Management of AAA and late Type II EL in a patient with concomitant renal cell carcinoma. Report of a case and review of the literature.

PURPOSE: Detection of cancer in patients with AAA complicates the treatment of both diseases. AAA associated with RN are rare, with an incidence of 0.1-3% representing a challenge in defining the surgical timing and approach. We discuss the rational for the treatment in patients with concomitant patologies. CASE REPORT: A 65 years-old man was diagnosed with both AAA and Renal Cell Carcinoma. The patient underwent first EVAR followed by renal embolization and Radical Nefrectomy. Three months later a Type II Endoleak was diagnosed and treated successfully. At 1 year follow-up the patient is disease free with complete exclusion of aneurysm sac. CONCLUSION: AAA can be successfully repaired in patients with renal neoplasm with great results, either simultaneously or in two stages. EVAR is a good alternative for such complex patients.

Kinetics of serum procalcitonin in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia and bowel infarction after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: The present study reported perioperative changes in PCT levels occurring in cardiac patients with acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) undergoing laparotomy. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that PCT kinetics may confirm the presence of AMI after cardiac surgery, distinguishing between bowel infarction and diffuse ischemia. METHODS: PCT values from adult patients undergoing laparotomy for AMI after elective or urgent cardiac surgery (January 2010-December 2019) were determined at the ICU admission after cardiac surgery, 24 hours later and at the onset of clinical symptoms. Patients affected by diffuse intestinal ischemia with no need for bowel resection were allocated to Group A (N. 8), patients presented with intestinal necrosis requiring small or large bowel resection were allocated to Group B (N. 12). RESULTS: At the beginning of the abdominal symptoms, PCT levels increased in both groups, compared to those immediately after cardiac surgery. The PCT increasing resulted much more evident in patients presenting with intestinal necrosis in Group B (20.65 ng/mL [IQR8.47-34.5] vs. 4.31 ng/mL [IQR 8.47-34.5], P<0.05), rather than in those with diffuse ischemia in Group A (13.25 ng/mL [IQR 5.97-27.65] vs. 10.4 ng/mL [IQR 3.68-14.05], P=0.260). This trend was confirmed in the subgroup of patients undergoing CVVHD and in patients who experience AMI recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing PCT values after cardiac surgery are proportional to the severity of wall ischemia and high levels of PCT are predictive of intestinal necrosis. Routine PCT monitoring after cardiac surgery should be considered extremely useful in suggesting the possibility of abdominal complications, alerting medical staff to the need of prompt treatment.

The influence of aneurysm size on early outcome of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in female patients.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of aneurysm size on early outcome in women undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, with suggestion of lowered threshold for intervention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study on the early outcome of 25 females undergoing elective endovascular (EVAR) and open AAA repair, compared to 340 males from 2005 to 2017. The study was focused on 30-days mortality (primary endpoint) and incidence of non fatal major adverse events - MAE (secondary endpoint) of two subgroups of women: AAA diameter <50 mm (n.14, group F1), AAA diameter ≥ 50mm (n.11, group F2). RESULTS: The incidence of the primary endpoint at 30 days was 4% in females, and 1.1% in males, respectively (p=ns). Similarly, females showed a higher rate of MAE compared to males (16% vs 9.4%, p=ns). Women who underwent surgery with small aneurysms (F1 group) had an early outcome similar to men (30-day death 0% vs 1.1%, p=ns; MAE 7.1% vs 9.4%, p=ns) and significantly better than women with larger aneurysms (30-day death 0% vs 9%, p=ns; MAE 7.1% vs 27.2, p=ns). CONCLUSIONS: Although poorly significant from a statistical point of view, the present report seems to confirm that the AAA diameter is a relevant marker of disease severity in women, assuming that repair at smaller size may be associated with less comorbidity and better outcome. KEY WORDS: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, Abdominal aortic aneurys open repair, Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, Female gender.

Case report: Percutaneous treatment of multiple honeycomb-like liver hydatid cysts (type III CE2, according to WHO classification).

Percutaneous treatment has been developing as a reliable and effective alternative to surgery in the treatment of liver hydatid cysts. However, percutaneous treatment is strongly recommended only for some types of hydatid cysts (types I and II). We report a patient with type III (CE2, according to the WHO classification) multiple liver hydatid cysts treated with the PAIR (puncture-aspiration-injection-reaspiration) technique. The patient developed a secondary biliary fistula, which ultimately healed.