Pre-discharge duplex ultrasound scans detect endoleaks not seen on completion angiography after endovascular aneurysm repair.

PURPOSE: To determine whether a pre-discharge duplex ultrasound scan detects early endoleaks that would not otherwise have been identified. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients undergoing elective infrarenal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) at our center. These patients underwent intraoperative completion angiography, had a duplex ultrasound scan prior to hospital discharge, and were followed at 1, 3, and 6 months and at 6-month intervals thereafter. The outcome of any patients found to have an endoleak on a pre-discharge scan was studied. RESULTS: There were 52 EVAR patients (50 men; mean age 76 years, range 61-87) with endoleak on the pre-discharge duplex: 17 (2.8%) type I, 28 (4.6%) type II, and 8 (1.3%) type III. Of these, only 7 of the type I and 2 of the type II leaks had been detected on completion angiography. Among the patients with type I endoleaks, 5 had resolution of the leak, 10 required further endovascular interventions, and 2 had open repair (1 died of aneurysm rupture). Two patients with failed endovascular repairs of the leak also had open repair. Fifteen of the 28 type II endoleaks resolved, 4 were treated with endovascular procedures, 1 had open repair, 7 are being observed, and 1 was lost to follow-up. Six of the 8 type III leaks resolved, 1 required open repair for an enlarging sac, and 1 is being observed. CONCLUSION: Despite routine completion angiography, new endoleaks may be identified postoperatively, which suggests that more rigorous imaging at the point of completion angiography is required.

The interleukin-10-1082 'A' allele and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are caused by inflammatory processes in the wall of the aorta resulting in degradation of structural proteins. This inflammatory process is mediated, in part, by cytokines, and interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a predominantly anti-inflammatory cytokine. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of the IL-10 gene that affects transcription has been associated with AAA in a small study. The aim of this study was to determine whether this polymorphism is associated with AAA and also examine its effect on the growth of small AAA. METHODS AND RESULTS: A case control study was performed. A total of 389 patients with AAA and 404 healthy controls were recruited. IL-10-1082 polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-based methods. In the case of patients with small AAA (<5.5 cm), serial size measurements were recorded to determine mean growth rate. There was a statistically significant difference both in allele and genotype frequencies between the case and control groups with the IL-10-1082 'A' allele being more common in the AAA group (P = .006). In the AAA group, genotype frequencies were as follows: GG 84, GA 201, and AA 104. In the control group, the genotype frequencies were GG 118, GA 205, and AA 81. The odds ratio for the 'A' allele as a risk factor for AAA was 1.50 (95% confidence interval 1.09 to 2.07). Regression modeling revealed that the IL-10-1082 genotype was, however, not independently associated with AAA if age, tobacco use, hypertension, and history of coronary or peripheral artery disease was taken into account. There was a trend towards lower plasma IL-10 level in IL-10 AA carriers, but the IL-10 'A' allele did not have any discernible effect on the growth of small AAA. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the IL-10-1082 'A' allele is associated with AAA, although this association is likely to be secondary to an association between IL-10-1082 genotype and other markers of cardiovascular disease rather than AAA per se.

Scoring systems do not accurately predict outcome following abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of scoring systems in a group of patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. METHODS: A prospective study of 152 patients undergoing aneurysm repair was conducted. Each patient was scored according to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and Morbidity and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II systems. The predicted mortality for each patient was calculated. Chi(2) analysis was carried out to determine the accuracy of mortality predictions. Receiver-operator curves were drawn to compare scoring systems in terms of sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: In the elective aneurysm repair group, all scoring systems tended to overestimate mortality. Receiver-operator curves showed inaccuracies in identifying patients who were at high risk from surgery. In contrast, predicted mortalities underestimated the true death rate among the ruptured aneurysm group. Receiver-operator curves showed better efficiency of scoring systems in the ruptured aneurysm group than in the elective repair group. There was no significant correlation between predicted and observed mortalities in either group. CONCLUSION: In this study, all systems showed significant errors when predicting mortality. Therefore, although useful as an audit tool, scoring systems should not be used on an individual basis to guide treatment and assess prognosis after surgery.

Laparoscopic ligation of splenic artery aneurysm.

Splenic artery aneurysms are rare and often asymptomatic; however, rupture may prove fatal. Although many can be treated with percutaneous embolization, tortuosity of the artery may render this approach impossible. Presented is a case report describing laparoscopic ligation of a splenic artery aneurysm after failed attempt at embolization.