Ana Mladenovic

Anatomic differences of the distal aorta with dilatation or aneurysm between patients from Asia and Europe as seen on CT imaging.

AIM The hypothesis of this research is that there are differences in morphology of dilated and aneurysm changed infrarenal aorta between the patients from Europe and Asia that are important for endovascular treatment. Authors analyzed the morphologic differences of the infra-renal segment of abdominal aorta (a.a.) and the iliac arteries, common iliac artery (c.i.a.) between the Asians and Europeans examined by computed tomography (64 MD CT) from the point of the clinical use of the endovascular stent-graft. MATERIALS AND METHODS The research was conducted simultaneously in Europe and in Asia and 60 patients with distal aorta aneurysm were included (30 of each ethnic origin). The examinations were conducted at the identical types of 64 MD CT equipment, and under same conditions of examination technique and post-processing. RESULTS There were statistically significant differences in regard to important morphology criteria for a.a. and c.i.a. between patients with the aneurysm from Asia and the Europe. Analysis was preformed referring to the gender, age, body weight (BW), height, body mass index (BMI), body surface (SA index), and various diameters of a.a. and c.i.a. at several linear and transversal levels, angle and volume of the aneurysm. The biggest differences relate to the width of the central part of aneurysm of a.a. and the length and volume of c.i.a. CONCLUSION There were statistically significant differences in regard to important morphology criteria for a.a. and c.i.a. between patients with the aneurysm from Asia and the Europe.

The recent fault kinematics in the westernmost part of the Getic nappe system (Eastern Serbia): Evidence from fault slip and focal mechanism data

Abstract In this study we performed a calculation of the tectonic stress tensor based on fault slip data and all available focal mechanisms in order to determine the principal stress axes and the recent tectonic regime of the westernmost unit of the Getic nappe system (Gornjak-Ravanica Zone, Eastern Serbia). The study is based on a combined dataset involving paleostress analyses, the inversion of focal mechanisms and remote sensing. The results show dominant strike-slip kinematics with the maximal compression axis oriented NNE-SSW. This is compatible with a combined northward motion and counterclockwise rotation of the Adria plate as the controlling factor. However, the local stress field is also shown to be of great importance and is superimposed on the far-field stress. We managed to distinguish three areas with distinct seismic activity. The northern part of the research area is characterized by transtensional tectonics, possibly under the influence of the extension in the areas situated more to the northeast. The central and seismically most active part is dominated by strike-slip tectonics whereas the southern area is slightly transpressional, possibly under the influence of the rigid Moesian Platform situated to the east of the research area. The dominant active fault systems are oriented N-S (to NE-SW) and NW-SE and they occur as structures of either regional or local significance. Regional structures are active in the northern and central part of the study area, while the active fault systems in the southern part are marked as locally important. This study suggests that seismicity of this area is controlled by the release of accumulated stress at local accommodation zones which are favourably oriented in respect to the active regional stress field.

Using multiresolution and multitemporal satellite data for post-disaster landslide inventory in the Republic of Serbia

This paper focuses on a specific event-based landslide inventory compiled after the May 2014 heavy rainfall episode in Serbia as a part of the post-disaster recovery actions. The inventory was completed for a total of 23 affected municipalities, and the municipality of Krupanj was selected as the location for a more detailed study. Three sources of data collection and analysis were used: a visual analysis of the post-event very high and high (VHR-HR) resolution images (Pléiades, WorldView-2 and SPOT 6), semi-automatic landslide recognition in pre- and post-event coarse resolution images (Landsat 8) and a landslide mapping field campaign. The results suggest that the visual and semi-automated analyses significantly contributed to the quality of the final inventory, including the associated planning strategies for conducting future field campaigns (as a final stage of the inventorying process), all the more so because the field-based and image-based inventories were focused on different types of landslides. In the most affected municipalities that had very high resolution satellite image coverage (19.52% of the whole study area), the density of the recognized landslides was approximately three times higher than that in those municipalities without satellite image coverage (where only field data were available). The total number of field-mapped landslides for the 23 municipalities was 1785, while image-based inventories, which were available only for the municipalities with satellite image coverage (77.43% of the study area), showed 1298 landslide records. The semi-automated landslide inventory in the test area (Krupanj municipality), which was based on coarse resolution multitemporal images (Landsat 8), counted 490 landslide instances and was in agreement with the visual analysis of the higher resolution images, with an overlap of approximately 40%. These results justify the use of preliminary inventorying via satellite image analysis and suggest a considerable potential use for preliminary visual and semi-automated landslide inventorying as an important supplement to field mapping.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Different Races Epidemiologic Features and Morphologic-Clinical Implications Evaluated by CT Aortography

© 2012 Mladenovic et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Different Races Epidemiologic Features and Morphologic-Clinical Implications Evaluated by CT Aortography

Quantification of dilated infrarenal aorta by 64 multidetector computed tomographic evaluation in preventing EVAR complications in patients of different races.

Aim: The hypothesis of this multicentric study is performing a specific typification in the selection of grafts for the endoluminal treatment of an aneurysmally altered distal aorta based on mathematical information and the correlation of a number of morphological parameters diagnosed by 64-multidetector computed tomographic (CT) aortography. Materials and Methods: The study is multicentric and encompassed 30 Asian and 30 European patients. Examinations were performed on the same type of 64- multidetector CT equipment and under same conditions of examination technique and postprocessing. Several statistical methods were applied to analyze the results. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between Asian and European patients in the morphology of the central part of the aneurysm at the level of the abdominal aorta and the width and length of the iliac arteries. The principal cause of the most frequent complication observed was defined by a CT aortographic study. Conclusions: Computed tomographic aortographic quantification of significant parameters makes it possible to plan the exact dimensions of grafts in each individual case. Computed tomographic examinations make possible very exact measurements and positioning of the graft of the novel design proposed by the authors and expected to substantially reduce the incidence of complications.

Investigating distant effects of the Moesian promontory: brittle tectonics along the western boundary of the Getic unit (East Serbia)

In this study, we report evidence for brittle deformation in a part of the Carpatho–Balkan orogen, which is explained in terms of effects of the rigid Moesian promontory of the European plate on fault kinematics in East Serbia. We focus on the westernmost part of the Getic Unit of the East Serbian Carpatho–Balkanides, i.e. the Gornjak–Ravanica Unit, located between two main thrusts that were repeatedly activated from Early Cretaceous to recent times. We combine a new data set on fault kinematics and tectonic paleostress tensors, with literature data about neotectonic and recent fault activity, in order to reconstruct brittle tectonic events that were active in this area since Oligocene times. Two brittle tectonic phases were distinguished. The older phase was most probably active from the Oligocene to the end of the middle Miocene, and was characterized by the activation of faults that accommodated a complex sequence of clockwise rotations of the Dacia mega-unit around the rigid Moesian promontory. The younger deformational phase most likely started in the late Miocene and is probably still active in recent time. It is characterized by strike-slip tectonics, resulting from the far-field stress generated by the collision of the Adriatic microplate, the Moesian promontory and the tectonic units in between. This stress field is shown to be highly heterogeneous even in the relatively small research area; local areas of transtension and transpression have also been very important in controlling the fault kinematics in the western part of the Getic Unit.

Low dose computerized tomography examinations of coronary occlusive disease

Background: The aim of this study was to present an original technique of low-dose coronary computerized tomographyangiography (CCTA) for the evaluation and early diagnosis of coronary occlusive disease (COD) and to compare from this technique of CCTA with those resulting from the latest conventional angiography and multidetector computerized tomography units. Methodology: The study included 820 CCTA exams of patients with COD (average age 61 +/− 7 years), with a follow-up exam in 204 male (39%) and 62 female (20%) patients with hemodynamically insignificant coronary occlusion. Exams were performed using a 64-slice computerized tomography (CT) unit using electrocardiography (ECG)-triggering and individual settings (voltage of the x-ray tube and effective tube-current) based on each patient’s body mass index. Exponential dose for each exam was defined. Results:There was a statistically significant progression in the number of patients in whom occlusion of one of 3 coronary arteries occurred in hemodynamically significant occlusive disease (occlusion of more than 50% of lumen) — 60 of 204 males and 12 of 62 females (p<0.0001 and p<0.001). The mid-effective radiation dose during CCTA exams was 1.9+/-0.7mSv (range of 0.9 to 3.9 mSv). Conclusion: Prospective ECG-triggering allowed for low-dose CCTA exams while still enabling high diagnostic accuracy in evaluating patients with COD. The technique used in this study resulted in 2 times less the exponential dose than conventional angiography.

Correlation of CT aortography measurements of infrarenal aortic aneurysms and body mass index in preprocedural evaluation for endovascular repair

The aim of this study is to analyze the morphological differences of infrarenal aortic aneurysms and common iliac arteries that are important for endovascular management between patients of different body mass index using 64 slice multidetector row CT aortography. This was a multicenter study of 100 patients (50 Europeans and 50 Japanese). All patients had risk factors, manifest symptoms, and ultrasound verified aneurysmal dilation of the infrarenal aorta. All examinations were performed on the same CT platform using the same post‐processing protocols. Due to the heterogeneity of the population, several statistical models were used. Significant differences were found in morphological parameters of infrarenal aorta in relation to BMI. In over one out of three patients with BMI less than 23, endovascular treatment is contraindicated due to the dimensions of the aneurysmal neck. Relative to BMI value, differences were found in transverse diameters of the medium part of the aneurysm and in the length of common iliac arteries. CT aortography performed on a 64 slice multidetector row CT platform provides precise and numerous data for the analysis of anatomical and pathological differences of infrarenal aortic aneurysms that are of crucial importance for the planning of treatment and the analysis of the differences relating to body habitus. Clin. Anat. 25:767–772, 2012.