Public release date: 25-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Ellen Acconcia eacconcia@sirweb.org 703-460-5582 Society of Interventional Radiology Researchers report that performing angioplasty (a treatment that involves temporarily inserting and blowing up a tiny balloon inside a clogged artery to help widen it) on veins in the neck and chest is safeand may be an effective way to treat the venous abnormalities found in those with multiple sclerosis and provide symptom relief. The findings were presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. "Our results are important because there are an estimated 400,000 individuals affected by multiple sclerosis in the United States, some of whom experience symptoms that limit their quality of life in several ways. For many, it can be quite debilitating," explained Hector Ferral, M.D., an interventional radiologist at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Ill. "These early results show that performing angioplasty on azygos and jugular vein lesions may have a positive impact on the symptoms of those individuals with MS and also could be an effective palliative treatment geared toward improving their quality of life," added Ferral, the study's lead investigator. "Our experience showed that 95 percent of the … Continue reading →

Public release date: 25-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Ellen Acconcia eacconcia@sirweb.org 703-460-5582 Society of Interventional Radiology Researchers who investigated the connection between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (a reported condition characterized as a blockage in the veins that drain blood from the brain and spinal cord and returns it to the heart) and multiple sclerosis indicate that a minimally invasive endovascular treatment for CCSVI, is safe and may produce "significant," short-term improvement in physical- and mental health-related quality of life in individuals with MS. These findings were presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. An estimated 400,000 people in the United States with MSgenerally thought of as an incurable, disabling neurologic diseasemay find hope that symptom relief is possible. MS is typically treated with disease-modifying drugs, which modulate or suppress the immune response believed to be central in the progression of the disease. "Traditional theories surrounding treatment for multiple sclerosis in large part focus on autoimmune causes for brain pathology and neurologic symptoms. Based on this, treatment has been predominantly medications by mouth or injection," stated Kenneth Mandato, M.D., an interventional radiologist at Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. "Interventional … Continue reading →