The Role of Color Doppler Imaging in the Diagnosis of Glaucoma: A Review of the Literature.

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the major risk factor for the onset and progression of glaucoma. In addition to elevated IOP, impaired intraocular blood flow is also considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Various techniques have been used to assess ocular blood flow (OBF), including Color Doppler Imaging (CDI), a technique used in ophthalmology in recent decades. This article reviews the role of CDI in both the diagnosis and effective monitoring of glaucoma progression, presenting the protocol for imaging and its advantages, as well as the limitations of its use. Moreover, it analyzes the pathophysiology of glaucoma, focusing on vascular theory and its role in the onset and progression of the disease.

Characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients who develop pulmonary embolism: A cross-sectional study.

Pulmonary embolism (PE), along with deep vein thrombosis, are collectively known as venous thromboembolism (VTE). Predisposing factors for PE include post-operative conditions, pregnancy, cancer and an advanced age; of note, a number of genetic mutations have been found to be associated with an increased risk of PE. The association between cancer and VTE is well-established, and cancer patients present a higher risk of a thrombotic event compared to the general population. In addition, PE is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to illustrate the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, radiology features and outcomes of cancer patients who developed PE, collected from an anticancer hospital. For this purpose, adult cancer patients diagnosed with PE by imaging with computed tomography pulmonary angiography were enrolled. The following data were recorded: Demographics, comorbidities, type of cancer, time interval between cancer diagnosis and PE occurrence, the type of therapy received and the presence of metastases, clinical signs and symptoms, predisposing factors for PE development, laboratory data, radiological findings, electrocardiography findings, and the type of therapy received for PE and outcomes in a follow-up period of 6 months. In total, 60 cancer patients were enrolled. The majority of the cancer patients were males. The most common type of cancer observed was lung cancer. The majority of cases of PE occurred within the first year from the time of cancer diagnosis, while the majority of patients had already developed metastases. In addition, the majority of cancer patients had received chemotherapy over the past month, while they were not receiving anticoagulants and had central obstruction. A large proportion of patients had asymptomatic PE. The in-hospital mortality rate was 13.3% and no relapse or mortality were observed during the follow-up period. The present study demonstrates that elevated levels of lactic acid and an increased platelet count, as well as low serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen, albumin and D-dimer, may be potential biomarkers for asymptomatic PE among cancer patients.

Management of external jugular vein aneurysm: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Aneurysms of the jugular vein system are rare and high clinical suspicion is needed for diagnosis. External jugular vein aneurysms (EJVA) are considered innocent lesions that need treatment mainly for aesthetic reasons. The aim of this systematic review was to present current literature regarding diagnosis and management of EJVAs. METHODS: A literature review was conducted through the Pubmed/Medline and Scopus regarding articles referring on EJVA from 2000 to 2020. Using the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses), 30 articles were identified, according to inclusion criteria. Demographics, clinical characteristics, etiology, diagnostic imaging, complications, treatment, and histopathological findings were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven case reports and one case series were identified, including 30 patients and 31 EJVAs. One-third of patients (30.3%) were < 18 years old (mean age 32 years, range 1-72 years) and 54% of them were females. In 51% of the cases, the lesion was characterized as a true aneurysm after histological evaluation. The presence of a soft cervical mass was the most common clinical symptom, while Valsalva maneuver pointed out the presence of an EJVA in 66.7% of patients. Diagnosis was achieved using ultrasonography, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. Forty-three percent of the patients underwent more than one radiological examination. Twenty patients underwent surgical management. The primary indication of surgical treatment was aesthetic reasons (11/20, 55%). Thrombosis was the most common EJVA complication (11/30, 36.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Differential diagnosis of neck mass should include EJVA. High clinical suspicion and adequate imaging are important for diagnosis. Open surgical approach is the more commonly applied therapeutic strategy.

Prospective comparative study of different endovenous thermal ablation systems for treatment of great saphenous vein reflux.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to compare three different endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) modalities in the treatment of great saphenous vein (GSV) incompetence. METHODS: We performed a single-center, prospective, comparative cohort study that included consecutive patients undergoing EVTA of the GSV. Patients were treated with either segmental radiofrequency ablation (sRFA) or endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) with a 1470-nm dual radial fiber or with a 1470-nm jacket-tip fiber. The clinical classification CEAP (clinical, etiologic, anatomic, pathophysiologic), 10-cm visual analog scale scores for pain, Venous Clinical Severity Scores (VCSSs), and chronic venous insufficiency quality-of-life questionnaire (CIVIQ-20) scores were recorded. The primary outcome was clinical success, which was defined as the absence of reflux or recanalization of the GSV and procedure-related complications, assessed at 7 and 30 days and 1 year postoperatively. The secondary outcomes were the assessment of postoperative pain using the VAS and improvement in the VCSSs and CIVIQ-20 scores. RESULTS: A total of 153 patients (160 limbs) had undergone sRFA (sRFA group; n = 53 limbs), 1470-nm radial fiber EVLA (EVLA-R group; n = 55 limbs), or 1470-nm jacket-tip fiber EVLA (EVLA-J group; n = 52 limbs). The patient demographics, CEAP clinical class, and intraoperative details were comparable among the three groups. The GSV occlusion rate at 1 year was 93% in the sRFA group, 93% in the EVLA-R group, and 95% in the EVLA-J group. No major complications were observed postoperatively. Endothermal heat-induced thrombosis was observed in 2 (4.4%), 1 (2.2%), and 2 (4.4%) patients in the sRFA, EVLA-R, and EVLA-J groups, respectively (P > .5). The VCSS showed greater improvement in the EVLA-R group at 1 week compared with that in the sRFA (P = .05) and EVLA-J (P = .002) groups. Changes in the CIVIQ-20 score were in favor of the EVLA-R group at 7 days (-14.3 ± 10.3 vs -7.9 ± 5.9; adjusted difference, 6.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57-10.55; P = .01) and 30 days (-12 ± 8 vs -11.2 ± 7; adjusted difference, 5.5; 95% CI, 1.21-9.81; P = .02) postoperatively compared with the sRFA group and at 7 days compared with the EVLA-J group (-14.3 ± 10.3 vs -9.6 ± 7.9; adjusted difference, -4.4; 95% CI, -9.06 to 0.22; P = .05). Analyzing the different components of the CIVIQ-20, pain, and physical scores showed a greater reduction in the EVLA-R group in the early postoperative period compared with that in the sRFA and EVLA-J groups. CONCLUSIONS: All three EVTA modalities showed equal effectiveness and safety for the treatment of GSV reflux. EVLA with the 1470-nm radial fiber showed better outcomes in terms of early postoperative VCSSs and pain and physical CIVIQ scores. The clinical and quality of life benefits were similar for all modalities at 1 year postoperatively.

Associations between serum relaxin 2, aneurysm formation/size and severity of atherosclerosis: a preliminary prospective analysis.

Serum relaxin 2 (RL2) is a pleiotropic hormone that acts on various organs and systems, particularly the cardiovascular system. Although RL2 seems to upregulate the synthesis of nitric monoxide (NO) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9, current literature on its role in atherosclerosis and aneurysm formation is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of serum RL2 in patients with an arterial aneurysm as well as in atherosclerotic patients, and correlate them with the severity of their related vascular disease. A total of 53 subjects were enrolled in this study: 37 patients were scheduled to undergo surgery: 21 patients for different forms of atherosclerotic disease (ATH), 16 patients for an arterial aneurysm (AA), 6 patients for undergoing temporal artery biopsy (TAB), and 10 healthy blood donors (HBD) served as the control groups. RL2 was measured using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. RL2 was significantly higher in AA patients compared to ATH (P<0.01), TAB (P<0.001) and HBD (P<0.01). No significant difference was found between the ATH and TAB groups (P>0.05). In addition, ATH and AA patients were further subdivided based on the severity of their disease. Serum RL2 was progressively increased in patients with arterial aneurysms, showing a positive relationship with the size of the aneurysmatic dilatation. By contrast, the RL2 level was inversely related to the severity of the atherosclerotic disease. Studies with a larger cohort incorporating a consistent study population are warranted to verify our results and shed light on the mechanistic background of these processes.

Effect of diabetes mellitus on the clinical outcome of lower limb arterial bypass surgery: A propensity score analysis.

Objectives Diabetic patients who undergo lower limb arterial bypass surgery are considered to have a worse clinical outcome compared to non-diabetics. The aim of the study was to test this hypothesis after applying propensity score matching analysis. Patients and methods A total of 113 consecutive lower limb bypass procedures (55 diabetic and 58 non-diabetic) were evaluated regarding their clinical outcome. Endpoints of the study included amputation-free survival, limb salvage, patency and patients' survival up to 36 months post-procedure. After propensity score matching analysis, two new groups, diabetic and non-diabetic, of 31 limbs in each one were created, both equivalent regarding all baseline characteristics. Results Between the propensity score matching groups, the amputation-free survival was 68.8% in the non-diabetic and 37.7% in the diabetic group at 36 months ( p = 0.004). Similarly, the survival was 88.6% and 57.6%, respectively, in the two groups at the same time point ( p = 0.01). On the contrary, no difference was found in patency (58.3% vs. 56%) and in limb salvage rate (74.1% vs. 60.8%). Conclusions Lower limbs arterial bypass surgery has similar results regarding patency and limb salvage rate in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. On the contrary, mortality is worse in diabetic patients, this affecting negatively their amputation-free survival.

The effect of exercise on coagulation and fibrinolysis factors in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Peripheral arterial disease is a widely prevalent atherosclerotic occlusive disorder. Symptoms commence with exercise-induced pain in the lower extremities, known as claudication. Despite the fact that exercise has been shown to improve fibrinolytic profile some patients, the effect of exercise on coagulation and fibrinolysis cascades in claudicants has not been comprehensively defined. Literature search in English language yielded 13 studies of exercise on claudicants, including 420 patients. Claudicants tend to have a higher coagulation activity at rest compared to healthy individuals, a trend that persists even after exercise. Post-exercise coagulation activity of claudicants is increased when compared to their respective baseline levels, but it is so in a non-consistent manner. From the available data, it has been suggested that claudicants have a functional and effective fibrinolytic mechanism in place, operating continuously at a relatively higher activity level compared to healthy individuals. Fibrinolysis seems to be activated by exercise; a positive outcome with a prolonged effect as shown by a few of the studies. A final conclusion whether coagulation or fibrinolysis activity is affected mostly by exercise type and intensity in claudicants could not be answered. All conclusions regarding the effect of exercise on the coagulation and fibrinolysis mechanisms should be taken under cautious consideration, due to the limited number of studies, the small number of patients and the different exercise strategies employed in each study. Further randomized studies with similar exercise protocols could provide safer conclusions in the future.

Giant popliteal artery aneurysm: case report and review of the literature.

Popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAs) are rare in general population but represent the second most common peripheral arterial aneurysms following those located in the aortoiliac segment. They usually affect men over 60 years old with established cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis. Other more unusual conditions such as trauma, congenital popliteal aneurysm, mycotic aneurysm, inflammatory arteritis, or popliteal entrapment are responsible. The authors report the first ever case of a male diagnosed with chronic renal failure with giant popliteal artery aneurysm. We have successfully resected the aneurysm and revascularized with synthetic graft.