Natural course of venous malformation after conservative treatment.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical course of patients with venous malformation (VM) treated conservatively. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the database of our Congenital Vascular Malformation clinic and interviewed 207 patients with VM, who had been managed only conservatively. The questionnaires asked about changes in size (no change, increase in proportion to growth, increase greater than in proportion to growth, decrease) and changes in symptoms (markedly worse, moderately worse, no change, moderately improved, markedly much improved). Progression of VMs was defined as an increase greater than in proportion to growth or worsening symptoms. RESULTS: Fifty patients (24 %) reported an increase in size greater than in proportion to growth and 25 patients (12 %) reported symptoms worsening from their initial symptoms. Overall, sixty-six (32 %) of the patients reported evidence of progression of their VM. A binary logistic regression model identified VM combined with capillary malformation (CM) or lymphatic malformation (LM) as an independent predictor of VM progression (OR 2.67, 95 % CI 1.29-5.53). CONCLUSIONS: Based on responses to the questionnaire, the size and symptoms of VM progressed in 32 % of patients over the course of their life. VMs combined with CM or LM were the only independent predictor of progression of a VM after conservative management.

Measurement of carotid artery stenosis: correlation analysis between B-mode ultrasonography and contrast arteriography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of B-mode ultrasonography (US) in measurement of carotid stenosis% (CS%). METHODS: One hundred and thirth-three carotid arteries in 96 patients who underwent both carotid US and carotid arteriography (CA) were included in this retrospective study. To measure CS% on US, a cross sectional view of the most stenotic segment of the internal carotid artery was captured and residual diameter and original diameter of that segment were measured with electronic caliper on the same plane and in the same direction. To measure CS% on an angiogram, we used European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) and the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) methods. Pearson's correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were used to determine the correlation between CS% on an US and angiogram. RESULTS: Pearson's correlation coefficient (R) between CS% measured in US and CA were 0.853 (ECST method, P < 0.001) and 0.828 (NASCET method, P < 0.001). Accuracies of B-mode US were 93.2%, 88.0%, and 81.2% for estimating CS% by ECST method and 86.5%, 82.7%, and 82% for estimating CS% by NASCET method. CONCLUSION: CS% measured in B-mode US was simpler and showed a strong positive correlation with that measured on an arteriogram either ECST or NASCET method.

Prevalence of asymptomatic critical carotid artery stenosis in Korean patients with chronic atherosclerotic lower extremity ischemia: is a screening carotid duplex ultrasonography worthwhile?

This study aimed to investigate prevalence of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS) in Korean patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and identify predictive factors of ACAS in patients with PAD. Between 1994 and 2008, 546 patients who underwent bypass surgery due to PAD were identified in a single tertiary teaching hospital. Of those, 409 patients underwent preoperative screening carotid duplex ultrasonography (CDUS). Patients who had an episode of cerebrovascular event or previous carotid artery intervention were excluded and then a retrospective analysis was made of 340 patients. The degree of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis was determined by the criteria of Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Consensus Conference. To determine the risk factors of ACAS, demographic, coexisting medical condition and lesion characteristics were tested with binary logistic regression model. The prevalence of > or = 70% ICA stenosis was 14%. ICA occlusion was detected in 7.1%. Multivariate analysis revealed age > 65 yr (OR: 2.610, 95% CI: 1.197-5.691) and coronary artery disease (CAD, OR: 2.333, 95% CI: 1.169-4.657) are predictive factors of > or = 70% stenosis. A PAD patient who needs revascularization, particularly, > 65 yr or has a concomitant CAD, can be a good candidate of screening CDUS.

Analysis of the postoperative hemodynamic changes in varicose vein surgery using air plethysmography.

OBJECTIVES: This study used air plethysmographic parameters to evaluate the changes in venous hemodynamics after the surgical treatment of primary varicose veins. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 1756 limbs of 1620 patients who had undergone surgery for great saphenous vein (GSV) reflux from January 1996 to June 2009 at Samsung Medical Center. Venous hemodynamic changes were evaluated by performing air plethysmography preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively and assessing the venous volume (VV), the venous filling index (VFI), the residual volume fraction (RVF), and the ejection fraction (EF). RESULTS: Preoperatively, median (interquartile range) values were VV, 121.6 (94.7-160.6) mL; VFI, 4.8 (2.9-7.6) mL/s; RVF, 40.6% (29.7%-50.0%); and EF, 53.5% (44.3%-64.1%). Postoperatively, the median (interquartile range) values were VV, 90.6 (69.1-116.8) mL; VFI, 1.4 (0.9-1.9) mL/s; RVF, 28.4% (17.5%-38.7%); and EF, 65.2% (54.5%-77.2%). VV, VFI, and RVF were reduced 25.2%, 71.5%, and 29.9%, respectively; EF was increased 20.3%. The results were significant for all four variables (P < .001). We compared the degree of hemodynamic changes according to the treatment modalities: the high ligation and stripping group , 1578 cases; the GSV valvuloplasty group, 124 cases; and the VNUS group (VNUS Medical Technologies Inc, San Jose, CA), 54 cases. The reduction of the VV, VFI, and RVF was greater in the GSV stripping group and in the VNUS group than in the valvuloplasty group (P < .001), yet no difference was noted in the EF increase among the surgical modalities (P = .157). CONCLUSION: Our results show that the venous hemodynamic parameters of primary varicose veins were improved after surgical treatment.