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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Novel use of a T-tube access to perform an internal/external biliary drainage.

We report a case of post-surgical temporary functional stenosis of the sphincter of Oddi and biliary leak in a patient with a previous Billroth II reconstruction who had undergone cholecystectomy, surgical choledochotomy and sphincterotomy for biliary calculi. The patient was treated by creation of an internal/external biliary drainage using the T-tube access with an unreported technique.

Interventional treatment of iatrogenic lesions and hepatic arteries.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the angiographic findings and the results of interventional treatment in iatrogenic lesions of the hepatic artery.

Materials And Methods: Twelve patients (6 men and 6 women), aged 46 to 75 years (mean age 56.3 years), with acute hepatic bleeding secondary to percutaneous, surgical or laparoscopic procedures, were diagnosed using angiography and treated with endovascular percutaneous procedures.

Thrombolytic therapy followed by stenting for renal artery dissection secondary to blunt trauma.

A 18-year-old man presented at our clinic with pain in the right flank following a motorbike accident. The diagnosis of renal artery dissection followed by thrombosis was made by computed tomography and confirmed by angiography. Successful revascularization was performed by means of repeated transcatheter injection of small doses of thrombolytic agents within the vessel, followed by deployment of a self-expandable stent.

Bronchoesophageal fistula after endovascular repair of ruptured aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta.

Aortoesophageal fistula secondary to thoracic aneurysm is rare and is usually fatal without prompt surgical intervention. A 79-year-old man with significant comorbidities and previous cancer surgery was admitted on an emergency basis because of the suspicion of a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm. Computed tomographic scan followed by angiography demonstrated a ruptured thoracic aneurysm with aortoesophageal fistula.

Long-term follow-up of atherosclerotic renovascular disease. Beneficial effect of ACE inhibition.

Background: Patients with atherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARVD) are almost invariably treated by revascularization. However, the long-term outcomes of this approach on survival and progression to renal failure have not been investigated and have not been compared with that of a purely medical treatment. The aim of this observational study was to investigate factors affecting long-term (over 5 years) outcome, survival and renal function of patients with ARVD treated invasively or medically.