COMPLETENESS OF CIRCLE OF WILLIS IN ASYMPTOMATIC AND SYMPTOMATIC EXTRACRANIAL CAROTID DISEASE.

INTRODUCTION: This research has been aimed at determining whether incomplete Circle of Willis in patients with significant extracranial carotid stenosis is associated with a higher incidence of neurological symptomatology and/or ischemnic cerebral lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was conducted as a prospective study which comprised 211 patients who underwent surgical treatment of extracranial carotid disease at the Department of Vascular Surgery in Novi Sad and 102 patients in the control group. Each patient underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography with visualization of cerebral parenchyma. extracranial and intracranial cerebral circulation. Assessment of Circle of Willis morphology was performed by 3D time-of-fight magnetic resonance angiogram sequence analysis. The patients were divided into two groups: group I - the patients with'complete Circle of Willis and group II - the patients with incomplete Circle of Willis i.e. with the disruption of anterior and/ or ipsilateral posterior circulation - regarding the side of signif icant carotid stenosis. RESULTS: Out of 211 patients who -were operated during a two-year period, 133 had the complete Circle of Willis. while 78 patients had the incomplete Circle of Willis. Out of 111 patients with symptomatic carotid disease or silent cerebral infarction, 52.5% (58) had the complete Circle of' Willis and 47.5% (53) had the incomplete Circle of Willis. It was shown to be statistically different (P = 0.0146) in relation with the asymptomatic group of patients (100), where the frequency of the complete Circle of Willis was 75% (75) while the insufficiency of anterior or ipsilateral posterior collateral ization was found in 25% (25). In the control group there were significantly fewer cases of developed collateral flow and the complete Circle of Willis (41%) compared to the operated patients with extracranial carotid stenosis (63%) (P= 0.0003). CONCLUSION: Incompleteness of Circle of Willis is associated with more frequent occurrence of neurological symptomatology or ischemic lesions of brain parenchyma in operated patients with significant extracranial carotid stenosis. The control group without extracranial carotid stenosis had less developed collaterals of Circle of Willis compared to extracranial carotid patients.

Analysis of associated diseases in patients with acute critical lower limb ischemia.

INTRODUCTION: Acute critical lower limb ischemia refers to the state of severely impaired vitality of lower limbs due to acute occlusion of arterial blood vessel by a thrombus or emboli. Surgical revascularization in the first 6-12 hours after the onset of symptoms gives the best results. However, a high mortality rate and probability of limb loss make this problem more debatable, and can be related with associated diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This research included 95 patients who had been operated within the first 12 hours after the onset of symptoms of critical limb ischemia We collected the following data: age and sex of patients, etiology of limb ischemia, type of operation, associated diseases and outcome of treatment. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Most of the patients were 70 to 80 years old, both sexes being equally represented. There was significantly more arterial embolism (70%) than thrombosis on the prior arterial lesion. Most of the embolizations were treated with Fogarty balloon catheter embolectomy (98%); however, a great number ofarterial thrombosis demanded more complex "inflow" and "outflow" ensuring procedures such as thromboendarterectomy and bypass (33%). The performed surgical procedures showed no statistical differences when final outcome was analyzed. Amputation had to be performed in about 3% of the patients and all of them were diabetics. Mortality rate in this research was 10.5% and 7/10 with this outcome had severe form of chronic myocardiopathy and metabolic decompensation. CONCLUSION: Acute critical lower limb ischemia should be treated surgically as soon as possible. Negative outcomes are associated with comorbidity and general condition of the patient.

[Role of surgical resection in treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma].

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fifth leading cause of death from malignant diseases. The total five-year rate is bellow 5%, but in patients who underwent pancreatic resection, the five-year rate may be up to 20%. Surgical resection is still the only therapeutic option that offers the possibility of cure. In recent decades, the perioperative mortality rate has been significantly reduced in the institutions performing a number of these operations per year and has become less than 5%. Postoperative morbidity remains high. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The results of surgical resection in the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been analyzed. A retrospective study included the patients operated at the Department for Abdominal, Endocrine and Transplantation surgery, Clinical Center of Vojvodina. RESULTS: In the period from February 1st 1998 to February 1st 2007 a total of 67 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma underwent resection. The average age of patients was 58.81 +/- 1.42 years. There were 44 (65.7%) male and 23 (34.3%) female patients. The most common locations of cancer were the head, then the body and the tail of the pancreas and they were found in 57 (85.1%) cases, 7 (10,4%) cases and 3 (4,47%) cases, respectively. The postoperative mortality appeared in 3 (4.47%) cases and postoperative morbidity in 21 (31.3%) cases. The average survival was 22.89 +/- 3.87 months, the median being 9.0 +/- 2.18 months. The five-year survival rate was 13.5%. CONCLUSION: For patients with pancreatic cancer, surgical resection still remains the only chance of cure. These procedures are performed with acceptable postoperative mortality and morbidity rate. The percentage of cured patients is still unsatisfactorily low.