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- Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia Under the Age of 50 – a Single-Center 12-Year Retrospective StudyPublication . Gueifão, Inês; Quintas, Anita; Soares Ferreira, Rita; Pais, Fábio; Ribeiro, Tiago; Cardoso, Joana; Fidalgo, Helena; Ferreira, Maria EmiliaINTRODUCTION: Premature peripheral artery disease (PAD), defined as occurring before or at the age of 50, is a poorly studied subset of PAD due to its low incidence. It has been associated with a higher risk of progression to chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), major adverse limb events and mortality. Etiology is multifactorial, with genetics and environmental causes at play, with the most common risk factors being smoking, diabetes, and hypertension. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted in a Portuguese tertiary center, including all patients up to the age of 50 submitted to a revascularization procedure for CLTI from May 2011 to November 2023. The primary endpoint was a composite outcome of mortality, amputation and/or reintervention. The secondary endpoints were reintervention, amputation and mortality rates, and amputation-free survival (AFS). RESULTS: Ninety-one patients were included (74% male, median age 48). The most common risk factors were smoking (69%), diabetes (45%) and hypertension (44%). Most patients presented as Fontaine grade IV (79%). Thirtytwo patients (35%) had aortoiliac lesions, while 38 (42%) had femoropopliteal, and 21 (23%) had infra-popliteal disease. During the median follow-up period of 7.4 years (IQR 4.3-10.3), 57 patients (63%) underwent reintervention, amputation, or died. The reintervention rate was 40%, while amputation was performed on 25% of patients, and 29% of patients died. Median AFS was 4.7 years (IQR 0.8-7.8). Subgroup analysis comparing diabetic and non-diabetic patients and endovascular vs. open surgery were performed. The 30-day amputation rate was significantly higher in diabetics (12% vs. 2%, p=.05), but there were no other significant differences in subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: Premature CTLI is associated with poor outcomes and high mortality rates, with most patients undergoing reintervention or amputation. Further studies are needed to identify non-traditional risk factors to improve outcomes in this young population.
- Fenestrated Physician-Modified Endografts (PMEGs) - a Viable Option for Urgent CasesPublication . Bento, Rita; Alves, Gonçalo; Rodrigues, Gonçalo; Garcia, Rita; Ribeiro, Tiago; Cardoso, Joana; Soares Ferreira, Rita; Ferreira, Maria EmiliaINTRODUCTION: Fenestrated and branched stent graft technology has come a long way over the past few years, enabling the treatment of complex juxtarenal aneurysms, thoracoabdominal aneurysms, and arch pathologies. Many innovations have been developed, namely device and delivery optimization and technical tricks. These concepts have proven to work well when there is sufficient time to plan and manufacture a custom-made device for the patient. However, this is different in urgent or emergent cases. Using parallel graft techniques or off-theshelf stent grafts may be efficient in urgent situations, but it is also associated with selection limitations. Recent publications have demonstrated similar mid-term technical and clinical results between physician-modified endografts (PMEGs) and customized devices. The authors aim to describe their institutional series of PMEGs. METHODS: The clinical files of all patients undergoing PMEGs were consulted, and demographic data as surgery outcomes were collected. Technical success: creating the intended number of fenestrations, target vessel catheterization, and patency. Procedural success: technical success with adequate aneurysm exclusion and without endoleak in the final angiography. 30-day complications and mortality were also evaluated. Technical and procedural success were assessed, as well as morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Between December 2020 and December 2022, 3 patients underwent PMEGs. The indications were a juxtarenal aortic aneurysm, a type V thoracoabdominal aneurysm and a persistent type 1a endoleak. All patients were symptomatic, with one stable rupture. All cases were performed with technical and procedural success and no morbidity and mortality at 30 days. CONCLUSION: Stent graft modification is a valuable and valid tool in emergencies and should be a vascular surgeon's trump card when dealing with complex aortic pathologies. Nevertheless, due to the absence of longterm evidence, it should be reserved for acute patients unfit for open repair and in aneurysms with unfavorable anatomy for an off-the-shelf device.
- Mycotic Aneurysm in an Immunocompromised Patient with Pneumonia and Spondylodiscitis: Who’s Guilty?Publication . Figueiredo, Adriana; Fidalgo, Helena; Tavares, Carolina; Gueifão, Inês; Gonçalves, Daniela; Alves, Gonçalo; Camacho, Nelson; Ferreira, Maria EmiliaBACKGROUND: Mycotic aneurysm is a rare entity with rapid progression, which can be fatal without adequate treatment. The incidence of rupture is greater than that of degenerative aneurysms and is associated with a high mortality rate. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 58-year-old man with a known history of HIV infection with good immunovirological staging, treated squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal and chronic gastritis, who presented with a six-day history of intense back pain, malaise, fever, and chills. After examination, he was hospitalized with a clinical suspicion of acute pyelonephritis. During hospitalization, he was diagnosed with pneumonia of the right pulmonary base, infectious spondylodiscitis, and mycotic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta, which involved the visceral plaque. The microbiological workup revealed only positive blood cultures for Klebsiella pneumoniae. After a multidisciplinary discussion of the case and six weeks of antibiogram-oriented antibiotic therapy, the patient underwent an aorto-aortic interposition via left thoracophrenolaparotomy without the need to reimplant visceral vessels due to the patch confguration of the proximal anastomosis. The procedure was performed under left heart bypass. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged four weeks later. At 18 months follow-up, she remained asymptomatic and free of recurrence. CONCLUSION: In this case, it remains to be defned whether the cause of the mycotic aneurysm was hematogenous dissemination from the identifed pneumonia or contiguity from the diagnosed spondylodiscitis. Given the morbidity and mortality associated with this entity, early diagnosis and adequate treatment with surgical correction and antibiotic therapy with suffcient duration and dose are important aspects for improving survival in these cases.
- A Giant Arteriovenous Malformation of the Abdominal WallPublication . Figueiredo, Adriana; Gueifão, Inês; Fidalgo, Helena; Tavares, Carolina; Amaral, Carlos; Ferreira, Rita; Borges, Nuno; Ferreira, Maria EmiliaINTRODUCTION: Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs) are high-fow anomalous connections between the arterial and venous systems composed of dysplastic vessels resulting from aberrant angiogenesis. They are congenital and when symptomatic they rarely manifest before adolescence. Depending on the location, size, stage and severity of the symptoms, treatment options vary from conservative management to surgical resection. We report a case of a giant arteriovenous malformation of abdominal wall (tipe IIIb of Yakes Classifcation) treated with surgical resection after prior attempts of scleroembolization.. CLINICAL CASE: 54-year-old woman with known history of osteoarticular pathology and dyspepsia presented a mass on the left side of the abdominal wall with hard consistency, warm, slightly pulsating and tenderness to touch with several years of evolution. The mass showed infltration of the internal and external oblique muscles sparing the transverse muscle. Clinically she presented easy fatigue with efforts. Due to the risk of abdominal wall herniation after excision of the AVM, scleroembolization was considered frst-line treatment in this case. This strategy resulted in regression of the mass and symptoms improvement. Four years after the last intervention, the patient presented lesion growth, recurrence and worsening of symptoms with severe interference in the quality of life (QoL). After multidisciplinary discussion, she was proposed for complete resection of the AVM. She was frst submitted to scleroembolization with Onyx of identifed arterial afferents and sclerosis of the lesion nidus with 2% polidocanol. One month after she underwent successfully total resection of the AVM with the collaboration of General Surgery. CONCLUSION: No unifed agreement exists on the best treatment of these complex high fow lesions and it is diffcult to establish a comprehensive strategy given the pathology’s clinical variability, complex stratifcation and the risk of relapse. A case-by-case approach is needed in managing these types of lesions.
- Combined Oral Contraceptive and its Association with Breast Cancer: a Systematic ReviewPublication . Leite Caetano, B; Gil Conde, MM; Silva Oliveira, AO cancro da mama é a doença maligna mais frequentemente diagnosticada nas mulheres em todo o mundo, com incidência e mortalidade crescentes, pelo que o conhecimento dos seus fatores de risco é de grande importância para se poder investir em medidas de prevenção primária eficazes. O contracetivo oral combinado (COC) é o método contracetivo mais utilizado em mulheres em idade fértil, com utilização média de 5 anos. Esta revisão sistemática pretende avaliar se existe maior incidência de cancro da mama em mulheres em idade fértil com exposição a COC superior a 5 anos, comparativamente a exposição inferior a 5 anos.
- O Impacto das Ferramentas Digitais no Tratamento da Insónia, uma Revisão Baseada na EvidênciaPublication . Nunes, B; Nunes Rodrigues, R; Resende, SIntrodução: Em Portugal, a insónia tem uma prevalência estimada de 10%. O tratamento de primeira linha é a terapia cognitivo-comportamental dirigida à insónia (TCC-I), no entanto há escassez de terapeutas disponíveis. O objetivo desta revisão baseada na evidência foi averiguar a eficácia das TCC-I através de meios digitais (TCC-ID) em adultos. Métodos: Foi realizada pesquisa de metanálises, metanálises em rede (MAR), revisões sistemáticas, ensaios clínicos randomizados (ECR) e normas de orientação clínica, publicados entre janeiro de 2018 e dezembro de 2022. Termos MeSH: “cognitive behavioural therapy”, “insomnia disorder”, “telemedicine” e “digital technology”. Fontes de dados: Cochrane Library, DARE, NICE, Direção-Geral de Saúde, Google Scholar e PubMed. Resultados: Foram obtidos 101 artigos e selecionados uma MAR e três ECR. A TCC-ID (Somryst®) apresenta uma probabilidade de 56% de ser o tratamento mais eficaz na insónia e uma probabilidade de 64% de ser o tratamento mais eficaz na sua remissão às 6 a 12 semanas. Em grávidas com insónia, a TCC-ID (Sleepio®) apresenta uma redução superior do score Índice de Severidade da Insónia (ISI) comparativamente com as terapias convencionais (p = 0,08). As taxas de remissão de insónia aos seis meses pós-parto foram superiores no grupo da TCC-ID (p = 0,02). Verificou-se uma melhoria no score ISI às 4 semanas (p = 0,063) após TCC-ID (StudiCare Sleep-e®) e às 12 semanas a diferença tornou-se estatisticamente significativa (p < 0,001). Tanto a TCC-I como TCC-ID apresentam impacto positivo na gravidade dos sintomas de insónia. No grupo que recebeu TCC-ID (WeChat®), houve uma melhoria estatisticamente significativa do score Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (p < 0,001). Discussão: A evidência demonstra não inferioridade entre TCC-ID e TCC-I convencional em adultos. A presente revisão apresenta limitações: amostra pouco heterogénea e inclusão de aplicações em língua estrangeira. Conclusão: A TCC-ID pode ser recomendada como alternativa à TCC-I convencional (Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy A).
- Biópsias Percutâneas Vertebrais – Experiência do nosso CentroPublication . Gonçalves, J; Kuroedov, D; Pamplona, J; Fragata, I; Reis, JIntrodução: A biópsia percutânea vertebral tem substituído a biópsia cirúrgica aberta nos últimos 50 anos. A biópsia não-invasiva é mais custo-efetiva e tem menos complicações quando comparada com procedimentos abertos. Realizou-se uma revisão das biópsias percutâneas vertebrais realizadas no nosso centro para avaliar o yield diagnóstico e a segurança. Métodos: Analisou-se retrospetivamente 240 biópsias vertebrais percutâneas realizadas no nosso centro terciário durante 4 anos. As variáveis adquiridas incluíram técnica diagnóstica de imagem, segmento vertebral, localização da biópsia, resultados histopatológicos, tratamento adjuvante e complicações. Resultados: 102 (42,5%) dos pacientes eram mulheres, com uma média de 68 anos. A técnica mais utilizada foi a fluoroscopia (99%, n=237). A maioria dos procedimentos foi realizado no segmento lombar, representando 47% (n=112), seguido do segmento torácico (42%, n=100). Obtivemos amostra suficiente para análise histológica em 93%. Das 240 biópsias, 18 (7,5%) tiveram de ser repetidas, tendo-se obtido um diagnóstico em 14 (78%). Histologicamente, em 28% (n=67) das amostras não se obteve alterações patológicas e em 27% (n=65) confirmou-se doença metastática. Realizou-se vertebroplastia em 19% (n=46) dos casos após a biópsia. Apenas um paciente teve uma complicação clinicamente significativa secundária ao procedimento. Conclusão: A biópsia vertebral percutânea é uma importante ferramenta na avaliação de lesões vertebrais e dos tecidos paravertebrais adjacentes, e pode ser realizada com baixa morbilidade e alta taxa de deteção como um procedimento de ambulatório. Em conformidade com a literatura, a maior parte das nossas amostras eram adequadas para análise histopatológica e o achado mais comum foi lesão metastática.
- Diagnosis and Predictors of Post-Implantation Syndrome Following Endovascular Repair of Aortic Aneurysms – a Narrative ReviewPublication . F. Ribeiro, Tiago; Soares Ferreira, Rita; Bento, Rita; Pais, Fábio; Cardoso, Joana; Bastos Gonçalves, Frederico; Amaral, Carlos; Ferreira, Maria EmiliaINTRODUCTION: After endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), many patients develop a systemic inflammatory response called post-implantation syndrome (PIS). AAA and procedure-related characteristics have been linked with increased odds of developing this syndrome. Similarly, some short- and long-term consequences have been associated with PIS. This study aims to review the literature on the diagnosis and predictors of post-implantation after endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms. RESULTS: A non-systematic review of the MEDLINE and Scopus databases was performed using the keywords "abdominal aortic aneurysm," "inflammation," and "endovascular techniques.” No time or language limitations were imposed. Manuscripts were considered irrespective of study design. Articles of interest were analyzed, and the relevant information was organized in tables. RESULTS: PIS is defined as a combination of constitutional symptoms, including fatigue and fever, and elevated inflammatory markers. There are several proposed diagnostic criteria, most including a combination of fever with leukocytosis and/or elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). These result in discrepant rates, as low as 2% and up to 100%. The typical evolution of this syndrome is spontaneous resolution, although pharmacologic measures for symptom relief may be needed. These symptoms often resolve within two weeks; no significant permanent complications remain. Most PIS cases will present up to the first 72 postoperative hours. Endograft material, particularly polyester-based stent grafts, has been consistently linked to increased odds of PIS, up to five-fold, compared to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts. Aneurysm thrombus load (both pre-existing and new-onset) has also been related to an increased odds of PIS. Bacterial translocation, contrast media, and other patient or procedure-related characteristics have not been linked to an increased risk of PIS. CONCLUSION: PIS is a common finding after EVAR. Universal diagnostic criteria for diagnosis are required. Polyester-based stent grafts present the highest risk of developing this syndrome. Aneurysm thrombus load may also relate to this increased risk. The impact of other clinical or anatomical factors remains undetermined.
- Unfractionated Heparin in Ruptured Aortic Aneurysms – Narrative ReviewPublication . F. Ribeiro, Tiago; Correia, Ricardo; Bento, Rita; Pais, Fábio; Soares Ferreira, Rita; Bastos Gonçalves, Frederico; Amaral, Carlos; Ferreira, Maria EmiliaINTRODUCTION: Portuguese estimates point out that nearly 20% of aortic aneurysms are treated in a ruptured setting, with in-hospital mortality reaching up to 50%. Although unfractionated heparin (UFH) is routine during elective surgery, this technical point is debatable when treating ruptured aneurysms. The authors aimed to review the literature on the topic of intraoperative heparinization with UFH within the intraoperative period of ruptured aortic aneurysms. METHODS: A MEDLINE and Scopus database search using the terms “unfractionated heparin," “aortic aneurysm," and “ruptured aortic aneurysm” was performed. No time or language limitations were imposed. The last search was run in July 2023. Manuscripts were considered irrespective of study design. Additional articles of scientific interest for the purpose of this non-systematic review were included by cross-referencing. RESULTS: In the rupture setting, UFH usage rates have widely varied throughout time and geographical sites, and they are reported to be as low as 16%. Overall, the evidence of UFH in clinical practice in this scenario is limited. Notwithstanding, there is some evidence from observational studies of an increased pro-coagulant activity in this clinical scenario, favoring a theoretical physiologic benefit. A prospective, non-randomized study of 131 OSR patients found that patients treated with UFH had improved 30-day survival (84% vs 67%, P=0.001). Non-significant differences in blood product usage were noted. Therefore, societal guideline recommendations about intraoperative UFH in ruptured aortic aneurysms are often missing. CONCLUSION: UFH may potentially reduce death after open repair of rAAA. These findings should be carefully interpreted, as the evidence is scarce and heterogeneous and only portrays open repair.
- Giant Renal Tumor with Inferior Vena Cava Thrombus – a Case ReportPublication . F. Ribeiro, Tiago; Soares Ferreira, Rita; Garcia, Rita; Bento, Rita; Fidalgo, Helena; Ferrito, Fernando; Aragão de Moraisa, José; Ferreira, Maria EmiliaINTRODUCTION: Vascular migration and venous tumor thrombus are infrequent but unique aspects of renal cell carcinoma, and these features have signifcant therapeutic and prognostic implications. We report a case of renal neoplasm with a vena cava tumor thrombus treated with surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. CASE REPORT: A 53-year-old, otherwise healthy woman presented to the emergency department due to macroscopic hematuria and abdominal pain. A large abdominal mass was noted. A computed tomography angiography was performed, and a right renal tumor (105x207mm) with level II inferior vena cava tumor thrombus and local adenopathy was noted. After a multidisciplinary discussion, she was proposed for surgical resection. Through a bilateral subcostal incision (Chevron), a standard right radical nephrectomy and perivascular lymph node excision were performed. The IVC was exposed, and a thrombectomy was performed through a longitudinal cavotomy. Pathology revealed clear renal cell carcinoma and lymph node metastasis. The postoperative period was uneventful. However, the patient developed multiple liver and lung metastases at early follow-up and was treated with chemotherapy. DISCUSSION: Tumor thrombus can extend up to the right atrium and occurs in nearly 10–25% of renal cell carcinoma patients. The natural history of this condition is poor, with a median survival of 5 months and signifcant survival improvements following radical nephrectomy and IVC tumor thrombus removal are observed, with 40- 60% 5-year survival. Surgical treatment should, therefore, be considered in this group of patients. Such operations can be challenging, particularly when thrombus extent is signifcant, and the combination of efforts between oncologists, urologists, and vascular surgeons can improve patient safety and perioperative outcomes with signifcant improvements in overall prognosis.