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Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM) are high-flow, low-pressure shunts, consisting of a single feeding artery connecting via an aneurysmal sac to a draining vein. The aneurysmal connection is referred to as an aneurysmal sac. The “filter capacity” of the pulmonary capillaries is lost and results in predisposition to brain abscess, stroke, and transient ischemic attack and, when multiple, dyspnea, because of right-to-left shunting and hypoxemia. PAVM are markers of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Up to 30% of patients with HHT have PAVM complicating their disorder. Left untreated, 50% of patients with PAVM will develop disabling or fatal complications. In addition to stroke and transient ischemic attack syndromes due to passage of paradoxical emboli through the PAVM, rupture of the aneurysmal sac, particularly in the third trimester of pregnancy, can lead to fatal hemoptysis or hemothorax. Finally, brain abscess or more obscure musculoskeletal or spinal infections may be secondary to PAVM. Since detachable silicone balloons are no longer available, we have developed precise techniques for closing pulmonary malformations using pushable fibered coils. It is not the coil that is so important, but it is the use of coaxial or triaxial catheters that allow for precise placement of the coil. Cross-sectional occlusion is essential for embolization of PAVM and this is achieved using the “anchor” or “scaffold” technique. Our recent results indicate permanent involution of treated malformations with a 3% recurrence rate. All patients should be assessed for other manifestations of HHT before treatment and they are best followed in one of the 20 HHT Centers worldwide (www.hht.org). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To assess long-term clinical and imaging results of technically successful pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (AVM) embolization. Materials and Methods: One hundred fifty-five patients with pulmonary AVMs underwent embolization during a period of 3 years. Recommended follow-up included clinical assessment, helical computed tomography, and physiologic evaluation within 1 year and then every 5 years. Results: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia was present in 148 patients (95%). Four hundred fifteen pulmonary AVMs were occluded during 205 procedures. Clinical follow-up was available in all patients over 3-7 years and imaging follow-up was available in 144 patients (393 lesions) over 1-7 years (mean, 2.9 y). Problems related to pulmonary AVMs occurred in 35 patients (23%) at 42 time points: 22 patients with 23 symptomatic events and 17 patients with 19 asymptomatic events. Symptoms resulted from growth of nonembolized pulmonary AVMs (n = 19), residual embolized pulmonary AVMs (n = 5), or both (n = 2). Symptoms consisted of respiratory manifestations (n = 13), cerebral ischemia (n = 4), brain abscess (n = 5), hemoptysis (n = 3), and seizure (n = 1). Imaging showed pulmonary AVM involution in 97% of embolized lesions and 11 residual lesions (2.8%) in 10 patients (6.9%). These were caused by recanalization (n = 7), presence of an accessory feeding artery (n = 1), pulmonary collateral vessels (n = 1), and bronchial collateral vessels (n = 2). CT detected 10 of the 11 residual lesions. Imaging detected 97 previously small pulmonary AVMs that had enlarged to a significant size in 28 patients (18%), 15 of whom were symptomatic and 13 of whom were asymptomatic. Conclusions: Clinical and anatomic evaluation after pulmonary AVM embolization is important to detect persistent or reperfused lesions and enlarging lesions, with the latter more common. Patients with persistent, reperfused, or enlarging lesions often have symptoms, but a significant minority of patients are asymptomatic. More frequent assessment may improve detection before the onset of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In seven of 255 consecutive patients (2.7%) who underwent pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) embolization at our center between July 1, 1996, and July 1, 2000, the feeding artery was considered too short for safe occlusion with use of standard stainless-steel coils or detachable balloons. These patients were successfully treated with use of a modified vein of Galen technique similar to the one used for managing intracranial vein of Galen aneurysms. In this article, the authors report their experience with this technique in safely occluding the aneurysmal sacs of PAVMs in patients with short (<2 cm) feeding pulmonary arteries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To report the results of treatment of adolescent patients with varicocele with use of 3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate foam (STS) in combination with pushable fibered coils. Materials and Methods: From September 2004 to September 2006, 16 adolescent patients (age 12–19 y) with symptomatic varicocele, testicular atrophy, or surgical recurrence underwent embolization with STS foam and coils. The left internal spermatic vein (ISV) was coaxially catheterized from the right femoral vein. Three percent STS foam was placed distally in the ISV during compression so minimal foam entered the pampiniform plexus. A second nest of coils was placed in the ISV at a position over the sacroiliac (SI) joint that occluded most of the parallel collateral vessels. Coils were not placed above the SI joint in most instances. Additional foam was injected in the ISV at the upper level of the SI joint. The upper ISV was left unoccluded. Our standard follow-up consisting of ultrasound and/or physical examination after varicocele occlusion was performed 2–12 months after the procedure. Results: All occlusions were technically successful, and 15 of 16 patients (94%) exhibited proven disappearance of the varicocele. All patients were asymptomatic except one who had pain despite disappearance of the varicocele. One patient with a bleeding disorder had 48 hours of scrotal discomfort as a result of pampiniform phlebitis caused by the deliberate passage of foam into the pampiniform plexus. Conclusions: The use of 3% STS foam in combination with pushable fibered coils is a safe and effective sclerosing procedure for adolescent subjects with varicocele. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]