- Carotid Near-Occlusion: A Comprehensive Review, Part 2—Prognosis and Treatment, Pathophysiology, Confusions, and Areas for Improvement
Carotid near-occlusion is distal luminal collapse of the internal carotid artery beyond a tight stenosis. Part 2 of this systematic review focuses on prognosis and treatment and pathophysiology. Areas of confusion regarding terminology, diagnosis, and prognosis are also covered.
- Treatment of 213 Patients with Symptomatic Tarlov Cysts by CT-Guided Percutaneous Injection of Fibrin Sealant
This cohort study assesses outcomes in patients who underwent CT-guided aspiration and injection of sacral Tarlov cysts at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 2003–2013. A total of 289 cysts were treated in 213 consecutive patients, with 83% followed for 3–6 years. One year postprocedure, excellent results were obtained in 104 patients (54.2% of patients followed), and good or satisfactory results were obtained in 53 patients (27.6%).
- Carotid Near-Occlusion: A Comprehensive Review, Part 1—Definition, Terminology, and Diagnosis
Carotid near-occlusion is distal luminal collapse of the internal carotid artery beyond a tight stenosis. Calculating percentage stenosis for carotid near-occlusion is fallacious, and near-occlusion assessment is advised before measuring for percentage stenosis. This systematic review presents what is known about carotid near-occlusion and focuses on definition, terminology, and diagnosis.
- Spine Cryoablation: Pain Palliation and Local Tumor Control for Vertebral Metastases
This is a retrospective study of imaging-guided spine cryoablation that was performed on 31 vertebral metastases in 14 patients. The lesions were refractory to conventional chemoradiation therapy or analgesics and were ablated to achieve pain palliation and local tumor control. The procedures were performed with the patient under conscious sedation (13 patients) or general anesthesia in 1 case. Postcryoablation MR imaging and PET/CT imaging were available for all patients. Spinal nerve and soft-tissue thermal protection techniques were implemented in all ablations (epidural or neuroforaminal carbon dioxide or warmed 5% dextrose). There were statistically significant decreases in the median numeric pain rating scale score and analgesic usage at 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month time points. Local tumor control was achieved in 96.7% (30/31) of tumors.