Extreme Outages due to Polarization Mode Dispersion

We investigate the dependence of the bit-error-rate (BER) caused by amplifier noise in a linear optical fiber telecommunication system on the fiber birefringence. We show that the probability distribution function (PDF) of BER obtained by averaging over many realizations of birefringent disorder has an extended tail corresponding to anomalously large values of BER. We specifically discuss the dependence of the tail on such details of the pulse detection at the fiber output as "setting the clock" and filtering procedures.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Optics Letter

Different Treatments of Symptomatic Angiomyolipomas of the Kidney: Two Case Reports

Development of more sensitive imaging techniques has caused an increase in the number of diagnosed small renal tumors. Approximately 2–3% of these lesions are proved to be angiomyolipomas (AML), a rare benign tumor of the kidney sometimes causing pain and hematuria. The most required approach is observation, but in the case of recurrent symptoms or larger tumors, which may cause bleeding, a more active treatment is required. We present two cases of symptomatic AML tumors of different sizes in the kidney: one treated with transarterial embolization (TAE), and the other with percutaneous cryoablation (CRA). The lesions were diagnosed on the basis of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Both treatments proved to be effective and safe for treating renal AMLs. A follow-up carried out, based on contrast-enhanced CT scan, confirmed complete treatment of AML and decreased lesion size. There are myriad minimally invasive approaches for the treatment of renal AMLs, and the preservation of renal function remains a priority. The most popular treatment option is the selective renal artery embolization. Owing to its limited invasiveness, CRA could be an attractive option for the preventive treatment of AML

Percutaneous Ablative Treatment of Renal Tumors in a Solitary Kidney: A Single-Center Experience

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Efficacy of an Augmented Reality Navigation System (SIRIO) for Percutaneous Computed Tomographic-Guided Pulmonary Ground-Glass Opacity Biopsies

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The Role of Ablative Techniques in Treatment of Lung Metastasis: Our Interventional Radiology Experience

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Percutaneous Biliary Rendez-Vous to Treat Complete Hepatic-Jejunal Anastomosis Dehiscence after Duodeno-Cephalo-Pancreasectomy

Hepaticojejunostomy is an essential component of many surgical procedures, including pancreaticoduodenectomy. Biliary leaks after HJS represent a major complication leading to relevant clinical problems: the postoperative mortality rate could reach 70% for surgical re-intervention, whereas endoscopic management is technically difficult due to the postoperative anatomy. Interventional Radiology plays a pivotal role for these patients. The case of a percutaneous biliary rendez-vous procedure performed to treat an HJA dehiscence after duodeno-cephalo-pancreasectomy is presented, which is successfully guaranteed to avoid a new surgical approach