Preoperative Embolization of Primary Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma: Is Embolization of Internal Carotid Artery Branches Necessary?

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of blood supply from internal carotid artery (ICA) on the surgical outcomes of primary juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) after transarterial embolization (TAE). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on primary JNA patients who underwent TAE and endoscopic resection in our hospital between December 2020 and June 2022. The angiography images of these patients were reviewed, and then they were divided into ICA + external carotid artery (ECA) feeding group and ECA feeding group according to whether the ICA branches were part of the feeding arteries. Tumors in ICA + ECA feeding group were fed by both ICA and ECA branches, while tumors in ECA feeding group were fed by ECA branches alone. All patients underwent tumor resection immediately after ECA feeding branches embolization. None of the patients underwent ICA feeding branches embolization. Data on demographics, tumor characteristics, blood loss, adverse events, residual and recurrence were collected, and case-control analysis was performed for the two groups. Differences in characteristics between the groups were tested using Fisher's exact and Wilcoxon tests. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were included in this study: nine in ICA + ECA feeding group and nine in ECA feeding group. The median blood loss was 700 mL (IQR 550-1000 mL) in ICA + ECA feeding group versus 300 mL (IQR 200-1000 mL) in ECA feeding group, with no significant statistical difference (P = 0.306). Residual tumor was found in one patient (11.1%) in both groups. Recurrence was not observed in any patient. There were no adverse events from embolization and resection in either group. CONCLUSION: The results of this small series suggest that the presence of blood supply from ICA branches in primary JNA has no significant effect on intraoperative blood loss, adverse event, residual and postoperative recurrence. Therefore, we do not recommend routine preoperative embolization of ICA branches. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4, Case-control.

Association between Carotid Bifurcation Angle and Vulnerable Plaque Volume Using Black Blood Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

The morphology of the internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation is increasingly being recognized as the cause of atherosclerosis and vulnerable plaque leading to cerebral infarction. In this study, we investigated the relationship between carotid bifurcation angle and carotid plaque volume evaluated using black blood magnetic resonance imaging (BB-MRI). Among the 90 patients who underwent revascularization for atherosclerotic symptomatic carotid stenosis between April 2016 and October 2022 using BB-MRI, carotid plaque was evaluated in 57 patients. Relative overall signal intensity (roSI) was defined as the signal intensity of the plaque on T1-weighted images relative to the signal intensity of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in the same slice as the common carotid bifurcation. Regions showing roSI ≥ 1.0 were defined as plaque, and the plaque volume and relative plaque volume were measured from roSI ≥1.0 to ≥2.0 in 0.1 increments. We calculated the angles between the common carotid artery (CCA) and the ICA and between the CCA and the external carotid artery (ECA) on magnetic resonance angiography. We classified two groups according to carotid bifurcation angles based on the ICA angle: Group A = <35° and Group B = ≥35°. Compared with Group A (n = 42), Group B (n = 15) showed a greater relative plaque volume between roSI ≥ 1.3 and roSI ≥ 1.5. A significant correlation was identified between relative plaque volume with roSI ≥ 1.4 and ICA angle (p = 0.049). Vulnerable plaque was significantly more frequent in the group with an ICA angle of ≥35. Moreover, the ICA angle was significantly greater in patients with a roSI of ≥1.4.

Pseudoaneurisma de la arteria facial como complicación de un absceso parafaríngeo. Presentación de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Pseudoaneurysm of the facial artery as a complication of parapharyngeal abscess. Presentation of a case and review of the literature

Un pseudoaneurisma constituye una dilatación sacular vascular que implica un defecto a nivel de la íntima y la capa media, manteniendo continuidad de la adventicia. Las dilataciones aneurismáticas de la arteria carótida extracraneal son raras, encontrándose entre sus causas traumatismos, infecciones y complicaciones iatrogénicas. Su tratamiento, recomendado en todos los casos, incluye la cirugía tradicional, la colocación de stent y la embolización. El riesgo de rotura implica una mortalidad de hasta el 30 %. Presentamos el caso de una mujer de 86 años derivada a Urgencias por cuadro de cinco días de odinofagia asociado a tumefacción dolorosa submandibular evidenciándose en el TC una colección parafaríngea compatible con absceso, en cuyo interior se objetivó una estructura vascular aumentada de calibre sugestiva de pseudoaneurisma. Se realizó una arteriografía que confirmó la presencia de una dilatación sacular compatible con pseudoaneurisma a nivel submandibular izquierdo, dependiente de la rama palatina ascendente de la arteria facial. Esta lesión se embolizó mediante coils para posteriormente realizarse drenaje y desbridamiento quirúrgico del absceso submaxilar. La evolución posterior fue satisfactoria. La presencia de una lesión poco frecuente pero con alta mortalidad en un cuadro clínico habitual en la práctica clínica pone de manifiesto la relevancia del estudio mediante TC a cargo de profesionales experimentados. La colaboración en estos casos entre radiólogos y cirujanos de cabeza y cuello resulta imprescindible. (AU)

A pseudoaneurysm is a vascular saccular dilatation that involves a defect at the level of the intima and the medial layer, maintaining continuity of the adventitia. Aneurysmal dilatations of the extracranial carotid artery are rare, with trauma, infection and iatrogenic complications among their causes. Their treatment, recommended in all cases, includes traditional surgery, stenting and embolization. The risk of rupture implies a mortality of up to 30 %. We present the case of an 86-year-old woman referred to the Emergency Department with five days of odynophagia associated with painful submandibular swelling, showing in CT a parapharyngeal collection compatible with abscess, inside which an enlarged vascular structure suggestive of pseudoaneurysm was observed. Arteriography confirmed the presence of a saccular dilatation compatible with pseudoaneurysm at the left submandibular region, dependent on the ascending palatine branch of the facial artery. This lesion was embolized by coils and later drainage and surgical debridement of the submaxillary abscess was performed. Subsequent evolution was satisfactory. The presence of an infrequent lesion but with high mortality in a common clinical condition highlights the relevance of CT study by experienced professionals. Collaboration in these cases between radiologists and head and neck surgeons is essential. (AU)

Detailed Arterial Anatomy and Its Anastomoses of the Sphenoid Ridge and Olfactory Groove Meningiomas with Special Reference to the Recurrent Branches from the Ophthalmic Artery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Detailed arterial anatomy of the sphenoid ridge and olfactory groove meningiomas is complicated due to the fine angioarchitecture and anastomoses between each feeder. Herein, we present details of the arterial anatomy and the relationships of feeders in these lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 20 patients admitted to our department between April 2015 and March 2020. Conditions of subjects consisted of 16 sphenoid ridge meningiomas and 4 olfactory groove meningiomas. We mainly analyzed arterial anatomy using 3D rotational angiography and slab MIP images of these lesions. We also analyzed the anastomoses of each feeder. RESULTS: We found that 19 (95%), 15 (75%), and 15 (75%) lesions had feeders from the ophthalmic, internal carotid, and external carotid arteries, respectively. As feeders from the ophthalmic artery, recurrent meningeal arteries were involved in 18 lesions (90%). Fifteen lesions (75%) had anastomoses between each feeder. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the meningiomas in the sphenoid ridge and olfactory groove had feeders from the ophthalmic and internal carotid arteries. There were various anastomoses between each feeder. This is the first report to demonstrate the detailed arterial anatomy and frequency of recurrent branches from the ophthalmic artery and their anastomoses using detailed imaging techniques.

Separate arch origin of the left external carotid artery with common trunk giving rise to the left internal carotid artery and left subclavian artery.

We present a case of a 3-year-old boy with tetralogy of Fallot having the direct origin of the left external carotid artery from the aorta with a common trunk giving rise to the left internal carotid artery and left subclavian artery, in a right-sided aortic arch. We also highlight the potential implications in management.

Diagnosis and Operative Management of Carotid Endarterectomy in Patients with Twisted Carotid Bifurcation.

Although carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is an established procedure, technical modifications are required when anatomical features are unusual. The present study aimed to determine the characteristics of diagnostic features, surgical management, and outcomes of patients with a twisted carotid bifurcation (TCB). We assessed 108 consecutive patients by cervical carotid echography (CCE) and black-blood magnetic resonance imaging (BB-MRI) before they underwent 115 CEA procedures. We classified carotid bifurcation (CB) anatomy based on anteroposterior findings of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and external carotid artery (ECA) determined by cerebral or three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography as follows. The ICA and ECA ran laterally and medially, respectively, in Type 1, overlapped in Type 2, and the ICA and ECA ran medially and laterally, respectively, in Type 3. We also classified the patients according to whether or not they had a TCB and compared their diagnostic findings, clinical characteristics, and surgical outcomes. The numbers of patients with Types 1, 2, and 3 were 74 (64.4%), 32 (27.8%), and 9 (7.8%), respectively, and 13 (11.3%) with a TCB included four patients with Type 2 and all nine patients with Type 3. The appearance of Type 3 differed from that of the other two types on CCE and BB-MR images. After correcting the anatomical location of a TCB, surgical duration and adverse event rates did not significantly differ between patients with and without a TCB. Patients with a TCB could safely undergo CEA after correcting the ICA to the normal position.

Genome-wide analysis of carotid plaque burden suggests a role of IL5 in men.

BACKGROUND: Carotid artery plaque is an established marker of subclinical atherosclerosis with pronounced sex-dimorphism. Here, we aimed to identify genetic variants associated with carotid plaque burden (CPB) and to examine potential sex-specific genetic effects on plaque sizes. METHODS AND RESULTS: We defined six operationalizations of CPB considering plaques in common carotid arteries, carotid bulb, and internal carotid arteries. We performed sex-specific genome-wide association analyses for all traits in the LIFE-Adult cohort (n = 727 men and n = 550 women) and tested significantly associated loci for sex-specific effects. In order to identify causal genes, we analyzed candidate gene expression data for correlation with CPB traits and corresponding sex-specific effects. Further, we tested if previously reported SNP associations with CAD and plaque prevalence are also associated with CBP. We found seven loci with suggestive significance for CPB (p<3.33x10-7), explaining together between 6 and 13% of the CPB variance. Sex-specific analysis showed a genome-wide significant hit for men at 5q31.1 (rs201629990, ß = -0.401, p = 5.22x10-9), which was not associated in women (ß = -0.127, p = 0.093) with a significant difference in effect size (p = 0.008). Analyses of gene expression data suggested IL5 as the most plausible candidate, as it reflected the same sex-specific association with CPBs (p = 0.037). Known plaque prevalence or CAD loci showed no enrichment in the association with CPB. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that CPB is a complementary trait in analyzing genetics of subclinical atherosclerosis. We detected a novel locus for plaque size in men only suggesting a role of IL5. Several estrogen response elements in this locus point towards a functional explanation of the observed sex-specific effect.

The use of high-resolution MRI to detect thrombosis and lipid-rich carotid artery plaques in a patient with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a rarely agentic disorder of the lipoprotein metabolism intimately related to premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that can lead to high disability and mortality. Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia typically affects not only the aortic root, compromising the coronary ostia, but also affects other territories such as the carotid, descending aorta, and renal arteries. Multi-contrast high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a validated and useful method to characterize carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques quantitatively. However, very few studies have been done on assessing plaque composition in patients with Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia using high-resolution MRI. This report is to evaluate the value of MRI in accessing carotid artery disease in patients with Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. We describe a 28-year-old patient from Beijing, China, who presented to the Neurology Clinic with intermittent blurred vision of the right eye, headache, nausea, and vomiting for eight years without obvious causes. Familial hypercholesterolemia was suspected based on medical history and laboratory examination. Carotid Doppler ultrasound showed bilateral common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, and external carotid artery wall thickening with hyperechoic signals. Subsequently, high-resolution multi-contrast MRI of the carotid showed calcification with hypo-intense areas located at the middle layer of the plaque, with moderate stenosis. The plaque located at the right bifurcation of the common carotid artery extended to the internal carotid artery, causing lumen stenosis close to occlusion. The patient was treated with right carotid artery endarterectomy. At a 6-month follow-up, there had been no recurrence of the patient's symptoms.

The use of high-resolution MRI to detect thrombosis and lipid-rich carotid artery plaques in a patient with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

SUMMARY Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a rarely agentic disorder of the lipoprotein metabolism intimately related to premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that can lead to high disability and mortality. Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia typically affects not only the aortic root, compromising the coronary ostia, but also affects other territories such as the carotid, descending aorta, and renal arteries. Multi-contrast high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a validated and useful method to characterize carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques quantitatively. However, very few studies have been done on assessing plaque composition in patients with Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia using high-resolution MRI. This report is to evaluate the value of MRI in accessing carotid artery disease in patients with Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. We describe a 28-year-old patient from Beijing, China, who presented to the Neurology Clinic with intermittent blurred vision of the right eye, headache, nausea, and vomiting for eight years without obvious causes. Familial hypercholesterolemia was suspected based on medical history and laboratory examination. Carotid Doppler ultrasound showed bilateral common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, and external carotid artery wall thickening with hyperechoic signals. Subsequently, high-resolution multi-contrast MRI of the carotid showed calcification with hypo-intense areas located at the middle layer of the plaque, with moderate stenosis. The plaque located at the right bifurcation of the common carotid artery extended to the internal carotid artery, causing lumen stenosis close to occlusion. The patient was treated with right carotid artery endarterectomy. At a 6-month follow-up, there had been no recurrence of the patient's symptoms.

RESUMO A hipercolesterolemia familiar homozigótica, uma doença patogênica rara do metabolismo da lipoproteína intimamente relacionada com a doença cardiovascular aterosclerótica prematura, pode conduzir a uma elevada deficiência e mortalidade. A hipercolesterolemia familiar homozigótica afeta tipicamente não só a raiz aórtica, comprometendo os óstios coronários, mas também outros territórios, como a carótida, a aorta descendente e as artérias renais. Imagens de ressonância magnética multicontraste de alta resolução (RM) fornecem um método validado e útil para caracterizar quantitativamente as placas de aterosclerose da artéria carótida. No entanto, muito poucos estudos foram feitos sobre a avaliação da composição da placa em doentes com hipercolesterolemia familiar homozigótica utilizando ressonância magnética de alta resolução. Este trabalho deve avaliar o valor da ressonância magnética no acesso à doença da artéria carótida em doentes com hipercolesterolemia familiar homozigótica. Descrevemos um paciente de 28 anos de Pequim, China, que se apresentou à clínica neurológica com visão turva intermitente do olho direito, dor de cabeça, náuseas e vômitos por oito anos sem causas aparentes. Suspeitava-se de hipercolesterolemia familiar com base no histórico médico e no exame laboratorial. O ultrassom Doppler carotídeo mostrou uma artéria carótida bilateral comum, artéria carótida interna e parede da carótida externa espessando-se com sinais hiperecoicos. Posteriormente, a ressonância multicontraste de alta resolução da carótida mostrou calcificação com áreas hipointensas localizadas na camada média da placa, com estenose moderada. A placa localizada na bifurcação direita da artéria carótida comum estendia-se até a artéria carótida interna, causando estenose do lúmen próxima à oclusão. O paciente foi tratado com endarterectomia da artéria carótida direita. Em seis meses de acompanhamento, não houve recorrência dos sintomas do paciente.

Aneurysms of the external carotid artery and its branch vessels: pooled data analysis and current treatment strategies.

INTRODUCTION: Aneurysms of the external carotid artery (ECA) and its branch vessels are rare vascular lesions with potentially devastating consequences. Proximal facial artery aneurysms are relatively uncommon. We provide a provide a pooled data analysis of all reported cases of proximal facial artery true aneurysms without evidence of trauma, as well as all published cases of aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms of the ECA and its branch vessels. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We conducted a systematic review of the literature searching multiple databases for reports to identify relevant papers. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: We report the case of a 63-year-old patient who presented to us with a digital subtraction angiography-confirmed aneurysm emanating from the proximal right facial artery with no apparent history of trauma. Only five cases of proximal facial artery true aneurysm have been reported without evidence of trauma. We also provide a pooled data analysis of 810 published cases of aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms of the ECA and its branch vessels. Moreover, we reviewed current treatment strategies and surgical approaches to the true and pseudo aneurysms of the ECA. Finally, we suggest a grading system and treatment protocol for theses aneurysms. Finally, we provided a comprehensive grading system for the management of these aneurysms. CONCLUSIONS: While we can follow small asymptomatic true ECA aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms of the ECA and its branches, once diagnosed, may require treatment to prevent rapid expansion, which may in turn lead to rupture, cranial nerve impingement, pain, or cosmetic disfigurement.

Angiographic Characterization of the External Carotid Artery: Special Attention to Variations in Branching Patterns.

Knowledge of branching patterns of external carotid artery (ECA) is essential for planning and execution of head and neck surgeries. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images of 532 ECAs from 302 consecutive patients were retrospectively evaluated. We classify the branch variants of ECA into three types, simply based on the number of branches arising close together. Type A, Type B, and Type C variants are defined as two, three, and four or more branches of ECAs arising at a common point from the proximal ECA, respectively. In this classification, the distal ECA was counted as one branch. Of 532 ECAs, Type A was found in 344 ECAs (64.6%) of 237 patients (78.5%), Type B in 134 ECAs (25.2%) of 110 patients (36.4%), and Type C in 54 ECAs (10.2%) of 49 patients (16.2%). The distance from the common carotid artery (CCA) bifurcation to the first branch of ECA with Type C was 14.7 ± 6.6 mm; its distance is shorter compared with Type A (21.8 ± 15.6 mm) and Type B (20.6 ± 8.9 mm) (P < 0.05). The position of CCA bifurcation with Type C was detected at the third-fourth junction cervical vertebral level or higher in 52 of 54 ECAs (96.3%), significantly higher than those of the other types (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Type C ECA has aggregated vessels with short distance from CCA and high position of CCA bifurcation. Type C ECA is not uncommon; thus, special consideration should be paid to avoid complications during surgeries.

Diameter of External Carotid Arteries in Patients With Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To evaluate the association between osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the mandible and stenosis of the external carotid artery after radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The computed tomography images of 42 patients (36 men, six women; median age, 64.5 years) treated with RT for head and neck cancer between January 2011 and December 2015 were reviewed. The cross-sectional diameters of the bilateral external carotid arteries were measured on contrast-enhanced images taken after completion of RT. RESULTS: Nine of the 42 included patients (21.4%) developed ORN after a median interval of 34 months from completion of RT. Univariate analysis revealed that external carotid artery diameter ≤ the median diameter was significantly associated with ORN development (p=0.008 and 0.013). In multivariate analysis, left external carotid artery diameter ≤ the median was significantly associated with ORN development (p=0.023). CONCLUSION: External carotid artery stenosis was significantly associated with ORN development.

The evaluation of the sense of hearing in patients with carotid artery stenosis within the extracranial segments.

Stenosis of arteries that supplies blood to the brain is one of the main causes of ischemic stroke which is the third most common cause of deaths in Europe. Atherosclerosis of carotid and vertebral arteries is responsible for 20% of the ischemic stroke cases. Stenosis may be either asymptomatic or manifested with typical neurological symptoms including motor and sensory disturbances as well as disturbances in vision and speech. However, discrete non-specific symptoms of ischemia, including headaches and vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss, are also quite common. These symptoms may be indicative of a clinically significant stenosis of carotid and vertebral arteries, particularly within the internal carotid artery region, as well as of a risk of ischemic stroke. To date, research reports were unable to provide exact explanation of correlations between impaired hearing and the stenosis of carotid and vertebral arteries. Despite this, numerous articles list these symptoms as one of the first non-specific symptoms of this disorder. The ischemic mechanism within the inner ear region may lead to early symptoms of atherosclerosis of large vessels. However, no evidence of relationship and no explanation could be provided with this regard. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of carotid and vertebral artery stenosis on the function of the hearing and equilibrium organ on the basis of diagnostic audiological examinations including pure-tone threshold audiometry, impedance audiometry, otoacoustic emission tests and brainstem auditory evoked potential tests. The study was conducted in 63 patients (32 males, 31 females) aged 45-75 years, presenting with carotid and vertebral artery stenosis and treated at the Vascular Surgery Clinic of the University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw. Patients were stratified into two subgroups according to their age (45-60 years, 61-75 years). Patients were also divided into subgroups according to the stenotic arteries and to the symptomatic/asymptomatic status of the disorder. All patients were homogeneous in terms of the degree of artery stenosis. The control group consisted of 32 healthy persons (14 males, 18 females) aged 48-75 years. Patients qualified to the control group reported no history of middle or inner ear disorders, disturbed hearing, vertigo and balance disorders, as well as cardiovascular diseases; they also presented with unremarkable ultrasound scans of the arteries. All patients were subjected to precise audiological examinations. Prior to being qualified for the study, patients were subjected to the assessment of arteries by means of Doppler ultrasonography. The hearing organ function was assessed by means of pure-tone threshold audiometry, impedance audiometry, otoacoustic emission tests and brainstem auditory evoked potential tests. Reduction of the flow through the carotid arteries causes problems in the organ of hearing; abnormalities are reported especially in tone threshold audiometry, examinations of the stapedius muscle reflexes and brainstem auditory evoked potentials, which prove the presence of receptive cochlear-extracochlear hearing damage. Disturbances of the organ of hearing have similar severity in stenosis of the internal carotid artery and vertebral artery. Abnormalities found in audiologic examinations in patients with carotid artery stenosis are not always explicitly clinically expressed in patients with hearing loss; we should consider diagnostics for carotid artery stenosis.

Tollip Negatively Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell-Mediated Neointima Formation by Suppressing Akt-Dependent Signaling.

BACKGROUND: Tollip, a well-established endogenous modulator of Toll-like receptor signaling, is involved in cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Tollip in neointima formation and its associated mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, transient increases in Tollip expression were observed in platelet-derived growth factor-BB-treated vascular smooth muscle cells and following vascular injury in mice. We then applied loss-of-function and gain-of-function approaches to elucidate the effects of Tollip on neointima formation. While exaggerated neointima formation was observed in Tollip-deficient murine neointima formation models, Tollip overexpression alleviated vascular injury-induced neointima formation by preventing vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, dedifferentiation, and migration. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that Tollip overexpression may exert a protective role in the vasculature by suppressing Akt-dependent signaling, which was further confirmed in rescue experiments using the Akt-specific inhibitor (AKTI). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that Tollip protects against neointima formation by negatively regulating vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, dedifferentiation, and migration in an Akt-dependent manner. Upregulation of Tollip may be a promising strategy for treating vascular remodeling-related diseases.

A Rare Cause of Juvenile Stroke: Extracranial Carotid Artery Aneurysm with Venous Complete Reconstruction of the Carotid Bifurcation.

Extracranial carotid artery aneurysms (ECAA) are a rare cause of embolic stroke. The underlying etiology is variable, with atherosclerosis being the most common entity in older subjects. Several treatments have been developed over the last 20 years, but the preferred method remains unknown. Notwithstanding the widespread use of endovascular techniques, surgical reconstruction by means of a bifurcated venous bypass graft should be applied in younger patients. In this way, it is possible to avoid major concerns about the development of long-term intrastent restenosis, and also to spare the external carotid artery which represents the main branch for the ipsilateral cerebral and facial perfusion. We propose ECAA resection and interposition of the inverted great saphenous vein to both the internal and external carotid artery by means the use of a tributary, i.e., the Giacomini vein.

Tratando las arterias: ecografía 3D carotídea y femoral, más allá de la ecografía 2D / Treating arteries: 3D carotid and femoral ultrasound, beyond 2D ultrasound

No disponible

External carotid artery sacrifice in the treatment of infantile haemangiopericytoma in a neonate.

Haemangiopericytoma of the head and neck (HN-HPC) is a rare neoplasm occurring in children. The rarity of the tumour poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Despite protocols that recommend the use of chemotherapy prior to surgery, no treatment standard has yet been proposed. This article reports the case of a 5-month-old infant with a rapidly growing, giant life-threatening HN-HPC that was treated successfully by two-stage surgery without adjuvant chemotherapy.

Overexpression of Angiopoietin-1 Potentiates Endothelial Progenitor Cells for the Treatment of Aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) could regulate the endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) survival and the effect of accelerating intra-aneurysmal organization and occlusion of the aneurysm neck. METHODS: EPCs were isolated from Wistar rats. EPCs were cultured and transfected with lentivirus-Ang-1-endothelial progenitor cells (Ang-1-EPCs) and lentivirus-NC-endothelial progenitor cells (NC-EPCs). The effects of Ang-1 on viability and functioning of EPCs were explored via tube formation, migration, and MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays. Eighteen Wistar rats were randomly allocated into 3 groups. Eighteen bare coils were inserted into the ligated external carotid artery (ECA) sacs of rats. The ECA sacs were removed 2 weeks after the coils were implanted and examined by histology assay. RESULTS: Ang-1 significantly promoted EPCs tube formation, migration, and proliferation ability in vitro. Histology analyses revealed that the organized areas in the ECA sacs in the Ang-1-EPCs group are higher than NC-EPCs group and control group at 2 weeks. Immunofluorescence revealed that organized tissues were characterized by an accumulation of cells positive for α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells in aneurysm sacs. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of Ang-1 enhanced the tube formation, migration, and proliferation ability of EPCs. Ang-1 gene-modified EPCs accelerated organization within the aneurysms and occlusion of aneurysm neck. Transplantation of Ang-1-transfected EPCs may be a new method for the treatment of aneurysm.

Arterial Perfusion-A Useful Technique for Evaluating Incised Wounds.

A 54-year-old woman was found deceased with incised wounds of both sides of her neck and both wrists. Postmortem CT scanning revealed air in the heart and in the dural veins in continuity with air in the right jugular vein. Death was due to incised wounds of the wrist and neck with blood loss and air embolism. The manner of death was suicide. At autopsy, perfusion of the thoracic ascending aorta produced a fine stream of water emanating from an incised wound of the right ulnar artery with no significant leakage of water from the wound of the left wrist. There was also leakage from the facial artery branch of the right external carotid artery. Perfusion testing can be used as a screening test prior to formal dissection and also to identify small vessels that may not be obvious on standard examination of an exsanguinated field.