Persistent sciatic artery.

Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a very uncommon congenital malformation. Its incidence is estimated to be 0.025-0.04%. If it is accompanied by hypoplasia of the femoral artery system, its presence is essential for perfusion of the limbs. The usual form of presentation is as an aneurysm (25-58%) and/or its complications (thrombosis, distal remobilization, local compression). A 66-year-old woman presented with a painful mass of several months' progression. After performing angio-computed tomography, a fusiform aneurysmal dilation was observed in the left gluteal mass dependent on the left obturator artery, which was identified as the left lower gluteal artery. For this reason, we decided to perform therapeutic embolization. During the angiogram, a left aneurysmal PSA with distal thrombosis was observed. In view of these findings, a bypass from the superficial femoral artery to the tibioperoneal trunk was performed, with a contralateral inverted saphenous vein. The PSA was subsequently embolized with an occluder (AGA Medical IZASA, Plymouth, MN). The patient was discharged after checking complete exclusion of the aneurysm by ultrasound, with distal pulses during follow-up. Combined treatment using embolization, before surgical revascularization of the limb, markedly decreases the morbidity and mortality by avoiding the pelvic approach by the posterior route.

Tratamiento endovascular de aneurismas toracoabdominales con previa revascularización visceral / Endovascular treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysms with prior visceral revascularisation

Introducción. La terapéutica endovascular ha revolucionado la actuación frente a aneurismas aórticos; sin embargo, su uso en aneurismas de aorta toracoabdominal (AATA) está limitado al englobar las arterias viscerales. Con el fin de solventar esta problemática e intentando mejorar la elevada morbimortalidad de la cirugía abierta convencional, proponemos una técnica híbrida con revascularización multivisceral retrógrada previa a la colocación de endoprótesis toracoabdominal. Casos clínicos. Caso 1: varón de 73 años con AATA tipo II según la clasificación de Crawford; se realizan bypass protésico iliorrenohepático, iliomesentérica superior e iliorrenal izquierdo y posterior colocación de endoprótesis desde la aorta torácica descendente hasta la aorta infrarrenal, sin incidencias posquirúrgicas y con un seguimiento de diez meses mediante angiotomografía. Caso 2: varón de 74 años con AATA tipo II según clasificación de Crawford; se practica bypass aortoaórtico infrarrenal y, desde éste, bypass protésico a mesentérica superior y a hepática común previa a exclusión endovascular de AATA hasta nivel suprarrenal; postoperatorio inmediato sin complicaciones, con buena angiotomografía de control; aparición de absceso peripancreático a los dos meses, que precisó tratamiento quirúrgico, sin nuevas incidencias tras nueve meses de seguimiento. Conclusión. El tratamiento híbrido de los AATA presenta resultados esperanzadores frente a la cirugía abierta; la ausencia de clampaje aórtico y apertura torácica parece reducir las complicaciones cardiopulmonares, renales y neurológicas, y es una opción válida especialmente para aquellos pacientes que por su elevada comorbilidad no son subsidiarios de cirugía convencional

Introduction. Endovascular therapeutic procedures have revolutionised the treatment of aortic aneurysms; yet, their use in thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA) is limited because the visceral arteries are involved. In an attempt to resolve this issue and to improve the high morbidity and mortality rates of conventional open surgery, we propose a hybrid technique involving retrograde multivisceral revascularisation prior to the placement of the thoracoabdominal stent. Case reports. Case 1: a 73-year-old male with type II TAAA according to the Crawford classification; a hepato-iliorenal, superior iliomesenteric and left iliorenal bypass graft was performed and a stent was implanted from the descending thoracic aorta to the infrarenal aorta, with no post-surgical incidences and with a 10-month follow-up by means of tomography angiography. Case 2: a 74-year-old male with type II TAAA according to the Crawford classification; an infrarenal aorto-aortic bypass was carried out and, from this, a bypass graft was created to the superior mesenteric and to the common hepatic arteries prior to endovascular exclusion of the TAAA as far as the suprarenal level; immediate post-operative period was free of complications, good control tomography angiography; appearance of a peripancreatic abscess at two months, which required surgical treatment; no new incidences after nine months’ follow-up. Conclusions. Hybrid treatment of TAAAs offers promising results with respect to open surgery; the absence of aortic clamping and the need to open the thorax seem to reduce cardiopulmonary, renal and neurological complications and it is an option that is especially valid for patients who are not amenable to conventional surgery due to their high rates of comorbidity