Femoral artery pseudoaneurysm: diagnosis with conventional duplex and color Doppler US

Three patients with clinically suspected pseudoaneurysm as a complication of femoral puncture were referred for ultrasound (US) evaluation with both conventional duplex Doppler US and color Doppler imaging. Pseudoaneurysm (n = 2) and simple hematoma (n = 2) were depicted with both Doppler systems, and a separate pseudoaneurysm and a hematoma were found in one patient. These diagnoses were confirmed surgically. Distinctive Doppler spectral waveforms and color Doppler findings enabled confident diagnoses. Color Doppler imaging allowed faster detection of intraaneurysmal flow, and the track between the injured artery and the pseudoaneurysm was identified only with color Doppler imaging. Duplex Doppler US with color Doppler imaging allows for the rapid, unequivocal diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm, thus enabling prompt treatment without the need for invasive diagnostic modalities.     

彩色多普勒超声对医源性股动脉假性动脉瘤的临床应用

目的：探讨彩色多普勒超声对医源性股动脉假性动脉瘤的诊断及治疗价值。方法对22例经皮股动脉穿刺介入术后触及搏动性肿块的患者采用二维超声、彩色多普勒超声、频谱多普勒超声检查,对声像图进行总结分析,在超声引导下压迫及注射治疗。结果本组22例假性动脉瘤彩色多普勒超声诊断与临床符合率100%（22/22）,18例经超声引导下压迫治疗后瘤腔闭合,3例经瘤腔内注射凝血酶治疗取得满意疗效,总治愈率95%（21/22）,1例行外科手术治疗。结论彩色多普勒超声是医源性假性动脉瘤首选的诊断及治疗方法。     

Computerized tomography in the investigation of groin masses following femoral catheterization

Pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery is an uncommon complication of retrograde arteriography. It is sometimes difficult to clinically differentiate a pseudoaneurysm from a large hematoma. We present 13 cases of suspected femoral pseudoaneurysm following angiography which were investigated by computed tomography (CT). It is suggested that this is a useful procedure in the investigation of groin masses after catheterization.     

Imaging of penile traumas—therapeutic implications

Injury to the penis may result from penetrating or nonpenetrating trauma. Nonpenetrating injury to the erect penis can produce albugineal tear, intracavernous hematoma or extraalbugineal hematoma from rupture of the dorsal vessels. Nonpenetrating injury to the flaccid penis usually follows blunt perineal traumas producing extratunical or cavernosal haematomas, or cavernosal artery tear followed by high flow priapism. Differential diagnosis between albugineal tear and other penile injuries must be obtained as soon as possible, since early surgical repair of albugineal tear reduces significantly the rate of postraumatic curvature and fibrosis. Ultrasonography (US) is able to detect the exact site of the tear in most patients as an interruption of the thin echogenic line of the tunica albuginea. Other imaging techniques are rarely required in the clinical practice. Color Doppler US is the imaging modality of choice to evaluate patients with high flow priapism. Focal or diffuse cavernosal fibrosis can be identified with US as echogenic areas in the cavernosal bodies. Postraumatic erectile dysfunction can result from fibrotic changes, nerve and vascular impairment or both. Doppler evaluation of penile vasculature is required in young patients with postraumatic impotence before surgical revascularization procedures.     

Feasibility study of NeoMend,a percutaneous arterial closure device that uses a nonthrombogenic bioadhesive

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective single-center phase I feasibility study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of a novel vascular sealing device, the NeoMend Arterial Closure Device, that uses a bioadhesive after percutaneous endovascular procedures. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In 26 consecutive patients, the sealing device was deployed at the femoral artery access site immediately after a catheterization procedure using a 6-French (1.91-mm) sheath. Patients were followed up at 24 hr with Doppler sonography of the treated femoral artery puncture site, and at 1 week and 1 month by a telephone interview. RESULTS: Successful hemostasis was achieved with the NeoMend Arterial Closure Device in 21 (88%) of 24 patients. One major complication required surgery: formation of puncture site hematoma and pseudoaneurysm 3 days after the intervention after successful primary hemostasis. Two device failures required crossover to manual compression, which was done without further complications. The mean time to hemostasis was 7.0 +/- 4.5 min. Mean time to ambulation was 6.0 hr. At follow-up, the patients did not report any puncture-site-related complaints. Doppler sonography of the puncture sites revealed three insignificant hematomas of less than 20 mL and patent common femoral vessels without stenoses. CONCLUSION: The NeoMend Arterial Closure Device appears to achieve rapid hemostasis with the potential of early ambulation after arterial punctures with a 6-French sheath. The device is an alternative in situations in which suture- or collagen-mediated devices show high complication rates.     

Color Doppler imaging of posttraumatic priapism before and after selective embolization.

High-flow priapism usually follows perineal or penile trauma with disruption of an intracavernosal artery. Angiographic embolization of the lacerated artery is currently considered the treatment of choice. The contribution of gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasonography (US) in diagnosis and treatment of 10 patients with high-flow priapism was investigated. In patients with recent arterial laceration, the cavernous tissue surrounding the arterial-sinusoidal fistula appears as a hypoechoic region with undefined margins. In long-standing priapism, this area is usually more regular and circumscribed, mimicking a pseudoaneurysm. Color Doppler US is highly sensitive for detection of the arterial-sinusoidal fistula that causes extravasation of blood from the lacerated cavernosal artery. After angiography, color Doppler US allows confirmation of both successful embolization by demonstrating disappearance or size reduction of the fistula and unsuccessful treatment by demonstrating patency of collateral feeding vessels or early recanalization of the embolized artery. Limitations of color Doppler US include underestimation of the number of accessory feeding vessels, which may become patent only after embolization of the main vascular supply, and difficulty in recognizing vessels that feed the fistula from the opposite side.     

Spontaneous internal oblique hematoma successfully treated by transcatheter arterial embolization

Abdominal wall hematoma is an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain. We report a case of internal oblique hematoma caused by rupture of the subcostal artery in a 57-year-old woman. Ultrasonography (US) showed a hypoechoic mass in the right lateral abdominal wall. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a large soft tissue mass with extravasation of contrast medium located in the right internal oblique muscle. Angiography showed contrast extravasation from the subcostal artery, and transcatheter arterial embolization was performed successfully.     

Thrombosis at venous insertion sites after inferior vena caval filter placement

Color Doppler flow imaging or compression ultrasound (US) was used to prospectively determine frequency of thrombosis at 54 venous insertion sites (47 in common femoral veins, seven in right internal jugular veins) after percutaneous placement of Greenfield filters for interruption of the inferior vena cava. Fifty-one filters were successfully placed in 51 patients with a dilator set or a balloon angioplasty catheter. Nine focal thrombi were detected in the common femoral vein (19%) and one in the right internal jugular vein (14%). Use of dilators induced eight thrombi (24%), compared with two (10%) from balloon catheters. The left common femoral vein had a high frequency of thrombosis, regardless of dilation technique (five of nine). Of nine patients with acute common femoral vein thrombosis, four became symptomatic within 10 days after the procedure. Patients may remain asymptomatic or have delayed symptoms; thus, US is valuable for determining patients at risk of thrombosis of the common femoral vein.     

Absolute flow measurements using pulsed Doppler US. Work in progress

Quantitative flow measurements were assessed in both laboratory and canine models using pulsed Doppler ultrasonography (US). A hydrodynamic model consisting of a Harvard pulsatile pump, a water bath, tubing, and a variable resistance reservoir was used to obtain absolute volumetric flow measurements. Parameters including angle of incidence, size of tubing, stroke volume, stroke rate, sample volume, and transducer frequency were changed independently. The effect of varying these parameters on the determination of absolute flow was analyzed. Absolute flow measurements using duplex US were performed in the canine aorta and femoral artery with reference to the electromagnetic flow probe. These data are presented, along with methods to reduce error in flow measurements that can be directly applied to quantitative estimates of blood flow in humans.     

Median nerve injury as a result of medial brachial fascial compartment syndrome

A case of brachial plexus injury after brachial arteriography is reported. Percutaneous catheterization of the brachial artery for angiography and intervention is performed when contraindications for the femoral approach exist. Access-related complications include injuries to the infraclavicular brachial plexus. This is often a result of a hematoma within the medial brachial fascial compartment leading to a compartment syndrome. Early recognition and prompt surgical management is vital to prevent permanent nerve damage.     

Pulsed and color Doppler sonographic findings of penile Mondor's disease.

This report describes the color and pulsed Doppler US findings of penile Mondor's disease. The pulsed Doppler US findings of penile Mondor's disease have not been previously published, so we report here for the first time on the cavernosal arterial flow signal pattern of penile Mondor's disease. Penile Mondor's disease is rare disease that's characterized by thrombosis in the dorsal vein of the penis. The previous reports on penile Mondor's disease are concerned with the color Doppler US finding without the flow signals in this area, but these findings are insufficient to understand the hemodynamics in penile Mondor's disease. We report for the first time on a cavernosal artery flow signal pattern of low peak systolic velocity and high-resistance.     

Brain death in infants: evaluation with Doppler US

In a preliminary study, nine infants with a clinically determined diagnosis of brain death were examined with duplex pulsed Doppler ultrasonography (US) through the anterior fontanelle. Flow velocity measurements were made in the intracranial internal carotid artery and anterior cerebral artery. Resistive index (RI) was calculated in each patient and used as an indicator of diastolic flow. Eight of nine infants showed markedly elevated RI (100%-191%) with reversal of diastolic flow. One infant had low RI (42%-58%) with preserved systolic and diastolic flow until death. The authors believe that the elevation of RI with diastolic flow reversal seen in these patients is a reflection of increased intracranial pressure and is a sign of poor prognosis when present on serial examinations. Cranial duplex pulsed Doppler US is a useful, noninvasive tool in the diagnosis of brain death in infants but must be carefully correlated with clinical examination and other diagnostic tests.     

Renal blood flow changes induced with endothelin-1 and fenoldopam mesylate at quantitative Doppler US: initial results in a canine study

PURPOSE: To evaluate quantitative Doppler ultrasonography (US) for assessing renal blood flow changes induced with endothelin-1 (ET-1) and fenoldopam mesylate in conscious dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A blood flow probe was surgically implanted around the renal artery in eight adult dogs. Color and power Doppler US images were acquired in conscious restrained dogs during intravenous infusion of ET-1 and fenoldopam mesylate. Simultaneous with imaging, blood flow through the renal artery was measured with the implanted probe. The color level of the images within the region representing the kidney was analyzed to derive flow indices. These indices were compared with direct-flow measurements. RESULTS: The flow indices, color-weighted flow area (CWFA), and percentage of area of color, derived from color and power Doppler US images, correlated linearly with direct flow. The mean color level of color and power Doppler US images correlated weakly with direct flow. Pre- versus postinfusion CWFA decreased with all ET-1 infusions (P < or =.032). Infusion of fenoldopam mesylate increased CWFA in all cases (P < or =.032). CONCLUSION: Quantitative Doppler US enabled successful measurement of the flow changes induced with ET-1 and fenoldopam mesylate. Quantitative Doppler US is potentially useful as a noninvasive surrogate endpoint in evaluating the action of various therapeutic agents.     

Iatrogenic vertebral artery pseudoaneurysm: US,CT and MRI findings

Vertebral artery pseudoaneurysm (VAP) is the result of the penetrating neck trauma, chiropractic manipulation, vasculopathies and rarely iatrogenic due to internal jugular vein (IJV) catheterization. It should be identified and treated immediately because of its potential risk of rupture. We present a case of a right VAP resulting from jugular vein catheterization, with the Doppler ultrasonography (US), Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Although angiography is a well known gold standard modality, Doppler US, CT and MRI findings can be sufficient to demonstrate VAP.     

The pulsed Doppler echo of the internal mammary artery

In this study the authors discuss the results obtained using pulsed Doppler to evaluate internal mammary artery blood flow velocity in normal, dysplastic and neoplastic breasts. The following parameters were evaluated: percentage of artery localization, vessel diameter, and blood flow velocity. One hundred and seventy-five patients were examined by pulsed Doppler US and mammography in the same sitting. US evaluation of the internal mammary artery was possible in 156 cases. These patients were divided into 3 groups according to Wolfe's classification: normal (38 patients), dysplastic (74 patients) and neoplastic (44 patients). The mean blood flow velocity was estimated in each group; a significant difference was observed between normal (11.8 +/- 6 cm/s) and dysplastic (22.5 +/- 11 cm/s) patients. As for neoplastic patients, similar values were observed in benign (20.6 +/- 9 cm/s) and malignant (25.8 +/- 11 cm/s) lesions. Benign and malignant lesions were distinguished also according to Wolfe's parameters. In the patients with malignant lesions and normal breasts there was an increase in blood flow velocity--which was not observed in dysplastic breasts. In benign lesions in normal or dysplastic breasts, the blood flow velocity was similar to that observed in the respective group of nonpathologic breasts.     

大鼠小肝癌病理特性及其与影像学诊断关系的实验研究

目的： 探讨小和微小肝癌的病理特点及其和ＭＲＩ、彩色多谱勒超声（ 简称彩超） 、肝动脉和门静脉造影诊断的关系。材料和方法： 应用大鼠肝癌模型进行ＭＲＩ、彩超和肝动脉与门静脉造影, 并与组织病理对照。结果： 大于５ｍ ｍ 的癌灶主要为肝动脉供血, 门静脉在瘤体周边参与供血, 细胞分化相对较差,３ － ５ ｍ ｍ 的癌灶有动脉与门脉双重供血, 细胞分化高, 小于３ｍ ｍ 的癌灶以门静脉供血为主, 细胞分化高。大于５ｍ ｍ 的癌灶检出率ＭＲＩ、ＨＡＡ 和彩超为１００ ％ , 而ＨＰＡ 为７５ ％ ;３ ～５ ｍ ｍ 的癌灶检出率彩超和ＭＲＩ 为１００ ％ 和９５ ％ , ＨＡＡ、ＨＰＡ 为７５ ％ 和８５ ％ ; ２ ～３ｍ ｍ 的癌灶检出率ＭＲＩ 较高 （７１ ．１５ ％ ） 、ＨＰＡ 和彩超为５３ ．８５ ％ 和５１ ．９２ ％ , ＨＡＡ 为２６ ．９２ ％ ;小于２ ｍ ｍ 的癌灶检出率ＨＰＡ 较高为６０ ．７８ ％ ,余均低。结论：小和微小肝癌（ 小于５ ｍ ｍ ） 存在肝动脉和门静脉双重血供或以门静脉为主要血供是其病理特点,ＭＲＩ 在检查小肝癌尤其微小肝癌方面优于彩超。     

The distinction between femoral artery pseudoaneurysms and other causes of groin masses: value of duplex Doppler sonography

With the increasing use of percutaneous transfemoral coronary angioplasty in conjunction with thrombolytic as well as anticoagulant therapy, the sonographic evaluation of groin masses, with particular emphasis on differentiating pseudoaneurysms from hematomas and other abnormalities, has become more common. Seventy-three sonograms of the groin in 60 patients (65 different groins) were reviewed retrospectively to determine the accuracy of duplex Doppler sonography in distinguishing femoral artery pseudoaneurysm (a surgical condition) from other causes of groin masses (e.g., hematomas) that are generally treated conservatively. Nineteen cases of pseudoaneurysm, 19 cases of hematoma, and 27 other conditions were studied. Of the 73 sonograms performed, 53 included duplex Doppler studies; one Doppler study was false-negative and two were possibly false-positive. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of duplex Doppler sonography in the detection of femoral artery pseudoaneurysm was 95 +/- 5.8%, 94 +/- 6.4%, and 94 +/- 6.4%, respectively (95% confidence limit). We conclude that duplex Doppler sonography is of value in the differential diagnosis of groin masses.     

CT evaluation of retroperitoneal hemorrhage associated with femoral arteriography

CT was used to assess retroperitoneal hemorrhagic complications temporally related to femoral artery catheterization in eight patients. In six patients with retroperitoneal hemorrhage caused by an angiographic complication, CT showed a high-density soft-tissue mass originating at the inguinal vessels and extending into the ipsilateral retroperitoneal spaces. In the other two patients, CT not only excluded significant bleeding from the catheterized vessel but determined an alternative diagnosis (hematoma secondary to anticoagulation and pneumatosis intestinalis due to ischemic bowel). CT findings prompted surgery in three patients.     

Pseudoaneurysm and arteriovenous fistula after femoral artery catheterization: association with low femoral punctures

We determined the location of arterial injury in 11 patients who had pseudoaneurysms with (six cases) or without (five cases) arteriovenous fistula as a complication of cardiac catheterization. Medical records and arteriograms were examined retrospectively. Ten of the 11 pseudoaneurysms identified were located below the level of the femoral head. Five of six patients with arteriovenous fistula had simultaneous catheterization of both the femoral artery and the femoral vein. Although we did not determine the location of arterial puncture used in uncomplicated angiograms during the 5-year study period, our experience in 11 patients with pseudoaneurysms with or without arteriovenous fistula suggests that there is an association between a puncture site below the level of the femoral head and arterial injury. In addition, arteriovenous fistulas appear to be associated with simultaneous catheterization of the femoral artery and adjacent femoral vein.     

Color Doppler in the echographic evaluation of breast nodules

The authors report on their experience with color Doppler sonography in the diagnosis of solid breast masses. Twenty-two patients were examined; breast masses were studied with B-mode US first, and then with color Doppler US to evaluate eventual tumor vascularization. Color Doppler US demonstrated only one vascular pole in histologically confirmed benign masses. On the contrary, in 92.8% of histologically confirmed malignant masses, color Doppler easily depicted 2 or more groups of nutritional arteries. Color Doppler makes the diagnosis of malignant masses easier, thus allowing, in the author's opinion, a reduction in the number of biopsies of solid breast masses clinically/mammographically detected. The use of color Doppler US is therefore suggested: the technique is noninvasive, fast, and easy and its widespread use would translate into advantages for both the patient and the clinician.