The perioperative and 3-year outcomes of TEVAR using the Najuta precurved, fenestrated endograft demonstrated high freedom from aneurysm enlargement and patency rates of the supra-aortic branches.

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurement is widely used as a screening tool to detect peripheral arterial disease (PAD). With the advent of the oscillometric ABI device incorporating a system for the measurement of pulse volume recording (PVR), not only ABI but also other parameters, such as the percentage of mean arterial pressure (%MAP) and the upstroke time (UT), can be obtained automatically. The purpose of the present study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy for PAD with ABI alone with that of a combination of ABI, %MAP and UT. This study included 108 consecutive patients on whom 216 limb measurements were performed. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of ABI, %MAP, UT and their combination were evaluated and compared with CT angiography that was used as a gold standard for the detection of PAD. The diagnostic accuracy as well as the optimal cutoff values of %MAP and UT were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The combination of ABI, %MAP and UT achieved higher sensitivity, negative predictive value and accuracy than ABI alone, particularly for mild stenosis. The areas under the ROC curve for the detection of 50% stenosis with UT and %MAP were 0.798 and 0.916, respectively. The optimal UT and %MAP values to detect ≧50% stenosis artery were 183 ms and 45%, respectively. The combination of ABI, %MAP and UT contributed to the improvement of the diagnostic accuracy for PAD. Consideration of the values of %MAP and UT in addition to ABI may have a significant impact on the detection of early PAD lesions.

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) determined by the oscillometric method has been shown to reliably detect peripheral arterial disease (PAD), with highly correlations with the Doppler method. However, most of these studies were shown in cohorts with a small number of PAD patients, and no imaging studies have been performed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and optimal threshold of oscillometric ABI for detecting PAD using computed tomography angiography (CTA) as a gold standard in a cohort that consists mostly of PAD patients. This retrospective study included 108 consecutive patients with 216 limbs. ABI measured by an oscillometric device was compared with CTA. The diagnostic accuracy of oscillometric ABI to detect ≥50% and ≥75% stenosis confirmed by CTA and the optimal ABI cutoff values were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The oscillometric ABI could not be measured in nine limbs. The mean ABI was 0.72±0.31. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) for detecting ≥50% and ≥75% stenosis with oscillometric ABI were 0.919 and 0.918, respectively. The optimal ABI cutoff values to detect these levels of stenosis were 0.99 (sensitivity, 90%: specificity, 85%) and 0.87 (sensitivity, 84%: specificity, 89%), respectively. If patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) were analyzed separately, the AUC for detecting ≥75% stenosis was 0.888. Oscillometric ABI had a high diagnostic accuracy to detect PAD using CTA as a gold standard. The diagnostic ability of ABI to detect PAD could be impaired by the presence of DM.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of vessel calcification on in-stent restenosis (ISR) after drug-coated stent (DCS) placement in the femoropopliteal segment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was undertaken involving 220 consecutive symptomatic patients (mean age 73.1±8.3 years; 175 men) with femoropopliteal lesions in 230 limbs treated with the Zilver PTX DCS and having duplex surveillance after the endovascular procedures. Mean lesion length was 16.4±9.8 cm (range 2–40); there were 104 (45.2%) total occlusions and 68 (29.6%) in-stent restenoses (ISR). Twenty (8.7%) vessels had no runoff. The majority of lesions (148, 64.3%) were calcified according to the peripheral arterial calcium scoring system (PACSS). Primary patency was evaluated by duplex. Lesions were classified as either PACSS 0–2 (none or unilateral wall calcification) or PACSS 3 and 4 (bilateral wall calcification). Multivariate analysis was performed to identify variables associated with ISR; the results are given as the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The 1-, 2-, and 5-year primary patency and freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization estimates were 75.9%, 63.6%, and 45.0%, and 84.7%, 73.7%, and 54.2%, respectively. Major amputations were performed on 4 limbs during follow-up. In multivariate analysis, vessel calcification (adjusted HR 1.718, 95% CI 1.035 to 2.851, p=0.036) was significantly correlated with the occurrence of ISR, along with lesion length (adjusted HR 1.041, 95% CI 1.013 to 1.070, p=0.003), and cilostazol administration (adjusted HR 0.476, 95% CI 0.259 to 0.876, p=0.017). Conclusion: This study suggested that bilateral vessel wall calcification was an independent risk factor for ISR in complex femoropopliteal lesions after Zilver PTX DCS placement, along with lesion length; cilostazol administration had a protective effect.

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