PURPOSE:To report the approach, technical success, safety, and short-term outcomes of thoracic duct stenting for treating chylothorax and chylous ascites in a patient with Yellow Nail Syndrome. CASE REPORT:A 57-year-old male with Yellow Nail Syndrome, characterized by yellow thickened nails, lymphedema, and respiratory abnormalities, required repeated thoracocenteses for chylothorax. A thoracic duct intervention involving percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and balloon-expandable stent implantation via retrograde access was performed. Procedure characteristics, clinical success, complications, and follow-up were recorded. CONCLUSIONS:Thoracic duct stenting was a safe and technically successful procedure. After the procedure, the patient was relieved of symptoms. This technique could be considered for patients with recurrent chylothorax and chylous ascites, including those with Yellow Nail Syndrome. Further research is required to validate these findings.
PURPOSE:A chronically-occluded stent during a pelvic vein recanalization attempt was crossed extraluminally to create a new channel to bypass the affected segment after conventional methods failed. CASE REPORT:A 55-year-old male patient presented with recurrent acute deep vein thrombosis superimposed on a chronically-occluded older stent type 25 years after primary endovascular treatment. During the procedure, we used an unusual technique with extraluminal parallel stent insertion. Another recurrence 2.5 years later was treated with pharmacomechanical thrombectomy and stenting. CONCLUSION:Recanalization of venous stent occlusions often requires advanced techniques. The presented technique could be considered as an alternative approach in difficult cases. However, the level of reproducibility is currently unknown due to the lack of further data.Clinical ImpactVenous obstruction can manifest with chronic symptoms that affect daily activities and might cause severe disability. Advanced endovascular recanalization techniques have potential to improve quality of life in cases where other methods failed.
OBJECTIVES:Postpartum haemorrhage is the most common cause of mortality among women after childbirth. Therefore, this work aims to highlight the possibility of endovascular treatment of postpartum haemorrhage due to remnants in patients with placenta accreta spectrum disorders (PAS disorders) using selective UAE after failure of the standard management. This procedure is a relatively safe and technically nondemanding, with a low risk of recurrent vaginal bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This article presents an evaluation of the results of eight patients (age between 19-39 years) who underwent selective transarterial embolisation of uterine arteries from January 2022 to August 2023 at the angio-interventional department of our university hospital center. Based on a multidisciplinary consensus of sonographically detected residues of placenta accreta with typical hypervascularisation, unilateral/bilateral embolisation of the uterine artery was performed with a microcatheter using polyvinyl alcohol embolisation particles, possibly in combination with gelatine foam. RESULTS:There were no periprocedural complications during embolisation, nor were there episodes of repeated bleeding or other postprocedural complications during the follow-up. Two patients underwent surgical revision of the uterine cavity with extirpation of devascularised residual tissue. CONCLUSIONS:Thus far, this procedure has proven to be a safe and relatively technically nondemanding method supplementing the management of symptomatic patients with PAS disorders with a low risk of rebleeding.
Background: In patients with vertebral artery origin (VAO) stenosis and concomitant stenoses of other cerebral feeding arteries, data on the risk of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) alone and with stent placement (PTAS) for VAO stenosis are limited. We aimed to determine how the presence of polystenotic lesions in other cerebral feeding arteries and concomitant carotid artery stenting (CAS) affect the periprocedural risk and long-term effect of PTA/S for atherosclerotic VAO stenosis. Methods: In a retrospective descriptive study, consecutive patients treated with PTA/S for ≥70% VAO stenosis were divided into groups with isolated VAO stenosis and multiple stenoses. We investigated the rate of periprocedural complications in the first 72 h and the risk of restenosis and ischemic stroke (IS)/transient ischemic attack (TIA) during the follow-up period. Results: In a set of 66 patients aged 66.1 ± 9.1 years, polystenotic lesions were present in 56 (84.8%) patients. 21 (31.8%) patients underwent endovascular treatment for stenosis of one or more other arteries in addition to VAO stenosis (15 underwent CAS). During the periprocedural period, no patient suffered from an IS or died, and, in the polystenotic group with concomitant CAS, there was one case of TIA (1.6%). During a mean follow-up period of 36 months, we identified 8 cases (16.3%) of ≥50% asymptomatic VA restenosis, and, in the polystenotic group, 4 (8.9%) cases of IS. Conclusion: The presence of severe polystenotic lesions or concomitant CAS had no adverse effect on the overall low periprocedural risk of PTA/S of VAO stenosis or the risk of restenosis during the follow-up period.
Postoperative chylothorax is a well-known rare complication of thoracic surgery. It is a serious complication that is fatal in cases of inadequate treatment. The authors present 2 cases of postoperative chylothorax that were successfully treated by performing pedal and/or intranodal lymphography. In one case, the patient underwent lymphography after previous unsuccessful surgical ligation of the thoracic duct. The presented case reports describe therapeutic importance of conventional lymphography as a minimally invasive treatment of the postoperative chylothorax.
Objectives Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is regularly used in treatment of clinically significant portal hypertension. Liver transplant recipients are, however, rarely indicated for the procedure. The study retrospectively examines the results of TIPS placement in 6 patients after OLT. Methods 4 males and 2 females (aged 36 to 62 years), treated with TIPS between 2007 a 2018, were included in the study. 5 patients had previously undergone liver transplantation for liver graft cirrhosis, 1 patient for Budd-Chiari syndrome. The piggyback caval reconstruction technique was selected in 4/6 cases. PH developed after OLT due to the recurrence of underlying liver condition and sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in half of the cases, respectively. Indications for TIPS were refractory ascites in 4 cases and variceal bleeding in 2 cases. Results Standard TIPS technique was used and technical success was achieved in all cases with a procedure-related complication in 1 patient. One patient died shortly after TIPS placement. The remaining patients all reported regression of clinically significant PH. Late complications appeared in 2 patients. Liver retransplantation after TIPS creation was performed in 1 case. Median TIPS patency was 55 months. 2/6 patient continue to thrive with a patent shunt. Conclusions Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in OLT recipients is technically feasible. Favorable clinical outcomes were reported particularly in patients treated for sinusoidal obstruction syndrome who were indicated to TIPS for refractory ascites.
BackgroundAccurate assessment of carotid stenosis severity is important for proper patient management. The present study aimed to compare the evaluation of carotid stenosis severity using four duplex sonography (DUS) measurements, including peak systolic velocity (PSV), PSV ratio in stenosis and distal to stenosis (PSVICA/ICA ratio), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and B-mode, with computed tomography angiography (CTA), and to evaluate the impact of plaque morphology on correlation between DUS and CTA.MethodsConsecutive patients with carotid stenosis of ≥40% examined using DUS and CTA were included. Plaque morphology was also determined using magnetic resonance imaging. Spearman’s correlation and Kendall’s rank correlation were used to evaluate the results.ResultsA total of 143 cases of internal carotid artery stenosis of ≥40% based on DUS were analyzed. The PSVICA/ICA ratio showed the highest correlation [Spearman’s correlation r = 0.576) with CTA, followed by PSV (r = 0.526), B-mode measurement (r = 0.482), and EDV (r = 0.441; p < 0.001 in all cases]. The worst correlation was found for PSV when the plaque was calcified (r = 0.238), whereas EDV showed a higher correlation (r = 0.523). Correlations of B-mode measurement were superior for plaques with smooth surface (r = 0.677), while the PSVICA/ICA ratio showed the highest correlation in stenoses with irregular (r = 0.373) or ulcerated (r = 0.382) surfaces, as well as lipid (r = 0.406), fibrous (r = 0.461), and mixed (r = 0.403; p < 0.01 in all cases) plaques. Nevertheless, differences between the mentioned correlations were not statistically significant (p > 0.05 in all cases).ConclusionPSV, PSVICA/ICA ratio, EDV, and B-mode measurements showed comparable correlations with CTA in evaluation of carotid artery stenosis based on their correlation with CTA results. Heavy calcifications and plaque surface irregularity or ulceration negatively influenced the measurement accuracy.
The authors present a case of a patient with non-traumatic right-sided chylothorax which was successfully treated by thoracic duct embolization. The procedure was performed through the cisterna chyli which was visualised by intranodal lymphography. The coils and acrylic tissue glues were used for embolization. The patient has been followed for 5 months and is free of recurrence of chylothorax.
Most cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection are asymptomatic or have only mild respiratory symptoms. Patients with risk factors, including but not limited to advanced age, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and immunosuppression, may develop a severe course of disease due to the development of a cytokine storm. COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of bleeding and thromboembolic complications, with the gastrointestinal tract and CNS being among the most frequent sites of bleeding. One of the causes of vessel wall rupture and subsequent bleeding in COVID-19 may be dysfunction of the damaged endothelium. Viral infections are one of the most potent triggers of autoimmune diseases. One of the possible causes of haemorrhagic stroke is virus-induced acute vasculitis.
INTRODUCTION Inferior vena cava (IVC) transposition is a well-known anatomic variant1 with a reported prevalence of 0.2% to 0.5%.2 Due to the complexity of IVC embryogenesis, many anatomical forms and variations are encountered. Anomalies of the IVC can be misdiagnosed and overlooked but are usually visualised by cross-sectional non-invasive imaging methods including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging.2,3 In most patients these variations are asymptomatic, but they can be a potential cause of complications during surgical or interventional radiological procedures.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is one of the most common diseases in developed countries with significant socioeconomic consequences. The severity of DVT lies in the potential for life-threatening pulmonary embolism and the development of chronic venous insufficiency, referred to as post-thrombotic syndrome. Virchow contributed to the understanding of the pathophysiological events that lead to thrombosis by describing three basic risk mechanisms. The first therapeutic attempts in the 17th century included venepuncture and the application of leeches. The first anticoagulant drug was heparin, which entered clinical practice after 1935. Subsequent commercialization of oral vitamin K antagonists (warfarin) and the advent of low molecular weight heparin along with compression therapy allowed the expansion of outpatient treatment of DVT. Recently, new oral anticoagulants have been introduced, leading to improved safety due to lower risk of bleeding complications and simplification of the treatment process. The next step in the development of therapeutic options are invasive methods of early thrombus removal, which significantly shorten the process and aim to reduce the occurrence of late complications. These methods include local catheter-directed thrombolysis using tissue plasminogen activator, mechanical thrombectomy and their combination called pharmaco-mechanical thrombectomy. The latter is currently used in patients with acute ilio-femoral DVT.
Anterior circulation stroke (ACS) is associated with typical symptoms, while posterior circulation stroke (PCS) may cause a wide spectrum of less specific symptoms. We aim to assess the correlation between the initial presentation of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) symptoms and the treatment timeline. Using a retrospective, observational, single-center study, the set consists of 809 AIS patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular treatment (EVT). We investigate the impact of baseline clinical AIS symptoms and the affected vascular territory on recanalization times in patients treated with IVT only and EVT (±IVT). Regarding the IVT-only group, increasing the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission and speech difficulties are associated with shorter (by 1.59 ± 0.76 min per every one-point increase; p = 0.036, and by 24.56 ± 8.42 min; p = 0.004, respectively) and nausea/vomiting with longer (by 43.72 ± 13.13 min; p = 0.001) onset-to-needle times, and vertigo with longer (by 8.58 ± 3.84 min; p = 0.026) door-to-needle times (DNT). Regarding the EVT (±IVT) group, coma is associated with longer (by 22.68 ± 6.05 min; p = 0.0002) DNT, anterior circulation stroke with shorter (by 47.32 ± 16.89 min; p = 0.005) onset-to-groin time, and drooping of the mouth corner with shorter (by 20.79 ± 6.02 min; p = 0.0006) door-to-groin time. Our results demonstrate that treatment is initiated later in strokes with less specific symptoms than in strokes with typical symptoms.
Aim: The aim was to assess the dependency of the 90-day clinical outcome on the initial symptoms of ischemic stroke (IS) in patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/ or endovascular therapy (EVT). Materials and methods: In a retrospective, observational, one-center study, we assessed the effect of initial IS symptoms, achieved times and degree of recanalization on a 90-day clinical outcome in a set of 809 IS patients treated with IVT and/ or EVT. Results: In the IVT group, age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91-0.96), baseline neurological deficit (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86-0.96), and the presence of limb paresis (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.25-0.97) were identified as significant negative predictors of a good 90-day clinical outcome. In the EVT (+/- IVT) group, age (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.91-0.95) and initial neurological deficit (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.80-0.89) were identified as significant negative predictors and successful recanalization (OR = 4.31, 95% CI: 2.44-7.81) as a significant positive predictor of a good 90-day clinical outcome (P < 0.05 in all cases). Conclusions: Our results showed that the presence of limb paresis was associated with a worse clinical outcome in patients treated with IVT alone, while the presence of other IS symptoms did not affect a 90-day clinical outcome in patients treated with recanalization therapy.