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Background Intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are treated by inducing ischemic cell death with transarterial embolization (TAE) or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). A subset of HCCs harbor nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a major regulator of the oxidative stress response implicated in cell survival after ischemia. NRF2-mutated HCC response to TAE and/or TACE is unknown. Purpose To test whether ischemia resistance is present in individuals with NRF2-mutated HCC and if this resistance can be overcome by means of NRF2 inhibition in HCC cell lines. Materials and Methods This was a combined retrospective review of an institutional database (from January 2011 to December 2018) and prospective study (from January 2014 to December 2018) of participants with HCC who underwent TAE and a laboratory investigation of HCC cell lines. Imaging follow-up included liver CT or MRI at 1 month after the procedure followed by 3-month interval scans. Tumor radiologic response was assessed on the basis of follow-up imaging. The time to local progression after TAE for individuals with and individuals without NRF2 pathway alterations was estimated by using competing risk analysis (Gray test). The in vitro response to ischemia in four HCC cell lines with and without NRF2 overexpression was evaluated, and the combination of ischemia with NRF2 knockdown by means of short hairpin RNA or an NRF2 inhibitor was tested. Doubling time estimates, dose response curve regression, and comparison analyses were performed. Results Sixty-five individuals (median age, 69 years [range, 19-84 years]; 53 men) were evaluated. HCCs with NRF2 pathway mutation had a shorter time to local progression after TAE compared to those without mutation (6-month cumulative incidence of local progression, 56% [range, 19%-91%] vs 22% [range, 12%-34%], respectively; P < .001) and confirmed ischemia resistance in NRF2-overexpressing HCC cell lines. However, ischemia and NRF2 knock-down worked synergistically to decrease proliferation of NRF2-overexpressing HCC cell lines. Dose response curves of ML385, an NRF2 inhibitor, showed that ischemia induces addiction to NRF2 in cells with NRF2 alterations. Conclusion Hepatocellular carcinoma with nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) alterations showed resistance to ischemia, but ischemia simultaneously induced sensitivity to NRF2 inhibition. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Weiss and Nezami in this issue.

Purpose To establish the prognostic value of biopsy of the central and marginal ablation zones for time to local tumor progression (LTP) after radiofrequency (RF) ablation of colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CLM). Materials and Methods A total of 47 patients with 67 CLMs were enrolled in this prospective institutional review board-approved and HIPAA-compliant study between November 2009 and August 2012. Mean tumor size was 2.1 cm (range, 0.6-4.3 cm). Biopsy of the center and margin of the ablation zone was performed immediately after RF ablation (mean number of biopsy samples per ablation zone, 1.9) and was evaluated for the presence of viable tumor cells. Samples containing tumor cells at morphologic evaluation were further interrogated with immunohistochemistry and were classified as either positive, viable tumor (V) or negative, necrotic (N). Minimal ablation margin size was evaluated in the first postablation CT study performed 4-8 weeks after ablation. Variables were evaluated as predictors of time to LTP with the competing-risks model (uni- and multivariate analyses). Results Technical effectiveness was evident in 66 of 67 (98%) ablated lesions on the first contrast material-enhanced CT images at 4-8-week follow-up. The cumulative incidence of LTP at 12-month follow-up was 22% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12, 32). Samples from 16 (24%) of 67 ablation zones were classified as viable tumor. At univariate analysis, tumor size, minimal margin size, and biopsy results were significant in predicting LTP. When these variables were subsequently entered in a multivariate model, margin size of less than 5 mm (P < .001; hazard ratio [HR], 6.7) and positive biopsy results (P = .008; HR, 3.4) were significant. LTP within 12 months after RF ablation was noted in 3% (95% CI: 0, 9) of necrotic CLMs with margins of at least 5 mm. Conclusion Biopsy proof of complete tumor ablation and minimal ablation margins of at least 5 mm are independent predictors of LTP and yield the best oncologic outcomes. (©) RSNA, 2016.

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of autologous blood patch injection (ABPI) with that of a hydrogel plug on the rate of pneumothorax at CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective randomized controlled trial (https://ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02224924), a noninferiority design was used for ABPI, with a 10% noninferiority margin when compared with the hydrogel plug, with the primary outcome of pneumothorax rate within 2 hours of biopsy. A type I error rate of 0.05 and 90% power were specified with a target study population of 552 participants (276 in each arm). From October 2014 to February 2017, all potential study participants referred for CT-guided lung biopsy (n = 2052) were assessed for enrollment. RESULTS: The data safety monitoring board recommended the trial be closed to accrual after an interim analysis met prespecified criteria for early stopping based on noninferiority. The final study group consisted of 453 participants who were randomly assigned to the ABPI (n = 226) or hydrogel plug (n = 227) arms. Of these, 407 underwent lung biopsy. Pneumothorax rates within 2 hours of biopsy were 21% (42 of 199) and 29% (60 of 208); chest tube rates were 9% (18 of 199) and 13% (27 of 208); and delayed pneumothorax rates within 2 weeks after biopsy were 1.4% (three of 199) and 1.5% (three of 208) in the ABPI and hydrogel plug arms, respectively. CONCLUSION: Autologous blood patch injection is noninferior to a hydrogel plug regarding the rate of pneumothorax after CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy. © RSNA, 2018 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

To identify predictors of oncologic outcomes after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLMs) and to describe and evaluate a modified clinical risk score (CRS) adapted for ablation as a patient stratification and prognostic tool.This study consisted of a HIPAA-compliant institutional review board-approved retrospective review of data in 162 patients with 233 CLMs treated with percutaneous RFA between December 2002 and December 2012. Contrast material-enhanced CT was used to assess technique effectiveness 4-8 weeks after RFA. Patients were followed up with contrast-enhanced CT every 2-4 months. Overall survival (OS) and local tumor progression-free survival (LTPFS) were calculated from the time of RFA by using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank tests and Cox regression models were used for univariate and multivariate analysis to identify predictors of outcomes.Technique effectiveness was 94% (218 of 233). Median LTPFS was 26 months. At univariate analysis, predictors of shorter LTPFS were tumor size greater than 3 cm (P.001), ablation margin size of 5 mm or less (P.001), high modified CRS (P = .009), male sex (P = .03), and no history of prior hepatectomy (P = .04) or hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (P = .01). At multivariate analysis, only tumor size greater than 3 cm (P = .01) and margin size of 5 mm or less (P.001) were independent predictors of shorter LTPFS. Median and 5-year OS were 36 months and 31%. At univariate analysis, predictors of shorter OS were tumor size larger than 3 cm (P = .005), carcinoembryonic antigen level greater than 30 ng/mL (P = .003), high modified CRS (P = .02), and extrahepatic disease (EHD) (P.001). At multivariate analysis, tumor size greater than 3 cm (P = .006) and more than one site of EHD (P.001) were independent predictors of shorter OS.Tumor size of less than 3 cm and ablation margins greater than 5 mm are essential for satisfactory local tumor control. Tumor size of more than 3 cm and the presence of more than one site of EHD are associated with shorter OS.

PURPOSE: To compare ultrasound (US) to angiography combined with computed tomography during arterial portography (CTAP) in the preoperative evaluation of the portal vein. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three consecutive patients being considered for hepatic resection underwent color and spectral Doppler US and angiography with CTAP before surgery. The main, right, and left portal veins were evaluated separately. A total of 187 veins were assessed for encasement, occlusion, or thrombosis. RESULTS: At surgery, 41 portal veins were abnormal. US allowed detection of 38 of 41 (93%) involved portal veins with 93% sensitivity, 99% specificity, 97% positive predictive value, and 98% negative predictive value. Angiography with CTAP allowed diagnosis of 37 of 41 (90%) involved portal veins with 90% sensitivity, 99% specificity, 95% positive predictive value, and 97% negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: US is comparable to angiography combined with CTAP in evaluation of the portal vein.

PURPOSE: To assess echo-planar, fast spin-echo (SE), and chemical shift magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in differentiation of adrenal adenomas from malignant adrenal masses in patients with known malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-eight adrenal masses (23 malignant, 45 benign) in 68 patients with known malignancy were examined with echo-planar, fast SE with and without fat suppression, and chemical shift pulse sequences. RESULTS: With a cutoff T2 value of 75 msec, the sensitivity of echo-planar imaging for benign lesions was 82%, and specificity was 96%. With a cutoff adrenal mass-to-spleen signal intensity ratio of 0.80, the sensitivity of fast SE imaging for benign lesions was 53%, and specificity was 96%. With a cutoff adrenal mass-to-spleen ratio of 0.55, the sensitivity of chemical shift imaging for benign lesions was 80], and specificity was 100%. CONCLUSION: Chemical shift imaging and calculated T2 values from echo-planar imaging are promising techniques for differentiation of adrenal adenoma...

To determine whether histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of tissue adherent to electrodes after radiofrequency (RF) ablation of liver malignancies can help predict local tumor progression (LTP).Institutional review board waiver and informed consent were obtained. Histologic and immunohistochemical examinations of tissue adherent to electrodes after RF ablation of liver malignancies were performed, with application of proliferation (Ki-67) and apoptosis (caspase-3) markers. Clinical and technical information were prospectively collected for an HIPAA-registered database. Medical records and imaging were reviewed to determine LTP for treated tumors smaller than 5 cm in diameter. LTP-free and survival rates were assessed with Kaplan-Meier method; differences between groups assessed with permutation log-rank test. Multivariate analysis assessed with Cox regression for factors related to LTP.Sixty-eight malignant tumors treated with RF ablation were identified. Fifty-five tissue specimens were classified as coagulation necrosis (CN), thermal artifact only, or tumor cells positive for caspase-3/negative for Ki-67; and 13 as viable tumor cells (Ki-67 positive). Mean tumor size was larger in viable (3.4 cm) than in CN (2.5 cm) group before treatment (P = .01). For viable and CN groups, LTP occurred in 12 (92%) of 13 and 16 (29%) of 55 specimens, respectively; 1-year LTP-free rates were 0% and 74%, respectively (P.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that viable cells comprise independent risk factor for LTP (P.001). The odds of LTP is six times greater in viable group compared with CN group for tumors 3-5 cm (hazard ratio: 5.9, 95% confidence interval: 2.4, 14.5) and 10 times greater for tumors smaller than 3 cm (hazard ratio: 10.1, 95% confidence interval: 1.7, 57.5). Median survival was 32.7 months.Evidence of Ki-67-positive tumor cells on the electrode after hepatic RF ablation is an independent predictor of LTP.

To evaluate and describe the prevalence of hepatic arterial variants seen at digital subtraction angiography in a large series of patients.Data were collected prospectively by using an arterial anatomy database questionnaire that was completed at the time each visceral angiographic examination was performed from May 1996 to October 2000.Six hundred patients underwent at least one visceral angiographic examination at one institution during the study period. Three hundred sixty-eight (61.3%) patients had the standard hepatic arterial anatomy. One hundred nineteen (19.8%) patients had variant left hepatic arteries (LHAs), and 89 (14.8%) had variant right hepatic arteries (RHAs). Twenty-eight (4.7%) patients had a variant anatomy involving both the LHA and the RHA. Twenty-four (4.0%) patients had a variant origin of the common hepatic artery (CHA) arising from either the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) or the aorta. In two patients, the proper hepatic artery (PHA) was the first branch of the SMA and the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) was a branch of the celiac axis. Double hepatic arteries were seen in 22 (3.7%) patients. Trifurcation or quadrifurcation of the GDA was seen in 50 (8.3%) patients, and the GDA originated distal to one hepatic artery in 25 (4.2%) patients in whom both hepatic arteries originated from the CHA.A replaced LHA was less common than has been previously reported, and in two cases, the PHA arose from the SMA. Digital subtraction visceral angiographic results are comparable to results of seminal angiographic studies in which the cut-film technique was used.

To evaluate prospectively the feasibility of treating iatrogenic pneumothorax after fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the lung with short-term placement of a small-caliber chest tube and to determine whether a 1-hour clamping trial is adequate to identify patients with persistent air leak.All patients undergoing FNAB of lung masses over a 28-month period were entered into the study. Patients with symptomatic, enlarging, or greater than 30% pneumothorax were treated with an 8-F chest tube. After 2 hours, the chest tube was clamped, and if the lung remained expanded for an additional hour, the chest tube was removed and the patients were discharged after a brief observation period. Patients were followed up by telephone after 24 hours.Three hundred fifteen patients underwent FNAB of the lung. Sixty-eight patients (22%) developed a pneumothorax. Chest tubes were placed in 14 patients (4%): Six patients (2%) required admission to the hospital (four for air leaks), and the other eight patients were treated successfully as outpatients, with removal of the chest tube before discharge the day of FNAB.Patients who develop clinically important pneumothorax after FNAB can be safely treated with short-term, small-caliber chest tubes and require hospital admission only if they demonstrate evidence of continued air leak.

The authors report an initially successful left gastric artery embolization performed because of massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding; the procedure was complicated by focal gastric and hepatic infarctions. These complications occurred in the absence of underlying factors known to predispose to ischemia. Low-grade gastric bleeding persisting after seemingly successful embolization of the left gastric artery may indicate ischemic gastritis and is an indication for endoscopy. In addition, the presence of a left hepatic artery completely replaced to the left gastric artery should alert one to the potential for hepatic necrosis.

The presence of a persistent left-sided superior vena cava (LSVC) in the absence of a right-sided superior vena cava (RSVC) may be suspected on a posteroanterior (PA) chest radiograph because of a prominent-appearing ascending aorta, which results from the absence of the RSVC. In the absence of an RSVC, the right upper lobe abuts and outlines the course of the ascending aorta, allowing better demonstration of its profile. This report describes a patient with this finding on a PA chest radiograph. Computed tomographic correlation is presented.