At present, patients are increasingly being offered percutaneous angioplasty and stenting for lower limb ischaemia due to stenotic arterial disease. However, surgical approaches are still appropriate and have a major role to play in patients with severe symptoms due to long occlusions of the aorto-iliac segments or where angioplasty has failed. Furthermore, Whatling et al. 4 have recently shown better long-term patency following femoro-femoral grafting when compared to angioplasty with stenting for aorto-iliac disease.Although the surgical gold standard for aorto-iliac disease is a direct aorto-iliac/femoral replacement, extra-anatomical grafts have a place where patients have poor cardiac or respiratory reserve, who cannot tolerate a trans-abdominal approach or in those with a hostile abdomen where a direct approach would be contra-indicated due to the extent of abdominal pathology.We present a review of a single surgeon's experience with extra-anatomical bypass procedures over an 18-year period in terms of 30-day morbidity and mortality and 1 month, 1, 3 and 5 year primary patency rates, patient survival and limb salvage rates. Patients and MethodsA retrospective review was performed on a single surgeon's prospectively maintained database of consecutive patients undergoing femoro-femoral or axillo-femoral grafting procedures over an 18-year period. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Extra-anatomical bypass grafting is a recognised method of lower limb re-vascularisation in high-risk patients who cannot tolerate aortic cross clamping, or in those with a hostile abdomen. We present a single surgeon series of such procedures and determine relevant outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective review was performed on a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing femoro-femoral or axillo-femoral bypass surgery between 1986 and 2004. RESULTS Patency rates for femoral (n = 28; 32%) versus axillary (n = 59; 68%) bypass procedures at 1 month, 1, 3 and 5 years were (92% vs 93%), (69% vs 85%), (60% vs 72%) and (55% vs 67%), respectively. Patient survival rates for the corresponding procedures and time intervals were (96% vs 90%), (96% vs 67%), (85% vs 45%) and (73% vs 38%) and revealed a significantly lower survival rate in those undergoing axillary procedures (P = 0.002). Limb salvage rates were calculated at (100% vs 91%), (96% vs 84%), (96% vs 81%) and (92% vs 81%) with no statistically significant difference found between the two groups (P = 0.124). Two-thirds of the patients who required major amputation died within 12 months of surgery. CONCLUSIONS Acceptable 30-day morbidity, long-term primary patency and survival rates are obtainable in patients suitable for extra-anatomical bypass surgery despite having significant co-morbidities. We have shown 5-year patency rates in those that survive axillary procedures to be as good as those undergoing femoral procedures. Furthermore, surviving patients who evade amputation within a year have an excellent chance of long-term limb salvage. VASCULAR SURGERYAnn R Coll Surg Eng...

Background A retrospective study was conducted on 71 consecutive patients with suspected prostate cancer (PCa) with a mean age of 56 years and underwent mp-MRI of the prostate at 3 Tesla MRI. Two readers recognized all prostatic lesions, and each lesion had a score according to Prostate Imaging–Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS-v2). Purpose of the study To evaluate the interobserver agreement of PI-RADS-v2 in characterization of prostatic lesions using multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI) at 3 Tesla MRI. Results The overall interobserver agreement of PI-RADS-v2 for both zones was excellent (k = 0.81, percent agreement = 94.9%). In the peripheral zone (PZ) lesions are the interobserver agreement for PI-RADS II (k = 0.78, percent agreement = 83.9%), PI-RADS III (k = 0.66, percent agreement = 91.3 %), PI-RADS IV (k = 0.69, percent agreement = 93.5%), and PI-RADS V (k = 0.91, percent agreement = 95.7 %). In the transitional zone (TZ) lesions are the interobserver agreement for PI-RADS I (k = 0.98, percent of agreement = 96%), PI-RADS II (k = 0.65, percent agreement = 96%), PI-RADS III (k = 0.65, percent agreement = 88%), PI-RADS IV (k = 0.83, percent agreement = 96%), and PI-RADS V (k = 0.82, percent agreement = 92%). Conclusion We concluded that PI-RADS-v2 is a reliable and a reproducible imaging modality for the characterization of prostatic lesions and detection of PCa.

Background, The context A prospective study was conducted involving 81 patients (mean age, 20.79 years) with abdominal trauma who underwent ultrasonography and post-contrast CT on MDCT scanner. The total DLP for each patient was reviewed, and the effective dose was calculated. Purpose of the study to: explore the role of MDCT in assessing traumatic abdominal lesions, demonstrate radiation dose delivered by MDCT, and describe specific CT technical features to minimize radiation. Results The spleen was the most commonly injured organ (49.4%) followed by liver (39.5%) and kidney (24.7%). Pancreatic injury occurred in seven patients, whereas only two patients had intestinal injuries. One patient had adrenal injury. Minimal, mild and moderate free intra-peritoneal fluid collection was detected in 21 (25.9%), 47 (58%) and 10 (12.3%) patients, respectively. Only three (3.7%) patients had no collection. One patient had active uncontrolled bleeding and died. Radiation dose was below the detrimental level (calculated effective dose), with optimal image quality. Conclusions MDCT is sensitive to all types of traumatic abdominal lesions. Not only in determining the injury, but also in its grading. MDCT has affected the treatment directions, spotting a focus on conservative treatment by raising the diagnostic confidence. FAST cannot be the sole imaging modality. The individual radiation risk is small but real. Advancements in medical imaging reduce radiation risk.

Purpose of the study: This study is aiming to evaluate the role of duplex ultrasonography in comparison with multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCT) angiography in the assessment of lower limb ischemia. The context: The study group includes 54 patients with unilateral or bilateral chronic lower limb ischemic disease-who have come to the Department of Radiology at Aswan University Hospital for CT angiography-and Doppler ultrasonography (US) was done for comparison. Out of the 54 patients, 6 were asymptomatic (Fontain's stage 1), 16 had intermittent claudication when walking more than 200 m (Fontain's stage 2a), 10 had intermittent claudication when walking more than 200 m (Fontain's stage 2b), 10 had rest pain (Fontain's stage 3), and 12 had trophic changes, ulcers, or gangrene (Fontain's stage 4). Results:The study involved 54 patients, 24 men (44.4%) and 30 women (55.6%). They were between 33 and 75.0 years with mean 59.56 years and standard deviation ± 10.3. Out of them, there were 4 patients who had aboveknee amputation of one leg. There were 34 patients who are chronic smokers 63.0%, 40 had diabetes 74.1%, 26 had hypertension 48.1%, and 4 are cardiac 7.4%. There was good reliability and agreement between CT and Doppler techniques with significant kappa agreement in all measurements. As regards the external iliac artery, we found that the kappa agreement was 0.87; common femoral artery, kappa agreement was 0.88; superficial femoral artery, kappa agreement was 0.82 at the upper third, 0.76 at the middle third, and 0.86 at the lower third; popliteal artery, kappa agreement was 0.87; peroneal artery, kappa agreement was 0.88; posterior tibial artery, kappa agreement was 0.93; and anterior tibial artery, kappa agreement was 0.88.Conclusion: Both MDCT angiography and duplex US have a good predictive value of chronic lower limb ischemia, but the combination of them has better diagnostic accuracy.

Background Perianal sepsis and fistulas are common lesions. Fistula-in-ano is a tedious problem because of high recurrence rates and severe unexpected complications postoperatively. Many imaging modalities are used to evaluate this area. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been considered the gold standard procedure for perianal fistula assessment, i.e., it provides the surgeon with an accurate roadmap to select the best surgical approach, determines the extent of sphincter division, and estimates the risk of postoperative incontinence. We carried out a prospective diagnostic accuracy study involving 50 patients (mean age, 42.44 years) with perianal fistulas who underwent pelvic MRI with a 1.5 Tesla scanner using multiple sequences, including diffusion and post-contrast series that were either local or systemic. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic validity of pelvic MRI/MR fistulogram in perianal fistula assessment, identify perianal fistula-associated findings by MRI, and optimize the MRI technique with maximum technical safety. Results Intersphincteric fistulas were the most common type of perianal fistula observed based on Parks’ classification. Intersphincteric, trans-sphincteric, extrasphincteric, and suprasphincteric fistulas were found in 30 (60%), 12 (24%), 4 (8%), and 4 (8%) patients, respectively. According to St. James’ classification, 21 (42%), 9 (18%), 8 (16%), 4 (8%), and 8 (16%) patients had perianal fistula grades I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively. The combination of variable MR sequences and MR fistulogram increased the diagnostic validity of MRI examinations. Our results correlated with surgical results (reference standard) with perfect interobserver reliability. Conclusions Of all imaging modalities, MRI has become a prerequisite for a successful surgery of a perianal fistula. MRI can identify: (a) fistula morphological details, (b) the relationship between the fistulous tract and the anal sphincter, (c) fistula wound healing, (d) an active versus chronic scarred fistula, (e) postoperative stigmata, and (f) a perianal fistula from its mimics. MRI with variable sequences and MRI fistulogram are successful combinations that increase diagnostic efficiency with technical safety by avoiding both ionizing radiation and systemic gadolinium.