Background:Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is now widely performed to treat painful vertebral compression fractures. Previous researches have reported numerous advantages. However, it rarely reported that how to determine the feasibility of the unilateral or bilateral approach and how to decide the puncture angle, the skin insertion site before the procedure. The aim of this study was to discuss the feasibility of PVP using unilateral pedicular approach by the three-dimensional positioning of computed tomography (CT) image.Materials and Methods:Under fluoroscopic guidance, 108 patients with 115 diseased vertebral bodies underwent PVP. The study was divided in two groups. Group A, fifty patients with 52 vertebrae received PVP without using preoperative CT measurements and puncture simulation. Group B, 58 patients with 63 vertebrae received PVP using preoperative CT measurements and puncture simulation. The skin needle entry point and puncture angle of the transverse plane and sagittal plane were determined by the software of PACS on preoperative CT image. The choice of unilateral or bilateral pedicular approach was decided based on the CT image before the procedure. PVP was carried out according to the measurement result above. The average time for a single vertebra operation, the success rate of single puncture and complications was evaluated and compared between Group A and Group B.Results:In Group A, technical success of unilateral PVP was 63.5% (33/52 vertebrae), and 92% (58/63 vertebrae) in Group B. The average time of operation in Groups A and B were (37.5 ± 5.5) and (28.5 ± 5.5) min, respectively. There was a significant difference in the time of single-vertebra operation and the success rates of unilateral PVP between Groups A and B. No serious complications developed during the followup period.Conclusions:The CT three-dimensional positioning measurement for PVP can increase the success rate of unilateral PVP.

No abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of endovascular brachytherapy with iodine-125 (I-125) seed strand for the treatment of extensive portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.MethodsA total of 40 HCC patients complicated by extensive PVTT who received I-125 seed strand implantation from January 2015 to December 2022 in our center were analyzed retrospectively. Endpoints included technical success rate, concurrent therapies, overall survival time, and complications. Multivariate and subgroup analyses were conducted for overall survival.ResultsThe successful rate of operation was 100%, and there was no operation-related death. A total of 37 patients received single I-125 seed strand implantation, and three patients received double I-125 seed strand implantation. A total of 23 patients received a concurrent therapy: transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with systematic treatment (n = 6), TACE alone (n = 10), and systematic treatment alone (n = 9). At a median follow-up of 3.5 (interquartile range (IQR), 2~8.5) months, the median overall survival (OS) of all patients was 92 days (95% confidence interval (CI): 77~108). In the subgroup analysis, the median OS was 128 days (95% CI: 101~155 days) in the I-125 seed strand implantation plus systematic treatment group and was longer than that (75 days (95% CI: 36~114) of the I-125 seed strand alone group (p = 0.037). Multivariate analysis revealed that no systematic treatment was an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis in this study. Six patients died of upper gastrointestinal bleeding: four patients in the I-125 seed strand alone group and two patients in the combination of I-125 seed strand with systematic treatment group.ConclusionsThe study shows that endovascular brachytherapy with I-125 seed strand implantation is a safe and effective treatment method for extensive PVTT in HCC patients. The combination of I-125 seed strand implantation and systematic treatment can prolong the survival time.