Results: 13 patients underwent 16 episodes of embolisation. Coils were used as the primary embolisation material in 10 episodes and microspheres in 6 episodes. The size reduction rate highly correlated on CT followup between the two groups, with 25.6% vs 22.7% reduction at 12 months, 27.5% vs 25.1% at 24 months, 35.0% vs 33.0% at 36 months and 35.0% vs 36.8% at 48 months. During follow-up, all tumours reduced in size with one patient requiring subsequent embolisation whose tumour reduced by only 6.5% after 1 year and subsequently exhibited regrowth after 4 years. Two patients presented with rebleeding and underwent repeat embolisation. Our overall retreatment rate (23%) is well within the literature range (up to 37%). None of the patients underwent surgery. Conclusion:The majority of AML shrinkage occurs within the first year following embolisation and appears to plateau after 3 years, which could have an impact on follow-up strategy. The percentage reduction at 1 year may reflect the long-term effect of embolisation with tumours demonstrating minor size reduction more likely to relapse at long-term follow-up. Embolisation of renal AML produces durable long-term results regardless of the choice of embolic agent. Advances in knowledge:These findings provide information to guide CT follow-up of renal AML post embolisation.

Surgical orbital biopsy is a safe and accurate diagnostic tool for orbital lesions of unknown aetiology and, in our opinion, remains the gold standard.

Objectives: The objective of our study is to determine the positive rate for urolithiasis in male and female patients, and evaluate whether there has been any change at our institution in the use and outcome of unenhanced multidetector CT (CT KUB) performed in the emergency department (ER) for patients presenting with suspected acute renal colic. Methods: A retrospective review of all 1357 consecutive cases between August 2007 and August 2009 admitted to the ER and investigated with CT KUB. Results: The positive rate for urolithiasis was 47.5% and the rate of other significant findings was 10%. Female patients had a significantly lower positive rate than male patients (26.8% vs 61.6%, p<0.001). Urological intervention was required in 37% and these patients had a larger average stone size. In young female patients with a significantly sized ureteric calculus (>4 mm), the presence of hydronephrosis vs no hydronephrosis was 83% vs 17%, respectively. Among them, only three patients required ureteroscopy for stone removal. Conclusion: Contrary to other studies there has been no “indication creep” in the use of CT KUB at our institution. However, the young female patient presenting with suspected urolithiasis presents a particular diagnostic problem, and the significant percentage of negative examinations in females implies that an improvement in current practice is needed. The indiscriminate use of CT KUB in all female patients with flank pain should be avoided, and it is suggested that they should be initially evaluated with ultrasound to detect the presence of hydronephrosis.

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether embolization is superior to surveillance for a type II endoleak associated with a static sac size post-endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Four hundred and sixty-one papers were identified, of which 10 papers presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, and relevant outcomes and results are tabulated. A review of the available literature suggests that most type II endoleaks are innocuous and will seal spontaneously during the long-term follow-up, even when they persist for more than 6 months. An analysis of the large European Collaborators on Stent-Graft Techniques for Aortic Aneurysm Repair (EUROSTAR) registry that includes prospective data on 2463 patients from 87 European hospitals showed that type II endoleaks were not associated with an increased risk of rupture; this correlates well with the large single-centre studies included in this review. Based on the available evidence, we conclude that the management of most isolated type II endoleaks should be conservative-with close radiological follow-up--even when persistent, with intervention restricted to theoese associated with sac enlargement >5 mm over a 6-month period or >10 mm when compared with pre-EVAR diameter.

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