[Persistent sciatic artery: possible false negative imaging]. / Artère sciatique persistante: possibles faux-négatifs de l'imagerie.

Persistent sciatic artery is a rare congenital malformation due to the lack of regression of the dorsal arterial axis of the embryo that can be revealed by serious complications. We report a case of bilateral persistent sciatic artery revealed by subacute distal ischemia. This case illustrates the possibility of false negative imaging and the importance of ruling out this diagnosis in case of recurrent and apparently idiopathic distal embolism.

Objectifying exercise ischemia in peripheral vascular disease: a study in 120 patients.

This study presents the results of transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) monitoring during a treadmill test walk performed in the early stages of peripheral obliterative vascular disease. The study population consisted of a first group of 50 known arteriopathic patients presenting, on questioning, with intermittent claudication; a second group of 50 known arteriopathic patients void of any symptoms of intermittent claudication; and a third group, which was a control cohort of 20 nonarteriopathic, nonclaudicating patients. Though resting TcPO2 cannot be used to aid the clinical diagnosis of exercise ischemia it may be useful in revealing asymptomatic chronic resting ischemia (9% of cases in this series). On the other hand, a posteffort (recovery phase) fall in TcPO2 had a predictive positive diagnostic accuracy for ischemia on exercise in 99% of the cases reported here versus 87% for clinical appraisal. In the light of these results, TcPO2 measurements coupled to a treadmill test walk perfectly ascertain exercise ischemia in arteriopathic patients, whether asymptomatic or not, and avoid the false-positive results obtained by clinical evaluation.

[Mesenteric and retroperitoneal fibrosis. A case report. Review of the literature]. / Fibrose mésentérique et rétropéritonéale. Une observation. Revue de la littérature.

The authors report a case of combined mesenteric and retroperitoneal fibrosis resulting in vascular and digestive compressions. Diagnosis was established by laparoscopy and biopsy. No etiologic factors were found. Such an association is exceptional and suggests that the disease is systemic. The possibility of fibrosis arising far from the mesenterium (mediastinum, extrahepatic biliary tract, thyroid, orbit) has led some authors to suggest that this condition be termed Idiopathic Systemic Fibrosis. An immunologic origin has been speculated in the literature.

Tuberculous aneurysm of the femoral artery: a complication of bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine immunotherapy--a case report.

A case of bilateral femoral mycotic aneurysms resulting from bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine, is reported in a 74-year-old man treated by intravesical immunotherapy. The diagnosis was made after histologic and bacteriologic examinations and biochemical analysis of the acid-fast-baccilli. Treatment consisted of resection and replacement of the femoral arteries, with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft on the left side and a saphenous vein graft on the right side. After surgery the patient was treated with antituberculous chemotherapy for 1 year. The patient was doing well 18 months later.