CHICAGO -- The controversy over craniocervical angioplasty as a treatment for multiple sclerosis may heat up with further clinical study results slated for release at the Society of Interventional Radiology meeting here.

The endovascular procedure to boost blood flow through narrow veins in the neck and chest is being reported on by a group of interventional radiologists for what is being promoted as chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) in MS patients.

The theory that MS stems from iron build-up in the brain from obstructed venous blood flow, rather than the autoimmune causes long thought to be at play, has stirred patient demand and physician interest in recent years despite taking repeated hits from clinical studies that have failed to corroborate a link.

A positive study suggesting efficacy of angioplasty or stenting in MS may further fan the flames of contention in neurology.

Another potentially disruptive percutaneous treatment on the horizon that will be discussed at the meeting is radiofrequency ablation of the renal nerves to eradicate treatment-resistant hypertension.

Renal denervation has proven impressively effective since the minimally-invasive technique was introduced by Australian clinicians in 2009, reducing blood pressure by 32/12 mm Hg over six months in the most recent study of medication-refractory cases.

New results with the experimental procedure are expected to be reported at the meeting.

Other presentations expected to catch attention at the conference, which runs from March 26 to 31, include:

• A large multi-institutional liver cancer study to determine whether intra-arterial yttrium-90 radioembolization might be a safer treatment that extends survival


• A comparison of arterial embolization and traditional surgical methods in treating postpartum hemorrhage


• A submarine sonar-based device for detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of stroke


• A mix swallowed before certain imaging scans to potentially protect against DNA damage from ionizing radiation

This year's program will focus on revolutionizing modern medicine, according to the conference organizers.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/SIR/25540