RESUMEN
The role of locoregional therapy in the management of thyroid pathology is rapidly evolving. The Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation commissioned an international research consensus panel consisting of physicians from multiple disciplines with expertise in the management of benign and malignant thyroid disease. The panel focused on identifying gaps in the current body of literature to establish research priorities that have the potential to shape the landscape of minimally invasive thyroid interventions. The topics discussed were centered on the emerging role of ablation for malignant thyroid tumors and the treatment of large functioning nodules with embolization and ablation. Specifically, the panel prioritized identifying nodule characteristics, including size and location, that are associated with ideal outcomes following thermal ablation for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma through the development of an international registry or a prospective, multi-institutional trial. The panel also prioritized evaluating the role of locoregional therapy in Stage T1b papillary thyroid cancer through a sequence of two studies: a Phase I study of ablation followed by immediate resection of Stage T1b papillary thyroid cancer, which may lead to a Phase II prospective, multi-institutional study of ablation followed by biopsy for Stage T1b papillary thyroid cancer. Lastly, the panel prioritized investigating the treatment of large, functioning thyroid nodules greater than 20 ml in volume through a randomized clinical trial or prospective registry comparing embolization alone with embolization followed by ablation.
RESUMEN
Roughly 37% of Americans 60 years of age and older experience chronic pain due to osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. After conservative treatment (pharmacologic, physical therapy, and joint injections) fails, patients often require total knee arthroplasty to alleviate pain and regain knee function. Given the high economic burden of surgery paired with its invasive nature, many patients with this degenerative joint disease seek alternative treatment. Moreover, many patients with severe knee OA who also have comorbidities that preclude surgery-most often morbid obesity-are left without options. Geniculate artery embolization (GAE) is a minimally invasive intra-arterial intervention that was originally developed for the treatment of knee hemarthrosis that has recently been adapted for symptomatic knee OA. Through selective embolization of geniculate branches corresponding to the site of knee pain, GAE inhibits the neovascularity that contributes to the catabolic and inflammatory drive of OA. Preliminary trials over the past decade have demonstrated promising clinical results, including decreased pain and improved function and quality of life after treatment. Given such success, GAE provides another minimally invasive treatment option for knee OA to patients who feel reluctant to undergo or are ineligible for surgery. The authors review the radiographic manifestations and current standard of treatment of OA and hemarthrosis of the knee. Procedural technique, embolic selection, and clinical evidence for GAE in the treatment of OA and hemarthrosis of the knee are also explored. The online slide presentation from the RSNA Annual Meeting is available for this article. ©RSNA, 2021.