The results showed CEUS imaging is a fast, noninvasive, reliable, and valid alternative to multislice CTA for endoleak detection in endovascular aortic stent graft patients, and is superior to unenhanced US imaging. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging should be performed using a recommended contrast medium dose of 2.4 mL.

The knowledge of the type of anatomical variants and their subtypes is fundamental for a correct pre-operative vascular planning in surgical or radiological abdominal procedures. Multidetector-row CT (MDCT) provides high-quality 3D-reconstructed images and allows non-invasive assessment of normal anatomy and anatomic variants of celiac trunk.

Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms through the placement of aortic stent-grafts has now become a viable alternative to open surgery. In recent years, the number of patients treated with EVAR has steadily risen as a result of increased physician experience, availability of new and more versatile devices and improvements in noninvasive imaging techniques. Unfavourable neck anatomy is the primary factor for exclusion from endovascular repair.

Purpose. This study was performed to compare the rate of morphological (renal infarction and/or ischaemic lesions) and functional renal complications after the suprarenal and infrarenal fixation of aortic stent-grafts for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Materials and methods. We retrospectively reviewed all followup computed tomography (CT) angiograms (obtained at 1, 6 and 12 months and yearly thereafter) and laboratory data pertaining to 102 patients who underwent suprarenal (60 patients, group A) or infrarenal (42 patients, group B) placement of aortic stent-grafts. The groups were compared in terms of complications affecting kidney function (creatinine clearance) and morphology (renal artery steno-occlusions, morphological and structural parenchymal changes), and pre-and postprocedural arterial pressure (AP). Results. Analysis of patient demographics revealed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The proximal neck was shorter in group A (2.14 cm±0.84 cm) than in group B (3.41 cm±1.21 cm). Creatinine clearance (CrCl) decreased in both groups (group A: from 64.24 ml/min to 60.66 ml/min; group B: from 72.41 ml/min to 68.73 ml/min) without any significant difference in terms of changes in renal function (CrCl variation: -8.75% vs. -6.4%) or morphology (post-EVAR stenosis: 2.6% vs. 0%; progression of existing steno-occlusive lesions: 1% vs. 0%; ischaemic lesions: 3.2% vs. 0%), or in AP. Conclusions. In our experience, the use of abdominal endografts with suprarenal fixation did not lead to any significant increase in morphological and/or functional renal complications compared with those with infrarenal fixation. RiassuntoObiettivo. Confrontare il tasso di complicanze renali morfologiche (infarto e/o lesioni ischemiche renali) e funzionali dopo posizionamento di endoprotesi aortiche ad aggancio sopra e sottorenale per il trattamento endovascolare dell'aneurisma dell'aorta addominale (EVAR). Materiali e metodi. Sono stati analizzati retrospettivamente tutti gli esami angio-TC di controllo (follow-up a 1, 6, 12 mesi e quindi 1/anno) e i test di laboratorio eseguiti su 102 pazienti sottoposti a posizionamento di endoprotesi ad aggancio soprarenale (60 pazienti, gruppo A) o sottorenale (42 pazienti, gruppo B). I due gruppi di pazienti sono stati confrontati in termini di complicanze renali funzionali (valutazione della funzionalità renale mediante clearance della creatinina) e morfologiche (steno-ostruzioni delle arterie renali; alterazioni morfo-strutturali del parenchima renale) e di pressione arteriosa pre-e post-procedurale. Risultati. I due gruppi di pazienti sono risultati omogenei da un punto di vista epidemiologico. La lunghezza del colletto prossimale è risultata inferiore nel gruppo A (2,14 cm±0,84 cm) rispetto al gruppo B (3,41 cm±1,21 cm). In entrambi i gruppi di pazienti si è registrato un decremento della ClCr (gruppo A: da 64,24 ml/min a 60,66 ml/min; gruppo B: da 72,41 ml/min a 68,73 ml/min), in assenza di differenze statisticamente significative in termin...

The use of a small volume of a high-concentration contrast material yielded higher arterial enhancement from the abdominal aorta down to the femoral arteries with absent or minimal venous overlap and without significant differences in diagnostic ability.