through the EP(1) receptor does not affect prostacyclin production in human endothelial cells.

Accumulating evidence suggests that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) may play an important role in colon carcinogenesis. Thus, blockage of this pathway may be a suitable strategy for colon cancer chemoprevention. Recent clinical studies suggest that COX-2 inhibitors cause adverse cardiovascular effects due to prostacyclin (PGI(2)) inhibition.