A ruptured aneurysm after stent graft puncture during computed tomography-guided thrombin injection

Type II endoleaks occur in 5% to 10% of patients who are treated by endovascular aneurysm repair. A persistent type II endoleak combined with documented aneurysm expansion is generally considered an indication for intervention. Thrombin injection directly into the aneurysm sac is described as a safe and efficient treatment option. We present a patient with a ruptured aneurysm caused by a puncture of the stent graft during computed tomography-guided thrombin injection. This case highlights a possible harmful complication of thrombin injection and emphasizes the need for caution while performing such a procedure

Short-Term Double Layer Mesh Stent Patency for Emergent or Elective Carotid Artery Stenting : A Single Center Experience

Background and Purpose-Novel double layer micromesh stents have recently been introduced for treatment of patients with significant carotid stenosis. Strict evaluation of safety and patency of such novel devices is required both in elective and in emergency interventions. We report a single center experience with double layer mesh stents for carotid artery revascularization. Methods-Consecutive patients who underwent carotid artery stenting with a double layer mesh stent between June 2015 and September 2018 in our tertiary vascular referral center were included. Treatment indications were emergent carotid artery stenting for intracranial or extracranial carotid stenosis in patients undergoing intraarterial thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation, or elective carotid artery stenting for significant symptomatic or asymptomatic stenosis. End points were postprocedural thrombotic stent occlusion and procedural stroke or death. Results-Fifty-four patients were included; 27 were treated for acute stroke with intracranial and extracranial (tandem) lesions and 27 for elective stenting. Follow-up imaging was available for 9/27 (33%) patients with acute stroke, and 19/27 (70%) electively treated patients. Five stent occlusions occurred, of which 2 were symptomatic with clinical deterioration within one day. Another patient deteriorated on postprocedural day one, but imaging of the carotids was not performed, and the stent turned out occluded on the 30-day duplex. All stent occlusions occurred in patients treated for acute stroke. Conclusions-This study suggests that occlusion of novel double layer mesh stents occurs in a considerable proportion of carotid artery stenting procedures performed in the emergency setting for acute stroke, with occlusion-related symptoms in half the cases. Future prospective studies should clarify the role of double layer mesh stents in this high-risk patient population

Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography Allows Accurate Measurement of Mechanical Prosthetic Heart Valve Leaflet Closing Angles Compared With Fluoroscopy

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) leaflet restriction measurements with fluoroscopy measurements in commonly used mechanical prosthetic heart valves (PHVs). Methods: Four mechanical PHVs (ON-X, Carbomedics, St. Jude, and Medtronic Hall) were imaged in a pulsatile model using fluoroscopy and 64-detector-row computed tomography. Five image acquisitions of each PHV without (1) and with (4) restricted leaflet closure were made. Three observers measured closure angles on fluoroscopy and MDCT. Data were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots. Results: Interobserver agreement was high in restricted and non-restricted leaflets on both modalities (ICCs >0.995). MDCT and fluoroscopy showed high agreements (ICCs>0.989). Median MDCT closure angle measurements differed at most -2 to +2 degrees from fluoroscopy in the restricted and -1 to +2 degrees in the non-restricted leaflets. Conclusions: MDCT allows measurement of leaflet motion with a maximal median discrepancy of 2 degrees. Both MDCT and fluoroscopy detect restricted leaflet closure with great accurac

Through-Plane Movement at Multiple Aortic Levels on Dynamic Computed Tomography Angiography Is Limited in Patients With an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

PURPOSE: To analyze the movement of the aorta in the craniocaudal direction (through-plane movement) during the cardiac cycle at several levels to determine any potential impact on endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). METHODS: For this study, 30 patients (median age 73.0 years; 27 men) with an infrarenal AAA were randomly selected from a prospectively maintained EVAR database. All patients had undergone preoperative electrocardiogram-gated computed tomography angiography consisting of 8 phases. After semiautomatic segmentation, a 3-dimensional location probe was placed in the center of the aorta (center point) on the orthogonal slices at 12 different levels along the aorta and iliac arteries for all 8 phases. Movement of the center point during the cardiac cycle was analyzed for each level. Values are given as the median and interquartile range (IQR). RESULTS: The median through-plane movement of all levels was 3.0 mm (IQR 2.8-3.2) and appeared to be lower in the region of the celiac and renal arteries: 2.6 mm (IQR 1.7-3.1) at 3 cm proximal to the most distal renal artery and 2.4 mm (IQR 1.9-2.9) at 1 cm distal to the most distal renal artery, respectively. The thoracic part of the aorta showed the largest through-plane motion: 4.1 mm (IQR 2.7-4.6). CONCLUSION: This study quantifies aortic through-plane motion in the craniocaudal direction. Since through-plane movement appears to be limited, findings of previous studies investigating pulsatile in-plane distension seem to be representative for aortic distension