Long-pulsed 1064nm Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of leg veins: Systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser can damage vessels with higher diameters and penetrate to a deeper level than other laser therapies. We aim to analyze outcomes of the treatment of leg veins with long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser regarding intervention protocol, technical success, clinical success, and side effects. METHODS: A research of the published literature was conducted, using PubMed and Embase databases, in April 2022. The key words used were telangiectasia, reticular veins, neodymium YAG laser, clearance, satisfaction, and treatment. PRISMA guidelines were followed. RESULTS: We included twenty-six articles, twenty-three prospective and three retrospective studies, with a total of 1991 patients. The articles were organized in different sections according to the control group. The four outcomes were analyzed in each section. These studies showed that the long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser is a safe and very good option for the treatment of leg veins measuring up to 3 mm in diameter. Studies comparing long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser therapy and sclerotherapy showed similar clearance rates with no significant differences. However, sclerotherapy seemed to be less painful and to have faster clinical improvements. In two articles, Nd:YAG laser had better outcomes in the treatment of smaller vessels with less than 1 mm in diameter, than sclerotherapy alone. Treatment with polidocanol microfoam and Nd:YAG laser had better clearance rates than Nd:YAG laser alone in three studies. In the comparison of 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser therapy with other lasers and light sources, the studies had contradictory results. CONCLUSION: Long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser is a valid therapeutic option for leg telangiectasia and reticular veins with great aesthetic outcomes and minor side effects. Nd:YAG laser therapy could be combined with sclerotherapy or other laser therapies or IPL in order to achieve better results. Serious side effects are rare, but the procedure is almost always accompanied by moderate tolerable pain.

[Benign Presentation of a Potentially Fatal Disease]. / Ateroembolismo cutâneo: relato de três casos clínicos.

Atheroembolism is a rare multisystemic disorder that is characterized by release of cholesterol crystals and particles from atheromatous plaques, which can occlude distal vessels and induce an inflammatory response. Most affected individuals are males, older than 60 years of age, with advanced atherosclerotic disease. The abdominal aorta is the most common origin of cholesterol emboli, being the peripheral arteries a rarer source. Cholesterol embolization syndrome is often associated with invasive vascular procedures, although, more rarely, it may occur spontaneously. In this paper, the authors present three cases of spontaneous atheroembolism with cutaneous manifestations and their clinical management. Being an underdiagnosed pathology, knowledge about its clinical manifestations is essential in order to allow an early diagnosis and treatment, to ensure a better prognosis for the patient.

O ateroembolismo é uma doença multissistémica rara caraterizada pela libertação de cristais de colesterol e partículas de placas ateroscleróticas, que podem ocluir vasos sanguíneos periféricos e induzir uma resposta inflamatória. A maioria dos indivíduos afetados é do sexo masculino, com idade superior a 60 anos e doença aterosclerótica avançada. A origem mais frequente de embolização de colesterol é a aorta abdominal, sendo as artérias periféricas uma fonte mais rara. A síndrome de embolização por colesterol surge frequentemente associada a procedimentos vasculares invasivos, embora, mais raramente, possa ocorrer de forma espontânea. Neste artigo os autores apresentam três casos clínicos de ateroembolismo espontâneo com envolvimento cutâneo e respetiva abordagem clínica. Sendo uma patologia subdiagnosticada, torna-se fundamental o conhecimento acerca das suas manifestações clínicas, para permitir um diagnóstico e tratamento precoces de forma a garantir um melhor prognóstico para o doente.

Deep Vein Thrombosis as First Manifestation of Hibernoma - A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Hibernoma is a very rare benign tumor that arises from vestigial remnants of fetal brown adipose cells and usually manifests as a slowly growing, painless soft-tissue mass. It mainly occurs in adults, in the third and fourth decade of life, slightly more in women and is commonly seen in the subcutaneous regions of the back, neck, thighs and retroperitoneum. It was originally described in 1906 by Merkel, who named it "pseudolipoma". In 1914, Gery derived the name hibernoma from the tumor's histological similarity to brown fat in hibernating animals. A hibernoma may be confused with a lipoma clinically and cannot be completely distinguished from hypervascular lesions such as lipossarcoma. METHODS: A 36-year-old woman presented with pain and edema of the left leg. It was diagnosed with non-recent femoro- -popliteal venous thrombosis, was medicated with rivaroxaban and prescribed compression stocking. RESULTS: The edema subsided after 2 weeks but she still complained of pain in the thigh several weeks after first visit along with subtle localized soft enlargement in the upper thigh. It was requested a CT scan that showed a nodular image with 60X 47 mm medially to vastus intermedius and beneath the sartorius and rectus femoris muscles, which was suspected to be a lipossarcoma. In this context, a magnetic ressonance imaging was requested and showed contact with femoral vessels with no cleavage plan, suspected to be a mixoid lipossarcoma. The biopsy didn't show malignancy. She was operated with local excision of the mass and preservation of adjacent structures. Pathologic evaluation revealed a hibernoma with 11.5 cm, PS100 positive and MDM2 negative. The patient was evaluated at outpatient clinic 6 months after surgery and had no evidence of relapse. CONCLUSION: The first clinical manifestation of this patient was a deep vein thrombosis and the diagnosis of the lipomatous tumor was delayed. Clinical awareness of less frequent causes of DVT is a key point to timely detection of this lesions that are rare and curable. The increased vascularity of this lesion raised suspicion of malignancy. Malignancy potential is perhaps the most difficult aspect to ascertain in this patient, being only completely disclosed after surgical excision. Optimal treatment is complete surgical resection. Local recurrence does not occur with complete excision. No reports of metastases of malignant transformation have been identified in the reviewed literature.

[Endovascular Revascularization for Diabetic Foot Ulcer - Experience from a Dedicated Clinic]. / Revascularização Endovascular na Úlcera de Pé Diabético ­ experiência de uma Consulta Multidisciplinar.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the outcome of endovascular revascularization in Diabetic patients with Fontaine stage IV chronic ischaemia, at our Diabetic Foot Clinic. Primary outcomes were ulcer healing, major amputation and limb salvage. METHODS: Retrospective single center analysis of patients treated between January 2009 and May 2015. Time-dependent event rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The differences between groups were evaluated with the chi-square test. A P value below 0,05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There were 106 limbs (93 patients) revascularized during the study. The average age was 71 years, and PEDIS 3 or 4 infection was present in 45.3% on admission. 56.6% were treated for femoropopliteal injurie only, 17% infrapopliteal, and 26.4% for both levels. Technical success was achieved in 77.4%, and haemodynamic success in 58.3%. Ulcer healing was attained in 53.8%, with an average healing time of 8.4 months. The major amputation rate was 7.5%, with a limb salvage rate of 90.4% at 6, 12 and 24 months. Chronic pulmo- nary disease decreased the likelihood of healing (p=0,012). Restenosis was more likely to occur in patients with nephropathy (p=0,008) or insulin-treated diabetes (p=0,033). CONCLUSIONS: Dedicated multidisciplinary teams are key to successful treatment in diabetic foot disease. The good results achieved in our series arise from best medical treatment combined with timely revascularization in those ischemic.

Objetivos: Avaliar os resultados da revascularização endovascular em diabéticos com isquemia crónica grau IV de Lériche- -Fontaine, seguidos em Consulta Multidisciplinar de Pé Diabético na nossa instituição, relativamente a taxa de cicatrização, amputação major e salvamento de membro. Material e Métodos: Análise retrospetiva dos doentes tratados no período de janeiro de 2009 até maio de 2015. As taxas de eventos dependentes do tempo foram estimadas com recurso a curvas de Kaplan-Meier e as diferenças entre grupos investigadas pelo teste de qui-quadrado. Um valor de p < 0,05 foi considerado estatisticamente significativo. Resultados: No período analisado foram revascularizados 106 membros (93 doentes). A idade média foi 71 anos, sendo que 45,3% apresentavam infeção PEDIS 3 ou 4 na apresentação. Das lesões intervencionadas, 56,6% eram suprageniculares, 17% infrageniculares, e 26,4% foram intervencionados nos dois setores. Foi obtido sucesso técnico em 77,4% e sucesso hemodinâmico em 58,3%. Foi conseguido o encerramento da úlcera em 53,8%, com tempo médio de cicatrização de 8,4 meses. A taxa de amputação major foi de 7,5%, verificando-se uma taxa de salvamento de membro de 90,4% aos 6, 12 e 24 meses. A doença pulmonar crónica influenciou negativamente a probabilidade de cicatrização (p=0,012). A reestenose foi mais frequente em doentes com nefropatia (p=0,008) ou DM insulino-tratada (p=0,033). Conclusões: A existência de equipas multidisciplinares dedicadas ao Pé Diabético são fundamentais para o sucesso do tratamento. Os bons resultados obtidos resultam da melhor otimização do tratamento médico combinada com a revasculari- zação no doente isquémico, associado a um seguimento apertado e à reintervenção precoce quando clinicamente justificado.

[Deep vein thrombosis in the pediatric population - a rare entity of uncertain prognosis]. / Trombose Venosa Profunda na População Pediátrica ­ Entidade Rara de Prognóstico Incerto.

Deep vein thrombosis, whose prevalence remains unknown in the pediatric population, is an increasingly common diag- nosis in this age group. This increased incidence makes the post-thrombotic syndrome a likely long-term complication, so there is a critical need to establish high quality evidence over its suitable approach in this population. We present two cases of deep vein thrombosis in children and their management in a hospital of the northern region of Portugal, reviewing the literature on this under researched subject. In conclusion, further investigation is needed to assess the incidence, the prevalence, the predictors and the safety and efficacy of therapies for the prevention and appropriate treatment of deep vein thrombosis in children and eventual post- -thrombotic syndrome.

A trombose venosa profunda, cuja prevalência permanece desconhecida na população pediátrica, é um diagnóstico cada vez mais frequente neste grupo etário. Este aumento de incidência faz da síndrome pós-trombótica uma complicação provável a longo prazo, existindo uma necessidade crítica em estabelecer evidência de alta qualidade sobre a sua adequada abordagem nesta população. São apresentados dois casos clínicos pediátricos de trombose venosa profunda, e respetiva abordagem, num hospital da região Norte de Portugal. Em seguida, procede-se à discussão e revisão da literatura sobre o assunto. Em conclusão, são necessários estudos que avaliem a incidência, a prevalência, os fatores preditivos e a segurança e a eficácia de terapias para a prevenção e o tratamento adequados da trombose venosa profunda e da possível futura síndrome pós-trombótica associada em crianças.

[Aneurysmal degeneration of a saphenous vein graft - Case report]. / Degenerescência Aneurismática De Conduto De Veia Safena - Caso Clínico.

Non-anastomotic degeneration of venous conduits is a rare condition, and its etiology is not fully understood. We report the clinical a case of an aneurysmal degeneration of a femoropopliteal bypass vein graft, undertook 19 years earlier for traumatic injury of the popliteal artery of the left lower limb. Following the resection of the aneurysm, a new femoro-tibioperoneal trunk vein graft was implanted. The choice of a new autologous graft was made based on the young age of the patient and the best outcomes in the long term, related to this conduits.

[Post Traumatic Pseudoaneurysm of the Hepatic Artery - Clinical report]. / Aneurisma da Artéria Hepática Comum Pós-Traumatismo - Caso Clínico.

Hepatic artery aneurysms are a rare condition that can be fatal if rupture happens. Often, they are incidentally identified in routine imaging. Intervention is indicated when symptomatic, if they reach 2cm or more of size, in patients presenting with multiple hepatic artery aneurysms and in all pseudoaneurysms. We describe the case of a 57 year-old female, to whom a post-traumatic hepatic artery aneurysm was diagnosed. Open surgical repair was successfully accomplished.

[Deep Venous Thrombosis in Emergency Care: From Clinical Suspicion to Correct Diagnosis]. / Trombose Venosa Profunda dos Membros Inferiores no Serviço de Urgência: Da Suspeita Clínica ao Diagnóstico.

AIM: Retrospective analysis of suspected deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs admitted to an emergency unit and subsequently scanned in the vascular lab. METHODS: Clinical and demographic details of patients were retrieved from clinical files and collected in a database. The statistical software SPSS was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Between January 2011 and September 2013, 407 venous scans were performed for ruling out DVT. Two hundred sixty-nine (66%) patients were female. Average age was 60.1 years-old (16-93). One hundred thirty-four scans (32.9%) were positive for the diagnosis of recent DVT (simultaneous DVT and superficial thrombophlebitis in six patients of this group). In 194 exams (47.6%) there was any sign of venous thrombosis, whether recent or remote. The remaining cases showed up signs of remote DVT in 22 (5.4%) patients, and superficial thrombophlebitis in 50 (12.2%) patients. CONCLUSION: Suspected DVT was confirmed in only a third of patients, using ultrasound scan. Local implementation of guidelines for the evaluation of patients with suspected DVT may reduce the amount of unnecessary scans.

A rare case of epithelioid angiosarcoma.

Epithelioid angiosarcoma is a rare high-grade vascular neoplasm with a poor prognosis. We present an anticoagulated 77-year-old man, with a history of popliteal/soleal vein thrombosis in the previous month, complaining of ipsilateral persistent lower limb pain and claudication. Absent popliteal/distal pulses prompted an arterial doppler ultrasound (DUS), revealing thrombosis of the distal superficial femoral artery and a popliteal mass. As the arterial wall's integrity could not be appropriately evaluated by DUS, adventitial cystic disease of the popliteal artery was suspected. Computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance imaging findings were also suggestive. Due to refractory pain, he was submitted to a popliteal mass excision along with a femoral-posterior tibial bypass. Pathology revealed an epithelioid angiosarcoma. He was referred to a Sarcoma Center, requiring hospitalization for agitation and fever. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan revealed extensive lower limb disease persistence and distant metastases. He died on the 56th day after surgery. To our knowledge, there are only 15 cases of angiosarcoma of the popliteal artery described in the literature. Ours stands out as the first one unrelated to a popliteal aneurysm. Being a highly-aggressive tumor, an early diagnosis is challenging but essential to a successful treatment, warranting the need for suspicion of this neoplasm. An early core biopsy or surgical sample may expedite the diagnosis.

Wound, Ischemia, Foot Infection (Wifi) Classification System And Its Predictive Ability Concerning Amputation-Free Survival, Mortality And Major Limb Amputation In A Portuguese Population: A Single Center Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Commonly used chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) classifications lack granularity and detail to precisely stratify patients according to risk of limb loss, expected revascularization benefit and mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate in a Portuguese population the prognostic value of an updated CLTI classification based on Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection (WIfI) proposed by the Society for Vascular Surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-center retrospective evaluation of prospectively collected data of consecutive patients with CLTI submitted to lower limb revascularization from January to December of 2017. All consecutive patients with chronic peripheral artery disease with ischemic rest pain or tissue loss were included. The exclusion criteria were patients with intermittent claudication, vascular trauma, acute ischemia, non-atherosclerotic arterial disease and isolated iliac intervention. The primary end-point was major limb amputation, mortality and amputation-free survival (AFS) at 30 days, 1 year and 2 year follow-up. Secondary end-points were minor amputation, wound healing time (WHT) and rate (WHR). RESULTS: A total of 111 patients with CLTI were submitted to infra-inguinal revascularization: 91 endovascular and 20 open surgery. After categorizing them according to the WIfI: 20 had stage 1 (18.52%), 29 stage 2 (26.85%), 38 stage 3 (35.19%) and 21 stage 4 (19.44%). Overall mortality rate was 1.8%, 17% and 22.3% at 30 days, 1 year and 2 years follow-up. Major amputation rate was 0.9%, 2.7% and 2.7% at 30 days, 1 year and 2 years follow-up. AFS rate was 97.3%, 82.1%, and 76.8% at 30 days, 1 year, 2 years follow-up. In multi-variable analysis, higher WIfI score was the only predictive factor for mortality and AFS. WIfI 3 and 4 were also associated with increased risk of non-healing ulcer. CONCLUSION: This study proved the prognostic value of the WIfI classification in a Portuguese population by showing an association between higher scores and increased mortality, lower AFS and non-healing ulcer.

Anterior Penetrating Neck Injury: A Path to the Cervical Spine.

While rare in incidence, penetrating neck injuries are often life-threatening. When a patient's physiological status is appropriate, the first step in treatment should be a detailed preoperative imaging assessment. Formulating a treatment plan that includes computed tomography (CT) imaging and discussing the surgical approach with a multidisciplinary team before operating allows for a successful selective surgical approach. The authors report the case of a Zone II penetrating injury with a right laterocervical entry wound in which an impaled blade with an inferomedial oblique path pierced deeply into the cervical spine. The blade missed multiple vital structures in the neck, such as the common carotid artery, jugular vein, trachea, and esophagus. The patient underwent a formal neck exploration, and controlled extraction of the blade under direct vision was achieved. Therefore, the author's recommendation for implementing any management algorithm for penetrating neck injuries should rely primarily on a multidisciplinary selective approach.

Buerger's Disease - A Clinical Case.

Buerger's disease is a distal segmental nonatherosclerotic vasculopathy that involves the inferior and superior limbs of smoker males younger than 45 years old. This article aims to describe a clinical case and revise the literature about Buerger's disease. A 45-year-old smoker male repeatedly visited the emergency department for refractory pain and inflammatory signs in the right hallux. After developing ulcers in the right foot, Doppler ultrasonography revealed segmental occlusion of distal arteries of that limb. It was also observed in arteriography "corkscrew" collaterals. Autoimmune, thrombophilic and cardiovascular diseases were excluded. Analgesia, antibiotics and alprostadil were implemented. As a result, the patient stopped smoking and was submitted to minor amputation with complete healing, after which he remained asymptomatic. Buerger's disease is a diagnosis of exclusion. Therefore, smoking cessation is the most effective treatment and is crucial to prevent disease progression.

It is not always "essential" - regarding a hypertensive urgency.

Hypertension is, in a minority of cases, secondary to an identifiable cause. In this context, the aetiology of the blood pressure elevation is essential since it may be treatable. We present a case of a young woman with hypertension secondary to fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) of the renal artery in which the endovascular treatment was crucial for its management.

Venous thoracic outlet syndrome: When exercising may be discouraged.

Thoracic outlet syndrome results from neurovascular compression at the thoracic outlet. Clinical presentation varies according to the predominantly compressed structure, determining its subtype: neurogenic, venous, or arterial. The neurogenic subtype is the most common, affecting 90% of patients, while the vascular subtype is rarely found in practice. We present two case reports of young patients with upper extremity deep vein thrombosis in the setting of venous thoracic outlet syndrome: one due to an anatomic variant, the second an effort thrombosis due to repeated upper arm exercise. These reports depict uncommon clinical scenarios, which imply significant morbidity if not identified and timely treated.

PERCUTANEOUS MECHANICAL THROMBECTOMY IN PHLEGMASIA CERULEA DOLENS: CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW.

INTRODUCTION: Phlegmasia cerulea dolens is a potentially life-threatening complication of deep venous thrombosis, causing marked swelling and sudden severe pain in the limb, associated with cyanosis, edema and compartment syndrome that together compromise arterial supply. There is no consensus on its treatment. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old woman, with a history of cosmetic surgery 8 days before admission (abdominal liposuction), was admitted to the emergency department with edema, cyanosis, severe pain, decreased temperature and tenderness of the left lower limb. At physical exam, no distal pulses on the left lower limb were found. Angio-CT was performed, showing occlusion of left femoral vein, external and common iliac veins. The patient started treatment with enoxaparin (80 mg, subcutaneous, bid) and percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) of the left iliac vein sector was performed, followed by balloon angioplasty and stenting of the left iliac vein sector. It was also deployed a temporary filter in the inferior vena cava. Thrombophilic workup was negative. The patient presented thorough clinical remission after the procedure (Villalta score 0). Two years after surgery, the patient is asymptomatic, and the Doppler ultrasound is unremarkable concerning morphologic changes throughout the left iliac vein sector. CONCLUSION: The treatment of phlegmasia cerulea dolens is challenging due to its severity and poor prognosis. Minimally invasive procedures, such as PMT can be an alternative to open surgery. It can also avoid the use of thrombolytics in patients with relative / absolute contraindications to its use.

[Acute occlusion of a popliteal aneurysm - the value of intra-arterial preoperative thrombolysis]. / Oclusão aguda de aneurisma poplíteo - valor da fibrinólise intra-arterial pré-operatória.

In this paper it is presented a clinical report on intra-arterial thrombolysis of an acute thrombosed popliteal artery aneurysm. We report the technical aspects and discuss indications, principal advantages and contraindications of this form of treatment.

ENDOVASCULAR PROCEDURES FOR LOWER LIMB PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE IN AN AMBULATORY UNIT.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the safety and outcomes of endovascular procedures in an ambulatory practice. METHODS: Data were collected from a cohort of patients admitted in an ambulatory unit for an endovascular procedure for lower limb (LL) arterial occlusive disease during a one year period. RESULTS: A total of 168 procedures were carried out in 134 patients. Patients' mean age was 67 (39-91) years and 78% were male. Most patients presented with lower limb ulcer or gangrene (43%) or disabling claudication (40%). Most frequent comorbidities included hypertension (75.4%), dyslipidemia (72.4%) and diabetes mellitus (57.5%). The preferred vascular access for the procedures was the common femoral artery (52%), superficial femoral artery (24%) and humeral artery (21%). Global complication rate was 19% but only one major, non-fatal complication was identified. The most common complication was arterial dissection (8.3%), none compromising blood flow. One-year amputation rate was 6.7%, and one-year mortality was 3.0%. Factors significantly associated with procedure complications were female sex, hypertension and dyslipidemia. CONCLUSION: Ambulatory endovascular procedures for PAD are safe and effective in selected patients. Both the low rate and low severity of complications make them an attractive option in the prospect of diminishing the burden of these patients on the health-care system while improving patient comfort.

SUPERFICIAL FEMORAL ARTERY OPPORTUNISTIC STUMP.

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