Endovascular Treatment of a Chronically Thrombosed Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Technical Considerations

BACKGROUND

Chronic thrombosis of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a rare entity and the ideal management is debatable.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A 74-year-old man presented with an enlarging chronically thrombosed AAA and incapacitating bilateral claudication, worse on the left side. We opted for an endovascular approach. Under local anesthesia and via a left axillary and left femoral cutdown, an aorto-uni-iliac stent graft (Endurant, Medtronic) was implanted down the left common iliac artery. A femorofemoral crossover bypass was not necessary because the right leg circulation was considered adequate on completion of the endovascular procedure. He had an uneventful recovery. His left leg symptoms were completely resolved and he was able to walk with only moderate right leg claudication after 300-400m.

CONCLUSIONS

Endovascular treatment of a chronically thrombosed AAA can be performed under local anesthesia and is a safe alternative to open surgery in high-risk patients. The long-term results need further investigation.

Lipoprotein(a) Levels in Patients With Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Circulating markers relevant to the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are currently required. Lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), is considered a candidate marker associated with the presence of AAA. The present meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between circulating Lp(a) levels and the presence of AAA. The PubMed-based search was conducted up to April 30, 2015, to identify the studies focusing on Lp(a) levels in patients with AAA and controls. Quantitative data synthesis was performed using a random effects model, with standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) as summary statistics. Overall, 9 studies were identified. After a combined analysis, patients with AAA were found to have a significantly higher level of Lp(a) compared to the controls (SMD: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.41-1.33, P < .001). This result remained robust in the sensitivity analysis, and its significance was not influenced after omitting each of the included studies from the meta-analysis. The present meta-analysis confirmed a higher level of circulating Lp(a) in patients with AAA compared to controls. High Lp(a) levels can be associated with the presence of AAA, and Lp(a) may be a marker in screening for AAA. Further studies are needed to establish the clinical utility of measuring Lp(a) in the prevention and management of AAA.