[The transcatheter recanalization of occluded portosystemic shunts].
The authors present their personal experience in percutaneous treatment of portosystemic shunt occlusion and stenosis by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and fibrinolytic local infusion. Twelve patients with portosystemic shunt stenosis or occlusion were percutaneously treated. In 8 patients only PTA was performed, 4 were treated with local fibrinolytic infusion, in 3 of the latter cases this treatment was followed by PTA. In all 12 patients recanalization was successful and non complications arose. Six patients died in the following 15 months, none due to rebleeding. In 5 of these patients the shunt was patent at post-mortem examination. In the 6 patients still alive in the follow-up period (2 to 25 months, mean 14.5 months) the shunt was patent in 4 and occluded in 2.


CONCLUSIONS
percutaneous treatment with PTA or fibrinolytic local infusion is preferable in non-functioning portosystemic shunt; further surgery is always extremely risky in such patients.
Grosso
M
M
Istituto di Radiologia, Università degli Studi di Torino.
Spalluto
F
F
Anselmetti
G C
GC
Capello
S
S
Fava
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011170:Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical / Q000401:mortality; D011859:Radiography; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage
D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator
Ricanalizzazione attraverso catetere degli shunt portosistemici occlusi.