Promoter methylation changes in ALOX12 and AIRE1: novel epigenetic markers for atherosclerosis.

Background: Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic stroke and coronary heart disease. Gene-specific promoter methylation changes have been suggested as one of the causes underlying the development of atherosclerosis. We aimed to identify and validate specific genes that are differentially expressed through promoter methylation in atherosclerotic plaques.

Clinical outcomes of carotid endarterectomy in patients with carotid artery tandem lesions.

Background And Purpose: When carotid artery tandem lesions are present, the benefits of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) to reduce recurrent stroke remain uncertain. The present retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the clinical outcomes of CEA for carotid artery tandem stenosis that was diagnosed by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography.

Methods: Six hundred forty-seven consecutive patients underwent CEA between January 2001 and December 2010.

Preoperative magnetic resonance angiography as a predictive test for cerebral ischemia during carotid endarterectomy.

Background: To evaluate whether the preoperative magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can predict the risk of cerebral ischemia associated with the carotid endarterectomy (CEA).

Methods: Between January 2004 and December 2010, 382 consecutive patients (mean age: 56.6 years; range: 45-78 years) were identified to have undergone preoperative MRA and the CEA under regional anesthesia.

Ten-year comparative analysis of bovine pericardium and autogenous vein for patch angioplasty in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy.

Background: To evaluate early and late clinical outcomes of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with bovine pericardium patch in comparison with autogenous vein.

Methods: During a 10-year period, 456 CEAs were performed using patch closure of the arteriotomy with bovine pericardium (252 cases) and autogenous vein (204 cases). Retrospectively, surgical outcomes were evaluated and compared regarding CEA-related parameters, early and late mortality and morbidity rates, and the incidence of restenosis and aneurysmal dilatation between patients with bovine pericardium patch closure and those with autogenous vein closure.

Carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic complete occlusion of the internal carotid artery.

We described 9 consecutive patients who underwent operative carotid artery exploration with attempted carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for symptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. Indications for this surgery based on vascular imaging included segmental occlusion of the proximal ICA and also extensive occlusion of the distal ICA in selected patients in whom color-flow duplex ultrasound showed a poorly echogenic or anechoic thrombus with a flow void, suggestive of an acute thrombus. CEA was performed successfully to restore blood flow in all 9 patients:CEA in 5 and CEA with Fogarty thrombectomy in 4.

Protease imaging of human atheromata captures molecular information of atherosclerosis, complementing anatomic imaging.

Objective: There is hope that molecular imaging can identify vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. However, there is a paucity of clinical translational data to guide the future development of this field. Here, we cross-correlate cathepsin-B or matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 molecular optical imaging data of human atheromata or emboli with conventional imaging data, clinical data, and histopathologic data.

Sarcoma of the abdominal aorta involving marginal arteries of the small intestine: a case report.

Primary sarcoma of the aorta is extremely rare. In the past, the disease was commonly diagnosed on autopsy. However, now it is possible to make a diagnosis preoperatively using various imaging studies such as computed tomographic scanning and magnetic resonance imaging.

Relationship between circle of Willis morphology on 3D time-of-flight MR angiograms and transient ischemia during vascular clamping of the internal carotid artery during carotid endarterectomy.

Background And Purpose: A potential source of complication at carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is cerebral ischemia caused by hypoperfusion during clamping of the carotid artery. Configuration of primary collateral pathways may be a major risk factor for development of transient cerebral ischemia during clamping. We investigated whether circle of Willis morphology on 3D time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiograms can reliably predict transient ischemia during vascular clamping of the internal carotid artery (ICA) in patients undergoing CEA.

Experience of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in a patient having crossed ectopia with fusion anomaly of the kidney.

We report a case of surgically treated abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a patient having crossed ectopia with fusion anomaly of the kidney. One artery from the abdominal aorta above the aneurysm supplies the right kidney while three renal arteries (two from the aneurysm itself and one from the left common iliac artery) supply the crossed ectopic kidney. Preoperative imaging to define the arterial and collecting systems along with a detailed planning of the operation is essential to prevent ischemic renal injury as well as ureteral injury during AAA repair.

Spontaneous rupture of the left external iliac vein.

Recently, we have experienced a case of spontaneous rupture of the left iliac vein in a 62-year-old woman, who had been suffering from hemiparesis and chronic constipation. An urgent laparotomy was performed for massive hemoperitoneum without knowing the bleeding point, and laceration on the left external iliac vein was repaired. Spontaneous rupture of the iliac vein is extremely rare.

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms due to Salmonella, not of typhi species.

Ruptured aortic aneurysms due to Salmonella not of typhi species are rare and associated with high morbidity and mortality. We present three patients with Salmonella-infected ruptured aortic aneurysms successfully treated with an in situ prosthetic bypass graft. One patient had a saccular aneurysm at the infrarenal aorta and two patients had fusiform aneurysms at the aortic bifurcation.

Large vessel injury following operation for a herniated lumbar disc.

Major vascular injury can occur during an operation for a herniated lumbar disc due to the intimate anatomical relation between the lumbar vertebrae and major vessels. Although occurrence is infrequent, it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis is suspected when early signs of retroperitoneal hemorrhage appear, but may often be delayed for weeks or years.

Ruptured renal artery stump aneurysm in a renal autotransplanted Behçet's disease patient.

A recurrent aneurysm at the anastomosis site or the remaining artery frequently occurs after the operative treatment of an aneurysm in Behçet's disease despite anti-inflammatory medication. Herein, a ruptured left renal artery stump aneurysm in a patient with Behçet's disease, who received a left nephrectomy, aorto-biiliac bypass and heterotopic autotransplantation of the right kidney for the treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and renal hypertension one year prior to this admission, is reported. An aneurysm and rupture occurred despite the administration of anti-inflammatory medications while monitoring of the clinical findings, such as skin manifestations, erythrocyte segmentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Pararenal leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava.

A complete surgical resection is the only proven therapeutic modality that prolongs the survival in patients with leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC). Reconstruction of the IVC is not always necessary but is often required to facilitate venous drainage of the kidney for the tumors at the pararenal area of the IVC. Controversy exists in postoperative adjuvant therapy.

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the carotid artery: radiologic findings.

The radiologic appearance of inflammatory pseudotumor in the two cases presented was a fusiform mass surrounding the carotid bifurcation. The masses showed an avascular mass with focal narrowing of the carotid bifurcation on carotid arteriography, a homogeneous hypoechoic mass on ultrasound, less enhancement on contrast-enhanced computed tomography, and relatively intense enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging.

Metabolic changes after revascularization in a patient with innominate artery occlusion by localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) has been used to measure the metabolic status of the human brain in a non-invasive manner; thus, it is often called "a non-invasive biochemical assay". MRS is more sensitive than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting ischemic damage by measuring the metabolic changes that occur prior to the anatomic changes. We report a patient who presented with innominate artery occlusion and symptoms of posterior circulation insufficiency and showed favorable metabolic changes by (1)H-MRS after revascularization.

Mesenteric Buerger's disease.

A young male patient with a history of heavy smoking and low-extremity Buerger's disease was operated on because of small bowel infarction. The postoperative histopathological diagnosis was mesenteric involvement of Buerger's disease. Mesenteric Buerger's disease is extremely rare, the early diagnosis is difficult, and the prognosis is poor.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma originating from the femoral vein.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare variant of chondrosarcomas characterized by a bimorphic pattern with areas of the undifferentiated malignant small cells and well differentiated cartilaginous islands.(1) It occurs most commonly in the bone but can also occur in the extraskeletal soft tissues, the brain, and the meninges. This type of tumor has also been described in the eyelids, parapharyngeal space, mediastinum, and the kidney.

Can carotid endarterectomy improve metabolic status in patients with asymptomatic internal carotid artery flow lesion? Studies with localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Purpose: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has proven to be effective in the prevention of stroke in patients with significant internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. However, whether increased cerebral blood flow after CEA improves the cerebral metabolism in patients with asymptomatic ICA flow lesions is unknown. Localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) has been used to measure the metabolic status of the human brain in a totally noninvasive manner.

Sonographic appearance of a free-floating atheromatous plaque in a patient with acute stroke.

We report the case of a neurologically unstable acute stroke patient in whom carotid sonography identified the need for emergency carotid surgery because of an increased risk of distal embolization from a free-floating atheromatous plaque. Longitudinal and transverse sonograms revealed a 6-mm free-floating thrombus loosely attached to the wall of the left common carotid artery. During emergency surgery, a free-floating atheromatous plaque was seen at this location, along with extensive atheromatous lesions.

The anatomy of the circle of Willis as a predictive factor for intra-operative cerebral ischemia (shunt need) during carotid endarterectomy.

The collateral flow to the cerebral hemisphere after carotid cross clamping during carotid endarterectomy is mainly through the circle of Willis, and the circle is incomplete in the majority of cases. A correlation between the status of the circle of Willis and the necessity of shunting was evaluated in 67 carotid endarterectomies with pre-operative four-vessel cerebral angiogram. All carotid endarterectomies were performed with selective shunting, based on the change of consciousness and motor function after carotid test clamping under regional anesthesia.

Dilation of synthetic grafts and junctional aneurysms.

Dilation of prosthetic graft has been noted by authors in association with junctional aneurysm between the synthetic graft and host arteries. Dilation of graft materials was suspected as one of the etiologic factors of the junctional aneurysm. Increase in transverse diameter was observed as early as a few minutes to five years postimplantation in clinical cases.