The Advantages of Volume Rendering in Three-Dimensional Endosonography of the Anorectum

Anorectal diseases require imaging for proper case management. At present, endoanal ultrasonography and endorectal ultrasonography have become important parts of diagnostic workup of patients with fecal incontinence, perianal fistulas, and rectal cancer and provides sufficient information for clinical decision-making in many cases. However, with the currently available ultrasonographic equipment and techniques, a good deal of relevant information may remain hidden. The advent of high-resolution three-dimensional endoluminal ultrasound, constructed from a synthesis of standard two-dimensional cross-sectional images, and of "Volume Render Mode," a technique to analyze information inside a three-dimensional volume by digitally enhancing individual voxels, promises to revolutionize diagnosis of pelvic floor disorders. By use of the different postprocessing display parameters, the volume-rendered image provides better visualization performance when there are not large differences in the signal levels of pathologic structures compared with surrounding tissues. The anatomic structures in the pelvis, the axial and longitudinal extension of anal sphincter defects, the anatomy of the fistulous tract in complex perianal sepsis, and the presence of slight or massive submucosal invasion in early rectal cancer may be imaged in greater detail. This additional information will bring an improvement for both planning and conduct of surgical procedures.     

Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea as the presenting symptom of sellar pathologies: three demonstrative cases

Spontaneous rhinorrhea due to sellar pathologies is a rare and insidious disease that may represent a diagnostic challenge. Since the precipitating cause is not apparent in most patients, delayed diagnosis and/or improper treatments are not uncommon and may be detrimental for the patients. The precise mechanisms of such rhinorrhea are still incompletely understood. Proposed etiological factors include constant cerebrospinal fluid pulsations against the anterior skull base trasmitted by primitive or acquired arachnoid invaginations in combination with either elevated ICP or congenital/pathologic erosions of sellar and parasellar bone structures. Advances in the diagnosis and surgical techniques have recently modified the decision-making approach to this pathology. The present paper reports three unusual cases of sellar pathologies revealed by rhinorrhea as the first symptom discussing controversial issues on pathogenesis, complications and current management of this kind of fistula.     

早期干预性手术和肠内外营养治疗肠外瘘的疗效评价（24例报告）

目的 评估早期应用“干预性手术”和肠内外营养治疗复杂性肠外瘘的临床意义及疗效。方法依据早期“干预性手术和肠内外营养”与全程完全保守措施的不同治疗方法,对24例肠外瘘病例资料分组研究,比较两组患者治疗后临床指标的差别。结果干预性手术和肠内外营养组瘘口治愈率明显高于完全保守治疗组（87．50％VS37．50％）;第4周肝功能损害率、瘘口平均愈合时间、平均住院时间、平均住院费用与后者比较均有显著下降（P〈0．01）;两组间肺部感染、败血症、切口疝、粘连性肠梗阻等近、远期并发症发生率和死亡率、再人院率差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论复杂性肠外瘘早期实施积极的“干预性手术”和肠内外营养治疗是肠外瘘外科治疗观念的重要转变,有利于提高肠外瘘的治愈率。     

Comparison of outcomes of arteriovenous grafts and fistulas at a single Veterans' Affairs medical center

BACKGROUND: Before 2003, almost all dialysis access procedures performed at the G.V. Montgomery Veterans' Affairs Medical Center were arteriovenous grafts. In mid-2003, it was decided to place fistulas in most patients. This study compared the patency rates and frequency of interventions to maintain function between the 2 procedures. METHODS: Patency rates for 64 grafts and 50 fistulas were computed using Kaplan-Meier life-tables and compared using the Cox-Mantel log- rank test. The frequency of interventions to maintain function was compared using a Poisson model. RESULTS: Primary patency of grafts at 1 and 2 years was 39% and 26%, and that of fistulas was 44% and 37%. Secondary patency of grafts at 1 and 2 years was 71% and 63%, and that of fistulas was 75% and 72%. Neither difference reached significance. The difference in interventions also was insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Switching from grafts to fistulas did not significantly improve the patency and frequency of interventions.     

Endovascular Graft-Stent Placement for Treatment of Traumatic Carotid Cavernous Fistulas

Detachable balloon-based endovascular fistula occlusion is a widely accepted treatment for traumatic carotid cavernous fistulas (CCF). However, more recently coils have been used to obliterate the lesion, especially in case detachable balloon is not available. We failed balloon-assisted coil embolization for CCF because of large fistulas and herniation of coil loops into the parent artery. The authors describe our experiences of balloonexpandable graft-stents to treat CCF, and place emphasis on arterial wall reconstruction. Three traumatic CCF patients were treated using a graft-stent with/without coils, and underwent angiographic follow-up to evaluate the patency of the internal carotid artery (ICA). In all cases, symptoms related to CCF regressed after stent deployment and did not recur during follow-up. Follow-up angiography revealed good patency of the ICA in all patients. Graft-stents should be considered as an alternative means of treating CCF and preserving the parent artery by arterial wall reconstruction especially in patients with a fistula that cannot be successfully occluded with detachable balloons or coils.     

硬脊膜动静脉瘘治疗预后相关因素分析——一种新的手术预后评分系统

目的 硬脊膜动静脉瘘（Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas，SDAVFs）患者预后因素分析。方法 通过对中国医科大学附属第一医院2012年1月至2017年12月间收治的41例SDAVFs患者的流行病学特征、影像学特点、治疗方法及随访结果等资料进行回顾性分析。分为手术治疗组30例（SDAVFs切断术，不包括SDAVFs栓塞术）及非手术治疗组11例（拒绝手术，选择药物或物理治疗者），运用Aminoff and Logue评分（Aminoff and Logue Score，ALS）量化脊髓功能情况，分析SDAVFs患者治疗预后的相关因素。结果 手术治疗组影像学治愈率100%，临床症状改善率36.7%（11/30），症状无变化者63.3%（19/30），临床症状加重者0%（0/30）；非手术治疗组，临床症状改善率0%（0/11），症状无变化者27.3%（3/11），临床症状加重者72.7%（8/11）；手术治疗能够明显改善SDAVFs患者功能预后（P=0.017）；而患者治疗时年龄（P=0.020）、患病时间（P=0.037）、迂曲扩张的引流静脉长度（P=0.020）及患病当时临床症状严重程度（P=0.035）与患者手术预后有统计学意义，并提出全新的SDAVFs手术预后评分系统，7~8分为术后临床症状改善率高，而4~6分为术后临床症状改善不明显（P=0.000）。结论 SDAVFs切断术影像学治愈率极高，且相对于非手术治疗组的临床症状改善率亦较明显；根据相关预后因素（年龄、患病时间、迂曲扩张的引流静脉长度及患病当时的临床症状严重程度）提出的硬脊膜动静脉瘘手术预后评分系统，可用来评估预后。     

Fulminant development of pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas in an infant after total cavopulmonary shunt

An infant with cyanotic congenital heart disease and polysplenia syndrome developed profound cyanosis within months of undergoing bilateral cavopulmonary anastomoses. Intrapulmonary shunting was diagnosed by contrast echocardiography with peripheral venous and selective pulmonary artery injection. Histopathology revealed abnormal, thin-walled vessels within the interstitium of the lung lobule. These vessels have not been reported previously and are likely to be the anatomic site of arteriovenous shunting. This case demonstrates that pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas (PAVFs) may develop rapidly after cavopulmonary anastomosis in young infants. It also illustrates the use of contrast echocardiography for following PAVF progression in these patients.     

Endoscopic treatment of pancreatic fistulas

Background Pancreatic fistulas are managed primarily by conservative treatment. Surgery is performed in cases of conservative treatment failure. Endoscopic treatment is reported to be both effective and safe as an alternative treatment method. Methods A total of 26 patients underwent endoscopic treatment after failure of conservative treatment between January 2002 and November 2004. The mean time between the onset of fistula and the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedure was 95 days. The mean fistula output volume was 400 ml per day. Four patients had pancreatic ascites. The aim of the endoscopic treatment was to bypass the ductal disruption by placing stents or drains where the origin of fistulous tract could be identified, and to lower the pancreatic duct pressure by performing pancreatic sphincterotomy or by placing stents where the site of the leak could not be identified. Results Pancreatography could be performed in all the patients except one. Partial duct disruption occurred in 16 patients. All of the fistulas closed after the ductal disruption was bypassed. Pancreatic sphincterotomy or endoprothesis placement was effective for eight of the remaining nine patients in whom the ductal disruption originated from the tail of the pancreas and hence could not be bypassed. The overall success rate was 94% for the patients with partial duct disruption. Four patients had side branch leaks. All of them closed after placement of an endoprothesis. Fistulas closed in only one (20%) of the five patients with complete duct disruption. Pancreatic ascites resolved in two of the four patients after endoscopic treatment. No serious complications resulted from endoscopic treatment other than proximally migrated stents in two patients. Conclusions Endoscopic treatment is an effective and safe method for patients with pancreatic fistulas unresponsive to conservative treatment. The success rate is very high, especially for patients with partial and side branch duct disruption.     

Immunohistochemical study in dural arteriovenous fistulas and possible role of local hypoxia for the de novo formation of dural arteriovenous fistulas

OBJECTIVE: Although previous clinical and experimental studies investigated the pathogenesis of dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs), the biological process leading to intracranial DAVFs so far remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the expression of vascular growth factors in order to elucidate the possible role of these factors in the development of DAVFs. METHODS: We examined the histological features, proliferative and angiogenic capacities of the tissue specimens obtained from eight patients who underwent surgery at our institution. Immunohistochemical staining for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), its receptors Flk-1 and Flt-1, transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalpha), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha (Hif-1alpha), MIB-1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was performed using standard immunohistochemical techniques. RESULTS: A positive immunostaining was found for all antibodies studied except MIB-1, whereas nuclear endothelial expression of PCNA was observed in only 3/8 cases. Hif-1alpha and VEGF stained positive in all of the available specimens (7/7). Flk-1 showed a positive immunoreaction in only 2/8 cases and Flt-1 in 5/7 cases. TGFalpha and bFGF were expressed in the majority (6/8) of cases. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the possible role of local tissue hypoxia as the initial step causing neoangiogenesis and a low degree of endothelial proliferation in DAVFs. Such hypoxia might be caused by venous hypertension or venous thrombosis as it was previously suggested by other authors.