Rupture of an aneurysm in a patient suffering from neurofibromatosis is a rare though documented complication. Presented here is the case of a 33-year-old woman with known neurofibromatosis who underwent repair of a symptomatic popliteal aneurysm. The presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment are discussed, and the literature is reviewed on this rare entity.

Antiphospholipid syndrome is accepted as one of the most important causes of hypercoagulable states. Thrombotic events in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome, predominantly women, occur at a younger age than in those suffering from atherosclerotic disease. The majority of the thrombotic events affect the deep venous system of the lower limbs and arterial thrombosis predominates in the cerebral territory. The use of anticoagulant therapy prevents recurrent thrombosis but the duration and intensity of treatment remain controversial. Aortic disease is an anecdotal fact in the literature. A case of infrarenal aortic occlusion involving both iliac arteries associated with primary antiphospholipid syndrome is presented.

Carotid plaque inflammation assessed by 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) levels are higher in symptomatic patients. The aim of this study was to assess correlations between 18F-FDG uptake on PET scan of carotid artery plaques, plasma levels of Lp-PLA2, and cerebrovascular symptoms. The study included 45 consecutive patients (22 symptomatic, 23 asymptomatic) with >70% carotid stenosis. Patients were examined by hybrid PET/CT, and maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) were recorded. Blood samples were obtained, and plasma was stored at −80 °C for subsequent Lp-PLA2 analysis. Symptomatic and asymptomatic patients showed no significant difference in classical cardiovascular risk factors. Asymptomatic carotid stenosis patients more frequently had a history of coronary artery disease ( P = .025) and peripheral artery disease ( P = .012). The symptomatic group had higher 18F-FDG uptake in carotid plaques ( P < .001), higher plasma Lp-PLA2 ( P < .01), and higher high-sensitive C-reactive protein ( P = .022). 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose uptake on PET/CT and plasma Lp-PLA2 show a statistically significant association with the symptomatic status of carotid plaques.

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