Cortical sources of resting state electroencephalographic rhythms differ in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Objective: Resting state electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms are abnormal in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, but it is unclear if they can reflect different neurophysiologic abnormalities in MS sub-types (phenotypes) such as relapsing-remitting (RR) and secondary progressive (SP).

Methods: We tested whether cortical sources of resting state EEG rhythms are abnormal in MS patients and differ between MS phenotypes. Resting state eyes-closed EEG activity was recorded in 36 RR, 23 SP, and 41 matched healthy subjects.

Feasibility and safety of endovascular treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Objective: Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a recently discovered syndrome mainly due to stenoses of internal jugular (IJV) and/or azygos (AZ) veins. The present study retrospectively evaluates the feasibility and safety of endovascular treatment for CCSVI in a cohort of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: From September 2010 to October 2012, 1202 consecutive patients were admitted to undergo phlebograpy ± endovascular treatment for CCSVI.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in a patient with chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and persistent left superior vena cava.

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a syndrome characterized by stenoses of the internal jugular veins (IJVs) and/or azygos veins and formation of collateral venous channels. A case of a 57-year-old patient with CCSVI in whom the venous outflow from the left IJV to the right atrium occurred through a venous anomaly, the persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC), is reported. PLSVC is caused by persistence of the left anterior cardinal vein that drains blood from the limb effluent from the left and the left side of head and neck into coronary sinus (Type a), or in the left atrium (Type b).

Evaluation of a dedicated balloon catheter for infrapopliteal difficult calcified lesions in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia.

The purpose of this study was to assess the technical performance and immediate procedural outcome of a new balloon catheter in the treatment of calcified lesions in infrapopliteal arterial disease. Sixty-one patients (81 vessels) with infrapopliteal arterial disease were evaluated. Seventy-four of the 81 treated vessels had total occlusions.

Efficacy and safety of antegrade common femoral artery access closure using the Angio-Seal device: experience with 1889 interventions for critical limb ischemia in diabetic patients.

Purpose: To report a retrospective evaluation of the 6-F Angio-Seal closure device in antegrade and retrograde common femoral artery (CFA) punctures during endovascular procedures in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Methods: From January 2005 to March 2009, 2374 diabetic CLI patients underwent interventional procedures in the lower limbs at a single center under systemic anticoagulation (heparin 70 U/kg). In this population, 2016 patients (1184 men; mean age 69.

Long-term prognosis of diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia: a population-based cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term prognosis of critical limb ischemia (CLI) in diabetic patients.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 564 consecutive diabetic patients were hospitalized for CLI from January 1999 to December 2003; 554 were followed until December 2007.

Results: The mean follow-up was 5.

Emergency stent grafting after unsuccessful surgical repair of a mycotic common femoral artery pseudoaneurysm in a drug abuser.

Mycotic false aneurysm caused by local arterial injury from attempted intravenous injections in drug addicts remains a challenging clinical problem. The continued increase in drug abuse has resulted in an increased incidence of this problem, particularly in high-volume urban centres. In the drug-abusing population, mycotic arterial pseudoaneurysms most often occur because of missed venous injection and are typically seen in the groin, axilla, and antecubital fossa.

Advances in neuroimaging of the visual pathways and their use in glaucoma.

Recently developed neuroimaging techniques such as diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, functional MR imaging (fMRI), and MR spectroscopy can be used to evaluate the microstructural integrity of white-matter fibers and the functional activity of gray matter. They have been widely employed to investigate various diseases of the central nervous system, and they can be useful tools for assessing the integrity and functional connections of the visual pathways and areas that play key roles in glaucoma. In vivo degeneration of the optic nerves can be noninvasively demonstrated by DT MR imaging.

Emergency stent grafting of type B aortic dissection: technical considerations.

Type B aortic dissection is an uncommon yet potentially catastrophic clinical event that mandates prompt recognition and expeditious treatment. Patient survival depends on early and accurate diagnosis and prompt medical or surgical treatment. Unfortunately, when type B aortic dissection is associated with end-organ ischemia, medical treatment may not prove beneficial, with patients addressed to surgery; recently, either percutaneous fenestration or primary endovascular aortic repair has been proposed as a valuable alternative to surgery in this scenario.

Angioplasty for diabetic patients with failing bypass graft or residual critical ischemia after bypass graft.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of peripheral angioplasty (PTA) in the treatment of diabetic patients with previous peripheral bypass graft and recurrent critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Methods: Between January and December 2006, 293 diabetic patients presenting with critical limb ischemia (CLI) according to the TASC 2000 criteria were admitted to our footcare centre. Among these patients, 32 of them had previously undergone bypass grafting: femoropopliteal in 26 patients, femoroposterior tibial in 3 patients, femoroperoneal in the remaining 3.

Treatment of anastomotic stenoses of peripheral bypass grafts with cutting balloon angioplasty.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of cutting-balloon angioplasty (CBA) in the treatment of anastomotic stenoses of peripheral arterial bypass grafts.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen patients (12 men and five women; age range 54-79 years, mean age 66.5) with stenosis or occlusion at the proximal or distal anastomoses of peripheral bypass grafts were treated with CBA.

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm treated using stent-graft implantation and retrograde gastroduodenal artery coil embolization.

Endovascular treatment options for visceral artery pseudoaneurysms depend on lesion location and size. Exclusion methods fall into two categories, embolization and stent placement, and these procedures aim to exclude the pseudoaneurysm from the circulation and if possible to maintain distal blood flow. Embolization of the afferent artery can be used in pseudoaneurysms that arise from a donor artery without collateral supply such as a visceral branch, whereas in the case of visceral arteries with well-established collateral supply, the embolization of both proximal and distal branches to the pseudoaneurysm is mandatory in preventing backflow from the collateral circulation.

The efficacy and safety of closure of brachial access using the AngioSeal closure device: experience with 161 interventions in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia.

Purpose: This study retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of the 6F Angio-Seal (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, Minn) as a closure device for transbrachial artery access for endovascular procedures in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia.

[Treatment of uterine fibromyoma with bilateral uterine artery embolization: state of the art].

Uterine fibroids are common tumors of the female pelvis. Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a minimally invasive alternative procedure in appropriate candidates to conventional myomectomy and hysterectomy for symptomatic uterine leiomyoma, reducing or eliminating leiomyoma-related symptoms of bleeding, bulk, and/or pain. In order to completely block the arterial blood supply to the fibroid, UAE is typically performed in both uterine arteries.

Application of a new combined guiding technique in RF ablation of subphrenic liver tumors.

We present an unreported technique used to treat with RF ablation hepatic subphrenic hepatocellular carcinoma. It consists in the combination of fluoroscopic and computed tomography guidance for lesions already embolized with lipiodol located at the hepatic dome, approached in parallel fashion with a 22-gauge chiba "finder" needle followed by the RF electrode.

When is a technically successful peripheral angioplasty effective in preventing above-the-ankle amputation in diabetic patients with critical limb ischaemia?

Aim: To determine parameters predictive of avoidance of major (above-the-ankle) amputation after a technically successful peripheral angioplasty (PTA) in patients with diabetes with critical limb ischaemia.

Methods: From January 1999 to December 2003, 420 consecutive patients with diabetes admitted to hospital because of critical limb ischaemia underwent peripheral angiography and concomitant technically successful PTA. Transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO(2)) was measured before and after PTA.

Stent explantation from an arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis: a case report.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is the first treatment of a dysfunctional vascular access for hemodialysis. A case of stenting of a native arteriovenous hemodialysis fistula is reported that was treated with a stent placement at the anastomosis level, with explantation of the stent after complete thrombosis of the fistula 48 hours after the procedure. It is preferable to treat arteriovenous fistulas with simple balloon dilatation, avoiding stenting of the fistula, especially in the anastomosis site.

Treatment of a celiac trunk aneurysm close to the hepato-splenic bifurcation by using hepatic stent-graft implantation and splenic artery embolization.

We present a case of a 73-year-old man in whom a celiac trunk aneurysm close to the hepato-splenic bifurcation was discovered and treated by using celiac-hepatic stent-grafts implantation and splenic artery embolization.

Early and five-year amputation and survival rate of diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia: data of a cohort study of 564 patients.

Objective: To evaluate the early and late major amputation and survival rates and related risk factors in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Revascularization feasibility, major amputation, survival rate and related risk factors were recorded in 564 diabetic patients consecutively hospitalized for CLI from 1999 to 2003 and followed until June 2005.

A variant deployment technique for the powerlink bifurcated endograft.

Purpose: To report an alternative technique to the dual-lumen catheter for deployment of the Powerlink stent-graft in patients with angulated sacs and calcified aortic bifurcations. A maneuver is also presented to retrieve the delivery system when it is snagged on the stent.

Technique: After cutdown of the right common femoral artery (CFA), a 9-F introducer sheath is placed percutaneously into the left CFA.