Angioplasty with stenting is effective in treating blue toe syndrome.

Blue toe syndrome is a manifestation of distal embolization associated with significant pain and risk of tissue loss. The recommended treatment options for this problem include endarterectomy or bypass with exclusion of the source of emboli. Although focal arterial stenosis can be effectively treated with angioplasty,it is unclear whether performing angioplasty in a lesion suspected of causing distal embolization might actually worsen the condition or what long-term effects this would have in preventing future embolization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the treatment and outcome of a series of patients with unilateral blue toe syndrome treated with percutaneous angioplasty and stenting. During a 5-year period, a total of 8 patients were identified with unilateral blue toe syndrome. Ankle/brachial indices (ABIs) were obtained, followed by arteriography. The study group included 4 men and 4 women with an age range of 35 to 83 years. Their atherosclerotic risk factors included smoking (8), hypertension (5), diabetes mellitus (3), and hypercholesterolemia (1). One patient had a history of illicit drug use. The patients were followed up by repeat clinical examinations and vascular laboratory studies. Arteriography typically demonstrated a focal preocclusive lesion with thrombus at the distal end of the lesion. Angioplasty and stent placement was technically successful in all cases. The ABIs increased following angioplasty (before 0.81 +/- 0.05; after 1.02 +/-.05). The symptoms resolved in all 8 patients over the ensuing month, and there were no recurrences with a mean follow-up of 18.5 months (range 4 to 36 months). There was 1 death at 4 months associated with preexisting colon carcinoma. Unilateral arterial to arterial emboli were found in association with focal preocclusive lesions. Despite the presence of thrombus in some of the lesions, these patients were not acutely worse following angioplasty. There was good initial angiographic success in all cases. There was also hemodynamic improvement as shown by the increased ankle/brachial indices. Although long-term follow-up is not available, these intermediate results suggest that angioplasty and stenting should be considered a reasonable alternative to standard operative approaches for patients with blue to syndrome associated with embolization from a focal stenosis.

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) secondary to subdural hematoma.

Subdural hematomas many sometimes clinically resemble Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA's). We present three cases which were initially evaluated for, diagnosed as having and were treated for TIA's, but later were found to have subdural hematomas. As in case one, patients with subdurals may have antecedent head trauma which they may or may not recall. Patients presenting with symptoms resembling TIA's need a complete neurologic evaluation. The differential diagnosis for TIA's includes arteriosclerotic extracranial vascular disease, cardiac emboli, migraine, seizure disorder, and mass lesions. Since the prognosis and treatment differs one needs to determine the etiology of the symptoms before treatment is initiated. Specifically, other diagnoses must be excluded prior to anticoagulation therapy, as evidenced by case 2.

Screening for cholelithiasis prior to aortic reconstruction.

A study was undertaken to determine the value of preoperative oral cholecystography and the incidence and complications of cholelithiasis in patients undergoing aortic reconstruction. Over an 11-year period, 785 patients underwent aortic reconstruction. Forty-seven had a previous cholecystectomy; of the 738 remaining patients, 394 underwent preoperative operative oral cholecystography to screen for cholelithiasis. Seventy-three (18 percent) were found to have gallbladder disease. Thirteen had symptoms attributed to cholelithiasis and underwent cholecystectomy with aortic reconstruction. Three hundred eighty-one were left with the gallbladder after aortic reconstruction, 60 in whom disease was identified and 321 with normal oral cholecystography results. Three patients developed cholecystitis in the postoperative period, one in the diseased group and two with normal gallbladders. The incidence of postoperative cholecystitis was 0.8 percent (3 patients). Preoperative oral cholecystography is of little value as a screening tool. Cholecystectomy during aortic reconstruction is probably safe and the risk of postoperative cholecystitis in the asymptomatic patient is negligible.

Optimal cerebral monitoring during carotid endarterectomy: neurologic response under local anesthesia.

A prospective series of carotid endarterectomies were performed with patients given local anesthesia in an attempt to determine the efficacy of intraoperative EEG monitoring and/or stump pressure measurements in predicting the need for carotid shunting. Carotid artery stump pressure was measured and EEG changes noted; however, neither low stump pressure nor EEG changes influenced the decision for shunt insertion. A shunt was only used if a neurologic deficit developed during carotid clamping. A total of 134 carotid endarterectomies were done in 121 patients. Sixty-six patients were men and 55 were women with ages ranging from 41 to 88 years. Indications included transient ischemic attacks in 57 (43%), prior stroke in 25 (19%), vertebrobasilar symptoms in nine (6%), and asymptomatic patients with high-grade stenosis, 43 (32%). Thirteen patients (9.7%) developed neurologic deficits following carotid clamping and had shunts inserted. All deficits cleared following shunt insertion. Nine of the 13 had EEG changes, but in four, EEGs were unchanged despite the occurrence of clear-cut neurologic changes. Stump pressure in the 13 patients ranged from 14 to 78 mm Hg. Ten were greater than 24 mm Hg and three were more than 50 mm Hg. In 121 operations no neurologic deficits occurred during carotid clamping and no shunts were inserted. In 13 of these operations, significant EEG changes were noted. Stump pressures in these 13 with EEG changes ranged from 15 to 120 mm Hg. In seven, stump pressure was greater than 50 mm Hg. There were no deaths in the series. Two (1.5%) temporary and one (0.7%) permanent postoperative deficits occurred.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)