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PubMedDate not supplied

Neck dissection: radical or conservative.

Four hundred and forty-five neck dissections for epidermoid carcinoma over a 10-year period are reviewed as to local recurrence of neck disease. Three hundred and forty-seven dissections were radical en bloc procedures and in 98 a modified conservative technique was utilized. Cervical lymph node classification was applied and a comparison made of the two techniques. A review of the anatomy of cervical fascias and the technique of conservative neck dissection is given. Evaluation of this series of cases indicate that the control of local disease in the neck in the N0 and N1 groups is is accomplished as well with conservative dissection as with radical neck dissection. The number of conservative neck dissections for N2 disease was too limited for accurate comparison. There were no conservative neck dissections done for N3 disease. We suggest that conservative neck dissection be utilized for subclinical and N1 disease and that the classic en bloc dissection be reserved for N2 and N3 situations.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

PubMed2003

Treatment of hemorrhagic intracranial dissections.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the treatment options in hemorrhagic intracranial dissections. METHODS: This study involved a retrospective review of 27 patients with 29 dissections treated during a 16-year period, mainly by endovascular treatment (EVT). RESULTS: EVT was performed in the acute stage in 12 of the 29 dissections, and occlusion was performed using coils at the dissection site in six dissections and with proximal balloon occlusion in six dissections. Wrapping was performed in one case. In the remaining 16 dissections, which were not treated, mainly for anatomic reasons, three patients died, one from rebleeding. Angiographic follow-up performed in the 13 surviving patients demonstrated an initially misdiagnosed lesion in one and worsening lesions in five that led to delayed EVT in five and surgical clipping in one. One of these dissections, which was located on a dominant vertebral artery, was treated after subsequent rupture using a stent and coils to preserve the patency of the parent vessel. Four ischemic complications related to EVT resulted in a moderate disability in two patients. No rebleeding occurred after EVT, but one patient died because of a poor initial clinical status; the other patients improved. In the 10 patients treated conservatively, four died, three from a poor initial clinical status and one from rebleeding, and six patients had a good clinical outcome. Of the 27 patients, three had rebleeding and one died as a result of that rebleeding. Seventeen patients (63%) had a good recovery, six (22%) had a moderate disability, and four (15%) died. CONCLUSION: EVT provides effective protection against rebleeding. When possible, occlusion with coils at the dissection site is the current method of choice. Another option is parent artery occlusion with balloons, and the use of a stent may preserve vessel permeability in specific cases.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Traumatic dissection of the internal maxillary artery associated with isolated glossopharyngeal nerve palsy: case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Spontaneous or traumatic dissection of the internal carotid artery with resultant lower cranial nerve palsies is well documented. However, dissection of the external carotid artery with lower cranial palsies has not been reported previously. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 42-year-old man experienced an epidural hematoma as the result of a fall and underwent a craniotomy and hematoma removal. Subsequently, he developed dysgeusia and difficulty in swallowing. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a dilated linear structure, with isosignal intensity on T1-weighted images and hyperintense signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Strong enhancement was seen on postcontrast T1-weighted images, indicating a dissected internal maxillary artery. This was confirmed on selective angiography of the left common carotid artery. INTERVENTION: Guglielmi detachable coils were introduced into the false lumen of the dissected artery. Subsequently, 0.5 ml of glue mixed with Lipiodol (Lafayette Pharmacal, Lafayette, IN) was packed into the remnant of the false lumen. Repeat angiograms demonstrated complete occlusion of the dissected vessel. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and the neurological deficits gradually improved. CONCLUSION: We describe the first reported case of internal maxillary artery dissection and pseudoaneurysm presenting with isolated glossopharyngeal nerve palsy. The association between cranial nerve palsy and dissection of the external carotid artery branch may be the result of a compressive mechanism, as suggested by its anatomic relationships, the characteristics of the dissection, and the good prognosis. Endovascular embolization of the external carotid artery dissection and pseudoaneurysm is suggested as an effective therapeutic method for improving or alleviating neurological deficits produced by mass effect.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed1985

The conservation neck dissection.

This study compares the neck tumor recurrence rate between patients treated with radical neck dissection and those treated with conservation neck dissection. A standard radical neck dissection modified by sparing at least the internal jugular vein or the spinal accessory nerve is defined as a conservation dissection. Six hundred ninety-one neck dissections performed on 631 patients in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago were reviewed retrospectively. All patients had been followed postoperatively for at least 24 months. Group I consisted of 422 radical neck dissections. Group II contained 269 conservation neck dissections. We found no statistically significant difference in the rate of neck recurrence between the group of patients who underwent radical neck dissection and the group who underwent conservation neck dissection.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Clinical, diagnostic, and management perspectives of aortic dissection.

The incidence of aortic dissection ranges from 5 to 30 cases per million people per year, depending on the prevalence of risk factors in the study population. Although the disease is uncommon, its outcome is frequently fatal, and many patients with aortic dissection die before presentation to the hospital or prior to diagnosis. While pain is the most common symptom of aortic dissection, more than one-third of patients may develop a myriad of symptoms secondary to the involvement of the organ systems. Physical findings may be absent or, if present, could be suggestive of a diverse range of other conditions. Keeping a high clinical index of suspicion is mandatory for the accurate and rapid diagnosis of aortic dissection. CT scanning, MRI, and transesophageal echocardiography are all fairly accurate modalities that are used to diagnose aortic dissection, but each is fraught with certain limitations. The choice of the diagnostic modality depends, to a great extent, on the availability and expertise at the given institution. The management of aortic dissection has consisted of aggressive antihypertensive treatment, when associated with systemic hypertension, and surgery. Recently, endovascular stent placement has been used for the treatment of aortic dissection in select patient populations, but the experience is limited. The technique could be an option for patients who are poor surgical candidates, or in whom the risk of complications is gravely high, especially so in the patients with distal dissections. The clinical, diagnostic, and management perspectives on aortic dissection and its variants, aortic intramural hematoma and atherosclerotic aortic ulcer, are reviewed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Jugular neck dissection for supraglottic laryngeal carcinoma with negative clinical findings in the neck (N0)].

INTRODUCTION: Appropriate management of patients with supraglottic laryngeal carcinoma and negative findings in the neck is still controversial. A prospective and retrospective study comprised 193 patients who were treated primary surgically between 1976 and 1993. They all had clinically and ultrasound negative findings on the neck (N0). Supraglottic carcinomas usually spread regionally. Metastases develop in the jugular group, between level II-IV. The incidence of metastases has been reported to vary from 12 to 62.5%. The size and localization of the primary tumor, its histological grade, genotype of the malignant cells, immunological and other elucidated factors can all affect the incidence of regional spread. AIM: Aim of this study was to specify the incidence of occult cervical metastases; to analyze the distribution of occult metastases related to tumor localization; to specify the distribution of occult metastases related to local spread; to analyze the distribution of occult metastases according to localization in the neck. RESULTS: All patients had primary surgery of primary tumor and bilateral jugular, selective neck dissection at the level II-IV with histological examination of removed lymphoid tissue. Out of 193 patients, metastatic deposits were detected in 35 (18%). Occult metastases were found in patients with carcinoma of the epilarynx in 19% (14/72) of cases, and in 17% (21/121) patients with carcinoma of the supraglottis excluding the epilarynx. This difference in frequency is not statistically significant. The incidence of occult metastases in epilaryngeal tumors did not depend on the degree of local spread. Even relatively small tumors (T1 and T2) yielded occult metastases in 33% (5/15), and 24% (6/25) of patients, respectively. In patients with T1 tumors localized at the supraglottis, excluding the epilarynx, occult metastases were not found. In the supraglottis excluding the epilarynx increased local spread was associated an increase of occult metastases. The incidence of occult metastases was directly related to the degree of the local spread of the tumor in the supraglottis excluding the epilarynx (Table 1). Occult metastases were usually ipsilateral, like the palpable ones. In medially localized tumors bilateral metastases were possible. Ipsilateral metastases were more frequent than both bilateral and contralateral ones. The possibility of contralateral and bilateral occult metastases necessitated bilateral neck dissection. Postoperative radiotherapy (60 Gy) was given to all patients with verified occult metastases. Only in two patients (1%) of the total did metastases develop subsequently, indicating the effectiveness of planned postoperative radiotherapy. DISCUSSION: Controversies in application of jugular, selective neck dissection are present since it has been in use, because of the unclear role which regional lymph tissue play in antitumor immune response. Jugular, selective neck dissection was advocated in all patients with a primary supraglottic laryngeal carcinomas. It was suggested that selective neck dissection was needed only in advanced (T3 and T4) tumors. Selective dissection is believed to be needed only when tumor has spread into the vallecula, the base of the tongue, or the medial wall of the piriform sinus. The idea of selective neck dissection has been opposed since the protective role of the cervical lymph tissue has been stressed. Ultrasound and computerized tomography of the neck cannot detect occult metastases. Today, only removal and histological examination of the lymph tissue can determine occult metastasis. The importance of selective neck dissection is considered in diagnostic biopsy procedure by which occult metastatic spread in the neck region is established. CONCLUSION: Due to the tendency of supraglottic carcinoma resulting in occult cervical metastases, early detection is imperative in order to apply the appropriate therapy. Occult cervical metastases are usually ipsilateral, but bilateral and contralateral may be found as well. Due to the aforementioned, it is necessary to perform bilateral jugular, selective cervical dissection of the neck level II-IV with histological evidence of removed lymph tissue. When metastases is verified histologically, postoperative radiotherapy is indicated as being efficient in hampering the development of palpable metastases. Five-year survival with no evidence disease is 86% (166/193).

Adult↗

PubMed1991

A clinicopathological study of dissecting aneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery.

Five autopsied cases of dissecting aneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery are reported and the literature is reviewed to clarify the clinicopathological correlations. In an autopsy series of 110 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), the incidence of this entity was 4.5%, with all five cases progressing rapidly to death from massive SAH. Cases of intracranial vertebral dissection can be divided clearly into two groups based on the clinical and pathological features. In the first group, the dissection is confined to the vertebral artery and a massive SAH develops caused by the rupture of the arterial wall. The plane of dissection is mainly subadventitial. In the second group, brain-stem infarction develops resulting from luminal occlusion by intramural hematoma. The plane of dissection is mainly subintimal, with the dissection extending to the basilar artery. The condition in the second group affects patients at a younger age. If the lesion is localized within the vertebral artery and does not extend to the basilar artery, the disease seems not to be fatal. The clinical features of the vertebral dissection are largely determined by the plane and extension of dissection. Vertebral artery dissection is due to many causative factors including hypertension, congenital or degenerative changes in the arterial wall, and anatomical and pathological characteristics of the vertebral artery.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Coil embolization for the treatment of ruptured dissecting vertebral aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Proximal occlusion of the parent artery has been widely used for treatment of vertebral dissecting ruptured aneurysms, but this does not always completely prevent rerupture. We retrospectively studied 24 consecutive patients for clinical characteristics and/or for efficacy of occlusion with detachable coils at the site of dissection. METHODS: During a 45-month period, 24 of 242 patients with aneurysms associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage had dissecting vertebral aneurysms identified at angiography. Eighteen of the 24 patients were treated with platinum coil occlusion at the affected site as early as possible after diagnosis, two patients were treated conservatively, and four others were not eligible for treatment owing to intractable elevation of intracerebral pressure and severe brain stem dysfunction. RESULTS: The rate of aneurysmal rupture in the posterior fossa was high, at 56 (23%) of the 242 aneurysms, including 24 (10%) vertebral dissecting aneurysms. Subsequent rupture occurred in 14 (58%) of the patients, all within 24 hours after the first attack and three during transportation to the hospital. In all 18 patients, coil embolization at the affected site was successful, with no complications. Radiologic findings showed complete occlusion of the dissection site and patency of the unaffected artery (mean follow-up, 9 months). Among the six patients who did not undergo embolization, only one survived with a good outcome, the others died of repeat hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: A high rate of vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms may be expected in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, especially in those with early repeat hemorrhage. Detachable platinum coil embolization may be more effective than proximal occlusion for treatment of ruptured vertebral dissecting aneurysms because of immediate cessation of blood flow to the dissection site; however, in patients with bilateral dissections or hypoplastic contralateral vertebral arteries, prior bypass surgery orstent placement to preserve the artery will be needed.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Immunoscintigraphy of aortic dissection with 99mTc-labeled murine anti-smooth muscle myosin monoclonal antibody in rats.

UNLABELLED: Aortic dissection is among the most common of fatal conditions of the aorta. Prompt and accurate diagnosis of the site and extent of the lesion is necessary for adequate therapy. However, this catastrophic disease, characterized by extensive damage to smooth muscle cells, lacks specific signs and symptoms. As a result, the diagnosis is still frequently missed today and a new diagnostic method to specifically identify aortic dissection would be attractive. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of radioimmunoscintigraphy using 99mTc-anti-smooth muscle myosin monoclonal antibody (SM-MAb) for the noninvasive diagnosis of aortic dissection in the rat experimental model. METHODS: The accumulation of 99mTc-anti-SM-MAb was studied, and scintigraphic imaging with 99mTc-anti-SMMAb was performed in rats immediately after experimental aortic dissection and 1 and 2 wk later. RESULTS: The radioactivity of 99mTc-anti-SM-MAb in the dissected aorta showed a significant increase compared both with the normal portion of the aorta and with blood 6 h after injection of the radiotracer; the ratio of the percentage injected dose per gram (%lD/g) in the lesion to that retained in the normal portion was 4.17 +/- 1.47. Scintigraphic imaging with 99mTc-anti-SM-MAb allowed distinct visualization of the dissected aorta with specific accumulation of antibody 6 h after tracer injection. Selective accumulation of the tracer in the dissected portion of the aorta persisted even 1 wk after aortic injury, allowing clear visualization of the dissected lesion by scintigraphy. CONCLUSION: Radioimmunoscintigraphy using anti-SM-MAb is a potentially useful noninvasive diagnostic method for imaging aortic dissection.

Aortic Dissection↗

PubMed2002

Experimental model of dissecting aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The pathogenesis and optimal treatment for arterial dissection are still unclear. We devised an experimental model of arterial dissection and observed the morphologic changes with angiography. METHODS: Sixty-four experimental dissections were created in the common carotid arteries of 34 mongrel dogs. After a small incision was made in the arterial adventitia, it was dissected from the media. Elliptical defects (2, 4, 6, and 8 mm in groups I-A, I-B, I-C, and I-D, respectively; n = 47) or longitudinal incisions (4, 6, and 8 mm in groups II-A, II-B, and II-C, respectively; n = 17) were made in the intima distal to the adventitial incision to serve as an entry zone for dissection. RESULTS: Immediately after the lesions were created, the influx of blood into the dissected cavity produced massive subadventitial hematomas, resulting in stenotic changes in all of the arteries, including seven with occlusion. Follow-up (1-week) angiograms demonstrated complete healing, with normal arterial calibers in 11 (79%) of 14 I-A lesions and aneurysm formation in nine (69%) of 13 I-B lesions. All 10 I-D lesions had complete arterial occlusion. Persistent stenosis was observed in all 10 I-C lesions; six of these developed aneurysms. Pathologic examination of the freshly dissected cavities revealed a clot-filled cleft between the media and adventitia. Mature aneurysms, evaluated 3 mo later, had endothelialization within the aneurysmal dome. CONCLUSION: Morphologic changes after arterial dissection are closely related to the size of the intimal entry zone, which may determine whether a dissecting aneurysm forms.

Aortic Dissection↗

PubMed2002

Dissected aortic sinuses repaired with gelatin-resorcin-formaldehyde (GRF) glue are not stable on follow up.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The chemical glue, gelatin, resorcin and formaldehyde (GRF) is widely used to obliterate the false lumen of acute dissected aortic wall tissue. METHODS: A retrospective review of 41 consecutive patients operated upon for ascending aortic dissection between 1993 and 2000 was conducted. This study focused on 19 patients with acute aortic dissection in whom the aortic valve was resuspended and GRF glue used in the proximal aortic sinuses. These patients were compared with ascending aortic dissection patients in whom the aortic valve was not resuspended. In total, nine acute and 13 chronic dissections were performed in which aortic valve replacement, valve-sparing root reconstruction (without GRF glue), or no aortic valve surgery was carried out. RESULTS: The operative mortality for ascending aortic dissections was 24.4%; identified risk factors included the specific surgeon involved. Third-degree heart block occurred only in patients in whom GRF glue was used in the proximal aortic sinus (15% incidence). Operative survivors in whom the aortic valve was resuspended and GRF glue used in the proximal aortic sinus, had a 64% incidence of late recurrent aortic regurgitation requiring reoperation due to recurrent aortic sinus aneurysm formation with or without recurrent proximal aortic dissection. No recurrence of aortic regurgitation or proximal disease occurred in the other two groups (p <0.01). Actuarial survival of patients in whom the aortic valve was resuspended with GRF glue was 52.1+/-11.6% at five years and 27.8+/-14.3% at eight years, compared with 55.6+/-16.6% at five years if the aortic valve was not resuspended using GRF glue. CONCLUSION: The use of GRF glue to repair acute dissected aortic sinuses combined with the resuspension of the aortic valve is associated with an unacceptable incidence of failure of aortic valve repair and recurrence of aortic regurgitation. It may be more appropriate to resect all acute dissected aortic sinus tissue.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1992

[Surgical therapy of thoracic aortic dissection].

Considerable surgical progress of treating aortic dissection has been achieved during the past decade. The emergency indication for acute dissection of the ascending aorta (type A according to the Stanford classification) is unquestioned while surgical treatment for acute dissection of the descending aorta (type B dissection) is mainly reserved for complicated cases. The major complication of acute operations--fatal hemorrhage from the suture line and secondary multi-organ failure--have been successfully reduced by a progress of cardiopulmonary bypass techniques, the introduction of cold cardioplegic myocardial protection, the development of modern suture materials and glues and last not least by a continuous intensive monitoring. Especially the introduction of the so-called french glue safely enabled both the closure of the false lumen as well as the strong reinforcement of the diseased aortic wall and seems to offer a reliable alternative to the application of multi-layered teflon strips. Since the principle of all reconstructive approaches in case of dissection consists of closure of dissected layers and the limited replacement of the segment that is susceptible to a rupture the exact readaptation and reinforcement of the diseased aortic wall represents a fundamental operative step. In type A operations the supracoronary aortic prosthetic replacement or the combined replacement of ascending aorta plus aortic valve followed by the reattachment of coronary arteries has become the standard operative technique. In fact, independently from the location of the primary intimal tear the operation has been traditionally limited to replace the ascending aorta in order to remove an aortic segment that is most likely to rupture. Yet an increasing number of follow-up investigations has demonstrated recurrence of dissection or an aneurysmatical dilatation of the false lumen in about 20% of patients treated with ascending aortic replacement. Consequently, repair of the aortic transverse arch and the radical elimination of the intimal entry is now favoured by an increasing number of surgeons. In addition to these various perioperative and intraoperative adjuncts the introduction of new imaging techniques, especially computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and transesophageal echocardiography allowed to establish adequate therapeutical concepts on a more rational basis. Transesophageal echocardiography as a mobile diagnostic device enables investigators to perform a bed-side dynamic visualization of both the location and extent of a dissection, the evaluation of ventricular performance and aortic competence. Treatment of acute type B dissection is mainly conservative unless complications like intractable pain, aneurysmatic enlargement of the false lumen, ischemia of visceral organs or even rupture occur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

PubMed2004

[Soluble elastin fragments in serum are elevated in aortic dissection].

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to establish an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring soluble elastin fragments (sELAF) in serum and to reveal its usefulness in diagnosing acute aortic dissection. BACKGROUND: Acute aortic dissection is a life-threatening disease of the aorta. However, the diagnosis is still frequently missed, especially at onset. The establishment and clinical availability of simplified laboratory test(s) to help diagnose and screen acute aortic dissection patients is therefore urgently needed. METHODS AND RESULTS: An ELISA to measure sELAF in serum was developed using the newly created double monoclonal antibodies which recognize the different epitopes of human aortic elastin. Twenty-five acute aortic dissection patients, 50 patients with acute myocardial infarction, and 474 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. The sELAF levels from healthy subjects gradually increased with aging. When the cutoff point for positivity was set at the mean + 3SD above the mean of those in healthy subjects at each age, 16 acute aortic dissection patients (64.0%) were found to be positive, while only one acute myocardial infarction patient was positive (2.0%). Acute aortic dissection patients with either an open or a partially open pseudolumen were found to be 88.9% positive for sELAF, while those with its early closure was 0% positive. The difference in the sELAF levels between acute aortic dissection patients with and without a thrombotic closure of false lumen was significant (60.3 +/- 15.6 vs 135.4 +/- 53.2 ng/ml, p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The sELAF level in serum may be a useful marker for helping both diagnose and screen acute aortic dissection, while also helping distinguish acute aortic dissection from acute myocardial infarction.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2005

[The application of modified classification of the aortic dissection].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the indication, optimal operative procedures, plan and the estimation of the prognosis depending on the subtype of aortic dissection defined by the extension and extent of dissection. METHODS: The outcome of 708 patients with aortic dissection between January 1994 and December 2004 was analyzed. Among them 477 patients suffered from Stanford type A aortic dissection were treated. Type A dissection can be classified into 3 subtypes based on the pathological change of the aortic root. Type A1 (No pathological change type): 212 patients underwent ascending aorta replacements; Type A2 (mild pathological change type): 63 patients underwent ascending aortic replacement with concomitant aortic valve and valsalva sinus plasty and David procedure was performed in 9 patients; Type A3 (severe pathological change type): 193 patients underwent Bentall procedure. The method of aortic arch repair was determined by the pathological type of distal aorta. Total aortic arch replacement was performed in 78 patients with complex type (type C). There hundred and ninety-nine patients with simple type (type S) underwent partial aortic arch replacement. 231 patients suffered from Stanford type B aortic dissection. Type B dissection can be classified into 3 subtypes based on dilated extension of proximal descending aorta. Type B1 (no dilation was confined in the proximal of thoracic descending aorta): endoluminal stent graft repair was performed in 103 patients. Replacement of the partial proximal thoracic descending aorta and replacement combined with stented elephant trunk procedure were performed in 32 and 12 patients respectively; Type B2 (aneurysm in thoracic descending aorta): 32 patients underwent the part proximal thoracic descending aorta replacement combined with aorta plasty. 21 patients underwent the replacement of entire thoracic descending aorta; Type B3 (aneurysm in thoracic descending and abdominal aorta): thoracoabdominal aortic replacement was operated in 31 patients with deep hypothermia circulatory arrest; Type BC (complex type): 44 patients were performed the operation with the use of deep hypothermia circulatory arrest because their left subclavian arteries or distal aortic arch were affected by the dissection; Type BS (simple type): 103 patients were underwent endoluminal stent graft repair. In the 60 patients, the operations were performed by using the technique which preserved blood was transfused back by pump via the femoral artery. Femoro-femoral bypass was performed in 24 patients. RESULTS: Type A: the operative mortality was 4.6% (27/477), and the hospital morbidity was 14.5% (69/477). Type B: the hospital mortality of endoluminal stent graft repair was 1.9% (2/103). 9.7% (10/103) had mild leakage from proximal communications. The morbidity was 2.9% (3/103) in stent group. The mortality was 3.1% (4/128), and the hospital morbidity was 18.8% (24/128) in the operative group. CONCLUSION: The subtype of aortic dissection is much useful in determining the optimal procedure, operative indication and plan, estimating the prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Operative treatment of aortic dissections. Experience with 125 patients over a sixteen-year period.

An unselected, consecutive cohort of 125 patients underwent operative repair of acute and chronic aortic dissections with tubular graft interposition over a 16 year span. The absence of remote geographical referral biases and the unselected nature of this series provided a patient population that was representative of the disease process (as assessed heretofore only from autopsy series). Furthermore, this enabled high-risk subsets to be defined by retrospective analysis. Patients were classified according to whether the ascending aorta was involved (type A with involvement, type B without), irrespective of the site of intimal tear, and according to age of the dissection: Fifty-three patients had acute type A (Ac-A), 29 had chronic type A (Ch-A), 20 had acute type B (Ac-B), and 23 had chronic type B (Ch-B) dissections. Fourteen percent (17/125) of the dissections had ruptured. Concomitant aortic valve replacement (AVR) was performed in 11% (6/53) for Ac-A cases and 38% (11/29) of the Ch-A cases. A total of 391 patient-years of follow-up was analyzed; follow-up averaged 4.5 years and extended to 13.7 years. Over-all operative mortality rate was 34% (18/53) for Ac-A, 14% (4/29) for Ch-A, 45% (9/20) for Ac-B, and 22% (5/23) for Ch-B; during the most recent 5 year interval these figures were lower: 27%, 8%, 20%, and 20%, respectively, N = 50. Multiple preoperative variables were found to correlate significantly with both operative death and long-term survival. Operative survivors generally experienced satisfactory functional benefit. Late attrition averaged 8% per year; 61% of all late deaths were related to cardiac or cerebral causes. Over-all actuarial survival (+/- SEM) for the entire cohort was 54% +/- 5% at 5 years and 26% +/- 7% at 10 years; for the 89 patients surviving operation, these figures were 76% +/- 5% and 37% +/- 10%, respectively. No significant differences in long-term survival were evident between the different subgroups. Whether the primary intimal tear had been resected or concomitant AVR had been performed had no statistically significant bearing on operative mortality, functional result, necessity for late reoperation, or late attrition. The long-term "natural" history of surgically treated patients with aortic dissections, as defined in this study, should facilitate comparison with other treatment modalities. Results of the present analysis support immediate operative intervention for patients with Ac-A dissections and probably for those with Ac-B dissections. Additionally, surgical treatment of patients with symptomatic or enlarging Ch-A and Ch-B dissections provides satisfactory rehabilitation and long-term survival. Finally, we re-emphasize our recommendation for simplified classification of aortic dissections, based solely upon the presence or absence of ascending aortic involvement. Pathophysiology and expected biologic behavior pivot on this feature, and appropriate clinical strategy can thereby be defined.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Spontaneous cervical cephalic arterial dissection and its residuum: angiographic spectrum.

Cervical cephalic dissections are uncommon acute disruptions of the arterial wall occurring predominantly in middle-aged women. Clinically, most patients present with unilateral headache, oculosympathetic palsy, or ischemic neurologic symptoms. Usually, a single internal carotid artery, predominantly the right, is affected, but simultaneous multivessel dissections are evident in about one-third of patients. Angiographically, the appearance of the dissection varies, depending on its severity, extent, and the interval between onset and angiography. In the patients reported, the disruption was manifested initially by eccentric tapered stenosis in 47%, tapered stenosis and a dissecting aneurysm in 28%, occlusion in 18%, or a dissecting aneurysm alone in 7%. Subsequently, stenotic dissections resolved in 60%, improved in 20%, and progressed in 15%, while dissecting aneurysms diminished in half and resolved in one-fourth of patients. An angiographic residuum, temporally remote to its onset, was evident in 25% of dissections. Hence, carotid arterial dissections tend to resolve, sometimes progress, but seldom recur.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A case of dissection of intracranial cerebral arteries with segmental mediolytic "arteritis".

The intravital diagnosis of intracranial arterial dissection is not always possible due to atypic and non-specific clinical and radiological presentations. The postmortem pathological examination of cerebral blood vessels is therefore necessary to establish or confirm the presence of a dissecting aneurysm of intracranial arteries. Most of the described cases showed no significant underlying vascular pathology. Here we present the case of a 24-year-old women who died 5 days after admission to the hospital for a rapidly developing right-sided hemisyndrome. Neuroradiological examination had revealed ill-defined bifrontal hypodense lesions and angiographic findings were compatible with a dissection of the left extracranial internal carotid artery with embolic subocclusion of both anterior cerebral arteries. The pathological evaluation ruled out a thromboembolic occlusion of cerebral arteries and an extracranial internal carotid artery dissection but showed an extended dissecting process of variable age in the anterior circulation of the circle of Willis. The dissected vessels showed pathological changes characteristic of segmental mediolytic "arteritis" [Slavin and Gonzalez-Vitale 1976]. To our knowledge this is the first report on intracranial arteries being affected by this pathologic entity. Our case illustrates the importance of a postmortem examination of dissecting aneurysms of intracranial arteries. Careful serial section studies of dissected intracranial arteries in young subjects should be performed and may allow for a better understanding of the vascular pathology underlying the dissection processus.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Randomized trial of partial zona dissection for male infertility.

OBJECTIVES: To compare IVF rates using partial zona dissection versus zona intact insemination in couples with male infertility. To analyze pregnancy rates relative to sperm characteristics, fertilization rates, and treatment. DESIGN: Randomized prospective comparison of fertilization in sibling oocytes. Transfer of the three best quality embryos from one or both treatments. SETTING: Department of Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-two couples undergoing IVF with a principal diagnosis of male infertility. INTERVENTION: Treatment with partial zona dissection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fertilization and pregnancy. RESULTS: Fertilization rates were 26% and 9% after partial zona dissection and IVF, respectively. Polyspermy was < 1% in each treatment. There were five singleton pregnancies in 29 completed cycles, three in cycles with fertilization only by partial zona dissection and two in cycles with both partial zona dissection and IVF fertilization. There were no pregnancies after fertilization by IVF only. Stepwise logistic regression analysis indicated that pregnancy was related to partial zona dissection, initial sperm concentration, and total acrosin activity. CONCLUSION: Partial zona dissection was associated with minimal polyspermic fertilization and higher normal fertilization rates than sibling oocytes treated by modified IVF. Pregnancy occurred only after transfer of embryos from partial zona dissection or combined partial zona dissection and IVF.

Adult↗