Carotid Body Tumor as a Cause of Stroke.

We herein report a case of a 78-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital due to a stroke with left-sided hemiparesis. Ultrasound of the carotid arteries showed a carotid body tumor on the bifurcation of the right common carotid artery, which was subsequently confirmed by a further neuroradiological investigation. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head confirmed an acute ischemic lesion located in the right periventricular region. The carotid body tumor (CBT) was surgically removed and confirmed on histopathology. Our case reveals the role of carotid ultrasound in the diagnosis of a CBT, which may be a potential cause of stroke.

Asymptomatic dissecting intimal lesions of common carotid arteries after carotid endarterectomy.

PURPOSE: Carotid endarterectomy is a standard treatment for symptomatic high-degree internal carotid artery stenosis. The aim of this article is to present possible intimal lesions after carotid endarterectomy. These lesions could be manifested as intimal flaps, intimal steps or dissections with or without occlusion or stenosis of the artery. METHODS: The evaluation of the frequency and characteristics of the asymptomatic dissecting intimal lesions of the common carotid arteries was performed in a sample of 100 patients who underwent endarterectomy for symptomatic high-grade stenosis of the internal carotid artery. RESULTS: We found five patients with asymptomatic dissecting intimal lesions of the common carotid arteries. CONCLUSION: The most common causes of these intimal lesions were shunting and prolongation of the clamping time. Routine carotid ultrasound follow-up exams are necessary because of the potential need for a change in the antithrombotic therapy or due to a need to perform an endovascular treatment.

[Early carotid endarterectomy in symptomatic patients - our experience]. / Karotidna endarterektomija u simptomatskih bolesnika u ranoj fazi - nasa iskustva.

Carotid endarterectomy is the gold standard as a therapeutic regimen for patients with high grade symptomatic stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ACI). This study analyzed the effect of early carotid endarterectomy in patients undergoing an operative procedure 2-3 weeks after the development of ischemic neurologic symptoms, considering the frequency and type of complications in the postoperative period. Patients included in this study were those with significant symptomatic ACI stenosis (70%-99%), which caused ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIA). Patients with ischemic stroke were operated within twenty days of the initial neurologic event, whilst in those with symptoms of TIA, surgery was performed immediately after diagnostic work-up. In all cases, carotid endarterectomy was performed under general anesthesia with the use of protective intraluminal shunt. In the vast majority of cases, tucking or Kunlin's sutures of the distal intima were applied. All procedures were performed between January 2008 and October 2012, and the total number of patients was 69. All patients underwent the same follow up program. Follow up carotid ultrasound was performed routinely on postoperative day 7 and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. In this study, 27 (39%) patients suffered minor ipsilateral stroke and 42 (61 %) patients had TIA symptoms with verified significant ACl stenosis. Postoperative complications were observed in four (5.26%) patients. Two (2.63%) patients developed ischemic stroke after the procedure and two (2.63%) patients developed ACI restenosis in the late postoperative period and were treated by endovascular stenting. In conclusion, we found that early carotid endarterectomy was of greater benefit than delayed endarterectomy, which is in keeping with the published studies. The leading observation was that in selected patients, early carotid endarterectomy was not associated with a higher risk of postoperative complications in comparison with delayed endarterectomy and could be performed safely.

[Rare disorders of extracranial carotid arteries]. / Rijetke bolesti ekstrakranijskih karotidnih arterija.

Abnormalities of the internal carotid arteries (ACI) are rare findings, usually not linked with neurologic symptoms and frequently are diagnosed during routine duplex scanning or angiographic examination. These abnormalities are predominantly elongation of the vessel that leads to kinking, coiling or tortuosity of the artery, and the origin is congenital or acquired related to atherosclerosis. We report on two symptomatic cases related to elongation of AC. The first case was a 56-year-old female that had bilateral coiling. The second patient was a 64-year-old female that suffered from symptomatic double coiling of the left ACI connected with high grade stenosis. In both cases, successful operation was done with resection of the elongated and stenosed ACI segment and reanastomosis of the ACI and common carotid artery. Postoperatively, symptoms were resolved. In symptomatic cases of isolated carotid elongations, surgical treatment is a better option than conservative medical treatment alone, whilst in asymptomatic ACI elongation, conservative medical treatment is advised.

[Acute abdomen two days after vaginal birth after cesarean section]. / Akutni abdomen dva dana nakon rodnickog porodaja poslije prethodnoga carskog reza.

A case is presented of puerperal acute abdomen with diffuse peritonitis and paralytic ileus two days after unnoticed complete uterine rupture after VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean section) and uterine cavity obstetric examination. Explorative laparotomy, intestinal adhesiolysis, uterine revision and sutures, abdominal lavage and drainage were performed. The operation was followed by successful recovery and intact fertility. Medical and forensic aspects are discussed.

[Bile stone ileus with cholecystoduodenal fistula--Bouveret's syndrome]. / Visoki ileus uzrokovan uglavljenim zucnim kamenom u silaznom dvanaesniku kao posljedica kolecistoduodenalne fistule--Bouveretov sindrom.

This is a case report of a 71-year-old man, who presented to emergency department with elevated temperature, vomiting and epigastric pain. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed a large fistulous tract extending from the gallbladder to the duodenal bulb, as well as a large calculus obstructing the second part of the duodenum. The patient subsequently underwent successful surgical therapy.

[Trauma of the brachial plexus and associated vascular injury--a case report]. / Traumatska ozljeda brahijalnog pleksusa s ozljedom krvnih zila--prikaz bolesnika.

Acute vascular trauma in the axillary region is usually associated with brachial plexus injury and presents a great challenge to surgeon and formidable obstacle to restore a useful limb function. Interdisciplinary operative and postoperative approach is mandatory providing an optimal care of these severe patients. Here we present a case of neurovascular trauma that affected axillary artery and vein, complete transection associated with complete transection of the brachial plexus. Immediately after admission emergency surgery was performed and in postoperative follow up, after several operations and rehabilitation that continued for 24 months, entire functional recovery was achieved without any disabling consequences.

[Spontaneous aortocaval fistula]. / Spontana aortokavalna fistula.

Spontaneous aortocaval fistula is a rare complication of abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture. A definitive preoperative diagnosis sometimes is difficult, because ofnonspecific and highly variable clinical symptoms. Classic signs such as low back pain, palpable pulsatile abdominal mass, abdominal bruit and thrill, dyspnea and high-output cardiac failure are present in less than 50% of cases. In this article we report the case of a 68-year-old patient with an aortocaval fistula who was admitted in hospital because of abdominal pain and hematuria.

A rare case of multiple aneurysms in a young patient.

Multiple aneurysms are clinically common in population aged over sixty and are caused mainly by atherosclerosis. When occurring in young population other etiologies such as trauma, infections, Bechet's disease, Marfan syndrome, neurofibromatosis or inflammatory disease are responsible for the development of arterial aneurysms. A rare case of multiple aneurysms in a 40-year-old man, affecting the infrarenal part of abdominal aorta, both iliac arteries, common femoral arteries, left femoral superficial and popliteal arteries on, both legs, is reported. The underlying pathology was progressive atherosclerosis, favored by familial hyperlipidemia and excessive cigarette smoking.

[Iatrogenic injury of the brachiocephalic arterial trunk and its branches--case report]. / Jatrogena ozljeda brahiocefalicnog arterijskog stabla i njegovih ogranaka: prikaz slucaja.

Iatrogenic vascular traumas are increasing and their proportion exceeds 40% of all vascular injuries. We report on a rare case of iatrogenic injury of the brachiocephalic arterial trunk during surgical intervention due to postirradiation arteriopathy, which was successfully treated with a silver prosthesis graft. A 58-year-old male underwent surgery for metastases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland, located in lymph nodes adjacent to the right common carotid artery and right subclavian artery. During the surgery, there was an intraoperative injury of the brachiocephalic arterial trunk that included spontaneous rupture and tear of the subclavian and common carotid artery, as the result of extreme fragility of the arterial wall, probably due to the previous irradiation therapy. Emergency sternotomy and clavicle resection were followed by blood flow reconstruction by use of an Y prosthesis that was applied for terminoterminal anastomosis between the brachiocephalic trunk to common carotid artery and subclavian artery. The authors concluded that irradiation therapy may lead to progressive arteriopathy in affected arteries.