title: Computed tomography virtual intravascular endoscopy in the evaluation of fenestrated stent graft repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of computed tomography virtual intravascular endoscopy (VIE) in the follow-up of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) treated with fenestrated stent grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 19 patients (17 males and 2 females; mean age: 75 years) with AAA undergoing fenestrated stent grafts were retrospectively studied. Pre- and post-fenestration computed tomography data were reconstructed for the generation of VIE images of aortic ostia and fenestrated stents and compared with two-dimensional axial and multiplanar reformation (MPR) images. Serum creatinine was measured pre and post fenestration to evaluate the renal function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean intra-aortic length measured by VIE, two-dimensional axial and MPR were 4.7, 4.4 and 4.6 mm, respectively, for the right renal stent; 5.0, 4.9 and 5.0 mm, respectively, for the left renal stent; and 5.9, 6.0 and 6.0 mm, respectively, for the superior mesenteric artery stent. Comparisons of these measurements did not show significant difference (P > 0.05). The mean diameters of renal artery ostia measured on VIE visualization pre and post fenestration were 9.2 x 8.3 and 10 x 8.9 mm for the right renal ostium; 8.3 x 7.1 and 9.9 x 8.9 mm for the left renal ostium, with significant changes observed (P < 0.01). No renal dysfunction was observed in this group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VIE is a valuable visualization tool in the follow-up of fenestrated stent graft repair of AAA by providing intraluminal appearance of fenestrated stents and measuring the length of stent protrusion.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Zhonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Bibombe P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Mwipatayi
authors.forename: Yvonne B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Hartley
authors.forename: Michael M D
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lawrence-Brown
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted