The literature on arterial aneurysms is subject to potential misinterpretation because of inconsistencies in reporting standards. The joint councils of the Society for Vascular Surgery and the North American Chapter of the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery appointed an ad hoc committee to address this issue. This communication, prepared in response to the need for standardized reporting, defines and classifies arterial aneurysms and recommends standards for describing the causes, manifestations, treatment, and outcome criteria that are important when publishing data on aneurysmal disease.

Endovascular repair of TAA has shown a promising reduction in operative morbidity; however, the risk of spinal cord ischemia remains. Concomitant or previous abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and long segment thoracic aortic exclusion appear to be important risk factors. Spinal cord protective measures (ie, cerebrospinal fluid drainage, steroids, prevention of hypotension) should be used for patients with the aforementioned risk factors undergoing endovascular TAA repair.

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Endovascular extension grafts, coil embolization, and conversion to open surgery each may be used to effectively repair endoleak. Selection of the treatment method used is determined by the anatomic characteristics of the endoleak and the patient's ability to tolerate conventional repair. Conversion to open repair was uniformly successful. Deployment of an extension cuff was successful when complete closure of the endoleak was achieved. Embolic coils were effective for retrograde endoleaks and provided stabilization of AAA size in selected patients with attachment site endoleaks in limited follow-up.

Endovascular management of AEFs is technically feasible and may be the preferred treatment in select patients with bleeding and no signs of sepsis. In the setting of gross infection, it may also be considered in high-risk patients as a bridge to more definitive treatment after hemodynamic stabilization and optimization.

The incidence of pelvic ischemia after IIA occlusion is 20% immediately after endovascular aortoiliac aneurysm repair. A total of 25% of patients had no symptoms within 1 year. Two preoperative radiologic findings may help identify patients who are at risk for pelvic ischemia: stenosis of the patent IIA and disease deep femoral ascending branches ipsilateral to the occluded IIA. The risk of colon ischemia appears to be small after selective IIA occlusion to facilitate endovascular AAA repair.

Between January 1956 and July 1981, 40 patients with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome were seen at the Mayo Clinic. Twenty male and 20 female patients presented with the classic triad of soft tissue and bony hypertrophy of the extremity, hemangioma, and varicosity without evidence of functional arteriovenous fistulae. The lower extremity was involved in 38 patients (95%), the upper extremity in six patients (15%). In four of these cases (10%), both the upper and lower extremities were affected. The disease was unilateral in 34 patients (85%), bilateral in five cases (12.5%), and crossed-bilateral in one case (2.5%). Surgery was done in 13 patients (32.5%), nine of whom were operated on at the Mayo Clinic and four of whom had had previous surgery elsewhere. Excision and stripping of varices were performed in three patients; of these three, a deterioration of symptoms was observed in one, but the procedure was beneficial in the other two. Partial varicectomy was performed in four cases, while resection of the angioma was attempted in eight cases, with good results in three cases of small angiomas. Femoral and tibial epiphysiodesis stopped the overgrowth and produced an excellent result in one case. In four cases of epiphysiodesis at the foot level and two cases of derotational tibial osteotomy, moderate improvement was achieved. The indication for vascular or orthopedic surgery should be carefully considered in each patient who has this syndrome. One patient (2.5%) died of a severe form of the disease, but the relatively benign course is documented by the 21 patients (52.5%) who are free of complaints without any treatment or with elastic support only.