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Background: Proposed in the early 1980s as a solution for managing complications of portal hypertension, the percutaneous creation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt has consistently gained a central role. Increasingly lower complication rates have been observed thanks to improvements in both technologies and the skills of interventional radiologists., Purpose: This document is aimed at interventional radiologists and provides best practice recommendations for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation, describing patient selection, intraprocedural management and follow-up, in addition to recommendations in paediatric settings., Methods: The CIRSE Standards of Practice Committee established a writing group consisting of seven European clinicians with recognised expertise in the creation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. The writing group reviewed the existing literature performing a pragmatic evidence search using PubMed to select relevant publications in the English language and involving human subjects, preferably published from 2009 to 2024. The final recommendations were developed by consensus., Results: TIPS creation has an established role in the successful management of portal hypertension and its complications. This Standards of Practice document provides up-to-date recommendations for patient selection, materials, its safe performance, and follow-up with complications management., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: All authors declare they have no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval: Not applicable. Informed Consent: Not applicable. Consent for Publication: Not applicable., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE).)

Purpose: This multicenter prospective study aims to compare transradial access versus transfemoral access in conventional transarterial chemoembolization (c-TACE) procedures, focusing on operators radiations exposure, patients comfort, technical success and vascular access complications., Materials and Methods: Patients were affected by hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC) in intermediate stage or previous stages unfit for ablation and/or surgery; they were randomized into two groups according to arterial access site (Group F: right femoral access in standard position; Group R: radial access with left arm abduced 90°). Overall fluoroscopy time was recorded. Eight thermoluminescence dosimeters were positioned immediately before each procedure to monitor radiation doses. Technical success was intended as complete HCC nodules lipiodolization at final plain cone-beam CT., Results: Group F included 23 patients, while group R 19. Mean fluoroscopy time was lower in group F but difference was not statistically significant (p-value > 0.05). In terms of operators radiations exposure, no significant differences were found (p-value > 0.05). Technical success was obtained in 81.5% in group F and 84.8% in group R, without significant differences (p-value > 0.05). Patients discomfort was significantly (p-value < 0.05) higher in group F. Concerning minor complications, no statistical differences were appreciated (p-value > 0.05); no major complications occurred., Conclusions: In this study, no statistical differences were observed in terms of operators radiations exposure, fluoroscopy time and technical success during c-TACE performed with left radial access compared to right femoral access; patients comfort was significantly better with radial access. These data should lead interventional radiologists to favor radial access in c-TACE interventions., (© 2024. Italian Society of Medical Radiology.)

Introduction: Percutaneous thermal segmentectomy is a single-step combination of microwave ablation, performed during arterial occlusion obtained with a balloon micro catheter, followed in the same session by balloon-occluded TACE. The aim of this multicenter retrospective study is to report the mid-term oncological performance of this technique for liver malignancies > 3.0 cm and to identify risk factors for the loss of sustained complete response., Methods: Oncological results were evaluated with CT or MRI according to m-RECIST (HCC) and RECISTv1.1 (metastasis/intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma, iCC) at 1-month, 3-6-month and then at regular-6-month intervals. To identify predictive variables associated with not achieving or losing complete response two mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression models were constructed., Results: Sixty-three patients (40/23, male/female) with primary liver malignancies (HCC = 49; iCC = 4) and metastasis (n = 10) were treated. Median diameter of target lesion was 4.5 cm (range 3.0-7.0 cm). The median follow-up time was 9.2 months. At one-month follow-up, 79.4% of patients presented with a complete response and the remaining 20.6% were partial responders. At the 3-6-month follow-up, reached by 59 of the initial 63 patients, 83.3% showed a sustained complete response, while 10.2% had a partial response and 8.5% a local recurrence. At the last follow-up, 69.8% of the lesions showed a complete response. The initial diameter of the target lesion ≥ 5.0 cm was the only independent variable associated with the risk of failure in maintaining a complete response at 6 months (OR = 8.58, 95% CI 1.38-53.43; P = 0.02)., Conclusion: Percutaneous thermal segmentectomy achieves promising oncological results in patients with tumors > 3.0 cm, with tumor dimension ≥ 5.0 cm being the only risk factor associated with the failure of a sustained complete response., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To report response rates (using mRECIST), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival and local tumour recurrence-free survival (LRFS) of balloon-occluded transarterial chemoembolisation (bTACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Materials and Methods: Patients from five European centres treated with conventional or drug-eluting microsphere bTACE for HCC were included, and patients already lost to follow-up before 12 months were excluded. Possible factors contributing to LRFS and OS were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards models., Results: Seventy-three patients were enrolled. The mean number of nodules per patient was 2.07(± 1.68), and the average maximum diameter of the nodules was 37 ± 19.9 mm. The response of the target lesion at 6 months was complete response (CR) in 58.9%, partial response (PR) in 28.8%, stable disease (SD) in 6.8% and progressive disease (PD) in 5.5%. The median follow-up time was 31 months; at the last follow-up, target tumour response was CR in 49.3%, PR in 12.3%, SD in 5.5% and PD 32.9%. Overall response at the last follow-up was CR in 17.8%, PR in 9.6%, SD 2.7% and PD in 69.9% (for new lesions in 37% of patients). Median OS was not reached; mean overall survival was 50.0 months, while median LRFS was 31.0 months. At uni- and multivariable analysis, only tumour maximum diameter was related to LRFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.021; 95% CI 1.004-1.038, P = 0.015)., Conclusions: bTACE demonstrated high efficacy for HCC, with a complete response in 58.9% of patients, a median local recurrence-free survival of 31.0 months and a mean overall survival of 50.0 months., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Despite considerable advances in surgical technique, many patients with hepatic malignancies are not operative candidates due to projected inadequate hepatic function following resection. Consequently, the size of the future liver remnant (FLR) is an essential consideration when predicting a patient's likelihood of liver insufficiency following hepatectomy. Since its initial description 30 years ago, portal vein embolization has become the standard of care for augmenting the size and function of the FLR preoperatively. However, new minimally invasive techniques have been developed to improve surgical candidacy, chief among them liver venous deprivation and radiation lobectomy. The purpose of this review is to discuss the status of preoperative liver augmentation prior to resection of hepatocellular carcinoma with a focus on these three techniques, highlighting the distinctions between them and suggesting directions for future investigation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To demonstrate in vivo redistribution of the blood flow towards HCC's lesions by utilizing two-dimensional perfusion angiography in b-TACE procedures., Material and Methods: In total, 30 patients with 35 HCC nodules treated in the period between January 2019 and November 2021. For each patient, a post-processing software leading to a two-dimensional perfusion angiography was applied on each angiography performed via balloon microcatheter, before and after inflation. On the colour map obtained, reflecting the evolution of contrast intensity change over time, five regions of interests (ROIs) were assessed: one on the tumour (ROI-t), two in the immediate peritumoural healthy liver parenchyma (ROI-ihl) and two in the peripheral healthy liver parenchyma (ROI-phl). The results have been interpreted with a novel in silico model that simulates the hemodynamics of the hepatic arterial system., Results: Among the ROIs drawn inside the same segment of target lesion, the time-to-peak of the ROI-t and of the ROI-ihl have a significantly higher mean value when the balloon was inflated compared with the ROIs obtained with deflated balloon (10.33 ± 3.66 s vs 8.87 ± 2.60 s (p = 0.015) for ROI-t; 10.50 ± 3.65 s vs 9.23 ± 2.70 s (p = 0.047) for ROI-ihl). The in silico model prediction time-to-peak delays when balloon was inflated, match with those observed in vivo. The numerical flow analysis shows how time-to-peak delays are caused by the obstruction of the balloon-occluded artery and the opening of intra-hepatic collateral., Conclusion: The measurements identify predictively the flow redistribution in the hepatic arteries during b-TACE, supporting a proper positioning of the balloon microcatheter., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: This retrospective multicentric study aims to report on technical safety and effectiveness of pseudoaneurysms embolization with glue (N-butyl cyanoacrylate) adopting a percutaneous direct puncture approach., Results: Fifty-four patients data were collected from five centers. All patients at the time of treatment presented with unruptured PAs and were hemodynamically stable. True aneurysms and lesions treated with embolics other than glue were excluded. Pseudoaneurysms diagnosis was based on CT and anamnestic data; initial investigation with digital-subtracted arteriography was acquired in all cases; then, percutaneous embolizations were performed in the angio-suite (ultrasound, fluoroscopy, ConeBeam CT guidance) or in CT. Technical success was considered as complete pseudoaneurysm embolization at final imaging with sole percutaneous strategy, without need for additional endovascular embolization. Clinical success was intended as pseudoaneurysm resolution within one week follow-up with stabilization or restored clinical conditions. Pseudoaneurysms origins were traumatic (57.4%), inflammatory (24.1%) or spontaneous (18.5%); 39 patients (72.2%) were symptomatic, presenting with pain and/or pulsatile mass. Mean lesions diameter was 19.3 mm (range: 7-30); pseudoaneurysms were located in abdomen (48.1%), limbs (42.6%) and thorax (9.3%). Coagulation function was impaired in 16.6% and 48.1% was under antiplatelets/anticoagulation therapy. In 16.6% the percutaneous approach followed previous treatments failure. The image-guidance modality for percutaneous puncture was most often ultrasound combined with fluoroscopy (38%). Clinical success was obtained in all patients while technical success occurred in 94.4% because 3 patients required an additional endovascular embolization. Complications were registered in 14.8%, all of low grade without clinical sequelae neither prolonged recovery (7 non target embolizations, 1 post-embolization syndrome)., Conclusions: In this study, pseudoaneurysms embolization with glue via percutaneous direct puncture was safe and effective with a low rate of minor complications., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: This study aims to assess the role and safety of post-dilatation in protected carotid artery stenting (PCAS) using the new MicroNet-covered 2nd-generation stent assessed by cone beam CT scans., Methods: From March 2020 to March 2022, patients were enrolled in the study according to CT angiography results based on the following criteria: Evidence of 70% to 99% carotid stenosis in asymptomatic patients and 50% to 99% in symptomatic patients, per the NASCET index. Using a FilterWire EZ™ (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA, USA) embolic protection system (EPS), MicroNet-covered stent PCAS was performed by two interventional radiologists with at least 8 years of experience in endovascular intervention. Each patient underwent post-dilatation following stent placement. Finally, a third radiologist (not participating in the interventional procedures) evaluated the cone beam CT scans and calculated residual stenosis. Major and minor complications were recorded in the 30 days following the procedure., Results: A total of 192 patients (121 male, mean age 73±10 years) were included in the study, and all patients received post-dilatation following stent implantation. Technical successes were achieved in all procedures. Adverse events noted in this study were limited to periprocedural transient ischemic attacks that occurred in three out of 192 patients (1.6%) and showed a swift complete recovery. The post-dilatation balloon diameters used in the study were: 5.0 mm (30.3%), 5.5 mm (39.3%) and 6 mm (30.3%). Optimized postdilatation resulted in a significant increase in the final luminal area. Similar improvements were observed in all subtypes of plaque., Conclusions: Post-dilatation in protected CAS is safe and induces a significant improvement in the cross-sectional area regardless of the stenotic plaque.

Endovascular management of abdominal wall hematomas (AWHs) is now the primary treatment option in hemodynamically stable patients, and it is often preferred to surgical interventions. The purpose of this multicentric study was to assess the safety, technical, and clinical success of percutaneous transarterial embolization (PTAE) of spontaneous AWHs to evaluate the efficacy of blind or empiric embolization compared to targeted embolization and to compare the outcome of the endovascular treatment approach in patients affected by COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. We retrospectively enrolled 112 patients with spontaneous AWHs who underwent PTAE, focusing on signs of bleeding at pre-procedural CTA and DSA. Patients were separated into two groups depending on whether a blind or targeted embolization approach was used. We also divided patients into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups. The mean age of the study population was 68.6 ± 15.8 years. CTA and DSA revealed signs of active bleeding in 99 and 88 patients, respectively. In 21 patients, blind embolization was performed. The overall technical success rate was 99%. Clinical success was obtained in 96 patients (86%), while 16 (14%) re-bled within 96 h. One patient reported a major peri-procedural complication. The comparison between blind and targeted embolization approaches showed no statistically significant differences in the characteristics of groups and technical and clinical success rates. No significant differences were found in the procedural outcome between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups. Our study confirmed that PTAE is effective for treating spontaneous AWHs, even in COVID-19 patients. It suggests that the efficacy and safety of blind embolization are comparable to targeted embolization.

Oligometastatic disease has been described as an intermediate clinical state between localized cancer and systemically metastasized disease. Recent clinical studies have shown prolonged survival when aggressive locoregional approaches are added to systemic therapies in patients with oligometastases. The aim of this review is to outline the newest options to treat oligometastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), also considering its molecular patterns. We present an overview of the available local treatment strategies, including surgical procedures, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), thermal ablation, as well as trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT). Moreover, since imaging methods provide crucial information for the early diagnosis and management of oligometastatic CRC, we discuss the role of modern radiologic techniques in selecting patients that are amenable to potentially curative locoregional treatments., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors disclose no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Digital variance angiography (DVA), a recently developed image processing technology, provided higher contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and better image quality (IQ) during lower limb interventions than digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Our aim was to investigate whether this quality improvement can be observed also during liver transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively compared the CNR and IQ parameters of DSA and DVA images from 25 patients (65% male, mean ± SD age: 67.5 ± 11.2 years) underwent TACE intervention at our institute. CNR was calculated on 50 images. IQ of every image set was evaluated by 5 experts using 4-grade Likert scales. Both single image evaluation and paired image comparison were performed in a blinded and randomized manner. The diagnostic value was evaluated based on the possibility to identify lesions and feeding arteries., Results: DVA provided significantly higher CNR (mean CNR DVA /CNR DSA was 1.33). DVA images received significantly higher individual Likert score (mean ± SEM 3.34 ± 0,08 vs. 2.89 ± 0.11, Wilcoxon signed-rank p < 0.001) and proved to be superior also in paired comparisons (median comparison score 1.60 [IQR:2.40], one sample Wilcoxon p < 0.001 compared to equal quality level). DSA could not detect lesion and feeding artery in 28 and 36% of cases, and allowed clear detection only in 22% and 16%, respectively. In contrast, DVA failed only in 8 and 18% and clearly revealed lesions and feeding arteries in 32 and 26%, respectively., Conclusion: In our study, DVA provided higher quality images and better diagnostic insight than DSA; therefore, DVA could represent a useful tool in liver TACE interventions., Level of Evidence: III Non-consecutive study., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

(1) Background: We investigated, for the first time, whether dietary simple sugar intake affects MELD score changes over time in a cohort of cirrhotic liver transplant candidates. (2) Methods: the MELD score, dietary habits using a 3-day food diary, and visceral adipose tissue index (VATI) measured with CT scan were assessed in 80 consecutive outpatient cirrhotic patients at baseline, after counseling to follow current nutritional guidelines. The MELD score was reassessed after six months and the DELTA-MELD was calculated as the MELD at the second assessment minus the MELD at baseline. (3) Results: Compared with the baseline, the MELD score of cirrhotic patients at the end of the study was decreased, stable, or increased in 36%, 8% and 56% of patients, respectively. In separate multiple linear regression models, DELTA-MELD was positively and independently correlated with the daily intake of simple sugars expressed in g/kg body weight ( p = 0.01) or as a percentage of total caloric intake ( p = 0.0004) and with the number of daily portions of fruit, added sugar, jam, and honey ( p = 0.003). These associations were present almost exclusively in patients with VATI above the median value. (4) Conclusions: In cirrhotic patients with high amounts of visceral adipose tissue the consumption of simple sugars and fructose should be limited to improve their clinical outcome.

Purpose: This study aims to analyze safety and effectiveness of PHIL ® (Microvention, CA-USA) in peripheral endovascular embolization procedures, both in elective and emergent scenarios., Materials and Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective study, involving 178 patients from five interventional radiology departments from January 2017 to December 2021. Patients treated by an endovascular embolization with PHIL ® were included; different PHIL ® viscosities were adopted. Exclusion criteria were: neuroradiological endovascular interventions, other cohesive liquid embolics adopted during the same procedure, follow-up < 30 days. Technical success was intended as definitive target vessel occlusion without the need for other embolics after PHIL ® injection. Clinical success was considered as restoration of hemodynamic status in case of emergent embolization and improvement of clinical conditions in case of elective procedures, without additional interventions at 30 days., Results: Sixty-four women and 114 men, mean age 62 years (range 6-91), were evaluated. Sixty-three patients were in elective scenarios (AVMs, type-II endoleaks, tumors, varices, aneurysms, varicoceles) and 115 were in emergent settings (hemorrhage, pseudoaneurysms, hemoptysis, priapism); 190 procedures were performed in 178 patients. Overall technical and clinical success rates were 94.7% and 92.1%, respectively. The complications rate was 7.4% (6 grade-I, 7 grade-III, 1 grade-IV). PHIL ® -25 was the more adopted viscosity; totally, 311 vials were injected (rate: 1.64 vial/procedure)., Conclusion: In this series, PHIL ® proved to be a safe and effective liquid embolic in peripheral embolizations, both in elective and emergent scenarios. The pre-filled syringe preparation allowed operators to use it even when unplanned at beginning of the intervention., (© 2022. Italian Society of Medical Radiology.)

CIREL, a prospective, Europe-wide, observational study aimed to assess the real-world feasibility and tolerability of irinotecan-based transarterial chemoembolization (LP-irinotecan TACE) for unresectable colorectal cancer liver metastases with regard to the treatment plan and adverse events (AEs). CIREL enrolled 152 eligible patients (≥18 years) with liver-only or dominant metastases treated with LP-irinotecan TACE following a multidisciplinary tumor board decision. Data were prospectively collected for baseline, the number of planned and performed sessions, and technical information and safety according to CTCAE 4.03/5.0. Results from 351 analyzed treatment sessions showed technical success for 99% of sessions, and 121 patients (79%) completed all planned sessions. Further, 60% of sessions were performed using opioids, 4% intra-arterial anesthetics, and 25% both. Additionally, 60% of patients experienced at least one peri-interventional AE of any grade; 8% of grade 3−4. Occurrence of AEs was related to larger liver-involvement (p < 0.001), bi-lobar disease (p = 0.002), and larger beads (p < 0.001). Using corticosteroids together with antiemetics showed reduced and lower grade vomiting (p = 0.01). LP-irinotecan TACE was tolerated well and had a high proportion of completed treatment plans. This minimally invasive locoregional treatment can be used together with concomitant systemic therapy or ablation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually develops in cirrhotic liver, with high recurrence rates. However, considering its increasing detection in non-cirrhotic liver, the choice of treatment assumes particular relevance. This study aimed to investigate outcomes of patients among BCLC stages and enrolled for surgical resection (SR) according to a more complex evaluation, to establish its safety and efficacy. A total of 186 selected HCC patients (median age 73.2 yrs), submitted to SR between January 2005 and January 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. Of which, 166 were staged 0, A, B according to the BCLC system, while 20 with a single large tumor (>5 cm) were classified as stage AB. No perioperative mortality was recorded; complications occurred in 48 (25.80%) patients, and all but two were Clavien−Dindo grade I−II. Median follow-up was 9.2 years. Subsequently, 162 recurrent patients (87,1%) were selected for new treatments. Comparable overall survival rates (OS) were observed at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years in 0, A, B and AB stages (p = 0.2). Eventually, the BCLC-B group was matched to 40 BCLC-B patients treated (2015-2021) with TACE. Significant differences in baseline characteristics (p <0.0001) and in OS were observed at 1 and 3 years (p <0.0001); a significant difference was also observed in oncological outcomes, in terms of the absence, residual, or relapse of disease (p <0.05). Surgery might be a valid treatment in HCC for patients affected by chronic liver disease in a condition of compensation, up to BCLC-B stage. Surgical indication for liver resection in case of HCC should be extensively revised.

Background: Microballoon interventions (MBIs) have been proposed as useful tools to improve the efficacy of locoregional liver treatments. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the existing evidence on procedural characteristics, safety, and efficacy of MBIs., Methods: PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were queried for original research articles evaluating MBIs in patients with liver malignancies from 2012 to August 2022. Search terms employed were liver malignancies, hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, liver metastases, microballoon transarterial chemoembolization, balloon-occluded trans-arterial chemoembolization, balloon-occluded selective internal radiation therapies, balloon-occluded TACE and ablation, and safety or oncological results or efficacy. Merely technical studies and animal studies were excluded., Results: Thirty-four original research studies and one abstract involving 744 patients treated with MBIs were included; 76% of the studies were retrospective, with low risk of bias and moderate-to-poor levels of evidence. Heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. All studies proved MBI safety, which was not inferior to non-occlusive procedures. Balloon employment ameliorates oncological results, improving time to recurrence, objective response rate, and lowers need for retreatment., Conclusions: MBIs appear to be potential game changers in the treatment of liver malignancies. Multicentric, prospective and randomized studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

Purpose: Our aim was to assess the role of computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of spondylodiscitis, identifying the best target structures for biopsy to increase the likelihood of positive cultures., Materials and Methods: This study was approved by our Institutional Review Board, and requirement for specific consent form was waived. In this retrospective single Institution study, we evaluated clinical and imaging records of 60 patients who underwent spine biopsy for suspected spondylodiscitis from January 2016 to May 2021. CT and MRI sensitivity and inter-reader agreement were assessed according to the phase of spondylodiscitis, defined as acute, subacute or chronic. Inter-reader agreement for the diagnosis and identification of spondylodiscitis phase was assessed using K statistics. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess any relationship between MRI/CT findings, spondylodiscitis phase and positive cultures., Results: Sixty patients (48 males) with mean age 59, 2 ± 29 were enrolled in this study. MRI showed higher sensitivity (96% vs 65% of CT) in the diagnosis and good inter-reader agreement (k = 0.8) in the identification of the acute and subacute phase of spondylodiscitis, and moderate inter-reader agreement (k = 0.7) and lower sensitivity (80% vs 95% of CT) for the chronic phase. Univariate analysis showed as MRI-specific findings such as extensive hyperintensity of vertebral body and/or disc on Short Tau Inversion Recovery-T2w images, paravertebral collections, preserved or augmented disc height and presence of a vertebral fractures were mainly found in the acute/subacute phase and was a predictor for positive cultures (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: MRI and CT are both able to identify the different phases of spondylodiscitis, although MRI is more sensitive in the acute phase. Findings such as extensive hyperintensity of the disc/vertebral body, fractures and paravertebral collections, represent the main targets for biopsy related to a positive culture., (© 2022. Italian Society of Medical Radiology.)

Interventional radiologists now perform spinal interventions routinely for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. New technologies for the management of spine pathologies have emerged with promising results in terms of safety and efficacy. Interventional radiology techniques in the spine include percutaneous biopsy and therapies for intervertebral disk herniation or spinal stenosis, facet and sacroiliac joint pathologies, vertebral and sacral fractures, and metastases. These techniques can also be easily combined one with the other or to further therapeutic approaches including systemic therapies, surgical approaches, and radiotherapy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current percutaneous imaging-guided interventional radiology techniques in the spine. It will help readers become familiar with the most common indications, learn about different technical considerations during performance, and review the available evidence. Controversies concerning new products and technical approaches are also addressed., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and clinical impact of preoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CT)-guided selective embolization of endophytic renal tumors with the fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG) and ethiodized oil in patients undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) using near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIR-FI)., Materials and Methods: Patients with renal endophytic tumors eligible for RAPN and transarterial embolization with ICG and ethiodized oil were prospectively enrolled. Technical success was defined as the completion of the embolization procedure. Radiographic success, defined as ethiodized oil accumulation in the nodule, was classified as poor, moderate, good, or optimal on the basis of postembolization cone-beam CT. Surgical visibility of the tumors during RAPN with the use of NIR-FI was classified as follows: (a) not visible, (b) visible with poorly defined margins, and (c) visible with well-defined margins., Results: Forty-one patients underwent preoperative selective embolization. Technical success was 100%. Ethiodized oil accumulation on cone-beam CT was poor in 2 (4.9%), moderate in 6 (14.6%), good in 25 (61.0%), and optimal in 8 (19.5%) of 41 patients. During RAPN with NIR-FI, tumors were visible with well-defined margins in 26 (63.4%), visible with blurred margins in 14 (34.1%), and not visible in 1 (2.4%) of 41 cases. There were no adverse events following endovascular embolization., Conclusions: Preoperative transarterial superselective embolization of endophytic renal tumors with ICG and ethodized oil in patients undergoing RAPN is safe and effective, allowing accurate intraoperative visualization and resection of endophytic tumors., (Copyright © 2022 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To report the multicenter retrospective experience on combination of balloon-occluded MWA(b-MWA) followed by balloon-occluded TACE(b-TACE) in patients with liver malignancies > 3 cm, focusing on appearance and volume of necrotic area, safety profile and oncological results., Materials and Methods: Twenty-three patients with liver primary malignancies (hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC = 18; intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,iCC = 2) and metastasis (colorectal cancer metastasis = 1;sarcoma metastasis = 1;breast metastasis = 1) were treated. Maximum mean diameter of lesions was 4.4 cm (± 1 cm). Treatments were performed using a single-step approach:b-MWA was performed after balloon-microcatheter inflation, followed by b-TACE (with epirubicin or irinotecan). Necrotic area shape and discrepancy with the expected volume of necrosis suggested by vendor's ablation chart were assessed at post-procedural CT. Complications were categorized according to CIRSE classification. Oncological results at 1 and 3-6 months were evaluated using m-RECIST(HCC) and RECISTv1.1(metastasis/iCC)., Results: Mean volume of necrotic area was 75 cm 3 (± 36). Discrepancy with vendor chart consisted in a medium percentage of volumetric incrementation of necrotic area of 103.2% (± 99.8). Non-spherical shape was observed in 22/23 patients (95.7%). No complications occurred; Post-embolization syndrome occurred in 12/23patients. Complete response and partial response were, respectively, 91, 3% (21/23) and 8.7% (2/23) at 1 month, 85.7% (18/21) and 9.5% (2/21) at 3-6 months. Progression of disease was 4.7% (1/21) at 3-6 months for extra-hepatic progression. Among partial responders, average percentage of tumor volume debulking was 78.8% (± 9.8%)., Conclusion: b-MWA followed by b-TACE in a single-step procedure led to larger necrotic areas than the proposed by vendors ablation chart, non-spherical in shape and corresponded to the vascular segment occluded during ablation. This permitted to safely achieve promising oncological results in patients with > 3 cm tumors., (© 2022. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE).)

Splenic artery pseudoaneurysm (PSA) is a contained vascular wall lesion associated with a high mortality rate, generally related to pancreatitis, trauma, malignancy, iatrogenic injury, and segmental arterial mediolysis. Computed tomography angiography allows us to visualize the vascular anatomy, differentiate a PSA from an aneurysm, and provide adequate information for endovascular/surgical treatment. The present review reports on the main state-of-the-art splenic artery PSA diagnosis, differentiating between the pros and cons of the imaging methods and about the endovascular treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vivo the role of the micro-balloon by comparing trans-arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) and selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) procedures performed with and without balloon micro-catheter (b-DEB-TACE and DEB-TACE/SIRT and b-SIRT) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: The impact of a balloon micro-catheter on trans-arterial loco-regional treatment was analyzed using non-enhanced post-procedural cone-beam CT (Ne-CBCT) by comparing the attenuation values in the embolized area and the surrounding liver tissue before and after DEB-TACE versus b-DEB-TACE and by comparing 2D/3D dosimetry in single-photon emission computed tomography after SIRT versus b-SIRT, and by comparing the histological count of the beads following orthotopic liver transplantation in the DEB-TACE versus b-DEB-TACE subgroup., Results: We treated 84 HCC patients using trans-arterial loco-regional therapy. Fifty-three patients (26 DEB-TACE and 27 b-DEB-TACE) were analyzed in the TACE group. Contrast, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio were all significantly higher in b-DEB-TACE subgroup than DEB-TACE (182.33 HU [CI95% 160.3-273.5] vs. 124 HU [CI95% 80.6-163.6]; 8.3 [CI95% 5.7-10.1] vs. 4.5 [CI95% 3.7-6.0]; 6.9 [CI95% 4.3-7.8] vs. 3.1 [CI95% 2.2-5.0] p < 0.05). Thirty-one patients (24 SIRT and 7 b-SIRT) were analyzed in the SIRT group. 2D dosimetry profile evaluation showed an activity intensity peak significantly higher in the b-SIRT than in the SIRT subgroup (987.5 ± 393.8 vs. 567.7 ± 302.2, p = 0.005). Regarding 3D dose analysis, the mean dose administered to the treated lesions was significantly higher in the b-SIRT than in the SIRT group (151.6 Gy ± 53.2 vs. 100.1 Gy ± 43.4, p = 0.01). In histological explanted liver analysis, there was a trend for higher intra-tumoral localization of embolic microspheres for b-DEB-TACE in comparison with DEB-TACE., Conclusions: Due to the use of three different methods, the results of this study demonstrate in vivo, a better embolization profile of oncological intra-arterial interventions performed with balloon micro-catheter regardless of the embolic agent employed., (© 2021. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE).)

Ultrasound is very effective in performing procedures and assessment of complications in peritoneal dialysis. The ultrasound examination can be applied for preoperative assessment, during the peritoneal catheter placement, for the detection and monitoring of infection, as well as for the evaluation of the catheter malfunction. Despite being not only a cost- and time-saving technique but also a bedside procedure, ultrasonography remains an underrated clinical tool in the field of peritoneal dialysis. This publication wants to explain and reinforce the clinical utility of US in PD and to expand the diagnostic equipment for the clinician., (© 2021 American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.)

This CIRSE Standards of Practice document is aimed at interventional radiologists and provides best practices for performing transarterial chemoembolisation. It has been developed by an expert writing group under the guidance of the CIRSE Standards of Practice Committee. It will encompass all technical details reflecting European practice of different TACE procedures (Lp-TACE, DEM-TACE, DSM-TACE, b-TACE) as well as revising the existing literature on the various clinical indications (HCC, mCRC, ICC, NET). Finally, new frontiers of development will also be discussed., (© 2021. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE).)

Background and Purpose: Percutaneous spine biopsies for spondylodiscitis have been long discussed due to the low microbiologic yield. This retrospective study evaluated factors of cone beam computed tomography-guided spine biopsies that may affect microbiologic yield., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed percutaneous spine biopsies under cone beam computed tomography for spondylodiscitis performed from January 2015-December 2020. Clinical and technical features such as the time from initial symptoms to biopsy, level biopsied, biopsy needle type/gauge, technical approach, radiation dose, technical success and microbiologic yield were recorded. Pre-procedure magnetic resonance imaging findings were also recorded such as the number of vertebral bodies involved, and disc morphology. Univariate logistic regression analysis and Receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed to assess any relationship between relevant factors and positive cultures., Results: A total of 50 patients underwent cone beam computed tomography-guided biopsies for spondylodiscitis, with resulted positive cultures in 18 patients (36%). The mean time from the initial referral of spinal symptoms to procedure in the positive culture group was the most influential finding for positive cultures (odds ratio 56.3, p  < 0.001). Among magnetic resonance imaging findings, thin or degenerated intervertebral disc was a negative factor for positive cultures (odds ratio 0.09, p  = 0.006). Univariate analysis showed that percutaneous approach (transpedicular vs posterolateral/interlaminar) needle size (11-13 g vs 16-18G, odds ratio 1.2, p  = 0.7) and site of biopsy (disc vs bone vs disc plus endplate) did not significantly affect the microbiologic yield of spine biopsy., Conclusion: Percutaneous cone beam computed tomography-guided biopsy for spondylodiscitis is a reliable and safe technique and its microbiologic yield may increase if biopsy is performed within the acute phase of infection.

Purpose: To identify the risk factors associated with patency loss after bailout stenting with third-generation hybrid heparin-bonded nitinol stent of the femoropopliteal segment., Methods: Prospective, multicenter, single-arm registry including 156 patients (50 females, mean age 72 ± 11 years) subjected, from February 2017 to December 2018, to provisional stenting with Gore Tigris vascular stent of the distal superficial femoral artery, with or without involvement of the popliteal artery, in 9 different centers. The 194 lesions, with Rutherford score ≥ 3, were stented in case of recoil, dissection or residual stenosis not responding to percutaneous trans-luminal angioplasty (PTA). The follow-up (FU) was performed with clinical evaluation and duplex ultrasound (DUS) at 1, 6 and 12 months., Results: The primary patency rate was 99(95%CI 98-100)% at 1 month, 86(80-92)% at 6 months and 81(74-88)% at-12 months. After patency loss, 13/23 (56.5%) patients were re-treated, yielding a primary assisted patency of 91(86-96)% at 6 months and 88(82-94)% at 12 months and a secondary patency of 94(90-98)% at 6 months and 90(84-95)% at 12 months. Rutherford score ≥ 4 (p = 0.03) and previous severe treatments (p = 0.01) were identified as risk factors for early patency loss during FU. The involvement of the popliteal artery was not an independent risk factor for loss of patency., Conclusions: The bailout stenting of the femoropopliteal segment with third-generation nitinol stents is a safe and effective option in case of recoil, dissection or residual stenosis not responding to PTA. Critical limb ischemia and history of previous major treatment at the same level are significant prognostic factors for patency loss during FU., (© 2021. Italian Society of Medical Radiology.)

Purpose: In the past years the significance of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) has gained raising attention because it is considered a marker of severity of different pathologies. Another condition that in the last years has been assessed in the neuroradiology field is cerebral microbleeds (CMB). The purpose of this work was to evaluate the association between the volume of WMH and the presence and characteristics of CMB., Material and Methods: Sixty-five consecutive (males 45; median age 70) subjects were retrospectively analyzed with a 1.5 Tesla scanner. WMH volume was quantified with a semi-automated procedure considering the FLAIR MR sequences whereas the CMB were studied with the SWI technique and CMBs were classified as absent (grade 1), mild (grade 2; total number of CMBs: 1-2), moderate (grade 3; total number of CMBs: 3-10), and severe (grade 4; total number of CMBs: >10). Moreover, overall number of CMBs and the maximum diameter were registered., Results: Prevalence of CMBs was 30.76% whereas WMH 81.5%. Mann-Whitney test showed a statistically significant difference in WMH volume between subjects with and without CMBs (p < 0.001). Pearson analysis showed significant correlation between CMB grade, number and maximum diameter and WMH. The better ROC area under the curve (Az) was obtained by the hemisphere volume with a 0.828 (95% CI from 0.752 to 0,888; SD = 0.0427; p value = 0.001). The only parameters that showed a statistically significant association in the logistic regression analysis were Hemisphere volume of WMH (p = 0.001) and Cholesterol LDL (p = 0.0292)., Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this study suggest the presence of a significant correlation between CMBs and volume of WMH. No differences were found between the different vascular territories., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

(1) Background: To demonstrate correlation between skeletal muscle depletion measured before and after one month of TARE treatment and its induced local response rate. (2) Material and methods: For this retrospective, single center study, we evaluated 86 patients with HCC treated with TARE. Sarcopenia status was measured using the psoas muscle index (PMI). The PMI was calculated according to the formula: PMI [mm/m 2 ]: [(minor diameter of left psoas + major diameter of left psoas + minor diameter of right psoas + major diameter of right psoas)/4]/height in m 2 . Population was divided in two groups according to the delta value of PMI measured at the time of TARE and one month after TARE, a group in which the delta PMI was stable or increased (No-Sarcopenia group; n = 42) vs. a group in which the delta-PMI decreased (Sarcopenia group; n = 44). Patient response was evaluated at 1, 3 and 6 months after TARE treatment with CT/MRI. (3) Results: When the radiological response of the tumor was evaluated according to the mRECIST criteria, the two groups were similar in terms of rates of complete response ( p = 0.42), partial response ( p = 0.26) and stable disease ( p = 0.59). Progressive disease (PD) was more commonly observed in the Sarcopenia group (38.6% vs. 11.9%; p = 0.006). (4) Conclusions: Worsening of sarcopenia status measured one month after TARE is able to predict patients who will undergo disease progression.

This study aimed to ascertain, for the first time, whether serum magnesium (Mg) concentration is affected by the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We retrospectively enrolled consecutive cirrhotic patients with a diagnosis of HCC (n = 130) or without subsequent evidence of HCC during surveillance (n = 161). Serum levels of Mg were significantly (P < 0.001) lower in patients with HCC than in those without (median [interquartile range]: 1.80 [1.62-1.90] mg/dl vs. 1.90 [1.72-2.08] mg/dl). On multivariate logistic regression, low serum Mg was associated with the presence of HCC (OR 0.047, 95% CI 0.015-0.164; P < 0.0001), independently from factors that can influence magnesaemia and HCC development. In a subset of 94 patients with HCC, a linear mixed effects model adjusted for confounders showed that serum Mg at diagnosis of HCC was lower than before diagnosis of the tumor (β = 0.117, 95% CI 0.039-0.194, P = 0.0035) and compared to after locoregional treatment of HCC (β = 0.079, 95% CI 0.010-0.149, P = 0.0259), with two thirds of patients experiencing these changes of serum Mg over time. We hypothesize that most HCCs, like other cancers, may be avid for Mg and behave like a Mg trap, disturbing the body's Mg balance and resulting in lowering of serum Mg levels., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The aim of this multicenter comparison of balloon-occluded transarterial chemoembolization (B-TACE) versus conventional TACE (cTACE) in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was to assess in which size range the 2 techniques offered higher complete response (CR) and objective response (OR) rates in a single session, and to evaluate the possibility of using B-TACE to reduce the need for re-treatment., Methods: 325 patients were retrospectively evaluated: 91 patients in the B-TACE group (22 with cTACE [B-cTACE] and 69 with drug-eluting microsphere TACE [B-DEM-TACE]) and 234 in the cTACE group. The results were compared according to tumor size: (A) <30 mm, (B) 30-50 mm, and (C) >50 mm; OR and CR rates after the first session and the number of TACE re-interventions within a 6-month period were also evaluated using propensity score matching (PSM)., Results: The best target ORs were very high (93.2%) and similar between the 2 treatments both before (94.4% for cTACE and 90.1% for B-TACE) and after PSM (94.5% for cTACE and 90.1%; p = 0.405), with slightly better results for the cTACE cohort probably due to better cTACE effectiveness in smaller lesions. In lesions <30 mm, cTACE obtained a slightly higher CR rate than B-TACE (61.9 vs. 56.3%, p = 0.680), whereas in intermediate-sized HCCs (30-50 mm), B-TACE showed a significant superiority in achieving a CR (72.3 vs. 54.1%, respectively; p = 0.047). In larger lesions (>50 mm), cTACE and B-TACE performed equally, with a poor CR rate (22.6 vs. 23.1%, respectively; p = 1.000). These results were additionally confirmed using PSM. The patients treated with B-TACE had a significantly lower re-treatment rate than the cTACE cohort (12.1 vs. 26.9%, respectively; p = 0.005). B-cTACE and B-DEM-TACE demonstrated similar ORs, with a slightly better CR rate for B-cTACE (68.2 vs. 56.5%, respectively; p = 0.456)., Conclusion: In HCCs of 30-50 mm, B-TACE should be preferred to cTACE, whereas in smaller nodules (<30 mm), cTACE can suffice in achieving a good CR rate. The statistically significant lower re-treatment rate of the B-TACE cohort after a single procedure reduced the risk of complications due to multiple TACE, which could worsen the patient prognosis., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2021 by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective multicentric study was to compare the tumour response rates of Balloon-occluded Transarterial Chemoembolisation (B-TACE) to non-B-TACE using propensity score matching (PSM) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and to investigate the clinical benefit, such as lower rates of TACE re-intervention achieved using B-TACE., Material and Methods: The B-TACE procedures (n = 96 patients) were compared with a control group of non-B-TACE treatments (n = 434 pts), performed with conventional (cTACE) or drug-eluting microspheres TACE (DEM-TACE). Data were collected from six European centres from 2015 to 2019. Objective responses (OR) and complete response (CR) rates after the first session and the number of TACE re-interventions were evaluated using PSM (91 patients per arm)., Results: The best target OR after PSM were similar for both B-TACE and non-B-TACE (90.1% and 86.8%, p = 0.644); however, CR at 1-6 months was significantly higher for B-TACE (59.3% vs. 41.8%, p = 0.026). Patients treated with B-TACE had a significantly lower retreatment rate during the first 6 months (9.9%% vs. 22.0%, p = 0.041). Post-embolisation syndrome (PES) rates were 8.8% in non-B-TACE and 41.8% in B-TACE (p < 0.001), with no significant differences between groups regarding major adverse events., Conclusion: B-TACE is safe and effective, achieving higher CR rates than non-B-TACE. Patients undergoing B-TACE had a significantly lower retreatment rate within the first 6 months but higher PES rates., Level of Evidence Iii: Level 3, retrospective study.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 75-85% of primary liver malignancies, and elderlies have the highest incidence rates. Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have shown satisfying results in terms of HCV sustained viral response (SVR). However, data regarding HCC risk post-DAA-SVR is still conflicting. This study aims to consider HCC onset in moderate underlying liver disease. We conducted a retrospective study on 227 chronically infected patients (cHCV), treated with DAAs. Patients were divided into three groups: " de novo occurrent HCC ", " recurrent HCC ", and " without HCC ". Fifty-six patients aged <65 years (yDAA) were studied separately. HCC patients aged ≥65 years (DAA-HCC) were compared to a historical group of 100 elderly HCC patients, treated with peginterferon (Peg-IFN) ± ribavirin antiviral agents, non-SVR (hHCC). The HCC prevalence in DAA patients was 32.75%: "de novo occurrent'' 18.13% and "recurrent'' 14.62%, despite 42.85% of them having no fibrosis to mild or moderate fibrosis (F0-F1-F2). yDAA showed 5.36% "de novo occurrent" HCC. Curative procedure rates were compared between DAA-HCC and hHCC at the first and at recurrent presentation (22 (39.29%) vs. 72 (72%); 17 (30.36%) vs. 70 (70%), respectively ( p < 0.001)). No significant difference was found in 3-year OS ( p = 0.6). However, in cause-specific mortality analysis, HCC-related death was higher in the DAA-treated group, whereas cirrhosis-related death was more common in the historical group ( p = 0.0288), considering together the two causes of death. A more accurate patient stratification according to multifactorial and new diagnostic investigations identifying HCC risk might allow an improvement in management and access to curative therapies.

Introduction: This was a European, multicenter, investigator-initiated and run, single-arm retrospective analysis to assess the safety and the clinical benefit of the use of paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) for the treatment of symptomatic central venous stenosis (CVS)., Materials and Methods: Eleven centers from 7 countries across Europe, submitted 86 cases performed during the period between October 2015 and June 2018. Minimum follow-up was 6 months. Patient baseline demographics and procedural details were collected. Mean age was 62.6 years (SD 15.2 years). Median vascular access age was 3.0 years (IQR 1.2-4.8 years). A total of 55 were arteriovenous fistulas (64%) the rest arteriovenous grafts (31/86, 36%). Vessels treated were 43 subclavian veins, 42 brachiocephalic veins and 1 superior vena cava. Median drug-coated balloon diameter was 10 mm (IQR 8-12 mm). Primary outcome measures were clinically assessed intervention-free period (IFP) of the treated segment at 6 months and procedure-related minor and major complications. Secondary outcome measures included access circuit survival, patient survival, and the investigation of independent factors that influence the IFP., Results: IFP was 62.7% at 6 months. Median patient follow-up time was 1.0 year (IQR 0.5-2.2 years). There was 1 minor complication (1/86; 1.2%) and no major complications. Access circuit survival was 87.7% at 6 months. Patient survival was 79.7% at 2 years according to Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Higher balloon diameters significantly favored IFP [HR 0.71 (0.55-0.92), p=0.006; 5-7 mm group vs 8-12 mm group, p=0.025]., Conclusion: In this analysis, use of PCBs for the treatment of symptomatic CVS was safe. Efficacy was comparable to previous trials. Increased balloon size had a significant effect on patency rates.

Identification of carotid artery atherosclerosis is conventionally based on measurements of luminal stenosis. However, histopathologic studies demonstrate considerable differences between plaques with identical degrees of stenosis and indicate that certain plaque features are associated with increased risk for ischemic events. As a result of the rapid technological evolution in medical imaging, several important steps have been taken in the field of carotid plaque imaging allowing us to visualize the carotid atherosclerotic plaque and its composition in great detail. For computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and ultrasound scan, evidence has accumulated on novel imaging-based markers that confer information on carotid plaque vulnerability, such as intraplaque hemorrhage and lipid-rich necrotic cores. In terms of the imaging-based identification of individuals at high risk of stroke, routine assessments of such imaging markers are the way forward for improving current clinical practice. The current review highlights the main characteristics of the vulnerable plaque indicating their role in the etiology of ischemic stroke as identified by intensive plaque imaging., (© 2021 by the Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Liver cancer is among the 10 most common tumors globally. In China, liver cancer ranks 4 th for prevalence and 3 rd for mortality among all malignant tumors. With respect to the treatment of primary liver cancer, there are a number of therapies currently available, including surgical resection, liver transplantation, ablation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), systemic chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy and immunotherapy. Clinical practice and research have shown that, compared with conventional TACE (cTACE), drug-eluting bead TACE (DEB-TACE) can achieve a higher response rate and longer survival time in patients with primary liver cancer. Compared with that of cTACE, DEB-TACE has more favorable basic conditions for achieving uniformity, which could facilitate the standardization of operation techniques. China is the country with the highest incidence of primary liver cancer, accounting for more than 50% of the global patients, and its etiology and epidemiology in Chinese patients differ from those in Europeans and Americans. Therefore, experts in China have drafted these technical recommendations for the standard operation of drug-eluting beads for the treatment of liver cancer on the basis of accumulated abundant clinical experience and evidence-based medical data., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/atm-21-1678). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2021 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Phil liquid embolic agent in non-neurological embolization procedures. M&M: Thirty-five patients with a mean age of 62.5 years underwent percutaneous embolization using Phil for the treatment of visceral arterial bleedings in 20/35 patients (including three gluteal, one bladder, two superior mesenteric, three epigastric, one deep femoral, five internal iliac, four intercostal, and one lingual arteries), splanchnic pseudoaneurysms in 11/35 patients (including three hepatic, five splenic, and three renal arteries), pancreatic bleeding metastasis in 1/35 patient, and gastric bleeding varices in 3/35 patients. Phil is composed of a non-adhesive copolymer dissolved in DMSO (Anhydrous Dimethyl Sulfoxide) with different viscosity. Procedures were performed slowly under continuous fluoroscopic guidance to avoid embolization of non-target vessels., Results: Clinical success was obtained with a single intervention in 34 cases (97.15%), while a repeated procedure was required in one case (2.85%). No technical complications nor non-target embolization occurred. A case of post-embolic syndrome was noted (2.85%) in one patient. DMSO administration-related pain was successfully controlled by medical therapy., Conclusion: Phil can be considered a safe and effective embolic agent for the treatment of non-neurologic bleeding.

Background: To compare oncological results and safety profile of balloon micro-catheter trans-arterial chemoembolization (b-TACE) and drug-eluting-microsphere (DEM-TACE) in patients with hepatocellular-carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: This is a case-control, retrospective, single-center study. Between January-2015/March-2019, 149 patients (131 males [87.9%]) with 226 HCC were treated, 22 patients (35 HCC; 19 [86.4%] males) with b-TACE and 127 with DEM-TACE (191 HCC, 112 [88.2%] males). Embolization protocol was standardized (sequential 100 ± 25 and 200 ± 25 μm microspheres). Results were evaluated by modified-response-evaluation-criteria-in-solid-tumor [mRECIST] at 1, 3-6 and 9-12 months and time to recurrence after complete response [TTR] at 1 years. Cox's regression weighted with tumor dimensions was performed. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded., Results: mRECIST oncological response at all time points (1, 3-6 and 9-12 months) for both treatments were similar, with the exception of Objective response rate at 9-12 months. Objective response at 1 and 3-6 months between b-TACE vs DEM-TACE [23/35 (65.7%) vs 119/191 (62.3%), 21/29 (72.4%) vs 78/136 (57.4%) (p > 0.05), respectively]. On the contrary, at 9-12 months, it was significantly higher in b-TACE subgroup than DEM-TACE (15/19 [78.9%] vs 48/89 [53.9%], p = 0.05). TTR for complete response at 1 year had a better trend for b-TACE vs DEM-TACE (278.0 days [196.0-342.0] vs 219.0 days [161.0-238.0], OR 0.68 [0.4-1.0], p = 0.10). The use of balloon micro-catheter reduced the relative risk of the event of recurrence by 0.63 [CI95% 0.38-1.04]; p = 0.07). No significant differences were found in AEs rate., Conclusion: b-TACE showed a trend of better oncological response over DEM-TACE with and longer TTR with a similar adverse events rate, in patients presenting with larger tumors.

Background: Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) are moderately heritable cardiovascular traits, but the environmental effects on the longitudinal change of their heritability have never been investigated., Methods: 368 Italian and Hungarian twins (107 monozygotic, 77 dizygotic) underwent oscillometric measurement and B-mode sonography of bilateral carotid arteries in 2009/2010 and 2014. Within- -individual/cross-study wave, cross-twin/within-study wave and cross-twin/cross-study wave correlations were estimated, and bivariate Cholesky models were fitted to decompose the total variance at each wave and covariance between study waves into additive genetic, shared and unique environmental components., Results: For each trait, a moderate longitudinal stability was observed, with within-individual/crosswave correlations of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.33-0.51) for HR, 0.34 (95% CI: 0.24-0.43) for MAP, and 0.23 (95% CI: 0.12-0.33) for cIMT. Cross-twin/cross-wave correlations in monozygotic pairs were all significant and substantially higher than the corresponding dizygotic correlations. Genetic continuity was the main source of longitudinal stability, with across-time genetic correlations of 0.52 (95% CI: 0.29-0.71) for HR, 0.56 (95% CI: 0.31-0.81) for MAP, and 0.36 (95% CI: 0.07-0.64) for cIMT. Overlapping genetic factors explained respectively 57%, 77%, and 68% of the longitudinal covariance of the HR, MAP and cIMT traits., Conclusions: Genetic factors have a substantial role in the longitudinal change of HR, MAP and cIMT; however, the influence of unique environmental factors remains relevant. Further studies should better elucidate whether epigenetic mechanisms have a role in influencing the stability of the investigated traits over time.

Intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) is one of the main factors involved in atherosclerotic plaque (AP) instability. Its recognition is crucial for the correct staging and management of patients with carotid artery plaques to limit ischemic stroke. Imaging plays a crucial role in identifying IPH, even if the great variability of intraplaque vascularization and the limitations of our current imaging technologies make it difficult. The intent of this review is to give a general overview of the main features of intraplaque vascularization and IPH on Ultrasound (US), Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Nuclear Medicine, and a brief description on the future prospectives., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: The mechanism underlying the association between personality profile and subclinical atherosclerosis is poorly understood. This study explores the association between personality, carotid atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness, and the contribution of genes and environment to this association., Methods: Early atherosclerotic traits, including carotid intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) and heart rate, were assessed in 318 adult twins, who also completed a Big Five personality questionnaire. Using the co-twin control approach, the association between intra-pair differences in clinical and personality scores was assessed in dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twins separately., Results: An association between CCA-IMT and extroverted personality, as well as between PWVao and openness to experience was detected. The inverse association between CCA-IMT and extraversion was persistent in DZ and disappeared in MZ twins, suggesting genetic confounding. In contrast, the association between PWVao and openness to experience was of the same magnitude in DZ and MZ twins, thus surviving the adjustment for genetic and shared environmental factors., Conclusions: This study highlights that the association between some psychological factors and cardiovascular traits may be partly explained by genetic factors. This result may provide support for the feasibility of prevention programs based on assessing familiarity for personality disorders to detect genetic risk for subclinical cardiovascular disease., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The prevention and management of atherosclerosis poses a tough challenge to public health organizations worldwide. Together with myocardial infarction, stroke represents its main manifestation, with up to 25% of all ischemic strokes being caused by thromboembolism arising from the carotid arteries. Therefore, a vast number of publications have focused on the characterization of the culprit lesion, the atherosclerotic plaque. A paradigm shift appears to be taking place at the current state of research, as the attention is gradually moving from the classically defined degree of stenosis to the identification of features of plaque vulnerability, which appear to be more reliable predictors of recurrent cerebrovascular events. The present review will offer a perspective on the present state of research in the field of carotid atherosclerotic disease, focusing on the imaging modalities currently used in the study of the carotid plaque and the impact that such diagnostic means are having in the clinical setting., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/cdt.2020.03.01). The series “Advanced Imaging in The Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Diseases” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. LS served as the unpaid Guest Editor of the series and serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy from July 2019 to June 2021. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In recent years there has been an increasing application of advanced EVAR techniques to tackle complex clinical and anatomical scenarios. In a bid to overcome the limitations of the traditional stent-grafts, newer EVAR endografts and techniques have been developed and introduced into clinical practice, permitting endovascular management of difficult infrarenal, juxta-renal and thoracoabdominal aneurysms for which previously there was no endovascular solution. As a consequence, we are now confronted with unique patterns of endoleak requiring customized clinical-radiological assessment and treatment. Despite the increasing body of evidence regarding new EVAR techniques and related endoleaks, current guidelines do not specifically address these issues., Objectives: Our review aims to assess risk factors, development, and management strategies of these endoleaks, in the most recent infrarenal EVAR devices and in more complex fenestrated EVAR (FEVAR) and Chimney EVAR (Ch-EVAR)., Expert Opinion: Most new devices have demonstrated types of endoleaks that need specific imaging and treatment, as in EVAS, FEVAR, and ChEVAR. Knowledge of specific stent-graft characteristics and the nature of endoleaks associated with the various procedures facilitates the application of relevant useful imaging. In addition, it should aid development of a customized and practically relevant approach to patient management during intervention and follow-up.

Purpose: To explore the association between presence of inflammatory cells in the carotid plaques surgically treated and brain MRI findings., Material and Methods: Forty consecutive patients were prospectively analyzed. Brain MRI was performed with a 1.5 Tesla scanner and infacts (lacuna and non-lacunar) pertinence of the anterior circulation were recorded. All patients underwent carotid endarterectomy "en bloc"; carotid plaques histological sections were prepared and immuno-cytochemical analysis was performed to characterize and quantify the presence of inflammatory cells. ROC curve analysis, Pearson Rho correlation and Mann-Whitney test were applied., Results: The immuno-cytochemical analysis demonstrated that plaques of symptomatic patients (stroke\TIA; n = 25) had more inflammatory cells, mainly macrophages (CD68) compared with plaques of patients without symptoms (Mann-Whitney = P < 0.001, ROC curve area = 0.901). Correlation analysis showed a statistically significant association between the number of brain non-lacunar infarcts and the entity of macrophages (P < 0.001); whereas no association with lacunar infarcts (P = 0.1934) was found., Conclusion: Results of this preliminary study suggest that the presence and amount of inflammatory cells within carotid artery plaque is associated with cerebrovascular events and with the number of MRI brain detectable infarct., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study was directed to compare diagnostic accuracy of dual-phase cone beam computed tomography (DP-CBCT) vs pre-procedural second line imaging modality (SLIM [multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging]) to detect and characterize hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients with indication for trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE)., Methods: This is a single centre, retrospective, and observational study. Exclusion criteria were not-assisted DP-CBCT TACE, and unavailable follow-up SLIM. We evaluated 280 consecutive patients (January/2015-Febraury/2019). Seventy-two patients were eligible. Three radiologists in consensus reviewed: pre-procedural SLIM, DP-CBCT, and SLIM at follow-up, with 4 months of interval between each reading. Hyper-vascular foci (HVF) were detected and characterized. Diameter was recorded. Radiological behaviour, according to LI-RADS criteria, of HFV throughout follow-up time was the reference standard. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated for pre-procedural SLIM and DP-CBCT and evaluated through receiver operating characteristic curve. HVF only visible on DP-CBCT (defined as occult) were analysed. Tumour diameters were compared., Results: Median time between pre-procedural SLIM and DP-CBCT and between DP-CBCT and definitive radiological diagnosis of HVF were 46.0 days (95%CI 36.5-55.0) and 30.5 days (95%CI 29.0-33.0), respectively. DP-CBCT had a better diagnostic performance than pre-examination SLIM (sensitivity 99%vs78%; specificity 89%vs85%; PPV 99%vs99%; NPV 92%vs30%; and accuracy 94%vs79%). DP-CBCT diagnosed 63 occult HVF. Occult HCC were 54/243 (22.2%). Six were occult angiomas. Three were false positive. Mean diameter was significantly higher in DP-CBCT vs pre-procedural SLIM (+7.5% [95%CI 3.7-11.3], p < 0.05)., Conclusions: DP-CBCT has a better diagnostic accuracy and NPV than pre-procedural SLIM in cirrhotic patients with indication for TACE., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors have participated in (a) conception and design, or analysis and interpretation of the data; (b) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and (c) approval of the final version. This manuscript has not been submitted to, nor is under review at, another journal or other publishing venue. The authors have no affiliation with any organization with a direct or indirect financial interest in the subject matter discussed in the manuscript, (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)