Growth rate and associated factors in small abdominal aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: To study the growth rate and factors influencing progression of small infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). DESIGN: Observational, longitudinal, prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We followed patients with AAA <5 cm in diameter in two groups. Group I (AAA 3-3.9 cm, n = 246) underwent annual ultrasound scans. Group II (AAA 4-4.9 cm, n = 106) underwent 6-monthly CT scans. RESULTS: We included 352 patients (333 men and 19 women) followed for a mean of 55.2+/-37.4 months (6.3-199.8). The mean growth rate was significantly greater in group II (4.72+/-5.93 vs. 2.07+/-3.23 mm/year; p<0.0001). Group II had a greater percentage of patients with rapid aneurysm expansion (>4 mm/year) (36.8 vs. 13.8%; p<0.0001). The classical cardiovascular risk factors did not influence the AAA growth rate in group I. Chronic limb ischemia was associated with slower expansion (< or = 4 mm/year) (OR 0.47; CI 95% 0.22-0.99; p = 0.045). Diabetic patients in group II had a significantly smaller mean AAA growth rate than non-diabetics (1.69+/-3.51 vs. 5.22+/-6.11 mm/year; p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: The expansion rate of small AAA increases with the AAA size. AAA with a diameter of 3-3.9 cm expand slowly, and they are very unlikely to require surgical repair in 5 years. Many 4-4.9 cm AAA can be expected to reach a surgical size in the first 2 years of follow-up. Chronic limb ischemia and diabetes are associated with reduced aneurysm growth rates.

Detection of abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients with peripheral artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). DESIGN: Observational, descriptive, transverse study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed an abdominal ultrasound in 1190 consecutive patients with lower limb chronic ischemia (1/99-12/04). We registered cardiovascular risk factors and clinical data for analysis. RESULTS: The ultrasound was inconclusive in 24 (2%) patients; 1166 patients completed the study. They were mostly male (93.7%), with an age mean of 67+/-9.9 years (37.7-93.4). The main cardiovascular risk factors were: smoking (80.9%), hypertension (41.7%) and hypercholesterolemia (31.4%). The prevalence of AAA was 13% (n = 151). Only 1.5% (n = 17) of the patients had a large AAA (>5 cm). The AAA was clearly more prevalent in men (n = 148; 13.6%) than in women (n = 3; 4.1%) (RR 3.47; 95% CI 1.11-10.89; p = 0.02). The prevalence significantly increased with age, with a maximum of 17.1% in over 75-year-old men (p = 0.006). Patients with tibial disease had a significantly higher prevalence of AAA than aortoiliac or femoro-popliteal disease (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of AAA in patients with PAD is much higher than that reported in the general population. We recommend that an abdominal ultrasound be routinely included in the study of these patients. Over 75-year-old men are at particularly high-risk.

Tratamiento quirúrgico del síndrome del desfiladero torácico: nuestra experiencia (1986-2000) / Surgical treatment in the thoracic outlet syndrome: our experience (1986-2000)

Objetivo. Evaluar los resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico del síndrome del desfiladero torácico (SDT) en un servicio de angiología y cirugía vascular. Pacientes y métodos. Estudio retrospectivo. Período de estudio 1986-2000, n= 53 casos en 45 pacientes (8 bilaterales). Edad media: 32,6 años (r= 17-58). Se han incluido 29 mujeres (64 por ciento) y 16 varones (34 por ciento), diagnosticados por exploración clínica, radiología simple, pruebas neurofisiológicas, Doppler y angioRx. SDT arterial n= 43 (30 puros/13 mixtos o neurovasculares); SDT venoso n= 9 (8 TVP y 1 edema intermitente) y un caso SDT neurológico puro. Se apreciaron anomalías óseas en el 62,2 por ciento de los pacientes. Se han practicado 28 resecciones de costilla cervical/megaapófisis C7, 19 de 1.ª costilla, 3 de 1.ª costilla anómala, 1 de clavícula, 1 de músculo subclavio y 1 escalenectomía aislada. Se asoció cirugía arterial o venosa directa en 8 casos (6/2 respectivamente). Los resultados precoces y tardíos se han calculado mediante estadística descriptiva, test exacto de Fisher y Kaplan-Meier, utilizando el programa SPSS. Resultados. Precoces: mortalidad 0 por ciento, morbilidad 13 por ciento, permeabilidad acumulada 87,5 por ciento. Tardíos: seguimiento medio 36 meses (0-15 años). Permeabilidad acumulada: 85,7 por ciento. Tasa actuarial de asintomáticos: 79,2 por ciento. Tasa de asintomáticos y sintomáticos con pruebas postoperatorias normalizadas: 92,4 por ciento (a los 15 años). No se evidenció relación significativa entre sexo, edad y tipo de resección efectuada, con la persistencia de los síntomas en las tablas actuariales (p> 0,05). Se reintervinieron cuatro casos (7.5 por ciento) por recurrencia de los síntomas. Conclusiones. Nuestros resultados justifican el tratamiento quirúrgico del SDT. La selección de los pacientes es fundamental porque un porcentaje mantendrá la sintomatología pese a la normalización de los tests diagnósticos (AU)

Relación entre la arteriografía inguinal preoperatoria y la infección de la herida quirúrgica en cirugía arterial / Relationship between preoperative inguinal arteriography and groin infection after arterial surgery

Objetivos. Determinar y analizar la relación entre la arteriografía inguinal preoperatoria (AIP) y la infección quirúrgica inguinal homolateral en cirugía arterial. Material y métodos. Se incluyeron en el estudio 867 abordajes quirúrgicos inguinales realizados en un período de 5 años, comparando la incidencia de infección quirúrgica según la realización o ausencia de arteriografía previa homolateral al sector intervenido. El período de seguimiento para diagnosticar la infección varió desde 2 días a 7,5 años. Se realizaron un estudio descriptivo y un análisis univariante. Resultados. La tasa de incidencia de infección quirúrgica global fue del 2,65 por ciento (n = 23). En 156 casos (18 por ciento) se había realizado una arteriografía homolateral previa. La frecuencia de infección en los casos con arteriografía homolateral fue del 6,41 por ciento, mientras que en los que no se realizó la misma homolateralmente fue del 1,83 por ciento, objetivándose una relación estadísticamente significativa entre la arteriografía inguinal preoperatoria homolateral y la infección quirúrgica (p = 0,003).Conclusiones. La relación significativa entre la AIP y la infección inguinal confirma la necesidad de adoptar medidas preventivas específicas para evitar la elevada morbimortalidad de esta complicación inherente a la cirugía vascular (AU)

Urinary iodine levels in three ecological zones of Bangladesh.

Urinary iodine levels in children (5-11 years) and in adult males and females (15-44 years) of three ecological zones (hilly, flood-prone and plains) of Bangladesh were analyzed to determine the status of biochemical iodine deficiency in the country. Data indicated that a large majority of the population all over Bangladesh have biochemical iodine deficiency urinary iodine excretion (UIE) less than the accepted cut-off level of 10 µg/dl. Adults were deficient to comparable degrees, 31.3% severely iodine deficient. The flood-prone zone was less affected: 71.7% children had iodine deficiency and 25% were severely deficient. Adults of this zone were less affected than the children. Iodine deficiency was least severe in the plain zone: 59.8% children were biochemically iodine deficient and of them 23.4% had UIE less than 2.0 µg/dl. In the case of the adults of this zone, 60.8% were biochemically iodine deficient and 20.6% had severe iodine deficiency. The results indicate that Bangladesh as a whole is an iodine deficient region, with the hilly zone being the most severely affected. Children were slightly more affected than the adults, and females were more affected than the males.

Iodine deficiency disorders in Bangladesh.

An extensive iodine deficiency disorders survey was conducted in Bangladesh in 1993 to assess the latest iodine nutriture status of the country. The clinical variables of the survey were goitre and cretinism, and the biochemical variable was urinary iodine. The "EPI-30 cluster" sampling methodology was followed for selecting the survey sites. In each survey site, the study population consisted of boys and girls, aged 5-11 years, and men and women, aged 15-44 years, in about equal populations. The total number of survey sites was 78 and the total number of respondents was 30,072. The total number of urine samples was 4512 (15% sub-sample). The current total goitre rate (grade 1 + grade 2) in Bangladesh is 47.1% (hilly, 44.4%; flood-prone, 50.7%; and plains, 45.6%). The prevalence of cretinism in the country is 0.5% (hilly, 0.8%; flood-prone, 0.5%; and plains, 0.3%). Nearly 69% of Bangladeshi population have biochemical iodine deficiency (urinary iodine excretion [UIE] < 10 mg/dl) (hilly, 84.4; flood-prone, 67.1%; and plains 60.4%). Women and children are more affected that men, in terms of both goitre prevalence and UIE. The widespread severe iodine deficiency in all ecological zones indicates that the country as a whole is an iodine-deficient region. Important recommendations of global interest are made from the experience of the survey.