Management of distal aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery by percutaneous ultrasound-guided Onyx injection: A case report.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to report an alternative approach for the management of a distal aneurysm of superior mesenteric artery using direct percutaneous ultrasound-guided Onyx injection. METHODS: We report a rare case of symptomatic superior mesenteric artery aneurysm. A 78-year-old man presents with pain and pulsating mass in the right umbilical region of the abdomen. The patient was treated by percutaneous ultrasound-guided Onyx injection after several failing transarterial embolization attempts. RESULTS: The procedure was successful without any complication, and the patient wasdischarged to home the day after procedure. Follow-up at 60 months confirmed the complete thrombosis of the aneurysm sac. Ultrasound-guided Onyx injection for distal superior mesenteric artery aneurysm could provide an alternative to transcatheter arterial embolization or open surgery. Anatomical assessment of collaterals and knowledge of abdomen anatomy could play important roles in preventing bowel ischemia and minimizing the risk of procedural complication. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided Onyx injection of superior mesenteric artery aneurysm is a feasible, effective, and cost-saving technique that can be used when endovascular approach is not possible or has failed.

Early and Late Outcomes of Ultrasound-Guided Direct Transabdominal Embolization of Isolated Type 2 Endoleaks after Endovascular Aortic Repair.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to report the early and late outcomes of ultrasound-guided direct transabdominal embolization (UGDTE) of isolated type 2 endoleak (T2EL) after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). METHODS: Forty-two consecutive T2EL patients were treated between February 2000 and September 2017 by UGDTE after previous EVAR. During the study period, UGDTE was the firs-line technique implemented for treatment of T2EL. All procedures were carried out using the same predefined technique. Aneurysm sac size change from the index treatment, freedom from recurrent endoleak after treatment, demographics, risk factors, and procedural factors were analyzed with univariate analysis. RESULTS: During the study interval, 612 patients underwent standard EVAR for abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment and 111 (18.2%) developed an isolated T2EL. Of these, 42 (6.8%) consecutive patients were deemed suitable and treated with UDGT. Median imaging follow-up duration was 18.7 months. Median fluoroscopic and procedure times were 7 and 58 minutes, respectively. The rate of immediate technical success was 100%. Ten patients (23.8%) underwent reintervention for recurrent T2EL. Freedom from reintervention for T2EL at 1, 2, and 4 years was 81%, 78%, and 71%. No aneurysm-related mortality occurred during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The use of UGDTE for treatment of isolated T2EL after EVAR is a safe and feasible technique when performed by experienced operators, resulting in high technical success and low complication rates in selected patients. Although being effective in obtaining T2EL exclusion, up to one-third of the patients may require repeat intervention during long-term follow-up. Therefore, lifelong surveillance after the procedure is recommended.

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Predicts 1-month Complications after Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty.

BACKGROUND: The identification of patients at higher risk of developing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA)-related complications is pivotal for achieving better clinical outcomes. We carried out a single-center, observational, retrospective study to explore whether in-hospital changes of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) may help predicting early development of PTA-related complications. METHODS: The study population consisted of all consecutive patients who underwent PTA for severe peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) during a 2-year period. RDW was measured at hospital admission and discharge, and the delta was calculated. Patient follow-up was routinely performed 1-month after hospital discharge, and was based on thoughtful medical assessment and arterial ultrasonography. The control population consisted of 352 ostensibly healthy subjects. RESULTS: The final PTA group consisted of 224 patients. Hemoglobin was lower, whilst mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and RDW were higher in PAOD cases than in controls. Overall, 11 PAOD patients (4.9%) developed clinically significant PTA-related complications 1-month after hospital discharge. Patients who developed 1-month PTA-related complications had lower hemoglobin concentration, but higher RDW and delta RDW than those who did not. Patients with delta RDW >1 had 60% higher risk of developing 1-month PTA-related complications and 88% higher risk of developing early reocclusion. Overall, RDW exhibited an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.68 and 0.74 for predicting 1-month PTA-related complications and early reocclusion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that RDW may play a role for guiding the clinical decision making of PTA patients immediately after hospital discharge.

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is an independent predictor of post-implantation syndrome in patients undergoing endovascular aortic repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: This observational, retrospective study aims establishing the role of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) for identifying abdominal aortic aneurism (AAA) patients at risk of developing post-implantation syndrome (PiS) after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). METHODS: The study population consisted of all patients undergoing EVAR for AAA at the University Hospital of Verona (Italy), between June 1, 2016 and May 31, 2018. Blood samples for measuring hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and RDW were collected at hospital admission and the day after EVAR. The primary endpoint was PiS development. Delta variations were calculated as the ratio between values measured after and before EVAR. RESULTS: The final study population consisted of 124 patients (10 women and 114 men; median age, 75 years), 55 of whom developed PiS. In patients with or without PiS hemoglobin significantly decreased after EVAR, whilst RDW significantly increased in patients with PiS and decreased in those without. Age, sex, hypertension, diabetes and renal failure were similar in patients who developed PiS or not, whilst a positive history of coronary artery disease was more frequent in PiS patients. Although hemoglobin and MCV changes after EVAR did not differ in patients with or without PiS, delta RDW was higher in those with PiS. The rate of patients with delta RDW >1 was significantly higher in patients with PiS that in those without (61.8% vs. 34.8%; P=0.002). In multivariate analysis, delta RDW remained independently associated with PiS (ß coefficient, 2.023; P=0.001). A delta RDW >1 after EVAR was associated with ~3-fold enhanced risk of PiS (odds ratio, 3.04; P=0.003) and exhibited a good prognostic performance (area under the curve, 0.69; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Calculation of delta RDW after EVAR seems an efficient prognostic tool for stratifying the risk of developing PiS, especially in the early postoperative period.