Off-Label Use of a Flared Endograft Limb for Treatment of a Complicated Anastomotic Abdominal Aortic Pseudoaneurysm: Reverse Deployment Throught Axillary Artery.

A case of complicated abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm not suitable for open repair is described. It was treated by means of endovascular methods with a flared endograft limb. The uniqueness of this case is the absence of a suitable femoral access, requiring the deployment of the graft in a reversed configuration through axillary artery. The technique is described and the need of imaginative off label use of endovascular devices in such emergent cases is discussed.

Leiomiosarcoma intraluminal de vena femoral común / Intraluminal leiomyosarcoma of the common femoral vein

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Aneurysmal degeneration of brachial artery in kidney transplant receptors after arteriovenous fistula ligation.

OBJECTIVES: True brachial artery aneurysms are. Recent case reports have suggested aneurysmal degeneration of brachial artery in kidney transplant receptors after arteriovenous fistula (AVF) ligation. We present a study on the evolution of the brachial artery in this context in our center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a descriptive study in kidney transplant receptors in whom AVF was ligated between 2008 and 2015. Patients with AVF in both upper limbs were excluded. Diameters of axillary artery, brachial artery in middle portion and its bifurcation, as well as brachial artery flow were measured using Dupplex ultrasound in AVF and contralateral limb. Both groups were compared using the Student t-test for paired samples. RESULTS: 20 patients were included in the study and had a mean age of 59.35 ± 2.49 years. The median time of use of AVF for hemodialysis was 729 days (range 120-6117) and the median time in which AVF was patent was 2261 days (range 791-7091). Mean diameters (in mm) of axillary artery, brachial in middle portion and bifurcation were respectively 9.33 ± 1.07, 7.5 ± 0.61 and 5.81 ± 0.43 in AVF arm and 5.6 ± 2.8, 4.4 ± 0.1, 4.9 ± 0.15 in control limb, finding statistically significant differences (p <0.01) in brachial and axillary arteries. 5 patients (25%) developed aneurysm, 2 of which (10%) underwent surgery and 3 are on follow up. CONCLUSION: True incidence of brachial artery aneurysm in kidney receptors following AVF ligation is high. Careful follow up with physical examination and dupplex scanning are needed to find this complication.

[Ecodoppler evaluation on the progress of atherosclerotic disease in patients undergoing contralateral carotid endarterectomy]. / Avaliação por ecodoppler da progressão da doença aterosclerótica em pacientes com endarterectomia carotídea contralateral.

PURPOSE: The clinical utility of monitoring by Doppler ultrasound patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy is not clearly established. Our goal is to evaluate by echo-Doppler the progress of contralateral stenosis in a real environment, in order to assess its usefulness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study with Doppler ultrasound monitoring in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy for a period of 3 years. We included cases with Doppler echography before and at least one post-surgery. We excluded patients with contralateral thrombosis, contralateral stenosis, established surgical indication or prior carotid surgery. Analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves to estimate the rate of patients free of progression and / or surgery, as well as an analysis of risk factors for progression of contralateral stenosis. RESULTS: We included 119 patients (41.2% symptomatic) age 68.3 +/- 8.41 years. The follow-up was 40.5 +/- 23.2 months, with a mean of 2.64 +/- 1.58 scans per patient. The likelihood of progression of contralateral carotid stenosis was estimated at 91, 86, 81 and 79% at one, two, three and four years respectively. The only significant risk factor for progression was the presence of moderate or greater contralateral stenosis (30% or more) at the time of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of the contralateral carotid atherosclerosis is relatively common. The degree of stenosis correlates with early progression, the study by echo-Doppler plays an important role in monitoring these patients.

Mortality in patients undergoing open aortoiliac surgery: prognostic value of troponin T in the immediate postoperative period.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing open aortoiliac surgery constitute a high-risk subgroup. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between postoperative troponin T (TnT) elevation with the associated postoperative mortality, and mean hospital stay. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of consecutive patients who underwent open aortoiliac surgery during 2006. TnT levels in the first 72 hours after the operation, immediate mortality, postoperative care unit stay, and total postoperative hospital stay were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed with the program SPSS 14.0; the chi-square test (or the Fisher's exact test) was used for qualitative variables and the Mann-Whitney test for quantitative variables. RESULTS: Of the 65 patients included in the study, postoperative TnT was elevated in 14 (21.5%) patients. No significant differences were found in age, sex, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, bronchopathy, or renal failure between groups. Mortality in patients with elevated TnT levels was significantly higher (42% compared with 3.92%; relative risk 10.93 +/- 0.76; p = 0.001). Likewise, their mean postoperative intensive care unit stay was significantly greater (23.21 +/- 6.96 days compared to 2.86 +/- 1.96; p < 0.001). This finding resulted in a significantly longer postoperative hospital stay (32.57 +/- 25.38 days compared with 12.47 +/- 2.21). CONCLUSION: TnT level in the immediate postoperative period is a highly relevant indicator of prognosis in patients undergoing major vascular surgery.

Valor diagnóstico de la ecografía Doppler color en el control clínico de la reparación endovascular de los aneurismas de aorta abdominal / The diagnostic value of colour Doppler ultrasonography in the clinical monitoring of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Introducción. El control clínico del tratamiento endovascular de la enfermedad aneurismática de la aorta abdominal se basa en la valoración de la evolución del tamaño del aneurisma, la permeabilidad de la endoprótesis y la detección de fugas. Objetivo. Comparar la ecografía Doppler (ED) color con la tomografía axial computarizada (TAC) en la evaluación del tamaño del aneurisma y la detección de fugas en el tratamiento endovascular de aneurismas de aorta abdominal. Pacientes y métodos. Estudio prospectivo entre enero y diciembre de 2005. En 14 pacientes sometidos a tratamiento endovascular se realizó ED color y TAC a 1, 6 y 12 meses. Se compararon los tamaños del aneurisma mediante la prueba t para muestras dependientes y estudio de correlación. Sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y valor predictivo negativo y el coeficiente de concordancia kappa se calcularon para la detección de fugas. Resultados. El control clínico medio fue de 9,4 meses y se compararon 49 exploraciones. El diámetro medio del aneurisma a los tres meses de control clínico fue de 51,2 cm con ED color y de 52,5 cm con TAC (p = no significativo). El coeficiente de correlación ascendió a 0,97 (p < 0,001). Todos los dispositivos se mantuvieron permeables. En detección de fugas, el estudio ED color obtuvo una sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y valor predictivo negativo de 75, 61, 20 y 95%, respectivamente (kappa = 0,61). Conclusiones. El estudio ED color obtiene una excelente correlación con la TAC en la medida del tamaño de los aneurismas. En cambio, posee un valor predictivo positivo muy bajo para la detección de fugas

Introduction. Clinical monitoring of the endovascular treatment of aneurysmal disease of the abdominal aorta is based on evaluating the progression of the size of the aneurysm, the patency of the stent and the detection of leaks. Aim. To compare colour Doppler ultrasonography (DU) with computerised axial tomography (CAT) for evaluating the size of the aneurysm and the detection of leaks in the endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Patients and methods. A prospective study between January and December 2005; colour DU and CAT scans were conducted in 14 patients submitted to endovascular treatment at 1, 6 and 12 months. Sizes of the aneurysms were compared by means of the t test for dependent samples and correlation studies. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive value and predictive negative value and the kappa coefficient of agreement were calculated for leak detection. Results. The mean period of clinical monitoring was 9.4 months and 49 examinations were compared. The mean diameter of the aneurysm at three months’ clinical monitoring was 51.2 cm with colour DU and 52.5 cm with CAT scanning (p = non-significant). The correlation coefficient was 0.97 (p < 0.001). Patency was maintained in all the devices. In the detection of leaks, the results of the colour DU study for sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive value and predictive negative value were 75, 61, 20 and 95%, respectively (kappa = 0.61). Conclusions. The colour DU study correlates very well with CAT in the measurement of the size of aneurysms. In contrast, it has a very low predictive positive value for the detection of leaks

Efecto de la trombosis carotídea en el comportamiento hemodinámico de la estenosis contralateral: criterios para su determinación / The effect of carotid thrombosis on the haemodynamic behaviour of contralateral stenosis: criteria for its determination

Objetivo. Comparar la precisión diagnóstica de varios parámetros hemodinámicos en la graduación de la estenosis carotídea en pacientes con oclusión contralateral. Pacientes y métodos. Se diseñó un estudio prospectivo de 76 pacientes con oclusión carotídea unilateral, en el que se correlacionaron de manera ciega los hallazgos de eco- Doppler color y arteriografía. Cada carótida se clasificó, según el grado estenótico angiográfico, en: 1-29% (n = 39), 30-49% (n = 15), 50-69% (n = 14), >= 70% (n = 8). Se consideraron cinco criterios hemodinámicos para valorar una estenosis > 50%: Universidad de Washington (estándar); AbuRahma (pico de velocidad sistólica, PSV > 140 cm/s; velocidad diastólica final, EDV 140 cm/s; EDV 1,5; y método nuevo (ratio de la ICA/CCA > 1,3; PSV > 115 cm/s). Se calcularon la sensibilidad, la especificidad, los valores predictivos positivo y negativo, el valor diagnóstico y el índice de concordancia κ. Resultados. La mejor concordancia arteriografía/eco-Doppler se dio para el método nuevo (κ = 0,59), con una precisión diagnóstica del 84,2, seguida del método estándar (que obtuvo una κ = 0,53 y una precisión de 82,8). Los métodos específicos para pacientes con trombosis carotídea unilateral (AbuRahma y Fujitani) fueron los menos eficaces, mientras que el método de la ratio presentó resultados intermedios. Conclusiones. La presencia de oclusión produce una sobreestimación o infraestimación del grado estenótico ipsilateral según los criterios clásicos admitidos. Este problema puede reducirse mediante la utilización de una ratio > 1,3 y un PSV > 115 cm/s. Para evaluar el grado de progresión de la enfermedad carotídea cada laboratorio ha de validar sus propios criterios, los cuales deben permitir diferenciar entre lesiones hemodinámicamente significativas y aquellas que no lo son (AU)

Aim. To compare the accuracy of various duplex hemodynamic criteria in grading ipsilateral carotid stenosis in patients with contralateral occlusion. Patients and methods. A prospective study was designed with 76 patients who had unilateral carotid occlusion, the results of duplex were correlated in blind fashion to arteriography. Each carotid was classified in order to the angiographic stenotic grade in: 1-29% (n = 39), 30-49% (n = 15), 50-69% (n = 14), ≥ 70% (n = 8). Five duplex ultrasonography classification criteria for discriminate > 50% stenosis were used: Washington University (standard), AbuRahma (peak systolic velocity, PSV > 140 cm/s; diastolic velocity, EDV 140 cm/s; EDV 1.5; new method (ratio ICA/ CCA > 1.3; PSV > 115 cm/s). The sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy and κ index were calculated. Results. Best concordance between angiography and duplex was for the new method, providing a κ = 0.59 and an accuracy of 84.2, followed by standard method that obtained κ = 0.53 and an accuracy of 82.8. Specific methods for patients with unilateral occlusion of ICA (AbuRahma and Fujitani) provided inferior efficacy in detecting carotid stenosis >= 50%, although the ratio method obtained intermediate results. Conclusions. The fact of having a contralateral occlusion of the ICA produces some overestimation or underestimation of the ipsilatral carotid stenosis degree following the classic criteria. This problem can be reduced using a ratio > 1.3 and a PSV > 115 cm/s. Each laboratory should perform an objective evaluation of their own criteria of diagnosis to discriminate hemodynamically significant lesions (AU)