Benign outcome of objectively proven spontaneous recanalization of internal carotid artery occlusion.

OBJECTIVE: Spontaneous recanalization of intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion is frequent in embolic strokes. Spontaneous recanalization of the extracranial portion of the ICA occlusion of atherosclerotic or embolic origin is only anecdotally reported, and data are lacking about its incidence, natural history, and outcome in long-term follow-up. METHODS: Consecutive patients with ICA occlusion were prospectively identified and followed-up to detect the incidence of a spontaneous recanalization. Patients with objectively confirmed recanalization were prospectively followed-up to observe their natural history and the onset of new cerebrovascular events. ICA occlusion and spontaneous recanalization were diagnosed by means of color-coded Doppler ultrasound imaging or selective contrast angiography, or both. All patients were evaluated and treated for atherosclerotic risk factors. RESULTS: Spontaneous recanalization occurred in 16 of 696 patients (2.3%; 95% confidence interval, 1.3%-3.7%) with ICA occlusion after a mean interval of 38 months from the diagnosis of occlusion. Spontaneous recanalization was detected with color-coded Doppler ultrasound imaging and with selective contrast angiography, with a complete agreement of diagnostic findings. Two patients presented with symptomatic spontaneous recanalization. All patients with spontaneous recanalization were asymptomatic after a mean follow-up of 66.2 months. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous recanalization of previously occluded extracranial ICAs is more frequent than anticipated. Once it occurs, spontaneous recanalization seems to have a benign long-term course.

Postoperative pancreatic fistulas: preventing severe complications and reducing reoperation and mortality rate.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is responsible for severe complications and death in patients who underwent pancreatic surgery. The reported success rate of conservative treatment is around 80%. Therefore up to 20% of patients usually need surgical treatment that can be repeated in some. Uncontrolled sepsis and massive hemorrhage are the main causes for mortality in this setting. METHOD: Four hundred forty-five patients underwent surgery for pancreatic diseases (January 1993-August 2007); 70 of them developed a POPF. An early aggressive treatment based on interventional radiology was applied to all patients. The drain's track and/or percutaneous approach was used to insert catheters into the peripancreatic fluid collection/s or abscess/es. The position of catheters was verified at least once a week. Surgery was performed in case of failure of conservative approach. RESULTS: Conservative treatment (approach by drain's track in 49, percutaneous in 16, mixed in 2) was successful in 67 patients. A patient under dialysis had the drains inserted during an emergency surgery for peritonitis 6 days after surgery; a second patient underwent repeated surgical debridement, and a third patient underwent a procedure on the abdominal wall to separate a POPF from a colonic fistula. No patient with diagnosed POPF died. CONCLUSIONS: Early aggressive interventional radiology allowed managing conservatively 95.7% of POPF preventing severe complications and avoiding death.

Endovascular treatment of acute pseudoaneurysm associated to pancreaticoduodenectomy.

The study aim is to confirm feasibility and usefulness of endovascular stent-graft placement for superior mesenteric artery acute bleeding in presence of local sepsis. A superior mesenteric artery resection concomitant to a pancreaticoduodenectomy for carcinoma of the pancreas was followed by a saphenous vein bypass. A pancreatic leak associated to infection developed early in the postoperative course. Three weeks later, a massive haemorrhage due to rupture of an acute pseudoaneurysm was successfully treated with an endoluminal covered stent. This occluded two weeks later without important signs of bowel ischemia. The covered-stent placement allowed obtaining primary hemostasis and bowel perfusion preservation in spite of early occlusion. The patient did well after chemotherapy for one year and presented local recurrence at 16 months. Endovascular treatment of acute haemorrhage in presence of an intra-abdominal sepsis is feasible and useful following pancreatic surgery.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): the role of angiogenesis and invasiveness.

OBJECTIVE: Although transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is effective in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it is not considered a curative procedure. Among the factors potentially interfering with its effectiveness is a hypothetical neoangiogenic reaction due to ischemia. In our study, we evaluated the changes in the levels of two angiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and basic fibroblast growth factor [b-FGF]) and one parameter of invasiveness (urokinase-type plasminogen activator [uPA]) in patients treated with TACE. METHODS: Three blood samples were provided from 71 HCC patients undergoing TACE: before TACE (t0), after 3 days (t1), and after 4 wk, when they had spiral computed tomography (sCT) scanning (t2). The referring radiologists blindly evaluated tumor burden and vascularization at t0 and residual activity at t2. The choice of TACE as treatment was based on the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) guidelines. RESULTS: Complete response at sCT was recorded in 27% of patients; mean survival was 35 months (confidence interval [CI] 31-40) and the 4-yr survival was 57%. VEGF levels were significantly correlated with the number of nodes and were higher in nonresponders at t2 (P = 0.01); below-median VEGF levels predicted a longer survival (P = 0.008). b-FGF correlated with VEGF, tumor size, vascularization, and residual activity, showing a borderline correlation with survival. uPA correlated with tumor size and VEGF. VEGF was singled out in the Cox multivariate analysis as an independent predictor of survival. CONCLUSIONS: When TACE is not totally effective, it may induce a significant neoangiogenetic reaction, as suggested by an increase in VEGF and b-FGF following treatment; this affects patient survival. VEGF emerges as the most reliable prognostic parameter, so it could be measured for judging TACE efficacy. Finally, antiangiogenic drugs may be indicated in TACE-treated HCC.

Tracheoinnominate fistula in a Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient: successful management with an endovascular stent.

Tracheoinnominate fistula is a rare but often fatal complication occurring in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patients with long-term tracheostomy. We report a 16-year-old boy with DMD who developed a fistula causing massive haemorrhage 26 months after tracheostomy. Due to the high risk of perioperative complications, a minimally invasive technique with placement of an endovascular stent grafting the innominate artery was performed. The patient was successfully managed and recovered uneventfully. We believe that endovascular repair of tracheoinnominate fistula by stent grafting may be the treatment of choice in severely compromised patients and that clinicians who treat tracheostomised DMD patients should be familiar with this management strategy.

Suprarenal fixation of endograft in abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment: focus on renal function.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to evaluate any variation of renal function detected by renal scintigraphy after the suprarenal fixation of endografts for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: In the few articles that have considered this problem, renal function was evaluated only by biochemical tests, which are inadequate in demonstrating small changes in renal function and in appreciating the worsening of a single kidney's function. METHODS: Between April 1999 and May 2002, 47 patients with an inappropriate infrarenal proximal neck had a suprarenal fixation for AAA. To assess renal function, a technetium-99m diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (TC-DTPA) perfusion scintigraphy was performed preoperatively on the third postoperative day and at 6, 12 months, and then yearly thereafter. Worsening of renal function was defined as a decrease of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > or =20% (detected with Gates method). Serum creatinine level was tested preoperatively and at the first and third postoperative day. RESULTS: Endograft deployment was technically successful in 44 patients (93.6%); clinical perioperative success was obtained in 46 patients (97.8%). In 12 patients (25.5%), a permanent reduction of the GFR was observed using postoperative TC-DTPA perfusion scintigraphy. By 99m TC-DTPA perfusion scintigraphy, a permanent reduction of GFR was observed postoperatively in 12 patients. A slight GFR reduction (<20%) was present in 7 (14.9%) patients, due to the planned occlusion of accessory renal arteries. A more significant GFR reduction (>20%) was present unexpectedly in 5 (10.6%) patients, in 3 of these a single kidney was involved, in 5 both with an increase of the serum creatinine level >20%. CONCLUSIONS: Suprarenal fixation of endografts in AAA treatment is a safe procedure with good early and midterm procedural results and a risk of GFR impairment (>20%) of 10.6%.

Intralesional topotecan in advanced ovarian cancer: a clinical report, based on a preclinical study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of ovarian cancer to intralesionally administered topotecan. Preliminary experiments were carried out in nude mice subcutaneously grafted with three different human ovarian carcinoma cells (A2780, IGROV/DDP and SKOV-3). Topotecan was administered intravenously (i.v.: 10-15 mg/kg every 4th day for 4 times) or intralesionally (i.t.: single dose of 15-20 mg/kg) and tumor size changes/drug toxicity were evaluated. The results indicate that the sensitivity of the three tumor models was different (rank: A2780 > IGROV/DDP > SKOV-3) but, for each tumor line, the pattern of response was similar after i.v. and i.t. administration. No local toxicity was detected, but appreciable systemic toxicity (animal death rate) was observed in spite of the use of a single i.t. dose. The effects of intralesional topotecan administration were then assessed in a patient with an advanced, epithelial ovarian tumor (endometroid type, poorly differentiated histologic grade), already treated with cisplatin and paclitaxel. The treatment (7.5 mg/m(2)) was repeated three times and, although drug plasma levels were in the range generally reported following i.v. administration and typical systemic toxicity occurred, no tumor regression was observed and the patient died 14 months later. We conclude that the intralesional drug delivery is effective to achieve a rapid tumor shrinkage in large tumor lesions, but in the presence of drug resistance, either intrinsic or acquired, intratumor drug administration can not be recommended.

Thrombocytosis and recurrent hepatic outflow obstruction (Budd-Chiari syndrome) after successful thrombolysis: case report and literature review.

Approximately two thirds of cases of hepatic flow obstruction are due to myeloproliferative disorders. Restoration of hepatic blood flow is the essential goal of treatment. Thrombolytic therapy seems to achieve good results at least in selected cases. A 32-year-old woman is presented, with an intermittent increase in platelet count (526-725 x 10(9)/L), two previous spontaneous abortions and acute symptomatic occlusion of hepatic veins, and in whom a diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia was initially carried out in agreement with the polycythemia vera study group criteria. She received recombinant tissue plasminogen activator followed by heparin with restoration of normal hepatic outflow. Asymptomatic re-occlusion of the hepatic veins was observed 1 year later, despite adequate continuous warfarin treatment. Angiography showed marked narrowing of the intrahepatic cava vein due to extrinsic compression by an enlarged liver, not due to a new thrombosis so that no specific intervention could be performed. In the presence of a dearly documented hepatic vein thrombosis, thrombolytic therapy should be considered. The patient was given low-molecular-weight heparin with a dramatic reduction in previously elevated fibrinogen level and a good control of the hepatic function.