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There are controversial data about the effect of carotid endarterectomy regarding postoperative cognitive function. Our aim was to analyze the effect of cerebral tissue saturation monitored by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on cognitive function. Perioperative data of 103 asymptomatic patients undergoing elective carotid surgery under general anesthesia were analyzed. Preoperatively and 3 months after the operation, MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) and MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) tests were conducted. For cerebral monitoring, NIRS was used, and the lowest rSO2 value and the degree of desaturation were calculated. Cognitive changes were defined as one standard deviation change from the preoperative test scores, defined as postoperative neurocognitive decline (PNCD) and cognitive improvement (POCI). PNCD was found in 37 patients (35.92%), and POCI was found in 18 patients (17.47%). Female gender, patients with diabetes, and the degree of desaturation were independently associated with PNCD. The degree of desaturation during the cross-clamp period negatively correlated with the change in the MoCA scores (R = − 0.707, p = 0.001). The 15.5% desaturation ratio had 86.5% sensitivity and 78.8% specificity for discrimination. For POCI, a desaturation of less than 12.65% had 72.2% sensitivity and 67.1% specificity. POCI was associated with lower preoperative MOCA scores and a lower degree of desaturation. We found a significant relation between the change of postoperative cognitive function proven by the MoCA test and cerebral tissue saturation during the clamping period in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aims to explore advancements in perioperative ischemic stroke risk estimation for asymptomatic patients with significant carotid artery stenosis, focusing on Circle of Willis (CoW) morphology based on the CTA or MR diagnostic imaging in the current preoperative diagnostic algorithm. Functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) are discussed in the context of evaluating cerebrovascular reserve capacity and collateral vascular systems, particularly the CoW. These non-invasive diagnostic tools provide additional valuable insights into the cerebral perfusion status. They support biomedical modeling as the gold standard for the prediction of the potential impact of carotid artery stenosis on the hemodynamic changes of cerebral perfusion. Intraoperative risk assessment strategies, including selective shunting, are explored with a focus on CoW variations and their implications for perioperative ischemic stroke and cognitive function decline. By synthesizing these insights, this review underscores the potential of non-invasive diagnostic methods to support clinical decision making and improve asymptomatic patient outcomes by reducing the risk of perioperative ischemic neurological events and preventing further cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unhealthy vascular aging promotes atherogenesis, which may lead to significant internal carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in 5 to 7.5% of older adults. The pathogenic factors that promote accelerated vascular aging and CAS also affect the downstream portion of the cerebral microcirculation in these patients. Primary treatments of significant CAS are eversion endarterectomy or endarterectomy with patch plasty. Factors that determine adequate hemodynamic compensation and thereby the clinical consequences of CAS as well as medical and surgical complications of carotid reconstruction surgery likely involve the anatomy of the circle of Willis (CoW), the magnitude of compensatory inter-hemispheric blood flow, and the effectiveness of cerebral microcirculatory blood flow autoregulation. This study aimed to test two hypotheses based on this theory. First, we hypothesized that patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic CAS would exhibit differences in autoregulatory function and inter-hemispheric blood flow. Second, we predicted that anatomically compromised CoW would associate with impaired inter-hemispheric blood flow compensation. We enrolled older adults with symptomatic or asymptomatic internal CAS (>70% NASCET criteria; n = 46) and assessed CoW integrity by CT angiography. We evaluated transient hyperemic responses in the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) after common carotid artery compression (CCC; 10 s) by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD). We compared parameters reflecting autoregulatory function (e.g., transient hyperemic response ratio [THRR], return to baseline time [RTB], changes of vascular resistance) and inter-hemispheric blood flow (residual blood flow velocity). Our findings revealed that CAS was associated with impaired cerebral vascular reactivity. However, we did not observe significant differences in autoregulatory function or inter-hemispheric blood flow between patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic CAS. Moreover, anatomically compromised CoW did not significantly affect these parameters. Notably, we observed an inverse correlation between RTB and THRR, and 49% of CAS patients exhibited a delayed THRR, which associated with decreased inter-hemispheric blood flow. Future studies should investigate how TCD-based evaluation of autoregulatory function and inter-hemispheric blood flow can be used to optimize surgical techniques and patient selection for internal carotid artery revascularization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cerebral and retinal circulation systems are developmentally, anatomically, and physiologically interconnected. Thus, we hypothesized that hypoperfusion due to atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) can result in disturbances of both cerebral and retinal microcirculations. We aimed to characterize parameters indicating cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and retinal microvascular density in patients with ICA stenosis, and assess if there is correlation between them. Methods: In this cross-sectional study the middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocity was measured by transcranial Doppler (TCD) and, simultaneously, continuous non-invasive arterial blood pressure measurement was performed on the radial artery by applanation tonometry. CVR was assessed based on the response to the common carotid artery compression (CCC) test. The transient hyperemic response ratio (THRR) and cerebral arterial resistance transient hyperemic response ratio (CAR-THRR) were calculated. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used to determine vessel density (VD) on the papilla whole image for all (VDP-WIall) and for small vessels (VDP-WIsmall). The same was done in the peripapillary region: all (VDPPall), and small (VDPPsmall) vessels. The VD of superficial (VDMspf) and deep (VDMdeep) macula was also determined. Significance was accepted when p<0.05. Results: Twenty-four ICA stenotic patients were evaluated. Both CVR and retinal VD were characterized. There was a significant, negative correlation between CAR-THRR (median = -0.40) and VDPPsmall vessels (median = 52%), as well as between VDPPall vessels (median = 58%), and similar correlation between CAR-THRR and VDP-WIsmall (median = 49.5%) and between VDP-WIall (median = 55%). Conclusion: The significant correlation between impaired cerebrovascular reactivity and retinal vessel density in patients with ICA stenosis suggests a common mechanism of action. We propose that the combined use of these diagnostic tools (TCD and OCTA) helps to better identify patients with increased ischemic or other cerebrovascular risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Circle of Willis (CoW) is the main collateral system, and its morphological variants are more common in patients who have severe carotid artery stenosis. Earlier data suggest that optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) may help to assess the changes in cerebral vascular perfusion by imaging the retinal blood flow. In this single-center prospective clinical study, patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) underwent preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the extra- and intracranial cerebral circulation. OCTA imaging was performed one week before surgery and postoperatively one month later. The patients were divided into two subgroups based on CTA evaluation of CoW: compromised CoW or non-compromised CoW (containing hypoplastic and normal segments). The effect of the patient's age, OCTA scan quality (SQ), CoW morphology, laterality, and surgery on superficial capillary vessel density (VD) in the macula were assessed in multivariable regression models using linear mixed models. We found that VD significantly decreased with aging (−0.12%; 95%CI: −0.07–−0.15; p < 0.001) and was significantly higher in patients with non-compromised CoW morphology (by 0.87% 95%CI (0.26–1.50); p = 0.005). After CEA, retinal blood flow significantly improved by 0.71% (95%CI: 0.18–1.25; p = 0.01). These results suggest that in the case of carotid artery occlusion, patients with non-compromised CoW have more preserved ocular blood flow than subjects with compromised CoW due to remodeling of the intra-orbital blood flow. Measuring the retinal blood flow might be used as a relevant and sensitive indicator of collateral cerebrovascular circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The image reconstruction of stenotic carotid bifurcation can be managed by medical practitioners and non-medical investigators with semi-automatic or manual segmentation. The outcome of blood flow simulations may vary because of a single mean voxel difference along the examined section, possibly more in the stenotic lesions, which can lead to conflicting results regarding other research findings. The aim of our project is computational geometry reconstruction for blood flow simulations to make it suitable for comparison with plaque image analysis performed by commercially available software. In this paper, a comparison is made between the manual and semi-automatic segmentations performed by non-medical and medical investigators, respectively. Methods: 30 patients were classified into three homogeneous groups. Our group classification was based on the following parameters: plaque calcification score, thickness, extent, remodeling and plaque localization. The images in the first group were segmented individually by medical practitioners and experienced non-medical investigators, the second group was segmented collectively, and the last group was segmented individually again. Cross-sections along the centerline were extracted, then geometrical and statistical analyses were performed. Exploratory flow simulations were carried out on two patients to showcase the effect of geometrical differences on the hemodynamic flow field. Results: The largest centerline-averaged voxel difference between the medical and non-medical investigators occurred in the first group with a positive difference of 1.16 voxels. In the second and third groups, the average voxel difference decreased to 0.65 and 0.75, respectively. The example case from the first group showed that the difference in maximum wall shear stress in the middle of the stenosis is 30% with an average voxel difference of 1.73. Meanwhile, it can decrease to 4% when the average voxel difference is 0.64 for the example case from the third group. Conclusions: A collective review of the medical images should preceded the manual segmentations before applying them in computational simulations in order to ensure a proper comparison with plaque image analysis. Especially complex pathology such as calcifications should be segmented under medical supervision or after specific training. Non-significant differences in the segmentation can lead to significant differences in the computed flow field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is a consequence of systemic atherosclerotic disease affecting the aging populations of the Western world. CAS is frequently associated with cognitive impairment. However, the mechanisms contributing to the development of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) associated with CAS are multifaceted and not fully understood. In addition to embolization and decreased blood flow due to the atherosclerotic lesion in the carotid artery, microcirculatory dysfunction in the cerebral circulation also plays a critical role in CAS-related VCI. To better understand the microvascular contributions to cognitive decline associated with CAS and evaluate microvascular protective effects of therapeutic interventions, it is essential to examine the structural and functional changes of the microvessels in the central nervous system (CNS). However, there are some limitations of in vivo brain vascular imaging modalities. The retinal microvasculature provides a unique opportunity to study pathogenesis of cerebral small vessel disease and VCI, because the cerebral circulation and the retinal circulation share similar anatomy, physiology and embryology. Similar microvascular pathologies may manifest in the brain and the retina, thus ocular examination can be used as a noninvasive screening tool to investigate pathological changes in the CNS associated with CAS. In this review, ocular signs of CAS and the retinal manifestations of CAS-associated microvascular dysfunction are discussed. The advantages and limitation of methods that are capable of imaging the ocular circulation (including funduscopy, fluorescein angiography, Doppler sonography, optical coherence tomography [OCT] and optical coherence tomography angiography [OCTA]) are discussed. The potential use of dynamic retinal vessel analysis (DVA), which allows for direct visualization of neurovascular coupling responses in the CNS, for understanding microvascular contributions to cognitive decline in CAS patients is also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aimed to examine the effectiveness of different therapeutic options for and to identify the possible risk factors of recurrent internal carotid artery (ICA) in-stent restenosis (ISR). Methods: Forty-six ICA ISRs, which were reintervened at least once, were retrospectively analyzed regarding clinical and imaging characteristics, as well as invasive treatment type (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty [PTA] with a plain balloon, PTA with a drug-eluting balloon [DEB], re-stenting) used. Results: The median follow-up was 29.5 months (IQR, 8.5-52.8 months) in patients who underwent reintervention for ICA ISR. Stent occlusion occurred in 3 patients (6.5%). One ISR recurrence was noted in 10 patients (21.7%); reintervention was carried out in 7 cases (7/10 [70%]; PTA, N = 5; PTA with a DEB, N = 1; re-stenting, N = 1), while 3 patients (3/10; 30%) received best medical treatment. Two ISR recurrences were observed in 3 patients (6.5%); all of them underwent reintervention (PTA, N = 1; PTA with a DEB, N = 2). Three ISR recurrences were seen in 1 patient (2.2%), who was treated with PTA. No recurrence was observed in those patients, who had DEB treatment. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed statin therapy to be a protective factor against recurrent ISR (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03-0.84; P =.029). Conclusion: Our study suggests that PTA with a DEB is the most effective for the treatment of recurrent ISR, and confirms the importance of statin use in patients who have had a carotid reintervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Összefoglaló. A tudomány jelenlegi állása szerint – csoportok összehasonlítására épülő matematikai-statisztikai eszközökkel – a leginkább hatékonynak és hatásosnak vélt kezelési módszerek szisztematikus elemzése mentén, a bizonyítékokon alapuló irányelveken nyugvó gyógyító munkát tekintjük követendőnek. A nyaki verőérszűkület ellátása esetén az utóbbi években elkészült mind a hazai, mind az európai irányelv, mindemellett a társszakmák irányelveiben is megjelentek kezelési javaslatok. Közleményünkben összehasonlítottuk a témában publikált magyar, angol, német és olasz nyelvű, valamint az európai társaságok által kiadott irányelveket. Az irányelvek alapelveikben hasonlóak, formailag és tartalmilag azonban jelentős (időnként egymásnak ellentmondani látszó) különbségeket találhatunk. Az ellentmondások három leggyakoribb oka: 1) az egyes irányelvek által kitűzött célok különbözősége, 2) az aszimptomatikus és szimptomatikus betegcsoport definíciói, valamint 3) az eltérő evidenciaszintek. Az irányelvek összevetése alapján a tünetes, szignifikáns nyaki verőérszűkületek sebészi ellátása evidenciának tekinthető. A szimptomatikus nyaki verőérszűkület a definíció szerint ellenoldali cerebralis ischaemia okozta, tranziens vagy definitív plegia, paresis, aphasia és az azonos oldali arteria centralis retinae embolisatiója miatti amaurosis fugax. A tünetmentes nyaki verőérszűkületek ellátása tekintetében az európai és a nemzeti irányelvek nem azonosak, ezen esetek terápiás döntése egyéni mérlegelést igényel. Tünetmentes, 70%-os stenosis esetén vascularteam-konzílium javasolt. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(51): 2139–2145. Summary. The correct practice is the one that is proven to be the most effective based on systematic statistical analyses of different treatment methods, and is applied according to evidence-based principles. In recent years, not only has the European Society of Vascular Surgery created a guideline about the management of supra-aortic steno-occlusive disease, but some nations' vascular surgical societies and related disciplines have also developed their own guidance. In this paper, the guidelines by the European societies on the clinical care of patients with carotid artery luminal narrowing is compared to national guidelines published in Hungarian, English, German, and Italian. Although the fundamental points of the guidelines are similar, there are some important differences among them both in presentation and in content; as a result, they sometimes appear to be contradictory. The three main sources of inconsistency are the various goals, the discrepancy in the definition of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, and the bias arising from the use of distinct evidence levels. A comparison of guidelines suggests that the treatment of symptomatic significant carotid artery stenosis with surgery can be considered evidence. Symptomatic carotid artery stenosis is defined as transient or definite plegia, paresis, aphasia due to cerebral ischemia, and monocular blindness caused by embolism in the central retinal artery. However, in the case of asymptomatic 70% or greater carotid artery stenosis, the guidelines are quite heterogeneous, and these patients require individual consideration and a vascular team decision is recommended. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(51): 2139–2145. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Összefoglaló. A patkóvese a vese leggyakrabban előforduló fejlődési rendellenességeinek egyike. Hasi aortaaneurysmával való együttes előfordulása kifejezetten ritka (a hasi aortaaneurysmás esetek 0,12%-a). Az első esetben egy 64 éves férfi akut alsó végtagi panaszokkal került felvételre. A CT-angiográfia patkóvesét és thrombotizált infrarenalis aortaaneurysmát igazolt. Az akut műtét során a hasi aortaaneurysma resectióját és aortobifemoralis bypassműtétet végeztünk a patkóvese ishmusának megtartásával. A második esetben hasi panaszokat okozó, mindkét arteria iliaca communisra ráterjedő infrarenalis aortaaneurysma esetén végeztünk aortobiiliacalis rekonstrukciót. Az aneurysma előtt elhelyezkedő isthmus tervezetten szétválasztásra került, a poláris veseartériát visszaültettük. A tünetes hasi aortaaneurysma abszolút műtéti indikációt képez. A preoperatív CT- vagy MR-angiográfia kulcsfontosságú mind a műtéti indikáció felállítása, mind pedig a műtét megtervezése szempontjából. A beavatkozás előtt pontos képet kell kapnia az érsebésznek az aorta anatómiája mellett a patkóvese vérellátásáról és a húgyúti rendszerről. Az érsebészeti rekonstrukció esetén a transperitonealis feltárás – főleg akut műtét esetén – több előnnyel rendelkezik, mint a retroperitonealis feltárás. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(46): 1966–1971. Summary. Horseshoe kidney is one of the most common congenital disorders of the kidney. The simultaneous incidence of horseshoe kidney and abdominal aneurysm is very low (0.12% of all cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm). In the first case, a 64-year-old male patient was admitted with acute lower limb ischaemia. CT-angiography revealed an occluded aortic aneurysm. During the emergency operation, the abdominal aneurysm was resected and an aortobifemoral bypass procedure was performed sparing the kidney's isthmus. In the second case, the abdominal complaints were caused by an infrarenal abdominal aneurysm that involved both common iliac arteries. Aortobiiliac reconstruction was performed with planned separation of the kidney isthmus and reimplantation of the accessory renal artery. Symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm is an urgent indication for reconstruction. The preoperative CT- or MR-angiography play a key role in the indication and planning of the reconstruction. It is highly important for the vascular surgeon to have a clear picture of the blood supply of the horseshoe kidney and the urinary tract along with the anatomy of the aorta before the operation. The transperitoneal approach has several advantages over the retroperitoneal approach during vascular reconstruction surgery. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(46): 1966–1971. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Breast cancer research has paved the way of personalized oncology with the introduction of hormonal therapy and the measurement of estrogen receptor as the first widely accepted clinical biomarker. The expression of another receptor--HER2/ERBB2/neu-- was initially a sign of worse prognosis, but targeted therapy has granted improved outcome for these patients so that today HER2 positive patients have better prognosis than HER2 negative patients. Later, the introduction of multigene assays provided the pathologists with an unbiased assessment of the tumors' molecular fingerprint. The recent FDA approval of complete microarray pipelines has opened new possibilities for the objective classification of breast cancer samples. Here we review the applications of microarrays for determining ER and HER2 status, molecular subtypes as well as predicting prognosis and grade for breast cancer patients. An open question remains the role of single genes within such signatures. Openly available microarray datasets enable the execution of an independent cross-validation of new marker and signature candidates. In summary, we review the current state regarding clinical applications of microarrays in breast cancer molecular pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, three molecular markers (ER, PR, and CYP2D6) have been used in clinical setting to predict the benefit of the anti-estrogen tamoxifen therapy. Our aim was to validate new biomarker candidates predicting response to tamoxifen treatment in breast cancer by evaluating these in a meta-analysis of available transcriptomic datasets with known treatment and follow-up. Biomarker candidates were identified in Pubmed and in the 2007-2012 ASCO and 2011-2012 SABCS abstracts. Breast cancer microarray datasets of endocrine therapy-treated patients were downloaded from GEO and EGA and RNAseq datasets from TCGA. Of the biomarker candidates, only those identified or already validated in a clinical cohort were included. Relapse-free survival (RFS) up to 5 years was used as endpoint in a ROC analysis in the GEO and RNAseq datasets. In the EGA dataset, Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed for overall survival. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.005. The transcriptomic datasets included 665 GEO-based and 1,208 EGA-based patient samples. All together 68 biomarker candidates were identified. Of these, the best performing genes were PGR (AUC = 0.64, p = 2.3E−07), MAPT (AUC = 0.62, p = 7.8E−05), and SLC7A5 (AUC = 0.62, p = 9.2E−05). Further genes significantly correlated to RFS include FOS, TP53, BTG2, HOXB7, DRG1, CXCL10, and TPM4. In the RNAseq dataset, only ERBB2, EDF1, and MAPK1 reached statistical significance. We evaluated tamoxifen-resistance genes in three independent platforms and identified PGR, MAPT, and SLC7A5 as the most promising prognostic biomarkers in tamoxifen treated patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]