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To test the hypothesis of equal or even superior applicability and accuracy of a fully integrated, laser-based computed tomography (CT) navigation system compared with conventional CT guidance for percutaneous interventions.CT-guided punctures were first performed in phantoms. Four radiologists with different experience levels (2 residents (L.B., C.D.) and 2 board-certified radiologists (B.M., K.R.) performed 48 punctures using both conventional image-guided and laser-guided approaches. Subsequently, 12 punctures were performed in patients during a clinical pilot trial. Phantom targets required an in-plane or a single-/double-angulated, out-of-plane approach. Planning and intervention time, control scan number, radiation exposure, and accuracy of needle placement (measured by deviation of the needle tip to the designated target) were assessed for each guidance technique and compared (Mann-Whitney U test and t test). Patient interventions were additionally analyzed for applicability in a clinical setting.The application of laser guidance software in the phantom study and in 12 human patients in a clinical setting was both technically and clinically feasible in all cases. The mean planning time (P = .009), intervention time (P = .005), control scan number (P.001), and radiation exposure (P = .013) significantly decreased for laser-navigated punctures compared with those for conventional CT guidance and especially in punctures with out-of-plane-trajectories. The accuracy significantly increased for laser-guided interventions compared with that for conventional CT (P.001).Interventional radiologists with differing levels of experience performed faster and more accurate punctures for out-of-plane trajectories in the phantom models, using a new, fully integrated, laser-guided CT software and demonstrated excellent clinical and technical success in initial clinical experiments.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are the second most common primary liver tumors and carry a dismal prognosis. Chemosaturation with percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) is a palliative, intra-arterial therapeutic approach that provides a high dose chemotherapy of the liver with reduced systemic exposure. Aim of this retrospective, monocentric study was to analyze PHP as a palliative treatment for unresectable CCA. Toxicity, adverse events and complications were classified using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v5.0). Overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST1.1). Median overall survival (mOS), median progression-free survival (mPFS) and hepatic mPFS (mhPFS) were computed using Kaplan–Meier estimation. In total 17 patients were treated with 42 PHP between 10/2014 and 09/2020. No significant complications occurred during the interventions. mOS was 27.6 (interquartile range (IQR) 16.5–37) months from first diagnosis and 9.9 (IQR 3.8–21) months from first PHP. mPFS was 4 (IQR 2–7) and mhPFS was 4 (IQR 3–10) months. ORR was 25% and DCR 75%. Significant, but transient hematotoxicity was frequent with grade 3/4 thrombopenia after 50%, leukopenia after 26% and anaemia after 21% of the interventions. An increase of transaminases (AST increase after 21% and ALT increase after 14% of the PHP) developed more often than a deterioration of the liver synthesis capacity. Salvage treatment with PHP has the potential to prolong life in selected patients with unresectable, refractory cholangiocarcinoma. The interventional procedure is safe. Post-interventional toxicity is frequent but manageable.

Radiology reports mostly contain free-text, which makes it challenging to obtain structured data. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques transform free-text reports into machine-readable document vectors that are important for creating reliable, scalable methods for data analysis. The aim of this study is to classify unstructured radiograph reports according to fractures of the distal fibula and to find the best text mining method.We established a novel German language report dataset: a designated search engine was used to identify radiographs of the ankle and the reports were manually labeled according to fractures of the distal fibula. This data was used to establish a machine learning pipeline, which implemented the text representation methods bag-of-words (BOW), term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), principal component analysis (PCA), non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), and document embedding (doc2vec). The extracted document vectors were used to train neural networks (NN), support vector machines (SVM), and logistic regression (LR) to recognize distal fibula fractures. The results were compared via cross-tabulations of the accuracy (acc) and area under the curve (AUC).In total, 3268 radiograph reports were included, of which 1076 described a fracture of the distal fibula. Comparison of the text representation methods showed that BOW achieved the best results (AUC = 0.98; acc = 0.97), followed by TF-IDF (AUC = 0.97; acc = 0.96), NMF (AUC = 0.93; acc = 0.92), PCA (AUC = 0.92; acc = 0.9), LDA (AUC = 0.91; acc = 0.89) and doc2vec (AUC = 0.9; acc = 0.88). When comparing the different classifiers, NN (AUC = 0,91) proved to be superior to SVM (AUC = 0,87) and LR (AUC = 0,85).An automated classification of unstructured reports of radiographs of the ankle can reliably detect findings of fractures of the distal fibula. A particularly suitable feature extraction method is the BOW model. Key Points: Citation Format

Purpose To retrospectively evaluate the technical and clinical success of interventional treatments employed in three University medical centers and to develop work-flow recommendations for intra-arterial embolizations in patients with life-threatening spontaneous retroperitoneal and rectus sheath hemorrhage (SRRSH). Materials and methods Retrospective evaluation of all patients with contrast-enhanced CT and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for SRRSH from 01/2018 to 12/2022, amounted to 91 interventions in 83 patients (45f, 38m) with a mean age of 68.1 ± 13.2 years. Analysis of the amount of bleeding and embolized vessels, choice of embolization material, technical success, and 30-day mortality was performed. Results Pre-interventional contrast-enhanced CT demonstrated active contrast extravasation in 79 cases (87%). DSA identified a mean of 1.4 ± 0.88 active bleeds in all but two interventions (98%), consisting of 60 cases with a singular and 39 cases of >1 bleeding artery, which were consecutively embolized. The majority of patients underwent embolization with either n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA; n=38), coils (n=21), or a combination of embolic agents (n=23). While the technical success rate was documented at 97.8%, 25 patients (30%) died within 30 days after the initial procedure, with mortality rates ranging from 25 to 86% between the centers, each following different diagnostic algorithms. Conclusion Embolotherapy is a safe therapy option with high technical success rates in patients with life-threatening SRRSH. To maximize clinical success and survival rates, we propose a standardized approach to angiography as well as a low threshold for re-angiography.

Ziel Die Chemosaturation mittels perkutaner hepatischer Perfusion mit Melphalan (CS-PHP) ist ein palliatives Therapieverfahren für Patienten mit nicht kurativ behandelbaren Lebertumoren. Die CS-PHP erlaubt eine selektive intrahepatische Anreicherung von hochdosiertem Melphalan bei minimaler systemischer Toxizität durch venöse Hämofiltration. Ziel dieser Studie war es, das Ansprechen und Überleben sowie die Sicherheit der CS-PHP-Prozedur bei Patienten mit leberdominant metastasiertem Aderhautmelanom zu evaluieren. Material und Methoden Gesamtansprechrate (overall response rate, ORR) und Krankheitskontrollrate (disease control rate, DCR) wurden anhand von Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST1.1) ermittelt. Medianes Gesamtüberleben (mOS), medianes progressionsfreies Überleben (mPFS) und hepatisches mPFS (mhPFS) wurden mittels Kaplan-Meier-Schätzer ermittelt. Nebenwirkungen wurden entsprechend der einheitlichen Terminologie-Kriterien für Nebenwirkungen (CTCAE) v5 klassifiziert. Ergebnisse 30 Patienten wurden zwischen Oktober 2014 und Januar 2019 mit 70 Chemosaturationen behandelt. Die ORR betrug 42,3 % und die DCR 80,8 %. Das mOS betrug 12 (95 %-Konfidenzintervall (KI) 7–15) Monate, das mPFS 6 (95 %-KI 4–10) und das mhPFS ebenfalls 6 (95 %-KI 4–13) Monate. Signifikante, aber transiente hämatotoxische Nebenwirkungen waren häufig (87 % Grad-3/4-Thrombozytopenie), hepatische Toxizität bis Leberversagen (n = 1/70) sowie kardiovaskuläre Komplikationen (ischämischer Insult, n = 1/70) waren selten. Schlussfolgerung Das palliative Therapiekonzept der Chemosaturation ist bei Patienten mit hepatisch metastasiertem Aderhautmelanom effektiv. Die interventionelle Prozedur ist sicher, seltene, aber schwerwiegende kardiovaskuläre und hepatische Komplikationen erfordern eine sorgfältige Patientenselektion und intensive Aufmerksamkeit.

Background The artery of Adamkiewicz (AKA) or arteria radicularis anterior magna, is the name of the thoracolumbar segment of the dominant radiculomedullary artery, supplying the anterior lower spinal cord in addition to the anterior spinal artery. Results of a meta-analysis by Taterra et al. [1] showed its prevalence in 84.6% of people, a predominantly single appearance, most commonly originating from the left intercostal or lumbar arteries (87.4%) between the levels of T8-L1 (89%) [1], and a mean diameter of 1 mm [2, 3]. The artery most commonly arises from the spinal branch of the posterior ramus of the segmental artery (subcostal, posterior intercostal, or lumbar artery), which in turn arises from the descending aorta. The distal portion of the AKA, together with the anterior spinal artery, forms a characteristic “hairpin” turn [4]. Its location and anatomical variability cause its vulnerability to injury, especially during surgical but also interventional procedures. Anatomical knowledge paired with accurate localization of the AKA is therefore an integral part in planning orthopedic/neurosurgical spine, aortic vascular surgery repair procedures and endovascular selective arterial embolizations in this area. Case presentation In this case of a 73-year-old female patient with progression of a large, myelon-compressing vertebral metastasis of L1, protective, blood-flow-controlling occlusion of the proximal-most points of the artery of Adamkiewicz artery (AKA) and segmental spinal arteries was safely performed prior to surgical decompression and tumor debulking. Conclusions Current evidence indicates that knowledge of AKA location and the amount of collateralization may help estimate the risk of post-interventional spinal cord injury.

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility and effect of an approach to adrenal venous sampling (AVS) analysis by combining established selective cortisol and aldosterone indices with the acquisition of a collimated C-arm CT(CACTColl). Methods Overall, 107 consecutive patients (45f,62 m; 54 ± 10 years) undergoing 111 AVS procedures without hormonal stimulation from 7/13 to 2/20 in a single institution were retrospectively analysed. Hormone levels were measured in sequential samples of the suspected adrenal veins and right iliac vein, and selectivity indices (SI) computed. Stand-alone SICortisol and/or SIAldosterone ≥ 2.0 as well as SICortisol and/or SIAldosterone ≥ 1.1 combined with positive right-sided CACTColl of the adrenals (n = 80; opacified right adrenal vein) were defined as a successful AVS procedure. Radiation exposure of CACT was measured via dose area product (DAP) and weighed against an age-/weight-matched cohort (n = 66). Results Preliminary success rates (SICortisol and/or SIAldosterone ≥ 2.0) were 99.1% (left) and 72.1% (right). These could be significantly increased to a 90.1% success rate on the right, by combining an adjusted SI of 1.1 with a positive CACTColl proving the correct sampling position. Sensitivity for stand-alone collimated CACT (CACTColl) was 0.93, with 74/80 acquired CACTColl confirming selective cannulation by adrenal vein enhancement. Mean DAPColl_CACT measured 2414 ± 958 μGyxm2, while mean DAPFull-FOV_CACT in the matched cohort measured 8766 ± 1956 μGyxm2 (p Conclusion Collimated CACT in AVS procedures is feasible and leads to a significant increase in success rates of (right-sided) selective cannulation and may in combination with adapted hormone indices, offer a successful alternative to previously published AVS analysis algorithms with lower radiation exposure compared to a full-FOV CACT.

PurposePatients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or critical limb ischemia (CLI) require revascularization. Traditionally, endovascular therapy (EVT) is performed with iodinated contrast agent (ICM), which can provoke potential deterioration in renal function. CO2 is a safe negative contrast agent to guide vascular procedures, but interpretation of CO2 angiography is challenging. Changes in blood flow following iodine-aided EVT are assessable with 2D-perfusion angiography (2D-PA). The aim of this study was to evaluate 2D-PA as a tool to monitor blood flow changes during CO2-aided EVT.Material and Methods2D-PA was performed before and after ten EVTs (nine stents; one endoprosthesis; 10/2012–02/2020) in nine patients (six men; 65 ± 10y) with Fontaine stage IIb (n = 8) and IV (n = 1). A reference ROI (ROIINFLOW) was placed in the artery before the targeted obstruction and a target ROI (ROIOUTFLOW) distally. Corresponding ROIs were used pre- and post-EVT. Time to peak (TTP), peak density (PD) and area under the curve (AUC) were computed. The reference/target ROI ratios (TTPOUTFLOW/TTPINFLOW; PDOUTFLOW/PDINFLOW; AUCOUTFLOW/AUCINFLOW) were calculated.Results2D-PA was technically feasible in all cases. A significant increase of 82% in PDOUTFLOW/PDINFLOW(0.44 ± 0.4 to 0.8 ± 0.63;p = 0.002) and of 132% in AUCOUTFLOW/AUCINFLOW(0.34 ± 0.22 to 0.79 ± 0.59;p = 0.002) was seen. A trend for a decrease in TTPOUTFLOW/TTPINFLOWwas observed (− 24%; 5.57 ± 3.66 s–4.25 ± 1.64 s;p = 0.6).ConclusionThe presented 2D-PA technique facilitates the assessment of arterial flow in CO2-aided EVTs and has the potential to simplify the assessment of immediate treatment response.

Purpose The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the feasibility of a motion correction 3D reconstruction prototype technique for C-arm computed tomography (CACT). Material and Methods We included 65 consecutive CACTs acquired during transarterial chemoembolization of 54 patients (47 m,7f; 67 ± 11.3 years). All original raw datasets (CACTOrg) underwent reconstruction with and without volume punching of high-contrast objects using a 3D image reconstruction software to compensate for motion (CACTMC_bone;CACTMC_no bone). Subsequently, the effect on image quality (IQ) was evaluated using objective (image sharpness metric) and subjective criteria. Subjective criteria were defined by vessel geometry, overall IQ, delineation of tumor feeders, the presence of foreign material-induced artifacts and need for additional imaging, assessed by two independent readers on a 3-(vessel geometry and overall IQ) or 2-point scale, respectively. Friedman rank-sum test and post hoc analysis in form of pairwise Wilcoxon signed-rank test were computed and inter-observer agreement analyzed using kappa test. Results Objective IQ as defined by an image sharpness metric, increased from 273.5 ± 28 (CACTOrg) to 328.5 ± 55.1 (CACTMC_bone) and 331 ± 57.8 (CACTMC_no bone; all p MC_no bone in all categories (e.g., vessel geometry: CACTOrg: κ = 0.51, CACTMC_bone: κ = 0.42, CACTMC_no bone: κ = 0.69). Conclusion The application of a motion correction algorithm was feasible for all data sets and led to an increase in both objective and subjective IQ parameters. Level of Evidence 3

Background Patients with substantially impaired kidney function and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) underwent comparative CO2-based depiction of the pelvic arteries (PAs). Purpose To evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic performance of CO2-based C-arm computed tomography (CACT) and compare its depiction of PAs with CO2-digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Material and Methods Fifteen patients (10 men, mean age 70 ± 11 years) with PAD received CO2-DSA and CO2-CACT of the PAs, depicted from the aorta to femoral arteries. These were divided into nine segments (135 in total) and graded by two independent readers for image quality (IQ; 1 = sufficient, 2 = minimal impairments, 3 = insufficient, 4 = outside field of view) and subsequent stenosis grading (SG; grade 1: normal to grade 4: occlusion), under exclusion of all segments with insufficient IQ. Inter-observer and inter-modality agreement calculation and subsequent consensus reading were performed and correlated to a standard of reference (StOR), representing a modality consensus. Results Of 135 segments, 117 showed sufficient IQ, excluding 18 segments (10 CACT, 8 DSA). Inter-observer agreement for IQ and consecutive SG demonstrated good to excellent agreement: IQDSA: κ = 0.83, IQCACT: κ = 0.76; StenosisDSA: κ = 0.71, StenosisCACT: κ = 0.84. Inter-modality agreement for SG lay at κ = 0.76 and κ = 0.65, respectively. More stenoses could be detected by CACT, and analysis of pooled consensus values of SG in CACTcons versus StOR showed an excellent agreement (κ = 0.96) that proved considerably higher than the moderate agreement between consensus values in DSAcons versus StOR (κ = 0.43). Conclusion CO2-CACT proved feasible, and has the potential to optimize angiographic work-up of PAD in patients with contraindications for other contrast media.

Background To evaluate effectivity of a 3D-motion correction algorithm in C-Arm CTs (CACT) with limited image quality (IQ) during transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods From 1/2015–5/2021, 644 CACTs were performed in patients during TACE. Of these, 27 CACTs in 26 patients (18 m, 8f; 69.7 years ± 10.7 SD) of limited IQ were included. Post-processing of the original raw-data sets (CACTOrg) included application of a 3D-motion correction algorithm and bone segmentation (CACTMC_no_bone). Four radiologists (R1-4) compared the images by choosing their preferred dataset and recommending repeat acquisition in case of severe IQ-impairment. R1,2 performed additional grading of intrahepatic vessel visualization, presence/extent of movement artifacts, and overall IQ. Results R1,2 demonstrated excellent interobserver agreement for overall IQ (ICC 0.79,p p Org) to 1.39 (CACTMC_no_bone;p p Org:1.31 ± 1.67, CACTMC_no_bone:1.00 ± 1.34, p MC_no_bone were preferred, with identical datasets chosen by the readers to show benefit from the algorithm. Conclusion Application of a 3D-motion correction algorithm significantly improved IQ in diagnostically limited CACTs during TACE, with the potential to decrease repeat acquisitions.

To evaluate mosaic perfusion patterns and vascular lesions in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) using C-Arm computed tomography (CACT) compared to computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). We included 41 patients (18 female; mean age 59.9 ± 18.3 years) with confirmed CTEPH who underwent CACT and CTPA within 21 days (average 5.3 ± 5.2). Two readers (R1; R2) independently evaluated datasets from both imaging techniques for mosaic perfusion patterns and presence of CTEPH-typical vascular lesions. The number of pulmonary arterial segments with typical findings was evaluated and the percentage of affected segments was calculated and categorized: cons vs. CTPAcons) was calculated using the ICC. Inter-observer agreement was excellent for central vascular lesions (ICC > 0.87) and the percentage of affected segments (ICC > 0.76) and good for the perceptibility of mosaic perfusion (ICC > 0.6) and attribution of the pattern of mosaic perfusion (ICC > 0.6) for both readers on CACT and CTPA. Inter-modality agreement was excellent for the perceptibility of mosaic perfusion (ICC = 1), the present perfusion pattern (ICC = 1) and central vascular lesions (ICC = 1). However, inter-modality agreement for the percentage of affected segments was fair (ICC = 0.50), with a greater proportion of identified affected segments on CACTcons. CACT demonstrates a high agreement with CTPA regarding the detection of mosaic perfusion. CACT detects a higher number of peripheral vascular lesions compared to CTPA.

(1) Background: To comparatively analyze the uptake of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on pre-therapeutic imaging modalities, the arterial phase multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), the parenchymal phase C-arm computed tomography (CACT), the Technetium99m-macroaggregates of human serum albumin single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT), and the correlation to the post-therapeutic Yttrium90 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT). (2) Methods: Between September 2013 and December 2016, 104 SIRT procedures were performed at our institution in 74 patients with HCC not suitable for curative surgery or ablation. Twenty-two patients underwent an identical sequence of pre-therapeutic MDCT, CACT, SPECT/CT, and post-therapeutic PET/CT with a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic protocol. In these 22 patients, 25 SIRT procedures were evaluated. The uptake of the HCC was assessed using tumor-background ratio (TBR). Therefore, regions of interest were placed on the tumor and the adjacent liver tissue on MDCT (TBRMDCT), CACT (TBRCACT), SPECT/CT (TBRSPECT/CT), and PET/CT (TBRPET/CT). Comparisons were made with the Friedman test and the Nemenyi post-hoc test. Correlations were analyzed using Spearman’s Rho and the Benjamini–Hochberg method. The level of significance was p &lt, 0.05. (3) Results: TBR on MDCT (1.4 ± 0.3) was significantly smaller than on CACT (1.9 ± 0.6) and both were significantly smaller compared to SPECT/CT (4.6 ± 2.0) (pFriedman-Test &lt, 0.001, pTBRMDCT/TBRCACT = 0.012, pTBRMDCT/TBRSPECT/CT &lt, 0.001, pTBRCACT/TBRSPECT/CT &lt, 0.001). There was no significant correlation of TBR on MDCT with PET/CT (rTBRMDCT/TBRPET/CT = 0.116, p = 0.534). In contrast, TBR on CACT correlated to TBR on SPECT/CT (rTBRCACT/TBRSPECT/CT = 0.489, p = 0.004) and tended to correlate to TBR on PET/CT (rTBRCACT/TBRPET/CT =0.365, p = 0.043). TBR on SPECT/CT correlated to TBR on PET/CT (rTBRSPECT/CT/TBRPET/CT= 0.706, p &lt, 0.001) (4) Conclusion: The uptake assessment on CACT was in agreement with SPECT/CT and might be consistent with PET/CT. In contrast, MDCT was not comparable to CACT and SPECT/CT, and had no correlation with PET/CT due to the different application techniques. This emphasizes the value of the CACT, which has the potential to improve the dosimetric assessment of the tumor and liver uptake for SIRT.

To compare two different types of drug-eluting microspheres with regard to impact on HRQoL after first TACE, tumour response, peri-procedural complications, adverse events and 1-year survival in patients suffering from unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HRQoL was prospectively assessed with validated questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30 and -HCC18) before and 2 weeks after treatment with their first drug-eluting beads (DEB-)TACE with either acrylamido-polyvinylalcohol-AMPS hydrogel microspheres (groupDCB; 20 patients) or polyvinyl alcohol-co-acrylic acid microspheres (groupHS; 16 patients). Baseline characteristics, peri-procedural complications, treatment-related adverse events and 1-year survival were compared between both types of microspheres. Treatment response and objective response rates (ORR) were analysed using established tumour response criteria. Subgroup analysis for pooled groups with small (groupSMALL; 21 patients) versus large particles (groupLARGE; 15 patients) was performed. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the treated microsphere groups. No significant differences were found in absolute HRQoL changes after first DEB-TACE between the different types of microspheres. Response rates and survival were comparable between the investigated microsphere groups. For groupSMALL, we found a significant difference in post-interventional deterioration of physical function (− 19.4%) compared to groupLARGE (− 8%; p = 0.025). Tumour response and ORR according to mRECIST were significantly higher in groupSMALL (p = 0.008; p = 0.009). DEB-TACE is generally well tolerated and effective, with comparable changes in HRQoL for both types of drug-eluting microspheres. Tumour response is better with small microspheres. A relevant deterioration of physical function underlines that an aggressive TACE using small beads should be well deliberated.

Background Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is a major cause for the low long-term survival rates after lung transplantation (LTx). Early detection of CLAD may enable providing medical treatment before a nonreversible graft dysfunction has occurred. MRI is advantageous to pulmonary function testing (PFT) in the ability to assess regional function changes, and thus have the potential in detecting very early stages of CLAD before changes in global forced expiratory volume during the first second (FEV1%) occur. Purpose To examine whether early stages of CLAD (diagnosed based on PFT values) could also be detected using MRI-derived parameters of regional flow-volume dynamics. Study type Retrospective. Population 62 lung transplantation recipients were included in the study, 29 of which had been diagnosed with CLAD at various stages. Field strength/sequence MRI datasets were acquired with a 1.5T Siemens scanner using a spoiled gradient echo sequence. Assessment MRI datasets were retrospectively preprocessed and analyzed by a blinded radiologist according to the phase resolved functional lung MRI (PREFUL-MRI) approach, resulting in fractional ventilation (FV) maps and regional flow-volume loops (rFVL). FV- and rFVL-based parameters of regional lung ventilation were estimated. Statistical tests Differences between groups were compared by Mann-Whitney U-test with a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (n = 2). Results rFVL-CC-based parameters discriminated significantly between the presence or absence of CLAD (P Data conclusion Using the contrast media-free PREFUL-MRI technique, parameters of ventilation dynamics and its regional heterogeneity were shown to be sensitive for the detection of early CLAD stages. Level of evidence 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1873-1882.

To evaluate the feasibility and image quality of a motion correction algorithm for supra-selective C-arm computed tomography (CACT) of the pulmonary arteries in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) undergoing balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA). CACT raw data acquired during 30 consecutive BPAs were used for image reconstruction using either standard (CACTorg) or a motion correction algorithm (CACTmc), using 400 iterations. Two readers independently evaluated 188 segmental and 564 sub-segmental contrast-enhanced pulmonary arteries in each reconstruction. The following categories were assessed: Sharpness of the vessel, motion artifacts, delineation of bronchial structures, vessel geometry, and visibility of treatable lesions. The mentioned criteria were rated from grade 1 to grade 3: grade 1: excellent quality; grade 2: good quality; grade 3: poor/seriously impaired quality. Inter-observer agreement was calculated using Cohen's Kappa. Due to an excellent agreement, the ratings of both readers were merged. Differences in the assessed image quality criteria were evaluated using pairwise Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Inter-observer agreement was excellent for all evaluated image quality criteria (κ 0.81). For all assessed image quality criteria, the ratings on CACTorg were good but improved significantly for CACTmc to excellent for the whole vascular tree (p 0.01). When considering segmental and sub-segmental levels individually, all image quality criteria improved significantly for CACTmc on both levels (p 0.01). While ratings of CACTmc were constant for both levels (segmental and sub-segmental) for all criteria, the ratings of CACTorg were slightly impaired for the sub-segmental arteries. Motion correction for supra-selective contrast-enhanced CACT of the pulmonary arteries is feasible and improves the overall image quality. · Motion artifacts can severely impair the diagnostic accuracy of CACT.. · A motion correction algorithm can significantly improve image quality in CACT of the pulmonary arteries.. · Especially the overall image quality of sub-segmental branches is significantly improved..· Maschke S, Werncke T, Becker LS et al. Motion Reduction for C-Arm Computed Tomography of the Pulmonary Arteries: Image Quality of a Motion Correction Algorithm in Patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Hypertension During Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2021; 193: 1074 - 1080.ZIEL: Evaluation des potenziellen Nutzens eines automatisierten Bewegungskorrekturalgorithmus hinsichtlich der Verbesserung der Bildqualität der selektiven C-Arm-Computertomografie (CACT) der Pulmonalarterien im Rahmen der pulmonalen Ballonangioplastie (BPA) bei Patienten mit chronischer thromboembolischer pulmonaler Hypertonie (CTEPH). Dreißig Rohdatensätze von selektiven CACT, die im Rahmen von BPA-Prozeduren akquiriert wurden, wurden mittels Standard- (CACTorg) oder Bewegungskorrekturalgorithmus (CACTmc) unter der Verwendung von 400 Iterationen rekonstruiert. Zwei Leser bewerteten unabhängig die Bildqualität für Segmentarterien und subsegmentale Äste anhand 5 definierter Kriterien: Schärfe des Gefäßes, Bewegungsartefakte, Abgrenzbarkeit der Bronchien, Gefäßgeometrie und Erkennbarkeit potenziell mittels BPA therapierbarer Befunde. Alle evaluierten Bildqualitätskriterien wurden von Grad 1 bis Grad 3 bewertet: Grad 1: exzellente Qualität, Grad 2: gute Qualität, Grad 3: schlechte/deutlich beeinträchtigte Qualität. Übereinstimmungen zwischen den Untersuchern wurden mittels Cohens Kappa ermittelt. Aufgrund exzellenter Übereinstimmung wurden die Ergebnisse beider Leser zusammengefasst und in der Folge als ein Datensatz verwendet. Unterschiede in der Bildqualität bezüglich der erhobenen Kriterien zwischen dem originalen und dem bearbeiteten Datensatz wurden für alle beurteilten PAS und ihre nächst untergeordneten Äste unter Verwendung des gepaarten Wilcoxon-Vorzeichen-Rang-Tests erhoben. Die Interobserver-Übereinstimmung war exzellent für alle untersuchten Kriterien der Bildqualität (κ 0,81). Bezogen auf den gesamten Gefäßbaum konnte hinsichtlich aller evaluierten Kriterien eine signifikante Verbesserung der Bildqualität für CACTmc im Vergleich zur ohnehin schon guten Bildqualität für CACTorg beobachtet werden (p 0,01). Bei separater Betrachtung der segmentalen und subsegmentalen Gefäßabschnitte konnte eine signifikante Verbesserung aller Bildqualitätskritierien für CACTmc beobachtet werden (p 0,01). Während die Bewertungen für CACTmc in beiden Gefäßabschnitten (segmental and subsegmental) für alle beurteilten Kriterien konstant blieben, waren die für CACTorg in den subsegmentalen Ästen etwas schlechter. Die Anwendung eines Bewegungskorrekturalgorithmus auf selektive CACT der Pulmonalarterien ist möglich und kann die Bildqualität signifikant verbessern. · Die Aussagekraft der CACT kann entscheidend durch nicht immer vermeidbare Bewegungsartefakte gemindert werden.. · Mittels Bewegungskorrekturalgorithmus kann die Bildqualität selektiver CACT der Pulmonalarterien signifikant verbessert werden.. · Besonders subsegmentale Äste kommen besser zur Darstellung..

Chemosaturation percutaneous hepatic perfusion (CS-PHP) allows selective intrahepatic delivery of high dose cytotoxic melphalan in patients with curatively untreatable liver tumors while limiting systemic toxicity through hemofiltration of the hepatic venous blood. Aim of this study was to investigate the response to therapy, survival and safety of the CS-PHP procedure in patients with liver-dominant metastatic uveal melanoma (UM). Overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were assessed according to Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST1.1). Median overall survival (mOS), median progression-free survival (mPFS) and hepatic progression-free survival (mhPFS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimation. Adverse events were evaluated with Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5. Overall, 30 patients were treated with 70 CS-PHP in a salvage setting from October 2014 to January 2019. In total, ORR and DCR were 42.3 % and 80.8 %, respectively. Overall, mOS was 12 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 7-15) months, and both, mPFS and mhPFS were 6 months, respectively (95 % CI 4-10; 95 % CI 4-13). Adverse events (AE) most frequently included significant but transient hematologic toxicities (87 % of grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia), less frequent AEs were hepatic injury extending to liver failure (3 %), cardiovascular events including one case of ischemic stroke (3 %). Salvage treatment with CS-PHP is effective in selected patients with UM. The interventional procedure is safe. Serious hepatic and cardiovascular events, although rare, require careful patient selection and should be closely monitored. · CS-PHP is safe for selected patients with liver-dominant metastatic uveal melanoma.. · CS-PHP resulted in hepatic disease control in 80 % of patients.. · Hematologic events following CS-PHP are common but manageable..· Dewald CL, Hinrichs JB, Becker LS et al. Chemosaturation with Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion: Outcome and Safety in Patients with Metastasized Uveal Melanoma. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2021; 193: 928 - 936.ZIEL: Die Chemosaturation mittels perkutaner hepatischer Perfusion mit Melphalan (CS-PHP) ist ein palliatives Therapieverfahren für Patienten mit nicht kurativ behandelbaren Lebertumoren. Die CS-PHP erlaubt eine selektive intrahepatische Anreicherung von hochdosiertem Melphalan bei minimaler systemischer Toxizität durch venöse Hämofiltration. Ziel dieser Studie war es, das Ansprechen und Überleben sowie die Sicherheit der CS-PHP-Prozedur bei Patienten mit leberdominant metastasiertem Aderhautmelanom zu evaluieren. Gesamtansprechrate (overall response rate, ORR) und Krankheitskontrollrate (disease control rate, DCR) wurden anhand von Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST1.1) ermittelt. Medianes Gesamtüberleben (mOS), medianes progressionsfreies Überleben (mPFS) und hepatisches mPFS (mhPFS) wurden mittels Kaplan-Meier-Schätzer ermittelt. Nebenwirkungen wurden entsprechend der einheitlichen Terminologie-Kriterien für Nebenwirkungen (CTCAE) v5 klassifiziert. 30 Patienten wurden zwischen Oktober 2014 und Januar 2019 mit 70 Chemosaturationen behandelt. Die ORR betrug 42,3 % und die DCR 80,8 %. Das mOS betrug 12 (95 %-Konfidenzintervall (KI) 7–15) Monate, das mPFS 6 (95 %-KI 4–10) und das mhPFS ebenfalls 6 (95 %-KI 4–13) Monate. Signifikante, aber transiente hämatotoxische Nebenwirkungen waren häufig (87 % Grad-3/4-Thrombozytopenie), hepatische Toxizität bis Leberversagen (n = 1/70) sowie kardiovaskuläre Komplikationen (ischämischer Insult, n = 1/70) waren selten. Das palliative Therapiekonzept der Chemosaturation ist bei Patienten mit hepatisch metastasiertem Aderhautmelanom effektiv. Die interventionelle Prozedur ist sicher, seltene, aber schwerwiegende kardiovaskuläre und hepatische Komplikationen erfordern eine sorgfältige Patientenselektion und intensive Aufmerksamkeit. · CS-PHP ist eine sichere Behandlungsform für selektierte Patienten mit hepatisch metastasiertem Aderhautmelanom.. · CS-PHP führte bei 80 % der Patienten zu einer intrahepatischen Krankheitsstabilisierung.. · Hämatologische Nebenwirkungen nach CS-PHP sind häufig, aber therapierbar..· Dewald CL, Hinrichs JB, Becker LS et al. Chemosaturation with Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion: Outcome and Safety in Patients with Metastasized Uveal Melanoma. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2021; 193: 928 – 936.

This study evaluated the impact of unilateral diaphragm elevation following bilateral lung transplantation on postoperative course. Patient data for all lung transplantations performed at our institution between 01/2010 and 12/2019 were reviewed. Presence of right or left diaphragm elevation was retrospectively evaluated using serial chest X-rays performed while patients were standing and breathing spontaneously. Right elevation was defined by a > 40 mm difference between right and left diaphragmatic height. Left elevation was present if the left diaphragm was at the same height or higher than the right diaphragm. In total, 1093/1213 (90%) lung transplant recipients were included. Of these, 255 (23%) patients exhibited radiologic evidence of diaphragm elevation (right, 55%; left 45%; permanent, 62%). Postoperative course did not differ between groups. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity and total lung capacity were lower at 1-year follow-up in patients with permanent than in patients with transient or absent diaphragmatic elevation (P = 0.038, P < 0.001, P = 0.002, respectively). Graft survival did not differ between these groups (P = 0.597). Radiologic evidence of diaphragm elevation was found in 23% of our lung transplant recipients. While lung function tests were worse in patients with permanent elevation, diaphragm elevation did not have any relevant impact on outcomes.

Patients with substantially impaired kidney function and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) underwent comparative COTo evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic performance of COFifteen patients (10 men, mean age 70 ± 11 years) with PAD received COOf 135 segments, 117 showed sufficient IQ, excluding 18 segments (10 CACT, 8 DSA). Inter-observer agreement for IQ and consecutive SG demonstrated good to excellent agreement: IQCO

To evaluate feasibility, frequency and severity of peri-procedural complications and post-procedural adverse events (AEs) in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma or liver metastasis of uveal melanoma and prior hemihepatectomy undergoing chemosaturation percutaneous hepatic perfusion (CS-PHP) and to analyze therapy response and overall survival compared to a matched group without prior surgery. CS-PHP performed between 10/2014 and 02/2018 were retrospectively assessed. To determine peri-procedural safety and post-procedural adverse events, hospital records and hematological, hepatic and biliary function were categorized using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0 (1–5; mild-death). Significance was tested using Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann–Whitney U test. Kaplan–Meier estimation and log-rank test assessed survival. Overall 21 CS-PHP in seven patients (4/7 males; 52 ± 10 years) with hemihepatectomy (grouphemihep) and 22 CS-PHP in seven patients (3/7 males; 63 ± 12 years) without prior surgery (groupnoresection) were included. No complications occurred during the CS-PHP procedures. Transient changes (CTCAE grade 1–2) of liver enzymes and blood cells followed all procedures. In comparison, grouphemihep presented slightly more AEs grade 3–4 (e.g. thrombocytopenia in 57% (12/21) vs. 41% (9/22; p = 0.37)) 5–7 days after CS-PHP. These AEs were self-limiting or responsive to treatment (insignificant difference of pre-interventional to 21–45 days post-interventional values (p > 0.05)). One patient in grouphemihep with high tumor burden died eight days following CS-PHP. No deaths occurred in groupnoresection. In comparison, overall survival after first diagnosis was insignificantly shorter in groupnoresection (44.7(32–56.1) months) than in grouphemihep (48.3(34.6–72.8) months; p = 0.48). The severity of adverse events following CS-PHP in patients after hemihepatectomy was comparable to a matched group without prior liver surgery. Thus, the performance of CS-PHP is not substantially compromised by a prior hemihepatectomy.

Aim To evaluate the feasibility and potential value of two-dimensional (2D) parametric parenchymal blood flow (2D-PPBF) for the assessment of perfusion changes during transarterial chemoembolisation with drug-eluting beads (DEB-TACE) and to analyse correlations of 2D-PPBF parameters and tumour response. Materials and methods Thirty-two patients (six women, 26 men, mean age: 67±8.9 years) with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent their first DEB-TACE were included in this study. To quantify perfusion changes using 2D-PPBF, the acquired digital subtraction angiography (DSA) series were post-processed. Ratios were calculated between the reference region of interest (ROI) and the wash-in rate (WIR), the arrival to peak (AP) and the area under the curve (AUC) of the generated time–density curves. Comparisons between pre- and post-embolisation data were made using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Tumour response was assessed at 3 months using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (mRECIST) and correlated to changes of 2D-PPBF parameters. Results All 2D-PPBF parameters derived from the ROI-based time–attenuation curves were significantly different pre-versus post-DEB-TACE. Although the AUC, the WIR and target lesion size measured in accordance with mRECIST decreased (p≤0.0001) significantly, AP values showed a significant increase (p = 0.0033). Tumour response after DEB-TACE correlated with changes in the AUC (p = 0.01, r = –0.45). Conclusion 2D-PPBF offers an objective approach to analyse perfusion changes of embolised tumour tissue following DEB-TACE and can therefore be used to predict tumour response.

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of 2D-perfusion angiography (2D-PA) for the analysis of intra-procedural treatment response after intra-arterial prostaglandin E1 therapy in patients with non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI). Methods Overall, 20 procedures in 18 NOMI patients were included in this retrospective case–control study. To evaluate intra-procedural splanchnic circulation changes, post-processing of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) series was performed. Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA; reference), the portal vein (PV; ROIPV), as well as the aorta next to the origin of the SMA (ROIAorta). Peak density (PD), time to peak (TTP), and area under the curve (AUC) were assessed, and parametric ratios ‘target ROIPD, TTP, AUC/reference ROI’ were computed and compared within treatment and control group. Additionally, a NOMI score was assessed pre- and post-treatment compared to 2D-PA. Results Vasodilator therapy leads to a significant decrease of the 2D-PA-derived values PDAorta (p = 0.04) and AUCAorta (p = 0.03). These findings correlated with changes of the simplified NOMI score, both for overall (4 to 1, p PV (p = 0.04) and TTPPV was accelerated without reaching statistical significance (p = 0.13). When compared to a control group, all 2D-PA values in the NOMI group (pre- and post-intervention) differed significantly (p Aorta/PV and lower AUCAorta/PV and PD Aorta/PV. Conclusion 2D-PA offers an objective approach to analyze immediate flow and perfusion changes following vasodilatory therapies of NOMI patients and may be a valuable tool for assessing treatment response.

To compare two different types of drug-eluting microspheres with regard to impact on HRQoL after first TACE, tumour response, peri-procedural complications, adverse events and 1-year survival in patients suffering from unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).HRQoL was prospectively assessed with validated questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30 and -HCC18) before and 2 weeks after treatment with their first drug-eluting beads (DEB-)TACE with either acrylamido-polyvinylalcohol-AMPS hydrogel microspheres (groupAt baseline, there were no significant differences between the treated microsphere groups. No significant differences were found in absolute HRQoL changes after first DEB-TACE between the different types of microspheres. Response rates and survival were comparable between the investigated microsphere groups. For groupDEB-TACE is generally well tolerated and effective, with comparable changes in HRQoL for both types of drug-eluting microspheres. Tumour response is better with small microspheres. A relevant deterioration of physical function underlines that an aggressive TACE using small beads should be well deliberated.

To assess the technical feasibility, success rate, puncture complications and procedural characteristics of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement using a three-dimensional vascular map (3D-VM) overlay based on image registration of pre-procedural contrast-enhanced (CE) multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) for portal vein puncture guidance. Overall, 27 consecutive patients (59 ± 9 years, 18male) with portal hypertension undergoing elective TIPS procedure were included. TIPS was guided by CE-MDCT overlay after image registration based on fluoroscopic images. A 3D-VM of the hepatic veins and the portal vein was created based on the pre-procedural CE-MDCT and superimposed on fluoroscopy in real-time. Procedural characteristics as well as hepatic vein catheterization time (HVCT), puncture time (PT), overall procedural time (OPT), fluoroscopy time (FT) and the dose area product (DAP) were evaluated. Thereafter, HVCT, PT, OPT and FT using 3D-VM (61 ± 9 years, 14male) were compared to a previous using classical fluoroscopic guidance (53 ± 9 years, 21male) for two interventional radiologist with less than 3 years of experience in TIPS placement. All TIPS procedure using of 3D/2D image registered 3D-VM were successful with a significant reduction of the PSG (p

Purpose To reduce the influence of tidal volume on fractional ventilation (FV) derived by Fourier decomposition (FD). Methods Twelve volunteers were examined on a 1.5 Tesla scanner. Spoiled gradient echo imaging of coronal and sagittal slices of the lung were performed. The tidal volume variations between different acquisitions were studied by reproducibility and repeatability measurements. To adjust the FV derived by FD for tidal volume differences between the measurements, during all acquisitions, the lung volume changes were measured by a spirometer and used to calculate a global FV parameter. As an alternative, using the FD data, the lung area changes were calculated and used for the adjustment. Results Reproducibility analysis of unadjusted coronal FV showed a determination coefficient of R2 = 71% and an intraclass correlation coefficient of ICC = 93%. Differences in the measurements could be ascribed to different tidal volumes. Area adjusted values exhibited an increased R2 of 84% and a higher ICC of 97%. For the coronal middle slice/sagittal slices in free breathing, the inter-volunteer coefficient of variation was reduced from 0.23/0.28 (unadjusted) to 0.16/0.20 (spirometer) or 0.12/0.13 (area). Conclusion The calculation of lung area changes is sufficient to increase the reproducibility of FV in a volunteer cohort avoiding the need for an MRI compatible spirometer. Magn Reson Med 76:1542-1550, 2016. © 2015 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.