RESUMEN
Inflammation has a central role in atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture. Intense macrophage inflammatory activity results in microcalcifications which are strongly associated with plaque vulnerability. Microcalcifications with specific critical size between 5 and 65 µ, located in the fibrous cap producing local mechanical stress on the plaque surface and may directly contribute to plaque rupture. Hence, accurate assessment of microcalcifications size and dimension has significant clinical importance. Current invasive and noninvasive plaque imaging has limited spatial resolution which limits accurate definition of microcalcifications in the atherosclerotic plaques. We describe a new imaging technique with high spatial resolution, based on confocal microscopic analysis, using a dedicated software which allows automatic characterization of microcalcifications and quantitative assessment of their extent and localization.
Asunto(s)
Calcinosis/diagnóstico por imagen , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador/métodos , Microscopía Confocal/métodos , Placa Aterosclerótica/diagnóstico por imagen , HumanosRESUMEN
Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is a rare disease that leads to variable degrees of neurological deficit including permanent paraplegia. It has been reported after open and endovascular interventions of the thoracic and abdominal aorta, but it is extremely rare after interventions involving peripheral vessels. We present a case of permanent paraplegia after iliac angioplasty and stenting for critical limb ischemia and a related review of the literature.