[Stage-adapted therapy concept in ascending thrombophlebitis]. / Stadiengerechtes Therapiekonzept bei aszendierender Varikophlebitis.

Varicophlebitis is the most frequent and important acute complication of a varicosed long and/or short saphenous vein. In view of the controversial discussion about the either conservative or surgical treatment, a clinically relevant classification of this syndrome appears useful: Stage I includes varicophlebitis without involvement of the respective junctional valve--in the groin or at the knee--and deep veins. While in Stage II the proximal part of the thrombus has reached the respective junctional valves of the long or short sapheneous vein, in Stage III it has entered the deep veins by means of these valves. In Stage IV the thrombus migrates via insufficient perforating veins into the deep system. Stages I and IV should be treated conservatively first, removal of the varicous veins should be performed after regression of the acute symptoms. Stages II and III should be considered an indication for urgent surgery. The surgical strategy consists of crossectomy, resection of the saphenous vein without stripping, radical excision of all varicous veins and ligature of insufficient perforating veins. In stage III the thrombectomy of the deep veins using the Fogarty-procedure must be carried out before any other measures are taken. In 1996 a total number of 40 limbs with ascending varicophlebitis (stage I = 16, stage II = 19, stage III = 5) was observed. 10 extremities (stage I = 2, stage II = 5, stage III = 3) underwent surgical treatment. 1 patient developed a deep infection of the groin, the average stay in hospital was 9 days.

[Angina abdominalis: duplex ultrasound diagnosis and percutaneous revascularization]. / Angina abdominalis: duplexsonographische Diagnostik und perkutane Revaskularisierung.

Intestinal ischemia is still a challenge for clinicians and requires a close interdisciplinary cooperation between internist, surgeon and radiologist. In the last years the diagnosis and therapy, classically invasive and surgical, was supplemented by duplex ultrasound and percutaneous techniques like angioplasty and stenting. A 56 year-old man from Greece presented with epigastric pain, which was intensified by food ingestion. These symptoms were caused by a stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery, which was diagnosed by duplex sonography and angiography. No blood flow was detected in the inferior mesenteric and the celiac artery. Occlusion of one internal carotid artery made the patient a poor candidate for surgery. Therefore an interventional approach was chosen. A good result was achieved by angioplasty and stent implantation. On the day after the intervention oral food intake was possible without any pain. 18 months after the intervention the patient was free of abdominal symptoms. Therapy of mesenteric ischemia by percutaneous angioplasty and stenting is published only in case-reports and small series. Therefore the indication is mainly restricted to patients with a high risk for a surgical intervention.

Endoluminal repair of peripheral arterial aneurysms: 4-year experience with the cragg endopro system I.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficiency and long-term patency of the Cragg EndoPro System I in patients with peripheral arterial aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 10 patients, 13 stent-grafts were used to treat 15 arterial aneurysms. Aneurysms were located in the common iliac (n = 4), superficial femoral (n = 4), popliteal (n = 3), and subclavian arteries (n = 2), and in a femoropopliteal bypass-graft (n = 2). Follow-up ranged between 2 and 46 months (mean, 36 months). Examination included clinical status, color-coded duplex sonography, computed tomography angiography, and intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA). RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all patients. Primary patency was four of four in iliac vessels and three of nine in non-iliac vessels; secondary patency in noniliac vessels was four of nine. Repairs included one local lysis, four percutaneous transluminal angioplasties, one surgical thrombectomy, and one bypass surgery. Stent wire disintegration was detected in one of four iliac stent-grafts and in seven of nine noniliac stent-grafts. In noniliac grafts, significant stenoses occurred in three of nine; occlusion occurred in five of nine. One complication at the iliac level was a vessel wall penetration at the proximal stent edge, with development of a new aneurysmal formation. No late endoleaks were found. CONCLUSION: Exclusion of peripheral arterial aneurysms with stent-grafts is feasible. Long-term results are excellent in iliac vessels. Mechanical weakness of the stent assembly and frequent re-stenoses or occlusions are significant drawbacks in noniliac vessels with low patency rates.

Influence of folic acid, pyridoxal phosphate and cobalamin on plasma homocyst(e)ine levels and the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein to ex-vivo oxidation.

Mild hyperhomocyst(e)inaemia is a risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. In-vitro studies have shown that autooxidation of homocyst(e)ine is accompanied by the generation of oxygen radicals. This may lead to oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and promote atherosclerotic vascular lesions. In male patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease we determined fasting and post methionine load homocyst(e)ine levels by high performance liquid chromatography and the susceptibility of their LDL particles to ex-vivo oxidation by continously measuring the conjugated diene production induced by incubation with copper ions. Oxidation resistance (expressed as lag time), maximal oxidation rate, and extent of oxidation (expressed of total diene production) of LDL from patients with normal or mildly elevated homocyst(e)ine levels did not differ significantly. Folic acid, pyridoxal phosphate and cobalamin supplementation significantly decreased plasma homocyst(e)ine levels in hyperhomocyst(e)inaemic patients. This went along with a significant decrease in the extent of LDL oxidation and additionally increased HDL-cholesterol levels. The clinical relevance of these findings for the long-term course of atherosclerotic vascular disorders has to be determined by intervention studies.

[Carotid bruit: what should be done? Color duplex ultrasound indicates if operation is necessary]. / Karotisgeräusch: was tun? Farbduplex-Sono verrät, ob eine Operation notwendig ist.

Carotid bruits need to be investigated without delay. The best imaging procedure available is color-coded duplex ultrasonography in the hands of an experienced examiner. Intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography should be used only when a surgical option appears indicated and the surgeon requests it prior to the operation. Determination of the intima/media thickness with the aid of the B scan provides good prognostic information. In the case of higher-grade stenoses with corresponding symptomatology, carotid surgery is indicated. Before carrying out such operations, however, the patient's risk and the surgery-related risk of a stroke or some other event occurring must be carefully weighed, one against the other, with the results achieved by the surgeon in this area being a major factor.

[Venous thrombosis--a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge]. / Venöse Thrombosen--eine diagnostische und therapeutische Herausforderung.

PURPOSE: Venous thrombosis and embolism has been the target of intensive investigation in recent years. The growing importance of mortality and morbidity due to venous thromboembolism led to new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The clinical diagnosis may be misleading and both false-negative and false-positive diagnoses are common, when only clinical signs and symptoms are considered. METHODS: A major problem in the care of the patient is to establish the correct diagnosis. Studies show, that only Venography or Duplexsonography can clearify diagnosis. Risk factors for venous thromboembolism, propability calculations and consensus recommendations for diagnosis and therapy are presented. RESULTS: Diagnosis. Diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis must be established by Duplexultrasound and/or venography. Special situations may need further investigation by CT-scan or NMR-tomography. No single clinical sign or combination of signs give enough sensitivity and specificity. In patients with thromboembolism without clear etiology, hypercoagulability, neoplasms, compression syndroms, vascultides and other conditions have to be excluded. THERAPY: Heparins are the standard-therapy. Low-molecular weight heparins may have some benefits over standard heparins in terms of side effects and handling. Coumarin therapy can be started immediately, if no invasive procedures are necessary and have to be continued for 4-12 months, in recurred events and/or hypercoagulability even life-long. Thrombolysis is restricted to very few patients (patients under the age of 50 with large thrombosis not older than 3-7 days and no contraindications). Surgical thrombectomy is even more restricted. Compression therapy should be obligatory in all patients with thromboembolism. CONCLUSIONS: Thromboembolism is mainly a diagnostic challenge. The immediate start of the appropriate treatment may reduce embolism and thrombus formation, induce recanalisation and prevent post-thrombotic syndrom.