Risk stratification by accelerated high-dose dipyridamole stress echocardiography in patients over 70 years of age.

BACKGROUND: The non-invasive prognostic assessment of coronary artery disease in patients over 70 years old is an important goal in daily clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively assess the feasibility, the positive and negative predictive values and the accuracy of accelerated high-dose dipyridamole stress echocardiography in patients over 70 years old. METHODS: Three hundred seventy nine patients (226 women; mean age of 75.9±4.6 years) underwent dipyridamole stress echocardiography. RESULTS: Follow-up data were available for 313 patients (mean follow-up duration 21±15.7 months). Overall feasibility was 97%. Positive predictive values were 30% and 40% for 6 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Negative predictive values were 97.7% and 96.7% for 6 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Accuracy values were 95.5% and 94.9% for 6 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Among the clinical variables, dyslipidemia (OR 5.3; CI 95% 1.3-20.9; p=0.016), coronary artery disease (OR 4.2; CI 95% 1.3-13.3; p=0.014) and a positive stress echo response (OR 9.0; CI 95% 1.7-49.1; p=0.011) were independently associated with the occurrence of a cardiovascular event. A Cox regression model showed that male gender and a positive stress echo response significantly predicted death. CONCLUSIONS: Risk stratification with accelerated high-dose dipyridamole stress echocardiography is feasible in patients over 70 years old. A positive stress echo response, the presence of coronary artery disease, and dyslipidemia positively predicted the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Male gender and a positive stress echo response significantly predicted death.

Utilização da safena magna in situ para arterialização do arco venoso do pé / The great saphenous vein in situ for the arterialization of the venous arch of the foot

CONTEXTO: O tratamento da isquemia crítica de membros inferiores sem leito arterial distal pode ser realizado por meio da inversão do fluxo no arco venoso do pé. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi apresentar a técnica e os resultados obtidos com a arterialização do arco venoso do pé, mantendo a safena magna in situ. MÉTODOS: Dezoito pacientes, dos quais 11 com aterosclerose (AO), 6 com tromboangeíte obliterante (TO) e 1 com trombose de aneurisma de artéria poplítea (TA) foram submetidos ao método. A safena magna in situ foi anastomosada à melhor artéria doadora. O fluxo arterial derivado para o sistema venoso progride por meio da veia cujas válvulas são destruídas. As colaterais da veia safena magna são ligadas desde a anastomose até o maléolo medial, a partir do qual são preservadas. RESULTADOS: Dos pacientes, 10 (55,6 por cento) mantiveram suas extremidades, 5 com AO e 5 com TO; 7 (38,9 por cento) foram amputados, 5 com AO, 1 com TO e 1 com Ta; houve 1 óbito (5,5 por cento). CONCLUSÃO: A inversão do fluxo arterial no sistema venoso do pé deve ser considerada para salvamento de extremidade com isquemia crítica sem leito arterial distal.

BACKGROUND: Critical lower limb ischemia in the absence of a distal arterial bed can be treated by arterialization of the venous arch of the foot. OBJETIVE: The objective of this paper was to present the technique and the results of the arterialization of the venous arch of the foot with the in situ great saphenous vein. METHODS: Eighteen patients, 11 with atherosclerosis (AO), 6 with thromboangiitis obliterans (TO) and 1 with popliteal artery aneurysm thrombosis were submitted to venous arch arterialization. The in situ great saphenous vein was anastomosed to the best donor artery. Arterial flow derived from the venous system progresses through the vein whose valves were destroyed. The collateral vessels of the great saphenous vein are linked from the anastomosis to the medial malleolus and preserved from this point onward. RESULTS: Limb salvage was achieved in 10 (55.6 percent) patients, 5 with AO and 5 with TO. Seven (38.9 percent) patients were amputated, 5 with AO, 1 with TO and 1 with Ta. One (5.5 percent) patient died. CONCLUSION: Arterialization of the venous system of the foot should be considered for the salvage of limbs with critical ischemia in the absence of a distal arterial bed.

Arterialização do arco venoso do pé para tratamento da tromboangeíte obliterante / Arterialization of the venous arch of the foot for the treatment of thromboangiitis obliterans

Em isquemia crítica sem leito arterial distal, um dos modos de irrigar o membro isquêmico é derivar o fluxo de maneira retrógrada através do sistema venoso. As primeiras tentativas de fístulas arteriovenosas terapêuticas datam do início do século passado. Realizadas na parte proximal dos membros inferiores, não obtiveram resultados favoráveis. A partir da década de 70, com os trabalhos pioneiros de Lengua, as fístulas passaram a ser estendidas até o pé, e os bons resultados apareceram em várias publicações. Os autores relatam a evolução de um caso de tromboangeíte obliterante submetida ao procedimento. Essa é uma cirurgia de indicação precisa, que requer estudo pré-operatório arterial e venoso e observância a detalhes de técnica operatória.

In critical ischemia without arterial run-off, it is possible to irrigate the ischemic limb by turning the course of the flow reversely through the venous system. The first experiments with therapeutic arteriovenous fistulas date from the beginning of the last century. They were performed in the proximal area of the lower limbs, but showed unfavorable results. Since the 1970's, with the pioneer studies of Lengua, fistulas started being extended to the foot and several publications have reported good outcomes. The authors report the evolution of a case of thromboangiitis obliterans which was submitted to the procedure. This is an accurate surgical procedure which requires arterial and venous preoperative study and the observance of technical operative details.