Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A C Venbrux.
After esophagectomy in which a surgical jejunostomy is performed, there is a small group of patients whose jejunostomy tube has been removed who require late postoperative nutritional support. For these patients, a percutaneous replacement jejunostomy technique is described that is simple and safe and that allows for enteral alimentation.
The conservative management of blunt renal trauma in children is well accepted and well documented in the medical literature. The majority of children who sustain blunt renal trauma do well with such an approach. However, the complications of conservative management are also well documented. We present 2 patients with blunt renal trauma who were treated conservatively and suffered massive life threatening hemorrhage several weeks after the initial injury. Angiography was not performed until late and in both cases it identified the cause of bleeding. Percutaneous transcatheter embolization provided immediate definitive treatment in both patients.
Thirteen of 333 patients who underwent percutaneous biliary drainage (PBD) developed severe hemobilia. Hepatic arteriography successfully demonstrated the source of hemorrhage in all 13 patients. Lesions included hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm in nine, hepatic artery-bile duct fistulas in four, and a hepatic artery-portal vein fistula in one patient. Hemobilia occurred from 1 day to 1.8 years (mean, 100 days) following catheter placement. Embolization agents used included Hilal embolization microcoils, occluding spring emboli, cyanoacrylate, detachable balloons, and gelatin sponge pledgets. A single agent was used in eight cases (62%), multiple agents were used in four cases (31%), and in one case (7%), spontaneous thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysm occurred during catheter manipulation. In five patients, the source of the hemorrhage could only be demonstrated following removal of the biliary catheter(s) over guide wire(s). Initial embolization was successful in stopping hemobilia in 12 patients. One patient required repeat embolization after 4 months. Postembolization complications included hepatic abscess formation in two patients and a sterile hepatic infarct in one patient. This series indicates that transcatheter embolotherapy is an effective method for the treatment for severe hemobilia.
Selective intrarenal arterial embolization was used to treat three children with documented renovascular hypertension. Embolization resulted in complete cure (ie, elimination of all antihypertensive medicines) in all three patients and caused only minimal loss of renal parenchyma. Renal vein renin sampling, including sampling after furosemide administration, correlated well with the location of identified vascular lesions and helped direct selective angiography when lesions were not found initially. Intrarenal arterial embolization is a safe, effective alternative to surgical resection in the treatment of renovascular hypertension in children who have identifiable intrarenal arterial lesions not amenable to balloon angioplasty.
Radiologic studies and interventional procedures were performed in a series of 13 patients with biliary complications following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and the results were evaluated. Two categories of ductal complication--minor and major--were found. Minor complications (n = 6) included bile leaks and bilomas; these were managed with percutaneous techniques or simple surgical repair. Major complications (n = 8), consisting primarily of common hepatic duct injuries or strictures, were markedly resistant to percutaneous therapy, requiring major surgical repair (hepaticojejunostomy). Percutaneous treatment of recurrent strictures after primary repair was undertaken in three patients. Diagnostically, radionuclide imaging appeared most helpful in screening for biliary complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, supplemented by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and/or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography for definitive diagnosis.
The application of interventional radiographic procedures in the management of patients with liver and pancreatic pathology continues to expand. Percutaneous hepatobiliary interventional procedures that have received considerable attention in the past year include technical refinements of the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure used in patients with portal hypertension and esophageal varices, transshunt embolotherapy of persistent varices in patients with small-caliber mesocaval shunts, percutaneous and transcatheter embolotherapy of hepatic malignancies in patients with primary or metastatic lesions, and MR angiography in the preoperative evaluation of patients awaiting liver transplantation. Other topics reviewed include percutaneous and transvenous biopsy of orthotopic liver transplants, management of bile leaks and strictures after liver transplantation, use of a biopsy gun and larger gauge needles to obtain specimens for histologic analysis in patients with orthotopic liver and pancreatic transplants, percutaneous treatment of caval and hepatic venous stenoses in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome using self-expanding stainless steel stents, percutaneous treatment of patients with hepatic Echinococcus granulosus cysts, and percutaneous managements of iatrogenic hepatic vascular injuries. General diagnostic evaluation and interventional procedures highlighted include using selective intra-arterial injection of calcium to localize small insulinomas. Recent review papers describing complications of percutaneous transabdominal fine-needle biopsy are analyzed. The diagnostic and therapeutic options available for treating patients with hepatic and pancreatic diseases are summarized in greater detail.
Numerous papers have appeared in the past year outlining the expanded role of the radiologist in the treatment of patients with biliary disease, including papers describing palliative treatment of patients with obstructive jaundice due to malignant disease using self-expanding metallic biliary endoprostheses placed percutaneously, extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy used to treat patients with gallstones and intrahepatic stones, percutaneous rotational contact biliary lithotripsy, pulsed dye laser biliary lithotripsy, percutaneous biliary intervention via a minicholecystotomy, conventional percutaneous fluoroscopic management of bile duct stones, and percutaneous management of biliary strictures including transluminal biopsy. Percutaneous evaluation and treatment of patients with biliary disease using cholangioscopy as an adjuvant to biliary intervention, radionuclide imaging for improved evaluation of suspected biliary injury after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and percutaneous treatment of the critically ill patient with cholecystitis or the patient with a perforated gallbladder are also discussed. Diagnostic and therapeutic options available to radiologists for treating patients with biliary disease are summarized.
The case discussed is that of a 31-year-old woman with long-standing hypertrophy and vascular symptoms of the right lower extremity. The etiology of these abnormalities remained undiagnosed, although the patient was treated symptomatically. Following presentation, both MR images and contrast-enhanced CT scans were adequate for diagnosis of the underlying arteriovenous malformation. This was confirmed by arteriography, and the patient received palliative treatment by sequential intra-arterial embolization.
Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare, often fatal illness resulting from hepatic venous outflow obstruction. Surgically created portosystemic shunts are frequently necessary in these patients for portal decompression. Over the past 15 years, 30 patients have been surgically treated for this condition at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Of the 22 long-term survivors (range, 6 months to 13 years), five (23%) have required further surgical intervention and five (23%) have required percutaneous intervention for shunt complications. Percutaneous procedures included angioplasty (n = 10), atherectomy (n = 1), and urokinase therapy (n = 1). Of the five patients treated percutaneously, one has died of complications from her disease. The remaining four have been followed up for a mean of 16.2 months (range, 5-31 months) and all are in stable condition. None of the five treated with percutaneous interventional procedures have required additional surgical procedures or shunt revisions. Although this series is small, the findings indicate that percutaneous intervention may play a strong adjunctive role to surgery in the treatment of selected patients with portosystemic shunt complications.
The authors describe a simple modification of the Colapinto transjugular biopsy needle in which a 0.045-inch stainless steel guide wire is used. The technique allows easier and safer passage of the needle through the introducer sheath to avoid complications such as sheath puncture and expedite the procedure. The technique and successful results in seven patients are described.
Choledochal cysts are an uncommon anomaly of the biliary system; findings include cystic dilatation of the extrahepatic biliary tree, intrahepatic biliary tree, or both. In the past 7 years, 13 patients with choledochal cysts have been seen at the authors' institution for evaluation and presurgical intervention. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) was performed in 13 patients. Sixteen percutaneous biliary drainage (PBD) procedures were performed in 11 patients, computed tomography was performed in six patients, and ultrasound was performed in two. PTC proved to be an important imaging modality because of its superior ability to define the cyst anatomy, site of biliary origin of the cyst, and extent and detail of both extrahepatic and intrahepatic disease, that is, intraductal strictures and calculi. PBD proved valuable in preoperative intervention, as an aid in surgical reconstruction, and in postoperative care. The role of these two modalities in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with choledochal cysts, in addition to clinical aspects of the disease, is discussed.
To evaluate the effects of percutaneous biliary drainage (PBD) on the pancreas, serum amylase levels were measured for 7 consecutive days after PBD and compared with baseline values in 50 patients who underwent a total of 53 PBD procedures. Of the 45 patients with normal baseline serum amylase levels, 12 patients (24%) developed postprocedural hyperamylasemia without clinical symptoms and five patients (10%) developed postprocedural hyperamylasemia with clinical signs of pancreatitis. Five patients who presented with elevated baseline serum amylase levels demonstrated decreases into the normal range after placement of stents without initiation of bowel rest or liquid diet. The level of biliary obstruction proved insignificant, as did the nature of the obstructing disease, in determining which patients would experience hyperamylasemia or pancreatitis after PBD. It is concluded that the frequency of pancreatic insult from PBD may be more common than previously reported and that patient susceptibility is not dependent on the level of biliary obstruction or the nature of the disease.
Twenty-two patients underwent 24 percutaneous biliary procedures guided with choledochoscopy, an adjunctive percutaneous biliary technique. All but four procedures were performed through established percutaneous tracts; the others, through tracts less than 4 weeks old. The procedures were done for the following reasons: removal of calculi (n = 15), electrohydraulic lithotripsy (n = 1), biliary duct biopsies (n = 8), cauterization of a bleeding tract (n = 1), and evaluation of biliary-enteric anastomoses (n = 11). The only complication was one case of severe nausea after choledochoscopy. This patient required overnight hospitalization and medical treatment. All procedures were technically successful, except one case in which the tract was undersized. All patients received intravenously administered antibiotics before and after the procedure. It is concluded that choledochoscopy is a safe, atraumatic, and well-tolerated method of evaluating and treating biliary disease and that it markedly reduces radiation exposure. It can be performed rapidly with minimal sedation on an in- or outpatient basis.
A classification scheme for choledochal cysts is outlined and their appearance on cholangiograms is illustrated. Choledochal cysts are uncommon anomalies of the biliary system and are probably congenital in origin. They are manifested by cystic dilatation of the extra- or intrahepatic biliary tree or both. The classification system described here divides choledochal cysts into one of five main types. The most common, which is manifested by cystic or focal segmental dilatation of the common bile duct or fusiform choledochal dilatation, accounts for 80-90% of cases.
Ninety patients with periampullary tumors, staged by CT scan and believed to be resectable, were staged further by visceral angiography. Most of these patients (78) had carcinoma of the head of the pancreas. Visceral angiography was normal in 62 patients. Major vessel encasement (17 patients) or occlusion (11 patients) was identified in 28 patients. There were no complications related to angiography. Among the 62 patients with normal angiograms, 48 underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy, for a resectability rate of 77%. Among the 17 patients with vessel encasement, the resectability rate was 35%. For the 11 patients with vessel occlusion, the resectability rate was 0%. Combined with CT scan, visceral angiography is a useful adjunct in the staging of patients with periampullary tumors. Major vessel occlusion precludes resection, and major vessel encasement makes resection unlikely. If visceral angiography is normal, it is very likely that the tumor will be resectable.
The purpose of this project was to develop an animal model for a fluoroscopically guided application of the contact neodymium-yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd-YAG) laser in the bile duct and identify the factors affecting the extent of damage to the duct wall. This model permits cholangiographic visualization of the duct during laser application. Laser damage is limited by using contact probes and firing the laser while slowly pulling the probe proximally into the duct. Sixteen common bile duct laser burns were produced in 14 dogs. Power settings of 8-25 W were used. The tension of the contact probe along the duct wall, termed "wall tension," was varied through intraoperative manipulation in order to mimic a variety of ductal geometries that might be encountered in clinical use. The authors produced duct damage ranging from a superficial burn to perforation. Power and wall tension were the most important factors in determining the depth and circumference of damage, and the use of 15 W or less did not perforate the duct.
Acute upper-extremity arterial occlusion may be due to embolic phenomena or de novo thrombosis. If the occlusion is left untreated, claudication or ischemia necessitating amputation can occur. Operative Fogarty-balloon embolectomy has been the treatment of choice for this entity. In a 6-year period the authors used fibrinolysis on nine occasions in eight patients to treat acute upper-extremity arterial occlusions. Concomitant balloon angioplasty was helpful in four cases. Success, defined as a normal hand with at least one artery that was continuously patent to the wrist, was achieved in all patients. A single significant groin hematoma was seen. Neither stroke nor death occurred in any case, and no amputations were necessary. Local transcatheter intraarterial administration of urokinase can be considered a first-line treatment for brachial artery embolus and other causes of acute upper-extremity arterial occlusion.
We examined 136 consecutive patients with histories of guaiac positive stool examinations, bright red blood per rectum, or hematochezia to determine the value of the double-contrast barium-enema (DC-BE) examination and colonoscopy/proctoscopy in establishing bleeding sites. If examination findings were analyzed in conjunction with findings of visual examination of the anal area, the difference in the respective sensitivities of the two examinations was not statistically significant. If findings at the visual inspection were excluded, the DC-BE examination missed 45 of 155 proved bleeding sites (sensitivity, 71%) and 13 of 35 nonbleeding lesions (sensitivity for all lesions 70%), while colonoscopy missed 13 of 155 bleeding sites (sensitivity, 92%) and seven of 35 nonbleeding lesions (sensitivity for all lesions, 90%). The sensitivity of both methods was similar if all rectal and anal lesions were excluded. Only eight additional lesions (all polyps) were found in 78 patients who had bleeding internal and external hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and anal tears, and seven of these were found in patients who were older than 50 years of age. We conclude that colonoscopy is superior to the DC-BE examination in the detection of bleeding sites but similar in results to the DC-BE examination if lesions in the anal canal and rectum are excluded. The routine use of the DC-BE examination in patients with superficial lesions in the anal canal should be discouraged unless the patient has persistent bleeding or is 50 years old or older.