Endovascular treatment of a post-traumatic pseudoaneurysm arising from a ruptured posterior tibial artery with Menox. A case report.

Posterior tibial artery pseudoaneurysms are rare and can occur in the setting of trauma. Endovascular treatment of post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms has become a viable less-invasive method particularly in young patients in whom the presence of collaterals guarantees distal vascularization. We report an unusual case of a 16-year- old patient who sustained blunt trauma to his right lower extremity due to a bicycle injury and developed a delayed symptomatic pseudoaneurysm of the posterior tibial artery in the absence of tibia fracture. Superselective endovascular treatment with Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer based liquid embolic system (Menox) was successfully performed, achieving exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm with preservation of the remaining vascularization of the lower limb.

Dobutamine-induced changes of left atrial two-dimensional deformation predict clinical and neurohumoral improvement after levosimendan treatment in patients with acutely decompensated chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether dobutamine-induced changes of the left atrial (LA) two-dimensional speckle tracking parameters are related to clinical and neurohumoral improvement after levosimendan treatment in patients with acutely decompensate chronic heart failure (ADCHF). METHODS: Forty-six patients with ADCHF and LV ejection fraction <35%, were studied using dobutamine stress echocardiography before a 24-hour infusion of levosimendan. In a multivariable model, we included: dobutamine-induced LV contractile reserve, change (%) of LA volume, LV longitudinal strain rate and LA speckle tracking parameters to assess the improvement of NYHA class, 6-min walk distance and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). RESULTS: The change (%) of LA-contractile strain and LV longitudinal stain rate were independent determinants of improvement of NYHA class, and BNP and increase in the 6-min walk test distance (b=-0.59, b=-0.65, b=0.41, and b=-0.44, b=-0.40, b=0.60, respectively, p<0.05). The addition of LA-contractile strain change in the multivariable analysis including LV longitudinal stain rate change increased the value of the model from r(2)=0.46 to 0.58 for NYHA improvement and from r(2)=0.44 to 0.70, for the BNP reduction and from r(2)=0.49 to 0.60, for increase in the 6-min walk test distance (p<0.05). The change (%) of LA-reservoir strain was univariate determinant for increase in the 6-min walk test distance (b=-0.37, p=0.02) and increased the value of the multivariate model from r(2)=0.46 to 0.58, p=0.02. CONCLUSION: In patients with ADCHF, left atrial two-dimensional speckle tracking parameters in addition to LV longitudinal strain rate may detect those patients who are prone to improve after levosimendan treatment.

Two-dimensional strain analysis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and normal systolic function: a 12-month follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Although left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) echo indices may reliably reflect loading conditions in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), little is known about 2-dimensional strain imaging. We evaluated LV and LA 2-dimensional strain imaging in relation to long-term outcome in patients with HCM. METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients (58% men, aged 51 +/- 18 years) with familial HCM and normal LV ejection fraction underwent 2-dimensional LV and LA strain imaging; total LA strain was defined as the sum of maximum positive and maximum negative atrial strain. Patients were followed up for 12 months for cardiovascular events, defined as death or hospitalization for cardiovascular causes. RESULTS: Twenty patients (40%) experienced an event after a median time of 98 days: 2 (4%) died and 18 (36%) were hospitalized. In multivariate analysis, total LA strain was the strongest predictor of 12-month outcome (odds ratio 0.858, 95% CI 0.771-0.954, P = .005); a cutoff of 21% predicted events with 90% sensitivity and 86% specificity. Total LA strain was also an independent predictor of atrial fibrillation requiring hospitalization (odds ratio 0.853, 95% CI 0.748-0.972, P = .017). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HCM and normal systolic function, total LA strain predicts 12-month outcome in terms of death and/or hospitalization.