Endovascular Treatment of Renal Artery Bifurcation Stenoses with Branched Balloon Angioplasty

An 85-year-old man with left sided single kidney presented with end-stage renal failure after an acute intestinal bleeding. A complex bifurcational stenoses distally to a 6 months previously implanted ostial stent in the left renal artery was found on duplex imaging and angiogram. These two de-novo stenoses in the distal main renal artery and the proximal segment of the lower branch were simultaneously treated with a ultra-low profile, monorail bifurcation balloon catheter system (Avion Bifurcation RX2™, Invatec, Italy) that consists of a main vessel balloon (20/3.5mm) and a side vessel balloon (20/2.75mm). One day and three months postinterventionally, duplex ultrasound demonstrated no recurrent stenoses. Bifurcation balloon catheter systems for complex renal artery stenosis are discussed

Conditions currently associated with erythema nodosum in Swiss children

A review was made of the 36 paediatric patients in whom the diagnosis of erythema nodosum had been established between 1977 and 1996 at the Department of Paediatrics, University of Bern, Switzerland. Infectious diseases were associated with erythema nodosum in 20 (including 10 streptococcal infections) and non-infectious inflammatory diseases in 8 patients. None of the 36 patients had tuberculosis or had been exposed to sulphonamides, phenytoin or hormonal contraceptives. There were eight patients in whom either the associated disease was not diagnosed, or there was no other disease. Conclusion Most cases of erythema nodosum are nowadays caused by non-mycobacterial infectious diseases or by non-infectious inflammatory disease

Plasma Homocysteine is Not Related to the Severity of Microangiopathy in Secondary Raynaud Phenomenon

INTRODUCTION: The role of elevated homocysteine in primary and secondary Raynaud phenomenon (RP) and in patients with atherosclerosis has been reported controversially. In secondary RP due to connective tissue disease specific alterations of nailfold capillaries might be present. An association between these microvascular changes and homocysteine has been suggested. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine whether homocysteine level differs between patients with primary and secondary RP and to test the hypothesis that homocysteine or other cardiovascular risk factors are associated with specific features of microangiopathy in secondary RP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-one consecutive patients with RP referred for vascular assessment were studied by nailfold capillaroscopy. Homocysteine, C-reactive protein and cholesterol were measured and other cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities assessed. RESULTS: Homocysteine, C-reactive-protein and cholesterol levels did not differ between patients with primary (n=60) and secondary RP (n=21). Likewise, no differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities were found. In secondary RP no correlation was found between microvascular involvement and homocysteine or C-reactive protein. CONCLUSION: Plasma homocysteine is not different in patients with either primary or secondary RP and is therefore not a marker for the distinction of these diseases. The extent of microvascular involvement in secondary RP does not correlate with plasma homocysteine

Pressure indices in peripheral arterial disease assessed by infrared photosensors

Ankle-brachial index (ABI) assessment by Doppler is operator dependent and limited in calcified arteries. For the detection of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), we evaluated ABI and toe-finger (ToFi) pressures by infrared (IR) sensors at the digits and compared with standard Doppler (Doppler-ABI) in 100 patients with PAD and in 15 controls. Pressure indices were obtained in 86% for Doppler-ABI, 82% for IR-ABI, and 94% for IR-ToFi (P < .01). According to Bland-Altmann analysis, IR-ABI and Doppler-ABI are exchangeable (limits of agreement [loa] -0.30; 0.30, bias -0.003, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.02; 0.02), whereas IR-ToFi was not (loa -0.23; 0.61, bias of 0.2, 95% CI 0.16; 0.23). The IR-ToFi revealed the best inter- and intrarater agreement (0.92/0.98) followed by IR-ABI (0.74/0.98) and Doppler-ABI (0.66/0.89). Ankle-brachial arterial pressure index can be assessed by IR photosensors. Although toe-finger index is not exchangeable with standard Doppler, it will need further exploration to define its value for the diagnosis of PAD due to its excellent inter- and intrarater agreement

Novel anticoagulants in the therapy of peripheral arterial and coronary artery disease

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs are used and studied in numerous trials for primary and secondary prevention of atherothrombosis since decades. The annual rate for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is high in patients following an acute coronary syndrome and in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) due to concomitant cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases. Plaque rupture and subsequent thrombosis involves activation of both platelets and coagulation factors. Therefore the combination of aspirin and warfarin to improve prevention of atherothrombosis compared to antiplatelet therapy alone was studied but could not be established due to significantly increased risk of major bleeding compared to a nonsignificant reduction in ischemic events. During the past two decades, clinical trials focused on combined antiplatelet therapies for the prevention of secondary events following acute coronary syndromes and very recently on the new oral anticoagulants in combination with antiplatelet therapy. This review discusses the role of the new oral anticoagulants such as Factor IIa (thrombin) and Factor Xa inhibitors in atherothrombosis, their pharmacological properties and recently published clinical data in secondary prevention of atherothrombotic events and potential implications for patients with PAD

Differences in Cardiovascular Risk Factors Between Patients With Acute Limb Ischemia and Intermittent Claudication

In this retrospective study, cardiovascular risk factors of patients with acute limb ischemia (ALI) were compared with those of intermittent claudication (IC). Furthermore, the association of ALI with environmental temperature and/or hematocrit level was tested. A total of 436 patients treated for ALI and 832 patients with IC were included in the analysis. Diabetes (P = .0001), smoking (P < .0001), and hypertension (P < .0001) were significantly less prevalent in the patients with ALI. Patients with IC had a higher rate of coronary artery disease (P = .003), and patients with ALI had a higher rate of cerebrovascular disease (P < .0001). There was no association between the outside temperature or hematocrit level and the occurrence of ALI. The hypothesis of seasonal incidence of ALI could not be confirmed, and there was no association of ALI with the hematocrit level