Interventional Radiology: Towards Personalized Medicine

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426). This special issue belongs to the section "Methodology, Drug and Device Discovery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 10124

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department, Cardarelli Hospital, I-80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: vascular and interventional radiology; angiography; angioplasty; ablation; embolization; trauma emergencies; liver tumors; US-guided procedure; dialysis catheter

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The precision medicine initiative is having a far-reaching impact on prevention and treatment strategies that take individual patient variability into account. Interventional radiology (IR), born as a specialty in which imaging guidance is employed as a tool for both diagnosis and therapy, is tailored to specific cases. In addition to the increasing role played by diagnostic imaging in precision medicine with radiomics, IR could assume a leading role in the transition toward precision medicine, particularly with regard to advances in image-guided biopsy techniques that enable the identification of the genomics and proteomics that drive tumor hyperproliferation, metastatic capabilities, and tumor angiogenesis mechanisms. This will help interventionalists to play a greater role in therapy selection; alter the need to use a specific drug and/or embolic material or device in the embolization procedure, both in emergency and elective settings; and promote the use of novel image-guided techniques that could increase the technical and clinical success of procedures, reducing the risk of complications.

This Special Issue aims to describe current developments in IR procedures that do not merely improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients, but promote IR as a specialty fully integrated with other disciplines, both clinical and surgical, and its role as a key tool in the decision-making process.

Dr. Fabio Corvino
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • interventional radiology
  • trauma management
  • interventional radiology tailored to patients
  • interventional oncology
  • diagnostic and interventional radiology
  • image-guided biopsy

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1042 KiB  
Article
Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) with Small Beads for the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
by Genti Xhepa, Lucilla Violetta Sciacqua, Andrea Vanzulli, Andrea Enzo Canì, Velio Ascenti, Alexis Ricoeur, Andrea Antonio Ianniello, Agostino Inzerillo, Paolo Nicotera, Filippo Del Grande, Anna Maria Ierardi and Gianpaolo Carrafiello
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(6), 613; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14060613 - 8 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1470
Abstract
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the most frequent cause of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTSs) in elderly populations. Minimally invasive treatments of BPH are safe and effective and are gaining popularity among both professionals and patients. Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) has proven to [...] Read more.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the most frequent cause of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTSs) in elderly populations. Minimally invasive treatments of BPH are safe and effective and are gaining popularity among both professionals and patients. Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) has proven to be effective in Trans-Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) in terms of prostate volume reduction and LUTS relief. PAE entails the selective catheterization of the prostatic artery and later embolization of distal vessels with beads of various calibers. Universal consensus regarding the ideal particle size is yet to be defined. We retrospectively evaluated 24 consecutive patients (median age: 75 years; range: 59–86 years) treated with PAE at our institution from October 2015 to November 2022. Particles of different sizes were employed; 12 patients were treated with 40–120 µm particles, 5 with 100 µm, 5 with 100–300 µm and 2 with 250 µm. Technical success, defined as selective prostate artery catheterization and controlled release of embolizing beads, was achieved in all patients. Removal vs. retention of the urinary catheter at the first post-procedural urological visit was the main clinical objective. No major peri-procedural complications were recorded, with 56% of patients successfully removing the urinary catheter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Radiology: Towards Personalized Medicine)
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11 pages, 4421 KiB  
Article
The Deterioration of Sarcopenia Post-Transarterial Radioembolization with Holmium-166 Serves as a Predictor for Disease Progression at 3 Months in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Pilot Study
by Claudio Trobiani, Nicolò Ubaldi, Leonardo Teodoli, Marcello Andrea Tipaldi, Federico Cappelli, Sara Ungania and Giulio Vallati
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(5), 511; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14050511 - 11 May 2024
Viewed by 1214
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this pilot study is to explore the relationship between changes in sarcopenia before and after one to three months of Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE) treatment with Holmium-166 (166Ho) and its effect on the rate of local response. Our primary objective [...] Read more.
Purpose: The aim of this pilot study is to explore the relationship between changes in sarcopenia before and after one to three months of Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE) treatment with Holmium-166 (166Ho) and its effect on the rate of local response. Our primary objective is to assess whether the worsening of sarcopenia can function as an early indicator of a subgroup of patients at increased risk of disease progression in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis was performed on 25 patients with HCC who underwent 166Ho-TARE. Sarcopenia status was defined according to the measurement of the psoas muscle index (PMI) at baseline, one month, and three months after TARE. Radiological response according to mRECIST criteria was assessed and patients were grouped into responders and non-responders. The loco-regional response rate was evaluated for all patients before and after treatment, and was compared with sarcopenia status to identify any potential correlation. Results: A total of 20 patients were analyzed. According to the sarcopenia status at 1 month and 3 months, two groups were defined as follows: patients in which the deltaPMI was stable or increased (No-Sarcopenia group; n = 12) vs. patients in which the deltaPMI decreased (Sarcopenia group; n = 8). Three months after TARE, a significant difference in sarcopenia status was noted (p = 0.041) between the responders and non-responders, with the non-responder group showing a decrease in the sarcopenia values with a median deltaPMI of −0.57, compared to a median deltaPMI of 0.12 in the responder group. Therefore, deltaPMI measured three months post-TARE can be considered as a predictive biomarker for the local response rate (p = 0.028). Lastly, a minor deltaPMI variation (>−0.293) was found to be indicative of positive treatment outcomes (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: The decline in sarcopenia three months post-TARE with Holmium-166 is a reliable predictor of worse loco-regional response rate, as evaluated radiologically, in patients with HCC. Sarcopenia measurement has the potential to be a valuable assessment tool in the management of HCC patients undergoing TARE. However, further prospective and randomized studies involving larger cohorts are necessary to confirm and validate these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Radiology: Towards Personalized Medicine)
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10 pages, 5075 KiB  
Communication
Lateral Pectoral Nerve Identification through Ultrasound-Guided Methylene Blue Injection during Selective Peripheral Neurectomy for Shoulder Spasticity: Proposal for a New Procedure
by Paolo Zerbinati, Jonathan Bemporad, Andrea Massimiani, Edoardo Bianchini, Davide Mazzoli, Davide Glorioso, Giuseppe della Vecchia, Antonio De Luca and Paolo De Blasiis
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(1), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14010116 - 20 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1575
Abstract
Internally rotated and adducted shoulder is a common posture in upper limb spasticity. Selective peripheral neurectomy is a useful and viable surgical technique to ameliorate spasticity, and the lateral pectoral nerve (LPN) could be a potential good target to manage shoulder spasticity presenting [...] Read more.
Internally rotated and adducted shoulder is a common posture in upper limb spasticity. Selective peripheral neurectomy is a useful and viable surgical technique to ameliorate spasticity, and the lateral pectoral nerve (LPN) could be a potential good target to manage shoulder spasticity presenting with internal rotation. However, there are some limitations related to this procedure, such as potential anatomical variability and the necessity of intraoperative surgical exploration to identify the target nerve requiring wide surgical incisions. This could result in higher post-surgical discomfort for the patient. Therefore, the aim of our study was to describe a modification of the traditional selective peripheral neurectomy procedure of the LPN through the perioperative ultrasound-guided marking of the target nerve with methylene blue. The details of the localization and marking procedure are described, as well as the surgical technique of peripheral selective neurectomy and the potential advantages in terms of nerve localization, surgical precision and patients’ post-surgical discomfort. We suggest that the proposed modified procedure could be a valid technique to address some current limitations and move the surgical treatment of spasticity toward increasingly tailored management due to the ease of nerve identification, the possibility of handling potential anatomical variability and the resulting smaller surgical incisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Radiology: Towards Personalized Medicine)
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Review

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13 pages, 2356 KiB  
Review
Genicular Artery Embolization: A New Tool for the Management of Refractory Osteoarthritis-Related Knee Pain
by Marco Femia, Carlo Valenti Pittino, Enrico Maria Fumarola, Marco Tramarin, Maurizio Papa, Francesco Giurazza, Antonio Pio Francioso, Davide Fior, Lorenzo Paolo Moramarco, Guido Antonini, Ruggero Vercelli and Maurizio Cariati
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(7), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14070686 - 26 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1965
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a prevalent cause of chronic pain and disability, particularly affecting women. While traditionally attributed to chronic wear and tear, recent evidence highlights multifactorial pathogenesis involving low-grade inflammation and neoangiogenesis. Current therapeutic options include physical therapy, pharmacotherapy, and [...] Read more.
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a prevalent cause of chronic pain and disability, particularly affecting women. While traditionally attributed to chronic wear and tear, recent evidence highlights multifactorial pathogenesis involving low-grade inflammation and neoangiogenesis. Current therapeutic options include physical therapy, pharmacotherapy, and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, a subset of patients remain symptomatic despite conservative measures, necessitating the development of minimally invasive interventions. Genicular artery embolization (GAE) emerges as a promising option, targeting neovascularization and inflammatory processes in OA. This paper reviews the pathophysiological basis, patient selection criteria, procedural details, and outcomes of GAE. Notably, GAE demonstrates efficacy in relieving knee pain and improving function in patients refractory to conventional therapy. While further research is warranted to elucidate its long-term outcomes and compare it with existing modalities, GAE represents a novel approach in the management of symptomatic knee OA, potentially delaying or obviating the need for surgical intervention. Here, we synthesize the relevant literature, technical details of the procedure, and future perspectives. Moreover, the success of GAE prompts the exploration of transarterial embolization in other musculoskeletal conditions, underscoring the evolving role of interventional radiology in personalized pain management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Radiology: Towards Personalized Medicine)
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10 pages, 347 KiB  
Review
Damage Control Interventional Radiology in Liver Trauma: A Comprehensive Review
by Fabio Corvino, Francesco Giurazza, Paolo Marra, Anna Maria Ierardi, Antonio Corvino, Antonio Basile, Massimo Galia, Agostino Inzerillo and Raffaella Niola
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(4), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14040365 - 29 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1052
Abstract
The liver is the second most common solid organ injured in blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. Non-operative management (NOM) has become the standard of care for liver injuries in stable patients, where transarterial embolization (TAE) represents the main treatment, increasing success rates and [...] Read more.
The liver is the second most common solid organ injured in blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. Non-operative management (NOM) has become the standard of care for liver injuries in stable patients, where transarterial embolization (TAE) represents the main treatment, increasing success rates and avoiding invasive surgical procedures. In hemodynamically (HD) unstable patients, operative management (OM) is the standard of care. To date, there are no consensus guidelines about the endovascular treatment of patients with HD instability or in ones that responded to initial infusion therapy. A review of the literature was performed for published papers addressing the outcome of using TAE as the primary treatment for HD unstable/transient responder trauma liver patients with hemorrhagic vascular lesions, both as a single treatment and in combination with surgical treatment, focusing additionally on the different definitions used in the literature of unstable and transient responder patients. Our review demonstrated a good outcome in HD unstable/transient responder liver trauma patients treated with TAE but there still remains much debate about the definition of unstable and transient responder patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Radiology: Towards Personalized Medicine)
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11 pages, 495 KiB  
Review
Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) for Prostate Cancer (PCa) Treatment: The State of the Art
by Eliodoro Faiella, Domiziana Santucci, Daniele Vertulli, Elva Vergantino, Federica Vaccarino, Gloria Perillo, Bruno Beomonte Zobel and Rosario Francesco Grasso
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(2), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14020137 - 25 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1977
Abstract
We evaluated the most recent research from 2000 to 2023 in order to deeply investigate the applications of PCa IRE, first exploring its usage with primary intent and then salvage intent. Finally, we discuss the differences with other focal PCa treatments. In the [...] Read more.
We evaluated the most recent research from 2000 to 2023 in order to deeply investigate the applications of PCa IRE, first exploring its usage with primary intent and then salvage intent. Finally, we discuss the differences with other focal PCa treatments. In the case of primary-intent IRE, the in-field recurrence is quite low (ranges from 0% to 33%). Urinary continence after the treatment remains high (>86%). Due to several different patients in the studies, the preserved potency varied quite a lot (59–100%). Regarding complications, the highest occurrence rates are for those of Grades I and II (20–77% and 0–29%, respectively). Grade III complications represent less than 7%. Regarding the specific oncological outcomes, both PCa-specific survival and overall survival are 100%. Metastasis-free survival is 99.6%. In a long-term study, the Kaplan–Meier FFS rates reported are 91% at 3 years, 84% at 5 years, and 69% at 8 years. In the single study with salvage-intent IRE, the in-field recurrence was 7%. Urinary continence was still high (93%), but preserved potency was significantly lower than primary-intent IRE patients (23%). In addition, Grade III complications were slightly higher (10.8%). In conclusion, in males with localized low–intermediate-risk prostate cancer, IRE had an excellent safety profile and might have positive results for sexual and urinary function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Radiology: Towards Personalized Medicine)
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