Effectiveness of the vacuum assisted aspiration AngioVac system in the removal of intravascular masses.

Background: Invasive procedures used to manage intravascular masses such as vegetation from endocarditis, deep vein thrombosis, and septic emboli are associated with high rates of complications and mortality, especially in patients with several pre-existing comorbidities. A minimally invasive technique that has become more popular in recent years is the AngioVac procedure. This single-centered, retrospective study focuses on patient presenting comorbidities and indications for the procedure as well as postprocedural outcomes.

Successful Reduction of Intraocular Pressure in a Patient with Glaucoma Secondary to Sturge-Weber Syndrome Using a Suprachoroidal Shunt.

Aim: We present a case of successful reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in a patient with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) and moderate open angle glaucoma using a suprachoroidal shunt.

Background: Patients with SWS glaucoma often have elevated episcleral venous pressure resulting in elevated IOP. This makes the conventional pathway for aqueous humor outflow a poor target for IOP reduction, yielding it difficult to treat.

Cerebral Granulomatous Inflammation Secondary to Hydrophilic Polymer Embolization Following Thrombectomy.

BACKGROUND Given the recent completion of multiple trials demonstrating the benefit of endovascular mechanical thrombectomy for select patients with proximal large artery occlusive ischemic strokes, there has been a large increase in the performance of these procedures. In the context of increased thrombectomy performance, there have also been increased reports of rare occurrences of granulomatous inflammatory response to the hydrophilic polymer which coat many of these interventional devices. CASE REPORT A 59-year-old female presented with a complete occlusion of her right proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and imaging showed a large area of penumbra.

Urinary concentrations of ADAM 12 from breast cancer patients pre- and post-surgery vs. cancer-free controls: a clinical study for biomarker validation.

Background: The ADAMs (A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinases) are a family of multi-domain, zinc-dependent metalloproteinase enzymes. ADAM 12 has been previously associated with the onset and progression of breast cancer, and elevated levels of ADAM 12 have been previously found in the urine of breast cancer patients. Aims of the current study are: 1) establish the viability of urinary ADAM 12 as a diagnostic marker for breast cancer, and 2) explore the effects of surgical tumor removal on the levels of urinary ADAM 12.