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Congenital absence or hypoplasia of the carotid artery: radioclinical issues.

PURPOSE: Congenital anomaly of the carotid artery is a rare abnormality. It is usually discovered incidentally by color Doppler carotid sonography, angiography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and neck taken for some other reason. Most patients are not symptomatic because of sufficient cerebral circulation supplied to the defective area by the communicating arteries of the circle of Willis, intercavernous anastomosis, communicating arteries from external carotid artery, and by persistent embryologic arteries to the carotid artery territory. However, sometimes, this anatomic variation may eventually lead to some clinical signs and symptoms in particular circumstances in the head and neck of which surgeons are unaware. A retrospective study was designed to emphasize the characteristic radiologic and clinical picture in patients with the congenital absence (agenesis and aplasia) or hypoplasia of the carotid artery, to delineate the associated abnormalities and existing collateral vessels, and to find out its incidence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five thousand one hundred cerebral MRI and/or catheter angiograms performed between February 1988 and March 2002 were reviewed for carotid artery abnormality. RESULTS: Seven patients with congenital absence or hypoplasia (4 of these patients were presented with hypoplasia of internal carotid artery [ICA], 3 with absence of ICA) of ICA were identified (0.13%). The radiologic and clinical study of 5 patients with unilateral (3 of these patients were presented with hypoplasia and 2 with absence of ICA) and 2 patients with bilateral (1 was presented with absence of ICA, whereas the other was hypoplasia) congenital abnormality with absence or hypoplasia of ICA demonstrate that those patients are usually asymptomatic and they are diagnosed incidentally. CONCLUSION: It has been concluded that the combined use of magnetic resonance angiography and CT scanning of the skull base may disclose small but patent ICA. Collateral vessels seem to be usual in such cases, but they may be prominent in cases of acquired vascular occlusion, or increased hemodynamic pressure in dysplastic changes in collateral arteries are known causes of aneurysms. The main vascular supply for the brain in patients with congenitally small (hypoplasia) or absent (agenesis or aplasia) ICA is the vertebrobasilar system in bilateral cases. However, contralateral carotid vessel is the dominant arterial supply for unilateral cases, which has to be borne in mind in surgical interventions to the involved side.

Adolescent↗

Revisited anatomy of the recurrent laryngeal nerves.

BACKGROUND: The most frequent postthyroidectomy complication is recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) damage with subsequent vocal cord palsy. METHODS: We have undertaken an intraoperative study aimed to determine the course, distribution, and RLN's anatomical relationships with adjacent structures. Only its identification and its careful exposure allow prevention of iatrogenic injuries. RESULTS: The RLN was always routinely exposed and identified in 1,543 thyroidectomies. All patients underwent laryngoscopic evaluation before surgery and at the time of discharge. A total of 2,626 RLN were observed. The number of nerves exposed to risk was 673 (25.6%). In the whole series, of 2626 nerves controlled, there were 11 (0.4%) permanent palsies. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that damage to the RLN or to one of its branches may be avoided only by identification and careful exposure of the nerve itself. An experienced surgeon with good knowledge of the anatomy of the RLN and its anatomical variations is required for uncomplicated treatment of thyroid disease.

Adolescent↗

Axillary lymph node count is lower after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Retrieval of fewer than 10 lymph nodes at axillary dissection (ALND) for breast cancer can represent anatomic variation or inadequate dissection. We postulated that despite aggressive ALND, a lower lymph node count is more frequent after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by ALND were compared with patients who received surgery first. All patients received a level I and II ALND at a single institution by one of the breast surgeons. The number of nodes retrieved at ALND was dichotomized into categories (< 10 and > or = 10), and compared using Fisher exact test. RESULTS: A total of 143 neoadjuvant and 170 surgery-first patients were studied. Patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy were significantly more likely to have fewer than 10 lymph nodes retrieved at ALND than were the surgery-first patients (19/143 or 13% vs. 6/170 or 4%, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: A low lymph node count is more common in patients after treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and should not be assumed to represent an incomplete ALND.

Adult↗

[Resection of the retroportal pancreatic lamina during a cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy: first dissection of the superior mesenteric artery].

We report a modification of the standard resection of the retroportal pancreatic lamina during pancreaticoduodenectomy. The resection begins with the dissection of the origin of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) above the left renal vein and a step-by-step section of the retroportal pancreatic lamina on the right side of the SMA, then the pancreatic head is retracted to the left and freed from the portal vein, and lastly the neck of the pancreas is transected. This technique allows a total lymph node clearance, secures the dissection of the SMA, and allows safe identification of anatomic variations like a replaced right hepatic artery originating from the SMA.

Contraindications↗

[Aneurysm of the splenic artery arising from the superior mesenteric artery: therapeutic management].

A 36-year-old male patient presented with a 3 cm aneurysm of the proximal splenic artery, which originated from the superior mesenteric artery. A surgical management was decided. Exposure of the superior mesenteric artery by a Kocher manoeuvre allowed a safe control of the proximal superior mesenteric artery and the ligation of the aneurysm. Splenic preservation was possible and the postoperative course was uneventful. The aneurysm localization on an anatomical variation of the splenic artery has modified the therapeutic strategy.

Adult↗

Hyperaeration of the frontal sinus.

The nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses constitute an anatomical and functional unit. Paranasal sinuses communicate with the nasal cavities, which are covered by the same mucosa, via small openings and narrow ducts that allow both aeration and sinus drainage. Anatomical variations of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity are important in sinus diseases. Computerized tomography (CT) plays a critical role in evaluation of the patients with paranasal sinus pathology and variations. A 38-year-old man admitted to our clinic with headache and postnasal dripping for 1 year. His paranasal CT scanning revealed that there is hyperaeration of the frontal sinus which is in continuity with the sphenoid sinus. Hyperaeration of the sinuses may be kept in mind in a patient complaining of headache.

Adult↗

[Continuous lumbar plexus block sets in France. Our experience].

The undeniable postoperative analgesia brought by the lumbar plexus block among patients scheduled for major surgery of the hip or knee justifies, the setting of a catheter to allow a continues analgesia more durable. Having drawn aside the difficulties of the daily practice (in allusion to the number of blocks carried out per day) and anatomical variations, the failure of the perineural catheter setting is in direct relationship with the material used by the anaesthesiologists for neurostimulation. The presentation of a case report describes a failure of catheter introduction due to the canula in deep continuous blocks, and the advantages and disadvantages of the various sets of neurostimulation. The authors conclude that the sets with the "catheter through the needle" are to be recommended, particularly the stimulating Tuohy needle.

Aged↗

[Transforaminal epidural steroid injection and paraplegia: case report and bibliographic review].

OBJECTIVES: We report a patient in whom paraplegia developed following transforaminal epidural injection of a corticosteroid and discuss the physiopathology of this complication, based on a literature survey. CASE REPORT: A 40-year-old man presented with low-back pain and symptoms of L4 radiculopathy due to degenerative disc herniation resistant to conventional medical treatment. Computed tomography revealed posterolateral L4-L5 disc protrusion. A dosage of 125 mg of hydrocortisone was given by epidural transforaminal L4-L5 left injection under radioscopy guidance. Within minutes following the injection, intense pain developed in both legs, with T12 complete paraplegia. Emergency magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 2 hours later did not reveal spinal cord abnormalities. The patient underwent immediate surgery consisting of excising the protruding disc and extensive L3-L5 laminectomy. MRI performed 3 months later did not reveal medullar abnormalities. Six months later, the patient continued to show slow neurologic improvement, permitting him to walk with crutches and to stop intermittent self-catheterisation. DISCUSSION: The occurrence of paraplegia following epidural transforaminal injection of corticosteroids is a rare complication. To our knowledge, only 5 similar cases have been described. Most of the authors proposed that the mechanism of this complication is ischemia of the terminal cone due to accidental suppression of medullary blood supply. Direct lesion of a medullar artery, arterial spasm, or corticosteroid-induced occlusion due to undetected intra-arterial injection could lead to this medullar infarction. Anatomical variations of the path followed by the Adamkievicz artery strongly support this hypothesis.

Adult↗

Renal arteriographic data of young male patients with suspected renovascular hypertension.

The aim of the study was to determine whether the anatomical variant in which one or more renal vessels arose from the aorta was associated with hypertension in young male patients. We investigated the renal arteriographic data of 73 young male patients (age: 27.4 +/- 7.4, blood pressure: 162.7 +/- 17.5/104.6 +/- 10.1 mmHg) with grade-II hypertension. All studied patients underwent angiography to exclude renal artery stenosis. The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of their renal angiograms. We determined no abnormal findings in 33 renal arteriograms (45.2%). Twenty three (31.5%) patients had an additional renal artery without renal artery stenosis or renal anatomical variations. In conclusion, although the significance of this form of hypertension is still largely obscure, we believe that the presence of additional renal arteries may be associated with hypertension.

Adult↗

Anatomic localization of the popliteal artery at the level of the knee joint: a magnetic resonance imaging study.

PURPOSE: The anatomic localization of the popliteal artery in the mediolateral plane at the level of the joint line was investigated on axial knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to study anatomic variations. METHODS: The transverse and central axes were described on axial MRI scans of 334 knees. The distance between the popliteal artery and central axis was measured; the course of the central axis bisected the posterior cruciate ligament in almost all of the cases. The differences in popliteal artery localization according to sex and side were analyzed. RESULTS: Whereas popliteal artery localization was lateral to the central axis in 94.3% of cases, it was on the central axis in 5.7%. The popliteal artery localization was not seen on the medial side of the central axis. There was no significant effect of sex and side. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic surgeons performing posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction or interventions on the posterior horns of the menisci should bear in mind that the risk of arterial complication may be greater for cases having the popliteal artery on the central axis. In conclusion, preoperative evaluation of the popliteal artery with MR axial scans, especially in pericapsular arthroscopic procedures, may prevent popliteal artery injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic study of nonconsecutive patients.

Adolescent↗

Minimally invasive surgical alternatives for left ventricle epicardial lead implantation in heart failure patients.

Biventricular pacing is a proven advantageous adjuvant therapy for patients with ventricular dyssynchrony associated with congestive heart failure. Endocardial left ventricular lead placement does have several limitations: anatomic variations of the coronary venous system and late lead dislodgement. Epicardial lead placement is often a rescue procedure but offers some advantages related to safety and a shorter implant time. Moreover, it allows visual selection of the best pacing site and multiplicity of pacing sites. Three minimally invasive surgical methods of left ventricular lead placement are outlined in this article, including specific indications and limitations. Biventricular pacing has been proposed as an adjuvant treatment for patients with heart failure and intraventricular conduction delay.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

Troubleshooting video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy.

PURPOSE: Surgeons converting their open lobectomy skills to video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) techniques have sought traditional technical courses, publications, and physician mentoring. While these are useful in teaching basic principles, it is more difficult to promulgate the numerous advanced techniques or technical "tricks" that deal with anatomical variations or pathologic changes in the lung tissue. DESCRIPTION: Engineers have simplified the process of rolling out complex technology by using troubleshooting guides. Accordingly, helpful video-assisted lobectomy maneuvers have been categorized according to the specific problems occasionally encountered at different points in the operation. EVALUATION: These maneuvers were compiled and reviewed by a panel of thoracic surgeons experienced in video-assisted lobectomies and have been active in teaching and mentoring of thoracic surgeons, residents and fellows. The techniques described have been used successfully by the authors to overcome exposure and instrumentation limitations, to achieve the outcomes reported in their series, and to guide trainees. CONCLUSIONS: Troubleshooting guides offer an organized means for surgeons to improve the parts of the video-assisted lobectomy procedure that they find tedious or challenging.

Humans↗

Right pulmonary artery to left atrium communication.

This is a collective review of 59 published cases of right pulmonary artery to left atrium communication in the English-language literature. In this article, we review the literature on the clinical presentation, anatomic variations, diagnostic features, and management considerations of previously reported cases. Two-dimensional echocardiography and cardiac catheterization including selective angiography provided the necessary diagnostic information and defined the anatomy before surgery in all patients. Various management options including medical, surgical, and transcatheter closure have been reported. The lesions have been classified into four types (I, II, III, and IV) that have a bearing on the appropriate surgical approach and techniques of repair that are discussed in the text. Use of extracorporeal circulation may be considered in selected instances. The operative mortality rate during the earlier era (1950 to 1979) was high, at 22%. More recently, the mortality rate has approached zero. An individualized surgical approach depending on the type of surgical connections is recommended.

Adolescent↗

Surgical anatomy of the accessory phrenic nerve.

BACKGROUND: Reports place the frequency of phrenic nerve injury after cardiac operations between 10% and 85%, emphasizing the importance of an accurate anatomic description of the diaphragm's innervating nerves to reduce iatrogenic injury, length of hospitalization, and associated costs. The aim of our study was to explore the anatomic variations of the accessory phrenic nerve and relate these findings to phrenic nerve injury. METHODS: Eighty adult formalin-fixed cadavers were dissected, resulting in 160 nerve specimens. Fifty nerve specimens were also examined laparoscopically with findings later confirmed through gross dissection. All nerves contributing to the phrenic nerve after crossing the anterior scalene were considered to be accessory phrenic nerves. RESULTS: The phrenic nerve was present in all specimens, and 99 (61.8%) also had an accessory phrenic nerve. The accessory phrenic nerve arose from the nerve to subclavius in 60 specimens (60.6%), ansa cervicalis in 12 (12.1%), and nerve to sternohyoid in 7 (7%). The accessory phrenic nerve joined with the phrenic nerve in the thorax anterior to the subclavian vein in 45 (45.5%) specimens and posterior in 17 (22.2%). A phrenic-accessory phrenic nerve loop was found around the subclavian vein in 45 (35 on the right, 10 on the left) specimens and around the internal thoracic artery in 38 (31 on the right, 7 on the left). CONCLUSIONS: To reduce injuries to the diaphragm, the presence of an accessory phrenic nerve should be considered before mobilization and skeletonization of the internal thoracic artery above the second rib.

Adult↗

Neuroanatomical and behavioral asymmetry in an adult compensated dyslexic.

Individual differences in cortical anatomy are readily observable, but their functional significance for behaviors such as reading is not well understood. Here, we report a case of an apparent compensated dyslexic who had attained high achievement in visuospatial mathematics. Data from a detailed background interview, psychometric testing, divided visual field tasks measuring basic word recognition (word naming, nonword naming, and lexical decision), and more controlled word retrieval (verb, category, and rhyme generation), and measurements of his atypical brain structure are described. The findings suggested that enhanced "top-down" processing could provide the means to compensate for deficient "bottom-up" word decoding skills in this case. Relative to controls, this individual also evidenced unusually large asymmetries on several divided visual field lexical tasks, an extreme leftward asymmetry of the planum temporale, and a rare form of Sylvian fissure morphology (Steinmetz type 4, [Steinmetz, H., Ebeling, U., Huang, Y., & Kahn, T. (1990). Sulcus topography of the parietal opercular region: An anatomic and MR study. Brain and Language, 38, 515-533.]). We suggest that certain forms of brain organization may be associated with successful behavioral compensation for dyslexia, and that anatomical variations in the right hemisphere may be important contributors to individual differences in reading acquisition and achievement.

Adult↗

Preoperative planning of deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap reconstruction with multislice-CT angiography: imaging findings and initial experience.

BACKGROUND: Autologous breast reconstruction with abdominal tissue is one of the best options after mastectomy. Reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEAP) flaps requires a precise location and preoperative evaluation of perforating vessels. The objective of this report is to demonstrate the usefulness of multislice-CT (MSCT) angiography for preoperative planning in patients undergoing DIEAP flap reconstruction. METHODS: Six consecutive women were considered for breast reconstruction with DIEAP flaps after previous mastectomy for breast cancer. Preoperative MSCT angiography was performed to localise the arterial perforators. Axial images, multiplanar reconstructions (MPR) and 3D volume-rendered images were analysed. Findings were correlated with surgery. Initial experience and imaging findings will be described. RESULTS: Accurate identification of the main perforators was achieved in all six patients with a very satisfactory concordance between MSCT angiography and surgical findings. No unreported vessels were found. Location, course, anatomical variations and relations of the superficial inferior epigastric artery were reported. The very small perforators, were equally evaluated and described. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative evaluation of perforator arteries with MSCT angiography is feasible in patients undergoing breast reconstruction. This technique provides a noninvasive global approach of the vascular anatomy and the entire anterior abdominal wall. However, more patients need to be evaluated in order to clarify the potential aspects pointed in this report.

Adult↗

Linburg-Comstock anomaly in musicians.

Anomalous tendon connections from the flexor pollicis longus to the index finger flexor digitorum profundus cause lack of independent excursion of the flexor pollicis longus, first described in 1979 by Linburg-Comstock. This anatomical variation is potentially problematic for musicians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of this anomaly in musicians and to operate on the symptomatic patients with a limited incision with the help of magnetic resonance imaging. We studied the incidence of the anomaly among 136 musician volunteers. A lower incidence rate of the anomaly was determined in this study. One of the symptomatic musicians was operated on and the tendinous connection was excised. Clinical examination of 136 volunteers suggested that the anomaly was present in 13% of the volunteers; unilateral in 9% and bilateral in 4%. Follow-up of the patient who was operated on revealed full pain-free function without any complaint. Surgical treatment although rarely necessary, is simple and effective.

Adult↗