Reversible Calcineurin Inhibitor-associated Sensorimotor Polyneuropathy in a Lung Transplant Recipient: A Case Report.

Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) are regarded as a corner stone in immunosuppressive therapy after solid organ transplantation. However, neurotoxicity is a common side effect of CNIs, resulting in a wide range of neurological symptoms such as headache, tremor and seizures. In this case report, we describe a patient who developed severe motor and sensory neuron dysfunction related to CNIs after bilateral lung transplantation, which resolved after halting CNI and switching to a mammalian Target of Rapamycin-inhibitor.

Preclose Percutaneous Endurant™ Endografting with the Proglide™ Device: a Safe and Feasible Combination.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms has been revolutionized over the last two decades. Opening the doors for a percutaneous approach by avoiding surgical exposure of the vascular access site. The goal of this report is to analyze the feasibility and efficacy of using Perclose Proglide™ through a preclose technique in a percutaneous approach to Endurant™ endografting for Asymptomatisch infrarenal aortic aneurysms in an elective setting. METHODS: Between April 2011 and April 2014, 45 consecutive patients underwent percutaneous endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (PEVAR) for an asymptomatic infrarenal aortic aneurysm. Closure of percutaneous access sites was ensured with Perclose Proglide in a "preclose" technique. Data were collected in a prospective maintained database with a follow-up period of one month. Patient demographics, aneurysmal characteristics, procedural details and complications were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 170 Proglide devices were used to close 85 access sites. Adequate hemostasis was obtained in 96.5 percent (82 of 85 access sites). Conversion to a femoral cutdown was necessary in 2.4% (2 of 85 access sites). The mean hospitalization was 2.6 days and 86.7 percent of patients were discharged within 2 days. The incidence of post-procedural access-related complications was 2.2%. CONCLUSIONS: PEVAR using the Perclose Proglide in preclosing 14Fr to 20Fr access sites for Endurant endografting in the treatment of asymptomatic infrarenal aortic aneurysms is feasible and effective. Moreover, the percutaneous approach allows for procedures to be performed under local anesthesia, while providing a low risk for access-related complications and a relatively short hospitalization.

Endarterectomy combined with retrograde stenting for tandem lesions of the carotid artery.

OBJECTIVES: Due to its location in the chest wall, surgical treatment of lesions at the origin of the brachiocephalic trunk or common carotid artery (CCA) is unattractive. Complete endovascular treatment of lesions at the origin of the common carotid artery or brachiochephalic trunk combined with high-grade lesions at the carotid bifurcation carries a high risk for distal emboli before cerebral protection is installed. Therefore, the combination of open carotid endarterectomy with retrograde stenting of the proximal lesion through one stage is most attractive. METHODS: Eleven patients were treated with a combined procedure for tandem lesions at the origin of the brachiocephalic trunk or common carotid artery (CCA) and the carotid bifurcation. Endpoint of this evaluation was the 30-day MACE (Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events). RESULTS: All procedures were finished as planned and no conversion was necessary. Thirty-day mortality was 0%. One patient developed a restenosis after only 4 days for which he underwent a re-PTA procedure. The 30-day MACE was 0%. None of the patients needed additional treatment during follow-up (mean follow-up 33 months; range: 11 to 60) although one patient developed a non-significant stenosis during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment of tandem lesions of the carotid artery is safe and effective in the long-term.

Emergency endovascular aneurysm repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: an institutional experience.

OBJECTIVES: Emergency endovascular aneurysm repair (eEVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA) is still under investigation. Since installation of an urgent eEVAR kit in our hospital, all patients with a rAAA or urgent thoracic aortic aneurysm are candidates for eEVAR or eTEVAR (emergency thoracic EVAR), respectively. For this study, we analyzed all rAAA patients treated with eEVAR. METHODS: Data were recorded prospectively. Criteria for an eEVAR were an infrarenal neck > or = 15 mm, acceptable landing zone, angles below 70 degrees and a good femoral approach. We prefer preoperative angio CT-scan but in case of instability, an intra-aortic balloon can stabilize the patient during angiography (in the OR) to decide between open or eEVAR repair. Follow-up was performed on regular intervals by duplex or CT-scan. Thirty-day mortality and overall survival were calculated. RESULTS: Since 2006, nine male rAAA patients with a mean age of 73 years (range : 62-82) had eEVAR repair. Aneurysm diameter was 8 cm (range : 5.8-11). The Hardman index was 1.5 (range : 0-3). In eight patients an aorto-uni-iliac device was placed succesfully followed by a femorofemoral crossover bypass. The 30-day operative mortality was 12.5% (one patient with septic shock). Three patients showed a type 2 endoleak with stable diameter during follow-up but one patient showed expansion 4 years after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Treating rAAA with eEVAR in selected patients with acceptable anatomy and a kit permanently available in the operating room yielded good results by a surgical team trained for both open and eEVAR repair. The conversion rate was low (11%) and the survival (immediate and 30-days) was excellent (87.5%).

Red blood cell accumulation in a rat model of pulmonary ischemia/reperfusion injury.

AIM: Red blood cell (RBC) accumulation in lung tissue during ischemia/reperfusion has not been studied extensively. A warm lung ischemia/reperfusion-injury model was developed to determine RBC trapping. METHODS: Twenty-four rats were randomized into 5 groups. In 4 groups, the left lung was submitted to 20 minutes of warm ischemia followed by reperfusion for 3, 10, 30 and 60 minutes. Subsequently, both lungs were flushed. Afterwards the heart-lung block was removed and fixed endoluminally. The fifth group was the sham group, in which lungs were flushed after 20 minutes of perfusion without induction of ischemia. RBC were counted in the hilar sectional plane and expressed in area%. RESULTS: In the left reperfused ischemic lung, already 3 minutes after reperfusion, a significant accumulation of RBC was found in the capillaries. This accumulation was accompanied by a significant vascular congestion of these vessels. After in vivo perfusion, almost all RBC were flushed out the blood vessels of the non-ischemic lung (area%=0.082). In ischemic reperfused lungs, capillaries were densely packed with RBC. Significantly more RBC were counted after 3 (area%=1.572; P=0.002) and 10 minutes (area%=1.240; P=0.011) of reperfusion compared to the sham group. After 30 (area%=0.929; P=0.054) and 60 minutes (area%=0.435; P=0.404) no significant increase in RBC was observed compared to the sham group. In the right non-ischemic lungs, no differences in RBC accumulation were observed between the sham group and ischemia-reperfusion groups. CONCLUSIONS: After warm ischemia/reperfusion, a significant early increase in accumulation of RBC was observed.

Mycotic aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta. Review and case report.

A 74-year-old male presented with bilateral invalidating claudication. A bilateral percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with stenting of both superficial femoral arteries was performed but complicated by an urosepsis with Escherichia coli and a septic phlebitis at the site of an intravenous line. The phlebitis was complicated by a local abcedation for which incision and drainage were performed. One month after discharge he was readmitted at our hospital with septic fever and positive hemocultures for Escherichia coli. Positron emission tomography-computed tomographic scan (PET/CT-scan) showed a mycotic aneurysm of the thoracic aorta. Because no cryopreserved donor aorta was available and the aneurysm size rapidly increased, an open in situ repair was performed with a Dacron silver prosthesis soaked in rifampicin. His recovery was further complicated by a perforated toxic megacolon for which a subtotal colectomy was performed. Further recovery was uncomplicated and 10 months after the aortic repair patient is still free from infection.

Asymptomatic pheochromocytoma in the posterior mediastinum.

A 66-year-old female patient was treated for a posterior mediastinal tumour with unknown histology. During thoracotomy, repetitive hypertensive crises had to be treated. The tumour was completely resected. Pathology revealed an extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma. Diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is usually made on the basis of clinical presentation and elevated catecholamine levels in serum or urine. Imaging is used primarily for localizing tumours prior to surgery. Complete surgical excision is the primary treatment. The only absolute indicator of malignancy is the identification of distant metastases to bone, liver, lung or lymph nodes.

Long-term results of primary stenting for long and complex iliac artery occlusions.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term results of recanalization with primary stenting for long and complex iliac artery occlusions. DESIGN: Retrospective non-randomized study. METHODS: Between 1996 and 2004, 38 patients underwent recanalization of an occluded iliac artery with subsequent stenting for TASC B lesions in 12 patients, TASC C in 10 and TASC D in 16. Thirty-one patients had Fontaine stage 2 B, four patients had stage 3 and one patient had stage 4. Two patients (5.4%) presented with acute ischemia and received trombolysis before recanalization. Patency results were calculated using Kaplan and Meier analysis. The mean follow-up was 26 months. RESULTS: Technical success was 97.4%. Thirty-day mortality was 2.7%. The primary patency rate was 94%, 89% and 77% at 1, 3 and 5 years respectively. Three re-occlusions (8.1%) and one restenosis (2.7%) were observed during follow-up. The secondary patency (SP) rate was 100%, 94% and 94% after 1, 2 and 3 years. Fifteen patients underwent an associated procedure. A kissing stent procedure in three patients, a contralateral PTA of an iliac stenosis in 8, a femoro-femoral bypass in 2, a femoropopliteal bypass in 1 and an femoral endarterectomy in 2. The procedure related complication rate was 5.4%. CONCLUSION: Long-term results of iliac recanalization are excellent without major complications if the procedure is technically successful. The endovascular procedure can be an alternative to an iliofemoral or aortobifemoral bypass in a high risk population.

Toxicity and efficacy of isolated lung perfusion with gemcitabine in a rat model of pulmonary metastases.

BACKGROUND: Long-term toxicity and efficacy of isolated left lung perfusion (ILuP) with gemcitabine (GCB) were studied in a rat model of metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma. TOXICITY: Forty rats were randomized into six groups and administered 160 or 320 mg/kg GCB or buffered starch, received either via intravenous injection (i.v.) or via ILuP. Efficacy experiment: Rats with unilateral metastases had ILuP with 320 mg/kg GCB (maximally tolerated dose administered by ILuP), while rats with bilateral metastases had an i.v. injection of 160 mg/kg GCB (maximally tolerated dose given by i.v.). RESULTS: TOXICITY experiment: After i.v. treatments, all rats receiving 320 mg/kg GCB died within one week, while rats who had received 160 mg/kg GCB had a survival rate of 60%. After ILuP with 160 mg/kg GCB and 320 mg/kg GCB, survival rates were 83% in both groups. A significant increase in collagen deposits was observed for ILuP with 320 mg/kg GCB compared to rats treated i.v. with 160 mg/kg GCB. Efficacy experiment: Median survival of ILuP rats treated with 320 mg/kg (38 +/- 4 days) was significantly longer compared to i.v. rats treated with 160 mg/kg (27 +/- 2 days; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: ILuP with GCB prolongs survival in experimental metastatic adenocarcinoma while no major acute or long term toxicity is observed.

Isolated lung perfusion for the treatment of pulmonary metastatic disease: a review.

Isolated lung perfusion with chemotherapeutic agents is an experimental technique for the treatment of lung metastatic disease from certain solid tumours. The technique had already been developed in the late 1950s but underwent a revival in the early 1980s. By that time, experimental work in large and small animals induced extensive clinical work with different agents such as doxorubicin, tumour necrosis factor, melphalan and cisplatin for which safety profiles and maximal tolerated doses were defined. A review of current work is presented in this article.

Variations in flow, duration, and concentration do not change the final lung concentration of melphalan after isolated lung perfusion in rats.

OBJECTIVE: The influences of flow, perfusion time, and concentration on melphalan (MN) lung levels in a rat model of isolated lung perfusion (ILuP) were studied. METHODS: ILuP was performed in WAG/Rij rats by using a single-pass system with 0.5, 0.05, 0.01, and 0.005 mg of MN. Subsequently ILuP with 0.05 mg MN was performed during 30 min with a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min, during 60 min with a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min, and during 30 min with a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. RESULTS: The lung MN levels of 0.05 mg were significantly lower as compared with 0.5 mg (p = 0.02). In the second experiment, no significant differences were seen in lung levels of MN between the different groups. CONCLUSION: The final lung MN levels were only determined by the absolute amount administered.

Pneumonectomy for lung metastases: report of ten cases.

Today, pulmonary resection for lung metastases is a widely accepted treatment if complete resection can be achieved. However, 5-year survival is only 40 %. Many patients develop recurrences, but some reports have demonstrated that salvage operations can result in a long-term survival. A resection of a complete lung or a resection of more than a lung is still controversial since procedure-related morbidity or mortality does not outweigh the survival benefit. We report on a series of 10 consecutive patients who underwent a primary pneumonectomy or an operation on the residual lung after pneumonectomy with curative intent for pulmonary metastases. 5 year survival rates for the 10 patients after pneumonectomy alone or with additional resection was 45 %, which was not significantly different from those who underwent a more minor resection with a 5-year survival of 39 % (p = 0.40). Since there is currently no alternative proven therapy for patients with isolated pulmonary metastases, a primary or completion pneumonectomy may be offered to selected patients as long as sufficient pulmonary reserve is present, and a complete resection can be achieved.