[Change in concept--from vascular centre to interdisciplinary organ-oriented clinic for vascular medicine]. / Vom Konzept Gefäßzentrum zur interdisziplinären Organklinik für Gefäßmedizin.

Demographic developments have led to an exponential increase of cardiovascular illness. Additionally, the technical development of conservative and invasive treatment modalities has added to an increase of differentiated therapy. The development of vascular centres led to optimised processes in diagnostic and therapy according to their essential requirements. A further development is an increased specialisation and new orientation of vascular specialties through a combination of vascular surgery, endovascular therapy and angiology. The concept of the Hamburg model implements this development by introduction of an organ-orientated clinic for vascular medicine, located within the heart centre of the University of Hamburg's Eppendorf Hospital.

Sonographic and clinical pattern of extracranial and cranial giant cell arteritis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to describe the sonographic pattern and clinical manifestations of extracranial (i.e. carotid and proximal arm arteries) and cranial arterial involvement in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS: One hundred and ten consecutive patients with an established diagnosis of GCA between January 2002 and June 2010 were identified retrospectively from a database. All patients underwent colour duplex sonography (CDS) of the superficial temporal, carotid, and proximal arm arteries at the time of diagnosis. Circumferential, homogeneous, hypoechogenic wall thickening was regarded as a typical sign for GCA. Sonographic and clinical characteristics of patients with and without extracranial vessel involvement were compared. RESULTS: Extracranial GCA was observed in 59 of 110 subjects (53.6%). The axillary artery (48.2%) was most frequently affected and bilateral vessel involvement was present in almost all patients (94.8%). Compared to patients with cranial GCA, patients with extracranial GCA were significantly younger, frequently did not meet the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for classification of cranial GCA, exhibited a lower rate of permanent visual impairment, and were diagnosed later after onset of clinical symptoms (all p < 0.01). With increasing age, a continuous shift from GCA with extracranial arterial involvement to cranial GCA was observed. CONCLUSION: Using CDS, extracranial GCA is a common finding, most frequently observed in the axillary arteries. The clinical pattern of GCA with extracranial arterial involvement differs from that of cranial GCA.

Patterns of extracranial involvement in newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis assessed by physical examination, colour coded duplex sonography and FDG-PET.

BACKGROUND: The clinical spectrum of giant cell arteritis (GCA) varies from classical temporal arteritis (TA) to generalized large vessel GCA (LV-GCA) and fever of unknown origin (FUO). Extent and distribution of extracranial involvement in these different presentations of GCA is not well known, and its detection may depend on the choice of vascular imaging. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 24 patients with newly diagnosed GCA we systematically evaluated the presence and distribution of extracranial involvement by physical examination, duplex sonography (DS), and FDG-PET. Analysis of FDG-PET results was performed in comparison with 18 age-matched control-subjects scanned for oncological indications. RESULTS: Initial clinical diagnosis was TA in 11 patients, LV-GCA in 8 patients, and FUO in 5 patients. Clinically detectable arterial obstruction was present in 2 patients (18 %) with TA (only upper extremity), all patients with LV-GCA (upper and lower extremities) and no patient with FUO. Upper and/or lower limb large vessel vasculitis was detectable by DS in 45 % of the patients with TA and in 100 % of the patients with LV-GCA or FUO. FDG-PET confirmed upper extremity involvement in all affected patients, but had a very low specificity for lower limb involvement due to concomitant arteriosclerosis in these elderly patients. Aortitis was detectable by FDG-PET in 27 % of patients with TA and 75 - 80 % of patients with LV-GCA or FUO. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of thorough clinical examination and DS is able to detect symptomatic as well as asymptomatic large vessel involvement in a large proportion of patients with newly diagnosed GCA. Distribution and manifestation of large vessel involvement differs between classical TA and LVGCA or FUO. FDG-PET provided only limited additional information and did not change the clinical diagnosis in any patient.

[Diabetic foot syndrome]. / Diabetisches Fußsyndrom.

For patients with a diabetic foot wound the risk for amputation is high. The three main reasons for developing foot ulcers in diabetes are biomechanical factors, neurologic and vascular alterations. According to this the ulcers can be categorized in neuropathic (50%), ischemic (15%) and neuroischemic (35%). Sensomotoric polyneuropathy leads to the loss of perception of pain in the feet and in combination with extrinsic and intrinsic biomechanical factors, chronic wounds evolve (malum perforans). The therapy should take place within an interdisciplinary network and based on guidelines. Besides pressure off-loading debridement of the wound is mandatory. The arterial occlusions in diabetes mainly affect the cruropedal vessels and when ischemia occurs a reconstruction must be attempted. The risk of recurrence is high so that regular follow-up examinations, screening to detect high risk patients and education are necessary.

Fever of unknown origin as initial manifestation of large vessel giant cell arteritis: diagnosis by colour-coded sonography and 18-FDG-PET.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and imaging results (CDS, 18-FDG-PET) of patients with large vessel giant cell arteritis (LV-GCA) presenting as fever of unknown origin (FUO). METHODS: From a series of 82 patients with GCA we identified 8 patients with FUO as initial disease manifestation. Clinical characteristics and results of CDS and 18-FDG-PET were analysed. Patients with FUO and those with other clinical manifestations of GCA were compared. RESULTS: 18-FDG-PET-scans were available for 6/8 patients, revealing enhanced tracer uptake of the thoracic aorta and the aortic branches in all patients. CDS was performed in 8/8 patients, with detection of hypoechogenic wall thickening related to LV-GCA in 7/8 patients. Subjects with FUO were significantly younger (60.9 vs. 69.3 years, p<0.01) and had a stronger humoral inflammatory response (CRP 12.6 vs. 7.1 mg/dl, p<0.01; ESR 110 vs. 71 mm/hour, p<0.01), when compared to the other GCA-patients. CONCLUSIONS: LV-GCA should be considered as important differential diagnosis in patients with FUO. In addition to 18-FDG-PET, which is known to be a valuable method in the diagnostic work-up of FUO, we recommend CDS of the supraaortal and femoropopliteal arteries for the initial diagnostic work-up.

[Takayasu's arteritis without manifest arterial stenoses as a cause of fever of unknown origin]. / Takayasu-Arteriitis ohne manifeste Gefässstenosen als Ursache von Fieber unklarer Genese.

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: Two women, aged 59 and 53 years, presented with a history of several months of classical fever of unknown origin (FUO), largely normal physical findings, and elevated markers of systemic inflammation. INVESTIGATIONS: After initially unremarkable findings, duplex-sonography detected circular, hypoechogenic wall thickening of the axillary arteries without hemodynamically significant narrowing of the lumen. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positrone emission-tomography (18F-FDG-PET) revealed marked vascular tracer uptake in the aorta and in the proximal arteries of the arms and legs. TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP: The diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis was made, and high-dose prednisone treatment was initiated. Within a few days both patients became asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: Large vessel vasculitis is a known cause of FUO. Duplex-sonography and 18F-FDG-PET are able to detect these disorders at an early stage before the onset of clinically relevant arterial obstructions. More widespread use of these techniques may show that large-vessel vasculitis is more common than previously thought.

Stenting of the superficial femoral artery after suboptimal balloon angioplasty: one-year results.

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze the intermediate results of selective stenting of superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions after a suboptimal balloon angioplasty result. METHODS: We analyzed 70 consecutive patients with claudication or critical limb ischemia due to peripheral arterial occlusive disease who underwent stent implantation of the SFA after unsuccessful balloon-angioplasty. All patients were followed-up immediately after the procedure and 3, 6 and 12 months thereafter. Restenosis was defined as an increase of peak systolic velocity-index >2 as determined by duplex sonography. RESULTS: Primary patency rates at 3, 6 and 12 months were 83.4%, 66.2% and 59%, respectively. Successful reinterventions were performed for 17 reobstructions, resulting in a secondary patency rate at 3, 6 and 12 months of 91%, 89.3%, and 83.8%, respectively. At 12 months 68.6% of the patients were asymptomatic, 21.6% complained of mild (Fontaine class II a), 5.9% of severe (Fontaine class II b) claudication and 2.9% were in critical limb ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that selective stenting of the SFA after suboptimal balloon angioplasty results in intermediate patency rates similar to that reported for primarily successful PTA, thereby supporting the widely accepted policy of selective stenting as a rescue procedure after unsuccessful balloon angioplasty.

Comportamiento de la vancomicina con las nuevas técnicas de diálisis / Behaviour of vancomycin with the new techniques in haemodialysis

Con el uso de técnicas de diálisis de alta convección surge la necesidad de plantearsela idoneidad de los protocolos habituales de administración de algunos fármacos,como la vancomicina.Objetivos: Confirmar si la pauta habitual de vancomicina es eficaz en pacientes atratamiento con biofiltración libre de acetato (AFB) y hemodiafiltración en línea(On-line). Proponer una pauta alternativa de administración.Materiales y métodos: Trece pacientes a tratamiento con AFB u On-line. Diez utilizabanfiltros de polisulfona y 3 de AN69. Primera parte: a 6 pacientes se les administró1 g iv de vancomicina en la última hora de diálisis. Segunda parte: a 7 pacientesse les administró una dosis de ataque de 30 mg/kg iv durante las dos últimas horas dediálisis, con un refuerzo de 500 mg post-diálisis. Se hizo un seguimiento de los nivelessanguíneos del antibiótico durante la semana siguiente a la administración.Resultados: En la primera fase se observó un descenso del 41% de los niveles séricosde vancomicina durante la diálisis, condicionando niveles subterapéuticos enel 83% de los pacientes hasta el final del estudio. Durante la segunda fase se consiguiómantener niveles terapéuticos y no tóxicos durante todo el estudio. Se confirmóla existencia de un rebote post-diálisis del 21%. Con la técnica de On-line se conseguíaun mayor aclaramiento de vancomicina que con AFB (176 vs 135 ml/min). Encontramosuna fuerte correlación entre el descenso del antibiótico y el volumen ultrafiltradocon la técnica de On-line.Conclusiones: La pauta habitual de vancomicina puede resultar insuficiente enpacientes a tratamiento con On-line y AFB. Podría ser adecuada una pauta basadaen una dosis de ataque de 30 mg/kg y un refuerzo de 500 mg al final de cada diálisis.Posiblemente el aclaramiento de este antibiótico con la técnica de On-line seproduzca por transporte convectivo

When using high convection dialysis techniques it arouses the necessity of consideringthe suitability of the regular protocols when administrating drugs, such as vancomycin. Objectives: To confirm if the usual guideline of vancomycin is efficient in patientsundergoing treatments with acetate free biofiltration (AFB) and haemodiafiltrationon-line (on-line). To propose an alternative guideline of administration.Material and methods: 13 patients treated with AFB or On-line. 10 of them usedfilters of polysulfone and 3 of them of AN69. First part: 6 patients were administered1 g iv during the last hour of dialysis. Second part: 7 patients were given a loadingdose of 30 mg/kg iv with a reinforcement of 500 mg post-dialysis. The blood levelsof the antibiotic were monitorized during the week following the administration.Outcomes: During the first phase it was noticed a decrease of 41% in the serumlevel of vancomycin during dialysis, conditioning subtherapeutic levels in the 83% ofthe patients until the end of the study. As for the second phase, therapeutic non-toxiclevels were maintained during the whole study. The existence of a post-dialysis reboundof the 21% was confirmed. A bigger clearance of vancomycin was obtainedwith the On-line technique rather than with AFB (176 vs 135 ml/min). We find astrong correlation between the decrease of the antibiotic and the volume ultrafiltratedwith the On-line technique.Conclusions: The usual guideline of vancomycin may not be enough with the newconvective dialysis techniques. A guideline based on a loading dose of 30 mg/kg anda reinforcement of 500 mg at the end of each dialysis could be adequate. The antibioticclearance with the On-line technique is probably made by convective transport

Refractory Takayasu's arteritis successfully treated with the human, monoclonal anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody adalimumab.

Treatment of Takayasu's arteritis remains a demanding challenge to clinicians. In many patients the course of the disease is characterized by frequent relapses and disease progression under conventional treatment with glucocorticoids and cytotoxic drugs. We present the case of a young woman with severe cerebrovascular and aortic involvement, who experienced disease progression in spite of more than 2 years of treatment with high doses of prednisone, methotrexate and cyclophosphamide. In this patient, treatment with the human, monoclonal anti-tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNFalfa)-antibody adalimumab achieved clinical remission and allowed tapering of prednisone within a few months. The present case, as well as previous reports on the use of infliximab in giant cell and Takayasu's arteries, suggests that TNFa-blockade may be a new, promising treatment for glucocorticoid-refractory large-vessel vasculitis.

Transcatheter coil embolization of an aneurysm of the pancreatico-duodenal artery with occluded celiac trunk.

We report on a case of a wide-necked aneurysm of the pancreatico-duodenal artery with occlusion of the celiac trunk in an asymptomatic patient. The aneurysm was considered to be at high risk of rupture. Successful embolization after interdisciplinary consultation was followed with color-coded duplex ultrasound (CCDS) demonstrating significant flow reduction. Three weeks later CCDS and angiography demonstrated exclusion of the aneurysm and a patent arterial supply of the liver and spleen fed by superior mesenteric artery (SMA) collaterals. The patient has done well so far, without major adverse clinical events or evidence for tissue necrosis of the liver, pancreas or spleen. Discussion of the case and review of the literature indicate that transcatheter embolization is the therapy of choice even in complicated cases.

[Behaviour of vancomycin with the new techniques in haemodialysis]. / Comportamiento de la vancomicina con tas nuevas técnicas de diálisis.

UNLABELLED: When using high convection dialysis techniques it arouses the necessity of considering the suitability of the regular protocols when administrating drugs, such as vancomycin. OBJECTIVES: To confirm if the usual guideline of vancomycin is efficient in patients undergoing treatments with acetate free biofiltration (AFB) and haemodiafiltration on-line (on-line). To propose an alternative guideline of administration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 13 patients treated with AFB or On-line. 10 of them used filters of polysulfone and 3 of them of AN69. First part: 6 patients were administered 1 g iv during the last hour of dialysis. Second part: 7 patients were given a loading dose of 30 mg/kg iv with a reinforcement of 500 mg post-dialysis. The blood levels of the antibiotic were monitorized during the week following the administration. OUTCOMES: During the first phase it was noticed a decrease of 41% in the serum level of vancomycin during dialysis, conditioning subtherapeutic levels in the 83% of the patients until the end of the study. As for the second phase, therapeutic non-toxic levels were maintained during the whole study. The existence of a post-dialysis rebound of the 21 % was confirmed. A bigger clearance of vancomycin was obtained with the On-line technique rather than with AFB (176 vs 135 ml/min). We find a strong correlation between the decrease of the antibiotic and the volume ultrafiltrated with the On-line technique. CONCLUSIONS: The usual guideline of vancomycin may not be enough with the new convective dialysis techniques. A guideline based on a loading dose of 30 mg/kg and a reinforcement of 500 mg at the end of each dialysis could be adequate. The antibiotic clearance with the On-line technique is probably made by convective transport.

[Hypothenar hammer syndrome as a cause of severe digital ischemia]. / Hypothenar-Hammer-Syndrom als Ursache einer schweren digitalen Ischämie.

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 69-year-old amateur carpenter complained of a sudden stabbing pain and a white discoloration of D4 and D5 of the right hand while shoveling snow. On admission in our clinic twelve days later, clinical inspection showed a gangrene of the distal bone of D5 and proximal garland-shaped radial and ulnar subcutaneous haemorrhage and already ischemic contracture. D4 showed pale livid colour. INVESTIGATIONS: According to the results of an arteriography acral pulse oscillography revealed a occlusion of the digital arteries. Duplex sonography showed a thrombotic occluded aneurysm of the right ulnar artery over the hypothenar area. DIAGNOSIS: Hypothenar hammer syndrome with a thrombotic occlusion of an aneurysm of the distal ulnar artery and multiple thromboembolic occlusions of the digital arteries of D4 and D5 of the right hand. TREATMENT AND COURSE: After initial therapy with Iloprost, treatment of pain and local treatment, an intraarterial locoregional lysis therapy with urokinase was performed. Acral blood circulation improved significantly and the patient was completely painless after treatment. CONCLUSION: In case of an acute onset of unilateral digital ischemia hypothenar hammer syndrome should be considered. Regional thrombolysis can be performed in case of severe digital ischemia.

[Value of MR angiography in follow-up after cruro-pedal bypass surgery]. / Wertigkeit der MR-Angiographie im follow-up nach cruro-pedalen Bypassanlagen.

Patients after crural or pedal revascularization need a consequent surveillance to prevent graft failure. We compared the results of the clinical examination including duplexscanning with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). 26 bypass grafts were evaluated for potential stenosis in five locations. Using both techniques, 93 of 109 locations were classified identically. 10 of 16 locations which were categorized differently were reviewed angiographically (DSA). In contrast to duplexscanning, MRA detected 3 high grade stenosis, which had to be dilatated percutaneously. MRA should be used regularly in surveillance programs of distal bypass grafting.

Physicians' attitudes towards voluntary reporting of adverse drug events.

At the time a new drug is placed on the market, information on its therapeutic effect and toxicity is limited. Because of its simplicity and widespread use, the voluntary reporting by clinical physicians is the main method for detecting rare or unexpected adverse drug events (ADEs). However, the usefulness of this method may be compromised if the reporting rate is low. We present the results of a questionnaire-based case-control study carried out among 692 physicians from Galicia (north-west region of Spain), in which we assessed their attitudes and opinions towards ADEs. In general, the Galician physicians think it is difficult to link a given ADE with a drug (P < 0.05) and have very heterogeneous opinions on the fact that very severe ADEs are known before the drug is commercialized. They globally disagree with the proposal that ADE reporting should be renumerated and the fact that ADE reporting can be risky for the physician. Some of the beliefs concerning ADEs are incorrect. It is crucial to improve the training of the physicians through active educational strategies based on personal contact.

Adult moyamoya disease with peripheral artery involvement.

We report the case of a young white woman in whom cerebrovascular moyamoya disease, which was associated with nonarteriosclerotic peripheral artery disease of the subclavian, iliac, and femoropopliteal arteries, was diagnosed by means of angiography. During 8 years of follow-up, the peripheral artery disease progressed, without any signs characteristic of systemic inflammation or vasculitis, leading to severe calf and arm claudication. Despite the absence of histologic confirmation, this observation strongly suggests that peripheral artery involvement may be a feature of moyamoya disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an association of classical cerebrovascular moyamoya disease with peripheral artery disease.

A severe case of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis with massive accumulation of gas outside the gastrointestinum.

We report an unusually severe case of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis in an adult female patient undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoblastic crisis in chronic myelogenous leukemia. An impressive accumulation of gas was not only detected within the intestinal wall and mesentery but also in the peritoneum, retroperitoneum, mediastinum and cervical subcutaneous tissue. The patient was almost asymptomatic and fully recovered within a few days of treatment. In addition to chemotherapy, the patient was receiving trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and lactulose for constipation. Mucosal damage due to chemotherapy and depletion of tetrahydrofolic acid, changes in bowel flora induced by antibiotic treatment, and the intake of unabsorbable carbohydrates may be responsible for the severity of the disease.