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Objectives: To study the outcome of endovascular treatment of aortic pathologies in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) at a single institution. Methods: Consecutive MFS patients who underwent endovascular repair or hybrid procedures for aortic pathologies from January 2010 to May 2020 were identified. Several endovascular and hybrid strategies have been used. Technical success, short- and mid-term survival, complications, and re-interventions were retrospectively analyzed. Results: During the study period, 24 patients with MFS (median age, 48 [13–78] years; 58% males) were treated. Indications for intervention were chronic aortic dissection with aneurysm degeneration in 16 patients (67%), acute type B aortic dissection in 4 patients (17%), aortic aneurysm without any dissection in 3 patients (13%), and aortic intramural hematoma in 1 patient (4%). Most patients were asymptomatic (83%), three (13%) were symptomatic and one (4%) had a contained rupture. The median aneurysm diameter was 56 (35–86) mm. Hybrid procedures were performed in 7 (29%) patients. Thoracic endovascular repair was performed in 12 (50%) patients, a fenestrated or branched endovascular aortic repair in 4 (17%) patients, and placement of an iliac artery stent-graft in 1 (4%) patient. Procedures were staged in 12 (50%) patients. Technical success was achieved in all patients. The median intensive care unit stay was 6 (range, 1–30) days, and the median hospital stay was 23 (range, 3–112) days. Early mortality was reported in 1 (4%) patient. Wound infection was seen in 7 (29%) patients and gastrointestinal complications in 3 (13%) patients. The median follow-up was 42 (range, 1–127) months. The cumulative survival rate was 87% at 24 months. The cumulative freedom from re-intervention was 77% at 12 months. Conclusions: Endovascular treatment of aortic pathologies in patients with MFS appears feasible with acceptable early and mid-term outcomes in terms of mortality and re-intervention rates. Endovascular therapy plays an increasing role in MFS patients with aortic pathology.

Purpose Consensus on optimal imaging procedure for vascular graft/endograft infection (VGEI) is still lacking and the choice of a diagnostic test is often based on the experience of single centres. This document provides evidence-based recommendations aiming at defining which imaging modality may be preferred in different clinical settings and post-surgical time window. Methods This working group includes 6 nuclear medicine physicians appointed by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, 4 vascular surgeons, and 2 radiologists. Vascular surgeons formulated 5 clinical questions that were converted into 10 statements and addressed through a systematic analysis of available literature by using PICOs (Population/problem–Intervention/Indicator–Comparator–Outcome) strategy. Each consensus statement was scored for level of evidence and for recommendation grade, according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine criteria. Results Sixty-six articles, published from January 2000 up to December 2021, were analysed and used for evidence-based recommendations. Conclusion Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the first-line imaging modality in suspected VGEI but nuclear medicine modalities are often needed to confirm or exclude the infection. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) has very high negative predictive value but it should be performed preferably at least 4 months after surgery to avoid false positive results. Radiolabelled white blood cell (WBC) scintigraphy, given its high diagnostic accuracy, can be performed at any time after surgery. Preamble The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is a professional no-profit medical association that facilitates communication worldwide between individuals pursuing clinical and research excellence in nuclear medicine. The EANM was founded in 1985. EANM members are physicians, technologists, and scientists specializing in the research and practice of nuclear medicine. The EANM will periodically define new guidelines for nuclear medicine practice to help advance the science of nuclear medicine and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the world. Existing practice guidelines will be reviewed for revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner, if indicated. Each practice guideline, representing a policy statement by the EANM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review. The EANM recognizes that the safe and effective use of diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guideline by those entities not providing these services is not authorized. These guidelines are an educational tool designed to assist practitioners in providing appropriate care for patients. They are not inflexible rules or requirements of practice and are not intended, nor should they be used, to establish a legal standard of care. For these reasons and those set forth below, the EANM suggests caution against the use of the current consensus document in litigation in which the clinical decisions of a practitioner are called into question. The ultimate judgement regarding the propriety of any specific procedure or course of action must be made by the physician or medical physicist in the light of all the circumstances presented. Thus, there is no implication that an approach differing from the consensus document, standing alone, is below the standard of care. To the contrary, a conscientious practitioner may responsibly adopt a course of action different from that set forth in the consensus document when, in the reasonable judgement of the practitioner, such course of action is indicated by the condition of the patient, limitations of available resources, or advances in knowledge or technology subsequent to publication of the consensus document. The practice of medicine includes both the art and the science of the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, and treatment of disease. The variety and complexity of human conditions make it impossible to always reach the most appropriate diagnosis or to predict with certainty a particular response to treatment. Therefore, it should be recognized that adherence to this consensus document will not ensure an accurate diagnosis or a successful outcome. All that should be expected is that the practitioner will follow a reasonable course of action based on current knowledge, available resources, and the needs of the patient, to deliver effective and safe medical care. The sole purpose of this consensus document is to assist practitioners in achieving this objective.

The reported incidence of incisional hernia following repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) via midline laparotomy is up to 69%. This prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomised controlled trial was conducted at eleven hospitals in Germany. Patients aged 18 years or older undergoing elective AAA-repair via midline incision were randomly assigned using a computer-generated randomisation sequence to one of three groups for fascial closure: with long-term absorbable suture (MonoPlus®, group I), long-term absorbable suture and onlay mesh reinforcement (group II) or extra long-term absorbable suture (MonoMax®, group III). The primary endpoint was the incidence of incisional hernia within 24 months of follow-up, analysed by intention to treat. Physicians conducting the postoperative visits and the patients were blinded. Between February 2011 and July 2013, 104 patients (69.8 ± 7.7 years) were randomised, 99 of them received a study intervention. The rate of incisional hernia within 24 months was not significantly reduced with onlay mesh augmentation compared to primary suture (p = 0.290). Furthermore, the rate of incisional hernia did not differ significantly between fascial closure with slow and extra long-term absorbable suture (p = 0.111). Serious adverse events related to study intervention occurred in five patients (5.1%) from treatment groups II and III. Wound healing disorders were more frequently seen after onlay mesh implantation on the day of discharge (p = 0.010) and three (p = 0.009) and six (p = 0.023) months postoperatively. The existing evidence on prophylactic mesh augmentation in patients undergoing AAA-repair via midline laparotomy probably needs critical review. As the implementation of new RCTs is considered difficult due to the increasing number of endovascular AAA treated, registry studies could help to collect and evaluate data in cases of open AAA-repair. Comparisons between prophylactic mesh implantation and the small bite technique are also required. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01353443. Funding Sources: Aesculap AG, Tuttlingen, Germany.

Was ist neu? Aktuelle Studien 4 klinische Studien haben die endovaskuläre Versorgung (endovascular aneurysm bzw. aortic repair, EVAR) und die offen chirurgische Therapie (open repair, OR) des Bauchaortenaneurysmas (BAA) randomisiert prospektiv verglichen: Chronologisch sind dies EVAR 1 (UK), DREAM (Niederlande), OVER (USA) und ACE (Frankreich). Alle 4 Studien sind der Frage nachgegangen, ob die frühe postoperative Überlegenheit der endovaskulären Versorgung im Langzeitverlauf aufrechterhalten bleibt 1 2 3 4 5.Aktuelle Untersuchungen zur prophylaktischen Netzanlage nach offener BAA-Versorgung belegen, dass die Narbenhernie als wesentliche Langzeitkomplikation nach transabdomineller Aortenrekonstruktion sicher vermieden werden kann 6. Leitlinienempfehlungen Seit 2018 wurden international 3 große Leitlinien zum abdominellen Aortenaneurysma publiziert 7 8 9, darunter erstmals die deutsche S3-Leitlinie zu Screening, Diagnostik, Therapie und Nachsorge des BAA 9. Langzeitdaten Auf Grundlage der EVAR-1-Studie wurden 2016 die bis dato längsten Follow-up-Daten zum Vergleich von OR und EVAR veröffentlicht, welche die frühe postoperative Überlegenheit von EVAR infrage stellen. Die mittlere Personenjahre-Beobachtung (entweder bis Tod oder Ende der Studie) betrug 8 Jahre 10.Die offene Therapie des BAA bekommt in diesem Kontext einen neuen Stellenwert und die Indikation zur endovaskulären Therapie sollte mit Hinblick auf den Langzeitverlauf kritisch gestellt werden. Die Indikationsstellung zur invasiven Therapie hat sich nicht verändert und sollte bei Männern – von Ausnahmen abgesehen – erst ab einem Durchmesser von 5,5 cm erfolgen.

Aortovenous fistulae are rare in clinical practice with different etiologies. Although very rare in general, traumatic genesis is most frequent. Gunshot and stab wounds are most common, as well as iatrogenic injuries, associated with surgical procedures (i.e., spinal cord surgery). In addition, aortovenous fistulae may occur spontaneously, due to aortic plaque erosion or rupture of an aortic aneurysm. Most often, such erosions occur near aortoiliacal bifurcation, resulting in aortocaval fistulae. Less common, these fistula may affect iliac veins, the left renal vein, or mesenteric veins. Such a fistula may be congenital in very rare cases. Most patients complain of abdominal pain, and back pain may also be present. Depending on the size of the fistula, symptoms of high cardiac output failure, dyspnea, and even lower extremity edema may be present. Spontaneous and traumatic fistulae may increase in size and volume over many years, which may obscure the diagnosis. Abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture into the inferior cava vein may cause a very sudden onset of cardiac decompensation, which may challenge the underlying diagnosis.

Objective This in vitro study investigates the antimicrobial efficacy of impregnation of commercially available aortic endografts (EG) with rifampicin (RIF) and nanocolloidal silver. Methods Endografts were flushed with 50 mL of RIF 600 mg, 70 mL of a silver-based aqueous solution (AG), or 50 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) over 15 minutes. Endografts were then retrieved from the sheath and cut in 1 × 1 cm sized graft units (n = 80 of each impregnation), which were then incubated for 1 hour separately with inoculates containing 106 or 103 bacteria per milliliter (bact/mL) of each of the following bacteria: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, multisensitive Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After sonication of the graft units, bacterial counts were measured by plating out twice the sonication solution on Mueller-Hinton plates. Results RIF showed a statistically significant decrease of colony forming units per milliliter for all four bacterial strains in both concentrations compared with PBS and AG, except for 103 bact/mL of E coli. AG showed a significant decrease of colony forming units per milliliter compared with PBS only for 106 bact/mL of E coli and was statistically significantly inferior to RIF for all four bacterial strains in both concentrations with the exception of E coli at a concentration of 103 bact/mL. Conclusions This in vitro study demonstrated infectivity resistance of aortic EG after flushing with RIF. Moreover, the feasibility of flushing aortic EG with a new silver-based agent could be demonstrated, but without statistically significant antimicrobial efficacy compared with native EG., Clinical Relevance Because the number of elective and emergency endovascular procedures on the thoracic and abdominal aorta is continuously increasing, endograft infections in both locations are also more frequently observed. The necessity and use of antimicrobial-impregnated EG in the prophylaxis or treatment of endograft infections has so far neither been discussed in the literature nor addressed in existing guidelines. This is the first study investigating the influence of antiseptic impregnations of commercially available aortic EG on in vitro contamination with bacteria commonly causing vascular graft infections. Owing to proven infectivity resistance, flushing EG with RIF could, despite known limitations, lead to a modification of established therapeutic principles in patients at high risk for aortic graft infections.

Four randomized clinical trials prospectively compared endovascular (EVAR) and open repair (OR) of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA): Chronologically these are EVAR 1 (UK), DREAM (Netherlands), OVER (USA) and ACE (France). All of them investigated whether the superior early postoperative outcome of endovascular repair is maintained in the long-term. The longest follow-up data of EVAR 1, with a mean person-years observation (either until death or end of study) of 8 years, clearly question the superiority of EVAR. In this context, open repair of AAA takes on a new significance and the indication for endovascular repair should be critically assessed with regard to the long-term course. Indication for invasive treatment has not changed and should - apart from exceptions - only be given for men with a diameter of 5,5 cm or more. Furthermore, current studies on prophylactic mesh reinforcement after open repair of AAA show that incisional hernias can be safely avoided.4 klinische Studien haben die endovaskuläre Versorgung (endovascular aneurysm bzw. aortic repair, EVAR) und die offen chirurgische Therapie (open repair, OR) des Bauchaortenaneurysmas (BAA) randomisiert prospektiv verglichen: Chronologisch sind dies EVAR 1 (UK), DREAM (Niederlande), OVER (USA) und ACE (Frankreich). Alle 4 Studien sind der Frage nachgegangen, ob die frühe postoperative Überlegenheit der endovaskulären Versorgung im Langzeitverlauf aufrechterhalten bleibt 1 2 3 4 5.Aktuelle Untersuchungen zur prophylaktischen Netzanlage nach offener BAA-Versorgung belegen, dass die Narbenhernie als wesentliche Langzeitkomplikation nach transabdomineller Aortenrekonstruktion sicher vermieden werden kann 6.Seit 2018 wurden international 3 große Leitlinien zum abdominellen Aortenaneurysma publiziert 7 8 9, darunter erstmals die deutsche S3-Leitlinie zu Screening, Diagnostik, Therapie und Nachsorge des BAA 9.Auf Grundlage der EVAR-1-Studie wurden 2016 die bis dato längsten Follow-up-Daten zum Vergleich von OR und EVAR veröffentlicht, welche die frühe postoperative Überlegenheit von EVAR infrage stellen. Die mittlere Personenjahre-Beobachtung (entweder bis Tod oder Ende der Studie) betrug 8 Jahre 10.Die offene Therapie des BAA bekommt in diesem Kontext einen neuen Stellenwert und die Indikation zur endovaskulären Therapie sollte mit Hinblick auf den Langzeitverlauf kritisch gestellt werden. Die Indikationsstellung zur invasiven Therapie hat sich nicht verändert und sollte bei Männern – von Ausnahmen abgesehen – erst ab einem Durchmesser von 5,5 cm erfolgen.

Spheno-orbital meningiomas represent a delicate subtype of intracranial meningiomas involving the sphenoid wing, orbit and important neurovascular structures such as cavernous sinus, carotid artery or optic nerve. Insidious and aggressive dural, bone and orbital involvement contains several defiances to adequate resection, which provides high rates of recurrence.This retrospective case analysis consisted of 30 patients, who were surgically treated for spheno-orbital meningiomas performing a fronto-pterional approach by or under the supervision of the senior author (J. Meixensberger) between May 2001 and February 2006. There were 22 woman and eight men with a mean age of 54.4 years. The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 75 months (mean: 33.7 months).The majority of patients presented with a clinical triad of visual impairment (74%), progressive proptosis (55%) and visual field defects (40%). Total microscopic tumor resection was achieved in ten patients (33%). Visual acuity improved in 65% of the patients, and 40% of these returned to normal vision. Pre-existing cranial nerve deficits remained unchanged in the majority of patients (88%) and improved in 12%. Temporary new cranial nerve deficits occurred in three patients. The rate of permanent non-visual morbidity was 10% (three of 30 patients). Eight patients (27%) received post-operative radiotherapy with an overall tumor growth control rate of 63%. The overall recurrence rate was 27% (eight of 30 patients).Sufficient tumor control can be achieved with minimal morbidity and satisfying functional results.