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Hyperhidrosis is defined as uncontrollable, excessive and unpredictable sweating that exceeds the needs related to thermoregulation. It preferentially affects axillary, palms, soles and face but can affect any part of the body. This ostensibly benign symptom can have a major negative impact on quality of life sometimes leading to isolation and depression. Moreover, in some cases hyperhidrosis can be secondary to an underlying pathology sometimes malignant which must be identified quickly. Consequently, each doctor should be able to develop a diagnostic and therapeutic approach for this relatively frequent and probably underdiagnosed and undertreated reason for consultation. In this review, we focus on diagnosis hyperhidrosis and its management.

We report the case of a type-2 myocardial infarction immediately after renal denervation. The patient was followed for coronary artery disease. Low blood pressures were responsible for inferior acute myocardial infarction that revealed a sub occlusive stenosis of the right coronary artery.

Renal denervation, an invasive technique indicated in resistant hypertension patients insufficiently controlled by antihypertensive drugs, has a good safety profile. However, an increasing number of post-denervation renal artery stenosis cases has recently been reported. We describe the case of a 49-year-old woman with resistant hypertension who was referred to our university hypertension center for renal sympathetic denervation. Her daily treatment included six antihypertensive drugs. CT angiography prior to denervation showed no renal artery stenosis or vessel wall lesions. A standard renal denervation procedure using the St Jude protocol was performed. After an initial improvement in blood pressure profile, she presented with a blood pressure impairment at 3 months after renal denervation leading to the diagnosis of a severe right renal artery stenosis.

Hyperhidrosis continues to be undertreated in our view, despite its propensity to considerably impair quality of life. We shall break down therapeutic approaches to hyperhidrosis into several steps: (a) determine the physiological causes of excess sweating; (b) establish the type of hyperhidrosis involved and screen for causes of secondary hyperhidrosis before diagnosing essential hyperhidrosis; (c) evaluate the severity of the hyperhidrosis by means of a validated scale (HDSS score), Minor's starch-iodine test or gravimetric analysis; (d) select one of the medical therapies currently available, i.e. topical therapy (antiperspirants, iontophoresis or botulinum toxin injection), systemic therapy (oxybutynin) or surgery (thoracic sympathectomy).

The failure of pharmacological approaches to treat resistant hypertension has stimulated interest in invasive device-based treatments. New catheter systems using radiofrequency or ultrasound energy have been developed, allowing a percutaneous endovascular approach to renal denervation for patients with resistant hypertension. To date, this technique has been evaluated only in a few open-label trials including small numbers and the available evidence suggests a favorable blood pressure-lowering effect in the short-term and a low incidence of immediate complications. All studies published to date have several limitations due to their open-label design. Carotid baroreceptor stimulation requires surgical implantation of electrodes connected to a stimulator. Preliminary results show a positive effect on blood pressure with a complication rate similar to the implantation of a pacemaker. In this context, there are arguments against an uncontrolled use of these procedures in routine practice: an unknown benefit/risk ratio, a variable blood pressure response, absence of cost-effectiveness evaluation. The indications of these procedures should follow the 2013 European Society of Hypertension guidelines. A strict follow-up of patients remains necessary at best by including them in clinical trials or international registries.

Acute ischemia of the upper limbs is rare in comparison with ischemia of the lower limbs. The origins of this condition are varied.We retrospectively analyzed cases of acute finger ischemia (Raynaud's phenomena was excluded) in a dermatology department between 2008 and 2013 in order to evaluate the etiology and management of this phenomenon.Thirteen cases of finger ischemia were reported. The mean age was 54 years. Active smoking was noted in 11 cases. Ischemia was acute in 9 cases and subacute in 4 cases. The location was unilateral in 10 cases and bilateral in 2. Etiologies were: dysplasia of the palmar arch, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, frostbite, distal arteritis linked to smoking, paraneoplastic arteritis, Buerger's disease, polyarteritis nodosa, stenosis of the subclavian artery, and 3 cases of embolic origin (ulnar, cardiac, and paraneoplastic aneurysm). In the acute phase, antiplatelets were given in 6 cases, anticoagulants in 10 cases and ilomedin in 6 cases. Sympathectomy was performed in 1 case and amputation in 2 cases.This study illustrates the diversity of etiologies of finger ischemia. The etiological test battery should be broad and include immunological and thrombophilia tests, arterial and cardiac investigations, cervical radiography and CT scan (screening for cancer). Close collaboration between dermatologists, hematologists, vascular surgeons and radiologists is essential for the management of these patients.

Arterial hypertension is the largest single contributor to global mortality, and is poorly controlled in approximately 50% of patients despite lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions. Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation reduces blood pressure (BP) in patients with resistant hypertension. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of this novel therapy in "Real World" clinical practice. Consecutive patients with treatment-resistant primary hypertension, as defined as home BP160 mmHg despite treatment with ≥3 antihypertensive drugs, were selected for denervation following renal artery screening. Ambulatory and home BP monitoring was performed in all patients prior to and following percutaneous renal sympathetic denervation. In total, 35 patients were selected for catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation. The mean age was 63.6 ± 11.7 years, 37.1% were women, 37.1% were diabetic, and 11.4% had renal impairment (GFR45 mL/min). The basal BP (home or ambulatory) was 179.1 ± 20.75/99.66 ± 19.76 mmHg, despite an average of 4.91 ± 0.98 medications per patient. Successful bilateral sympathetic denervation was performed in 33/35 patients (1 renal artery stenosis on angiography [not ablated], 1 patient with renal artery spasm [unilateral denervation]), with an average 5.9 ± 1.6 ablations per renal artery. No procedural complications occurred. At 6 months, blood pressure was 15.5 ± 22.37/87.76 ± 13.97 mmHg (P0.01). At 2 years follow-up, systolic blood pressure (ABPM or Home BP) was 143.8 ± 15.30 mmHg (P0.0001) and diastolic 83.42 ± 12.80 mmHg (P=0.0004). There were no adverse events during follow-up, and no deterioration in renal function was observed. Catheter-based renal denervation is safe and efficacious treatment, which results in significant reductions in blood pressure in patients with treatment-resistant hypertension, stable at 2 years follow-up. These results are applicable to real-world patient populations.

The antihypertensive effect of renal denervation in hypertensive patients is partially explained by increased tubular natriuresis. To study the possible contribution of the kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) to this natriuretic effect in rats, we measured kallikrein activity (KA) and bradykinin concentrations (BK) in plasma and tissues.To measure KA, we adapted and validated an enzymatic assay that cleaves para-nitroaniline (pNA) from the tripeptide H-D-Pro-Phe-Arg-pNA. The coefficients of variation (CV) within- and between-assays were less than 8% for plasma and tissue KA (plasma n=6 and 13; tissue n=4). Linear results for serially diluted samples confirmed the assay specificity. Tissue BK determinations were based on an established assay for plasma BK: tissue was homogenized and kinins extracted in ethanol, and BK was isolated by high-performance (HPLC) liquid chromatography and quantitated by radioimmunassay. Within- and between-assay CV for plasma BK were 18% (n=8 and n=35, respectively) and for BK in various tissues less than 16% (n=5-8).In male Wistar rats (n=3), plasma BK was 8.2 ± 6.6 fmol/mL (mean ± SD), and tissue BK (fmol/g) in 14 tested organs varied between brain (14 ± 3) and submaxillary gland (521 ± 315). Six days after left-sided unilateral renal denervation, left renal tissue BK (89 ± 9) was not different from right renal BK (75 ± 23). Similarly, KA was comparable in the two kidneys (left 18.0 ± 1.5, right 15.8 ± 1.4 μkat/g).Any possible effect of unilateral renal denervation on the kidney's KKS would have to be bilateral.

To evaluate in hypertensive patients followed in a specialized hypertension unit, the prevalence of subjects uncontrolled despite triple therapy including a diuretic. The aim is to estimate the percentage of hypertensive patients with an indication to renal denervation.From a database of computerized medical records of a unit specialized in hypertension, it was extracted 144 consecutive cases of subjects treated and followed for at least 1year and having had a home pressure monitoring (HPM) on treatment, and if necessary a work-up for a secondary hypertension. The blood pressure (BP) was evaluated in office by automated method (after 2 and 8minutes) and with HPM (average of three measurements in the morning and evening for three consecutive days).The population has the following characteristics: age 62 with 26% over 70years, treated dyslipidemia (39%), treated diabetes (11%), adrenal hypertension treated medically (14%), severe renal failure (3%). The means of treatment are: a monotherapy (33%), bitherapy (35%), triple therapy (17%), quadritherapy (7%), pentatherapy or more (1%), spironolactone (45%), thiazide diuretics (49%). The uncontrolled hypertension was observed in 26% if the BP is evaluated with HPM, in 52% if the BP is evaluated at the office after 2minutes of rest and 7% if the BP is evaluated after 8minutes of rest (P0.01). In patients treated with at least a tritherapy in association with a diuretic, an uncontrolled hypertension was observed in 5% if the BP is evaluated with HPM. Failure to control for the SBP is the cause of 80% of resistant hypertension.The frequency of resistant hypertension is 5% of hypertensive patients followed in a specialized hypertension unit when guidelines are applied in the case of uncontrolled hypertension. These results indicate that the indication for renal denervation affects only a small percentage of patients treated for hypertension.

The autonomic nervous system plays a major role in blood pressure regulation and pathogenesis of essential hypertension. Before the advent of orally active antihypertensive treatments, surgical sympathectomy was the only therapeutic option in severely hypertensive patients. It was effective in reducing blood pressure in half of these patients. However, this intervention was associated with high incidence of severe adverse events, including death. It was abandoned in the 1960s with the advent of effective and well tolerated antihypertensive drugs. In the 2010s, despite availability of multiple classes of antihypertensive agents, a significant proportion of patient have resistant hypertension, i.e. remain uncontrolled despite the use of optimal doses of three antihypertensive agents, including a diuretic. Catheter-based renal denervation is a new approach for the treatment of resistant hypertension developed since 2008. Clinical studies have shown that it decreases blood pressure on the short- and mid-term and has a good tolerability profile. However, the blood pressure response following this intervention has only been evaluated in a small number of highly selected patients in open-label studies and infrequent or delayed adverse events cannot be still fully excluded. Catheter-based renal denervation opens new interesting therapeutic perspectives. At this stage of development, the technique should still be evaluated before its widespread diffusion.

Mathieu Jaboulay was an excellent surgeon. He was the first to come up with the principles of vascular surgery as he made a surgical anastomosis between two arteries of a dog by an eversion circular suture. In 1902, he implemented a suture between an artery and a vein in an arteritis by obliteration. Jaboulay also tried the graft of an animal kidney on the crease of a human elbow in 1906. Jaboulay was an initiator for Alexis Carrel.

Hypothenar hammer syndrome is a rare disease first described by Conn et al. in 1970. It groups together symptoms of chronic microtraumatism to the ulnar artery or its superficial palmar branch against the hamate. Manual workers using vibrating tools are the most affected by this. Diagnosis is made by echodoppler, while arteriography is the gold standard for establishing the treatment plan. Hypothenar hammer syndrome may lead to severe complications secondary to ischemia and to embolic events resulting from delayed diagnosis or maltreatment. There is no real consensus as to the place of medical or surgical treatments. Medical treatment consists of eliminating favorizing factors and long-term antiplatelet aggregation treatment. Surgical treatment depends on the vascular lesions: simple arterial ligation, resection of the thrombosed arterial segment and end-to-end anastomosis, or revascularization using a pontage venous or arterial graft. Some authors suggested an associated thoracic sympathectomy. The diagnosis must be made early; the choice of treatment must be targeted at preventing serious embolic complications.

Hyperhidrosis is a benin affection representing a social and professional problems and occupational handicaps in young patient. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy thus provides a radical treatment for severe palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis.We describe the technique used in our institut and present resultsFrom 1995 to 2002, 32 patients were operated on for hyperhidrosis. There were 17 mens and 15 women raging in age from 15 to 32 years The intervention consisting on destruction by electrocoagulation to the sympathetic trunkThere was no major complication and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 2 days. The disappearance of the palmar sweating was immediately after operation. 7 patients complained of compensatory sweatingEndoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis is a safe effect technique for treating palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis. Compensatry sweeting represent the major that necessite a preable information

To evaluate the clinical and radiological results of cervical longitudinal median somatotomy without graft, used for the treatment of cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy, and compare it to techniques with graft and to laminectomies.Thirty-four patients (25 males and nine females), with a mean age over 60 years, were included in a study comparing pre- and postoperative clinical status on the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) functional scale and radiological status with evaluation of the cervical curve on plain films and dynamic tests in flexion and extension.No significant difference was found with the clinical and anatomical results published in the literature concerning median somatotomies performed with graft and/or osteosynthesis and laminectomies and their variants.The cervical longitudinal median somatotomy without graft is an easy and reliable technique that can be proposed as first-line treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy related to anterior compression. It decreases the cost and the duration of the surgical procedure, it protects the patient from the complications and sequelae related to graft harvesting and the use of implants. It should be limited to patients without preoperative kyphosis who are over 50 years old.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is associated with a high risk of amputation and death. For patients who cannot be surgically revascularized, medical options include prostanoids, spinal cord stimulation and lumbar sympathectomy, but none of these treatments has a demonstrated impact on the amputation rate at six months. Gene and cell therapy, aimed at stimulating angiogenesis, have mainly been tested in phase I and II clinical trials. These approaches appear to be feasible and safe in the short-term, but large randomized studies are necessary to demonstrate their clinical benefits and long-term safety.

Hyperhidrosis is a benign functional anomaly which is highly stressful for the patient. Active management is required. Several medical options are available but are often ineffective. The thoracic sympathic system plays a fundamental role in propagating stimulation of sudoral gland secretion. Endoscopic thoracic sympatecomy thus provides a radical treatment for severe palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis. We describe the technique used in our unit and present results and possible complications. This method has been used by many teams for several Years and despite some differences, most confirm major patient benefit. Phenomena of transferred sudation are frequent by are usually not invalidating. Patients should however be informed of this possibility because the effect is often irreversible.

To report the management of a patient who developed a lumbar epidural abscess when an epidural catheter was placed three years after a thoracic sympathectomy. The possible contribution of hyperhidrosis is discussed. A 62-yr-old male had compensatory hyperhidrosis in his back after thoracic sympathectomy. The patient, who suffered from thromboangeitis obliterans, underwent lumbar (L2-3) epidural catheterization in order to improve arterial circulation and ameliorate resting pain in his left leg. On the third day after catheterization, the patient complained of a dull pain in his back. Emergency magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 12-mm abscess in the epidural space. On the tenth day after catheterization, laminotomy at the 3–4 lumbar vertebrae and local drainage were performed. A 14-mm abscess was removed from the epidural space. The patient was discharged on day 21 after catheterization without any disability. Special precautions against infection may be necessary in patients with hyperhidrosis in the area where continuous epidural catheterization is attempted.

Sympathetically maintained pain syndrome of the upper limb is difficult to treat even with high doses of specific medication. Stellate ganglion block by in situ injection of a local anesthetic is an efficient and accepted method for diagnosis and treatment. The sedative effect is however transitory linked to the short effect of the drug. CT guidance, displaying an excellent contrast between soft tissues, bones, vessels and nerves, is a well suited and safe mean of guidance. Seven patients suffering from reflex sympathetic dystrophy were treated by stellate ganglion radiofrequency (RF) neurolysis at two sites (C7 and T1). Patients were evaluated for pain before and immediately after the procedure and at three months. Four patients had a significant (50%) pain relief lasting at 3 month. One patient had a temporary pain (one week) and 2 no pain relief. No patient had a Horner syndrome. One patient had a temporary neuralgia of surrounding nerves (brachial plexus). RF neurolysis of stellate ganglion under CT-guidance is precise and appears efficient but further investigation on a larger cohort of patients is needed.

Transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis is a safe and effective method. However, no radical and definite treatment exists for plantar hyperhidrosis. We report our experience, immediate post-operative and mid-term results after transthoracic and lumbar endoscopic sympathectomy for palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis.One hundred and seven of 117 patients cured between January 94 and December 98, answered a questionnaire regarding their past history, the early post-operative results, side effects and complications caused by the operation and mid-term results with particular emphasis on patient satisfaction.Seventy-eight thoracic and lumbar endoscopic sympathectomies and 125 thoracic endoscopic sympathectomies were performed. The patients were 30 men (median age 30 years) and 77 women (median age 26 years). Only women underwent lumbar endoscopic sympathectomy because of risk of retrograde ejaculation. No severe complications were noted. The success rate was 96 p. 100 for palmar hyperhidrosis and 98,5 p. 100 for plantar hyperhidrosis. No recurrences were noted in 97 p. 100 of the patients with median follow-up of 28 months. The main side effect was compensatory sweating which was the reason for dissatisfaction for 5 p. 100 of the patients. Cutaneous dryness and gustatory sweating were also described. However, 95 p. 100 of the patients were "satisfied" or "very satisfied".Our experience proved that lumbar endoscopic sympathectomy is as safe and effective for treatment of plantar hyperhidrosis, as thoracic endoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis.

Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is accepted as the treatment of choice for palmar hyperhidrosis. But the interest and the results of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for isolated axillary hyperhidrosis are still discussed.In a series of 435 patients operated on for hyperhidrosis of the upper limbs during the 5 past years, 23 were suffering from isolated axillary hyperhidrosis (5.2 p. 100). All patients had been previously treated by local agents and 3 had iontophoresis. All patients underwent a bilateral endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy that was performed in one stage. Sympathectomy was done according to the usual technique but was extended down to T5. All patients were then contacted by phone to answer a detailed questionnaire. Four patients were lost for follow-up. The mean follow-up of the 19 remaining patients was 26 months (ranging 3 to 41 months).There was no intraoperative or postoperative complication. All patients were discharged the day after surgery. All but one (95 p. 100) were cured from their axillary hyperhidrosis. All of them experienced compensatory sweating (100 p. 100). This compensatory sweating was considered as mild by 8 patients, as embarrassing in 8 and as distressing in 3. Eleven patients complained of excessive dryness of the hands. This was considered as a minor adverse effect by 8 patients and as problematic by 3 patients. Finally, 16 patients were satisfied while 3 claimed they regretted having been operated on.The rate of compensatory sweating and the rate of dissatisfaction are higher after endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for axillary hyperhidrosis than after endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for axillary hyperhidrosis should be foreseen only when all other therapies have been attempted.

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate etiology, frequency and prognosis of the distal and severe arterial diseases of the upper limb treated in a vascular surgical unit. Between Jan. 1986 and Jan.1997, 34 patients, 22 males and 12 females, mean age 56 years (range 30 to 87 years) were followed in the vascular and thoracic surgical unit in Angers. Follow-up was 100% complete. Each patient was explored by selective angiography of the upper limb due to the critical characteristic of ischemia.19 patients (56%) had tissue loss. Among multiple etiologies, arteriosclerosis was found in 32% of the cases. When medical treatment was unsuccessful, a thoracic sympathectomy was attempted in 50% of the cases, and 21% of the patients had direct arterial surgery. Nine deaths, due to initial pathology, occurred during follow-up. Eight digitalis amputations were carried out whose two directly because serious necrosis. Severe arterial diseases of the upper limb represented 6, 4% of critical limb ischemia treated during this same period. At time, this study showed arteriosclerosis preponderance over systemic diseases, and the seriousness of cases referred to a vascular surgical center after unsuccessful medical treatment (J Mal Vasc 1999; 24: 368-372).

A technique of thoracic splanchnicectomy under video thoracoscopic control is reported. This simple and non aggressive procedure is indicated for very painful forms of pancreatic cancer and for some cases of chronic pancreatitis. It should relieve pain for a longer period than splanchnic nerve injection or radiotherapy.

To review clinical data, pathophysiology and treatment of thromboangiitis (Buerger's disease).Buerger's disease or thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is an obliterative vascular disease that affects medium and small sized arteries as well as superficial veins. Young males and smokers are preferentially afflicted with the disease. TAO accounts for 0.5 to 5% of occlusive vascular disease. Though TAO has a world-wide distribution, it can be found with greater prevalence in Eastern Europe, the Mid-East, Asia, and Southeast Asia. Women account for 10 to 20% of the patients and 5 to 10% are more than 60-years-old. Approximately 95% are smokers and disease activity is strongly associated with the use of tobacco. The pathogenesis is poorly understood and most hypotheses are controversial. There is no specific marker of the disease and the diagnosis is based on clinical and angiographic criteria. The disease spontaneously leads to tissue loss and major amputations. This can generally be avoided by discontinuing smoking. Induced hypervolemia and prostacyclins are effective treatments of critical limb ischemia in TAO.If pathophysiology is still poorly understood, spontaneous evolution can be avoided by stopping tobacco and prostacyclin.

Endoscopic surgery has been used as a new procedure to simplify different surgical processes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the benefits of endoscopic retroperitoneal surgery for lumbar sympathectomies. Between February 93 and November 95 we performed 35 lumbar sympathectomies using this technique. All patients were arteritic. The results were as follows: for 25% of the patients, conversion classical open technique was required; 6% complications (septic); 3% of the patients died. In comparing the various techniques of sympathectomy and sympatholysis, it would appear that the endoscopic technique produces fewer complications. However we believe that a learning period is necessary before this technique can be fully mastered.

Ureteric trauma constitutes a serious disease which can induce renal complications. Ureteric trauma is often iatrogenic, mainly due to gynaecological surgery. The authors report a series of 42 cases of ureteric trauma observed over a 20-year period. These patients consisted of 33 females (78%) and 9 males (21%) with a mean age of 38 years (range: 20 to 65 years). 24 ureteric lesions (57%) were secondary to obstetric procedures and operations, 9(21%) were due to gynaecological operations (hysterectomy), ureteroscopy was responsible in 3 cases, 2 lesions were due to lumbar sympathectomy, one case was secondary to resection of the rectum and 2 cases were secondary to abdominal trauma. The most frequent lesion was ureteric section (21 cases), usually affecting the pelvic ureter. Iatrogenic lesions were associated with iliac vessel ligation (1 case) and vesicovaginal fistulas (8 cases). The clinical features were dominated by vaginal urinary fistula (33 cases) and low back pain (15 cases). The diagnosis was essentially based on IVU, which showed ureterohydronephrosis in 18 cases and a silent kidney in 2 cases. Eight ureteric lesions were diagnosed at operation, 31 after an interval of 3 to 20 days and 2 after an interval of 3 months. Treatment consisted of ureterovesical reimplantation in 17 cases, Boari-Kuss bladder flap in 3 cases, psoas bladder in 6 cases, end-to-end ureterorraphy in 5 cases, ileoureteroplasty in 3 cases, nephrectomy in 2 cases, appendicoplasty in 1 case, double J stent in 2 cases. The course was marked by the development of hydronephrosis (4 cases), ureteric stenosis (2 cases), vesico-ureteric reflux (1 case), urinary fistula (2 case) and lengthening of the ileal graft (1 case).

Between 1972 and 1995, surgical repair was undertaken for 94 popliteal aneurysms diagnosed in 71 patients (69 men and 2 women) with a mean age of 66 years. Ninety-one femoropopliteal bypasses, 2 lumbar sympathectomies and one primary amputation were performed. Postoperative results of 28 elective bypasses performed for asymptomatic aneurysms (AA) were compared with 63 revascularisations needed for symptomatic aneurysms (SA) secondary to thrombosis (31%), embolization (30%), venous or nerve compression (13%), or rupture (2.1%). Occlusion of at least one tibial vessel was documented angiographically in 40% of the asymptomatic aneurysms and in 80% of the symptomatic aneurysms. No significant difference was observed between 5-year graft-patency of asymptomatic aneurysms (64%, mean followup 30 months +/- 37.2) and symptomatic aneurysms (50%, mean followup 39 months +/- 40.9). Furthermore, 5-year graft patency was not influenced by the number of patent tibial vessels in either of these populations. No statistically significant difference between these two groups was observed with respect to morbidity (AA: 10.7%, SA: 19%), or early reintervention (AA: 7.1%, SA: 9.5%). However, 12 secondary amputations were needed, all of which were performed after repair of a symptomatic aneurysm (19%, p0.05). No postoperative mortality was observed after an elective bypass while 3 patients (4.8%) with symptomatic aneurysms died after an emergency surgery. Ischemic symptoms persisted in 56% of patients who were initially symptomatic. Surgical correction should therefore be performed once the diagnosis of a popliteal aneurysm has been established in order to prevent amputation and late sequelae.

Thoracic sympathectomy is the radical and usually definite treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. Improvement of surgical endoscopy techniques makes it possible to perform the procedure through thoracoscopy, thus minimizing operative trauma and sequellae. However, thoracic sympathectomies give rise to a high rate of compensatory sweating which is the most important adverse effect of the technique.We developed a technique of selective sympathectomy which only divides the rami communicanti from the first to the fourth thoracic ganglion. We performed 90 thoracic sympathectomies in 46 patients. They were performed in a truncal manner in 32 patients while it was selective in the last 14 patients.The success rate was 97.5% (2 failures). After reoperation of these 2 failures, the success rate was 100%. The global rate of compensatory sweating was 47.5%. In the 14 last patients who underwent a selective sympathectomy, only one complained of compensatory sweating.Endoscopic sympathectomy is an effective means of treating palmar hyperhidrosis. Rigorous technique should help reduce the risk of compensatory sweating.

Primary hyperhidrosis of the upper limbs has an important impact on the subject's social and psycho-affective equilibrium. These patients have two main problems. First physicians are not sufficiently aware of the therapeutic possibilities and secondly the generally poor reputation of surgery in this indication. Transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy has completely changed the treatment of hyperhidrosis of the upper limbs. It is now considered to be the reference treatment in severe cases. The surgical procedure is simple and allows simultaneous treatment of both sides. There is no mortality and morbidity is extremely low quantitatively and of little consequence qualitatively. The therapeutic protocol is short and immediate and long-term results are excellent in 98 to 100% of the patients.

Palmar hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating beyond physiological needs in the palm without recognized etiology. Although a benign disease, it is annoying to most patients. Currently the best treatment for this condition is upper thoracic sympathectomy via many different approaches. The video-thoracoscopic approach has been recommended a a minimally invasive procedure. We report our 1-year experience with transaxillary endoscopic sympathectomy in 99 patients with palmar hyperhidrosis. Standard video-laparoscopy was used via a transaxillary approach to perform sympathectomy. The mean operating time of this operation was 12 minutes and mean hospital stay was 32 hours. The results in terms of warm and dry hands were excellent. Only one case of transitory Horner syndrome was noted. Transaxillary thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis is a relatively simple and effective procedure which can be performed with standard laparoscopic instruments. The advantages are, short recovery time and hospital stay along with excellent functional and cosmetic results. We are convinced that thoracoscopic sympathectomy is the procedure of choice for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis.

We have studied the effect of cyclosporin on the peripheral venous system. CSA was injected into an isolated hind limb saphenous vein perfused at constant flow in 29 dogs. Reactivity of the vein was tested with infusions of norepinephrine (NE) before and after CSA. In a 1st group of 7 dogs, CSA at doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg was infused over a 10-minute period. In a 2nd group of 8 dogs, 20 mg of CSA was infused over 20 minutes and, injections of 6, 12 and 24 micrograms of NE were administered before and during CSA. In a 3rd (n = 7) and 4th (n = 7) groups of animals, 30 mg of CSA was injected over 60 minutes and injections of 3, 6, 12 micrograms of NE were given before and during CSA. In the last group, an ipsilateral lumbar sympathectomy was performed before CSA injection. The infusion of CSA over periods of 10 and 20 minutes did not cause significant changes in venous perfusion pressure. The infusion of 30 mg of CSA over 60 minutes caused an increase in venous perfusion pressure from 44 +/- 2 mm Hg to 58 +/- 5 mm Hg (p0.0001). Surgical sympathectomy prevented the venoconstrictor response to CSA. Injections of 3, 6 and 12 +/- g of NE caused averaged increases of 25 +/- 6, 39 +/- 9 and 53 +/- 10 mm Hg before CSA, and of 45 +/- 7, 69 +/- 12 and 84 +/- 8 mm Hg respectively after CSA injections, a significant increase (p = 0.03). In conclusion, CSA causes a vasoconstriction of the saphenous vein through stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and potentiates the venoconstrictor effect of NE.

Mivacurium, a new short acting non depolarizing neuromuscular blocker, is metabolized, as suxamethonium, by plasma cholinesterase. Therefore its duration of action is increased in patients with reduced plasma cholinesterase activity. We report a case of prolonged neuromuscular block after an i.v. bolus of mivacurium (0.20 mg.kg-1) in a 69 year-old ASA II woman with an unrecognized cholinesterase deficiency undergoing a lumbar sympathectomy for arteriopathy of the lower limbs. The duration of the block was 6 h and plasma cholinesterase concentrations were very low (540 and 610 UI.L-1), as well as the dibucaine number (16%), which suggests an homozygous enzymatic deficiency. Mechanical ventilation and sedation were continued until spontaneous return of full neuromuscular function.

Transaxillary upper thoracic sympathectomy is a safe surgical procedure for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. Although thoracic complications such as hemothorax and pneumothorax occasionally occur following this procedure chylothorax is an extremely rare complication. From 1978 to 1991, 215 consecutive patients underwent upper thoracic sympathectomy for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis in our institution. We report the surgical management of one patient who developed an intractable chylous fistula which did not respond to non-surgical treatment. Attempts at non-surgical management of the disease, with aspiration therapy, tube thoracostomy and the administration of medium chain triglyceride diet, should be tried first. If, however, this is not successful within two weeks, one should not wait for further metabolic and nutritional impairment before instituting surgical treatment. We believe that proximal thoracic duct ligation is a relatively simple and effective means of controlling chylothorax.

The old procedure of lumbar sympathectomy has long been the only chance of avoiding amputation for arteritic patients. Its field of application has shifted as reconstructive surgery and medical therapy made progress, and it is no longer the only solution and has more precise indications. Proper evaluation of its chances of success according to the individual situations allows establishing its potential and limitations. This simple procedure, entailing no risk for the future, deserves remaining among the available means for the treatment of arteritis, despite its age.

Surgical thoracoscopy is performed with laparoscopic material and instrumentation and is not limited to the therapeutic applications of classical pleuroscopy such as thoracic sympathectomy or pleurectomy for pneumothorax. It is a simpler, more rapid technique which causes less tissue damage and appears to be more effective than the other transparietal techniques. It has been performed twice for sympathectomy and five times for recurrent pneumothorax with excellent results.

The authors relate their experience of thirty digital artery sympathectomies in twenty-four fingers. Ten men and two women were operated: six crush injuries to fingers, three Raynaud's disease and two Buerger disease and one scleroderma. All presented digital vascular insufficiency. The pre-operative arteriogram always revealed more extensive thrombosis than suspected by the clinical symptoms. In this way we performed a segmental arterial sympathectomy depending on the site of the thrombosed artery. The follow-up was five years. The immediate postoperative results were excellent. Five years later the results depended on the nature of the initial disease.

Ischaemic fingers, a rare, generally chronic disease, may sometimes be acute, requiring emergency surgical treatment. Five cases are reported: 3 acute and 2 chronic. The 3 cases of acute ischaemia occurred in the context of cardiac arrhythmias in 2 cases and an aneurysm of the ulnar artery in 1 case. Treatment consisted of 2 thrombectomies with microsurgical digital sympathectomy thrombectomies with microsurgical digital sympathectomy and resection of the aneurysm. Complete clinical and functional recovery was obtained in these three cases. The 2 cases of chronic ischaemia were due to diabetes and Buerger's disease. In both cases, medical treatment was followed by thoracic sympathectomy with secondary resection of necrotic tissue as required. In conclusion, the prognosis in the acute cases depends on the rapidity of correction of the arterial obstruction associated with digital sympathectomy. In the case of chronic ischaemia, the clinical course depends on the efficacy of medico-surgical treatment and the severity of the underlying disease.