Advances in determining abdominal aortic aneurysm size and growth.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a common pathology in the aging population of the developed world which carries a significant mortality in excess of 80% in case of rupture. Aneurysmal disease probably represents the only surgical condition in which size is such a critical determinant of the need for intervention and therefore the ability to accurately and reproducibly record aneurysm size and growth over time is of outmost importance. In the same time that imaging techniques may be limited by intra- and inter-observer variability and there may be inconsistencies due to different modalities [ultrasound, computed tomography (CT)], rapid technologic advancement have taken aortic imaging to the next level. Digital imaging, multi-detector scanners, thin slice CT and most- importantly the ability to perform 3-dimensional reconstruction and image post-processing have currently become widely available rendering most of the imaging modalities used in the past out of date. The aim of the current article is to report on various imaging methods and current state of the art techniques used to record aneurysm size and growth. Moreover we aim to emphasize on the future research directions and report on techniques which probably will be widely used and incorporated in clinical practice in the near future.

The - Not So - Solid 5.5 cm Threshold for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Facts, Misinterpretations, and Future Directions.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) represent a focal dilation of the aorta exceeding 1.5 times its normal diameter. It is reported that 4-8% of men and 0.5-1% of women above 50 years of age bear an AAA. Rupture represents the most disastrous complication of aneurysmal disease that is accompanied by an overall mortality of 80%. Autopsy data have shown that nearly 13% of AAAs with a maximum diameter ≤5 cm were ruptured and 60% of the AAAs >5 cm in diameter never ruptured. It is therefore obvious that the "maximum diameter criterion," as a single parameter that fits all patients, is obsolete. Investigators have begun a search for more reliable rupture risk markers for AAA expansion, such as the level and change of peak wall stress or AAA geometry. Furthermore, it is becoming more and more evident that intraluminal thrombus (ILT), which is present in 75% of all AAAs, affects AAA features and promotes their expansion. Though these hemodynamic properties of AAAs are significant and seem to better describe rupture risk, they are in need of specialized equipment and software and demand time for processing making them difficult in use and unattractive to clinicians in everyday practice. In the search for the addition of other risk factors or user-friendly tools, which may predict AAA expansion and rupture, the use of the asymmetrical ILT deposition index seems appealing since it has been reported to identify AAAs that may have an increased or decreased growth rate.

Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma to Enhance Healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Patients With Concomitant Peripheral Arterial Disease and Critical Limb Ischemia.

We sought to investigate the effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the healing rate of diabetic foot ulcers in patients with diabetes and concomitant peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Diabetic patients with foot ulceration presenting with PAD who were treated with local growth factors in a single center, during a 24-month period from May 2009 to April 2011, were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the severity of PAD, subjects were divided into groups A (Fontaine classification stages I, IIa, and IIb) and B (Fontaine classification stages III and IV), with those included in the latter being considered to suffer from critical limb ischemia (CLI). End points of the analysis were clinical improvement, limb salvage, and amputation rate. Outcome was compared between groups A and B. Overall, 72 patients were evaluated, 30 with CLI. Ulcer area reduction >50% was observed in 58/72 patients while reduction >90% was achieved in 52/72 patients. There were 14 (19%) major and minor amputations, whereas the limb salvage rate was 89%. This variable was significantly different between groups A and B (100% vs. 73%, P < .001), as is rate of reduction in ulcer area >90% (83% vs. 56%, P = .02). Reduction of ulcer area >50% was observed in the majority of patients in both groups (group A 86% vs. group B 73%, P = .23). In conclusion, PRP could serve as a useful adjunct during management of diabetic foot ulcers even in diabetic patients with unreconstructable arterial disease.