No abstract

These results suggest that tolvaptan may provide high response rates when used early in the course of hepatic edema, or when both hepatic and renal functions are still retained, leading to an improved disease prognosis.

SS-ASVS is a useful method for detailed evaluation of overproduction of insulin from pancreatic insulinomas and their localization. When the pancreatic insulinoma is situated in the pancreatic body or tail, the localization is more accurately made by SS-ASVS than by conventional ASVS.

HFA is an extrahepatic pathway which runs to the abdominal wall. Before chemoembolization of the middle or left hepatic artery for hepatic malignancy, the HFA should be recognized.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (IADSA) provides retrograde visualization of the portal vein via a peripheral segmental hepatic artery. IADSA was performed in 12 patients with known hepatic diseases by injecting a peripheral hepatic artery with both CO2 gas and an iodinated contrast medium. The portal vein was constantly visualized only with CO2 IADSA in all patients. The injected CO2 may flow back into the portal vein through an anastomotic system known as the peribiliary or periportal plexus. This new method is safe and useful to image the portal venous system in patients with hepatic malignancy.