Visualization of the Internal Thoracic Arteries in Giant Cell Arteritis on 18 F-FDG Semiconductor PET/CT.

ABSTRACT: A 72-year-old woman presented with the fever and the pain of skull and face for 2 weeks. 18 F-FDG PET/CT equipped with semiconductor detectors revealed strong uptake not only in the temporal, cervical, subclavian arteries, and aorta, but also in the bilateral internal thoracic arteries. The diagnosis of giant cell arteritis was made. Semiconductor PET can visualize small arteries such as the internal thoracic artery. The patients with giant cell arteritis are at a high risk of ischemic heart disease, and inflammatory involvement of the internal thoracic arteries may affect the outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting.

Chest Compression-Associated Internal Thoracic Artery Injury During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Incidence, Injury Patterns and Efficacy of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and patterns of chest compression-associated internal thoracic artery injury (CAI) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and identify the embolization techniques used to treat hemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in the patients who underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for life-threatening hemorrhage caused by CAI at two tertiary care centers between May 2013 and December 2019. Data on background characteristics, imaging findings, embolization and outcomes were collected from the medical records. RESULTS: Among 385 patients in whom circulation returned after resuscitation, there were 9 patients (2.3%) who required TAE for CAI. Eight of 9 patients had acute myocardial infarction, and all had been started on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation before TAE. Seven patients had unilateral, and two had bilateral internal thoracic artery injuries. Main trunk injury of internal thoracic artery was seen in 27%, while branch injury in 73%. Six patients (67%) had multiple injuries in the internal thoracic artery territory, and five (56%) had injuries to other vessels. In all cases, we embolized the main trunk of the internal thoracic artery using n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate and coils (n = 8), a gelatin sponge only (n = 2), or coils and a gelatin sponge (n = 1). TAE was technically successful in all, without any complication. The 30-day mortality rate was 44%. CONCLUSIONS: CAI needing hemostatic intervention occurred in 2.3% of patients after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Branch injury was more common than main trunk injury, and multiple vessel injuries were common. TAE appears to be safe and effective for controlling life-threatening hemorrhage.

Duplex Imaging Assessment of the Internal Mammary Arteries in Women after Unilateral Mastectomy and Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The effects of incidental radiation exposure on internal mammary arteries remain unclear. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis by comparing diameter and blood flow of the irradiated and nonirradiated internal mammary arteries, using Duplex ultrasound imaging. METHODS: The study was designed as a single-center, transversal, comparative study. The main outcomes were diameter and volumetric blood flow of the internal mammary arteries. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to assess the differences between the irradiated and nonirradiated internal mammary arteries with regard to the diameter and volumetric blood flow. RESULTS: The diameter (median [interquartile range]) of the irradiated internal mammary arteries (0.170 mm [0.160, 0.180]) was smaller than that of the contralateral nonirradiated ones (0.180 mm [0.170, 0.200], P < 0.0001) and that of the internal mammary arteries in the control group (0.180 mm [0.170, 0.190], P < 0.0001). Similarly, blood flow (median [interquartile range]) of the irradiated internal mammary arteries (52.4 ml/min [37.78, 65.57]) was smaller than that of the contralateral nonirradiated ones (62.7 ml/min [46.87, 84.17], P < 0.0001), as well as of the left (56.7 ml/min [46.88, 72.58], P = 0.02) and the right internal mammary arteries in the control group (61.0 ml/min [47.47, 74.52], P = 0 0.0009). CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that the irradiated internal mammary arteries in patients with a history of total mastectomy followed by radiotherapy for breast cancer had significantly smaller diameter and blood flow compared to the nonirradiated internal mammary arteries.

Impact of Preoperative Quantitative Flow Ratio of the Left Anterior Descending Artery on Internal Mammary Artery Graft Patency and Midterm Patient Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Background In coronary artery bypass grafting, grafting a target vessel with nonsignificant stenosis increases the risk of graft failure. The present study aims to investigate the impact of preoperative quantitative flow ratio (QFR), a novel functional assessment of the coronary artery, on internal mammary artery graft failure rate and midterm patient outcomes. Methods and Results Between January 2016 and January 2020, we retrospectively included 419 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting who had received preoperative angiography and postoperative coronary computed tomographic angiography in our center. QFR of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery was computed based on preoperative angiograms. The primary end point was the failure of the graft on the LAD artery assessed by coronary computed tomographic angiography at 1 year, and the secondary end point was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events including death from any cause, myocardial infarction, stroke, or repeat revascularization. Grafts on functionally nonsignificant LAD arteries (QFR >0.80) had a significantly higher failure rate than those on functionally significant LAD arteries (31.4% versus 7.2%, P<0.001). QFR outperforms degree of stenosis in discriminating graft failure (C statistic, 0.76 versus 0.58). Clinical follow-up (3.6 years, interquartile range [3.3-4.1]) was accomplished in 405 patients, and the rate of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events was significantly higher among patients with functionally nonsignificant LAD arteries (10.1% versus 4.2%; adjusted hazard ratio, 3.08 [95% CI, 1.18-8.06]; P=0.022). Conclusions In patients receiving internal mammary artery to LAD artery coronary artery bypass grafting, preoperative QFR of the LAD artery of >0.80 was associated with a higher graft failure rate at 1 year and worse patient outcomes at the 3.6-year follow-up.

[Peripheral Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm with Internal Thoracic Artery-Pulmonary Artery Shunt].

An 82-year-old woman with past history of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial infection complained of hemoptysis and was pointed out the strongly stained nodule in the middle lobe of the right lung on chest enhanced computed tomography (CT), which was suggested to be peripheral pulmonary artery aneurysm. Angiography of the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) revealed the peripheral pulmonary artery aneurysm with the shunt from the branch of the RITA, which was considered to be the cause of hemoptysis. Transcatheter arterial embolization was performed for the branch of the RITA 2 times, however, the hemoptysis recurred again after 5 months. Therefore, after the third embolization for the RITA, the right middle lobectomy with amputation of the shunt vessel was performed. The patient has been well without hemoptysis for one year and 6 months after the surgery.

[Congenital Left Internal Mammary Artery to Pulmonary Artery Fistula with Aneurysmal Change Diagnosed Incidentally:Report of a Case].

An internal mammary artery to pulmonary artery (IMA-PA) fistula is a very rare vascular abnormality. Patients with this disease are often asymptomatic, but they may develop symptoms such as heart failure and hemoptysis. A 60-year-old woman was incidentally diagnosed with left IMA-PA fistula by chest computed tomography (CT) during an examination for colon cancer. She was asymptomatic, but we determined that surgery was indicated because of the presence of an aneurysmal change. We performed complete surgical resection of the IMA-PA fistula and aneurysm under cardiopulmonary bypass. Her postoperative course was uneventful. Although a specific management strategy for IMA-PA fistula has not yet been established, surgical treatment should be performed to prevent rupture in cases with aneurysmal change.

Internal thoracic artery on the aorta: A simple radial connection.

Although performing total arterial coronary artery bypass revascularisation, using internal thoracic arteries as in situ grafts is not always feasible. The implantation of an internal thoracic artery on the aorta could be necessary, in a situation rarely planned preoperatively. Herein, we describe a simple and original way to perform this anastomosis. A 2-cm length of extra radial artery graft ended by a clip is anastomosed to the aorta in a standard fashion. The internal thoracic artery is then sown on the radial dome. We obtain a wide arterial anastomotic chamber using a standard technique, safe and easily reproducible.

I-Composite Graft with Right Internal Thoracic Artery and Right Gastroepiploic Artery in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

PURPOSE: When added to the internal thoracic artery (ITA), the right gastroepiploic artery (GEA) has been used as an in-situ graft or an I-composite right ITA-right GEA graft in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We aimed to verify its potential. METHODS: We evaluated 104 patients who underwent first isolated CABG with this I-composite graft. The number of distal anastomoses, graft flow (GF) and pulsatility index (PI) during surgery, and graft patency in the early term regarding this I-composite graft were evaluated. RESULTS: The number of total distal anastomoses and distal anastomoses with arterial grafts were 4.17 ± 0.81 and 3.63 ± 0.81, respectively. This I-composite graft achieved 2.38 ± 0.69 distal anastomoses. GF tended to increase according to the increased number of distal anastomoses (p = 0.241), and the PI maintained a low score regardless of the number of distal anastomoses (p = 0.834). Graft patency was 95.5%; moreover, the number of distal anastomoses with this I-composite graft did not affect early-term graft patency. CONCLUSION: Right GEA utility was expanded as this I-composite graft in addition to in-situ graft. This I-composite graft has an adequate flow capacity for revascularization in non-left anterior descending coronary artery lesions.

Changes in Internal Thoracic Artery Blood Flow According to the Degree of Stenosis of the Anterior Descending Branch of the Left Coronary Artery.

PURPOSE: Computational fluid dynamics has enabled the evaluation of coronary flow reserve. The purpose of this study was to clarify the hemodynamic variation and reserve potential of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA). METHODS: Four patients were selected on the basis of various native coronary stenosis patterns and graft design. The wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index were measured, and one patient was selected. Next, we created three hypothetical lesions with 75%, 90%, and 99% stenosis in front of the graft anastomosis, and compared the changes in LITA blood flow and coronary flow distribution. RESULTS: In the 75% to 90% stenosis model, blood flow was significantly higher in the native coronary flow proximal to the coronary artery bypass anastomosis regardless of time phase. In the 99% stenosis model, blood flow from the LITA was significantly dominant compared to native coronary flow at the proximal site of anastomosis. The range of LITA flow variability was the largest at 99% stenosis, with a difference of 70 ml/min. CONCLUSION: The 99% stenosis model showed the highest LITA flow. The range of LITA flow variability is large, suggesting that it may vary according to the rate of native coronary stenosis.

Spontaneous Dissection of Left Internal Mammary Artery Graft: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Spontaneous left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft dissection is a rare condition, and clinical findings remain to be elucidated. We report a case of LIMA graft dissection diagnosed by a coronary computed tomography and intravascular ultrasound. The patient was successfully treated with percutaneous intervention. We also conducted a literature review of published cases and summarized the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Postoperative intrapulmonary invagination of the left internal mammary artery-An anomalous course deciphered on CT angiography.

We hereby present a case of intrapulmonary invagination of the left internal mammary artery detected on CT angiography. We aim to highlight the role of CT angiography in identifying these course anomalies and their clinical implications.

Wall Shear Stress Differences Between Arterial and Venous Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts One Month After Surgery.

Although coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is a well-established intervention, graft failure can occur, and the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The purpose of this prospective study is to utilize computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate how graft hemodynamics one month post surgery may vary among graft types, which have different long-term patency rates. Twenty-four grafts from 10 participants (64.6 ± 8.5 years, 9 men) were scanned with coronary CT angiography and 4D flow MRI one month after CABG surgery. Grafts included 10 left internal mammary arteries (LIMA), 3 radial arteries (RA), and 11 saphenous vein grafts (SVG). Image-guided CFD was used to quantify blood flow rate and wall area exposed to abnormal wall shear stress (WSS). Arterial grafts had a lower abnormal WSS area than venous grafts (17.9% vs. 70.1%; p = 0.001), and a similar trend was observed for LIMA vs. SVG (13.8% vs. 70.1%; p = 0.001). Abnormal WSS area correlated positively to lumen diameter (p < 0.001) and negatively to flow rate (p = 0.001). This CFD study is the first of its kind to prospectively reveal differences in abnormal WSS area 1 month post surgery among CABG types, suggesting that WSS may influence the differential long-term graft failure rates observed among these groups.

Intralobular pulmonary sequestration in the middle lobe supplied by a right internal mammary artery: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary sequestration (PS) is a rare congenital malformation that is more common in the left lower lobe, and the thoracic aorta is the most common arterial supply. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of a 67-year-old man with a chief complaint of intermittent cough and hemoptysis who had been diagnosed by multidetector computed tomography angiography with right middle lobe intralobular pulmonary sequestration supplied by a right internal mammary artery. Finally, he underwent middle pulmonary lobectomy with normal postoperative recovery. DISCUSSION: This is a rare intralobular pulmonary sequestration case for a feeding artery from the right internal mammary. Multidetector computed tomography angiography should be performed for diagnosis and preoperative evaluation once pulmonary sequestration is suspected.

Comparing Left Internal Mammary Angiography via Right Radial or Femoral Access With a Single-Catheter Technique.

BACKGROUND: We compared the safety and effectiveness of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) angiography through right radial (Rad) or femoral (Fem) artery access with a single-catheter technique. METHODS: LIMA selective imaging was attempted through Rad access with a Bartorelli-Cozzi 5.2Fr catheter in 190 consecutive patients. They were compared with 190 consecutive patients in whom LIMA was imaged with a mammary catheter via Fem access. Successful LIMA imaging within 15 min and time needed for imaging were efficacy end-point. Safety metrics were cerebral ischemic events and access site complications. RESULTS: Overall success rate of Rad LIMA imaging was 62 %. The success rate of Fem LIMA imaging was 97 %. In Rad group, patient age emerged as the single independent correlate of success at multivariate analysis (OR 9.938, CI 0.902-0.977 p = 0.002), with 77 % success rate in the lowest age quartile (<67 years). Median time needed to obtain selective LIMA imaging was significantly longer in Rad than in Fem (5.5 min vs. 4.0 min, p < 0.001), but right radial access was not a significant predictor of time needed to image LIMA at multivariate analysis (K 0.726, CI [-0.130-1.581], p = 0.09). Access site complications (6 vs. 0 cases, p = 0.030), and clinically significant bleeding (4 vs. 0 cases, p = 0.1) occurred in Fem group only. No peri-procedural cerebrovascular events were seen in either Group. CONCLUSIONS: Right radial artery is a suboptimal, yet reasonable access for LIMA-graft selective imaging in younger patients. The technique is free from vascular complications and peri-procedural cerebrovascular events.