Techniques in Vascular and Interventional Radiology最新文献

As the field of Vascular and Interventional Radiology continues to grow, the variety of pathology treated, the approaches to treating various disease processes, and the vast options of equipment and devices continue to grow as well. Numerous venous disease processes have now become commonplace within the treatment realm of interventional radiologists and knowing how to approach each disease process is critical to successful management of these complex patients. A few of the most encountered venous disease processes include pelvic venous disorders, vena cava tumor involvement, venous thrombosis, and inferior vena cava filter placement; an understanding of the management of these processes is integral to the practice of today's interventional radiologists. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has become increasingly important both in the diagnosis and in guiding treatment for venous disease. This article will describe in detail the multiple ways that IVUS can be used in the treatment of complex venous disorders.

Pelvic venous disorders are a common and under diagnosed cause of chronic pelvic pain in women, presenting with chronic, noncyclical pelvic pain for greater than 6 months and the presence of pelvic varicosities. Pelvic varices and ovarian vein reflux are a strong indicator of venous origin chronic pelvic and may benefit from embolization. This most commonly occurs in multiparous, premenopausal women with symptoms of gravity dependent pelvic pain and postcoital pain. Additional causes of pelvic venous disorders include iliac vein compression, internal iliac vein reflux, and renal vein compression, however for the purposes of this article we will focus on ovarian vein insufficiency. The mainstay of treatment for pelvic venous insufficiency is Ovarian Vein Embolization and embolization of the pelvic venous reservoir. This article will focus on the patient presentation and workup, followed by a detailed summary of how to perform this procedure, current research to support treatment, possible technical challenges and complications, and finally future research priorities.

The evaluation of a patient with knee osteoarthritis (OA) has 3 main components: clinical history, physical examination, and radiographic imaging. The clinician should assess for inciting and aggravating factors for the knee pain as well as for the presence of any mechanical symptoms. A history of prior knee injury or surgery can suggest the development of early osteoarthritis. A thorough physical examination of the knee should be performed. Some features of OA include limited range of motion, crepitus in the patellofemoral compartment, and joint line tenderness. Depending on the severity of OA varus or valgus alignment can develop. Special tests such as the McMurray for meniscal tears may cause increased pain as patients with OA will often have degenerative meniscal tears. Weight bearing radiographs can confirm the diagnosis of OA. Several scales exist to grade the severity of OA with the Kellgren-Lawrence being one that is often used. Radiographic features of OA include joint space narrowing, osteophytes, sclerosis of bone and bone end deformities. If after the above evaluation the diagnosis is still unclear, advanced imaging or laboratory testing can be performed to evaluate for alternative diagnoses.

In the past decade, angiographic studies have demonstrated neovessels in or in the vicinity of affected joints in many musculoskeletal conditions that used to be considered wear and tear joint disease, such as knee osteoarthritis, frozen shoulder, and overuse injuries. The novelty of this finding is showing the presence of neovascularity at an angiographically detectable level, as compared to histologically evident neovessels that had been discovered years ago. These neovessels have now become the target of interventions in a growing field called muscoskeletal embolotherapy. An in-depth and all-encompassing understanding of the vascular anatomy that could specifically assist performing of these procedures is paramount. Such an understanding will help ensure success in clinical outcomes and avoid much dreaded complications. This review discusses the vascular anatomy relevant to the 2 most commonly performed musculoskeletal embolotherapies, genicular artery embolization and transarterial embolization for frozen shoulder.

Lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, is characterized by a low-grade inflammatory process in the lateral aspect of the elbow. Symptoms are typically treated conservatively, and most patients show resolution or improvement of symptoms within a few months. For those with refractory symptoms, treatment options are limited with questionable benefit. Embolization of the arteries supplying the elbow decreases the neo-vascularity seen in epicondylitis. The procedure may result in marked improvement in pain and function, which has shown to be durable.

Embolization of bone metastases is most commonly performed for hypervascular tumors prior to surgical resection. When employed in this fashion embolization can significantly decrease perioperative hemorrhage and improve surgical outcomes. In addition, embolization of bone metastases may lead to local tumor control and decreased tumoral associate bone pain. Careful techniques and choice of embolic material are required when performing embolization of bone lesions to ensure low procedural complications and high rates of clinical success.⁴ The indications, technical considerations, and complications associated with embolization of metastatic hypervascular bone lesions will be discussed in this review with subsequent case examples.

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is a safe and effective treatment for knee pain related to osteoarthritis, however there are several aspects of the procedure technique which may be unique. Familiarity with procedural steps, arterial anatomy, embolic endpoints, technical challenges, and potential complications is imperative for good clinical practice and outcomes. The success of GAE depends on correctly interpreting angiographic findings and variable anatomy, navigating small and acutely angled arteries, recognizing collateral supply, and avoiding non-target embolization. The procedure can potentially be performed for a wide range of patients with knee osteoarthritis. When effective, pain relief can be durable for many years. When done meticulously, adverse events from GAE are uncommon.

In his pioneering work, Okuno and colleagues demonstrated the benefit of musculoskeletal (MSK) embolization, using imipenem as an embolic agent, in various diseases such as knee osteoarthritis (KOA), adhesive capsulitis (AC), tennis elbow and other sports injuries. As imipenem is a last-resort, broad spectrum antibiotic, its use is often not feasible depending on countries and their drug regulation. Since then, several other studies have used other material products such as microparticles or liquid embolics. In addition, several products in development or that are used in other indications may prove useful after full clinical evaluation of safety and efficacy.

In this article we will develop our recommendations, through an analysis of recent publications on MSK embolization.

Osteoarthritis of the knee poses an ever-expanding healthcare challenge worldwide. Current treatments include conservative methods such as weight loss, pharmacological treatments including NSAIDs, and surgical techniques including total knee arthroplasty. Although frequently successful, contraindications and failure of pharmacological agents leave many, especially with mild-moderate disease, without effective treatment. Genicular artery embolization is an interventional radiology technique being developed to fill this treatment gap. For this procedure to become established, the literature must provide evidence of its underlying scientific principles, safety, efficacy and economic viability. Pathological investigation of osteoarthritis reveals that low-level inflammation plays a crucial role in disease development. Joint inflammation stimulates neoangiogenesis and accompanying neuronal growth, with the degree of microvascular invasion being correlated with more severe pain in animal models. These neovessels provide a target for embolization however, the microscopic effects of this intervention are yet to be elucidated. The side effects of GAE have been extensively investigated with no severe adverse events being recorded. Skin discoloration and puncture site hematoma are the most common, occurring in 10%-65% and 0%-17% of patients respectively. The literature also discusses ways to minimize these events. Phase one studies provide promising evidence of efficacy, demonstrating an 80% improvement in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a mean difference of 36.8 in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores at 24-months. These positive signals are also supported by a single randomized control trial. A single study has been completed regarding the cost of GAE, however further work is needed. The GAE literature demonstrates a safe procedure with promising initial evidence of efficacy. Future work should further elucidate the pathology of osteoarthritis and ways in which embolization modifies this process, alongside providing further randomized control evidence that aligns with the recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The future of GAE is exciting!