Association of carotid artery atheromatous plaque types with cerebral perfusion.

Background: In an attempt to define the association of internal carotid artery atheromatous plaque morphology with potential cerebral ischaemia, we have investigated the relationship of different carotid plaque types with defects in cerebral perfusion.

Methods: In 130 patients requiring surgical correction of internal carotid artery stenoses greater than 70%, defects in cerebral perfusion due to both haemodynamic insufficiency and intracerebral vessel occlusion were identified using single photon emission computed tomography scans (SPECT). Carotid artery plaques in these patients were classified as homogeneous or heterogeneous based on preoperative Doppler Duplex Scanning and on the macroscopic characteristics of the plaques recorded by the surgeon during carotid endarterectomy, with sub-classification into potentially embolus-generating and non- embolus-generating plaques.

A novel alternative to open conversion for type 1 endoleak resulting in ruptured aneurysm.

In this article, a novel technique for the treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm secondary to proximal type 1 endoleak as a result of progressive neck dilatation after endovascular aneurysm repair is reported. A 74-year-old man with multiple comorbidities including severe ischemic heart disease, congestive cardiac failure, and chronic renal failure presented with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. He had an infrarenal endovascular aneurysm repair performed in 1999 and had subsequently developed a proximal type 1 endoleak.