Superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction occurs in patients with intrathoracic malignancies. Clinical symptoms can be distressing but presentation is insidious. We investigated the outcome of endovascular management for patients with SVC syndrome. We retrospectively reviewed the case histories of 17 patients (9 men) from January 2003 to June 2009. All patients had malignant disease. There were 24 interventions (2 patients with 2 interventions and 2 patients with 3 interventions). All had SVC stenosis over 90%. All patients were treated with intrathoracic angioplasty and stenting. All procedures were technically successful, and all patients had insertion of 10 to 18 mm diameter stents with symptom resolution in 16 patients. There were 2 occlusions at 1 and 6 weeks and 2 patients with restenosis (3 and 7 months). Endovascular intervention is technically feasible for SVC occlusion, relieves symptoms, and is a useful palliation measure.
We present a case of a 35-year-old male patient who underwent live donor kidney transplantation at our unit in 2003. While working overseas, he had deterioration in his kidney function and was treated conservatively over three years duration including acquirement of a renal biopsy. Upon presentation to our unit in June 2015, an ultrasound and computed tomography angiogram demonstrated a huge aneurysm arising from his upper renal artery. His lower renal artery was patent and normal. The aneurysm was treated by endovascular means with preservation of the kidney and improvement in his kidney function over the following 12 months. When feasible, endovascular repair of transplanted renal artery aneurysms provides a safe and less invasive modality of treatment.
Behçet’s disease (BD) is a multisystemic, chronic autoimmune inflammatory vasculitic disease with an unknown etiology. Although the literature reports that vascular involvement occurs in 7% to 38% of all BD cases, the arteries are rarely involved; however, arterial involvement is usually associated with significant mortality and morbidity. We report the case of a young female patient who presented to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain and a history of weight loss. The patient was evaluated using computed tomography angiography, which revealed a ruptured suprarenal aortic pseudoaneurysm with occlusion of both the superior mesenteric and celiac arteries. Urgent surgery was performed with aortic repair with an interposition graft and superior mesenteric artery embolectomy. The patient’s clinical history and radiological imaging findings were strongly suggestive of the diagnosis of BD with vascular involvement.
A 39-year-old patient presented with a history of right-side heart failure (dyspnea and orthopnea), right lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, and hepatic impairment. A physical exam showed increased jugular venous pressure, hepatomegaly, and bilateral lower limb pitting edema. A computed tomography angiograph revealed an arteriovenous communication between the right iliac artery and inferior vena cava (IVC) at the level of L4/L5. The patient was diagnosed with a large arteriovenous fistula (AVF), which developed post lumbar disc surgery. Fistulas between the common iliac arteries and IVC are very rare post lumbar disc surgery. Acquired iliocaval AVF is much more difficult to treat surgically because of the risk of massive hemorrhage. The patient underwent a successful endovascular stent graft repair. The patient’s symptoms of heart failure including exertional dyspnea and orthopnea were resolved 6 months post surgery.
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