Pelvic venous congestion syndrome (PVCS) is a common, but underdiagnosed, cause of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women. PVCS occurs usually, but not exclusively, in multiparous women. It is characterized by chronic pelvic pain of more than six months duration with no evidence of inflammatory disease. The patients present to general practitioners, gynaecologists, vascular specialists, pain specialists, gastroenterologists and psychiatrists. Pain of variable intensity occurs at any time but is worse in the pre-menstrual period, and is exacerbated by walking, standing, and fatigue. Post coital ache, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, bladder irritability and rectal discomfort are also common. Under-diagnosis of this condition can lead to anxiety and depression. A multidisciplinary approach in the investigation and management of these women is vital. Non-invasive imaging (US, CT, MRI) are essential in the diagnosis and exclusion of other conditions that cause CPP as well in the definitive diagnosis of PVCS. Trans-catheter venography remains the gold standard modality for the definitive diagnosis and is undertaken as an immediate precursor to ovarian vein embolization (OVE). Conservative, medical and surgical management strategies have been reported but have been superseded by OVE, which has a reported technical success rates of 96–100%, low complication rates and long-term symptomatic relief in between 70–90% of cases. The condition, described in this paper as PVCS, is referred to by a wide variety of other terms in the literature, a cause of confusion. There is a significant body of literature describing the syndrome and the excellent outcomes following OVE however the lack of prospective, multicentre randomized controlled trials for both investigation and management of PVCS is a significant barrier to the complete acceptance of both the existence, investigation and management of the condition.

Coronavirus disease 19 (Covid-19) poses a huge threat to health systems and economies worldwide. So far, there has been no proven effective treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Various potential therapies, viz., immunomodulatory agents, antiviral therapy, and plasma transfusion, are undergoing clinical trials. An intensive search of the medical corpora revealed that low dose X-ray radiation therapy has been used in the past to treat interstitial pneumonia. In this article we explore a historical background of low-dose X-rays for the treatment of pneumonia and how it could be a promising therapy in treating patients with COVID-19.

Background Interventional radiology (IR) is underrepresented in undergraduate medical curricula across Europe. By continuing to challenge the boundaries of IR, a rise in the demand for radiologists has been inevitable – a trend not met by a corresponding rise in the supply of radiologists. On tracing the roots of this shortage, lack of awareness of the specialty within medical trainees coupled with a global lack of IR teaching in undergraduate education seem to constitute major exacerbating factors. The purpose of this study was to identify gaps in the field of IR education and address these by implementing an international IR simulation-based course for undergraduates. Results Implementation of a multi-modality simulation-based course consisted of seven modules incorporating technical and non-technical skills, basic science and applied clinical science modules. Of all participants, 90.7% ( N = 68) never had previous IR teaching experience and only 28% ( N = 21) had a previous placement in an IR department. Following the course, confidence improvement was statistically significant both in IR skills (1/5, p < 0.01) and knowledge (1/5, p < 0.01)]. The majority (90.7%) said they would benefit with more exposure to IR. In terms of the students’ motivation for a career in IR, 32% ( N = 24) reported that they would more likely consider a career in IR after completing the course. Conclusion Delivery of a tetra-core simulation course with the aim to address the gaps in undergraduate IR education has had a positive impact on students’ skills, confidence levels as well as motivation. We propose reviewing the curricula across medical schools in Europe to identify gaps and address any inadequacies; for this, we consider our simulation course an excellent starting point.

Purpose Interventional radiology (IR) is a novel and evolving sub-specialty that encompasses image guided diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. With the advent of new imaging techniques and an increasing demand of minimally invasive procedures, IR continues to grow as a core component in medical and surgical therapeutics. Radiology teaching is a part of medical undergraduate curriculum; however, the medical undergraduate cohort lacks exposure to IR principles, methods and techniques. The purpose of this study is to determine the knowledge and awareness of IR among medical students in a single university in India. Materials and methods Electronic anonymous surveys were sent to 350 medical students of Pt. JNM Medical College, Raipur, India. Each survey comprised of questions assessing knowledge and exposure to IR. A total of 70 students (20%) responded. Results 85.7% of respondents positively reported that radiologists have a role in diagnostic as well as therapeutic interventions, however, 60% of students cited a very poor/poor knowledge of IR. A larger part, 91.5%, stated that they would be interested in IR based teaching delivered as a part of their undergraduate teaching program. Those who knew at least one interventional radiology technique were 1.51 (95% CI: 1.02–2.22; p < 0.05) times more likely to be considering it as a career. Conclusion Medical Students demonstrate a poor knowledge of IR. This corresponds to a limited and inconsistent exposure to IR in medical schools. The study suggests that there is a need to deliver an IR based curriculum in medical undergraduate teaching in India. Our proposition includes introducing a regulated IR teaching in undergraduate medical education using new module designs and presenting medical students an opportunity to attend IR education days, symposiums and conferences to incite early participation.