The accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of prosthetic aortic graft infection was evaluated in 18 patients with history and findings suggestive of this complication. The prospective interpretation of MRI was compared with surgical findings. Sixteen patients had a graft infection verified at operation. Fourteen patients had infection of the retroperitoneal portion of the graft; two patients had an infection limited to one of the groins; no graft infection was found at surgical exploration in the remaining two patients. Perigraft infection was correctly diagnosed on the basis of MRI findings in 14 of 16 cases; findings were false negative in one case, questionable in another case, and correctly excluded graft infection in two of two cases. MRI also defined the extent of infection in 14 of 16 cases. MRI findings that supported the clinical suspicion of graft infection were perigraft fluid collections remaining more than 3 months after surgery. Furthermore, local inflammation was suggested by an increased signal intensity of adjacent muscle on T2-weighted images in some cases. CT scans were performed in 12 patients; these enabled a correct diagnosis in five and provided indeterminate or false information in seven. These results indicate that MRI is helpful in the diagnosis of aortic graft infection. Furthermore, MRI provides information about the extent of infection crucial for planning therapy.
This data cast doubt on criteria commonly used to distinguish graft infections and host vs. graft reactions from normal graft healing. Acute and chronic inflammation are not predictive of infection.
The magnetic resonance (MR) imaging characteristics of normal aortic graft healing were compared with those of perigraft infection in 57 patients after aortic graft implantation. Thirty-three patients without postoperative complications underwent MR imaging in a 0.35-T unit 1 week after graft implantation, and 13 of those patients were reexamined 2-3 months after graft implantation. Twenty-four patients with clinically suspected perigraft infection underwent MR imaging 6 weeks to 18 years after graft implantation. Early normal postoperative changes were characterized by a perigraft collar of low to medium signal intensity on T1-weighted images and of high intensity on T2-weighted images in all 33 cases, consistent with perigraft fluid collection. In 10 of 13 patients reexamined 2-3 months postoperatively, the MR images demonstrated a collar of tissue consistent with perigraft fibrosis. In cases of clinical suspicion of retroperitoneal graft infection, MR imaging showed eccentric fluid collections of low to medium signal intensity on T1-weighted images and high intensity on T2-weighted images at more than 3 months after surgery. The MR findings were diagnostic of retroperitoneal perigraft infection in 17 of 20 patients shown to be infected at surgery. Retroperitoneal infection was correctly excluded on the basis of MR findings in four patients. Thus, MR imaging is an accurate imaging method for the diagnosis of aortic graft infection. In the early postoperative phase, resolving perigraft fluid cannot be differentiated from perigraft infection.
The accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of prosthetic aortic graft infection was evaluated in 18 patients with history and findings suggestive of this complication. The prospective interpretation of MRI was compared with surgical findings. Sixteen patients had a graft infection verified at operation. Fourteen patients had infection of the retroperitoneal portion of the graft; two patients had an infection limited to one of the groins; no graft infection was found at surgical exploration in the remaining two patients. Perigraft infection was correctly diagnosed on the basis of MRI findings in 14 of 16 cases; findings were false negative in one case, questionable in another case, and correctly excluded graft infection in two of two cases. MRI also defined the extent of infection in 14 of 16 cases. MRI findings that supported the clinical suspicion of graft infection were perigraft fluid collections remaining more than 3 months after surgery. Furthermore, local inflammation was suggested by an increased signal intensity of adjacent muscle on T2-weighted images in some cases. CT scans were performed in 12 patients; these enabled a correct diagnosis in five and provided indeterminate or false information in seven. These results indicate that MRI is helpful in the diagnosis of aortic graft infection. Furthermore, MRI provides information about the extent of infection crucial for planning therapy.
CONTEXTO: A recidiva de varizes em membros inferiores é complicação frequente da safenectomia e sua incidência atinge até 80% dos casos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a sensibilidade do exame físico e do mapeamento com eco-color Doppler no diagnóstico da insuficiência do coto da veia safena magna, em doentes previamente operados, comparando-os com os achados da exploração operatória da junção safeno-femoral. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados prospectivamente 30 doentes envolvendo 37 membros submetidos previamente à safenectomia magna para tratamento de varizes e que foram reoperados por recidiva de varizes na região inguinal ou em face anterossuperior da coxa. Todos os doentes foram submetidos ao mapeamento com eco-color Doppler. Os dados foram comparados com os achados da exploração da crossa da veia safena magna na reoperação. RESULTADOS: A sensibilidade do mapeamento com eco-color Doppler para a presença de insuficiência do coto da veia safena magna foi de 70,3% (26 concordâncias dentre os 37 membros) e resultados falsos negativos ocorreram em 29,7% (11) membros avaliados (p=0,03). A sensibilidade do achado de varizes na região inguinal e na face anteromedial da coxa com a presença de insuficiência do coto da veia safena magna foi de 100% (37 concordâncias dentre os 37 membros) e não houve resultados falsos negativos. CONCLUSÕES: No doente já submetido à safenectomia magna, a presença no exame físico de varizes recidivadas em região inguinal e na face anteromedial da coxa é sugestivo de insuficiência do coto da veia safena magna, devendo-se realizar o mapeamento com eco color Doppler para o adequado planejamento da reexploração da crossa da veia safena magna.
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