Alaa Alhadad

Epidemiology, risk and prognostic factors in mesenteric venous thrombosis

Epidemiological reports on risk and prognostic factors in patients with mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) are scarce.

Revascularisation of renal artery stenosis caused by fibromuscular dysplasia: effects on blood pressure during 7-year follow-up are influenced by duration of hypertension and branch artery stenosis.

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) mainly affects renal arteries. Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) and surgery are effective treatments, but long-time follow-up is lacking. Retrospective follow-up for 7.0±4.7 years of 69 consecutive patients (age 44±13 years) treated for hypertension due to FMD, 59 patients underwent PTRA and eight patients surgery. In two patients no PTRA was performed. Technical success was achieved in 56 (95%) patients undergoing PTRA and all eight undergoing surgery. After successful PTRA, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP) had decreased at discharge (from 174±33/100±13 to 138±19/80±15 mmHg; P<0.0001), and remained lower at 1 month, 1 year, and last follow-up after 7.0±4.7 years (140±25/83±12 mmHg; P<0.0001). Serum-creatinine had decreased both at 1 year (from 84±28 to 75±13 μmol/l; P=0.0030) and last follow-up (75±16 μmol/l; P=0.0017). The number of antihypertensive drugs decreased (from 2.3±1.2 before PTRA to 1.4±1.3 at discharge and at 1 month; P<0.0001, and 1.6±1.5 at last follow-up; P=0.0011). SBP decreased more after PTRA among patients with FMD only in the main renal artery than in those with branch artery involvement (43±29 vs 20±41 mmHg; P=0.0198). Beneficial effects on BP, creatinine and antihypertensive drugs also occurred after surgery. Patients on antihypertensive drugs at last follow-up had longer hypertension duration before PTRA than those without (5.9±7.7 vs 1.8±4.1 years; P=0.0349). Cure was achieved in 16 (24%), improvement in another 26(39%), and benefit in 42(63%). In conclusion, renal artery FMD, PTRA and surgery have beneficial long-term effects, negatively affected by hypertension duration and branch artery involvement.

Thrombus Embolization Into IVC Filters During Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis for Proximal Deep Venous Thrombosis

Purpose: To assess the frequency of embolization into retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filters during catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) and stent placement for acute iliocaval deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Methods: Serial phlebograms from 40 patients (28 women; median age 32 years) consecutively treated with CDT for DVT during a 12-year period were retrospectively evaluated for visible emboli in the IVC filter. Clinical and procedural data extracted from a prospectively maintained database were evaluated to identify predictors for embolization into the filter. Results: Visible emboli were found in 18 (45%) patients. Visible embolization to the IVC filter was less frequent in patients with a hypercoagulable disorder (n=29, 31%) than in patients without a hypercoagulable disorder (n=11, 69%; OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.56, p=0.006). No patient developed clinical symptomatic pulmonary embolism or a complication related to the placement or retrieval of the IVC filter. Conclusion: Thrombus embolization during CDT is a common phenomenon in patients with proximal DVT. Placement of a retrievable IVC filter during thrombolytic therapy can prevent silent and symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

Mid-term outcome of endovascular revascularization for chronic mesenteric ischaemia.

This study aimed to assess mid‐term outcome after endovascular revascularization of chronic occlusive mesenteric ischaemia (CMI) and to identify possible predictors of mortality.

Renal angioplasty causes a rapid transient increase in inflammatory biomarkers, but reduced levels of interleukin-6 and endothelin-1 1 month after intervention.

Objective To examine prospectively whether inflammatory biomarkers and endothelin (ET)-1 are increased in patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS), and to investigate how treatment with percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) affects these variables during the first month after intervention. Methods One hundred patients with suspected RAS undergoing renal angiography were included. PTRA was performed if the trans-stenotic mean arterial pressure gradient was ≥10 mmHg. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), neopterin, CD40 ligand (CD40L) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured before, and 1 day and 1 month after PTRA (n = 61) or diagnostic angiography only (n = 39). Results At baseline there were no significant differences in inflammatory biomarkers or ET-1 levels between patients subsequently undergoing PTRA or angiography only. After angiography, IL-6 and hs-CRP had increased in both groups compared to baseline (P < 0.001). At this time point hs-CRP (10.90 ± 1.48 versus 6.37 ± 1.61 mg/l; P < 0.05) and IL-6 (13.70 ± 0.94 versus 13.00 ± 0.17 pg/ml; P < 0.01) were higher in the PTRA group than in patients subjected to angiography only. One month after PTRA, systolic blood pressure and levels of IL-6 and ET-1 were lower than before intervention (P < 0.05), whereas CD40L had increased compared to baseline (P < 0.01). Conclusion In patients with RAS, PTRA triggers rapid transient increases in hs-CRP and IL-6; however, 1 month after PTRA, both IL-6 and ET-1 had decreased compared to before intervention, indicating beneficial effects of PTRA on inflammation and the endothelin system.

The value of tomographic ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy (V/PSPECT) for follow-up and prediction of recurrence in pulmonary embolism

BACKGROUND Pulmonary embolism (PE) is diagnosed with imaging techniques such as ventilation/perfusion (V/P) lung scintigraphy or multidetector computed tomography of the pulmonary arteries (MDCT). Lung scintigraphy can be performed with planar (V/P PLANAR) and tomographic (V/P SPECT) techniques. V/P SPECT has higher sensitivity and specificity than V/P PLANAR. As nephrotoxic contrast media are not used during V/P SPECT, examinations can be repeated for evaluation of resolution of perfusion defects after PE. However, the value of residual perfusion defects identified using V/P SPECT for the prediction of recurrent PE has not been thoroughly evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS We evaluated resolution and recurrence of PE in 227 patients (mean age 63 ± 17 years, 134[59%] women) with PE undergoing ≥ 2 SPECT examinations in 2005-2007. PE was defined as minor (<20% perfusion defect on SPECT, n=86), medium (20-50% perfusion defect on SPECT, n=99), or major (>50% perfusion defect on SPECT, n=42). RESULTS At second V/P SPECT examination, complete resolution of perfusion defects had occurred in 45 (52%) patients with minor PE after 8.2 ± 7.4 months, in 29 (29%) of patients with medium PE after 6.2 ± 5.9 months, and in 2(5%) of patients with major PE after 6.5 ± 0.7 months. During 47 ± 24 months of follow up, 37(16 %) patients suffered recurrent PE. Of these 37, 34 (92%) showed residual perfusion defects at the second V/P SPECT examination. Recurrence of PE was also predicted by advanced age and female gender. However, in multivariate regression analysis, recurrence was only predicted by age (p=0.0013) and residual perfusion defect on V/P SPECT (p=0.0039). CONCLUSION In conclusion, complete resolution of PE was common in patients with minor PE, whereas residual perfusion defects were widespread in patients with medium and major PE. PE patients identified with persistent perfusion defects at follow-up SPECT have a high risk of PE recurrence.

Oxidative Stress and Endothelin-1 in Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis and Effects of Renal Angioplasty

Aims: To examine biomarkers of oxidative stress (oxs), and endothelin (ET)-1, in hypertensive patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) and to evaluate the effect of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA). Methods: Baseline measurements were made immediately before renal angiography in patients with suspected ARAS (significant ARAS, n = 83, and non-RAS, n = 59) and in 20 healthy, matched controls. In patients with ARAS, analyses were repeated 4 weeks after PTRA. All patients were treated with statins and acetylsalicylic acid throughout. Results: At baseline there were no significant differences between groups in biomarkers of oxs, whereas high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and blood leukocytes were significantly elevated in group ARAS versus both healthy controls and group non-RAS. Plasma levels of ET-1 and uric acid were significantly increased in group ARAS versus healthy controls prior to angiography and were significantly reduced compared to baseline 4 weeks after PTRA. PTRA had no significant effects on biomarkers of oxs, inflammation or serum creatinine concentrations. Conclusions: ARAS patients on treatment with antihypertensive agents, acetylsalicylic acid and statins showed elevated inflammatory indices but no increase in oxs. PTRA had no significant effects on inflammatory indices 4 weeks after intervention but reduced plasma ET-1 and uric acid.

Pulmonary embolism associated with protein C deficiency and abuse of anabolic-androgen steroids.

We present the case of a 19-year-old male athlete with protein C deficiency who developed proximal deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism while abusing anabolic-androgenic steroids. Anabolic-androgenic steroids have been reported to have anticoagulatory and profibrinolytic effects in patients with protein C deficiency. Despite these antithrombotic effects, the patient developed repeated venous thromboembolism during treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin. The net effect of anabolic-androgenic steroids on the haemostatic system may change from antithrombotic to prothrombotic in male abusers of anabolic steroids with protein C deficiency.

Incidence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis at a large university hospital in Sweden

Abstract Objective.Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a rare condition that may follow administration of gadolinium-based contrast media (Gd-CM) in patients with renal insufficiency. This study was initiated to determine the incidence of NSF at Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, in Sweden. Material and methods.During the period January 2001 to December 2008 10 650 patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. The re-expressed four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation was used to calculate the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The 272 patients with an eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m2 who were given Gd-CM were selected for final analysis. A diagnosis of NSF or other dermatological diagnoses in the 272 patients was searched for in the database of the Departments of Dermatology and Pathology. Results.The 272 patients, of whom 26 patients were on dialysis, had undergone 406 MRI examinations with Gd-CM. Mean follow-up time was 3.9 (±2.7 SD) years. Assuming a mean body weight of 70 kg, the overall median dose of the 406 examinations with Gd-CM was 0.14 mmol/kg body weight (0.06, 0.34; 2.5–97.5 percentiles). In this retrospective study of patients with eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m2, none developed NSF (the upper 95% confidence limit for zero cases of NSF in the 272 patients was 2.3%). Conclusion.Although it is premature to claim that Gd-CM using the regimen employed in this institution is safe to use in all patients with eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m2, the results.indicate that development of NSF is extremely uncommon.

Safety aspects of gadofosveset in clinical practice--analysis of acute and long-term complications.

PURPOSE The purpose of this retrospective study was to systematically search for acute adverse reactions and long-term complications in all patients that had been administered gadofosveset at our hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS We identified 67 gadofosveset administrations during 2006-2009 in 62 patients from 8 to 84years of age. Radiological information system (RIS) and clinical patient records were analyzed for suspected acute adverse reactions and long-term complications including nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). The gadofosveset doses ranged between 0.024 and 0.060mmol/kg bodyweight with a mean dose of 0.031-mmol/kg bodyweight. Follow-up time of the patients ranged from less than 1year up to 4years with a mean follow-up time of 2.1years. RESULTS No acute adverse events or technical failures related to the contrast medium were recorded in the RIS. No dermatological and nephrological diseases related to the gadofosveset administration were found in the clinical patient records. Four patients died during follow-up without any apparent relation to the gadofosveset exposure. CONCLUSIONS Based on our clinical material we conclude that gadofosveset is safe for a mixed patient population with no acute adverse events or any indications of long-term complications during the follow-up time up to four years.