Combi-Elastography versus Transient Elastography for Assessing the Histological Severity of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Background/aims: Combi-elastography is a B-mode ultrasound-based method in which two elastography modalities are utilized simultaneously to assess metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, the performance of combi-elastography for diagnosing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and determining fibrosis severity is unclear. This study compared the diagnostic performances of combi-elastography and vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) for identifying hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and high-risk MASH.

Low-quality muscle mass rather than normal-quality muscle mass determines fibrosis progression in biopsy-proven NAFLD.

Background And Aims: Sarcopaenia is associated with advanced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the impact of the muscle mass categorised by muscle quality on fibrosis progression remains unclear.

Methods: A total of 292 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD who underwent serial vibration-controlled transient elastography assessments at least 1 year from baseline were selected.

Clinical Outcomes of Transarterial Embolization for Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy Refractory to Conservative Treatment: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transarterial embolization (TAE) for chronic Achilles tendinopathy (AT) refractory to conservative treatment.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 20 patients (12 men and 8 women; mean age, 30.3 years) who received TAE using imipenem/cilastatin sodium for refractory chronic AT from May 2019 to April 2021.

Myosteatosis, but not Sarcopenia, Predisposes NAFLD Subjects to Early Steatohepatitis and Fibrosis Progression.

Background & Aims: Sarcopenia and myosteatosis are associated with advanced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, muscle alterations in early stage NAFLD remain unclear.

Methods: Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) or early nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) without significant fibrosis were selected from a prospective biopsy-proven NAFLD cohort (N = 338).

A sequential approach using the age-adjusted fibrosis-4 index and vibration-controlled transient elastography to detect advanced fibrosis in Korean patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background And Aims: Vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) has shown good diagnostic performance in predicting fibrosis stages in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, an optimal diagnostic approach to detect advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD has not been established.

Approach And Results: We prospectively collected data from 539 subjects who underwent liver biopsy at a single centre between January 2014 and December 2019.

Investigation of the Characteristics of New, Uniform, Extremely Small Iron-Based Nanoparticles as T1 Contrast Agents for MRI.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the magnetic resonance (MR) characteristics and applicability of new, uniform, extremely small iron-based nanoparticles (ESIONs) with 3-4-nm iron cores using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).

Materials And Methods: Seven types of ESIONs were used in phantom and animal experiments with 1.5T, 3T, and 4.

Short-term Results of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Chronic Medial Epicondylitis Refractory to Conservative Treatment: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for chronic medial epicondylitis (ME) refractory to conservative treatments.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included ten patients (14 procedures) who underwent TAE between May of 2018 and April of 2020 to treat chronic ME refractory to conservative treatments for at least 3 months. Imipenem/cilastatin sodium was used in 12 procedures, and quick-soluble gelatin sponge particles were used in the ensuing two procedures as an embolic agent.

Percutaneous Thrombectomy with a Half-Deployed Stent for the Treatment of Acute Inferior Vena Cava Thrombosis.

Inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis, a type of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is a relatively rare and poorly known disease compared to lower extremity DVT. We present a case of a 68-year-old woman with abdominal pain and mild lower leg swelling due to IVC thrombosis extending from the common iliac vein to the infrahepatic IVC. The thrombus was removed using a 14-mm Niti-S stent (Taewoong Medical, Korea) inserted via the right internal jugular vein.

Clinical Outcomes of Transcatheter Arterial Embolisation for Chronic Knee Pain: Mild-to-Moderate Versus Severe Knee Osteoarthritis.

Purpose: This retrospective study was conducted to compare the clinical outcomes of transcatheter arterial embolisation for chronic knee pain in patients with mild-to-moderate versus severe knee osteoarthritis.

Materials And Methods: This study included patients (n = 41) who were refractory to conservative treatments and who underwent transcatheter arterial embolisation using imipenem/cilastatin sodium between June 2017 and July 2018. A total of 71 knees, including 30 bilateral cases, were treated and categorised into two groups according to the Kellgren-Lawrence grade: mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis (n = 59, Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1-3) and severe osteoarthritis (n = 12, Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4).

Thrombosed native hemodialysis fistulas: Technical and clinical outcomes of endovascular recanalization and factors influencing patency.

Purpose: To evaluate the technical and clinical results of endovascular recanalization of thrombosed native hemodialysis fistula and the factors influencing patency.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted with 73 patients who had thrombosed arteriovenous fistulas and were treated with endovascular methods. Patient characteristics, arteriovenous fistula-related characteristics, and endovascular procedures were analyzed.

Effect of Inflow Arterial Calcification on Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of preexisting calcification in the inflow artery on maturation and flow volume of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF).

Methods: Patients who underwent AVF creation for hemodialysis were prospectively recruited between March and November 2017. On preoperative duplex ultrasound, calcification in the arterial media within 5 cm of the planned anastomosis area was assessed.

Non-invasive response prediction in prophylactic carvedilol therapy for cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices.

Background & Aims: Non-selective beta-blockers (NSBBs) are the mainstay of primary prophylaxis of esophageal variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis. We investigated whether non-invasive markers of portal hypertension correlate with hemodynamic responses to NSBBs in cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 106 cirrhotic patients with high-risk esophageal varices in the derivation cohort received carvedilol prophylaxis, and completed paired measurements of hepatic venous pressure gradient, liver stiffness (LS), and spleen stiffness (SS) at the beginning and end of dose titration.

A Spontaneous Abdominal Aortic Pseudoaneurysm Treated with N-butyl Cyanoacrylate and Coil Embolization: A Case Report.

Pseudoaneurysms are vascular spaces vulnerable to pressure, and expansion or rupture of these spaces may occur during embolization. Here, we describe the case of a transcatheter embolization of a spontaneous aortic pseudoaneurysm, which showed gradual expansion during n-butyl cyanoacrylate embolization. This pseudoaneurysm was successfully embolized with an adjuvant coil.

Postpartum hemorrhage from non-uterine arteries: clinical importance of their detection and the results of selective embolization.

Background Identification of the source of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is important for embolization because PPH frequently originates from non-uterine arteries. Purpose To evaluate the clinical importance of identifying the non-uterine arteries causing the PPH and the results of their selective embolization. Material and Methods This retrospective study enrolled 59 patients who underwent embolization for PPH from June 2009 to July 2016.

Steatosis severity affects the diagnostic performances of noninvasive fibrosis tests in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background & Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a wide spectrum of heterogeneous metabolic subtypes. This study compared the diagnostic performances of noninvasive fibrosis tests in predicting advanced fibrosis among patients with NAFLD and examined the effects of the subgroups on their diagnostic performances.

Methods: Three hundred fifteen patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD were prospectively enrolled.

Extremely Small Pseudoparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticle as a Novel Blood Pool T1 Magnetic Resonance Contrast Agent for 3 T Whole-Heart Coronary Angiography in Canines: Comparison With Gadoterate Meglumine.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate an extremely small pseudoparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (ESPIO), KEG3, as a potential blood pool agent in 3 T coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in canine models and compare its efficacy to that of a gadolinium-based contrast agent.

Materials And Methods: Nine mongrel dogs were subjected to whole-heart coronary MRA in 2 separate sessions at 7-day intervals with a 3 T scanner using the FLASH sequence with either gadoterate meglumine (Gd-DOTA) or the ESPIO (KEG3). Coronary MRA was performed twice at each MR examination: the first scan during the administration of the contrast agent and the subsequent second scan at 15 minutes after contrast injection.

Endovascular recanalization of a thrombosed native arteriovenous fistula complicated with an aneurysm: technical aspects and outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate the technical aspects and outcomes of endovascular recanalization of a thrombosed native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) complicated with an aneurysm.

Materials And Methods: Sixteen patients who had a thrombosed AVF complicated with an aneurysm (two radiocephalic and 14 brachiocephalic) were included in this study. Recanalization procedures were performed by mechanical thrombectomy using the Arrow-Trerotola percutaneous thrombectomy device and adjunctive treatments.

Tissue responses to stent grafts with endo-exo-skeleton for saccular abdominal aortic aneurysms in a canine model.

Objective: We evaluated the effect of close contact between the stent and the graft on the induction of endothelial covering on the stent graft placed over an aneurysm.

Materials And Methods: Saccular abdominal aortic aneurysms were made with Dacron patch in eight dogs. The stent graft consisted of an inner stent, a expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft, and an outer stent.

A case of vulvar hematoma with rupture of pseudoaneurysm of pudendal artery.

Vulvar hematomas are uncommon outside of the obstetric population and may be the result of trauma to the perineum. Vulvar hematomas most often present with low abdominal pain and urologic and neurologic symptoms. The vulva has rich vascularization that is supplied by the pudendal artery, a branch of the anterior division of the internal iliac artery.

Clinical course and predictive factors for complication of inferior vena cava filters.

Rationale: The use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters is associated with various complications. We aimed to elucidate the clinical course and predictive factors for complications of IVC filters, especially IVC penetration

Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed in 45 adult patients with retrievable IVC filters and follow-up computed tomography (CT) between January 2003 and December 2012. Primary outcomes were the prevalence and predictive factors of IVC penetration.

Embolization of multiple systemic artery to pulmonary artery fistula with recurrent hemoptysis.

Herein, we report a case of multiple systemic arteries to pulmonary artery fistulas without any underlying causes, presenting recurrent hemoptysis. Transcatheter embolization was successfully performed several times on multiple systemic feeding arteries. Multiple systemic arteries to pulmonary fistulas can be a source of uncontrolled bleeding, and embolization may be a reasonable therapeutic option to control the bleeding.