Safety of the posterior approach in adrenal surgery: experience in 105 cases.

BACKGROUND: At the advent of laparoscopic adrenalectomy when it was timely to reappreciate the results of time-honored procedures, we reviewed the cases of 105 patients who underwent adrenalectomy through the posterior approach. METHODS: Between 1970 and 1992 among 331 patients, 105 underwent adrenalectomy through the posterior approach (0 of 111 pheochromocytomas, 48 of 64 Conn's disease, 37 of 57 Cushing's disease, 2 of 20 virilizing-feminizing tumors, 13 of 61 nonsecreting adrenalomas, 3 of 12 metastases, 2 of 6 cysts). Adrenalectomy was bilateral in 20 cases. Among 86 tumors, 28 (32.6%) were larger than 5 cm in diameter, none exceeding 10 cm. Posterior approach, initially performed in the prone position, was used in the lateral position for the last 40 patients with tumors. A hockey-stick incision was made on the twelfth or eleventh rib, which was resected. RESULTS: During operation no patient died; one minimal caval tear and 13 pleural tears occurred and were sutured, with two pleural drainages; six patients received blood transfusion. Average operative time was 132 minutes (range, 45 to 290 minutes). After operation one patient died of iatrogenic sepsis, average time to ambulation was 1.5 days, and average in-hospital stay was 7.6 days (range, 1 to 21), which after the fourth day was mostly justified for nonsurgical reasons. From 1990 through 1992, 37 of 38 patients were walking the day after operation and average postoperative stay dropped to 4.5 days (range, 1 to 7 days). CONCLUSIONS: Adrenalectomy through the posterior approach is safe and allows early postoperative discharge.

[Amyloidosis of a coral reef infrarenal aorta]. / Amylose d'une aorte sous-rénale en pierre de corail.

This case concerns a 37-year-old woman with a cruro-gluteal claudication, from which she had been suffering since the age of 33, and which prevented her from walking more than 50 metres. The arteriographic examination revealed preocclusive coralliform proliferations of the infrarenal aorta, with a 30% stenosis of the right internal carotid artery. After 18 months, a straight aorto-aortic tube yielded excellent results. The results of the pathological examination led to the conclusion that this was a secondary aortic amyloidosis with no specific lesions of the aortic wall. This coral reef aorta is distinguished by its infrarenal location (fourth case worldwide), as well as by the major amylotic infiltrations of the endoaortic proliferations and of the aortic wall. In the absence of generalized amyloidosis, we suspect massive localized amyloidosis subsequent to an old inflammatory aortic process compatible with a juvenile atheroma opened in the aortic lumen or more probably a sequel of Takayasu's disease.

[Carotid-jugular fistula after an attempt at placement of a vena cava filter]. / Fistule carotido-jugulaire après tentative de placement d'un filtre cave.

A carotid-jugular fistula complicated the placement of a Green-field filter via the right internal jugular percutaneous passage: the local signs of an arterio-venous fistula were associated with right parietal infarction neurological symptoms. A crossography showed a carotid-jugular fistula and a limited dissection of the original carotid artery. An elective echo-guided compression failed. The surgical treatment eliminated the fistula, fixed the carotid dissection and placed a vena cava filter with an excellent result 34 months later. Percutaneous placement of vena cava filters can lead to rare vascular complications such as carotid-jugular fistulas which can, in certain cases, be treated with an elective external compression or endovascular procedures. Surgery offers a reliable technical solution that is complete and stable in time, particularly with recent fistulas and associated neurological symptoms.

[Carotid surgery under loco-regional anesthesia. Early results of 100 recent cases]. / Chirurgie carotidienne sous anesthésie loco-régionale. Résultats précoces de 100 cas récents.

A prospective single-centre study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of carotid revascularisation under local anesthesia. Between November 1, 1996 and March 30, 1998, 92 patients underwent surgery for 100 carotid artery stenoses under local cervical block anesthesia. Fifty-eight stenoses were asymptomatic and 42 were symptomatic. Duplex ultrasound scanning showed a tight (n = 17) or very tight carotid artery stenosis (n = 83); angiography showed 19 contralateral carotid artery stenosis and 30 hemodynamically significant stenosis of vertebral and/or subclavian arteries. Cerebral Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (N = 87) with circle of Willis Magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA) (n = 83) detected 29 ischemic defects (33%). Fifteen ischemic defects were found in 58 asymptomatic patients (26%). Circle of Willis was incomplete in 41%. Anesthesia was performed using superficial cervical block (n = 100). Endarterectomy was the most commonly used revascularisation technique in 86 cases with 5 eversion endarterectomies; carotid vein or prosthetic graft was used in 14%. In this study, there was no mortality, and no cardiac or neurologic complications, during the first postoperative month. Twelve patients experienced neurologic intolerance to carotid clamping. This clamping-related ischemia required 4 shunts. All patients with clamping intolerance had a good clinical outcome after revascularisation with no objective or MRI sequelae. Incomplete circle of Willis on MRA was a significant predictive test of clamping intolerance (p < 0.0001). Carotid artery surgery under local anesthesia reduces the cumulative mortality and morbidity rate (TCMM) to a very low level: 0% in this study. These recent results are the modern reference for current carotid artery surgery evaluation.

[Gadolinium in arteriography and interventional radiology: 39 patients]. / Le gadolinium en artériographie et en radiologie interventionnelle: à propos de 39 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To report the experience of using various Gadolinium chelates as contrast media in digital subtraction angiography in patients with relative or absolute contraindications for iodinated contrast agents. MATERIAL: and Methods. Forty-two arteriograms were performed in 39 consecutive patients using Gadolinium chelates (gadoteridol, gadodiamide, and gadopentetate dimeglumine). The vasculature of the brain, of the upper and lower limbs and the renal arteries were examined. Among these 39 patients, 17 were treated by various endovascular procedures. RESULTS: In 40 examinations out of 42, the angiographic result was satisfactory, allowing either a diagnostic evaluation or an endovascular therapeutic procedure. Clinical tolerance was excellent. In one case of renal failure that was reported after angiography, the patient had received both iodine and gadolinum-based contrast agents. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium appears to be an interesting alternative for arteriography in patients with absolute or relative contraindication to iodinated contrast agents, and also seems to demonstrate efficacy during endovascular therapeutic procedures.