Revista portuguesa de cirurgia cardio-toracica e vascular : orgao oficial da Sociedade Portuguesa de Cirurgia Cardio-Toracica e Vascular最新文献

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a prevalent condition that predisposes the patients to major cardiovascular events. The majority of patients are asymptomatic, however PAD has a great impact in the patients' lifestyle due to its chronic nature. The Peripheral Arterial Questionnaire (PAQ) is a validated tool to quantify the patients' subjective experience of the disease. The aim of this work is to validate the Portuguese version of PAQ. A retrospective study of 59 patients with aortoiliac disease Trans-Atlantic Inter Society Consensus (TASC) type D from two centers in Portugal was conducted. Only 36 patients were able to answer the PAQ and two Portuguese validated questionnaires - a disease-specific (Walk Impairment Questionnaire - WIQ) and a generic one (EuroQol 5 dimensions - 5 level EQ5D-5L). Con- vergent validity of the PAQ was evaluated by correlating the extracted PAQ subscales and Summary score with the WIQ subscales and summary score, as with EQ5D-5L Summary score and EQ5D-5L index by calculating the covariance. The Portuguese version of the peripheral artery questionnaire presented a Cronbach's α for the Summary scale of 0.913. Mean inter-item correlation for the Physical Function domain was 0.471, 0.551 for the Perceived Disability, and 0.464 for Treat- ment Satisfaction. In summary, the Portuguese version of PAQ demonstrated a good level of discrimination between patients with or without symptomatic PAD and its severity and was sensitive to the presence of risk-factors relevant for PAD.

Aortoesophageal fistulas are uncommon, dreadful vascular events, most frequently found in the setting of thoracic aorta aneurysms. Patients usually present with thoracic pain, dysphagia and sentinel hematemesis - the Chiari triad - followed by life threatening hematemesis. Emergent open surgery with debridement of necrotic tissue and in situ aortic graft repair is currently the best strategy. However, in patients which cannot withstand surgery, endovascular repair is currently gaining acceptance as a palliative treatment or as a bridge to surgery. We present a case of a 55-year-old female with a past of heavy alcohol abuse and a previously unknown massive aortic aneurysm, who presented to the emergency department complai- ning of acute dysphagia and epigastric pain. An abdominal ultrasound revealed left pleural effusion and suspected clots in the pleural space. A thoracic CTA was promptly done, where a spontaneous ruptured aortic aneurysm with aortoesophageal fistula was discovered. The team, fearing open surgery due to poor cardiac function, opted for a thoracic endovascular aortic repair. The aortoesophageal fistula dissected the esophageal wall in all of its thickness without rupture into the lumen. This was complicated with esophageal ischemia, aneurysmal sac infection and mediastinitis. Because the patient was in shock, in order to help control the infection, an esophageal prosthesis was placed, followed by proximal esophagostomy, distal esophageal closure and gastrostomy. Six months after initial presentation, the patient died at the emergency room, shortly after reentering with massive hematemesis and hypovolemic shock of undetermined origin.

Introduction: Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The risk of recur- rence could be very high without thromboprophylaxis. New oral anticoagulants (NOACs or DOACs) represent a new step in anticoagulation.

Material and methods: We searched for papers with trials, systematic reviews and meta-analysis involving NOACs in the treatment and secondary prevention of VTE. We also searched for guidelines of two medical societies (American College of Chest Physicians and International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis - ISTH).

Results: Six RCT (randomized controlled trial) comparing NOACs with Warfarin shew a non-inferiority in relation with recurrent VTE and major bleeding. Two RCT (SELECT-D and Hokusay cancer) and one meta-analysis shew low recurrence rate of VTE in cancer patients and higher rate of bleeding, mainly in gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers. There are two RCTs involving NOACs in treatment of patients with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS).

Discussion: NOACs shew non-inferiority over AVK. Guidelines of CHEST 2016 recommend NOACs for VTE treatment in no cancer patients, and Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) for cancer patients. ISTH suggest NOACs as the first option in VTE cancer patients with low risk of bleeding. A recent RCT shews no benefit and increased risk of vascular events in APS patients treated with NOACs. NOACs are the gold standard for VTE treatment and secondary prevention in no cancer patients. They could be the first option in cancer patients with low risk of bleeding.

The authors present the case of a previously healthy, 22-year-old male nonsmoker who sought emergency room treatment complaining of retrosternal pain. He reported a history of odynophagia two days before, followed by produc- tive cough, fever and dyspnea. On chest radiography, a line could be observed surrounding the heart and the continuous diaphragm sign. The chest computed tomography scan confirmed the presence of pneumomediastinum and soft tissue emphysema. The case was discussed in a multidisciplinary team, and the possibility of surgical intervention was rejected. Conservative treatment was decided with complete resolution of the pneumomediastinum.