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Most data on the natural history of nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI) are provided by follow-ups up to 5 years. We conducted a 10.5 (9.1–11.9)-year prospective follow-up study of NFAI in 67 participants (20 (29.9%) males, 47 (70.1%) females) of mean age 57.9 (52.3–63.9) years and BMI 27.42 (24.07–30.56) kg/m2). We also evaluated the associations between baseline BMI and changes of NFAIs’ characteristics at follow-up. Progression to mild autonomous cortisol excess (MACE) was observed in 15 (22 %) patients, with 14 of them having post overnight dexamethasone suppression test (ODST) cortisol between 50 and138 nmol/L and only one > 138 nmol/L. The progression rate was significantly higher in overweight and obese than in normal-weight subjects. Patients that developed MACE had a significantly higher baseline mean cortisol after 1 mg ODST. Tumor enlargement ≥10 mm occurred in 8.9% of patients. In comparison with reports of shorter observational periods, we observed a higher growth rate ≥ 10 mm and higher progression rate from NFAI to MACE, particularly in overweight and obese subjects. All tumors had persistent radiological characteristics typical for adrenal adenoma. We concluded that the duration of the follow-up period is an important factor in characterizing the natural history of NFAI. Higher baseline BMI and higher baseline cortisol after ODST might predict the long-term likelihood of progression in hormonal activity. The magnitudes of observed progressions in growth or hormonal activity were clinically insignificant. Our long-term follow-up, therefore, clearly supports the general view that a long-term monitoring of patients with NFAI is not necessary.

Summary Background & aims Vitamin D deficiency is an important complication of chronic intestinal failure (CIF). Liver steatosis is a known late complication of long-term home parenteral nutrition (HPN) therapy in patients with CIF, which can progress to intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Slovene HPN patients and determine any potential correlation between serum vitamin D levels and liver steatosis associated with IFALD in adult patients with CIF on HPN therapy. Methods Adult patients, diagnosed with CIF, receiving long term HPN therapy, were included in a cross-sectional study. Vitamin D status was determined by measuring serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The presence of liver steatosis was diagnosed using 3 T S MRI scanner. The association between serum vitamin D levels and liver steatosis was calculated using univariate logistic regression. Results We included 63 adult patients with CIF on HPN therapy in the study. The median duration of HPN therapy was 70 weeks. The average serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 41.3 nmol/l. Insufficient vitamin D levels were found in 45 (73%) patients. Liver steatosis was present in 18 (28.6%) patients. No statistically significant association between serum vitamin D levels and liver steatosis in the study population was found. Conclusion The results of this study have shown a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in adult patients with CIF on HPN. We failed to demonstrate an association between serum vitamin D levels and the prevalence of liver steatosis.

Background Recurrent bleeding from gastroesophageal varices is the most common life-threatening complication of portal hypertension. According to guidelines, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) should not be used as a first-line treatment and should be limited to those bleedings which are refractory to pharmacologic and endoscopic treatment (ET). To our knowledge, long-term studies evaluating the role of elective TIPS in comparison to ET in patients with recurrent variceal bleeding episodes are rare. Patients and methods This study was designed as a retrospective single-institution analysis of 70 patients treated with TIPS and 56 with ET. Patients were followed-up from inclusion in the study until death, liver transplantation, the last follow-up observation or until the end of our study. Results Recurrent variceal bleeding was significantly more frequent in ET group compared to patients TIPS group (66.1% vs. 21.4%, p < 0.001; χ2-test). The incidence of death secondary to recurrent bleeding was higher in the ET group (28.6% vs. 10%). Cumulative survival after 1 year, 2 years and 5 years in TIPS group compared to ET group was 85% vs. 83%, 73% vs. 67% and 41% vs. 35%, respectively. The main cause of death in patients with cumulative survival more than 2 years was liver failure. Median observation time was 47 months (range; 2–194 months) in the TIPS group and 40 months (range; 1–168 months) in the ET group. Conclusions In present study TIPS was more effective in the prevention of recurrent variceal bleeding and had lower mortality due to recurrent variceal bleeding compared to ET.

Objectives: The use of thermal ablative therapies in the pancreatic tumors is limited because of the risk of the vessel injury and potential pancreatitis or fistula formation. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is an ablative therapy with established role in the treatment of cutaneous and liver tumors. This study was designed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of ECT of the pancreas in a porcine survival model. Methods: In the first group, 4 animals underwent computed tomography (CT)%guided percutaneous ECT with bleomycin of the pancreatic tail. In the second group (4 animals), the intraoperative ECTwith bleomycin of pancreatic tail and head was performed. Animals were followed for 7 days and then killed. Clinical parameters, CT imaging, laboratory, and histologic analysis were performed. Results: All pigs survived the ECT procedure and none of them developed clinical signs of acute pancreatitis or related complications. There were no signs of acute pancreatitis or damage to the large vessels present in the follow-up CT scans. No significant change in laboratory parameters was obtained after procedure. Conclusions: This study shows that ECT with bleomycin is feasible and safe in the pancreatic parenchyma. Clinical studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of ECT in pancreatic cancer.

Background Electrochemotherapy is an effective treatment of colorectal liver metastases and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during open surgery. The minimally invasive percutaneous approach of electrochemotherapy has already been performed but not on HCC. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of electrochemotherapy with percutaneous approach on HCC. Patient and methods The patient had undergone the transarterial chemoembolization and microwave ablation of multifocal HCC in segments III, V and VI. In follow-up a new lesion was identified in segment III, and recognized by multidisciplinary team to be suitable for minimally invasive percutaneous electrochemotherapy. The treatment was performed with long needle electrodes inserted by the aid of image guidance. Results The insertion of electrodes was feasible, and the treatment proved safe and effective, as demonstrated by control magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions Minimally invasive, image guided percutaneous electrochemotherapy is feasible, safe and effective in treatment of HCC.

Background High-risk pulmonary embolism is associated with a high early mortality rate. We report our experience with percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy in patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism and contraindications for thrombolytic therapy. Patients and methods This was a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism and contraindications to thrombolytic therapy. They were treated with percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy which included thrombectomy and additional thrombus aspiration when needed. Clinical parameters and survival to discharge were measured. Results From November 2005 to September 2015 we treated 25 patients with a mean age of 62.6 ± 12.7 years, 64% were men. Mean simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index was 2.9. Mean maximum lactate levels were 7.8 ± 6.6 mmol/L, vasopressors were used in 77%, and 59% needed mechanical ventilation. Mechanical treatment included thrombus fragmentation complemented with aspiration (56%) and aspiration using Aspirex®S catheter (44%). Local (5 patients; 20%) and systemic (3 patients; 12%) thrombolytics were used as a salvage therapy. We observed nonsignificant improvements in systemic blood pressure (100 ± 41 mm Hg vs 119 ± 34; p = 0.100) and heart frequency (99 ± 35 min-1 vs 87 ± 31 min-1; p = 0.326) before and after treatment, respectively. Peak systolic tricuspid pressure gradient was significantly lower after treatment (57 ± 14 mm Hg vs 31 ± 3 mm Hg; p = 0.018). Overall the procedure was technically successful in 20 patients (80%) and 17 patients (68%) survived to hospital discharge. Conclusions In patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism who cannot receive thrombolytic therapy, percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy is a promising alternative to reduce pulmonary artery pressure.

The aim of this clinical study was to investigate the effectiveness and long-term safety of electrochemotherapy as an emerging treatment for HCC in patients not suitable for other treatment options. A prospective phase II clinical study was conducted in patients with primary HCC who were not suitable for other treatment options according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification. A total of 24 patients with 32 tumors were treated by electrochemotherapy. The procedure was effective, feasible, and safe with some procedure-related side effects. The responses of the 32 treated nodules were: 84.4% complete response (CR), 12.5% partial response (PR), and 3.1% stable disease (SD). The treatment was equally effective for nodules located centrally and peripherally. Electrochemotherapy provided a durable response with local tumor control over 50 months of observation in 78.0% of nodules. The patient responses were: 79.2% CR and 16.6% PR. The median progression-free survival was 12 months (range 2.7&ndash, 50), and the overall survival over 5 years of observation was 72.0%. This prospective phase II clinical study showed that electrochemotherapy was an effective, feasible, and safe option for treating HCC in patients not suitable for other treatment options.

Background and objectives Electrochemotherapy provides non-thermal ablation of cutaneous as well as deep seated tumors. Based on positive results of the treatment of colorectal liver metastases, we conducted a prospective pilot study on hepatocellular carcinomas with the aim of testing the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of electrochemotherapy. Patients and methods Electrochemotherapy with bleomycin was performed on 17 hepatocellular carcinomas in 10 patients using a previously established protocol. The procedure was performed during open surgery and the patients were followed for median 20.5 months. Results Electrochemotherapy was feasible for all 17 lesions, and no treatment-related adverse events or major post-operative complications were observed. The median size of the treated lesions was 24 mm (range 8–41 mm), located either centrally, i.e., near the major hepatic vessels, or peripherally. The complete response rate at 3–6 months was 80% per patient and 88% per treated lesion. Conclusions Electrochemotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma proved to be a feasible and safe treatment in all 10 patients included in this study. To evaluate the effectiveness of this method, longer observation period is needed; however the results at medium observation time of 20.5 months after treatment are encouraging, in 15 out of 17 lesions complete response was obtained. Electrochemotherapy is predominantly applicable in patients with impaired liver function due to liver cirrhosis and/or with lesions where a high-risk operation is needed to achieve curative intent, given the intra/perioperative risk for high morbidity and mortality.

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) of liver is extremely rare hepatic neoplasm with only 30 cases reported in the literature. These lesions are found mainly in young females and may present a potential pitfall in the characterisation of focal liver lesions. The biological behavior of PEComa varies from generally benign to rarely malignant and metastatic disease. We report a case of a patient with hepatic PEComa with the corresponding imaging findings on the ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and hepatospecific MRI. After failed attempt to characterize the lesion by percutaneous biopsy, surgical resection was conducted and the final diagnosis was achieved. Keywords: Perivascular epithelioid tumor, PECOM, Focal liver lesion, CEUS, MRI

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Sorafenib is the recommended treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a combination of sorafenib and selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) - with yttrium-90 (90Y) resin microspheres - to sorafenib alone in patients with advanced HCC. METHODS: SORAMIC is a randomised controlled trial comprising diagnostic, local ablation and palliative cohorts. Based on diagnostic study results, patients were assigned to local ablation or palliative cohorts. In the palliative cohort, patients not eligible for TACE were randomised 11:10 to SIRT plus sorafenib (SIRT + sorafenib) or sorafenib alone. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS; Kaplan-Meier analysis) in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. RESULTS: In the ITT cohort, 216 patients were randomised to SIRT + sorafenib and 208 to sorafenib alone. Median OS was 12.1 months in the SIRT + sorafenib arm, and 11.4 months in the sorafenib arm (hazard ratio [HR] 1.01; 95% CI 0.81-1.25; p = 0.9529). Median OS in the per protocol population was 14.0 months in the SIRT + sorafenib arm (n = 114), and 11.1 months in the sorafenib arm (n = 174; HR 0.86; p = 0.2515). Subgroup analyses of the per protocol population indicated a survival benefit of SIRT + sorafenib for patients without cirrhosis (HR 0.46; 0.25-0.86; p = 0.02); cirrhosis of non-alcoholic aetiology (HR 0.63; p = 0.012); or patients ≤65 years old (HR 0.65; p = 0.05). Adverse events (AEs) of Common Terminology Criteria for AE Grades 3-4 were reported in 103/159 (64.8%) patients who received SIRT + sorafenib, 106/197 (53.8%) patients who received sorafenib alone (p = 0.04), and 8/24 (33.3%) patients who only received SIRT. CONCLUSION: Addition of SIRT to sorafenib did not result in a significant improvement in OS compared with sorafenib alone. Subgroup analyses led to hypothesis-generating results that will support the design of future studies. LAY SUMMARY: Sorafenib given orally is the recommended treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), also known as radioembolisation, microscopic, radioactive resin or glass spheres are introduced into the blood vessels that feed the tumours in the liver. This study found that the addition of SIRT with 90yttrium-loaded resin microspheres to sorafenib treatment in people with advanced HCC did not significantly improve overall survival compared with sorafenib treatment alone. However, the results give an indication of how future studies using this combination therapy in people with advanced HCC could be designed. STUDY REGISTRATION: EudraCT 2009-012576-27, NCT0112 6645. ispartof: JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY vol:71 issue:6 pages:1164-1174 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

In patients with chronic intestinal failure (CIF) and long-term home parenteral nutrition (HPN), liver steatosis is a known late complication, which can progress to intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a qualitative and quantitative assessment of liver steatosis. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of liver steatosis and find possible new factors that could be connected to liver steatosis in CIF patients on HPN therapy. Patients diagnosed with CIF and undergoing long-term HPN therapy were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Clinical, laboratory and body composition data were collected from their medical records between January 2017 and November 2018. Liver steatosis was diagnosed using 3 Tesla Siemens MRI scanner. The associations between various risk factors and liver steatosis were calculated using uni- and multivariate logistic regression. In our study, we included 63 adult patients with CIF on HPN therapy. The median HPN therapy duration was 70 weeks (IQR 22–203). The prevalence of liver steatosis was 28.6%. Serum cholesterol level, CRP and FFMI were statistically significantly associated with liver steatosis. The results of our study indicate that CIF patients on HPN therapy experience a low risk of liver disease if they adhere to a well-controlled treatment regime. We found that MRI is an appropriate diagnostic tool for monitoring liver steatosis in patients on long-term PN. With respect to already known risk factors for liver steatosis, we did find a newly described association between FFMI and liver steatosis.

Intralobar pulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital malformation, conventionally managed by surgical resection. Recently, the endovascular embolization has been proposed for the definite treatment of this disease. Additionally, preoperative embolization of aberrant arteries to minimize the risk of serious intraoperative haemorrhage has also been described. We report the case of 43-year old female patient who presented with cough and haemoptysis, and was successfully treated with endovascular embolization followed by a Video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection. Keywords: Endovascular embolization, Intralobar pulmonary sequestration

In the liver, there are many vascular variants, which are important in liver surgery, the presence of accessory right hepatic veins (aRHVs) in particular. Th eir frequency, number and diameter vary considerably. Detailed imaging diagnostics with computed tomography (CT) should be undertaken before surgery. The aim of our study was to examine the characteristics of aRHVs and their demographic correlations. Th e study included data on 188 patients that underwent CT examination of the abdomen with contrast media, 103 men (54.8%) men and 85 (45.2%) women, mean age 63.1}14.3 (range, 21-94) years. The measurements of hepatic veins were carried out on CT images, which were obtained from the Clinical Institute of Radiology, University Medical Centre of Ljubljana. Forty-five of 142 patients had at least one aRHV: one aRHV in 37 (26.1%) cases, two aRHVs in seven (4.9%) cases, and three aRHVs in one (0.7%) case. Th e incidence of aRHV was between 24% and 39.3% (mean, 31.7%) and of more than one aRHV between 2.3% and 10.3% with 95% confi dence interval (CI). Based on the test of proportions, the proportion of cases with inferior aRHV of at least 7 mm was between 7.2% and 18.1% with 95% CI. Th e mean distance between the aRHV and the main RHV confl uences into the inferior vena cava was 3.73 cm (between 3.32 cm and 4.13 cm, 95% CI). The proportion of cases with confl uence distance of at least 4 cm was between 21.6% and 49.5% in cases with at least one aRHV. In cases with more than one aRHV, the distance between the middle aRHV and the main RHV ranged from 1.90 cm to 4.32 cm (95% CI). Th e T-test of independent samples showed no eff ect of age on the incidence of accessory veins (p=0.18), and the test of differences of interests showed no impact of sex (p=0.75). Evaluation of the incidence and diameter of aRHVs is of great importance for safe surgical procedure. Th eir presence can change the surgeon's decision in 10%-20% of cases when employing appropriate imaging technique. CT examination, which is easily accessible and minimally invasive for patients, was successful in only 80% cases, when using standard protocol for CT scanning., U jetri postoji mnoštvo krvožilnih varijanata koje su važne u kirurgiji jetre, osobito prisutnost akcesornih desnih jetrenih vena (aDJV). Njihova učestalost, broj i promjer uvelike se razlikuju. Prije kirurškog zahvata treba provesti detaljnu slikovnu dijagnostiku kompjutoriziranom tomografi jom (CT). Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je ispitati značajke aDJV i njihove demografske korelacije. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo podatke 188 bolesnika podvrgnutih pretrazi pomoću CT abdomena s kontrastnim sredstvom, 103 (54,8%) muškarca i 85 (45,2%) žena, srednje dobi 63,1}14,3 (raspon dobi 21-94) godine. Mjerenje jetrenih vena provedeno je na snimkama CT dobivenim od Kliničkog zavoda za radiologiju Kliničkog bolničkog centra Ljubljana. Najmanje jednu aDJV imalo je 45 od 142 bolesnika: jedna aDJV utvrđena je u 37 (26,1%), dvije aDJV u 7 (4,9%) slučajeva i tri aDJV u jednom (0,7%) slučaju. Incidencija aDJV procijenjena je na 24%-39,3% (srednja vrijednost 31,7%), a za više od jedne aDJV na 2,3%-10,3%, uz 95%-tni interval pouzdanosti (95% CI). Prema testu proporcija je proporcija slučajeva donje aDJV od najmanje 7 mm procijenjena na 7,2%-18,1%, uz 95% CI. Srednja udaljenost između aDJV i sjecišta s glavnom DJV u donju šuplju venu bila je 3,73 (raspon 3,32-4,13) cm, uz 95% CI. Proporcija slučajeva sa sjecištem udaljenim najmanje 4 cm bila je 21,6%-49,5% u skupini slučajeva s najmanje jednom aDJV. U skupini slučajeva s više od jedne aDJV udaljenost između srednje aDJV i glavne DJV bila je 1,90-4,32 cm (95% CI). T-test nezavisnih uzoraka pokazao je da dob nema učinka na incidenciju aDJV (p=0,18), a testiranje razlika pokazalo je da ni spol nema takav učinak (p=0,75). Procjena incidencije i promjera aDJV veoma je važna za siguran kirurški zahvat. Njihova prisutnost može promijeniti kirurgovu odluku u otprilike 10%-20% slučajeva, uz primjenu dobre tehnike slikovnog prikaza. Pretraga pomoću CT kao lako dostupne i za bolesnika minimalno invazivne tehnike bila je uspješna u samo 80% slučajeva kad se primijenio standardni postupnik skeniranja pomoću CT.

Background The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the clinical value of computed tomographic perfusion imaging (CTPI) parameters in predicting the response to treatment and overall survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEBTACE). Patients and methods Between December 2010 and January 2013 eighteen patients (17 men, 1 woman; mean age 69 ± 5.8 years) with intermediate stage HCC underwent CTPI of the liver prior to treatment with DEBTACE. Treatment response was evaluated on follow-up imaging according to modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Pre-treatment CTPI parameters were compared between patients with complete response and partial response with a Student t-test. We compared survival times with Kaplan-Meier method. Results CTPI parameters of patients with complete response and others did not show statistical significant difference. The mean survival time was 25.4 ± 3.2 months (95%; CI: 18.7-32.1). Survival was statistically significantly longer in patients with hepatic blood flow (BF) lower than 50.44 ml/100 ml/min (p = 0.033), hepatic blood volume (BV) lower than 13.32 ml/100 ml (p = 0.028) and time to peak (TTP) longer than 19.035 s (p = 0.015). Conclusions CTPI enables prediction of survival in patients with intermediate stage HCC, treated with DEBTACE based on the pre-treatment values of BF, BV and TTP perfusion parameters. CT perfusion imaging can’t be used to predict treatment response to DEBTACE.

Background. The present series present three consecutive cases of successful percutaneous mechanical embolectomy in acute superior mesenteric artery ischemia. Superior mesenteric artery embolism is a rare abdominal emergency that commonly leads to bowel infarction and has a very high mortality rate. Prompt recognition and treatment are crucial for successful outcome. Endovascular therapeutic approach in patients with acute SMA embolism in median portion of its stem is proposed. Case reports. Three male patients had experienced a sudden abdominal pain and acute superior mesenteric artery embolism in median portion of its stem was revealed on computed tomography angiography. No signs of intestinal infarction were present. The decision for endovascular treatment was made in concordance with the surgeons. In one patient 6 French gauge Rotarex® device was used while in others 6 French gauge Aspirex® device were used. All patients experienced sudden relief of pain after the procedure with no signs of intestinal infarction. Minor procedural complication - rupture of a smaller branch of SMA during Aspirex® treatment was successfully managed by coiling while transient paralytic ileus presented in one patient resolved spontaneously. All three patients remained symptom-free with patent superior mesenteric artery during the follow-up period. Conclusions. Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy seems to be a rapid and effective treatment of acute superior mesenteric artery embolism in median portion of its stem in absence of bowel necrosis. Follow-up of our patients showed excellent short- and long-term results.

Incidence of primary liver tumors is rising across the world. Patients with primary liver tumors can be treated radically with liver resection of the tumors and liver transplantation. When radical treatment is not indicated due to patient condition or tumor extent, transarterialche-moembolization (TACE), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and other methods provide hope for longer survival of those patients. Patients, in whom those methods are not recommendable, have a stage C disease suitable only for palliative treatment. Therefore, for the treatment of patients with primary liver tumors with electrochemotherapy, a clinical trial was created at our institution, Clinical Department of Abdominal Surgery at the University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia. Phase I study is underway in patients who fulfil inclusion criteria.

Background The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate treatment response, adverse events and survival rates of patients with intermediate stage HCC treated with superselective doxorubicin-loaded DC Bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEBDOX) under cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) control. Patients and methods Between October 2010 and June 2012, 35 consecutive patients with intermediate stage HCC (32 male, 3 female; average age, 67.5 ± 7.8 years; 22 patients Child-Pugh class A, 8 class B, 5 without cirrhosis) were treated with DEBDOX TACE. Portal vein thrombosis was observed in 6 (17.1%) patients. DEBDOX TACE was performed by superselective catheterization of feeding vessels followed by embolization with 100-300 μm microspheres loaded with 50-100 mg of doxorubicin. In all cases, CBCT was used during chemoembolization. Tumor response rates were defined according to mRECIST criteria. Results Overall, 120 procedures were performed (mean, 3.2 per patients). We treated 97 lesions with an average diameter of 4.9 ± 1.9 cm. There were 32 minor and 2 (1.6%) major complications (one liver abscess and one cerebrovascular insult). After a mean follow-up of 27.7 ± 10.5 months, 94.3% of patients achieved an objective response to treatment (42.4% complete response and 57.6% partial response). Mean time to progression was 10.9 ± 5.3 months. Mean overall survival was 33.9 months (95% CI; 28.9 – 38.9 months), with 1- and 2- year survival of 97.1% and 65.7%, respectively. Conclusions Superselective DEBDOX TACE performed under CBCT control is a safe and effective method with high rates of tumor response and overall survival.

The present study was designed to compare elective transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) and endoscopic sclerotherapy (EST) in terms of their efficacy in preventing recurrent bleeding from gastro-oesophageal varices in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Of 96 patients with at least three gastro-oesophageal variceal rebleeds, 50 were treated with elective TIPS and 46 with EST. Recurrent variceal bleeding was significantly more frequent in patients receiving EST treatment compared with those receiving TIPS (45.7% versus 6.3%, respectively). Cumulative 1- and 4-year survival in the TIPS group was 83.0% and 73.5%, respectively, compared with 69.8% and 39.8% in the EST group, respectively. The rate of portosystemic encephalopathy was 33.3% in the TIPS group and 37.0% in the EST group. Elective TIPS was more effective than EST in the prevention of gastro-oesophageal variceal rebleeding in cirrhotic patients, it improved survival and it was associated with a similar rate of portosystemic encephalopathy.

Massive pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition with a high early mortality rate caused by acute right ventricular failure and cardiogenic shock. A 51-year-old woman with a massive PE and contraindication for thrombolytic therapy was treated with percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy using an Aspirex 11F catheter (Straub Medical AG, Wangs, Switzerland). The procedure was successfully performed and showed a good immediate angiographic result. The patient made a full recovery from the acute episode and was discharged on heparin treatment. Our case report indicates that in patients with contraindications to systemic thrombolysis, catheter thrombectomy may constitute a life-saving intervention for massive PE.

Background We report a case of unsuccessful percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy in treatment of a high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). Pulmonary thromboemboli are commonly expected as a homogenous mass, rich with red blood cell content, which respond well to percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT). Catheter-based approach or surgical embolectomy are two treatment options that are usually considered for treatment of high-risk PE when the thrombolytic therapy fails or it is contraindicated due to a patient’s persisting hemodynamic compromise. Currently, selection criteria for PE treatment options are based mostly on the assessment of patient’s history. The aim of this report is to highlight a possible treatment complication in PMT of structurally heterogeneous thrombotic mass due to PMT inadequacy. Case presentation A 32 year-old male with polytrauma was admitted to an intensive care unit after a right-sided nephrectomy and evacuation of retroperitoneal hematoma. The patient initial haemostatic disorder was improved by administration of blood preparations, an anti-fibrinolytic agent and concentrates of fibrinogen. On the third day he presented sudden onset of hemodynamic instability and was incapable of standard CTA diagnostic procedure. Urgent and relevant investigations including transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiogram confirmed a high-risk PE. PMT was performed due to contraindications for systemic thrombolysis. Long-term PMT was attempted using aspiration with several devices. No major improvement was achieved in any of the treatments and the patient died. Autopsy confirmed a large heterogeneous thrombotic mass in the pulmonary trunk folding to the right main artery. Additional histological analysis revealed a high fibrin-rich content in the peripheral surroundings of the thrombus. Conclusion In the case, it was confirmed that the outcome of PMT was directly influenced by mechanical and histological features of the thromboembolus in high-risk PE. Formation of a rather complex thromboembolus in high-risk PE favors surgical embolectomy as the only life-saving treatment option. Current diagnostic imaging techniques do not enable precise assessment of thrombi structure and are therefore unable to identify patients who might benefit from PMT or open surgical embolectomy. Surgical backup treatment should be considered if there are no contraindications in the event of a failed catheter intervention.

Background. Endovascular embolization is a treatment of choice for the management of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, but sometimes is complicated with perianeurysmal oedema. The aim of our study was to establish incidence and outcomes of perianeurysmal oedema after endovascular coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, and to reveal possible risk factors for development of this potentially serious complication. Methods. In total 119 adult patients with endovascular embolization of unruptured intracranial aneurysm (performed at Department for Interventional Neuroradiology, Clinical Center, Kragujevac, Serbia) were included in our study. The embolizations were made by electrolite-detachable platinum coils: pure platinum, hydrophilic and combination of platinum and hydrophilic coils. Primary outcome variable was perianeurysmal oedema visualized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 7, 30 and 90 days after the embolization. Results. The perianurysmal oedema appeared in 47.6% of patients treated with hydrophilic coils, in 21.6% of patients treated with platinum coils, and in 53.8% of those treated with mixed type of the coils. The multivariate logistic regression showed that variables associated with occurrence of perianeurysmal oedema are volume of the aneurysm, hypertension, diabetes and smoking habit. Hypertension is the most important independent predictor of the perianeurysmal oedema, followed by smoking and diabetes. Conclusions. The results of our study suggest that older patients with larger unruptured intracranial aneurysms, who suffer from diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and have the smoking habit, are under much higher risk of having perianeurysmal oedema after endovascular coiling.

We aimed to detect changes in the volume and perfusion parameters of the submandibular glands during and after radiochemotherapy.Twelve patients underwent computed tomography (CT) and perfusion CT before radiochemotherapy, after 40 Gy, after 70 Gy, and 3 months after radiochemotherapy. Submandibular gland volume, blood volume, permeability surface area product, and blood flow were quantified.Submandibular gland volumes during and after therapy were significantly lower compared with the baseline value (P .001). Blood volume, blood flow, and permeability surface area product values showed statistically significant reduction during and 3 months after therapy. A significant linear correlation was found between changes in submandibular gland volume and of the perfusion parameter blood volume in the period between baseline and 3 months after therapy (P = .012; RP = -0.697).Changes in submandibular gland volume and dynamics of perfusion parameters imply that radiation-induced injury of submandibular glands develops early during radiochemotherapy.

A case of acute superior mesenteric artery embolism treated with percutaneous thrombus aspiration is described. A 63-year-old man with chronic atrial fibrillation was admitted to the hospital with progressive abdominal pain. Computed tomography angiography revealed an occlusion of the distal part of the superior mesenteric artery. The patient was effectively treated using transaxillary percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy using a 6F Aspirex thrombectomy catheter.

Background. The nonoperative management of the blunt splenic injury in haemodynamically stable patients has become an accepted treatment in recent years. We present a case of the blunt splenic injury successfully treated by supraselective embolization with microspheres. Case report. A young hockey player was brought to the Emergency Department with the history of blunt abdominal trauma 2 h earlier. A Grade III splenic injury with haemoperitoneum was diagnosed on sonographic evaluation and the patient was treated with the selective distal splenic artery embolization with microspheres. Postprocedural ultrasound and computed tomography follow-up a year later revealed only a small area of parenchymal irregularity. Conclusions. The percutaneous splenic arterial embolization has a major role in the management of traumatic splenic injuries. Embolization is particularly beneficial in injuries of grade III or higher.