Endovascular treatment of renal vein thrombosis in a young patient with lung transplant.

Spontaneous renal vein thrombosis is a rare entity. A 28-year-old woman with a history of a double-lung transplant was admitted with flank pain and found to have acute kidney injury. A magnetic resonance venogram demonstrated isolated left renal vein thrombosis with extension into the inferior vena cava. Initial management with therapeutic anticoagulation and hydration was unsuccessful. Thus, pharmacochemical thrombectomy was performed. A temporary suprarenal inferior vena cava filter was placed for intraoperative pulmonary prophylaxis. The patient's renal function returned to baseline and remained normal 13 months later. Early incorporation of percutaneous pharmacomechanical thrombectomy can improve renal function when medical therapy alone is unsuccessful.

Factors associated with lack of clinical improvement after vein ablation in the vascular quality initiative.

BACKGROUND: Insurance companies have adopted variable and inconsistent approval criteria for chronic venous disease (CVD) treatment. Although vein ablation (VA) is accepted as the standard of care for venous ulcers, the treatment criteria for patients with milder forms of CVD remain controversial. This study aims to identify factors associated with a lack of clinical improvement (LCI) in patients with less severe CVD without ulceration undergoing VA to improve patient selection for treatment. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing VA for CEAP C2 to C4 disease in the Vascular Quality Initiative varicose veins database from 2014 to 2023. Patients who required intervention in multiple veins, had undergone prior interventions, or presented with CEAP C5 to C6 disease were excluded. The difference (Δ) in venous clinical severity score (VCSS; VCSS before minus after the procedure) was used to categorize the patients. Patients with a ΔVCSS of ≤0 were defined as having LCI after VA, and patients with ≥1 point decrease in the VCSS after VA (ΔVCSS ≥1) as having some benefit from the procedure and, therefore, "clinical improvement." The characteristics of both groups were compared, and multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated with LCI. A second analysis was performed based on the VVSymQ instrument, which measures patient-reported outcomes using five specific symptoms (ie, heaviness, achiness, swelling, throbbing pain, and itching). Patients with LCI showed no improvement in any of the five symptoms, and those with clinical improvement had a decrease in severity of at least one symptom. RESULTS: A total of 3544 patients underwent initial treatment of CVD with a single VA. Of the 3544 patients, 2607 had VCSSs available before and after VA, and 420 (16.1%) had LCI based on the ΔVCSS. Patients with LCI were more likely to be significantly older and African American and have CEAP C2 disease compared with patients with clinical improvement. Patients with clinical improvement were more likely to have reported using compression stockings before treatment. The vein diameters were not different between the two groups. The incidence of complications was overall low, with minor differences between the two groups. However, the patients with LCI were significantly more likely to have symptoms after intervention than those with improvement. Patients with LCI were more likely to have technical failure, defined as vein recanalization. On multivariable regression, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.02) and obesity (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.09-2.00) were independently associated with LCI, as was treatment of less severe disease (CEAP C2; OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.30-2.56) compared with more advanced disease (C4). The lack of compression therapy before intervention was also associated with LCI (OR, 6.05; 95% CI, 4.30-8.56). The analysis based on the VVSymQ showed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: LCI after VA is associated with treating patients with a lower CEAP class (C2 vs C4) and a lack of compression therapy before intervention. Importantly, no significant association between vein size and clinical improvement was observed.

The Use and Impact of Cilostazol on Patients Undergoing Endovascular Peripheral Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Cilostazol is used for the treatment of intermittent claudication. The impact of cilostazol on the outcomes of peripheral vascular interventions (PVIs) remains controversial. This study assesses the use and impact of cilostazol on patients undergoing PVI for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). METHODS: The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database files for PVI were reviewed. Patients with PAD who underwent PVI for chronic limb threatening-ischemia or claudication were included and divided based on the use of cilostazol preoperatively. After propensity matching for patient demographics and comorbidities, the short-term and long-term outcomes of the 2 groups (preoperative cilostazol use versus no preoperative cilostazol use) were compared. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 245,309 patients underwent PVI procedures and 6.6% (N = 16,366) were on cilostazol prior to intervention. Patients that received cilostazol were more likely to be male (62% vs 60%; P < 0.001), White (77% vs. 75%; P < 0.001), and smokers (83% vs. 77%; P < 0.001). They were less likely to have diabetes mellitus (50% vs. 56%; P < 0.001) and congestive heart failure (14% vs. 23%; P < 0.001). Patient on cilostazol were more likely to be treated for claudication (63% vs. 40%, P < 0.001), undergo prior lower extremity revascularization (55% vs. 51%, P < 0.001) and less likely to have undergone prior minor and major amputation (10% vs. 19%; P < 0.001) compared with patients who did not receive cilostazol. After 3:1 propensity matching, there were 50,265 patients included in the analysis with no differences in baseline characteristics. Patients on cilostazol were less likely to develop renal complications and more likely to be discharged home. Patients on cilostazol had significantly lower rates of long-term mortality (11.5% vs. 13.4%, P < 0.001 and major amputation (4.0% vs. 4.7%, P = 0.022). However, there were no significant differences in rates of reintervention, major adverse limb events, or patency after PVI. Amputation-free survival rates were significantly higher for patients on cilostazol, after 4 years of follow up (89% vs. 87%, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Cilostazol is underutilized in the VQI database and seems to be associated with improved amputation-free survival. Cilostazol therapy should be considered in all patients with PAD who can tolerate it prior to PVI.

Lesión de la mucosa intestinal asociada a cristales: serie de casos y revisión de la literatura / Intestinal mucosal lesion associated with crystals: Case series and literature review

Resumen La lesión de la mucosa asociada a cristales es un cuadro clínico importante en un subconjunto de pacientes urémicos a los que se les administran resinas de intercambio catiónico como el sulfonato de poliestireno sódico (Kayexalate) y sevelamer para el tratamiento de la hiperpotasemia y la hiperfosfatemia, respectivamente. La necrosis colónica en estos pacientes es rara, pero puede estar asociada a una lesión gastrointestinal mortal, con una tasa de mortalidad del 33%. Los secuestrantes de ácidos biliares son otro tipo de resina que teóricamente son biológicamente inertes. Se presentan dos casos de colitis asociada a cristales. El primer paciente tenía antecedentes de múltiples intervenciones quirúrgicas y patologías del tracto gastrointestinal, y estaba en manejo con colestiramina. Se realizó una sigmoidectomía en la que se encontraron varios focos de cristales. El segundo paciente tenía antecedente de enfermedad renal crónica que requirió el uso de Kayexalate y se presentó al servicio de urgencias con una hemorragia grave del tracto gastrointestinal inferior. Se realizó una colectomía parcial en la que se detectaron cambios morfológicos relacionados con el depósito de cristales. Las resinas pueden producir un amplio espectro de lesiones mortales de la mucosa, por lo que el diagnóstico precoz es fundamental para disminuir la mortalidad y mejorar el pronóstico. Sin embargo, es incierto si el consumo de colestiramina y Kayexalate, así como el depósito de sus cristales en el tracto gastrointestinal son el factor causal de la lesión de las mucosas. Por tanto, la presencia de resinas debería ayudar a establecer el diagnóstico correcto y el tratamiento médico oportuno para evitar resultados nocivos.

Abstract Crystal-associated mucosal injury is a crucial clinical picture in a subset of uremic patients who are given cation exchange resins such as sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) and sevelamer to treat hyperkalemia and hyperphosphatemia, respectively. Colonic necrosis in these patients is rare but may be associated with fatal gastrointestinal injury, with a mortality rate of 33%. Bile acid sequestrants are another type of resin that is theoretically biologically inert. Two cases of colitis associated with crystals are presented. The first patient had a history of multiple surgeries and pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and was treated with cholestyramine. A sigmoidectomy was performed in which several crystal foci were found. The second patient had a history of chronic kidney disease requiring Kayexalate and attended the emergency department with severe lower GI bleeding. A partial colectomy was performed in which morphological changes related to the deposit of crystals were detected. Resins can cause a broad spectrum of malignant mucosal lesions, so early diagnosis is essential to reduce mortality and improve prognosis. However, it is uncertain whether the consumption of cholestyramine and kayexalate, as well as the deposition of their crystals in the GI tract, are the causative factor of mucosal damage. Therefore, resins should help establish the correct diagnosis and prompt medical treatment to avoid harmful results.