Contrast carotid ultrasonography may allow the identification of microvessels with neoangiogenesis at the base of carotid plaques, and differentiate symptomatic from asymptomatic plaques.

Of 48 consecutive children with Gartland III supracondylar fractures, 11 (23%) had evidence of vascular injury, with an absent radial pulse. The hand was pink and warm in eight and white and cold in the other three patients. They underwent colour-coded duplex scanning (CCDS) and ultrasound velocimetry (UV) to investigate the patency of the brachial artery and arterial blood flow. In seven patients with a pink pulseless hand, CCDS showed a displaced, kinked and spastic brachial artery and a thrombosis was present in the other. In all cases UV showed reduced blood flow in the hand. In three patients with a white pulseless hand, scanning demonstrated a laceration in the brachial artery and /or thrombosis. In all cases, the fracture was reduced under general anaesthesia and fixed with Kirschner wires. Of the seven patients with a pink pulseless hand without thrombosis, the radial pulse returned after reduction in four cases. The remaining three underwent exploration, along with the patients with laceration in the brachial artery and/or thrombosis.We believe that the traditional strategy of watchful waiting in children, in whom the radial pulse remains absent in spite of good peripheral perfusion should be revisited. Vascular investigation using these non-invasive techniques that are quick and reliable is recommended in the management of these patients. In displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children, the incidence of an absent radial pulse, indicating a brachial artery injury, ranges from 2.6% to 20%.

Study Aim. Evaluation of results in blunt injury of the thoracic aorta (BAI) endovascular treatment. Materials and Methods. Sixteen patients were treated for BAI. Thirteen patients had associated polytrauma, 4 of these had a serious hypotensive status and 4 had an hemothorax. In the remaining 3, two had a post-traumatic false aneurysm of the isthmus and 1 had a segmental dissection. In those 13 patients a periaortic hematoma was associated to hemothorax in 4. All patients were submitted to an endovascular treatment, in two cases the subclavian artery ostium was intentionally covered. Results. One patient died for disseminated intravascular coagulation. No paraplegia was recorded. No ischemic complications were observed. A type I endoleak was treated by an adjunctive cuff. During the followup (1–9 years) 3 patients were lost. A good patency and no endoleaks were observed in all cases. One infolding and 1 migration of the endografts were corrected by an adjunctive cuff. Conclusion. The medium and long term results of the endovascular treatment of BAI are encouraging with a low incidence rate of mortality and complications. More suitable endo-suite and endografts could be a crucial point for the further improvement of these results.

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