Total Endovascular Repair of a Giant Iliac Vein Aneurysm: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

PURPOSE: The iliac veins are the least frequent location for venous aneurysms, with only a few cases described globally. The etiology and clinical presentation of this extremely rare entity is diverse and unclear and no treatment consensus has been reached yet. Our purpose is to present an interesting iliac vein aneurysm (IVA) case that we treated in our department, with a brief review of the literature. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 74-year-old male patient with a giant, 55 mm in diameter, asymptomatic, right common IVA, with concurrent aplasia of the left common iliac vein and an extensive network of venous collaterals. The patient was treated, under general anesthesia, with total endovascular iliocaval reconstruction through implantation of a 32 × 100 mm thoracic aortic tubular Ankura stent graft. The computed tomography venography at first-month follow-up showed the complete exclusion of the IVA, without any endoleak and the patient remains up to date free of symptoms and thromboembolic events. CONCLUSION: Twelve cases of endovascular treatment of IVA have been reported so far, and our case is the first with implantation of a thoracic aortic stent graft. Our results suggest that this technique is safe, effective, and may be considered for appropriately selected patients. CLINICAL IMPACT: This is the first case with total endovascular repair of an iliac vein aneurysm with contralateral iliac vein aplasia through endovenous implantation of a thoracic aortic stent-graft. Our results suggest that this technique is safe and effective and thus, may be considered for appropriately selected cases.

Can Routine Investigation for Occult Pulmonary Embolism Be Justified in Patients with Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether routine screening for silent pulmonary embolism (PE) can be justified in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 201 patients with lower-extremity DVT admitted to the vascular surgery department of a single tertiary university center between 2019 and 2023. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, basic laboratory exams, a whole-leg colored duplex ultrasound, and a computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), to screen for an occult, underlying PE. Results: The overall incidence of silent PE was 48.8%. The median admission D-dimer level was significantly higher in patients with silent PE than in those without PE (9.60 vs. 5.51 mg/L, P=0.001). A D-dimer value ≥5.14 mg/L was discriminant for predicting silent PE, with a sensitivity of 68.2% and a specificity of 59.3%. Silent PE was significantly more common on the right side, with the embolus located at the main pulmonary, lobar, segmental, and subsegmental arteries in 29.6%, 32.7%, 20.4%, and 17.3%, respectively. A higher incidence of occult PE was observed in patients with iliofemoral DVT (P=0.037), particularly when the thrombus extended to the inferior vena cava (P=0.003). Moreover, iliofemoral DVT was associated with a larger size and a more proximal location of the embolus (P=0.041). Multivariate logistic regression showed that male sex (odds ratio [OR]=2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-3.53; P=0.026), cancer (OR=2.76, 95% CI: 1.45-4.07; P=0.017), previous venous thromboembolism (VTE) history (OR=2.67, 95% CI: 1.33-4.01; P=0.022), D-dimer value ≥5.14 mg/L (OR=2.24, 95% CI: 1.10-3.38; P=0.033), iliofemoral DVT (OR=2.13, 95% CI: 1.19-3.07; P=0.041), and thrombus extension to the IVC (OR=2.95, 95% CI: 1.43-4.47; P=0.009) served as independent predictors for silent PE. Conclusion: A high incidence of silent PE was observed in patients with lower-extremity DVT. Screening of patients with DVT who have the aforementioned predictive risk factors using CTPA for silent PE may be needed and justified for the efficient management of VTE and its long-term complications.

Endovascular Repair of a Failed Nellix Endograft Proximal Sealing Zone Using the Altura Stent-Graft: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Endovascular aortic aneurysm sealing (EVAS) with the Nellix endograft was initially considered a groundbreaking and acceptable alternative to conventional endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, with encouraging initial results. However, long-term follow-up has revealed a high incidence of endograft-related complications, such as caudal migration and type Ia endoleaks, indicating the need for reintervention. Managing failed EVAS remains challenging and is an ongoing topic of discussion, especially for high-risk patients. We describe a 70-year-old female who initially underwent EVAS with a Nellix endograft and presented after 5 years of follow-up with caudal endograft migration and a type Ia endoleak. The patient was treated with endovascular implantation of an Altura stent-graft, a relatively new low-profile device with a similar double stent configuration. Device migration and endoleaks were undetectable at 12 months of follow-up, suggesting that the Altura might offer a safe and efficient approach in cases of Nellix proximal failure.

Endovenous thermal ablation in the treatment of large great saphenous veins of diameters > 12 mm: A systematic review meta-analysis and meta-regression.

BACKGROUND: We sought to assess the safety and efficacy of endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) in treating large great saphenous veins (GSV) > 12 mm in diameter. METHODS: We performed a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 for comparative and noncomparative studies depicting EVTA in the treatment of GSV > 12 mm. Primary endpoints included GSV occlusion, technical success, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and endovenous heat-induced thrombosis (EHIT). We conducted a comparative analysis between GSV > 12 mm and < 12 mm and a meta-regression analysis for two sets of studies, one including the whole dataset, containing treatment arms of comparative studies with GSV < 12 mm and one exclusively for GSV > 12 mm. RESULTS: Seven studies, including 2564 GSV, depicting radiofrequency (RFA) and endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) were included. GSV > 12 mm occlusion, technical success, DVT, and EHIT estimates were 95.9% (95% CI: 93.6-97.8), 99.9% (95% CI: 98.9-100.0), 0.04% (95% CI: 0.0-3.4), and 1.6% (95% CI: 0.3-3.5). Meta-regression revealed a negative association between GSV diameter and occlusion for both the whole dataset (p < 0.01) and the > 12 mm groups (p = 0.04), GSV diameter and technical success for both groups (p < 0.01), (p = 0.016), and GSV diameter and EHIT only for the whole dataset (p = 0.02). The comparative analysis between GSV < 12 mm and GSV > 12 mm displayed an occlusion estimate of OR 1.79 (95% CI: 1.25-2.56) favoring small GSV. CONCLUSION: Whereas we have displayed excellent occlusion and technical success results for the EVTA of GSV > 12 mm, our analysis has illustrated the unfavorable impact of GSV diameter on occlusion, technical success, and EHIT outcomes regardless of the 12 mm threshold. Potential parameter or device adjustments in a diameter-oriented fashion could further enhance outcomes.

Early Results of Elective Endovascular Repair of Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms With the MinosTM Stent-Graft System.

PURPOSE: A variety of last-generation endografts are currently available for standard endovascular repair (EVAR) of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The purpose of this study is to report the preliminary clinical outcomes of the Minos trimodular stent-graft system, which was recently introduced to the European market. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 2020 and 2022, we treated 41 consecutive AAA patients (mean age 72.2±8.5, 37 males) with elective standard EVAR using the Minos. The mean maximum diameter of AAAs was 54.7±6.6 mm, the mean proximal neck's (PN) diameter was 24.8±2.7 mm, while the relevant length and angulation were 16.0 mm and 21.7°, respectively. Overall, 22 (53.6%) patients presented with shorter and angulated PN, according to the stent-graft's instructions of use, and in 6 (14.6%) patients the PN angulation >60° was combined with concomitant iliac angulation >60°. Eleven (26.8%) EVARs were performed with concomitant enormous iliac artery narrowing and tortuosity. Finally, in 19 (46.3%) AAAs, the distal iliac landing zone was aneurysmatic and they were treated with the bell-bottom technique in 17 patients and with limb extension to the external iliac artery in two cases. We evaluated technical and clinical success of the index procedures, which was based on the combination of five factors: freedom from EVAR-related mortality, from graft-related endoleak of any type, from migration at any part of graft as well the absence of notable increase AAA's sac maximum diameter and the patency of bifurcated stent-graft and of access vessels. RESULTS: Primary technical and clinical success of index procedures was 100%. During a median 12-month radiological follow-up the clinical success remained 100%. No type I or III endoleak, stent-graft migration, EVAR-related death, AAA rupture, or graft-related adverse events or reinterventions were documented. Four (9.8%) type II endoleaks were detected with stable AAA sac diameter. The overall incidence of sac regression was 34.1% (n=14). CONCLUSION: The preliminary results of our series showed that Minos provided excellent feasibility and safety features even through angulated and tortuous iliac vessels and in short and angulated PNs. The overall clinical success at 1 year suggests that performance of Minos follows very high standards. Further validation of these promising results with long-term data is acquired to complete the evaluation of this recently introduced stent-graft system. CLINICAL IMPACT: The current study explored the clinical performance of a new in market ultra-low profile bifurcated abdominal aortic stent-graft, the MINOS. The early and 12-month results of study suggest that implantation of this stent-graft in standard EVAR, even in hostile proximal aortic neck and iliac vessels conditions, follows very high clinical standards and encourage the further clinical use of MINOS.

Endovascular Treatment of a Giant Renal Artery Aneurysm with High-Flow Renal Arteriovenous Malformation.

Renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) are rare lesions with a prevalence of less than 1% in the general population. Renal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare lesions with an estimated incidence of less than 0.04%. The coexistence of these two clinical entities is extremely rare and narrows the available treatment options by endovascular or open surgery. We describe a case of a giant symptomatic RAA type III, which was combined with a high-flow renal AVM in the right kidney. Using two vascular plugs, the RAA was excluded successfully. The perfusion of the right kidney's lower pole was preserved by implantation of two covered stents in the inferior segmental renal artery.

Massive Scrotal Hematoma due to Ruptured Anastomotic Pseudoaneurysm in a Patient with Aortobifemoral Bypass Surgery: CTA Evaluation.

A 74-year-old male patient was presented with scrotal swelling and a pulsatile mass of the left femoro-inguinal region. His medical history included hypertension, coronary artery disease, respiratory failure, and an aortobifemoral bypass surgery performed 7 years ago. Ultrasound evaluation revealed a massive scrotal hematoma. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) was conducted, confirming the aortobifemoral graft existence and revealing bilateral anastomotic pseudoaneurysms with the left one being ruptured, resulting in extension of the hematoma to the left femoro-inguinal region and the scrotum. An emergency surgery was performed, where proximal control of the left limb of the synthetic graft as well as distal control of the iliac vessels were accomplished. After the control of the hemorrhage, an iliofemoral bypass with a Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 6 mm synthetic graft was placed. Unfortunately, the patient passed away during the first postoperative day due to myocardial infarction.

Combined Type III and Type II Endoleaks after Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: Presentation of 2 Cases and a Literature Review.

Although endovascular aneurysm repair is a feasible option for high-risk patients resulting in lower perioperative mortality when compared with open repair, the need for reintervention and long-term follow-up affects its use. The aim of the current report is to present 2 cases of patients with type IIIa endoleak from limb disconnection (one patient with double-bilateral endoleak) combined with a late type II endoleak and symptomatic sac growth treated in our department. We also performed a literature review about type III endoleaks and their treatment options.

Thrombolysis in Acute Lower Limb Ischemia: Review of the Current Literature.

BACKGROUND: Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) is a therapeutic option with acceptable results in patients with acute limb ischemia (ALI) but with severe systemic or intracranial bleeding being the most significant clinical complication. The aim of the study is to collect and present direct results of CDT in patients treated for ALI. METHODS: Reports on CDT treatment in ALI until December 2016 were searched in PubMed using the keywords catheter direct thrombolysis, acute lower limb ischemia, and any combination. RESULTS: A total of 256 clinical trials were identified. After the exclusion criteria were applied, 10 articles were selected including 1,249 patients and 1,361 lower extremities treated for ALI. Acute thrombosis of a limb artery or bypass graft was the main cause of ischemia ranging from 77.7% to 98.0%. The overall technical success rate of the applied method reached 79.3% (1,079 successful cases). Complications of any type occurred in 358 (28.7%) patients. Of them, 72 (20.1%) experienced a minor complication while 286 (79.9%) had a major life-threatening complication. The need for secondary interventions was 77.8% (935 patients). The death rate during the first month was 4.2% (56 patients), while the percentage of patients who suffered amputation because of a failed thrombolysis during the same period was 11.5% (156 patients). Finally, the survival rate without amputation within 30 days was 88.5% (1.105 out of a total of 1,249 patients studied). CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm the high direct technical success rate of CDT and the high percentage of patients survived without amputation within 30 days, although major complications are a great disadvantage of the method.

AAA Rupture and Psoas Hematoma due to Type II Endoleak from Inferior Mesenteric Artery "Unusual" Collaterals.

Although endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in the abdominal aorta has reduced the perioperative mortality when compared with open repair, the need for reintervention after complications such as endoleak may be presented in up to 20% of the cases. Type II endoleak from branch vessels is often benign but can potentially be associated with progressive abdominal aortic aneurysm growth and sac expansion. We present a rare case of a patient who presented with sac expansion and psoas hematoma due to Type II endoleak from "unusual" collaterals of IMA and was treated successfully with endoleak microembolization and percutaneous decompression of the hematoma.