Leaflet thrombosis (LT) is a multifaceted and underexplored condition that can manifest following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The objective of this study was to formulate a prediction model based on laboratory assessments and clinical parameters, providing additional guidance and insight into this relatively unexplored aspect of post-TAVI complications. The present study was an observational prospective hypothesis-generating study, including 101 patients who underwent TAVI and a screening for LT (the primary endpoint) by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). All images were acquired on a third-generation dual-source CT system. Levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF) activity, hemoglobin (Hb), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured among other parameters. A predictive score utilizing binary logistic regression, Kaplan–Meier time-to-event analysis, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was established. LT (11 subclinical and 2 clinical) was detected in 13 of 101 patients (13
Background Thoracic computed tomography scans (CT) are used by several study groups to investigate the circulatory structures (heart and vessels) located behind the pressure point for chest compressions. Yet, it remains unclear how the positioning of these structures is influenced by factors such as intubation, the respiratory cycle and arm positioning. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data of adult patients with in- or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who underwent thoracic CT imaging within one year before or up to six months after arrest. A region of interest (ROI) behind the pressure point was defined. The largest structure within this region was defined as “leading circulatory structure”, which was the primary outcome. Airway status (intubated versus spontaneous breathing), respiratory cycle (inspiration, expiration, resting expiratory position), and arm position (up over the head versus down beside the trunk) served as covariates in an ordinal regression model. Results Among 500 initially screened patients, 411 (82.2%) were included in the analysis. There was a significant association between the arm position and the leading circulatory structure behind the pressure point. However, no association was found with airway status or respiratory cycle. The most frequently identified leading circulatory structure was the left atrium (arms up: 41.8%, down: 50.7%), followed by the ascending aorta (up: 23.8% vs. down: 16.7%). The left ventricle was the leading structure in only one case (0.2%, arms down). Conclusion This study shows that arm position is significantly associated with the leading circulatory structure behind the pressure point for chest compressions in cardiac arrest.
In cardiac transplant recipients, non-invasive allograft surveillance for identifying patients at risk for graft failure remains challenging. The fat attenuation index (FAI) of the perivascular adipose tissue in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) predicts outcomes in coronary artery disease in non-transplanted hearts; however, it has not been evaluated in cardiac transplant patients. We followed 39 cardiac transplant patients with two or more CCTAs obtained between 2010 and 2021. We performed FAI measurements around the proximal 4 cm segments of the left anterior descending (LAD), right coronary artery (RCA), and left circumflex artery (LCx) using a previously validated methodology. The FAI was analyzed at a threshold of − 30 to − 190 Hounsfield units. FAI measurements were completed in 113 CCTAs, obtained on two same-vendor CT models. Within each CCTA, the FAI values between coronary vessels were strongly correlated (RCA and LAD R = 0.67 (p < 0.0001), RCA and LCx R = 0.58 (p < 0.0001), LAD and LCx R = 0.67 (p < 0.0001)). The FAIs of each coronary vessel between the patient’s first and last CCTA completed at 120 kV were also correlated (RCA R = 0.73 (p < 0.0001), LAD R = 0.81 (p < 0.0001), LCx R = 0.55 (p = 0.0069). Finally, a high mean FAI value of all three coronary vessels at baseline (mean ≥ − 71 HU) was predictive of cardiac mortality or re-transplantation, however, not predictive of all cause-mortality. High baseline FAI values may identify a higher-risk cardiac transplant population; thus, FAI may support the implementation of CCTA in post-transplant surveillance. • Perivascular fat attenuation measured with coronary CT is feasible in cardiac transplant patients and may predict cardiac mortality or need for re-transplantation.
Background:Ultra-low-dose CT (ULDCT) examinations of the chest at only twice the radiation dose of a chest X-ray (CXR) now offer a valuable imaging alternative to CXR. This trial prospectively compares ULDCT and CXR for the detection rate of diagnoses and their clinical relevance in a low-prevalence cohort of non-traumatic emergency department patients. Methods:In this prospective crossover cohort trial, 294 non-traumatic emergency department patients with a clinically indicated CXR were included between May 2nd and November 26th of 2019 (www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03922516). All participants received both CXR and ULDCT, and were randomized into two arms with inverse reporting order. The detection rate of CXR was calculated from 'arm CXR' (n = 147; CXR first), and of ULDCT from 'arm ULDCT' (n = 147; ULDCT first). Additional information reported by the second exam in each arm was documented. From all available clinical and imaging data, expert radiologists and emergency physicians built a compound reference standard, including radiologically undetectable diagnoses, and assigned each finding to one of five clinical relevance categories for the respective patient. Findings:Detection rates for main diagnoses by CXR and ULDCT (mean effective dose: 0.22 mSv) were 9.1% (CI [5.2, 15.5]; 11/121) and 20.1% (CI [14.2, 27.7]; 27/134; P = 0.016), respectively. As an additional imaging modality, ULDCT added 9.1% (CI [5.2, 15.5]; 11/121) of main diagnoses to prior CXRs, whereas CXRs did not add a single main diagnosis (0/134; P < 0.001). Notably, ULDCT also offered higher detection rates than CXR for all other clinical relevance categories, including findings clinically irrelevant for the respective emergency department visit with 78.5% (CI [74.0, 82.5]; 278/354) vs. 16.2% (CI [12.7, 20.3]; 58/359) as a primary modality and 68.2% (CI [63.3, 72.8]; 245/359) vs. 2.5% (CI [1.3, 4.7]; 9/354) as an additional imaging modality. Interpretation:In non-traumatic emergency department patients, ULDCT of the chest offered more than twice the detection rate for main diagnoses compared to CXR. Funding:The Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy of Medical University of Vienna received funding from Siemens Healthineers (Erlangen, Germany) to employ two research assistants for one year.
Supplementary Figure S2: Liver function tests changes after hepatic intraarterial therapy. Liver chemistry (alanine aminotransferase [ALT]
Zusammenfassung Sämtliche Patienten nach endovaskulärer Versorgung eines Aortenaneurysmas bedürfen einer regelmäßigen Nachkontrolle, zumeist in jährlichem Abstand. Der kontrastmittelverstärkte Ultraschall und die Computertomographie-Angiographie (CTA) sind die wichtigsten diagnostischen Modalitäten für die Erkennung von Endoleaks. Die (CTA) erlaubt eine bessere Unterscheidung der verschiedenen Endoleak-Typen. Sogenannte Hochdruck-Endoleaks (Typ I und Typ III) stellen, wenn sich nicht kurzzeitig ein Spontanverschluss zeigt, eine absolute Indikation zur Nachbehandlung dar. Typ-II-Endoleaks weisen in der Mehrzahl einen benignen Verlauf auf. Wenn kein Wachstum des Aneurysmasacks erfolgt, kann eine Nachkontrolle im gewohnten Intervall durchgeführt werden. Typ-II-Endoleaks mit assoziiertem Wachstum des Aneurysmasacks können durch Embolisation der verantwortlichen Gefäße behandelt werden. Ob eine Behandlung immer durchgeführt werden muss, ist umstritten. Eine Behandlungsindikation von einem Typ-II-Endoleak mit wachsendem Aneurysmasack ist jedoch gegeben, wenn durch eine Verkürzung des Aneurysmahalses ein sekundäres Typ-I-Endoleak droht. Typ-I-Endoleaks stellen die Hauptlimitation der Stentgraft-Therapie dar. Die beste Prävention eines Typ-I-Endoleaks ist die Bereitstellung einer adäquaten proximalen Landezone. Dies kann durchaus bedeuten, dass fenestrierte Stentgrafts verwendet werden müssen. Die Verwendung von Schrauben oder anderen Fixationsinstrumenten zur sicheren Behandlung auch kurzer Hälse ist derzeit noch in der Studienphase.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess treatment responses and evaluate survival outcomes between responders and non-responders after each transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) session using the 3D quantitative criteria of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (qEASL) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Methods: A total of 94 consecutive patients who underwent MR imaging before and after TACE were retrospectively included. Volumetric tumor enhancement (qEASL) was expressed in cubic centimeters (cm3). The Kaplan–Meier method with the log-rank test was used to calculate the overall survival (OS) for the non-/responders. Results: In total, 28 (29.8%) patients showed a response after the first TACE. These responders demonstrated a clear trend toward longer OS compared with the non-responders (36.7 vs. 21.5 months, p = 0.071). Of the 43 initial non-responders who underwent a second TACE within 3 months and had complete follow-up imaging, 15/43 (34.9%) achieved a response, and their median OS was significantly longer than that of the 28 non-responders to the second TACE (47.8 vs. 13.6 months, p = 0.01). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in OS between the 28 patients who achieved a response after the first TACE and the 15 initial non-responders who achieved a response after the second TACE (36.7 vs. 47.8 months, p = 0.701). The difference in OS between the responders and non-responders after the third TACE was not significant (11.4 months vs. 13.5 months, p = 0.986). Conclusion: Our study quantitatively demonstrated that a second TACE can be beneficial in terms of tumor response and survival for HCC patients who do not initially respond to TACE.
Fragestellung Thoraxkompressionen sind die Basis der Reanimation.[1] Die zugrundeliegenden Mechanismen („cardiac pump“ vs. „thoracic pump“) sind jedoch nur unzureichend untersucht.[2–4] Diese Arbeit analysiert deshalb, welche anatomischen Strukturen hinter dem sternalen Druckpunkt reanimierter Patienten liegen. Methodik Retrospektive Analyse von Patienten ≥ 18 Jahren, die 2015-16 an der Universitätsklinik für Notfallmedizin wegen eines Kreislaufstillstands behandelt wurden und die 1 Jahr vor bis 6 Monate nach dem Event eine CT-Untersuchung des Thorax erhielten. In einer standardisierten Vorgehensweise wurde das Sternum in longitudinaler Richtung in 4 gleichgroße Segmente geteilt und am Übergang von 3. zu 4. Segment die zu analysierende axiale Schicht definiert. In dieser wurde eine tetragonale Region of Interest (ROI) zwischen Sternum und ventraler Wirbelkörperkante definiert. Die anatomische Topographie in der ROI wurde mithilfe von semi-automatischen Segmentierungs-Tools quantifiziert. Ergebnisse 165 Patienten wurden analysiert (mittleres Alter: 62 [min. 20 – max. 89], weiblich: 34%). Die führende Struktur in der ROI, bezogen auf den Flächenanteil, war das linke Atrium (in 41% der Fälle), gefolgt von der Aorta ascendens (22%), Truncus pulmonalis (19%), rechtem Atrium (9%), rechtem Ventrikel (8%) und dem linken Ventrikel (1%). Miterfasst, aber in keinem der Fälle die führende Struktur war außerdem die Aorta descendens. Anteile des linken Ventrikels lagen nur bei 69 von 165 Patienten in der ROI. In 120 (72,7%) der Fälle lag der Druckpunkt cranial, bei 41 (24,8%) auf Höhe und in 4 Fällen (2,4%) der Patienten caudal der Aortenklappen-Ebene. Interpretation Der Cardiac Output durch Thoraxkompressionen wurde in diesem Kollektiv mehrheitlich nicht durch direkte Kompression des linken Ventrikels erreicht. Weiterführende Untersuchungen, die diese Ergebnisse mit klinischem Outcome korrelieren sind derzeit in Planung. Referenzen Olasveengen TM, Semeraro F, Ristagno G, et al (2021) European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: Basic Life Support. Resuscitation 161:98–114. Cipani S, Bartolozzi C, Ballo P, Sarti A (2019) Blood flow maintenance by cardiac massage during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Classical theories, newer hypotheses, and clinical utility of mechanical devices. Journal of the Intensive Care Society 20:2–10. Nestaas S, Stensæth KH, Rosseland V, Kramer-Johansen J (2016) Radiological assessment of chest compression point and achievable compression depth in cardiac patients. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 24:54. Shin J, Rhee JE, Kim K (2007) Is the inter-nipple line the correct hand position for effective chest compression in adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation? Resuscitation 75:305–310. Danksagung: Wir möchten uns bei Florian Wödl und Dominik Riss für ihre tatkräftige Unterstützung bei der Datenauswertung bedanken!
Objective: The maximal aortic diameter is currently the only clinically applied predictor of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression. It is known that the risk of rupture is associated with aneurysm size; hence, accurate monitoring of AAA expansion is crucial. Aneurysmal vessel wall calcification and its implication on AAA expansion are insufficiently explored. We evaluated the vascular calcification using longitudinal computed tomography angiographies (CTA) of patients with an AAA and its association with AAA growth. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 102 patients with an AAA with a total of 389 abdominal CTAs at 6-month intervals, treated and followed at the Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Medical University of Vienna. Digitally stored CTAs were reviewed for vascular calcification (volume and score) of the infrarenal aorta and common iliac arteries as well as for morphometric AAA analysis. In the prognostic setting, slow versus fast AAA progression was defined as a less than 2 mm or a 2-mm or greater increase in AAA diameter over 6 months. In addition, to analyze the association of vascular calcification and the AAA growth rate with longitudinal monitoring data, a specifically tailored log-linear mixed model was used. Results: An inverse relation of increased abdominal vessel wall calcification and short-term AAA progression was detected. Compared with fast progressing AAA, the median calcification volume of the infrarenal aorta (1225.3 mm(3) vs 519.8 mm(3); P = .003), the median total calcification volume (2014.1 mm(3) vs 1434.9 mm(3); P = .008), and the median abdominal total customized Agatston calcium (cAC) score (1663.5 vs 718.4; P = .003) were significantly increased in slow progressing AAA. Importantly, a log-linear mixed model efficiently predicted AAA expansion based on current diameter and abdominal total cAC score (P = .042). Conclusions: We assessed the prognostic value of CTA-measured vascular calcification for AAA progression. Increased vascular calcification stabilizes the aortic aneurysmal wall and likely protects against progressive AAA expansion, resulting in a significant decrease of aneurysm growth over time. As a consequence, this may have implications for rupture risk, mortality, morbidity, and cost.
Objectives: Manual or semi-automated segmentation of the lower extremity arterial tree in patients with Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remains a notoriously difficult and time-consuming task. The complex manifestations of the disease, including discontinuities of the vascular flow channels, the presence of calcified atherosclerotic plaque in close vicinity to adjacent bone, and the presence of metal or other imaging artifacts currently preclude fully automated vessel identification. New machine learning techniques may alleviate this challenge, but require large and reasonably well segmented training data. Methods: We propose a novel semi-automatic vessel tracking approach for peripheral arteries to facilitate and accelerate the creation of annotated training data by expert cardiovascular radiologists or technologists, while limiting the number of necessary manual interactions, and reducing processing time. After automatically classifying blood vessels, bones, and other tissue, the relevant vessels are tracked and organized in a tree-like structure for further visualization. Results: We conducted a pilot (N = 9) and a clinical study (N = 24) in which we assess the accuracy and required time for our approach to achieve sufficient quality for clinical application, with our current clinically established workflow as the standard of reference. Our approach enabled expert physicians to readily identify all clinically relevant lower extremity arteries, even in problematic cases, with an average sensitivity of 92.9%, and an average specificity and overall accuracy of 99.9%. Conclusions: Compared to the clinical workflow in our collaborating hospitals (28:40 +/- 7:45 [mm:ss]), our approach (17:24 +/- 6:44 [mm:ss]) is on average 11:16 [mm:ss] (39%) faster.
This meta-analysis and systematic review was performed to evaluate the clinical relevance of subclinical leaflet thrombosis (SLT) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. PubMed, Web of Science, and CENTRAL were searched for eligible randomized and nonrandomized studies until November 2020. Risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios and 95% CIs were calculated, using a random-effects model. Overall, 25 studies were eligible for the analysis and comprised a total of 11,098 patients. The median incidence of SLT was 6% at a median follow-up of 30 days. Use of intra-annular valves was associated with 2-fold greater risk for the development of SLT compared with use of supra-annular valves. There was no difference in the risk for SLT (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.72-1.29; P = 0.83) between single-antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) and dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), whereas oral anticoagulation (OAC) was associated with a 58% relative risk reduction for SLT (RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.29-0.61; P < 0.00001) compared with SAPT and DAPT. In patients with diagnosed leaflet thrombosis at follow-up, the risk for stroke or transient ischemic attack was increased by 2.6-fold (RR: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.60-4.09; P < 0.00001) compared with patients without leaflet thrombosis. In patients diagnosed with SLT, the odds of SLT resolution increased by 99% after switch from antiplatelet agents to OAC (odds ratio: 0.01; 95% CI: 0.00-0.06; P < 0.00001). To summarize, indication-based use of OAC after transcatheter aortic valve replacement is associated with a lower risk for SLT compared with SAPT and DAPT. Switching to OAC seems to be effective for SLT resolution. As SLT increased the odds of stroke or transient ischemic attack in the included population, further studies are needed to investigate whether screening tests for SLT and appropriate antithrombotic therapy improve long-term valve functionality and clinical prognosis.
PurposeTo assess the radiation dose reduction capabilities and the image quality of a new C-arm system in comparison to a standard C-arm system.MethodProspective, randomized, IRB approved two-arm trial design. 49 consecutive patients with primary or secondary liver cancer were treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on two different angiography units. 28 patients were treated on a conventional angiography unit B, 21 patients on unit A which provides improved hardware and optimized image processing algorithms. Dose area product (DAP) and fluoroscopy time were recorded. DSA image quality of all procedures was assessed on a four-rank-scale by two independent and blinded readers.ResultsBoth cohorts showed no significant differences with regard to patient characteristics, tumor burden and fluoroscopy time. The new system resulted in a statistically significant reduction of cumulative DAP of 72% compared to the old platform (median 76 vs. 269 Gy*cm2). Individually, Fluoro-DAP and DSA-DAP decreased by 48% and 77% (p = 0.012 and p < 0.01), respectively. No statistically significant differences in DSA image quality were found between the two imaging platforms.ConclusionsThe new C-arm system significantly reduced radiation exposure for TACE procedures without increased radiation time or negative impact on DSA image quality.The combination of optimized hardware and software yields the highest radiation dose reduction and is of utmost importance for patients and interventionalists.
Objectives Investigate long-term effects of repeated transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on portal venous pressure (PVP) using non-invasive surrogate markers of portal hypertension. Methods Retrospective, Institutional Review Board-approved study. 99 patients [hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) group (n=57); liver metastasis group (n=42)] who underwent 279TACEs and had longitudinal pre-/post-therapy contrast-enhanced-MRI (n=388) and complete blood work were included. Outcomes of interest were platelet count (PC), spleen volume, ascites and portosystemic collaterals. Variables included TACE type/number, tumor type, microcatheter location, Child-Pugh, baseline tumor burden (tumor number/total/largest size), vessel invasion, alpha-fetoprotein, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. Generalized Estimating Equations assessed the associations between TACE and outcomes. Power analysis determined the sample size was sufficient. Results No significant change in PC over time was observed in either groups, regardless of liver function (P>0.05). Baseline spleen volume was 226 cm3 for metastatic group, and was larger by 204 cm3 for HCC group (P<0.001). Spleen volume increased by 20 cm3 (95%CI: 8-32; P=0.001) for both groups after 1stTACE and by 16cm3/TACE (P=0.099) over the full follow-up (up to 9TACEs). Spleen volume also tended to increase by 23cm3 (95%CI: -1–48; P=0.064) with higher tumor burden. Odds of developing moderate/severe ascites for metastatic patients was decreased by 0.5 (95%CI: 0.3–0.9; P=0.014), regardless of the Child-Pugh, and increased by 1.5 (95%CI: 1.2–1.9; P<0.001) among HCC patients with unstable Child-Pugh, whereas no change was noted with stable Child-Pugh. HCC patients with unstable Child-Pugh demonstrated a significant increase in portosystemic collaterals number over time (P=0.008). PVP-related complications such as variceal bleeding post-TACE were low (0.4%). Conclusion Repeated TACEs did seem to have an impact on PVP. However, the increase in PVP had marginal effects with low portal hypertension-related complications.
To evaluate the performance of radiomic features extracted from high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for the differentiation between cholesteatoma and middle ear inflammation (MEI), and to investigate the impact of post-reconstruction harmonization and data resampling. One hundred patients were included in this retrospective dual-center study: 48 with histology-proven cholesteatoma (center A: 23; center B: 25) and 52 with MEI (A: 27; B: 25). Radiomic features (co-occurrence and run-length matrix, absolute gradient, autoregressive model, Haar wavelet transform) were extracted from manually defined 2D-ROIs. The ten best features for lesion differentiation were selected using probability of error and average correlation coefficients. A multi-layer perceptron feed-forward artificial neural network (MLP-ANN) was used for radiomics-based classification, with histopathology serving as the reference standard (70% of cases for training, 30% for validation). The analysis was performed five times each on (a) unmodified data and on data that were (b) resampled to the same matrix size, and (c) corrected for acquisition protocol differences using ComBat harmonization. Using unmodified data, the MLP-ANN classification yielded an overall median area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.78 (0.72–0.84). Using original data from center A and resampled data from center B, an overall median AUC of 0.88 (0.82–0.99) was yielded, while using ComBat harmonized data, an overall median AUC of 0.89 (0.79–0.92) was revealed. Radiomic features extracted from HRCT differentiate between cholesteatoma and MEI. When using multi-centric data obtained with differences in CT acquisition parameters, data resampling and ComBat post-reconstruction harmonization clearly improve radiomics-based lesion classification. • Unenhanced high-resolution CT coupled with radiomics analysis may be useful for the differentiation between cholesteatoma and middle ear inflammation. • Pooling of data extracted from inhomogeneous CT datasets does not appear meaningful without further post-processing. • When using multi-centric CT data obtained with differences in acquisition parameters, post-reconstruction harmonization and data resampling clearly improve radiomics-based soft-tissue differentiation.
In this observational case-control study, circulating levels of complement factors C3a and C5a and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) were analysed in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients regarding their association with diagnosis and prognosis. Serum C5a was significantly raised in AAA patients compared to healthy controls-median 84.5 ng/ml (IQR = 37.5 ng/ml) vs. 67.7 ng/ml (IQR = 26.2 ng/ml), p = 0.007-but was not elevated in patients with athero-occlusive disease. Serum C5a levels correlated significantly with the increase in maximum AAA diameter over the following 6 months (r = 0.319, p = 0.021). The median growth in the lowest quartile of C5a (< 70 ng/ml) was 50% less compared to the highest C5a quartile (> 101 ng/ml): 1.0 mm/6 months (IQR = 0.8 mm) vs. 2.0 mm/6 months (IQR = 1.5 mm), p = 0.014. A log-linear mixed model predicted AAA expansion based on current diameter and C5a level. To our knowledge, this is the first study linking complement activation, in particular C5a serum level, with AAA progression.
Zielsetzung Ziel war die Ermittlung der diagnostischen Güte von aus HRCT extrahierten Radiomics-Signaturen zur Unterscheidung zwischen Cholesteatomen und Mittelohrentzündungen (MOE), sowie die Untersuchung des Effektes der Harmonisierung von Daten aus zwei Zentren/Scannern.
Das klinisch akute Abdomen wird selten durch vaskuläre Pathologien verursacht. Letztere lassen sich einerseits in Blutungen oder Ischämien, andererseits in arterielle oder venöse Prozesse unterteilen, wobei bei akutem Abdomen venöse Blutungen naturgemäß eine untergeordnete Rolle spielen. Die häufigste Ursache für ein ischämisch bedingtes akutes Abdomen ist eine akute Mesenterialischämie durch Verschluss der A. mesenterica superior, gefolgt von Thrombosen der V. portae, der V. mesenterica superior sowie der Lebervenen und der suprahepatischen V. cava. Als Blutungsquelle bei einem blutungsbedingten akuten Abdomen kommen prinzipiell alle arteriellen Strukturen des Abdomens in Frage, besonders aber Aortenrupturen und Blutungen aus Ästen der A. mesenterica superior.