scholarly journals POS1333 ANKLE ARTHRITIS IN JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS: DON’T MISS TENOSYNOVITIS. CLINICAL AND SONOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF ANKLE TENOSYNOVITIS IN JIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 948.3-949
Author(s):  
S. Pastore ◽  
S. Della Paolera ◽  
A. Zabotti ◽  
A. Tommasini ◽  
A. Taddio
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Color Doppler ◽  
Tendon Sheath ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Tibialis Posterior ◽  
Ultrasound Guided ◽  
Sonographic Examination

Background:Tenosynovitis can occur in patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and may be clinically difficult to distinguish from joint synovitis. The role of musculoskeletal ultrasound (msk-US) is still discussed in the management of JIA but recent studies supported the utility of msk-US especially in detection of tenosynovitis. There is no consensus treatment for tenosynovitis in children with JIA and almost all studies focused on tendon sheath injection with glucocorticoids.Objectives:The aims of the study were: i) to define the prevalence of tenosynovitis of the ankle in JIA patients and ankle swelling; ii) to describe the clinical characteristics of patient with tenosynovitis and to analyze different response to treatment.Methods:We conducted an observational cross-sectional study of a group of patients with JIA followed at the Rheumatology Service of the Maternal and Child Institute “Burlo Garofolo” of Trieste. We enrolled all the patients who reported a swelling of the ankle at least once during the follow-up period and, among these patients, we included only those who underwent msk-US. Based on both clinical and sonographic examination, we identified patients with tenosynovitis and we described their demographical and clinical characteristics as well as the therapeutic approach undertaken in this group of patients.Results:On December 31st 2019, 56 swollen ankles of 48 patients were assessed with msk-US: 22 ankles showed sonographic signs of synovitis (39%), 16 ankles of both synovitis and tenosynovitis (28%), 14 ankles of tenosynovitis only (25%). Overall, tenosynovitis was detected on twenty-seven (56%) out of 48 children with at least a swollen ankle. The majority of patient were females (70%) and the most affected tendon was the tibialis posterior (66%). Twenty-five patients with tenosynovitis (92%) achieved clinical and radiological remission: seven out of 26 patients (26%) treated with methotrexate achieved clinical and radiological remission without the addition of other therapies; fifteen out of seventeen patients (88%) treated with a biological drug responded to the therapy, of which eleven (73%) were in combination therapy with methotrexate.Conclusion:We observed that more than 50% of the patients with a swelling of the ankle presented a tenosynovitis and among these patients about 50% did not show sonographic sign of synovitis. Msk-US was decisive in order to identify tenosynovitis and to characterize ankle swelling in JIA patients. Among patients with tenosynovitis biological therapy alone or in association with immunomodulating therapy showed effectiveness in inducing disease remission.References:[1]Peters SE, Laxer RM et al. Ultrasound-guided steroid tendon sheath injections in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a 10-year single-center retrospective study. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2017 Apr 11;15(1):22.[2]Lanni S, Bovis F et al. Delineating the Application of Ultrasound in Detecting Synovial Abnormalities of the Subtalar Joint in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2016 Sep;68(9):1346-53.[3]Cimaz R, Giani T et al. What is the real role of ultrasound in the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis? Ann Rheum Dis. 2020 Apr;79(4):437-439. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-216358[4]Lanni S, Marafon DP et al. Comparison between clinical and ultrasound assessment of the ankle region in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2020 Apr 27.[5]Laurell L, Court-Payen M et al. Ultrasonography and color Doppler in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: diagnosis and follow-up of ultrasound-guided steroid injection in the ankle region. A descriptive interventional study. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2011 Jan 29;9(1):4.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

scholarly journals The Role of Multimodality Imaging in Monitoring Disease Activity and Therapeutic Response to Tocilizumab in Giant Cell Arteritis

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Edoardo Conticini ◽  
Jurgen Sota ◽  
Paolo Falsetti ◽  
Caterina Baldi ◽  
Marco Bardelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Activity ◽  
Giant Cell Arteritis ◽  
Giant Cell ◽  
Multimodality Imaging ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Color Doppler ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Response To Treatment

Introduction. Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large vessel (LV) vasculitis, mainly affecting elder patients. Monitoring GCA activity during tocilizumab (TCZ) treatment is an unmet need, since low serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) during treatment may underestimate disease activity. To date, few data are available on the role of different imaging techniques in monitoring GCA activity and response to treatment. We report herein a cohort of GCA patients treated with TCZ and followed up with multimodal imaging. Patients and Methods. We collected clinical, laboratory, and imaging data of 11 GCA patients treated with TCZ 162 mg subcutaneously every week. Disease activity was assessed at baseline and within 12 months from the start of treatment using different imaging techniques such as color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS), magnetic resonance imaging/angiography (MRI/MRA), computed tomography angiography (CTA), and/or positron emission tomography (PET). Results. Four patients were affected by cranial and 7 by LV-GCA. All patients were treated with oral glucocorticoids (GCs) (mean dose 55.68 mg±8.19 of prednisone or equivalent) in combination with TCZ. Treatment was preceded in 5 cases by 3 intravenous boluses of 1000 mg methylprednisolone. A significant decrease of the mean dose of oral GCs was observed between baseline and the last follow-up visit (4.65±3.69 mg) (p=0.003). TCZ treatment significantly decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p<0.01) and CRP levels (p<0.01). At follow-up (mean 8.18±3.63 months), all patients were in clinical and serological remission. Moreover, PET, CDUS, MRI/MRA, and CTA did not show any LVV finding. Conclusions. Our study highlights TCZ efficacy in inducing GCA remission and its steroid-sparing effect. We highlighted a reliability of imaging procedures in the evaluation of disease activity and treatment response. A close disease monitoring with imaging techniques should be taken into account in GCA patients during TCZ treatment.

scholarly journals POS0677 THE ROLE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL ULTRASOUND IN PREDICTING THE RESPONSE TO JAK INHIBITORS: RESULTS FROM A LARGE MONOCENTRIC COHORT

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 583-583
Author(s):  
C. Garufi ◽  
F. Ceccarelli ◽  
F. R. Spinelli ◽  
S. Mancuso ◽  
C. Pirone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Structural Damage ◽  
Power Doppler ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Jak Inhibitors ◽  
Inflammatory Score ◽  
Inflammatory Status

Background:In the management of chronic arthritis, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Ultrasound (US) assessment can provide relevant information about the joint inflammatory status in the diagnostic phase and even more in the monitoring of disease activity and structural damage1,2.Objectives:In this longitudinal study, we aimed to assesse the role of US in predicting the efficacy of JAK-inhibitors (JAKi) in RA patients.Methods:We enrolled RA patients starting baricitinib or tofacitinib. All patients were evaluated at baseline and after 4, 12, 24, 48 weeks. Disease activity was calculated by DAS28CRP. US examination in 22 joints (I–V MCPs and PIPs, wrists) aimed at evaluating inflammatory features (synovial effusion and hypertrophy, power Doppler-PD), through a semi-quantitative scale (0-3). The total US (0-198) and PD (0-66) scores were calculated. We scanned bilateral flexor (I–V fingers of hands) and extensor compartments (1-6) tendons: tenosynovitis was scored as absent/present (0/1), resulting in a total score (0-22).Results:We studied 102 patients (M/F 15/87; median age 59.2 years, IQR 17.75; median disease duration 144 months, IQR 126), 61 treated with baricitinib and 41 with tofacitinib. At baseline, the median total US score was 18 (IQR 19) and the median PD score 2 (4). We observed a significant reduction in both total and PD US scores at all time-points (p<0.0001) (Figure 1). At baseline, 75.4% of patients showed tenosynovitis involving at least one tendon, with a median score of 2 (IQR 3.5) significantly decreasing after 24 weeks (p=0.02). Multivariate analysis, adjusted for baseline DAS28CRP and other concomitant treatments (including glucocorticoids and methotrexate treatment), confirmed the independent association between baseline US (PD and tenosynovitis) scores and the reduction of disease activity at follow-up evaluations.Conclusion:The present study confirmed the early efficacy of JAKi in RA patients by using US evaluation. Furthermore, power doppler and tenosynovitis scores could play a predictive role in response to treatment.References:[1]MUELLER RB, HASLER C, POPP F, et al. Effectiveness, Tolerability, and Safety of Tofacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Retrospective Analysis of Real-World Data from the St. Gallen and Aarau Cohorts. J Clin Med. 2019;8(10):1548.[2]COLEBATCH AN, EDWARDS CJ, ØSTERGAARD M, et al. EULAR recommendations for the use of imaging of the joints in the clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2013;72(6):804-14.Figure 1.Ultrasound inflammatory score (a) and Ultrasound Power Doppler (PD) score (b) at baseline and follow-up.Table 1.Baseline characteristics of 414 RA patients.WEEKS04122448US inflammatory score18 (19)11 (15.5)9.5 (11.7)7.5 (8)6 (11)US PD score2 (4)0 (2)0 (1)0 (1)0 (0.7)Disclosure of Interests:Cristina Garufi: None declared, Fulvia Ceccarelli: None declared, Francesca Romana Spinelli Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Consultant of: Gilead/Galapagos, Eli Lilly, Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Silvia Mancuso: None declared, Carmelo Pirone: None declared, Fabrizio Conti Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, Pfizer, Consultant of: Gilead/Galapagos

scholarly journals SAT0267 ROLE OF AGGRESSIVE IMMUNOSUPPRESSION ON SUBGLOTTIC STENOSIS IN GRANULOMATOSIS WITH POLYANGIITIS: RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF A MONOCENTRIC COHORT

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1076.1-1077
Author(s):  
L. Moroni ◽  
L. Giudice ◽  
G. A. Ramirez ◽  
S. Sartorelli ◽  
A. Cariddi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis ◽  
Balloon Catheter ◽  
Subglottic Stenosis ◽  
Damage Accrual ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The One

Background:Subglottic stenosis (SGS) is defined as airway narrowing below the vocal cords and is a common and potentially life-threatening manifestation of Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), with an estimated prevalence of 16-23% (1). Balloon catheter dilation is effective in GPA-related SGS, but relapses are frequent. Little is known about the role of immunosuppression in this setting.Objectives:to analyse the clinical characteristics of a monocentric GPA cohort, describe phenotype differences among patients with and without SGS and investigate the role of surgical and medical treatments on relapse risk and general outcome.Methods:Biopsy-proven patients with SGS were identified by review of medical charts among a cohort of patients with GPA, classified according to the algorithm of the European Medicine Agency (2). The clinical characteristics of patients with SGS were retrospectively collected over a median follow-up time of 15.9 years and compared to those of patients without SGS.Results:Fourteen patients with SGS-GPA were identified, with a female to male ratio of 1:1 and a prevalence of 29.2% among the cohort. The mean ± SD age at GPA onset was 30.8 ± 14.4 years, with a mean time from GPA diagnosis to SGS onset of 4.7 ± 4.2 years. ANCA were positive in 78.6% (54.0% anti-PR3, 18.1% anti-MPO and 27.9% IFI only). The mean Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) at onset was 10.0 ± 5.6. The main clinical manifestations associated with SGS were crusty rhinitis (100%), sinusitis (78%), pulmonary disease (72.7%), otitis/mastoiditis (50%), glomerulonephritis (42.9%), orbital pseudotumor (28.6%). Six patients (42.9%) received medical treatment only, other six (42.9%) had one to three balloon dilations and two (14.2%) underwent four or more procedures. Eight patients had no SGS relapse (maximum one dilation) and they all received immunosuppression with rituximab (RTX), cyclophosphamide (CYC) or azathioprine (AZA). All patients who received no immunosuppression, methotrexate (MTX) or mycophenolate (MMF) had at least one relapse. Patients treated with MTX or MMF had a mean relapse-free survival of 13.1 months, which was comparable to the one of patients not receiving medical treatment (40.2 months; p=NS) and shorter than the one of patients receiving CYC or RTX (153.2 months; p=0.032). CYC use also inversely correlated with the number of surgical procedures (r=-0.691, p=0.006). Compared to patients without SGS (31 consecutive patients with at least 4 years of follow-up), patients with SGS-GPA had an earlier disease onset (mean age 30.8 vs 50.4 years; p<0.001), but with lower BVAS (mean 10.0 vs 15.3; p=0.013) and showed a higher prevalence of crusty rhinitis (100% vs 67.7%; p=0.019). No difference was observed in damage accrual over time between the two groups.Conclusion:Subglottic stenosis is highly prevalent in patients with GPA and may define a milder disease subset occurring more frequently in younger patients. MTX and MMF might be insufficient to prevent SGS relapses requiring balloon dilation. Aggressive immunosuppression (CYC or RTX) might have a non-redundant role in this setting and reduce the risk of relapses.References:[1]Quinn KA, et al. Subglottic stenosis and endobronchial disease in granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Rheumatology 2019; 58 (12), 2203-2211.[2]Watts R, et al. Development and validation of a consensus methodology for the classification of the ANCA associated vasculitides and polyarteritis nodosa for epidemiological studies. Ann Rheum Dis 2007; 66: 222-7.Disclosure of Interests:Luca Moroni: None declared, Laura Giudice: None declared, Giuseppe Alvise Ramirez: None declared, Silvia Sartorelli: None declared, adriana cariddi: None declared, Angelo Carretta: None declared, Enrica Bozzolo: None declared, Lorenzo Dagna Grant/research support from: The Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases (UnIRAR) received unresctricted research/educational grants from Abbvie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Janssen, Merk Sharp & Dohme, Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme, and SOBI., Consultant of: Prof Lorenzo Dagna received consultation honoraria from Abbvie, Amgen, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme, and SOBI.

scholarly journals Response to treatment with intra-articular triamcinolone hexacetonide and triamcinolone acetonide in oligo articular juvenile idiopathic arthritis

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana Harhay ◽  
Wajiha Jeelani ◽  
Barbine Tchamba Agbor Agbor ◽  
Teresa Hennon ◽  
Brian H. Wrotniak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Triamcinolone Acetonide ◽  
The United States ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Joint Injection ◽  
Triamcinolone Hexacetonide ◽  
Active Arthritis ◽  
General Response

Abstract Background Oligo-articular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (Oligo JIA) is the most common subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Intra-articular corticosteroid (IAC) injection is a mainstay treatment of oligo JIA providing pain relief, improving mobility and preventing further joint destruction in the majority of patients. In 2015, production of triamcinolone hexacetonide (TH) an intra-articular corticosteroid was discontinued in the United States leading to use of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) as an alternative. In this study, we compared response to treatment in children with oligo JIA who underwent therapy with intra-articular TA and TH injection. Methods Our study is a retrospective chart review of children with oligo JIA who were treated with IAC injections with TH between January 2012 and June 2015 and TA between J uly 2015 and December 2018. The two groups were followed at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and were evaluated for response to treatment, side effects and predictors of response including duration of disease before treatment, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and c-reactive protein (CRP). Response to treatment was defined as at least 6 months follow up without evidence of active arthritis in injected joints. Patients were considered to be non-responders if they continued to show active arthritis during their first follow up after joint injection. The primary objective was to evaluate whether there was a significant difference in rate of response between TH and TA. Results Forty-nine patients, 38 female and 11 male with oligo JIA were included in the study. The average age was 6.7 years. A total of 111 joints were injected includin g 78 knees, 13 ankles, 9 wrists, 4 hips, 4 elbows, 2 TMJ and one subtalar joint. In the TA group, 49% (29/59) did not show response to injection compared to 27% (14/52) in the TH group. After 6 months, response rates were better for individuals injected with TH compared to TA (73% vs. 51%). In general, response to intra-articular TH was superior to TA with P = .016 using chi-square test of independence. This difference in outcome was not influenced by other variables such as duration of illness before treatment (P value 0.784) or elevated ESR and CRP. No difference in side effects between the two groups were noted. Conclusion Our results in conjunction with prior published data suggests that TH intra-articular joint injection in oligo JIA is superior to TA, although future controlled trials are necessary for confirmation. An effective, long lasting treatment can have a great impact on the outcome of these children.

scholarly journals Therapeutic Value of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on the Efficacy of New Therapies in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 335
Author(s):  
María José Zarzuelo Romero ◽  
Cristina Pérez Ramírez ◽  
María Isabel Carrasco Campos ◽  
Almudena Sánchez Martín ◽  
Miguel Ángel Calleja Hernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Dimethyl Fumarate ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
New Therapies ◽  
Therapeutic Value ◽  
The Impact

The introduction of new therapies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) is a very recent phenomenon and little is known of their mechanism of action. Moreover, the response is subject to interindividual variability and may be affected by genetic factors, such as polymorphisms in the genes implicated in the pathologic environment, pharmacodynamics, and metabolism of the disease or in the mechanism of action of the medications, influencing the effectiveness of these therapies. This review evaluates the impact of pharmacogenetics on the response to treatment with new therapies in patients diagnosed with MS. The results suggest that polymorphisms detected in the GSTP1, ITGA4, NQO1, AKT1, and GP6 genes, for treatment with natalizumab, ZMIZ1, for fingolimod and dimethyl fumarate, ADA, for cladribine, and NOX3, for dimethyl fumarate, may be used in the future as predictive markers of treatment response to new therapies in MS patients. However, there are few existing studies and their samples are small, making it difficult to generalize the role of these genes in treatment with new therapies. Studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up are therefore needed to confirm the results of these studies.

scholarly journals Rural or urban living and Parkinson's disease

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique B. Ferraz ◽  
Luiz A. F. Andrade ◽  
Vítor Tumas ◽  
Leandro C. Calia ◽  
Vanderci Borges
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Rural Area ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Urban Group ◽  
Determining Factor ◽  
Rural Group

Although the precise etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) is as yet unknown, it appears that certain environmental factors are involved. Prior living in a rural area has been implicated as a possible risk factor for PD, particularly in the early onset type. We evaluated the role of previous living conditions in the clinical correlates and outcome characteristics of 118 PD patients. All of them were seen from January 1987 to October 1992. The Rural Group (RG) comprised 71 patients (60.2%) who had lived in the rural area for at least 10 years (mainly in early phase of life) and the Urban Group (UG) consisted of 47 patients (39.8%) who had lived their entire life in an urban environment. The average age at the beginning of the symptoms was 58.8 in the RG and 54.1 in the UG. The mixed form of the disease (tremor, rigidity and akinesia) was the most frequent in both groups. A minimum 6-month follow-up period was undertaken with 63 patients (average 20 months) and no difference in response to treatment or in progression of the illness was detected between the two groups. Our data show that the previous living environment does not appear to be a determining factor in either the clinical or outcome characteristics of PD.

Role of Tendoscopy in Treating Stage II Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Bernasconi ◽  
Francesco Sadile ◽  
Matthew Welck ◽  
Nazim Mehdi ◽  
Julien Laborde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Surgery ◽  
Stage Ii ◽  
Preoperative Imaging ◽  
Tibialis Posterior ◽  
Posterior Tibial Tendon ◽  
Posterior Tibial ◽  
Spring Ligament ◽  
Sf 36

Background: Stage II tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction (PTTD) resistant to conservative therapies is usually treated with invasive surgery. Posterior tibial tendoscopy is a novel technique being used in the assessment and treatment of posterior tibial pathology. The aims of this study were (1) to clarify the role of posterior tibial tendon tendoscopy in treating stage II PTTD, (2) to arthroscopically classify spring ligament lesions, and (3) to compare the arthroscopic assessment of spring ligament lesions with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonographic (US) data. Methods: We reviewed prospectively collected data on 16 patients affected by stage II PTTD and treated by tendoscopy. We report the reoperation rate and functional outcomes evaluated by comparing pre- and postoperative visual analogic scale for pain (VAS-pain) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36; with its physical [PCS] and mental [MCS] components). Postoperative satisfaction was assessed using a VAS-satisfaction scale. One patient was lost to follow-up. Spring ligament lesions were arthroscopically classified in 3 stages. Discrepancies between preoperative imaging and intraoperative findings were evaluated. Results: At a mean of 25.6 months’ follow-up, VAS-pain ( P < .001), SF-36 PCS ( P = .039), and SF-36 MCS ( P < .001) significantly improved. The mean VAS-satisfaction score was 75.3/100. Patients were relieved from symptoms in 80% of cases, while 3 patients required further surgery. MRI and US were in agreement with intraoperative data in 92% and 67%, respectively, for the tendon assessment and in 78% and 42%, respectively, for the spring ligament. Conclusions: Tendoscopy may be considered a valid therapeutic tool in the treatment of stage II PTTD resistant to conservative treatment. It provided objective and subjective encouraging results that could allow continued conservative therapy while avoiding more invasive surgery in most cases. MRI and US were proven more useful in detecting PT lesions than spring ligament tears. Further studies on PT could use this tendoscopic classification to standardize its description. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study, case series.

Thrombosis associated with ventriculoatrial shunts

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 286-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norka Wilkinson ◽  
Sandeep Sood ◽  
Steven D. Ham ◽  
Holly Gilmer-Hill ◽  
Patricia Fleming ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Anticoagulation Therapy ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Single Center Study ◽  
Prophylactic Anticoagulation ◽  
Risk For Thrombosis ◽  
Work Up

Object In this single-center study, the authors examined the clinical characteristics, risk factors, treatment strategies, and outcomes in patients with thrombosis associated with ventriculoatrial (VA) shunts. Methods Inpatient and outpatient charts of patients who underwent treatment and follow-up in the Hematology-Oncology Division at the authors' institution and in whom thrombosis developed secondary to a VA shunt placement were reviewed. A complete thrombophilia work-up was performed in each patient, and these records were also reviewed. Treatment including medical and surgical management was noted and outcome data were recorded. Results Resolution of thrombosis was seen after anticoagulation therapy in all patients; this may be an alternative to surgical therapy. Conclusions Patients with VA shunts represent a unique group at risk for thrombosis. The duration of anticoagulation therapy must be individualized. However, larger studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of screening for asymptomatic thrombosis and to investigate the role of prophylactic anticoagulation.

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