Total Endovascular Repair of a Giant Iliac Vein Aneurysm: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

PURPOSE: The iliac veins are the least frequent location for venous aneurysms, with only a few cases described globally. The etiology and clinical presentation of this extremely rare entity is diverse and unclear and no treatment consensus has been reached yet. Our purpose is to present an interesting iliac vein aneurysm (IVA) case that we treated in our department, with a brief review of the literature. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 74-year-old male patient with a giant, 55 mm in diameter, asymptomatic, right common IVA, with concurrent aplasia of the left common iliac vein and an extensive network of venous collaterals. The patient was treated, under general anesthesia, with total endovascular iliocaval reconstruction through implantation of a 32 × 100 mm thoracic aortic tubular Ankura stent graft. The computed tomography venography at first-month follow-up showed the complete exclusion of the IVA, without any endoleak and the patient remains up to date free of symptoms and thromboembolic events. CONCLUSION: Twelve cases of endovascular treatment of IVA have been reported so far, and our case is the first with implantation of a thoracic aortic stent graft. Our results suggest that this technique is safe, effective, and may be considered for appropriately selected patients. CLINICAL IMPACT: This is the first case with total endovascular repair of an iliac vein aneurysm with contralateral iliac vein aplasia through endovenous implantation of a thoracic aortic stent-graft. Our results suggest that this technique is safe and effective and thus, may be considered for appropriately selected cases.

Combined Type III and Type II Endoleaks after Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: Presentation of 2 Cases and a Literature Review.

Although endovascular aneurysm repair is a feasible option for high-risk patients resulting in lower perioperative mortality when compared with open repair, the need for reintervention and long-term follow-up affects its use. The aim of the current report is to present 2 cases of patients with type IIIa endoleak from limb disconnection (one patient with double-bilateral endoleak) combined with a late type II endoleak and symptomatic sac growth treated in our department. We also performed a literature review about type III endoleaks and their treatment options.

Can Routine Investigation for Occult Pulmonary Embolism Be Justified in Patients with Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether routine screening for silent pulmonary embolism (PE) can be justified in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 201 patients with lower-extremity DVT admitted to the vascular surgery department of a single tertiary university center between 2019 and 2023. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, basic laboratory exams, a whole-leg colored duplex ultrasound, and a computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), to screen for an occult, underlying PE. Results: The overall incidence of silent PE was 48.8%. The median admission D-dimer level was significantly higher in patients with silent PE than in those without PE (9.60 vs. 5.51 mg/L, P=0.001). A D-dimer value ≥5.14 mg/L was discriminant for predicting silent PE, with a sensitivity of 68.2% and a specificity of 59.3%. Silent PE was significantly more common on the right side, with the embolus located at the main pulmonary, lobar, segmental, and subsegmental arteries in 29.6%, 32.7%, 20.4%, and 17.3%, respectively. A higher incidence of occult PE was observed in patients with iliofemoral DVT (P=0.037), particularly when the thrombus extended to the inferior vena cava (P=0.003). Moreover, iliofemoral DVT was associated with a larger size and a more proximal location of the embolus (P=0.041). Multivariate logistic regression showed that male sex (odds ratio [OR]=2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-3.53; P=0.026), cancer (OR=2.76, 95% CI: 1.45-4.07; P=0.017), previous venous thromboembolism (VTE) history (OR=2.67, 95% CI: 1.33-4.01; P=0.022), D-dimer value ≥5.14 mg/L (OR=2.24, 95% CI: 1.10-3.38; P=0.033), iliofemoral DVT (OR=2.13, 95% CI: 1.19-3.07; P=0.041), and thrombus extension to the IVC (OR=2.95, 95% CI: 1.43-4.47; P=0.009) served as independent predictors for silent PE. Conclusion: A high incidence of silent PE was observed in patients with lower-extremity DVT. Screening of patients with DVT who have the aforementioned predictive risk factors using CTPA for silent PE may be needed and justified for the efficient management of VTE and its long-term complications.

Surgical Removal of a Long-Forgotten, Retained Intravascular Foreign Body: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Intravascular foreign body embolization is a potential complication of any vascular operation. Placement of a central venous catheter (CVC) is a common procedure, especially during surgery, hemodialysis, or in critically ill patients. The complete loss of the introducing guidewire into the circulation is a rare complication, with the majority of cases identified immediately or shortly after the procedure. We report an unusual case of an 82-year-old male with a misplaced CVC guidewire, extending from the right common femoral vein (CFV) to the superior vena cava, that was found incidentally 2 years after internal jugular vein cannulation during colorectal surgery. The patient was asymptomatic at the time, without any signs of deep vein thrombosis or post-thrombotic syndrome. Surgical extraction of the guidewire was successfully performed, under local anesthesia, through venotomy of the right CFV. Proper education and advanced awareness are advised in order to minimize the risk of this avoidable complication.

Endovascular Repair of a Failed Nellix Endograft Proximal Sealing Zone Using the Altura Stent-Graft: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Endovascular aortic aneurysm sealing (EVAS) with the Nellix endograft was initially considered a groundbreaking and acceptable alternative to conventional endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, with encouraging initial results. However, long-term follow-up has revealed a high incidence of endograft-related complications, such as caudal migration and type Ia endoleaks, indicating the need for reintervention. Managing failed EVAS remains challenging and is an ongoing topic of discussion, especially for high-risk patients. We describe a 70-year-old female who initially underwent EVAS with a Nellix endograft and presented after 5 years of follow-up with caudal endograft migration and a type Ia endoleak. The patient was treated with endovascular implantation of an Altura stent-graft, a relatively new low-profile device with a similar double stent configuration. Device migration and endoleaks were undetectable at 12 months of follow-up, suggesting that the Altura might offer a safe and efficient approach in cases of Nellix proximal failure.

AAA Rupture and Psoas Hematoma due to Type II Endoleak from Inferior Mesenteric Artery "Unusual" Collaterals.

Although endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in the abdominal aorta has reduced the perioperative mortality when compared with open repair, the need for reintervention after complications such as endoleak may be presented in up to 20% of the cases. Type II endoleak from branch vessels is often benign but can potentially be associated with progressive abdominal aortic aneurysm growth and sac expansion. We present a rare case of a patient who presented with sac expansion and psoas hematoma due to Type II endoleak from "unusual" collaterals of IMA and was treated successfully with endoleak microembolization and percutaneous decompression of the hematoma.