Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Lymphedema is an incurable and disfiguring disease secondary to excessive fluid and protein in the interstitium as a result of lymphatic obstruction. Pneumatic compression (PC) offers a novel modality for treatment of lymphatic obstruction through targeting lymphatic beds and mimicking a functional drainage system. The objective of this study is to demonstrate improved quality of life in patients with lower-extremity lymphedema. METHODS: Consecutive patients presenting to a single institution for treatment of lymphedema were all treated with PC for at least 3 months. All patients underwent a pre- and post-PC assessment of episodes of cellulitis, number of ulcers, and venous insufficiency. Post-PC symptom questionnaires were administered. Symptom improvement was the primary outcome for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients met inclusion criteria. At presentation, 70% were female with a mean age of 57.5 years. Secondary lymphedema was present in 78%. Mean length of PC use was 12.7 months with a mean of 5.3 treatments per week. Ankle and calf limb girth decreased after PC use, (28.3 vs. 27.5 cm, P = 0.01) and (44.7 vs. 43.8 cm, P = 0.018), respectively. The number of episodes of cellulitis and ulcers pre- and post-PC decreased from mean of 0.26-0.05 episodes (P = 0.002) and 0.12-0.02 ulcers (P = 0.007), respectively. Fourteen percent had concomitant superficial venous insufficiency, all of whom underwent venous ablation. Overall 100% of patients reported symptomatic improvement post-PC with 54% greatly improved. 90% would recommend the treatment to others. CONCLUSIONS: PC improves symptom relief and reduces episodes of cellulitis and ulceration in lower-extremity lymphedema. It is well tolerated by patients and should be recommended as an adjunct to standard lymphedema therapy. Screening for venous insufficiency is recommended.

Arterioenteric fistulas represent an infrequent but potentially fatal cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Patients often present in extremis from shock and sepsis. This mandates a rapid diagnosis so that prompt, potentially life-saving interventions can be performed. We report the case of a 35 year-old male who presented with hematuria and hematochezia secondary to an iliac artery-uretero-colonic fistula that developed years following open common iliac artery aneurysm repair. His condition rapidly progressed to hemorrhagic shock and he underwent successful endovascular treatment with a covered stent graft as a bridge to definitive open surgery. Subsequently, graft explantation, extra-anatomic arterial bypass, bowel resection and ureter ligation was undertaken. A summary of the literature on iliac artery-enteric fistulas follows.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a systemic vascular disorder, involving multiple arterial territories. This project sought to investigate the relationship between lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) and carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in a large self-referred population. METHODS: Data from the ankle brachial index (ABI) and carotid duplex ultrasound were analyzed from 3.67 million US subjects in the Life Line Screening program between 2004 and 2008. PAD was defined by ABI<0.9 and CAS was defined by greater than 50% stenosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds of CAS by PAD status and severity. RESULTS: Mean age of the population was 63.7 +/- 10.6 years and 64% were women. The prevalence of PAD and CAS was 4.1% and 3.9%, respectively. Subjects with PAD had a higher prevalence of CAS than those without PAD (18.8% vs. 3.3%, P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, PAD was associated with greater odds of CAS (OR 3.28, 95% CI 3.22-3.34). Both symptomatic (OR 3.66, 95% CI 3.58-3.75) and asymptomatic PAD (OR 2.91, 95% CI 2.84-2.98) was associated with CAS. Increasing severity of PAD was associated with greater odds of CAS (OR 2.32, 3.61, 4.19, 5.14, and 7.59 for ABI categories 0.81-0.90, 0.71-0.80, 0.61-0.70, 0.41-0.60,