The scope of this study was to determine whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), compared with basic US, can increase diagnostic confidence and provide relevant information on blunt scrotal trauma. Over a period of 75 months we examined 40 patients seen consecutively for blunt scrotal trauma using high-resolution US, color-power Doppler, low mechanical index CEUS, and power Doppler after IV administration of contrast medium (SonoVue Ò ). In the 24 cases that were positive, concordance between basal US and CEUS findings was grade 0 (absent) in 4 cases, grade 1 (low) in 3, grade 2 (moderate) in 8, and grade 3 (high) in 9. The relevance of the additional information provided by CEUS was classified as follows: high in 4/40 (10%), moderate 7/40 (17,5%), low 13/40 (32,5%), none in 14/40 (35%). Our findings demonstrate that CEUS is appreciably more sensitive in detecting damage caused by blunt scrotal trauma, particularly small lesions. It is also useful for differential diagnosis and marginalization of corpuscular fluid collections, fractures, and above all ruptures, which require immediate surgery. In our series 2 out of 3 (67%) patients with testicular rupture were diagnosed only by CEUS. We feel that the use of CEUS can significantly improve diagnostic confidence in cases of closed scrotal trauma although these conclusions need to be confirmed in larger case series.Sommario Scopo del nostro lavoro è stato di valutare l'eventuale maggiore confidenza diagnostica e contenuto informativo dell'ecografia con mezzo di contrasto e.v. (CEUS) nel trauma scrotale chiuso rispetto all'indagine ecografica (US) di base. Nell'arco di 75 mesi abbiamo esaminato 40 pazienti consecutivi con trauma scrotale chiuso, utilizzando US ad alta risoluzione, color-power-Doppler basale, ecocontrastografia a basso indice meccanico, power Doppler dopo mdc e.v. Il mdc usato è stato il SonoVue Ò . Nei 24 casi positivi, la concordanza tra US basale e CEUS è stata di grado 0 (assente) in 4 casi, di grado 1 (bassa) in 3, di grado 2 (medio) in 8, di grado 3 (elevato) in 9. La rilevanza del contenuto informativo aggiuntivo della * Award for the best oral presentation at the XXII SIUMB National Congress.* Corresponding author. Radiology Department, Santa Maria delle Grazie Hospital, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy. E-mail address: robertolobianco@virgilio.it (R. Lobianco).Available online at www.sciencedirect.com CEUS veniva ritenuta: elevata in 4/40 (10%), media 7/40 (17,5%), bassa 13/40 (32,5%), assente in 14/40 (35%). I nostri risultati mostrano che la CEUS migliora sensibilmente la detezione dei segni di trauma rispetto l'US basale, specialmente nelle piccole lesioni. Essa è inoltre importante nella diagnosi differenziale e marginalizzazione delle raccolte fluide corpuscolate, nelle fratture e, di grande evidenza, nelle rotture, che impongono l'immediato intervento chirurgico: nella nostra casistica 2 casi su 3 di rotture (67%) si sono resi evidenti soltanto alla CEUS. Riteniamo che l'uso della CEUS possa aumentare significativamente la co...

Abstract:Purpose: The aim of our study is to verify the feasibility and the effi cacy of Onyx as embolization agent in the treatment of traumatic and non-traumatic peripheral vascular lesions. Materials and Methods: In the period between September 2006 and March 2012, we treated with Onyx 26 patients (14 males/12 females; age range, 18-85 years old; mean age, 65 years old), 11 of which with traumatic peripheral vascular lesions and 15 with non-traumatic vascular lesions (9 neoplastic hemorrhagic lesions, 3 arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and 3 aneurysms). Follow-up controls were performed with clinical examination and by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) imaging 1, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. Results: All peripheral vascular lesions were embolized with Onyx; 3 patients with aneurysms were treated with Onyx associated with endovascular coils. Four elective and 22 emergency embolization procedures were performed. In all patients, we obtained cessation of bleeding and the complete and permanent embolization of all vascular lesions. Conclusions: Onyx is an eff ective and safe embolization agent for peripheral vascular lesions.

The SilverHawk directional atherectomy device proved to be an effective and safe tool in all our patients treated for femoropopliteal stenosis/occlusion, with a significant improvement in both imaging findings and clinical signs and symptoms.

The Covid-19 emergency required healthcare facilities to redesign the care pathways in order to avoid the spread of the pandemic. Interventional Radiology which carries out an essential activity in a high specialty hospital environment is exposed at the forefront in all those minimally invasive diagnostic-therapeutic procedures in election and urgency. It was therefore necessary to apply, on the basis of the National, Regional and Company directives, a specific protocol to the patients belonging to the Hospital. A series of procedures have therefore been applied, ranging from acceptance, preparation, pre and post-treatment interventional to reduce the infectious disease risk. However, this protocol is burdened by higher costs due to the increase in PPE to be used and the multiple disposable covers to be placed on screens, medical devices, worktops and angiography equipment. Furthermore, considering the overall times of a procedure, therefore also including the sanitization times of the facilities and the room, there is an evident increase in the room engagement times and the technical difficulties, obviously all this is in favor of the absence of infection of the operators.