Infection of Vascular Prostheses: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Vascular graft or endograft infection (VGEI) is a complex disease that complicates vascular-surgery and endovascular-surgery procedures and determines high morbidity and mortality. This review article provides the most updated general evidence on the pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of VGEI. Several microorganisms are involved in VGEI development, but the most frequent one, responsible for over 75% of infections, is Staphylococcus aureus. Specific clinical, surgical, radiologic, and laboratory criteria are pivotal for the diagnosis of VGEI. Surgery and antimicrobial therapy are cornerstones in treatment for most patients with VGEI. For patients unfit for surgery, alternative treatment is available to improve the clinical course of VGEI.

Atherosclerosis originating from childhood: Specific features

“…During the embryonic stage, human aorta contains SMCs that vary in their ultrastructure, shape, packing, and surface microrelief. A previous study demonstrated the heterogeneity of intimal cell populations in the adult human aortas, found that elongated and stellate SMCs were present in both embryonic and adult aortas, and revealed that the foundation for this phenomenon was established during embryogenesis between 18 and 28 weeks [38] .…”