Comparison of upper extremity versus lower extremity vein injections of bubble contrast in assessment of patent foramen ovale

Background Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is one of the causes of cardioembolism and closure of PFO is recommended by the current guidelines in patients with recurrent stroke. Transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) using bubble-contrast study is the gold standard imaging modality for the assessment of interatrial septum. Upper-extremity veins are the most common way of injection, however, the presence of Eustachian valve and flow dynamics when bubble-contrast injection performed via upper extremity veins limits the assessment of interatrial septum in several cases. In this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy of bubble-contrast study between upper extremity injection and lower extremity injection. Material/Methods Patients with a suspicion of cardioembolism who were undergoing TEE study were included in this study. After routine assessment of cardiac structures, the bubble-contrast study was performed using agitated saline from both upper-extremity vein and lower-extremity vein with Valsalva manoeuvre. Right-to-left shunt and numbers of bubbles transmitted from the septum were recorded. Results We prospectively included 45 patients and 21 PFOs were detected. There were 9 patients with prominent Eustachian valve and in 6 patients Eustachian valve hampered the complete opacification of the right atrium. In 3 patients flow from the superior vena cava was directed towards the tricuspid valve and hampered the complete opacification. Among 21 patients with PFO, in 6 patients right-to-left shunt was not observed when agitated-saline was injected via the upper-extremity vein, however, the shunt was observed when the agitated-saline was injected via the lower-extremity vein. In 14 patients amount of bubbles passing through the interatrial septum were significantly higher when the injection was performed via the lower-extremity vein especially in patients with prominent Eustachian valve. Conclusion Our preliminary results indicated that compared to upper-extremity veins, injection via the lower-extremity veins provides better opacification of right atrial septum and assessment of interatrial septum. Therefore, injection through the lower-extremity veins would be the preferred choice particularly in patients with prominent Eustachian valve or downward directed flow from the superior vena cava. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Incidence and Risk Factors of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is prevalent in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the risk factors and incidence rate of DVT remains elusive. Here, we aimed to assess the incidence rate and risk factors of DVT. All patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and performed venous ultrasound by ultrasound deparment between December 2019 and April 2020 in Wuhan Jin Yin-tan hospital were enrolled. Demographic information and clinical features were retrospectively collected. Notably, a comparison between the DVT and the non-DVT groups was explored. The incidence rate of venous thrombosis was 35.2% (50 patients out of 142). Moreover, the location of thrombus at the proximal extremity veins was 5.6% (n = 8), while at distal extremity veins was 35.2% (n = 50) of the patients. We also noted that patients with DVT exhibited a high level of D-dimer (OR 10.9 (95% CI, 3.3-36.0), P < 0.001), were admitted to the intensive care unit (OR 6.5 (95% CI, 2.1-20.3), P = 0.001), a lower usage of the anticoagulant drugs (OR 3.0 (95% CI, 1.1-7.8), P < 0.001). Finally, this study revealed that a high number of patients with COVID-19 developed DVT. This was observed particularly in critically ill patients with high D-dimer levels who required no anticoagulant medication.

Death due to Acute Massive Pulmonary Thromboembolism Associated with Risperidone

The antipsychotic drug risperidone, which is extensively used, has also many side effects, as increased risk of stroke, thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism have been reported. We present a case of a 38 year-old-woman with psychiatric disorder who got worse in her home and died in the hospital. Throughout autopsy, during the internal examination, multiple thrombi in the pulmonary artery branches were observed; however, there were no pathology findings in the lower extremity veins. Blood chemistry test revealed 4 ng/ml of risperidone, 37 ng/ml of quetiapine and atropine; chemical examination of urine detected atropine, quetiapine, risperidone. Death occurred due to acute massive pulmonary thromboembolism. We aimed to discuss this case with autopsy and histopathologic findings, laboratory results in medico-legal literature.

Morphological and diagnostic parallels in the pathology of the lower extremity veins in patients with purulent-necrotic complications of diabetic foot syndrome

Objective: to study the peculiarities of the state of the lower extremities venous system in patients with complicated diabetic foot syndrome (DFS). Materials and methods. The study group – 106 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and purulent-necrotic complications of DFS treated in the surgical department of the St. Petersburg State Medical Academy in 2009-2014. 30 preparations of the lower extremities obtained as a result of amputations in patients with purulent-necrotic complications of DFS and from corpses after autopsy. Conducted a macroscopic study of the lower extremities veins with a visual assessment of the changes and microscopic examination with the staining of histological preparations with hematoxylin and eosin, according to Van Gieson and Masson; ultrasound duplex examination (ultrasound) of the lower extremities veins in patients with DFS according to the standard protocol. Results. Macroscopic evaluation in 90.0 % of cases revealed an excess of extracellular fluid (edema) of the extremities tissues. An analysis of the ultrasound findings of the lower extremity veins demonstrates the presence of lymphostasis in patients with diabetes in 83.0 %. In the overwhelming majority of preparations of vessels of the extremities with DFS (97.0%), a segmental expansion of the venous lumen was detected. Such a change can be the cause of cases detected during ultrasound in 60.0% and 73.0%, respectively, of dilatation of the veins and valvular insufficiency. In both morphological and ultrasound studies in no more than 15.0% of cases, the expansion sites were in the superficial veins, and fragments of an increase in the diameter of the lumen of the deep veins were found in 60.0% of patients, which demonstrates the likely difference in the nature of changes in the veins in diabetes and with varicose veins. In macroscopic and then histological studies, pronounced intramural and parabasal fibrosis of venous vessels was found in 37.0 0% and in 67.0 0% of cases, respectively. A rather specific feature to characterize the lesion of the venous system in diabetes is an increase in sonographic density of paravasal tissues, especially around the veins of the deep system (about 35.0% of observations). The findings of the ultrasound study describe the incompressibility of a vein or a decrease in its elasticity in the absence of data on the presence of a local thrombus, signs of current or resolved phlebothrombosis in 29.0% of cases in patients with DFS, which exceeds the general population frequency of this pathology even by the highest estimates of researchers. A morphological study of blood clots in venous vessels was found in 57.0% of observations, which may be due to the clinical insignificance or difficulty of visualizing small parietal thrombi and blood clots of small diameter venous vessels, but it confirms both complex disorders of the hemostatic system in diabetes and changes in venous walls predisposing to intravascular thrombosis. Conclusion. Patients with purulent-necrotic complications of DFS in most cases have signs of damage to the lower extremities venous vessels, it is specific. Standard duplex ultrasound can detect these changes.

Incidence and distribution of lower extremity reflux in patients with pelvic venous insufficiency

Introduction Women with pelvic venous insufficiency often present with lower extremity symptoms and manifestations of chronic venous disorders. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the incidence of lower extremity chronic venous disorders and the types and distribution of lower extremity veins involved in patients with a known diagnosis of pelvic venous insufficiency. Methods Between January 2012 and December 2015, we retrospectively reviewed the charts of 227 women with pelvic venous insufficiency as well as their lower extremity venous duplex investigations. Presenting symptoms, Clinical, Etiology, Anatomy, Pathophysiology (CEAP) class, initial revised Venous Clinical Severity Score (rVCSS) and the types of lower extremity veins with reflux and their locations were noted. Patients were also subcategorized according to their primary pelvic disorder as follows: Entire cohort (PVI), Ovarian vein reflux (OVR), Iliac vein stenosis (IVS) or both (OVR + IVS). Results The study group consisted of 227 women (454 limbs) with documented pelvic venous insufficiency. The average age was 44.71 ± 10.2 years. In decreasing order, patients presented with the following lower extremity symptoms: pain (66%), swelling (32%), heaviness (26%), limb fatigue (13%), itching (13%), leg cramps (10%), skin changes or Superficial Venous Thrombosis (SVT) (2%) and ulceration or bleeding (0.08%). Table 1 outlines the CEAP class for 215 of the 227 patients. For the entire cohort, 48% of right and 50% of left limbs demonstrated C0 or C1 disease. The incidence and type of symptomatic lower extremity veins were as follows: any axial vein, 32%; great saphenous vein (GSV), 21%; small saphenous vein (SSV), 11%; GSV and SSV, 5%; non-saphenous tributaries, 15%; saphenous tributaries, 12%; posterior or postero-lateral thigh distribution, 5%; vulvar distribution, 4%; perforators, 4%; deep veins, 2%; and anterior accessory saphenous veins, 1%. For the GSV and SSV, the following patterns of reflux were observed: entire GSV, 4%; entire above knee GSV, 2%; entire below knee GSV, 2%; above knee segmental GSV, 20%; below knee segmental GSV, 21%; above and below knee GSV segmental disease, 1%; entire SSV, 4%; and SSV segmental disease, 12%. The incidence of reflux in any axial vein, the GSV and anterior accessory GSV was greater in the OVR group compared to IVS or OVR + IVS (p ≤ 0.03). In addition, 64 of 227 (28%) patients had a history of prior lower extremity venous ablations: OVR (10/39, 26%), IVS (15/50, 30%) and OVR + IVS (39/127, 9%). The number of ablations per patient was as follows—OVR: 1.48 ± 0.5, IVS: 1.7 ± 0.7 and OVR + IVS: 1.65 ± 0.7. Conclusion At least 50% of patients with pelvic venous insufficiency present with lower extremity venous disease. The incidence of reflux in any axial vein is greatest in the OVR group suggesting a correlation with hormonal fluctuations and pregnancy. The majority of symptomatic patients present with segmental axial GSV or SSV disease. Although vulvar and gluteal escape veins are highly associated with pelvic venous insufficiency, they are infrequently observed. In patients who experience residual or persistent symptoms after treatment for chronic venous disorders, a pelvic venous ultrasound should be performed to assess the presence of pelvic venous insufficiency.