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The musculoskeletal and motor development of infants is affected by their environment, which varies from being held, lying on a firm flat surface, to seated in various nursery products. Nursery products can alter the body position of infants, particularly the position of the head/neck and trunk, which may inhibit an infant's ability to breathe. With U.S. infants spending an increasing amount of time in seated products, the purpose of this study was to assess muscle activation and body position in four commercial infant products (carrier, bouncer, rocker, and swing) during supine and prone positioning, compared to a firm flat surface. Thirteen healthy infants (age: 4.2 ± 1.4 months; 7 M/6F) were enrolled in this IRB-approved in-vivo biomechanics study. Surface electromyography sensors recorded muscle activity of the erector spinae, cervical paraspinals, quadriceps, and abdominal muscles and retro-reflective markers tracked movements to determine head-neck, trunk, and torso-pelvis flexion/extension in the sagittal plane. While supine, infants exhibited increased head-neck and trunk flexion of up to 21° and 27° above the playmat, respectively, in all seated products. While prone, high abdominal muscle activation compared to the playmat indicates that infants will fatigue faster in seated products. Additionally, the lower muscle activation levels exhibited in younger infants (< 4 months) compared to older infants (≥ 4 months) indicates that younger infants rely on the product design to maintain body position. However, offering infants a variety of environments to move within is important to avoid motor delay, therefore future work should explore how long-term use may impact an infant's development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. EMM provides expert witness services related to some infant products., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An infant's musculoskeletal and motor development is largely affected by their environment. Understanding how different mechanical environments affect an infant's movements and muscle use is necessary to inform the juvenile products industry and reduce incidents involving inclined nursery products each year. The purpose of this study was to determine how the coordinated movements and corresponding muscle activation patterns are affected by different mechanical environments, specifically the back incline angle. Thirty-eight healthy infants (age: 6.5 ± 0.7 months; 23 M/15 F) were enrolled in this IRB-approved in-vivo biomechanics study. Surface electromyography sensors recorded muscle activity of the erector spinae, abdominal muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings while infants rolled in five different mechanical environments: a flat surface and four device configurations representing a range of inclines infants are commonly exposed to. Coordinated movements were determined using video. In all configurations featuring an inclined seatback angle, infants experienced significantly higher erector spinae muscle activation and significantly lower abdominal muscle activation compared to the flat surface. Infants also exhibited a different coordinated movement featuring spinal extension and a pelvic thrust in the inclined device configurations that was not previously observed on the flat surface alone. Understanding how infants coordinate their movements and use their muscles during rolling in different inclined environments provides more insight into motor development and may inform the juvenile products industry. Many factors impact an infant's movements, therefore future work should explore how other environmental interactions influence an infant's movements and muscle activation, particularly for rolling., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. EMM provides expert witness services related to some infant products., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rolling is a critical step of infant development, encouraging muscle coordination and enabling independent exploration. Understanding muscle activity during infant rolling movements on a flat surface is necessary to more fully characterize how the rolling milestone is achieved. The purpose of this study was to determine infants' muscle activation throughout roll initiation for six previously established coordinated movements. Thirty-eight healthy infants (age: 6.5 ± 0.7 months; 23M/15F) were enrolled in this IRB-approved in-vivo biomechanics study. Surface electromyography sensors recorded muscle utilization from the erector spinae, abdominal muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings while infants rolled. Each rolling movement was categorized as one of six roll types, and the mean muscle activity was analyzed. All roll types required initial activation of all measured muscle groups. Movements featuring axial rotation of the torso relative to the pelvis required highly active erector spinae muscles. Movements featuring trunk and hip flexion required highly active abdominal muscles. Infants used distinct coordinated muscle activations to achieve the six different roll types on a flat surface. A foundational understanding of the different muscle activation patterns required during infant rolling will provide crucial insight into motor development. This study quantified muscle coordination required of infants to achieve rolling on a firm flat surface. Previous research indicates that the mechanical environment in which an infant is placed impacts muscle activity and body position during normal lying. Therefore, future work should explore if mechanical environments that differ from a flat and firm surface also influence these coordinated movements and muscle activations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest EMM provides expert witness consulting related to some infant products. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Rolling is an important developmental milestone for infants where identifying the coordinated movement patterns could facilitate the early identification of motor development delays. Current methods for identifying coordinated movements of rolling are limited to a laboratory setting and not feasible for clinicians., Objective: To develop video-based methods in which six coordinated movements, previously defined through motion capture, can be identified through video alone., Methods: Forty-five videos of sixteen healthy infants achieving a roll were used to develop the video-based methodology and twenty-four videos had corresponding motion capture data used for validation. Four raters comprised of researchers and a clinician identified rolling coordination using the new video-based methods. A Fleiss' Kappa statistical test determined the inter- and intra-rater reliability of agreement for the new methodology and compared it to motion capture., Results: The comparison of the motion capture and video-based methods resulted in substantial agreement. The video-based methods inter- and intra-rater reliability were substantial and almost perfect, respectively., Conclusions: We developed reliable methodology to accurately identify the coordinated movements of infant rolling using only 2D video. This methodology will allow researchers to reliably define coordinated movements of infants through video alone and may assist clinicians in identifying possible motor development delays and disorders.

The knee menisci are prone to mechanical fatigue injury from the cyclic tensile stresses that are generated during daily joint loading. Here we characterize the tensile fatigue behavior of human medial meniscus and investigate the effect of aging on fatigue strength. Test specimens were excised from the medial meniscus of young (under 40 years) and older (over 65 years) fresh-frozen cadaver knees. Cyclic uniaxial tensile loads were applied parallel to the primary circumferential fibers at 70%, 50%, 40%, or 30% of the predicted ultimate tensile strength (UTS) until failure occurred or one million cycles was reached. Equations for fatigue strength (S-N curve) and the probability of fatigue failure (unreliability curves) were created from the measured number of cycles to failure. The mean number of cycles to failure at 70%, 50%, 40%, and 30% of UTS were estimated to be approximately 500, 40000, 340000, and 3 million cycles, respectively. The endurance limit, defined as the tensile stress that can be safely applied for the average lifetime of use (250 million cycles), was estimated to be 10% of UTS (∼1.0 MPa). When cyclic tensile stresses exceeded 30% of UTS (∼3.0 MPa), the probability of fatigue failure rapidly increased. While older menisci were generally weaker and more susceptible to fatigue failures at high-magnitude tensile stresses, both young and older age groups had similar fatigue resistance at low-magnitude tensile stresses. In addition, we found that fatigue failures occurred after the dynamic modulus decreased during cyclic loading by approximately 20%. This experimental study has quantified fundamental fatigue properties that are essential to properly predict and prevent injury in meniscus and other soft fibrous tissues., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The knee meniscus is a soft fibrous tissue with a high incidence of injury in older populations. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of age on the failure behavior of human knee meniscus when applying uniaxial tensile loads parallel or perpendicular to the primary circumferential fiber orientation. Two age groups were tested: under 40 and over 65 years old. We paired high-speed video with digital image correlation to quantify for the first time the planar strains occurring in the tear region at precise time points, including at ultimate tensile stress, when the tissue begins losing load-bearing capacity. On average, older meniscus specimens loaded parallel to the fiber axis had approximately one-third less ultimate tensile strain and absorbed 60% less energy to failure within the tear region than younger specimens (p < 0.05). Older specimens also had significantly reduced strength and material toughness when loaded perpendicular to the fibers (p < 0.05). These age-related changes indicate a loss of collagen fiber extensibility and weakening of the non-fibrous matrix with age. In addition, we found that when loaded perpendicular to the circumferential fibers, tears propagated near the planes of maximum tensile stress and strain. Whereas when loaded parallel to the circumferential fibers, tears propagated oblique to the loading axis, closer to the planes of maximum shear stress and strain. Our experimental results can assist the selection of valid failure criteria for meniscus, and provide insight into the effect of age on the failure mechanisms of soft fibrous tissue., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This retrospective study presents three consecutive patients who underwent bilateral ureteral occlusion using the Amplatzer vascular plugs and N-butyl cyanoacrylate glue sandwich method. The patients were 63- and 65-year-old males and a 79-year-old female. Indications for the procedure included severe cystitis and complex vesicular fistulas unresponsive to urinary diversion. All three patients had immediate resolution of urinary leakage, resulting in symptom relief throughout the follow-up period. There were no procedure-related complications or side effects., Competing Interests: The authors of this article declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Objective: To determine the impact of skin-to-tumor (STT) distance on the risk for treatment failure following percutaneous cryoablation (PCA)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent PCA with documented T1a recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at 2 academic centers between 2005 and 2015. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and perioperative and postoperative course variables were collected. Additionally, we measured the STT distance by averaging the distance from the skin to the center of the tumor at 0°, 45°, and 90° on preoperative computed tomography imaging., Results: We identified 86 patients with documented T1a RCC. The mean age at the time of surgery was 69 years (range: 37-91 years), and the mean tumor size was 2.7 cm (range: 1.0-4.0 cm). With a mean follow-up of 24 months (range: 3-63 months), 11 (12.8%) treatment failures occurred. Patients with treatment failure had significantly higher mean STT distance than those without: 11.0 cm (range: 6.3-20.1 cm) compared to 8.4 cm (range: 4.4-15.2 cm), respectively (P = .002). STT distance was an independent predictor of treatment failure (odds ratio: 1.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.69, P = .029). STT distance greater than 10 cm had a fourfold increased risk of tumor treatment failure (odds ratio: 4.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.19-16.39, P = .018). Tumor size, R.E.N.A.L. Nephrometry score, and number of cryoprobes placed were not associated with treatment failure., Conclusion: STT, an easily measured preoperative variable, may inform the risk of RCC treatment failure following PCA., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Multiple scoring systems have been proposed for prostate MRI reporting. We sought to review the clinical impact of the new Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System v2 (PI-RADS) and compare those results to our proposed Simplified Qualitative System (SQS) score with respect to detection of prostate cancers and clinically significant prostate cancers., Methods: All patients who underwent multiparametric prostate MRI (mpMRI) had their images interpreted using PI-RADS v1 and SQS score. PI-RADS v2 was calculated from prospectively collected data points. Patients with positive mpMRIs were then referred by their urologists for enrollment in an IRB-approved prospective phase III trial of mpMRI-Ultrasound (MR/TRUS) fusion biopsy of suspicious lesions. Standard 12-core biopsy was performed at the same setting. Clinical data were collected prospectively., Results: 1060 patients were imaged using mpMRI at our institution during the study period. 341 participants were then referred to the trial. 312 participants underwent MR/TRUS fusion biopsy of 452 lesions and were included in the analysis. 202 participants had biopsy-proven cancer (64.7%) and 206 (45.6%) lesions were positive for cancer. Distribution of cancer detected at each score produced a Gaussian distribution for SQS while PI-RADS demonstrates a negatively skewed curve with 82.1% of cases being scored as a 4 or 5. Patient-level data demonstrated AUC of 0.702 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.73) for PI-RADS and 0.762 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.81) for SQS (p< 0.0001) with respect to the detection of prostate cancer. The analysis for clinically significant prostate cancer at a per lesion level resulted in an AUC of 0.725 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.76) and 0.829 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.87) for the PI-RADS and SQS score, respectively (p< 0.0001)., Conclusions: mpMRI is a useful tool in the workup of patients at risk for prostate cancer, and serves as a platform to guide further evaluation with MR/TRUS fusion biopsy. SQS score provided a more normal distribution of scores and yielded a higher AUC than PI-RADS v2. However until our findings are validated, we recommend reporting of detailed sequence-specific findings. This will allow for prospectively collected data to be utilized in determining the impact of ongoing changes to these scoring systems as our understanding of mpMRI interpretation evolves.

Purpose: Given the limitations of prostate specific antigen and standard biopsies for detecting prostate cancer, we evaluated the cancer detection rate and external validity of a magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided prostate biopsy system used at the National Institutes of Health., Materials and Methods: We performed a phase III trial of a magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided prostate biopsy system with participants enrolled between 2012 and 2013. A total of 153 men consented to the study and underwent 3 Tesla multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging with an endorectal coil for clinical suspicion of prostate cancer. Lesions were classified as low or moderate/high risk for prostate cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided biopsy and standard 12-core prostate biopsy were performed and 105 men were eligible for analysis., Results: Mean patient age was 65.8 years and mean prostate specific antigen was 9.5 ng/ml. The overall cancer detection rate was 62.9% (66 of 105 patients). The cancer detection rate in those with moderate/high risk on imaging was 72.3% (47 of 65) vs 47.5% (19 of 40) in those classified as low risk for prostate cancer (p<0.05). Mean tumor core length was 4.6 and 3.7 mm for fusion biopsy and standard 12-core biopsy, respectively (p<0.05). Magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided biopsy detected prostate cancer that was missed by standard 12-core biopsy in 14.3% of cases (15 of 105), of which 86.7% (13 of 15) were clinically significant. This biopsy upgraded 23.5% of cancers (4 of 17) deemed clinically insignificant on 12-core biopsy to clinically significant prostate cancer necessitating treatment., Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided biopsy can improve prostate cancer detection. The results of this trial support the external validity of this platform and may be the next step in the evolution of prostate cancer management., (Copyright © 2014 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Renal artery stenosis resulting in renovascular hypertension or renal ischemia is a potentially treatable condition that results in increased morbidity and mortality, especially among older individuals. Sophisticated imaging techniques are used for screening and identification of affected patients to guide therapy. Treatment guidelines recommend intervention in patients with significant renal artery stenosis, although recent evidence has questioned the benefit of intervention in certain populations. Current research focuses on improving the specificity of imaging techniques and determining which imaging modalities best identify patients who will benefit from intervention.

Purpose: The objective of the study was to evaluate the initial experience with an elective in interventional uroradiology., Methods: Seven urology residents completed a minimum 2-month elective in interventional radiology (IR). A survey was administered before and immediately after the elective. The survey sought information on proficiency in uroradiology procedures and the role of IR in current training and future practice based on a 5-point ascending Likert response scale. Procedures performed during the elective were reviewed and recorded from the resident case logs., Results: Urology residents reported an increased proficiency in all interventional procedures after the IR rotation. Endovascular techniques, ablative therapies, and needle biopsy had significant increases in performance proficiency (P=0.031). On completion, residents strongly agreed that interventional uroradiology should be a part of residency training, and image-guided therapies will play a significant role in the future of urology. Residents performed on average 14.9 arterial interventions, 28.5 venous interventions, 15.8 genitourinary interventions, and 3.1 tumor ablations per month. In addition, urology residents performed image-guided biopsies, drainages, as well as gastrointestinal and biliary interventions gaining experience with performing and interpreting ultrasonography, fluoroscopy, and CT., Conclusion: Interventional uroradiology provides urology residents invaluable experience with image-guided procedures, increasing comfort with performance and interpretation. Residents believed that interventional uroradiology should be incorporated into the residency curriculum.

Background and Purpose: Gonadal vein angioembolization is a successful means of primary and salvage treatment for symptomatic varicoceles. We aim to investigate angiographic findings during embolization of primary varicoceles vs those with failed surgical ligation., Patients and Methods: Between 1992 and 2010, 106 cases referred to our interventional radiologists for primary or salvage varicocelectomy were reviewed. These patients underwent venography and gonadal vein embolization using a combination of embolization coils and vascular plugs. All images were reviewed by an interventional radiologist to determine the anatomic etiology of the varicocele. Primary and salvage embolization cohorts were compared using t test and chi-square analyses for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Angiographic parameters were analyzed using univariate and multivariable regression models to determine significance in predicting primary vs salvage status., Results: Of the 106 patients, 46 patients (57 testicles) underwent primary and 60 patients (62 testicles) underwent salvage embolization. The salvage cohort of patients was younger (P<0.001) and comprised more solely left-sided pathology (P=0.002). An equivalent number of gonadal vein divisions and proportion of patent gonadal veins was found. However, there was a significantly higher proportion (27.8% vs 6.7%) of inguinal collateral vessels and combined presence of inguinal and retroperitoneal collateral veins (8.5% vs 2.1%) identified in the cohort undergoing embolization after failed surgical varicocelectomy. Presence of inguinal collaterals (P=0.008) as well as presence of both inguinal and retroperitoneal collaterals (P=0.038) on multivariable regression analysis revealed both as independent prognosticators of salvage status., Conclusion: Recurrence after surgical varicocelectomy is associated with increased inguinal collaterals. The pitfall presented by this anatomic variant to surgical ligation may be successfully managed with selective gonadal vein embolization.

Urologists have witnessed replacement of complex open surgical procedures with minimally invasive therapies over the past quarter century. Nothing personifies this more than an anatrophic nephrolithotomy in the management of kidney stones. The Boyce procedure, once the gold standard for staghorn calculi, is rarely performed. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has become the gold standard procedure for large renal stones and staghorns. This article will review the hemorrhagic complications that are associated with PCNL and the necessary therapeutic interventions.

Percutaneous cholecystolithotomy (PC) has been described previously as an alternative to laparoscopic cholecystectomy in high-risk patients and in those with adherent gallbladders that are not amenable for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, it is associated with a high (41%) recurrence of cholelithiasis due to intact gallbladder mucosa. In this paper, we describe a case of PC with fulguration of the gallbladder mucosa to scar and defunctionalize the mucosa and thus prevent recurrence of stones. After 12 months of follow-up, the patient remains asymptomatic.

Introduction: We evaluated the feasibility of intraoperative transarterial balloon occlusion of renal artery as a novel technique to reduce blood loss in high-risk patients undergoing complex percutaneous renal surgery (PRS)., Methods: Four patients (staghorn calculi: n=2, renal pelvis TCC: n=1, ureteropelvic junction obstruction: n=1) underwent transfemoral arteriography prior to PRS. The renal artery was identified and an occluding balloon was inflated in the main renal artery. The kidney was intermittently allowed to perfuse with heparinized saline. Percutaneous renal access was obtained under fluoroscopic guidance by the urologist. Multiple tracts were established as needed to perform the procedure. The arterial occluding balloon was taken down at the completion of PRS and renal angiography repeated through the established angiographic catheter to identify any vascular injury., Results: Subjective improved visualization was attributed to decreased bleeding. Blood loss was less than 500 cc. Post-PRS intraoperative angiography revealed no active bleeding vessels requiring embolization. Two of the four patients presented with delayed renal hemorrhage over 10 days later requiring angiography and selective embolization with cessation of bleeding. All vascular abnormalities identified on repeat angiogram were not present on immediate post-PRS angiography., Conclusions: Intraoperative balloon occlusion of renal artery is feasible and safe in patients undergoing complex PRS. Vascular control improves intraoperative endoscopic visibility while reducing intraoperative blood loss in patients at high risk for bleeding. However, these patients can still be at risk for delayed hemorrhage as iatrogenic vascular abnormalities, which can cause bleeding, can take time to develop and not be evident immediately post PRS.

Purpose: Percutaneous surgery is an established approach to a spectrum of renal pathology, and hemorrhage is the most concerning complication of this technique. We determined the frequency of postoperative hemorrhage requiring selective angioembolization (sae), the efficacy of this approach, and characterized the angiographic findings., Methods: We reviewed our database of 4695 patients who underwent percutaneous renal surgery and identified patients requiring SAE for postoperative hemorrhage. Angiographic findings were recorded and efficacy of SAE documented., Results: Patients undergoing percutaneous stone extraction (PSE; 3685), percutaneous antegrade endopyelotomy (PAE; 850), and upper-tract transitional cell carcinoma (UTTCC) resection (160) were reviewed. We identified 57 patients requiring SAE (1.2%) who underwent 44 PSEs (77.2%), 7 PAEs (12.3%), and 6 UTTCC resections (10.5%). This represented 1.2%, 0.8%, and 3.2% of all PSE, PAE, and UTTCC resections, respectively. Angiography revealed treatable lesions in 94.7% of patients. Overall, 64 angiographic findings were encountered including 30 pseudoaneurysms (53% of patients, 47% of findings), 14 arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) (25% of patients, 22% of findings), and 14 instances of contrast extravasation (25% of patients, 22% of findings). Two arterial dissections and one instance each of a hypervascular area, a vascular "cut-off" sign, and a fistula between an artery and the percutaneous tract were identified. One bleeding vessel identified at the base of a UTTCC resection was not amenable to embolization. Ten patients (17.5%) had >or=1 angiographic finding. Three patients (5.3%) had no angiographic findings to account for hemorrhage. No angioembolization-related complications occurred. Complete resolution of bleeding was observed in 54 patients (95%)., Conclusions: Major hemorrhage requiring intervention after percutaneous renal surgery is uncommon. The most common angiographic finding is arterial pseudoaneurysm, followed by arteriovenous fistula, and contrast extravasation. In 95% of cases angiography reveals a demonstrable and treatable etiology. This strongly supports the first-line use of angiography for intractable bleeding in this setting.

Prostatic hematuria can be a challenging clinical problem. In this Review we discuss the spectrum of methods for diagnosing prostatic hematuria and the pharmacologic and minimally invasive therapies currently available to treat primary disease and refractory cases. Before making a diagnosis and starting therapy, however, other, nonprostatic sources of hematuria must be ruled out. As part of diagnosis all patients should undergo a formal cystoscopy. Therapy should include functional and biochemical approaches. Inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase have been shown to successfully treat prostatic hematuria when it is caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. Intravesical instillations, using agents such as alum, silver nitrate and formalin, have been used as second-line therapies, with limited success. A novel, minimally invasive method, termed selective arterial prostatic embolization, offers another option for treating prostatic hematuria. Using interventional radiologic techniques during selective arterial prostatic embolization enables selective catheterization of the prostatic arterial circulation with subsequent embolization. This approach can rapidly stop hematuria. If more-invasive therapy is required, transurethral resection, or vaporization of the prostate and clot evacuation, should be performed before embolization or other surgical interventions.

Objectives: To assess SAPE as an alternative treatment option in patients with refractory hematuria of prostatic origin., Methods: A retrospective analysis of charts from 10 patients. Two patients were excluded from the analysis because of severe atherosclerotic disease that prevented selective angiography of the pelvic vasculature. Therefore, 8 patients, mean age of 78.3 +/- 7.1 years with a history of refractory hematuria of prostatic origin were analyzed. All patients failed conventional therapy. The selective embolization procedures were performed between 2000 and 2006. Success was monitored with postembolization angiography and cessation of hematuria clinically., Results: Of the 8 patients, 6 had a history of adenocarcinoma of the prostate (mean Gleason Grade 7, range 5 to 9); 4 were previously treated with external beam radiation. The remaining patient's histories were consistent with benign prostatic hypertrophy. SAPE was technically successful in all 8 patients and resulted in immediate cessation of gross hematuria. Mean follow-up postembolization was 20.0 months (range 1.5 to 86.3 months). One patient had gross hematuria develop 14 months after embolization that was attributed to a bladder tumor recurrence. One patient with T4 prostate cancer had a rectovesical fistula develop 1 month after embolization., Conclusions: SAPE results in cessation of refractory gross hematuria in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia and patients with prostate cancer previously treated with radiotherapy. SAPE may be considered an effective treatment for gross hematuria in patients with refractory hematuria regardless of the cause (radiation, cancer and/or hyperplasia).

Prompt diagnosis of rupture and impending rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms is imperative. The computed tomographic (CT) findings of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms are often straightforward. Most ruptures are manifested as a retroperitoneal hematoma accompanied by an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Periaortic blood may extend into the perirenal space, the pararenal space, or both. Intraperitoneal extravasation may be an immediate or a delayed finding. Discontinuity of the aortic wall or a focal gap in otherwise continuous circumferential wall calcifications may point to the location of a rupture. There usually is a delay of several hours between the initial intramural hemorrhage and frank extravasation into the periaortic soft tissues. Contained or impending ruptures are more difficult to identify. A small amount of periaortic blood may be confused with the duodenum, perianeurysmal fibrosis, or adenopathy. Imaging features suggestive of instability or impending rupture include increased aneurysm size, a low thrombus-to-lumen ratio, and hemorrhage into a mural thrombus. A peripheral crescent-shaped area of hyperattenuation within an abdominal aortic aneurysm represents an acute intramural hemorrhage and is another CT sign of impending rupture. Draping of the posterior aspect of an aneurysmal aorta over the vertebrae is associated with a contained rupture., ((c) RSNA, 2007.)

Purpose: We report the largest series of renal embolizations performed for a variety of indications., Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on embolizations performed in our institution from 1997 to 2002 encompassing 36 patients who underwent 44 procedures., Results: Embolization was successful on the first attempt in 87% of the patients. A second embolization was performed in four of the five unsuccessful cases, three successfully, increasing the success rate to 95%. The mean postoperative narcotic use was 27.2 mg of morphine equivalent, and 10 mg or less was required by 45% of the patients. In the 14 patients who had not also undergone a surgical procedure, the mean narcotic use was 21 mg, and 64% required 10 mg or less. Only 15% of the patients developed fever, which resolved within 2 days in all cases. Leukocytosis was seen in 47%. Follow-up creatinine and hypertension information was available in 16 and 18 patients, respectively. After a mean follow-up of 269 days, only one patient had a clinically significant rise in the creatinine concentration. After a mean follow-up of 496 days, two patients had new-onset hypertension. There was no statistically significant difference in the success rate, narcotic use, complications, creatinine concentrations, or the likelihood of fever, leukocytosis, or hypertension according to the indication for embolization or the agent used. Use of a microcatheter was associated with less parenchymal loss, and decreased parenchymal loss was associated with a significant reduction of narcotic use., Conclusions: Renal embolization is a highly effective and well-tolerated procedure in a variety of urologic conditions. The indications and material used did not have a significant effect on the outcome. Reducing parenchymal loss can significantly reduce morbidity.

The prevalence of renovascular disease is estimated to be 3%-5% in pediatric patients with hypertension. The utility of non-invasive imaging tests has not been evaluated in children, and renal arteriography remains the diagnostic test of choice. However, there are no established guidelines for the application of this test and information is not available about the likelihood of detecting an abnormality if an arteriogram is performed in children with hypertension. Therefore, we reviewed the yield of renal arteriography in pediatric patients if the test was performed based on the following two criteria: (1) severe hypertension exceeding the 99th percentile for age and sex or (2) failure to control high blood pressure with one antihypertensive drug. During the period 1983-1998, 28 children (mean age 11.7 years) who satisfied one of the above criteria underwent renal arteriography to investigate hypertension. None of the patients were renal transplant recipients. The average duration of hypertension was 11 months and the peak blood pressure was 168/107 mmHg. The renal arteriogram was abnormal in 12 patients (43%). Unilateral renal artery stenosis was the most-common abnormality. When the patients were divided into two groups - those with an abnormal or normal test result - they did not differ in age, sex, or racial distribution. The peak systolic blood pressure was higher in children with an abnormal renal arteriogram (P<0.05). Among those undergoing the arteriogram on the basis of the first criterion, i.e., severe hypertension, 11 of 23 (48%) studies were abnormal. Five children had an arteriogram based on the second criterion--failure to control the blood pressure with one medication--and in 1 patient (20%) the test was abnormal. We conclude that the prevalence of renovascular disease in a population of hypertensive children subjected to renal arteriography is around 40%. Two clinical criteria--namely severe hypertension or failure to control hypertension effectively with one drug--are useful to guide the application of renal arteriography in children with hypertension.

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are a rare clinical entity. Most of them are associated with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia. The usual clinical presentation is exertional dyspnoea and hypoxaemia. The initial test of choice for screening is the 100% oxygen method. A pulmonary angiogram is needed to define the anatomy and guide transcatheter embolisation (TCE). TCE has been shown to be effective and safe with a very low recanalisation rate and has largely replaced surgery for PAVMs. Computed tomography of the chest can be used for the follow up of asymptomatic PAVMs and TCE.

Renal angiomyolipomas (AML) are vascular tumors associated with a risk of spontaneous bleeding. Renal trauma may also initiate such hemorrhage. We present a case in which we initially avoided direct puncture and the possible risk of bleeding through extensive renal AMLs and then subsequently performed a direct puncture through the tumors. A 21-year-old obese male patient with tuberous sclerosis and mental retardation presented to our institution with left renal colic and was found to have a staghorn calculus. A CT scan revealed extensive bilateral renal AMLs. The patient had previously undergone renal angioinfarction for an enlarging right-sided AML, and nuclear renography demonstrated 70% function from the left side. The patient had a nephrostomy access created on the morning of a scheduled percutaneous nephrolithotomy under three-dimensional CT guidance. There was no clinically significant bleeding. Intraoperatively, a second access site was required in order to render the patient stone free. This was done using standard biplanar fluoroscopic technique and traversed an AML. Both tracts were balloon dilated prior to placement of a 34F Amplatz sheath. Postoperatively, the patient had an uneventful recovery. A CT scan performed 1 day postoperatively revealed no retroperitoneal collection. This case demonstrates that renal access can be achieved with remarkable accuracy using 3D CT imaging. Furthermore, although this approach seems most prudent in the case of extensive renal AMLs, fluoroscopically guided renal access and dilation to 34F was not associated with bleeding in this patient.

Purpose: Simple nephrectomy is technically demanding in patients with recurrent inflammation or bleeding. It is also unwise to subject patients in poor health to the rigors of an extensive operative procedure. We report our experience with complete renal embolization as a safe and reliable alternative to surgical nephrectomy., Materials and Methods: Eight patients underwent complete renal embolization as an alternative to nephrectomy. Patients were given antibiotics intravenously before and after embolization. Six patients with indwelling nephrostomy tubes received post-embolization instillation of 80 mg. gentamicin before tube removal. Narcotic analgesics were also given as needed for pain control. Post-embolization hospital course was noted., Results: The indications for embolization included hydronephrotic, poorly functioning kidneys with pain in 5 cases, and recurrent bleeding from angiomyolipoma, bleeding after percutaneous resection of renal pelvic transitional cell carcinoma with metastases and spontaneous renal bleeding after hemodialysis in 1 each. Embolization was successful in 4 men and 4 women with a mean age of 58.8 years. In 6 patients severe flank pain required narcotic analgesics. One patient complained of nausea, 6 had fever and 6 had leukocytosis. In 1 case thrombosis of a limb of an aortobifemoral bypass graft required thrombectomy. Median hospital stay was 2.5 days. At a mean followup of 30.6 months presenting symptoms had resolved in all cases without hypertension, renal failure or abscess., Conclusions: Complete renal embolization is a viable alternative to nephrectomy in patients with poorly functioning kidneys who present with pain or bleeding and in those who are poor operative candidates. This procedure is safe, reliable and minimally invasive with few long-term sequelae, and it is well tolerated.