The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that porous poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) sensor coatings reduce fibrosis and promote blood microvessel formation in tissue adjacent to the sensor surface. Porous PLLA coatings were produced using ammonium bicarbonate as the gas foaming/salt leaching agent, and deployed on functional and nonfunctional sensors. The porous coatings minimally affected sensor accuracy and response rate in vitro. Three-week subcutaneous rat studies of nonfunctional glucose sensors showed the anticipated effect of porous coatings enhancing vascularity and decreasing collagen deposition. In contrast, percutaneous functional sensors with and without porous coatings showed no significant difference in terms of histology or sensor response. In spite of the observation that texturing increases the vascularity of the tissue that surrounds implanted sensors, other factors such as the additional mechanical stresses imposed by percutaneous tethering may override the beneficial effects of the porous coatings.

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is a medical condition characterized by abnormal proliferation of skin and periosteal tissues involving the extremities and characterized by three clinical features: digital clubbing (also termed Hippocratic fingers), periostosis of tubular bones, and synovial effusions. HOA can be a primary entity, known as pachydermoperiostosis, or can be secondary to extraskeletal conditions, with different prognoses and management implications for each. There is a high association between secondary HOA and malignancy, especially non-small cell lung cancer. In such cases, it can be considered a form of paraneoplastic syndrome. The most prevalent secondary causes of HOA are pulmonary in origin, which is why this condition was formerly referred to as hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy. HOA can also be associated with pleural, mediastinal, and cardiovascular causes, as well as extrathoracic conditions such as gastrointestinal tumors and infections, cirrhosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Although the skeletal manifestations of HOA are most commonly detected with radiography, abnormalities can also be identified with other modalities such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and bone scintigraphy. The authors summarize the pathogenesis, classification, causes, and symptoms and signs of HOA, including the genetics underlying the primary form (pachydermoperiostosis); describe key findings of HOA found at various imaging modalities, with examples of underlying causative conditions; and discuss features differentiating HOA from other causes of multifocal periostitis, such as thyroid acropachy, hypervitaminosis A, chronic venous insufficiency, voriconazole-induced periostitis, progressive diaphyseal dysplasia, and neoplastic causes such as lymphoma. RSNA, 2016.

Biocompatible poly(iohexol) nanoparticles, prepared through cross-linking of iohexol and hexamethylene diisocyanate followed by co-precipitation of the resulting cross-linked polymer with mPEG-polylactide, were utilized as contrast agents for in vivo X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. Compared to conventional small-molecule contrast agents, poly(iohexol) nanoparticles exhibited substantially protracted retention within the tumor bed and a 36-fold increase in CT contrast 4 h post injection, which makes it possible to acquire CT images with improved diagnosis accuracy over a broad time frame without multiple administrations.

TAE controlled GI bleeding with high technical success, safety, and efficacy, and should be considered when endoscopic therapy is not feasible or unsuccessful.

Image-guided tumor ablation is an increasingly utilized tool to treat focal malignancy. Tumor ablation can be divided into two large categories, thermal and chemical ablation. The authors provide an overview of the current methods used to achieve thermal and chemical ablation of tumors, specifically addressing the basic science behind the ablation methods as well as providing a brief synopsis of the commercial devices currently available for use in the United States.

SAE was performed with high technical success and efficacy, but the outcomes showed nontrivial morbidity rates. Elderly patients with thrombocytopenia and hydrothorax after SAE, and patients who require secondary interventions, should be monitored for complications.

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Purpose To test the feasibility of targeted intra-arterial administration of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor chemotherapeutic agent sorafenib to inhibit embolotherapy-induced tumor angiogenesis and reduce systemic drug side effects. Materials and Methods The left hepatic lobes of five New Zealand White rabbits (mean weight 2.7 ± 0.2 kg) were treated with chemoembolization using sorafenib and ethiodized oil emulsion, followed by immediate euthanasia. Post-procedure noncontrast computed tomography (CT) was used to evaluate intrahepatic chemotherapy mixture distribution. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was then used to directly measure sorafenib concentration in the treated liver tissue. Histopathological assessment of treated left lobes was performed to identify any immediate toxic effects of the sorafenib solution. Results Lobar sorafenib chemoembolization was successfully performed in all cases via the left hepatic artery. Sorafenib and ethiodized oil (mean 6.4 mg ± 3.8 and 0.95 mL ± 0.7 mL, respectively) were injected, and CT confirmed targeted left hepatic lobe sorafenib emulsion delivery in all cases. Corresponding LC-MS/MS analysis yielded a mean sorafenib concentration of 94.2 μg/mL ± 48.3 in treated left lobe samples (n = 5), significantly greater than typical therapeutic drug levels (2–10 μg/mL) achieved with oral sorafenib systemic therapy. Histopathological assessment showed only mild or moderate non-specific ballooning degeneration in zone 3 hepatocytes, without tissue necrosis. Conclusions Targeted transarterial sorafenib delivery is feasible and results in higher tissue drug levels than that reported for systemic sorafenib therapy, without immediate histopathological tissue toxicity. Future studies should aim to determine the utility of sorafenib chemoembolization in reducing hypoxia-induced vasculogenesis in liver tumors.