Micro-robotic percutaneous targeting of type II endoleaks in the angio-suite.

Purpose: Endovascular aneurysm repair has emerged as the standard therapy for abdominal aortic aneurysms. In 9-30% of cases, retrograde filling of the aneurysm sac through patent branch arteries may result in persistence of blood flow outside the graft and within the aneurysm sac. This condition is called an endoleak type II, which may be treated by catheter-based embolization in case of continued sac enlargement.

Risk factors for major amputation after arterial vascular trauma of the lower extremity.

Background & Objective: Arterial vascular trauma bears a great risk of poor functional outcome or limb loss. The aim of this study was to analyze amputation rates of patients after vascular trauma and to perform a predictor analysis for the risk of major amputation.

Methods: In a single-center retrospective analysis of 119 extremities treated for arterial vascular injury between 1990 and 2018 amputation rates and factors associated with limb loss were assessed.

Predictors for the need for fasciotomy after arterial vascular trauma of the lower extremity.

Introduction: Compartment syndrome of the lower extremity following arterial vascular trauma can cause irreversible damage to muscle as well as nerve tissue leading to long-term functional impairment of the extremity or worse limb loss. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of compartment syndrome is mandatory to preserve muscle tissue and prevent limb loss. The aim of the study was to analyze the fasciotomy rate of our patient cohort and to perform a predictors analysis for the need of fasciotomy.

Lost but Not Lost-Embolization of a Leadless Pacemaker to the Pulmonary Artery with Consecutive Endovascular Recovery.

Background: Leadless transcatheter pacemaker systems (TPS) have become a valuable alternative to transvenous pacemakers in selected indications. With the steadily increasing amount of TPS implantations performed worldwide, reports of periprocedural complications are likewise increasingly found in the literature but are still underreported.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 75 year old male undergoing TPS implantation due to cardioinhibitory vasovagal syncope.

Ultrasound-Guided Fibrin Glue Injection for Treatment of Iatrogenic Femoral Pseudoaneurysms.

Introduction: Arterial pseudoaneurysms (PSAs) are the most common access site complication following transarterial catheter intervention. Ultrasound-guided injection of thrombogenic substances into perfused arterial PSAs followed by compression therapy is a well-established and less invasive treatment option than surgical repair. Different agents are available to induce thrombosis including thrombin and a fibrin-based tissue glue, which is used as first-line treatment at our institution.

Regeneration of Mitochondrial Function in Gastrocnemius Muscle in Peripheral Arterial Disease After Successful Revascularisation.

Objective: Myopathy, characterised by altered mitochondrial function, is a central part of the pathophysiology of peripheral arterial disease and the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of revascularisation on mitochondrial function.

Methods: High resolution respirometry was used to investigate mitochondrial respiration and the results were normalised to citrate synthase activity (CSA), a marker of mitochondrial content. Ten patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (study group) and 10 subjects without ischaemia (control group) were included.

Is it safe to drive after oral surgery?

Objectives: Driving ability largely depends on the total brake response time (TBRT) corresponding to the time a subject needs to react to a stimulus and apply a well-defined force on the brake pedal. As yet, the English literature completely lacks clinical studies evaluating the TBRT following oral surgery.

Materials And Methods: In this case-control study, a driving simulator was used to evaluate the TBRT in patients scheduled for oral surgery in local anesthesia.

Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in the localization of head and neck paraganglioma compared with F-DOPA PET/CT and I-MIBG SPECT/CT.

Purpose: F-Fluoro-L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (F-DOPA) PET offers high sensitivity and specificity in the imaging of non-malignant head and neck paraganglioma (HNPGL) but lower sensitivity in metastatic disease of these neuroendocrine tumours (NET). In contrast to the radiotracer F-DOPA, both I-meta-iodo-benzylguanidine (I-MIBG) and Ga-DOTA-Tyr3-octreotide (Ga-DOTA-TOC) offer valuable clinical information on norepinephrine and somatostatin (SST) receptor status for planning I-MIBG and radionuclide peptide therapy (PRRT), respectively. Therefore, we compared Ga-DOTA-TOC and F-DOPA PET/CT with I-MIBG planar and SPECT/CT imaging, for the detection of HNPGL.

Differential clinical presentation of Adamantiades-Behçet's disease in non-endemic and endemic areas: retrospective data from a Middle-European cohort study.

Objectives: To assess demographical and clinical data in a Middle-European cohort of patients with Adamantiades-Behçet's disease (ABD), together with the use of medication in adherence to international guidelines.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, in- and outpatients of an Austrian secondary and tertiary university hospital center were analyzed independent from the medical discipline involved. After ethics approval, screening for ABD-patients in the clinical information system resulted in 1821 documents from 1997 to 2016.

Compared to I-MIBG SPECT/CT, F-DOPA PET/CT provides accurate tumor extent in patients with extra-adrenal paraganglioma.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of I-MIBG SPECT/CT with that of F-DOPA PET/CT for staging extra-adrenal paragangliomas (PGLs) using both functional and anatomical images (i.e., combined cross-sectional imaging) as the reference standards.

Subclavian artery rupture in a young man during excessive weight lifting.

We report a 19-year-old man with rupture of the right subclavian artery after an excessive exercise of weight lifting. Imaging showed a hematothorax and hematomediastinum, a pseudoaneurysm with a maximum diameter of 4 cm, and a dissection of the right vertebral artery. As an emergency procedure an interposition graft was performed for reconstruction of the right subclavian artery.

Prognostic relevance of ischemia-modified albumin and NT-proBNP in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

Background: Cardiovascular morbidity is high among patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), and high-sensitive cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) to predict cardiovascular complications in male patients with Fontaine stage II PAOD.

Methods: 68 men with stage II PAOD underwent treadmill testing.

(68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT provides accurate tumour extent in patients with extraadrenal paraganglioma compared to (123)I-MIBG SPECT/CT.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of (123)I-MIBG SPECT/CT with that of (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT for staging extraadrenal paragangliomas (PGL) using both functional and anatomical images (i.e. combined cross-sectional imaging) as the reference standards.

Risk factors for mortality and failure of conservative treatment after aortic type B dissection.

Background: Despite medical treatment, one third of patients with uncomplicated type B aortic dissections experience severe late complications. The aim of this study was to identify patients at high risk of mortality during follow-up.

Methods: A total of 183 patients with acute Stanford type B dissection were treated in one of the university hospitals (Aachen [Germany], Maastricht [The Netherlands], and Innsbruck [Austria]) between 1997 and 2010.

A retrospective comparison between 68Ga-DOTA-TOC PET/CT and 18F-DOPA PET/CT in patients with extra-adrenal paraganglioma.

Purpose: (18)F-Fluoro-L-dihydroxyphenylalanine ((18)F-DOPA) PET offers high sensitivity and specificity in the imaging of nonmetastatic extra-adrenal paragangliomas (PGL) but lower sensitivity in metastatic or multifocal disease. These tumours are of neuroendocrine origin and can be detected by (68)Ga-DOTA-Tyr(3)-octreotide ((68)Ga-DOTA-TOC) PET. Therefore, we compared (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC and (18)F-DOPA as radiolabels for PET/CT imaging for the diagnosis and staging of extra-adrenal PGL.

Elevated baseline hs-cTnT levels predict exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Introduction: Due to the systemic nature of atherosclerosis, the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is high in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). A biochemical assay for assessing cardiac risk might improve clinical evaluation of PAD patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a new high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay can predict exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in PAD patients without clinical signs of CAD.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms: an overview of screening and management in primary care.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms represent both an individual risk of mortality and a socioeconomic burden for health care systems worldwide, but screening is not performed in all countries. Here, the authors summarize the pros and cons of screening to reduce abdominal aortic aneurysm-related mortality.