[Criteria for instability of atherosclerotic plaques in carotid arteries].

The purpose of the study was to determine the criteria for instability of atherosclerotic plaques in carotid arteries with the use of improved and new diagnostic techniques. The study enrolled a total of 92 patients examined with the help of instrumental methods of diagnosis, including ultrasound triplex scanning, magnetic resonance imaging and multislice computed tomography. All patients were subjected to the operation of carotid endarterectomy in various standard modifications.

[Calcification of atherosclerotic plaques and assessment of their stability].

Presented herein is a review of the literature concerning mechanisms of calcification of atherosclerotic plaques (ASP), showing molecular mechanisms of interaction of processes of calcification with the factors inducing instability of ASPs (anti-inflammatory cytokines, neoangiogenesis, increased level of matrix metalloproteinases, etc.), also describing the effect of the value of volume of scope of calcification on stability of ASPs, followed by discussing the problems related to the role of biominerals (hydroxyapatite calcium phosphate) and Mn2+ in calcification of ASPs and their impact upon stability of the plaque.

Paramagnetic Manganese in the Atherosclerotic Plaque of Carotid Arteries.

The search for adequate markers of atherosclerotic plaque (AP) instability in the context of assessment of the ischemic stroke risk in patients with atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries as well as for solid physical and chemical factors that are connected with the AP stability is extremely important. We investigate the inner lining of the carotid artery specimens from the male patients with atherosclerosis (27 patients, 42-64 years old) obtained during carotid endarterectomy by using different analytical tools including ultrasound angiography, X-ray analysis, immunological, histochemical analyses, and high-field (3.4 T) pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) at 94 GHz.

[Endoprosthetic repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, complicated by ischaemic necrosis of the sigmoid colon].

Presented herein is a clinical case report regarding treatment of a patient after endovascular prosthetic repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, complicated by ischaemic necrosis of the sigmoid colon. This is followed by analysing the causes of the development of the complication, as well as by a brief review of the literature concerning this problem.

[Stagewise treatment of a giant false paraanastomotic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta].

The article deals with a case report concerning successful stagewise treatment of a patient presenting with a giant false abdominal aortic paraanastomotic aneurysm having developed 2 months after an operation of linear prosthetic repair for a juxtarenal aneurysm with reimplantation of the left renal artery. The secondary operation was carried out 3 months after aortic reconstruction. The first stage consisted in performing endovascular prosthetic repair of the abdominal aortic paraanastomotic pseudoaneurysm by means of a bifurcated stent graft Endurant II (Medtronic), with the second stage being laparotomy with the removal of the retroperitoneal haematoma.