Hyperpigmentation of an Atherosclerotic Carotid Artery Plaque in a Patient on Chronic Suppressive Minocycline Therapy.

Minocycline is an oral tetracycline antibiotic that has been used to treat a variety of medical conditions. A recognized side effect of minocycline is hyperpigmentation, most commonly a cutaneous phenomenon affecting the lower extremities. In our case report, we present a patient on chronic suppressive minocycline therapy identified intraoperatively with hyperpigmentation involving an atherosclerotic carotid plaque.

Aureobasidium pullulans fungal keratitis following LASEK.

PURPOSE: To describe a patient who developed Aureobasidium pullulans keratitis following refractive laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK). METHODS: A 52-year-old woman was referred to a tertiary care center 1 month after LASEK for treatment of a corneal ulcer that was unresponsive to conventional therapy. Mycology culture and fungal stain identified Aureobasidium as the infectious organism. RESULTS: The infection responded well to treatment with topical natamycin and systemic itraconazole. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with topical natamycin and systemic itraconazole is effective against Aureobasidium pullulans keratitis.

Successful treatment of mucous membrane pemphigoid with etanercept in 3 patients.

BACKGROUND: Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), also known as cicatricial pemphigoid, is a serious, autoimmune, blistering disorder that can result in blindness and other complications as a result of scarring of the mucous membranes. Effective treatment modalities are often toxic. Herein, we describe a novel therapeutic approach that is based on 2 reports in the literature of the successful use of etanercept to treat MMP. OBSERVATIONS: Three patients with MMP were treated with subcutaneous injections of 25 mg of etanercept twice weekly. All 3 patients had oral mucosal involvement, and 1 had severe, recalcitrant, ocular disease. Oral mucosal disease improved in all 3 patients. The patient with ocular involvement experienced stabilization of progression. CONCLUSIONS: Effective treatment modalities for MMP are often toxic. Etanercept may be an effective treatment option for MMP of the oral and ocular mucous membranes. This therapy should be considered as an alternative treatment option for patients who would require other aggressive systemic treatments, such as cyclophosphamide, corticosteroids, azathioprine sodium, and intravenous immunoglobulin.

Acute bilateral iliac artery occlusion secondary to blunt trauma: successful endovascular treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Endovascular treatment of blunt vascular trauma has been infrequently reported. PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old man was crushed between a fork-lift truck and a concrete platform. The physical examination was remarkable for hemodynamic stability, significant lower abdominal ecchymosis and tenderness, obvious pelvic fracture, and gross hematuria. Vascular examination revealed no femoral pulses, no pedal signals bilaterally, and minimal left leg and no right leg motor function. Arteriograms revealed right common iliac artery and external iliac artery occlusion and a 2-cm near occlusion of the left external iliac artery. TREATMENT: In the operating room, bilateral common femoral artery access was obtained, and retrograde arteriogram on the right side demonstrated free extravasation of contrast material at the level of the proximal external iliac artery. An angled glide wire was successfully traversed over the vascular injury, and two covered stents (Wallgraft, 10 x 50 mm and 8 x 30 mm) were deployed. The left iliac injury was similarly treated with an 8 x 30-mm covered stent. After calf fasciotomy, exploratory laparotomy revealed a severe sigmoid colon degloving injury, requiring resection and colostomy. A suprapubic catheter was placed because of bladder rupture, and an open-book pelvic fracture was treated with external fixation. Postoperatively the patient regained palpable bilateral pedal pulses and normal left leg function, but right leg paralysis persisted secondary to severe lumbar plexus nerve injury. CONCLUSION: Endovascular repair of blunt intra-abdominal arterial injuries is possible and should be particularly considered when fecal contamination, pelvic hematoma, or multiple associated injuries make conventional repair problematic.

Aortic aneurysm sac shrinkage after endovascular repair is device-dependent: a comparison of Zenith and AneuRx endografts.

Aneurysm sac shrinkage after endovascular aneurysm repair (EAR) provides objective evidence of successful aneurysm exclusion and absence of endotension. Attainment of this outcome parameter may be device-dependent. In this study, 169 patients underwent EAR with an AneuRx (n = 118) or Zenith (n = 51) endograft at a single institution. A prospectively maintained database was examined for significant changes in aneurysm sac diameter (> or = 5 mm) on the basis of computed tomography (CT) measurements at 6 and 12 months follow-up. Significant aneurysm sac shrinkage (> or = 5 mm) occurred in 73.1 % (19/26) vs. 43.1% (28/65) of patients in the Zenith and AneuRx groups, respectively, at 12 months (p = 0.03). At 6 months follow-up, sac shrinkage rates were 51.4% (19/37) vs. 25.8% (16/62) in the Zenith and AneuRx groups, respectively (p = 0.04). Mean reduction of sac diameter at 12 months was -7.6 +/- 1.6 mm vs. -3.5 +/- 0.8 mm in the Zenith and AneuRx groups, respectively (p = 0.01). There was a trend toward fewer Type I and III endoleaks at 1 month in the Zenith group (0 vs. 8.3%) that did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.067). The presence of any endoleak (> or = 1 month) was associated with reduced 12 month shrink rates from 47.1% (25/51) to 28% (4/14) in the AneuRx group (p = 0.35) and from 77.3% (17/22) to 50% (2/4) in the Zenith group (p = 0.25). Patients treated with the Zenith endograft demonstrated a significantly higher rate and amount of aneurysm sac shrinkage than patients treated with an AneuRx device. Endoleaks appeared to negatively influence shrink rates with both endografts.

Mid-term results of patients undergoing endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

BACKGROUND: The utilization of endovascular aneurysm repair (EAR) is increasing significantly; however, few papers have outlined mid-term outcomes. METHODS: Patients undergoing EAR with an AneuRx endograft between September 1997 and May 2001 were evaluated. Mean follow-up was 20.7 +/- 11.9 (SD) months. RESULTS: In all, 101 EAR devices were successfully deployed in 105 attempts. Four open conversions (2 acute, 2 delayed) were performed for complications of EAR. Technical, clinical, and 1 to 3 year continuing success rates were 75%, 73%, and 78% to 83%. When divided by the median date, significantly fewer patients in the later group required secondary procedures compared with the early group. Vascular insufficiency occurred in 12 patients; 11 were treated with a secondary procedure. For 9 type I and 9 type II persistent endoleaks, secondary procedures were attempted and successful in 10 patients. Of successful EAR deployments, including secondary interventions, 85% demonstrated no persistent leak, rupture, increase in aneurysm size, or migration at most recent follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: EAR is successful in selected individuals; however, continuing follow-up is of paramount importance.

Can claudication be improved with medication?

Intermittent claudication is a common disabling condition that affects approximately 5% to 15% of patients with atherosclerotic disease. Recommended treatment involves lifestyle modification and physical conditioning through the adoption of a regular exercise program. These methods of treatment often have been unsuccessful in the past because of noncompliance, in large part related to the relatively minor degree of improvement experienced by the patient. However, some recent trials have resulted in greater relative improvements in both pain-free and maximal walking distances in some patients treated with medication. Surgical and endovascular options offer greater degrees of improvement but also greater morbidity and should be reserved as treatment for severe claudication. The efficacies, as well as common adverse reactions associated with current medications used to treat patients with intermittent claudication are reviewed.

Trends in aortic aneurysm surgical training for general and vascular surgery residents in the era of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

HYPOTHESIS: The emergence of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair may negatively impact the open AAA experience of general surgery residents. METHODS: Prospectively collected data on general and vascular surgery resident training in AAA repair for a 5-year period (1997 to 2001) at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Five general surgery residents and one vascular resident completed training yearly. Institutional volume of open and endovascular repair of AAA was also assessed. RESULTS: The cumulative mean general surgical resident experience with open AAA repair fell significantly over a 5-year period; 9.5 +/- 2.5 cases were performed per general surgical resident finishing in 1997, 7.5 +/- 0.3 cases in 1998, 4.6 +/- 0.4 cases in 1999, 4.0 +/- 1.3 cases in 2000, and 4.2 +/- 1.0 cases in 2001 (P =.03). The vascular resident experience with open AAA repair did not change significantly over the 5-year period. However, the active development of an endovascular AAA program increased total AAA exposure of the vascular resident from 26 cases in 1997 to a mean of 70 cases in 2000 and 2001. The institution volume of open nonsuprarenal AAA repairs fell 38% during the 5-year period (P =.33) during a period when endovascular AAA repair increased from 9 (1996) to 55 (2000) cases (P <.001). The complexity of open AAA surgery also increased: 23.3% of open cases (7/30) in 2000 were juxta/pararenal versus 2.9% (1/35) in 1996 (P =.05). CONCLUSION: The introduction of endovascular AAA repair may have negatively impacted general surgical resident training in open AAA repair. The number of open AAA cases declined, and their complexity significantly increased. Many uncomplicated AAAs were managed with endovascular means. At programs with such a paradigm shift in AAA treatment, expectation that general surgery residents gain the proficiency necessary to safely perform AAA repair without additional training may be unrealistic.

Endograft migration one to four years after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with the AneuRx device: a cautionary note.

BACKGROUND: Positional stability of the endograft is essential for long-term durability after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EAR). However, the cumulative risk of delayed endograft migration has been sparsely reported. METHOD: A total of 91 patients studied underwent EAR with the AneuRx endograft with a minimum 1 year from implantation. Data from a prospective database were assessed for proximal endograft migration, defined as > or = 5 mm change from the initial endograft position. Multiple anatomic characteristics were also examined. Sixty-nine patients were alive, with complete follow-up at 1 year, with a mean time from implantation of 33.2 +/- 1.1 months. Data are mean +/- SEM. RESULTS: Endograft migration occurred in 15 patients, giving a cumulative event rate of 7.2% (5/69) at 1 year, 20.4% (10/49) at 2 years, 42.1% (8/19) at 3 years, and 66.7% (2/3) at 4 years post-EAR (P =.01). Although the initial aortic neck diameter did not differ between the groups (21.5 +/- 0.6 mm vs 21.8 +/- 0.3 mm, P =.61), significant (P <.05), late aortic neck enlargement was seen in patients with migration (25.0 +/- 1.6 mm, 26.2 +/- 1.2 mm, and 27.0 +/- 1.0 mm at 1,2, and 3 years, respectively) but not in nonmigrators. Regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant (P <.05) correlation between endograft oversizing and late aortic neck dilation. Overall migration risk was 29.2% in patients oversized >20% and 18.6% in patients oversized < or = 20%. Aortic neck angulation (23.4 +/- 6.6 degrees vs 23.5 +/- 3.3 degrees, P =.99), aortic neck length (25.9 +/- 2.5 mm vs 27.0 +/- 1.6 mm, P =.74), initial endograft/aortic neck overlap (18.6 +/- 2.6 mm vs 19.4 +/- 1.4 mm, P =.80) and size of abdominal aortic aneurysm (55.5 +/- 1.5 mm vs 54.9 +/- 1.4 mm, P =.84) were similar between migrators and nonmigrators, respectively. Secondary endovascular treatment with aortic cuffs was required in five patients with device migration. CONCLUSIONS: Device migration after EAR with the AneuRx endograft occurred with significant frequency, the incidence of which increased with the length of follow-up. Late aortic neck dilation was significantly associated with migration. Oversizing of the endograft of >20% may accelerate this late aortic neck dilation. However, the etiologies of endograft migration were likely multifactorial, as the majority (8/15) of patients experiencing migration were oversized <20%. Although endovascular repair of these migrations is usually possible, the long-term durability of these secondary procedures is unknown. Careful surveillance for this endograft failure mode must be an essential component of post-EAR follow-up.

Does ASA classification impact success rates of endovascular aneurysm repairs?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the technical success, clinical success, postoperative complication rate, need for a secondary procedure, and mortality rate with endovascular aneurysm repair (EAR), based on the physical status classification scheme advocated by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). At a single institution 167 patients underwent attempted EAR. Query of a prospectively maintained database supplemented with a retrospective review of medical records was used to gather statistics pertaining to patient demographics and outcome. In patients selected for EAR on the basis of acceptable anatomy, technical and clinical success rates were not significantly different among the different ASA classifications. Importantly, postoperative complication and 30-day mortality rates do not appear to significantly differ among the different ASA classifications in this patient population.

Duplex scan-directed placement of inferior vena cava filters: a five-year institutional experience.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was the assessment of the safety, efficacy, and hospital charges of bedside duplex ultrasound-directed inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement. METHODS: All duplex ultrasound-directed IVC filters that were placed from August 8, 1995, to December 31, 2000, are reviewed. Chart review combined with mailed questionnaires and telephone follow-up examinations were used to collect demographic and outcome data. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-five patients underwent evaluation, and 284 underwent duplex ultrasound-directed IVC filter placement. Two hundred three (71%) were male patients, and 81 (29%) were female patients. Poor IVC visualization, IVC thrombosis, and unsuitable anatomy prevented duplex-directed filter placement in 41 patients (12%). Indication for filter placement included venous prophylaxis in the absence of thromboembolism in 235 patients (83%), contraindication to anticoagulation therapy in 34 patients (12%), prophylaxis with therapeutic anticoagulation therapy in the presence of thromboembolism in 7 patients (2%), and complication of anticoagulation therapy in 8 patients (3%). There were no procedure-related deaths or septic complications. Technical complications occurred in 12 patients (4%). Filter misplacement occurred in 6 patients (2%), access thrombosis in 1 (<1%), migration in 1 (<1%), bleeding in 1 (<1%), and IVC occlusion in 3 (1%). Pulmonary emboli after IVC filter placement occurred in one patient with a misplaced filter. Average hospital charges related to duplex ultrasound-directed filter placement were $2388 less than fluoroscopic placement charges in the year 2000. CONCLUSION: Our experience indicates that duplex ultrasound-directed IVC filter placement is safe, cost-effective, and convenient for patients who need IVC filter placement.