Venous ulceration and continuous flow in the long saphenous vein.
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OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical significance of continuous flow in the long saphenous vein in limbs with venous ulceration. DESIGN: Retrospective review. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Review of 1608 consecutive limbs undergoing colour duplex scanning for venous disease over a 43 month period. RESULTS: Continuous flow in the long saphenous vein is seen in 8% of limbs with venous ulceration and in 37% of limbs with deep venous obstruction. Sixty-six per cent of ulcerated limbs with continuous flow in the long saphenous vein had deep venous obstruction, 27% had deep venous reflux with cellulitis and 7% had lymphoedema in addition to venous ulceration. CONCLUSION: Continuous flow in the long saphenous vein in patients with venous ulceration should alert the clinician to the possibility of deep venous obstruction. Such limbs should be treated by compression bandaging with extreme caution. (+info)
Popliteal artery occlusion as a late complication of liquid acrylate embolization for cerebral vascular malformation.
(2/1865)
Occlusion of arteriovenous malformations of the brain (BAVMs) by means of an endovascular approach with liquid acrylate glue is an established treatment modality. The specific hazards of this procedure are related to the central nervous system. In the case of unexpectedly rapid polymerization of the cyanoacrylate glue and adhesion of the delivering microcatheter to the BAVM, severing the catheter at the site of vascular access is considered an acceptable and safe management. We present a unique complication related to this technique that has not been described yet. Fragmentation and migration of the microcatheter, originally left in place, had caused popliteal artery occlusion, which required saphenous vein interposition, in a 25-year-old man. Suggestions for avoiding this complication are discussed. (+info)
Factors influencing the development of vein-graft stenosis and their significance for clinical management.
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OBJECTIVES: To assess the influence of clinical and graft factors on the development of stenotic lesions. In addition the implications of any significant correlation for duplex surveillance schedules or surgical bypass techniques was examined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective three centre study, preoperative and peroperative data on 300 infrainguinal autologous vein grafts was analysed. All grafts were monitored by a strict duplex surveillance program and all received an angiogram in the first postoperative year. A revision was only performed if there was evidence of a stenosis of 70% diameter reduction or greater on the angiogram. RESULTS: The minimum graft diameter was the only factor correlated significantly with the development of a significant graft stenosis (PSV-ratio > or = 2.5) during follow-up (p = 0.002). Factors that correlated with the development of event-causing graft stenosis, associated with revision or occlusion, were minimal graft diameter (p = 0.001), the use of a venovenous anastomosis (p = 0.005) and length of the graft (p = 0.025). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the minimal graft diameter was the only independent factor that significantly correlated with an event-causing graft stenosis (p = 0.009). The stenosis-free rates for grafts with a minimal diameter < 3.5 mm, between 3.5-4.5 and > or = 4.5 mm were 40%, 58% and 75%, respectively (p = < 0.05). Composite vein and arm-vein grafts with minimal diameters > or = 3.5 mm were compared with grafts which consisted of a single uninterrupted greater saphenous vein with a minimal diameter of < 3.5 mm. One-year secondary patency rates in these categories were of 94% and 76%, respectively (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: A minimal graft diameter < 3.5 mm was the only factor that significantly correlated with the development of a graft-stenosis. However, veins with larger diameters may still develop stenotic lesions. Composite vein and arm-vein grafts should be used rather than uninterrupted small caliber saphenous veins. (+info)
Diagnosis of twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence in the first trimester by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound.
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A case of twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence was diagnosed at 12 weeks' gestation using transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound, which demonstrated the presence of retrograde perfusion in the umbilical artery of the abnormal twin. Ultrasound imaging showed a monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancy with an inappropriately grown second twin, the morphological evaluation of which revealed an abnormal cephalic pole with acrania, diffuse subcutaneous edema and the presence of cardiac activity in an abnormal heart with a single chamber. (+info)
Focal aneurysmal dilatation of subchorionic vessels simulating chorioangioma.
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Subchorionic vascular aneurysms of the placenta are rare lesions and may present confusion with chorioangioma or focal mesenchymal dysplasia on sonography. To our knowledge, the findings of placental aneurysms have not been reported in the ultrasound literature. We present a case with detailed sonographic evaluation, including spectral and color Doppler and pathological analysis, that was mistaken for chorioangioma prenatally. Knowledge of this benign entity may allow the sonologist to recommend conservative management in similar cases. (+info)
Volume flow measurement in hemodialysis shunts using time-domain correlation.
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Volume flow was measured in 58 hemodialysis shunts (32 grafts and 26 radial fistulas) using the color velocity imaging-quantification method. This method is based on time-domain correlation for velocity calculation and integration of time-varying velocity profiles generated by M-mode sampling. Measurements were made in the brachial artery to estimate radial fistula flow or directly in the grafts. Intraoperator reproducibility was 14.9% for fistulas and 11.6% for grafts. Flow rate was significantly lower in abnormal shunts associated with a functional disorder or a morphologic complication (808 ml/min +/- 484) than in shunts associated with no abnormalities (1401 ml/min +/- 562). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a flow rate of 900 ml/min for fistulas and 1300 ml/min for grafts provided 81% and 79% sensitivity and 79% and 67% specificity, respectively. A functional disorder or a morphologic complication was associated with all fistulas and grafts in which flow rates were lower than 500 ml/min and 800 ml/min, respectively. (+info)
Signal-enhanced color Doppler sonography of deep venous thrombosis in the lower limbs and pelvis.
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Detection of Doppler signal tends to be more difficult in peripheral veins owing to low flow velocity. This can be caused by nonoccluding thrombosis, post-thrombotic wall changes, or a deep anatomic location of pelvic veins. The last-mentioned frequently is accompanied by interference by bowel gas. In addition, inappropriate insonation angles adversely affect the outcome of color-coded Doppler interrogation. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of signal-enhanced color Doppler sonography on peripheral veins in 31 patients clinically suspected of having deep vein thrombosis. As a result of diagnostic uncertainty, additional enhanced studies were performed on 43 venous segments. The enhancement led to a decrease in false-positive results (from four patients to one patient) and false-negative results (from four patients to two patients) compared to unenhanced studies. Evaluation of the deeply located pelvic veins profited the most through signal enhanced Doppler sonography. (+info)
Lumen reduction measurements of the internal carotid artery before and after Levovist enhancement: reproducibility and agreement with angiography.
(8/1865)
Our aim was to assess reproducibility of three different lumen reduction measuring methods--North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial, European Carotid Surgery Trial, and common carotid--using power Doppler and color Doppler sonography before and after Levovist enhancement. We included 20 symptomatic patients with mild or severe carotid disease. North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial, European Carotid Surgery Trial, and common carotid measurements on longitudinal views and European Carotid Surgery Trial measurements on transverse views were performed. Examinations were repeated and the results compared to assess reproducibility of measurements. Correlation with angiography was obtained by calculating Pearson correlation coefficients. Reproducibility was significantly better (P < 0.05) for European Carotid Surgery Trial and common carotid measurements (95% limits of agreement between -10% to 10% and -19% to 17%) as compared to North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial measurements (95% limits of agreement between -11% to 21% and -21% to 23%). Variability of measurements after enhancement increased slightly (not significant) for both power and color Doppler sonography. Additionally, European Carotid Surgery Trial measurements, using nonenhanced power Doppler or color Doppler sonography, did not correlate significantly with angiography, whereas North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial and common carotid measurements correlated well with angiography, particularly in power Doppler mode after enhancement (r = 0.88 and r = 0.82, respectively). We conclude that for lumen reduction measurements of the internal carotid artery with power and color Doppler sonography, the common carotid method is the only method that is reproducible and has good correlation with angiography, which slightly improves after Levovist enhancement. (+info)