Influence of treatment of type II leaks on the aneurysm surface area.
OBJECTIVE
to determine whether interventional treatment of type II endoleaks leads to a decrease in aneurysm surface area.


METHODS
type II endoleaks were detected in a group of 14 male patients (median age: 70.2 years) following endovascular repair of a total number of 160 infrarenal aneurysms of the abdominal aorta. The surface area of the aneurysm was determined by computed tomography (CT) pre- and postoperatively and at subsequent follow-up examinations. If type II endoleaks were documented at CT, patients underwent treatment by means of coil embolisation.


RESULTS
interventional treatment resulted in successful occlusion of type II endoleaks in eight patients. One of the cases exhibited spontaneous occlusion. Occlusion was associated with an average decrease in aneurysm surface area of 3.3 cm(2)( p =0.01). In one of these patients, treatment resulted in a temporary occlusion of the endoleak, also with associated decrease in aneurysm size. After recurrence of the type II endoleak, however, the patient experienced an increase in aneurysm surface area. In the remaining four patients the type II endoleaks persisted, resulting in a non significant increase in aneurysm surface area.


CONCLUSIONS
only complete occlusion of endoleaks results in decrease in the size of the aneurysm sac. Because of endotension and the risk of rupture we favour an early interventional treatment of type II endoleaks.
Liewald
F
F
Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Ermis
C
C
Görich
J
J
Halter
G
G
Scharrer-Pamler
R
R
Sunder-Plassmann
L
L
D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome