Unique multidisciplinary approach in a patient with small bowel obstruction and chronic mesenteric ischemia.

Management of small bowel obstruction (SBO) in patients with symptomatic chronic mesenteric ischemia is a phenomenon that has not been previously described in the literature. This is an index case report describing the utilization of a multidisciplinary approach in a patient that suffered from SBO from cecal perforation with history of chronic mesenteric ischemia attributed to superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and celiac trunk stenosis. The patient was a 70-year-old female with recent diagnosis of ischemic colitis and chronic mesenteric ischemia, found to have high-grade SBO with transition point in the right lower quadrant. Computerized tomography angiogram showed occluded SMA, and severe celiac artery stenosis. Interventional radiology revascularized the celiac trunk with stent placement prior to right hemicolectomy for management of her high-grade SBO. Prospective research should ascertain whether revascularization indeed leads to improved post-operative outcomes.

Critical appraisal and issues regarding generalisability of comparative effectiveness studies of NOACs in atrial fibrillation and their relation to clinical trial data: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To critically appraise the published comparative effectiveness studies on non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Results were compared with expectations formulated on the basis of trial results with specific attention to the patient years in each study. METHODS: All studies that compared the effectiveness or safety between at least two NOACs in patients with NVAF were eligible. We performed a systematic literature review in Medline and EMbase to investigate the way comparisons between NOACs were made, search date 23 April 2019. Critical appraisal of the studies was done using among others ISPOR Good Research Practices for comparative effectiveness research. RESULTS: We included 39 studies in which direct comparison between at least two NOACs were made. Almost all studies concerned patient registries, pharmacy or prescription databases and/or health insurance database studies using a cohort design. Corrections for differences in patient characteristics was applied in all but two studies. Eighteen studies matched using propensity scores (PS), 8 studies weighted patients based on the inverse probability of treatment, 1 study used PS stratification and 10 studies applied a proportional hazards model. These studies have some important limitations regarding unmeasured confounders and channelling bias, even though the larger part of the studies were well conducted technically. On the basis of trial results, expected differences are small and a naïve analysis suggests trials with between 7200 and 56 500 patients are needed to confirm the observed differences in bleedings and between 51 800 and 7 994 300 to confirm differences in efficacy. DISCUSSION: Comparisons regarding effectiveness and safety between NOACs on the basis of observational data, even after correction for baseline characteristics, may not be reliable due to unmeasured confounders, channelling bias and insufficient sample size. These limitations should be kept in mind when results of these studies are used to decide on ranking NOAC treatment options.

Middle Aortic Syndrome in a Child-Bearing Age Patient.

We report a rare case of a 30-year-old female who had a long-standing history of middle aortic syndrome that was being managed nonsurgically. She presented with hypertension and buttock pain with plans to become pregnant. She underwent an aortoiliac bypass.

Parallel Stent Graft Technique for Hypogastric Aneurysm Repair With Flow Preservation of Distal Pelvic Circulation.

Hypogastric artery aneurysms (HAA) necessitate repair due to significant morbidity and potential mortality associated with rupture. Coverage or coiling of HAA are not always possible, as the risk of pelvic and spinal cord ischemia become especially significant in bilateral hypogastric disease as well as with prior extensive aortic coverage. We report 2 cases of endovascular HAA exclusion using parallel stent grafts for preservation of flow through the distal hypogastric artery branches and external iliac artery in patients with prior thoracic and abdominal aortic repairs, contralateral hypogastric disease, and significant anatomic constraints.

Carotid Endarterectomy in Moyamoya Disease: A Case Report.

We report the case of a 55-year-old female who presented with symptomatic high-grade stenosis of the right internal carotid artery, years after her diagnosis of moyamoya disease (MMD), which had been treated with extensive carotid and cerebral vascular reconstructions. A percutaneous carotid revascularization was unsuccessful, and a carotid endarterectomy with bovine patch angioplasty was subsequently performed. The presence of symptomatic atherosclerotic carotid disease in combination with MMD, with all the perioperative challenges, has not been previously described.

The clinical anatomy of the inferior vena cava: a review of common congenital anomalies and considerations for clinicians.

Anomalies in the course and drainage of the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) may complicate normal functioning, correct diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions within the abdomen. Development of the IVC occurs during the 4th to 8th week of gestation, and due to its developmental complexity, there are many opportunities for malformations to occur. Although most IVC anomalies are clinically silent and are usually discovered incidentally on abdominal imaging, aberrations may be responsible for formation of thrombosis, back pain, and anomalous circulation of blood to the heart. In this review, we will discuss the most common variations and abnormalities of the IVC, which include the posterior cardinal veins, the subcardinal veins, the supracardinal veins, persistent left IVC, IVC duplication, situs inversus, left retroaortic renal vein, left circumaortic renal collar, scimitar syndrome, and IVC agenesis. For each abnormality outlined above, we aim to discuss relevant embryology and potential clinical significance with regards to presentation, diagnosis, and treatment as is important for radiologists, surgeons, and clinicians in current clinical practice.

The role of duplex ultrasound in the workup of pelvic congestion syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) imaging workup algorithms are not well-defined. The purpose of our study is to gauge the impact and accuracy of duplex ultrasound (DU) to assist in the diagnosis of PCS. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 48 patients with PCS seen at a vein center from June 2010 to June 2012. All patients had DU plus either computed tomography venography (CTV) or conventional venography (CV). Measurements of the left (LOV) and right ovarian vein (ROV) diameter and the presence or absence of ovarian vein reflux were obtained using DU and compared with either CTV or CV to assess sensitivity and specificity. An ovarian vein diameter >6 mm was considered abnormal. RESULTS: All patients were female (29 Caucasians, 18 Hispanic, and 1 Asian). The mean number of pregnancies was 3 (range, 1-5). All patients had lower extremity varicose veins, and 14 (29%) had vulvar varicosities. Thirty-four (71%) patients reported pelvic pain, 22 (46%) dyspareunia, 2 (4%) dysuria, and 1 (2%) hematuria. The median diameter of the LOVs and ROVs measured using DU compared with either CTV/CV were similar (DU, 8.6 and 5.6; CTV/CV, 8.3 and 6). The sensitivity and specificity of DU to demonstrate a dilated LOV were 100% and 57%, and for the ROV were 67% and 90%. Pelvic varicosities were identified in all but one patient with good correlation between DU and CV. CONCLUSIONS: DU has a high sensitivity to identify an abnormal LOV diameter that is greatly reduced when evaluating the ROV; however, the latter can be evaluated with another imaging modality such as CTV especially when DU results are equivocal or negative. A moderate specificity was found to determine both LOV and ROV abnormal diameters. All three imaging modalities are equally accurate to show the presence of pelvic varices.

Pediatric venous thromboembolism in relation to adults.

OBJECTIVE: This review was performed to analyze the current knowledge and controversies in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of pediatric venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with adults. METHODS: Searches of the MEDLINE database and manual searches of the references of selected articles were performed to select reports for their relevance and quality of information on the similarities and differences in pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of VTE in children and adults. RESULTS: Symptomatic VTE incidence is reported at a rate of 0.07 in every 10,000 children, which is significantly lower than the rate in adults. Pulmonary emboli in adolescents are rarely fatal, unlike in adults. VTE recurrence is also much lower in children. Young age has been shown to be protective of VTE, whereas central venous catheters are very important in pediatric venous thrombosis. The incidence of postthrombotic syndrome varies from 20% to 65%, with mild symptoms in most children. Cerebral and visceral vein thrombosis may lead to severe morbidity and death. Some factors of thrombophilia have a significant effect in the pediatric population; however, its overall significance is controversial. Most data on VTE treatment are extrapolated from studies in adults. Children with acute VTE should be treated with anticoagulation therapy. Treatment duration depends on the nature of the thrombosis and previous VTE events. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of prospective randomized studies with data determining not only the effect of VTE but also the treatment options in children. Thrombophilia is a risk factor for pediatric VTE, but its significance has not been thoroughly investigated. Guidelines specific to children for antithrombotic therapy, prophylaxis, and optimal duration need re-evaluation and support by strong evidence.

Improving retrieval rates of temporary inferior vena cava filters.

PURPOSE: Most studies have shown that the rate of inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) retrieval rarely exceeds 30%. A review of practices in our own institution revealed similar results (18%). Within the last year, few centers have demonstrated improved retrieval rates. Our hypothesis was that developing a dedicated program would improve IVCF retrieval. We report the results of an ongoing study following the development of this program. METHODS: This is a cohort of nontrauma consecutive patients who had an IVCF placed by the vascular service over a 12-month period (January 2010-January 2011) and were followed prospectively. A dedicated nurse practitioner was responsible in developing a database, maintaining contact with all the patients, and ensuring that arrangements were made for retrieval when indications for IVCF protection were no longer present. Demographics, indication for filter placement, timing to filter retrieval, and complications during placement and retrieval were prospectively collected. Retrieval rate was compared to the baseline institution data. RESULTS: During the study period, 42 patients had an IVCF placed. There were 27 men and 15 women with a mean age of 58 (25 to 88 years old). Two patients were excluded (one due to mortality and one had multiple filters) leaving 40 patients in the study. Indications for IVCF placement were absolute in 23 of 40 patients (58%), relative in 10 of 40 patients (25%), while seven patients (17%) had an IVCF placed for prophylaxis as they were considered high risk for pulmonary embolism (PE) and could not receive any chemical regimen. During follow-up, five filters were converted to permanent. Therefore, retrieval was successful in 19 of 22 patients with an 86% success rate and no complications. Median time to retrieval was 21 days ranging from 4 to 140 days. Retrieval rate for IVCFs designated as temporary at the time of placement was 70% (19 of 27), which was significantly higher compared to our baseline data of 18% (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Initial data show that a dedicated program that closely monitors patients with temporary IVCFs for ongoing need of filter prophylaxis can result in high retrieval rates. The endurance and long-term success of such a program needs to be further validated.

Clinical significance of recurrent venous thromboembolism

Recurrent venous thromboembolism is a significant problem leading to increased morbidity and mortality. It has a high impact on patients' quality of life and imposes a great financial burden on society. Cumulative recurrence has been reported as 40 percent at 10 years, while the chance of developing postthrombotic signs and symptoms in the lower extremities almost quadruples when ipsilateral. There is also a higher chance of developing pulmonary hypertension. Important factors for recurrence are unprovoked episodes of deep vein thrombosis, malignancy and older age. The evidence for other factors is controversial. Accurate diagnosis and treatment tailored to the patients' history, thrombotic events and risk factors are necessary to optimize management and prevent recurrence.

O tromboembolismo venoso recorrente é um problema importante que leva ao aumento da morbimortalidade. Impõe forte impacto à qualidade de vida dos pacientes e grande carga financeira para a sociedade. Acredita-se que a recorrência cumulativa atinja 40 por cento em 10 anos, enquanto que a chance de desenvolver sinais e sintomas pós-trombóticos nas extremidades inferiores quase quadruplica no caso de trombose ipsilateral. Há também uma maior chance do desenvolvimento de hipertensão pulmonar. Fatores importantes para a recorrência são: episódios não provocados de trombose venosa profunda, malignidade e idade avançada. As evidências relacionadas a outros fatores são controversas. Diagnóstico preciso e tratamento adaptado ao histórico dos pacientes, aos eventos trombóticos e aos fatores de risco são necessários para otimizar o manejo e prevenir a recorrência.

The distribution and significance of varicosities in the saphenous trunks.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, distribution, and extent of varicosities and focal dilatations in the saphenous trunks, their association with the sites of reflux, and their correlation with CEAP classes. METHODS: This prospective study included patients belonging to different CEAP classes (2-6) and a control group of age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (group C). Color-flow duplex scan imaging was used to evaluate the entire venous system from groin to ankle for reflux and obstruction. Varicose segments and focal dilatations of the great and small saphenous veins (GSV and SSV) were recorded, and the diameters throughout the length of the saphenous trunks were measured. The presence of varicosities in the tributaries and accessory veins were documented. RESULTS: From the 739 consecutive patients, 239 were excluded due to superficial venous thrombosis (SVT), deep venous thrombosis (DVT), both SVT and DVT, previous interventions, or C3-C6 presentation with no chronic venous disease (CVD). The included 500 patients (681 limbs) were divided into two groups based on CEAP class: group A (C2 + C3) and group B (C4-6). Group A had significantly more women than group B and a younger mean age (48 vs 56 years). Overall, GSV reflux (86%) was more prevalent than SSV reflux (17%), P < .0001. Saphenous trunk diameters, saphenofemoral junction (SFJ) and saphenopopliteal junction (SPJ) involvement were greater in group B, (P < .01). Group C had smaller saphenous diameters compared to group A in all locations (P < .05) but the malleoli. The prevalence of the saphenous varicose segments in both groups was small with the GSV in group B being the highest (4.3%) and the SSV in group A being the smallest (1.2%). Focal dilatations were significantly more prevalent than varicosities in the saphenous trunks (P < .0001). Varicosities of tributaries and accessory veins were more prevalent than those of saphenous trunks (P < .0001). The mean length of varicose segments in the saphenous trunks was short (3.8 cm, range, 2.1-6.4 for group A vs 4.1 cm, range, 2.3-8.3 for group B, P = .09). CONCLUSION: A novel definition for varicosities in the saphenous trunks was established. Using this definition, it was determined that focal dilatations are far more common than varicosities. Because both of these entities are more prevalent in the accessory saphenous veins and tributaries, and CEAP class correlates positively with the extent of reflux and saphenous trunk diameter, studies on earlier interventions are warranted to prevent CVD progression.

The evaluation of lower-extremity ulcers.

Lower-limb ulceration is prevalent in Western countries. There are many different types of ulcers with several causes. The most prevalent are those due to vascular disease, of which venous is the most common, accounting for over two-thirds of all types of ulcers. There are also many other causes for ulceration such as malignancy, infections, and skin, drug-induced, and autoimmune diseases. The ulcers have different characteristics, which may be differentiated by the history and clinical examination of the patients. However, objective documentation for the ulcer etiology is necessary prior to instigating treatment. The methods for diagnosing the causes for the ulcers include plethysmography, ultrasound, angiography, computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and skin biopsy. All these tests should be used in conjunction with the clinical presentation of the patient. They should be performed in a cost-effective manner to avoid delays in diagnosis and reduce costs and usage of resources.

Zygomaticofacial, zygomaticoorbital and zygomaticotemporal foramina: anatomical study.

The zygomatic nerve may be disrupted when elevating periorbita from the lateral wall during orbital surgery, and care should be taken to prevent injury to this nerve during lateral orbitotomy approaches to access intraorbital soft-tissue tumors. Furthermore, the precise introduction of anesthetics to the zygomaticoorbital (ZO), zygomaticofacial (ZF) and zygomaticotemporal (ZT) foramina could be important data for the plastic and reconstructive surgeon operating in the area. The aim of the present study was to investigate the morphologic and topographic anatomy, and variations of the ZO, ZF and ZT. The present study was performed using 200 dry human skulls. The ZF, ZO and ZT foramina varied from being absent to as many as four small openings. We classified each of these foramina as types I-V for single, double, triple, quadruple and absent foramina, respectively. The relative frequency was as follows: type I, ZO 50%, ZF 40%, ZT 30%; type II, ZO 20%, ZF 15%, ZT 15%; type III, ZO 10%, ZF 5%, ZT 5%; type IV, ZO 3%, ZF 1%, ZT-; and type V, ZO 17%, ZF 39%, ZT 50%. A detailed knowledge of the anatomic morphometry of this area is necessary for a surgeon when performing maxillofacial surgery and regional block anesthesia. Anatomic variations in this area may be present and a surgeon must take this into consideration so as to increase surgical success.

Ruggero Ferdinando Antonio Guiseppe Vincenzo Oddi.

Long forgotten in his motherland but for a single discovery-a small circular tissue whose workings are as mysterious as its discoverer-a brilliant anatomist and physiologist, Oddi, gained his fame at the age of 23 years with his identification of the sphincter that would later be named in his honor. In 1984 Ruggero Oddi, was celebrated and revered in his native town of Perugia with a monument. Ruggero Oddi lived a tumultuous life, full of grief and tragedy, only to culminate in a lonely death while exiled in a foreign land. We now review the life of this contributor to modern anatomy.