Endovascular treatment of acute subclavian pseudo-aneurysm after fracture of the clavicle

Pseudo-aneurysms of the subclavian artery remain a rare complication after fracture of the clavicle. Nerve compression has been described with delayed paralysis as a consequence. We report a case of delayed diagnosis of a subclavian pseudo-aneurysm after a closed fracture of the clavicle in a 93-year-old patient. Diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound and multi-slice-Ct. Two attempts to treat the pseudo-aneurysm with percutaneous thrombin injection failed. Considering the age of the patient, it was decided to exclude the pseudo-aneurysm by endovascular approach. A Hemobahn endoprosthesis was inserted by the introduction of an 11F sheath after cutting down the brachial artery under local anaesthesia. Angiography revealed complete exclusion of the pseudo-aneurysm. Follow-up at 9 months by ultrasound confirmed exclusion of the pseudo-aneurysm. Plain X-ray of the endograft showed no stent fractures. Paresis of the arm had improved. This case illustrates that endovascular exclusion is a safe approach, with reduced morbidity, compared with open surgery. Concern about stent deformation and stent fractures has been expressed. With the introduction of highly flexible stents, one can hope that this complication is less likely to occur. Although follow-up is relatively short, we believe that endovascular exclusion of subclavian pseudo-aneurysms is preferable to a surgical approach.

Treatment of Femoral Pseudoaneurysms with Endograft in High-risk Patients

INTRODUCTION

Anastomotic aneurysms are a late complication after arterial reconstruction. Current treatment usually consists of open repair but we describe our experience with endovascular repair of femoral pseudoaneurysms.

REPORT

Six patients with seven femoral pseudoaneurysms were treated with percutaneously inserted endografts. Control angiography confirmed immediate technical success in all cases. Exclusion of the para-anastomotic aneurysm was obtained in all cases. No major complications or postoperative mortality were observed. No occlusions of the endografts occurred and no endoleaks were noticed.

DISCUSSION

Endovascular exclusion of femoral pseudoaneurysms is feasible and reliable. Long-term follow-up will demonstrate if this approach in selected patients is justified.

Ruptured pseudo-aneurysm of the popliteal artery after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty

An 88-year-old female presented with gangrene of two toes of the left foot. Angiography revealed a calcified occlusion of the left popliteal artery, 8 cm in length. Recanalisation was performed and the occlusion was successfully dilated. On day 13 after the procedure, the patient experienced acute pain in the left popliteal fossa. Ultrasound revealed a large pseudo-aneurysm of the popliteal artery. Angiography not only confirmed this finding but showed rupture of this pseudo-aneurysm. An above-knee amputation was performed. Pseudo-aneurysm formation at the site of previous PTA is considered as a rare complication and has not been reported in the literature. The incidence of pseudo-aneurysm formation at a PTA site is unknown because it is not routinely detected. Predisposing general and local factors are discussed. The present case illustrates that pseudo-aneurysms can cause other major complications with disastrous consequences for the patient. Pseudo-aneurysms after previous PTA should be treated by conventional bypass surgery or by endovascular means. Further studies should be undertaken to evaluate the risk of pseudo-aneurysm formation after previous PTA and to define which patients should be monitored closely.

PTA and stenting after previous aortoiliac endarterectomy

OBJECTIVES

to evaluate the feasibility and long-term results of angioplasty and stenting in the treatment of restenosis following aortoiliac endarterectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

between 1991 and 1999 19 patients underwent angioplasty with selective stenting for recurrent stenosis after previous aortoiliac endarterectomy. Aortic lesions were treated five times in four patients. At the iliac level 28 lesions (25 stenosis and three occlusions) were treated in 16 patients (one patient had a stenosis at the aortic as well as iliac level). All patients were followed clinically and by ultrasound. In the second half of 1999, an angiogram or spiral CT-angiography was performed in all patients to determine long-term outcome.

RESULTS

technical success was obtained in all patients and clinical success was achieved in 18 of the 19 patients. Angiographic cumulative primary patency for aortoiliac lesions was 96% at 1 year and 76% at 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

angioplasty with selective stenting of recurrent aortoiliac disease after previous aortoiliac endarterectomy is feasible and safe. Long-term clinical and angiographic patency rates are in accordance with results of aortoiliac angioplasty in general.

Treatment of ruptured anastomotic aneurysm by endograft

Ruptured anastomotic aneurysms after aortobifemoral surgery are potentially life threatening. The preferred technique consists of resection of the pseudoaneurysm and interposition of a new graft. We present a case in which an endovascular approach was chosen for treatment of a ruptured femoral false aneurysm. An endograft was inserted and complete exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm was achieved.

Endograft exclusion of residual common iliac artery aneurysms

PURPOSE

To describe an endovascular approach for residual common iliac artery (CIA) aneurysm.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A residual CIA was discovered in a 73-year-old man during routine examination following straight interposition graft placement for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). An aortobifemoral bypass was performed with ligation of both aneurysmal iliac arteries. A year later, aneurysms of both CIA stumps were found. On each side, a Hemobahn stent-graft was percutaneously positioned from the external to the internal iliac artery via the superficial femoral artery. Control angiography at 2 months and spiral computed tomographic angiography at 6 and 18 months confirmed exclusion of the aneurysms and patency of the endoprostheses.

CONCLUSIONS

Successful endovascular treatment of residual CIA aneurysm is possible with flexible stent-grafts.

Lymphocyte profiles in multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: flow-cytometric characterization and analysis in a two-dimensional correlation biplot

The distribution of 27 T-, B-, and natural killer-cell subsets in the peripheral blood of 40 patients with multiple myeloma (MM), ten patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and 40 healthy donors was investigated by means of classical univariate statistics and advanced multivariate data-analytical techniques. The latter approach was used to describe, represent, and analyze lymphocyte subset distribution in a two-dimensional correlation biplot, allowing comparison of complex lymphocyte profiles (i.e., compound lymphocyte subset distributions) of individual subjects rather than isolated subset values of selected patient and/or donor groups. The correlation biplot revealed that, in accordance with the univariate statistics, the MM patients were characterized by marked shifts towards CD8+, CD57+, CD62L-, CD(16+56)+, and HLA-DR+ T cells, suggesting in vivo immune activation. The activation profile was most markedly observed in treated MM patients in the advanced disease stage category. The lymphocyte profiles of MGUS patients were heterogeneous, with approximately half of them located in the swarm of MM patients and the other half in the swarm of healthy donors. Although the univariate statistics revealed significant differences between MGUS patients and healthy donors only within the B-cell compartment, the correlation biplot revealed that two MGUS patients clearly had a typical T-cell activation profile similar to that of the MM patients. One MGUS patient with a T-cell activation profile progressed 13 months later to a stage IA MM and required chemotherapy. A marked lymphocyte profile shift in one MM patient was associated with terminal and aggressive disease transformation. Our study illustrates further the practical use of correlation biplots for the detection of aberrant lymphocyte profiles and/or profile shifts in individual patients.

Use of the biomedicus pump in resection of renal carcinoma invading the vena cava

The authors report a 7-year old boy suffering from a renal carcinoma with a tumoral thrombus invading the vena cava. The kidney and the tumoral thrombus were removed with the help of a Biomedicus pump. This paper shows how to avoid a cardiopulmonary bypass procedure in order to perform safely a tumoral thrombectomy with this relatively new technique.

Intraoperative identification of parathyroids by means of methylene blue

In 134 cervical explorations for hyperparathyroidism, methylene blue was administered intraoperatively to stain parathyroid glands. Seventy-seven out of 79 adenomas (97.5%) and 199 out of 204 hyperplastic glands (97.6%) were clearly stained. The only recurrences were observed in patients undergoing surgery for hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. The recurrences (12%) were mainly due either to initial wrong diagnosis of parathyroid adenoma, or they were graft dependent. Methylene blue is an effective, safe and easy way to localize and identify abnormal parathyroid glands, thereby improving the results and shortening the operating time.

Intrapleural quinacrine instillation for recurrent pneumothorax or persistent air leak

From 1982 to 1990, 27 patients with recurrent pneumothorax or persistent air leak (28 episodes) underwent pleurodesis with intrapleural administration of quinacrine, according to a standardized scheme. A first evaluation was done about 1 month after the intervention. In August 1990, all patients were invited for a second check-up. In 4 patients quinacrine plasma concentrations were determined. There was one early failure. No late recurrences were observed. Neither serious nor late complications were seen with our low-dose regimen. Transient fever was the only constant side effect. In contrast to other chemicals proposed for pleurodesis, quinacrine did not cause major pain. Only very low quinacrine plasma concentrations (peak, < 10 ng/mL) were found. In conclusion, chemical pleurodesis with quinacrine can be considered a safe and effective treatment. The number of administrations as well as the dosage are important to prevent morbidity and recurrence.

A case against parathyroid autotransplantation

The authors report about a recurrence in a uremic patient who underwent a subtotal parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation in the sternocleidomastoid muscle for hyperparathyroidism. Reexploration revealed an enlarged parathyroid graft. This paper illustrates the potential complication of parathyroid autografts in patients with chronic renal failure.

[Analysis of severely injured patients admitted via an emergency service]

Data about the number and treatment of trauma-patients are, certainly in our country, very rare. In this study we showed that such a registration with grading of the severity of the injuries following the ISS-Score is feasible and useful. Further and more extensive registration seems necessary in order to obtain a better insight in epidemiology and treatment of trauma patients in our country.