Endovascular treatment of visceral artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms: our experience.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyse our 8 years of experience with endovascular treatment of visceral aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2002 to September 2009, we used an endovascular approach to treat 30 patients (22 men, eight women) affected by aneurysm (n=18) or pseudoaneurysm (n=13) of the splenic (n=11), hepatic (n=6), renal (n=5), pancreaticoduodenal (n=3), left gastric (n=2), gastroduodenal (n=1), rectal (n=1) or middle colic (n=1) arteries and the coeliac axis (n=1). Of these, 26/31 were treated with metal coils, 3/31 with Cardiatis multilayer stent, 1/31 with a coated stent and 1/31 with coils and Amplatzer plug. Procedures were performed electively in 10/30 cases and during haemorrhage in 20/30 cases. Follow-up was performed clinically (cessation of bleeding) and at 1, 6 and 12 months by colour-Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) and computed tomography (CT) angiography. RESULTS: In 31/31 aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms we obtained immediate exclusion. In four patients with aneurysm and in four with pseudoaneurysm, parenchymal ischaemia occurred; one was treated with surgical splenectomy. One patient with pseudoaneurysm of the coeliac axis died 10 days later because of new bleeding. During follow-up, all aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms remained excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous treatment is effective and safe, with a small number of complications, especially when compared with traditional surgery.

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: percutaneous treatment preserving parenchyma in high-flow fistulae.

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to illustrate the benefits of percutaneous treatment by embolisation of high-flow pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM) in patients suffering from hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT; Rendu-Osler-Weber disease). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From December 2001 to February 2007, we embolised 60 PAVMS in 35 procedures performed on 30 patients, all referred by the HHT centre in Crema, and enrolled in a screening programme of HHT families. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and spiral computed tomography (CT). Embolisation was made with nonmagnetic metallic coils via femoral venous access; an endovascular Amplatzer device was used in one patient only. RESULTS: All embolisations were performed without difficulty. One patient only developed partial temporary aphasia, which resolved in 72 H. At spiral-CT follow-up, we generally demonstrated exclusion from circulation of treated PAVMS and regression of clinical symptoms. In the case of new lesions or recanalisation, further embolisation was possible: CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous embolisation has recently become the initial treatment option in PAVM owing to its good results and minimal invasiveness compared with thoracotomy. Our experience is in agreement with the literature: the procedure has a low complication rate, provides very good technical and clinical results and avoids resection of healthy pulmonary parenchyma.

Femoral haemostosis with Vasoseal ES: experience in 150 patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of the use of Vasoseal ES collagen plug in heavily anticoagulated patients with high risk of complications at the vascular access site who had undergone vascular radiological intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2002 and March 2003 180 consecutive transfemoral arterial accesses in 169 patients subjected to vascular radiological procedures were performed (bilateral access was performed in 11 patients): 140 percutaneous transluminal angioplasties and 40 transarterial chemoembolisations. All the patients who underwent angioplasty were given 3,000 IU of sodic heparin intravenously during the procedure and later a prolonged antiaggregant therapy was undertaken (ticlopidine 500 mg/day and aspirin 150 mg/day). The sheaths were removed at the end of the surgical manoeuvre and two cartridges of collagen were positioned on the external surface of the artery. The mean values of platelets and partial thromboplastin time were 42,000/ml and 170 s, respectively, in cirrhotic patients against 250,000/ml and 200 s in patients with peripheral arteriopathy. The next day a colour Doppler examination was performed at the puncture site. RESULTS: The technique proved successful in 89.4% of cases (161/180). In 19/180 vascular accesses placement of the haemostatic cartridges was not possible owing to the inability to compress the common femoral artery proximal to the release site (4/19), owing to a pre-existing haematoma (5/19) and owing to the limited presence of subcutaneous tissue (10/19). The mean time required for the placement of Vasoseal ES was 4 min. The mean time-to-haemostasis was 6 min. The mean time-to-mobilisation was 4 hr. Only in two patients was there an onset of a pseudoaneurysm of the right common femoral artery; the lesions were treated with ultrasonography -guided compression. In addition, 16 small local haematomas were recorded. In 4 cases early re-puncture of the femoral artery was performed (24-48 hr following the use of the device) without consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Vasoseal ES is a safe collagen closure device characterised by a high success rate. In anticoagulated patients the device can reduce the time-to-mobilisation and the incidence of complications.

[Mixed odontogenic tumors. Studies on the significance of correlations between ameloblastic fibroma, ameloblastic fibro-odontoma and odontoma]. / Tumori odontogeni misti. Indagine sul significato delle correlazioni tra fibroma ameloblastico, fibro-odontoma ameloblastico e odontomi.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the interrelationship between the mixed odontogenic tumors. A population of 292 cases--9 cases from our own files, 283 cases taken from the literature--was considered. Data concerning age, sex distribution and site of occurrence of the different lesions were statistically analyzed. The results showed a significant prevalence of odontomas in the anterior region and a highly significant correlation for age and site distribution in relation to the various lesions. It is supposed that ameloblastic fibroma, ameloblastic fibro-odontoma and odontoma represent different maturational stages of the same lesion whose histogenesis is linked to the odontogenic process.