Intravenous digital subtraction angiography and Duplex scanning in the detection of late human umbilical vein degeneration.

To define the exact incidence of late degeneration, 32 patients underwent intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IVDSA) and/or a Duplex scan more than 3 years after human umbilical vein (HUV) grafting. IVDSA (n = 26) showed a 23 per cent aneurysmal degeneration rate which increased to 40 per cent with Duplex scanning (n = 25). Although the differences obtained in those patients receiving both examinations (n = 19) were statistically not significant, Duplex scanning appeared to be more sensitive, demonstrating two additional cases of aneurysmal degeneration not detected by IVDSA.

Autogenous venous reconstruction in the treatment of aortobifemoral prosthetic infection.

The Authors describe a patient, in whom an infected aortobifemoral Dacron prosthesis was successfully replaced by an autogenous venous graft. A review of the literature is presented and it is concluded that autogenous reconstruction of the infected field represents a feasible alternative to extra-anatomical revascularisation in the treatment of selected patients with vascular prosthetic infection.