Ryan T. Hagino

The effect of withdrawal of drugs treating intermittent claudication.

BACKGROUND Pharmacologic treatment for intermittent claudication is a management option. This study evaluated the effect of withdrawal of drug therapies, cilostazol and pentoxifylline, on the walking ability of peripheral artery disease patients. METHODS Single-blind placebo crossover from a randomized, double-blind trial; 45 claudication patients received either cilostazol 100 mg orally twice daily (n = 16), pentoxifylline 400 mg orally three times daily (n = 13), or placebo (n = 16) for 24 weeks. After 24 weeks of double-blind therapy, treatment for all groups was placebo only, and follow-up continued through week 30. Treatment efficacy was established with treadmill testing. RESULTS Profile analysis demonstrated a highly significant loss of treatment benefit after crossover (P = 0.001) for cilostazol-treated patients, but no significant change after crossover was observed with pentoxifylline. CONCLUSIONS Drug withdrawal worsened the walking of claudicants who had benefited from cilostazol therapy. This decline with crossover to placebo suggests that the initial improvement with cilostazol treatment was due to the drugs action. Withdrawal of pentoxifylline did not adversely affect walking.

Asymptomatic carotid stenosis and unrelated operations: Should we be more aggressive?

BACKGROUND Carotid lesions will often remain asymptomatic during the perioperative period, so prophylactic carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has not been advocated before other operations. The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical manifestations of new neurologic symptoms occurring in patients with previously asymptomatic carotid occlusive disease who have undergone recent operations. STUDY DESIGN We performed a retrospective review of patients developing neurologic symptoms attributable to carotid occlusive disease after unrelated operations. RESULTS Eleven patients (mean age 68+/-6.4 years, 8 men, 3 women) developed new neurologic symptoms from previously asymptomatic extracranial carotid stenoses after 11 unrelated procedures. Neurologic events included hemispheric stroke (n = 10) and amaurosis fugax (n = 1). Two intraoperative strokes occurred (one mastectomy, one prostatectomy). Other events occurred a mean of 5.8+/-5 (range 1 to 16) days after aortic surgery (n = 2), infrainguinal bypass (n = 3), contralateral CEA for symptomatic disease (n = 2), incisional herniorrhaphy (n = 1), and prostate surgery (n = 1). Responsible internal carotid artery lesions were all stenoses greater than 80%; seven were clearly greater than 90%. Those suffering intraoperative stroke or stroke within 24 hours of operation (n = 3) were not receiving antithrombotic therapy. All other events (n = 8) occurred despite the use ofantiplatelet or anticoagulant agents. Four underwent emergent CEA. Four had elective CEA performed after reaching a neurological recovery plateau. CONCLUSIONS Critical, asymptomatic internal carotid artery stenoses may cause neurologic symptoms after unrelated surgical procedures.

Caval and ureteral obstruction secondary to an inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm

Inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms (IAAA) represent 3% to 10% of all abdominal aortic aneurysms. Obstructive uropathy is a well-described feature of IAAAs, but venous complications are unusual secondary to IAAA. The authors report a patient presenting with acute renal failure and deep venous thrombosis secondary to an IAAA. We believe this represents the first case of an IAAA manifesting as combined inferior vena cava compression and associated obstructive uropathy. Successful operative repair was performed. With resolution of the retroperitoneal inflammation, long-term follow-up revealed spontaneous release of both ureteral and caval compression.

Percutaneous Salvage of Crushed Bilateral Aorto-Iliac Stents: Case Report

There are multiple reports of externally deformed or crimped intravascular stents. Percutaneous salvage has been described in multiple anatomic locations including the carotid artery, coronary artery bypass grafts, and hemodialysis conduits. We report successful percutaneous salvage of severely crushed aortoiliac stents in a patient status post low anterior resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy for rectal carcinoma. A review of the literature describing approaches to externally deformed stents in other anatomic regions, the limited experience with crushed iliac stents, and our technique is presented.