Nikolaos Floros

Ruptured Mycotic Aortic Aneurysm after Bacille Calmette-Guerin Therapy

To report a case of a ruptured mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm (MAA) after intravesical Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy because of bladder carcinoma. A 57-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital for follow-up computed tomography 14 months after transurethral resection of a papillary carcinoma of the bladder and intravesical BCG therapy. The CT scan revealed a ruptured MAA aneurysm and the patient underwent an endovascular repair with an aorto-bi-iliac stent graft. A ruptured MAA is a rare but lethal complication after BCG instillation therapy. The standard therapy is the open reconstruction but according to the literature an endovascular therapy in combination with long-term antibiotics should be considered as a bridging or a definite solution.

Pilomatrix carcinoma: More malignant biological behavior than was considered in the past

Pilomatrix carcinoma is a very rare malignancy, with ~130 cases reported in the literature. In the past, pilomatrix carcinoma was considered to be a low-grade malignant tumor. Currently, however, its significant recurrence and metastatic potential has been well documented. Lymph node and systemic metastases are frequently observed. Wide surgical excision of the primary lesion is the principal modality of treatment, whereas adjuvant radiotherapy may be beneficial in local tumor control. Lymph node metastases may be treated surgically or with radiotherapy. Systemic disease is not responsive to chemotherapy, and is hence associated with a poor prognosis. Since the majority of nodal and systemic metastases present after the initial diagnosis and treatment, follow-up examinations of these patients may be warranted, despite the currently inadequate treatment options. In the present study, a case of pilomatrix carcinoma of the parotid region with early local recurrence only 2 months after complete excision with negative surgical margins is reported. The local recurrence was treated by excision and radiotherapy. The associated literature is also discussed.

Acute Limb Ischemia—Much More Than Just a Lack of Oxygen

Acute ischemia of an extremity occurs in several stages, a lack of oxygen being the primary contributor of the event. Although underlying patho-mechanisms are similar, it is important to determine whether it is an acute or chronic event. Healthy tissue does not contain enlarged collaterals, which are formed in chronically malperfused tissue and can maintain a minimum supply despite occlusion. The underlying processes for enhanced collateral blood flow are sprouting vessels from pre-existing vessels (via angiogenesis) and a lumen extension of arterioles (via arteriogenesis). While disturbed flow patterns with associated local low shear stress upregulate angiogenesis promoting genes, elevated shear stress may trigger arteriogenesis due to increased blood volume. In case of an acute ischemia, especially during the reperfusion phase, fluid transfer occurs into the tissue while the vascular bed is simultaneously reduced and no longer reacts to vaso-relaxing factors such as nitric oxide. This process results in an exacerbative cycle, in which increased peripheral resistance leads to an additional lack of oxygen. This whole process is accompanied by an inundation of inflammatory cells, which amplify the inflammatory response by cytokine release. However, an extremity is an individual-specific composition of different tissues, so these processes may vary dramatically between patients. The image is more uniform when broken down to the single cell stage. Because each cell is dependent on energy produced from aerobic respiration, an event of acute hypoxia can be a life-threatening situation. Aerobic processes responsible for yielding adenosine triphosphate (ATP), such as the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria, suffer first, thus disrupting the integrity of cellular respiration. One consequence of this is irreparable damage of the cell membrane due to an imbalance of electrolytes. The eventual increase in net fluid influx associated with a decrease in intracellular pH is considered an end-stage event. Due to the lack of ATP, individual cell organelles can no longer sustain their activity, thus initiating the cascade pathways of apoptosis via the release of cytokines such as the BCL2 associated X protein (BAX). As ischemia may lead to direct necrosis, inflammatory processes are further aggravated. In the case of reperfusion, the flow of nascent oxygen will cause additional damage to the cell, further initiating apoptosis in additional surrounding cells. In particular, free oxygen radicals are formed, causing severe damage to cell membranes and desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). However, the increased tissue stress caused by this process may be transient, as radical scavengers may attenuate the damage. Taking the above into final consideration, it is clearly elucidated that acute ischemia and subsequent reperfusion is a process that leads to acute tissue damage combined with end-organ loss of function, a condition that is difficult to counteract.

Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: Patient Outcomes Using Open Surgical Revascularization

Background: Chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) is a rare disease. Open treatment (OT) remains a valuable treatment option. We analyzed patient outcomes after OT and investigated health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: Data were analyzed retrospectively. The investigation period was from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2014. We investigated mortality and patency rates using Kaplan-Meier analysis. HRQoL was measured using a 36-item health survey. Various statistical methods were employed. Results: A total of 100 patients (celiac trunk [TC: n = 23], superior mesenteric artery [SMA: n = 26], or both [n = 51]) were included. Median follow-up was 5 ± 35 months. One-year survival rate for TC was 75 ± 11%, for SMA: 79 ± 10%, and for both: 96 ± 3%. TC 5-year survival was 75 ± 11% (SMA: 57 ± 16%: both: 80 ± 8%). Obesity and the length of hospital stay were independently associated with patient survival (p < 0.05). Primary 1-year patency rate was 60 ± 13% for TC (SMA: 86 ± 10%; both: 71 ± 8%) and secondary 1-year patency rate was 84 ± 9% for TC (SMA: 100%; both: 79 ± 7%). HRQoL was inferior compared to the German normative data (p < 0.05). Conclusion: CMI overlaps between gastrointestinal and vascular surgery. OT is safe, and simultaneous revascularization of the TC and the SMA does not affect mortality. Patients would not necessarily benefit from OT in terms of HRQoL.

Gluteale Ischämie als Folge eines akuten Verschlusses der A. profunda femoris

Ischämisch bedingte Nekrosen in der Glutealregion treten durch einen akuten bilateralen Verschluss der A. iliaca interna, chronische Verschlüsse bei peripherer arterieller Verschlusskrankheit (pAVK), seltener durch einen isolierten ipsilateralen Verschluss oder aortale bzw. spontane iliakale Dissektionen mit Verlegung des Abgangs auf. Chronische Verschlüsse sind auch bei bilateralem A.-iliaca-interna-Verschluss meist gut kompensiert. Eine Kollateralisierung erfolgt entweder über das Stromgebiet der A. rectalis superior aut inferior, gespeist über die Aa. mesenterica superior et inferior oder über die Äste der A. profunda femoris. Von einer kombinierten Glutealund Beinischämie mit Nekrosenentstehung als Komplikation von arteriellen Verschlusssystemen nach perkutaner vaskulärer Intervention wurde in der Literatur bislang noch nicht berichtet. Wirberichtenüber einenFall, bei dem ein disloziertes Verschlusssystem einen akuten Verschluss der A. profunda femoris mit glutealenNekrosen verursacht hat.

Spinal meningioma, aortic aneurysms and the missing link of observation: the anchoring heuristic approach

Over the last three decades, the development of systematic and protocol-based algorithms, and advances in available diagnostic tests have become the indispensable parts of practising medicine. Naturally, despite the implementation of meticulous protocols involving diagnostic tests or even trials of empirical therapies, the cause of one’s symptoms may still not be obvious. We herein report a case of chronic back pain, which took about 5 years to get accurately diagnosed. The case challenges the diagnostic assumptions and sets ground of discussion for the diagnostic reasoning pitfalls and heuristic biases that mislead the caring physicians and cost years of low quality of life to our patient. This case serves as an example of how anchoring heuristics can interfere in the diagnostic process of a complex and rare entity when combined with a concurrent potentially life-threatening condition.

Deep Vein Thrombosis and True Crural Aneurysm: Misdiagnosis or Causal Relation?

True crural artery aneurysm is a rare clinical entity. Crural artery aneurysms are most frequently seen in men in their sixth decade without major cardiopulmonary diseases and are often associated with injury, superinfection, or vasculitis. We report the case of a 44-year-old man with a history of idiopathic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as the first manifestation of a true crural artery aneurysm. To our knowledge, DVT is very rarely related with true crural artery aneurysms, with only 3 cases reported in the current literature. Open surgical repair is the most common management, with ligation as a second option in emergencies such as rupture. The related literature is discussed. We conclude that crural aneurysms should be considered in differential diagnosis of popliteal DVT in adults. True crural aneurysms need vigilance and a more systematical approach to provide physicians the means to the best medical care.

Iatrogenic Femoral Pseudoaneurysm and Secondary Ipsilateral Deep Vein Thrombosis: An Indication for Early Surgical Exploration

Pseudoaneurysm formation often complicates transfemoral interventional procedures. Nonsurgical treatment consists of femoral compression and thrombin injection under ultrasound guidance. We report a 74-year-old man who was diagnosed with a pseudoaneurysm, following coronary angiography. Duplex ultrasound revealed deep vein thrombosis of the ipsilateral common femoral vein. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection was unsuccessfully performed, and the patient subsequently underwent surgical exploration for repair of the pseudoaneurysm and release of the venous compression. The increased local inflammation, because of the thrombosis, added in surgical difficulties. We conclude that early surgical intervention should be considered as a primary strategy in patients with femoral pseudoaneurysms and deep vein thrombosis secondary to femoral compression.