Parathyroid scintigraphy findings in chronic kidney disease patients with recurrent hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Parathyroidectomy (PTX), either subtotal or total with forearm autografting, is a well-established treatment for refractory renal hyperparathyroidism (RHPT). However, 20-30% of patients develop persistent or recurrent disease. Obtaining accurate localization before reoperation is difficult. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group comprised 21 consecutive adult patients (18 undergoing haemodialysis and 3 with a renal graft) imaged using (99m)Tc-sestamibi/(123)I subtraction scintigraphy. Of the 21 patients, 12 had undergone one previous PTX and the other 9 between two and four parathyroid operations. All patients had symptoms and signs of severe RHPT. The mean serum PTH level was 1,142 pg/ml. (99m)Tc-Sestamibi and (123)I images were recorded simultaneously. Imaging views comprised a planar view of the neck and mediastinum, followed by a magnified pinhole view over the thyroid bed area. If parathyroid ectopy was detected, SPECT or SPECT-CT was performed. The forearm was imaged in case of autograft. RESULTS: Parathyroid scintigraphy was negative in one patient and positive in the other 20 (sensitivity 95.2%). One patient had uptake corresponding to two unresected parathyroid glands. Recurrence at the site of the partially resected gland or autograft was seen in 11 patients. However, six of them had a second (99m)Tc-sestamibi focus corresponding to a supernumerary parathyroid gland. Seven other patients had a supernumerary parathyroid gland as the sole cause of relapse. Three of the supernumerary glands showed major ectopy (intrathyroidal, low mediastinal, undescended within the vagus nerve). One patient had parathyromatosis with multiple parathyroid nodules scattered over the left side of the neck. Reoperation was possible in 13 patients, with no false-positive findings. CONCLUSION: Many patients referred with the hypothesis of hyperplasia of a subtotally resected parathyroid gland or autograft were found to harbour a supernumerary parathyroid gland missed at the initial surgery.

Long-term results of venous bypass for lower extremity arteries with selective short segment prosthetic reinforcement of varicose dilatations.

The long-term benefit of venous bypass has been clearly demonstrated, but procedure feasibility is contingent upon availability of a suitable vein. In this study, we evaluated the outcome of venous bypasses performed by the first author using veins presenting dilatations that were selectively reinforced with a short prosthesis. The purpose was to answer three questions. First, should ectasis be reduced before reinforcement? Second, do hyperplasia and stenosis develop in reinforced zones? Third, do dilatation and rupture develop in unreinforced zones? Twelve patients, including 10 men and 2 women ranging in age from 36 to 77 years (median 68), underwent bypass for peripheral artery disease in seven cases, popliteal aneurysm in four, and prosthetic rupture in one. Ten patients had poor distal runoff. The bypass was femoral-to-popliteal in eight cases, femoral-to-infrapopliteal in three, and popliteal-to-popliteal in one. The graft was reversed in nine cases and ex situ devalvulated in three. The number of prosthetic reinforcements used was one in two cases, two in three cases, three in six cases, and four in one case. All but one prosthetic reinforcement were made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Bypass occlusion was observed in two cases, including one case observed in the early postoperative period after bypass for limb salvage in a young man in whom distal runoff was limited to a few collaterals and one case that occurred 4 years after a repeat bypass procedure. The other 10 bypasses remained patent throughout follow-up, which varied from 1 to 11 years (median 4). There were three deaths during follow-up. Doppler ultrasound revealed no stenosis in the reinforced zones and no dilatation in the unreinforced zones but demonstrated progressive deterioration of the runoff in 50% of cases. At the last follow-up examination, two bypasses were patent despite poor runoff. Although the number of patients in this series was small, the outcome of venous bypass using reinforced vein grafts appeared clearly better than outcomes of prosthetic bypass reported in the literature. Reinforcement can be easily achieved using a short, thin-walled PTFE prosthesis adjusted to the proper diameter by gentle dilatation using forceps. Unlike most authors, we do not recommend reducing dilatation by resection or oversewing. Reinforced zones did not develop stenosis and unreinforced intermediate zones showed little or no dilatation and no risk of rupture.

[Differentiated thyroid carcinoma--how to improve the long-term results? Twenty-five-year outcomes of 850 patients]. / Cancers thyroïdiens différenciés: comment optimiser les résultats a long terme? A propos des résultats a 25 ans d'une série de 850 opérés.

About 4000 people are diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma each year in France and as many as one in three adult patients have thyroid nodules on sonography. Nine in ten cases are differentiated (DTC). DTC may recur in the neck or metastasize very late, and final outcomes should therefore only be assessed after at least 20 years of follow-up. The goals of this study were to provide a reference for the evaluation of other protocols, to evaluate the benefits and risks of radioiodine, and to identify the most effective management option. We examined 25-year outcomes in a series of 850 DTC patients who were operated on and monitored with the same protocols. We used an original classification (Ext-Tg) that includes both the initial extension and the thyroglobulin (Tg) level at the end of initial treatment. The low-risk group, composed of patients with Tg <10 microg/l after ablation of thyroid remnants, included patients at stage 1 (microcarcinoma, n=268), stage 2 (intra-thyroidal carcinoma, n=310), and stage 3 (DTC with node invasion, n=142). Stage 4 disease consisted of DTC with some non excisable tumor in the neck, and/or metastasis, and/or stimulated Tg >10 microg/l after remnant ablation. Most patients had total thyroidectomy followed by radioiodine ablation, periodic monitoring adapted to the stage, and suppressive therapy. At 25 years the actuarial rates of cancer-related death among patients with initial stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 disease were respectively 0%, 1,4%, 0% and 46,9%. The overall recurrence rates were respectively 3,6%, 3,8%, 5,3% and 44,5%. The rates of cervical recurrence necessitating surgery were 3,8%, 2,4%, 3,4% and 23,7%. Serious complications of treatment, including radioiodine, were rare. We conclude that:--good long-term results are more likely to be obtained when total thyroidectomy and radioiodine are combined with an early detection of recurrences (before they are visible by traditional imaging methods);--patients must be strictly staged in order to guide the modalities and duration of follow-up, and the Ext-TG classification seems more appropriate than all those which do not consider the Tg level at the end of initial treatment;--in experienced hands the benefits of total surgical ablation of the tumor greatly outweigh the potential risks;--radioiodine is effective and safe when appropriate measures are taken to prevent complications, and the long-term eficacy of surveillance without total body scanning should be verified before being universally adopted;--cost-reduction should focus on diagnosis, screening, and the selection of nodules eligible for surgery, rather than on monitoring of patients with DTC. DTC is thus a paradigm of a disease in which it is possible to optimize the long-term results and to lower costs by monitoring small and non-suspect nodules.

Resultados tardios das reconstruções arteriais dos membros inferiores com a utilização de veias portadoras de dilatações varicosas revestidas seletivamente com segmentos protéticos / Infrainguinal arterial bypasses using dilated varicose veins selectively wrapped with prosthetic segments - late results

OBJETIVO: Responder as seguintes questões: 1) o revestimento protético deve ser precedido de uma redução da ectasia? 2) as zonas revestidas apresentam um risco de hiperplasia ou estenose? 3) as zonas não revestidas possuem um risco de dilatação e ruptura? MÉTODOS: Doze pacientes (10 homens e duas mulheres), com idades entre 33 e 77 anos (idade mediana = 68), foram submetidos a pontes em conseqüência de arterite (n = 7), aneurisma poplíteo (n = 4) ou ruptura de prótese (n = 1). As pontes foram fêmoro-poplíteas (n = 8), fêmoro-infra poplíteas (n = 3) e poplíteo-poplítea (n = 1). A safena utilizada foi de forma reversa em nove casos e ex situ devalvuladas em três casos. Os revestimentos foram aplicados em número de um (n = 2), dois (n = 3), três (n = 6) e quatro (n = 1). Todos, exceto um, foram de PTFE. RESULTADOS: Duas pontes ocluíram, uma precocemente por déficit de leito distal e outra 4 anos após a operação. As outras 10 pontes permaneceram pérvias durante o acompanhamento, que variou entre 1 e 11 anos (mediana = 4 anos). Metade dos casos apresentou uma deterioração progressiva do leito distal. No último controle, duas pontes permaneceram pérvias, a despeito de um leito distal desértico. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados desta série apresentam-se notadamente superiores aos das pontes protéicas descritas na literatura. O revestimento é efetuado facilmente com uma prótese curta de PTFE de parede fina. É inútil reduzir as dilatações antes do revestimento por sutura ou ressecção - anastomose. As zonas situadas sobre a bainha de PTFE não evoluem para estenoses. As zonas intermediárias dilatam-se por vezes moderadamente e sem risco de ruptura.

Vascular smooth muscle cell endovascular therapy stabilizes already developed aneurysms in a model of aortic injury elicited by inflammation and proteolysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficiency of endovascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) seeding in promoting healing and stability in already-developed aneurysms obtained by matrix metalloproteases (MMPs)-driven injury. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: VSMCs are instrumental in arterial healing after injury and are in decreased number in arterial aneurysms. This cellular deficiency may account for poor healing capabilities and ongoing expansion of aneurysms. METHODS: Aneurysmal aortic xenografts in rats displaying extracellular matrix injury by inflammation and proteolysis were seeded endoluminally with syngeneic VSMCs, with controls receiving culture medium only. Diameter, structure, and the destruction/reconstruction balance were assessed. RESULTS: Eight weeks after endovascular infusion, aneurysmal diameter had increased further, from 3.0 +/- 0.3 mm to 10.9 +/- 6.5 mm (P = 0.009), and medial elastin content had decreased from 36.5 +/- 8.5 to 5.2 +/- 5.5 surface-percent (S%; P = 0.009) in controls, whereas these parameters remained stable in the seeded group (3.0 +/- 0.3 to 2.7 +/- 0.2 mm, P = 0.08; 36.5 +/- 8.4 to 31.6 +/- 9.7 S%, P = 0.22). VSMC seeding was followed by a decrease in mononuclear infiltration. MMP-1, -3, -7, -9, and -12 mRNA contents were sharply decreased in the diseased wall in response to seeding. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, -2, and -3 mRNAs in the intima were increased in a 2 to 10 magnitude in comparison with controls. Gelatin zymography showed the disappearance of MMP-9 activity and reverse zymography a strong increase in tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 activity in the seeded group. VSMC-seeded aneurysms were rich in collagen and lined with an endothelium instead of a thrombus in controls. CONCLUSIONS: VSMCs endovascular seeding restores the healing capabilities of proteolytically injured extracellular matrix in aneurysmal aortas, and stops expansion.

Extensive unilateral iliofemoral occlusions: durability of four techniques of arterial reconstructions.

In patients with long unilateral iliofemoral occlusive disease unfit for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), most surgeons would choose some type of prosthetic bypass (aortounifemoral, iliofemoral or cross over). All these bypasses would provide excellent early results, but some may not be sufficient in patients with a good life expectancy who also need durable patency. The purpose of the study was to compare the long-term results of four types of arterial reconstructions. Over 20 years, 468 unilateral iliofemoral occlusions were treated primarily by one of the following techniques: aortounifemoral bypass (group 1, n = 108), iliofemoral bypass (group 2, n = 144), crossover bypass (group 3, n = 108), and iliofemoral endarterectomy (group 4, n = 108). Patients in group 3 presented with more severe comorbidities, and patients in group 4 had more superficial femoral artery occlusions. All data were prospectively registered after discharge and during the survey. Patency was assessed with duplex ultrasonography on a yearly basis. Perioperative complications and death rates were similar in all groups. The standard error was less than 10% for a period of over 10 years in all groups, except for group 3, in which it was more than 10% after 8 years. At 8 years, primary patency rates in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 79%, 66%, 74%, and 89%, respectively. The difference was significant between group 4 and group 2 (p < .02) and group 3 (p < .01). Secondary patency and limb salvage rates were not significantly different. In this study, for an equal perioperative risk, the primary patency rates of iliac endarterectomies were superior to those of the other techniques, suggesting that these procedures should be the first choice in patients in good physical condition. Iliofemoral bypasses and crossover bypasses needed much more redo surgery. A crossover bypass should be reserved for patients who are unfit for an abdominal approach or who have a short life expectancy.

Functioning pulmonary metastases of thyroid cancer: does radioiodine influence the prognosis?

Functioning pulmonary metastases are the most common distant lesions of differentiated thyroid cancer. About 50% of patients with such metastases die within 10 years. The impact of iodine-131 therapy is controversial. In this study we examined: (1) the early diagnostic value of post-surgery (131)I ablation for lung invasion and (2) the survival of patients receiving periodic (131)I therapy. Between January 1970 and December 1995 we provided initial treatment for 509 patients with thyroid cancer. Most of them (74%) underwent total thyroidectomy and (131)I ablation. Functioning pulmonary metastases occurred in 20 patients. All these patients received periodic (131)I therapy for as long as (131)I uptake persisted. Additional therapy consisted of lung surgery in three patients and local treatment of bone lesions in four patients. Follow-up data were recorded up to December 2001. Functioning pulmonary metastases occurred late in one patient, and were visible on the post-surgery (131)I therapy scan in the other 19 patients. At diagnosis of lung invasion, 11 patients had negative chest X-ray findings, and serum thyroglobulin levels were not suggestive of metastatic disease in 56% of these cases. One of the 11 patients with negative chest X-ray findings died with a neck recurrence, two have persistent pulmonary (131)I uptake, and the other eight are in apparent remission after receiving an average cumulative (131)I activity of 338 mCi (12.51 GBq). The nine patients with positive chest X-ray findings received an average of 939 mCi (34.74 GBq); two of them died, five are continuing to receive therapy and two are in apparent remission. Overall survival at 10 years is 84%. The average follow-up of the 17 survivors is 12.7 years. These results suggest that patients with functioning pulmonary metastases, even in advanced stages, may survive for many years on (131)I therapy. Early diagnosis, during post-surgery (131)I scanning, of radiologically inapparent metastases is associated with a better prognosis.

Iliac artery rupture during balloon dilatation: what treatment?

Intraoperative and postoperative arterial ruptures associated with 657 iliac artery balloon dilatation procedures in our department from 1981 to 2000 were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Our results showed that failure to exercise basic safety principles and the presence of heavily calcified plaque are the major predictors of iliac artery rupture during balloon dilatation. If rupture is contained, surveillance alone is unreliable. Optimal treatment requires temporary hemostasis by balloon tamponade followed by placement of a covered stent to occlude the opening.

[Primary hyperparathyroidism: three decades of evolution in diagnostic and imaging techniques and advantages of early surgery]. / Hyperparathyroidie primaire évolution des techniques durant trois décennies intérêt et innocuité des opérations précoces.

Recent progresses in the ability to obtain a secure diagnosis and preoperative localisation have resulted in a lower threshold for surgery of primary hyperparathyroidism. We questioned whether these trends have been accompanied by an improvement in surgical results, or changes in the profile of the disease among operated patients. From a total of 511 operations (499 patients), we retrospectively investigated the data from three successive periods of 10 years each: (1973-1982: 73 operations; (1983-1992): 155 operations; (1993-2002): 283 operations. Rates of surgical failure, defined as persistent hypercalcaemia at six months, have progressively declined: 6.8%, 1.3% and 0.7% respectively. There also has been a decline in the rates of permanent hypoparathyroidism or laryngeal nerve injury. However, these complications were highly influenced by the underlying pathology (surgery for single adenoma versus surgery for multiple gland disease) and by the need for concomitant thyroid surgery. Considering signs and symptoms, the frequency of kidney stones has declined from 50% to 29.7%, while the rate of patients diagnosed at routine screening has increased from 19% to 39%. The prevalence of parathyroid cancer among operated patients has successively declined from 6.8% to 1.3%, then 0% during the last period. Our data suggest that present improvement in the success rate of parathyroid surgery be partly due to improvement in preoperative localisation. Among imaging techniques, subtraction scintigraphy, based on the simultaneous recording of technetium-99m-sestamibi and iodine-123, provided the highest rate of accurate location (92.6%). Because this imaging technique depicted a majority of cases of multiple parathyroid gland disease at prospective evaluation (14 out of 15), we now use it to select appropriate cases for a focussed surgery under local anaesthesia, without the additional need for intraoperative PTH monitoring. The present good surgical results would justify surgery even for elderly or asymptomatic patients. Surgery carried out before appearance of symptoms seems beneficial. Only asymptomatic patients with a short life expectancy may be denied surgery.

Paracrine effect of vascular smooth muscle cells in the prevention of aortic aneurysm formation.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation and elastinolysis are observed in the media of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) where vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) density is decreased. In contrast, elastin and VSMCs are preserved in the noninflammatory media of stenotic atherosclerotic lesions. We have tested the hypothesis that VSMCs exert a protective effect against inflammation and proteolysis in a model of AAA in rats, in which medial elastin degradation is driven by inflammation and matrix metalloproteinases. METHOD: Decellularized guinea pig aortas (xenografts) were implanted orthotopically into Fischer-344 rats and seeded with a suspension of rat VSMCs syngeneic to the rat recipient, or were infused with culture medium as a control. Diameter and elastin in the media were quantified 8 weeks after implantation. Inflammation, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP) expression were analyzed 1 and 2 weeks after implantation. RESULTS: VSMC addition prevented AAA formation (mean +/- standard deviation diameter increase: 198.2% +/- 106.6% vs 35.3% +/- 17.8%, P =.009), elastin degradation, and decreased infiltration by monocyte-macrophages. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, zymography and reverse zymography for MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, and TIMP-3 demonstrated a shift of the proteolytic-antiproteolytic balance upon addition of VSMCs. Transcriptional changes were observed in the adventitia, although seeded VSMCs remained located in the intima. CONCLUSIONS: VSMCs exert a paracrine effect on the adventitia that participate in artery wall homeostasis against inflammation and proteolysis. Failure of this protective mechanism results in AAA formation. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying VSMC protective effect may represent a new approach in the treatment of aneurysm and plaque rupture.

[Annual self-assessment of perioperative complications and early success: the best way to improve the medical results in the Vascular Surgery Department]. / L'autoévaluation annuelle en chirurgie artérielle, fondement de l'optimisation des indications et des résultats.

In spite of many recent advances, vascular surgery is still weighed down with serious complications which occur in 1 to 5% of open surgery cases and 0 to 2% of endovascular cases. Some of them are due to the specific characteristics of atherosclerotic and aneurysmal diseases; others are associated with the technics of arterial reconstructions; but others are surgeon-dependant as their rate vary from on center to another. Quality of results depend on the experience of one surgeon and his team. This experience is based on an unquantified analysis of past success and failures. However currently, it is necessary to take in account the scientific guidelines as well as the personal results of the surgical team. The latter are known only when they are periodically checked in a systematic process. We report a 23 years experience of annual self assessment of the perioperative complications covering all the arterial reconstructions performed during the previous year. These evaluation had five effects: they linked the physicians and nurses in the quest of optimal efficacy; they focused all the team on the cares and results which needed to be improved; complications and success rates were a guide for the therapeutic choices; reliable results rates allowed a precise information of patients, hospital-managers and lawyers when necessary; they were one of the most important factors of continuing medical education. No other mean can replace these self-assessment procedures: retrospective studies are focused on limited areas; mortality-mobidity conferences are devoted to the recent complications without statistical analysis; the PMSI is directed towards cost-containment rather than quality of results. When a team do not know which results are poor, it is unlikely that they will be improved. We hope that the hospital accreditation which has been introduced in France in 1996, will make mandatory the practice of mortality-morbidity conferences, annual evaluation of perioperative complications and periodic studies of long term results. For medical and economical reasons, the population may require that we systematically monitor our results and take them in account before deciding a treatment. Physicians who are unaware of there own results cannot inspire confidence.

[Progress, checks and errors in arterial surgery during the last two decades]. / Progrès, échecs et erreurs de la chirurgie artérielle durant les deux dernières décennies.

The Advancement of Vascular Surgery since the eighties. During the last two decades, Vascular Surgery became a specialty, vascular technics and materials were greatly improving and surgical indications have been rationalized. Results greatly improved. However they currently came up against an incompressible rate of complications. It explains the increasing place of endovascular therapies and sporadic experiments of laparoscopic surgery. As all procedures remain associated with early and late risks, vascular surgeons should systematically monitor their results in order to maintain them at the best level.

Percutaneous coil embolization of postcatheterization arterial femoral pseudoaneurysms.

STUDY DESIGN: This study was a prospective monocentric study to assess the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous embolization with coils of postcatheterization femoral pseudoaneurysm (PCFP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventeen PCFPs of 32-mm mean diameter in 16 patients were embolized while anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy was maintained. Ultrasound scan-guided compression repair failed at least one time in 13 cases and was contraindicated in the four remaining cases. With ultrasound-Doppler scan guidance, the PCFPs were percutaneously punctured with a 16-gauge intravenous catheter. An angiogram was performed through the catheter to ensure its location within the sac. Stainless steel spring coils with synthetic fibers were introduced within the PCFP with fluoroscopic control. Successful thrombosis was checked with ultrasound-Doppler scan and was repeated at days 1, 30, and 180 when possible. RESULTS: All PCFPs of 32-mm mean diameter were successfully treated with two to nine coils. After embolization, gentle additional compression was necessary for complete occlusion, with a mean duration of 6.3 minutes (range, 0 to 15 minutes), except in one case with treatment with abciximab in which it was 45 minutes. All procedures were uneventful and painless. The mean follow-up period was 9.5 months (range, 1 to 21 months). Two recurrences (11.7%) were observed, and one was successfully treated with a second embolization. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous embolization with coils appears to be a safe and effective method for treatment of PCFP. It may be performed in patients undergoing anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy and must be attempted when ultrasound scan-guided compression repair has failed or is contraindicated.

Parathyroid gland radionuclide scanning--methods and indications.

The usefulness of preoperative radionuclide scanning of the parathyroid glands in patients with primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism was long controversial because available techniques were of limited diagnostic efficacy. Technetium-99m-labeled sestamibi (99Tc-sestamibi) is a new radiopharmaceutical agent easily detected by gamma cameras. The first parathyroid imaging studies done with 99Tc-sestamibi about 10 years ago used a double-phase technique to separate thyroid and parathyroid tissue. Although promising, this method was less than ideal, particularly in multiple gland primary hyperparathyroidism and in secondary hyperparathyroidism. For several years, we have been using subtraction between two images acquired simultaneously, one with 99Tc-sestamibi, which binds to thyroid and parathyroid tissue, and the other with 123-iodine, which binds only to thyroid tissue. The remarkable efficacy of this technique in both primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism invites a reappraisal of the place of radionuclide imaging as a preoperative localization procedure done to reduce the need for repeat surgery. The usefulness of this technique in selecting candidates for unilateral surgery among patients with primary hyperparathyroidism is discussed.