CCSVI April

Epub: Radak et al. Percutaneous angioplasty of internal jugular and azygous veins in patients with chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and multiple sclerosis: early and mid-term results. Phlebology. 2013 Apr.

Purpose: To assess the safety of endovascular treatment of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) in patients with multiple sclerosis(MS).

Materials and Methods: A total of 72 patients with CCSVI and MS (44 with relapsing remitting - RR, 4 with primary progressive, 20 with secondary progressive and 4 with benign MS) underwent percutaneous angioplasty. Outcome measures were colour Doppler ultrasonography parameters, gradient pressure at the vein abnormality level, postoperative complications, re-stenosis, disease severity scored by means of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and patients' assumption of disease status. Controls were done after one month on 72 patients, six months on 69 patients and one year on 61 patients, respectively (the average follow-up was 11 months).

Results: There were no post-operative complications. Colour Doppler ultrasonography showed significant improvement in cross-sectional area parameters (P < 0.05) and significant decrease in confluence velocity values (P < 0.05). Postoperative gradient pressure decreased, in internal jugular vein (IJV) significantly (P < 0.05). Re-stenosis appeared in 5.3% of patients. EDSS score was significantly improved (P < 0.01) and about half of patients reported significant or mild improvement in disease status and none of them worsening of symptoms.

Conclusion: Endovascular treatment of the IJV and azygous veins in patients with CCSVI and MS is a safe procedure with no post-procedural complications followed by significant improvement of IJV flow haemodynamic parameters and decrease in the EDSS score. Whether CCSVI percutaneous treatment might affect clinical improvement in patients suffering from MS is yet to be seen after completion of major multicentre clinical trials, still it seems like that this procedure is not negligible.

After last months negative reports an alternative view.

Epub: Simka et al. M Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency is unlikely to be a direct trigger of multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Rel Dis.

Background. Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, a vascular pathology affecting the veins draining the central nervous system can accompany multiple sclerosis and is suspected to be involved in its pathogenesis.

Objective. This study was aimed at exploring a potential role for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in triggering multiple sclerosis. If it were venous abnormalities responsible for neurological pathology, one should expect negative correlation, i.e. more severe vascular lesions in the patients with early onset of multiple sclerosis.

Methods. Localization and degree of venous blockages in 350 multiple sclerosis patients were assessed using catheter venography. Statistical analysis comprised evaluation of the correlations between severity of venous lesions and patients' age at onset of the disease.

Results. We found weak, yet statistically significant positive correlations between patients' age at onset of multiple sclerosis and accumulated and maximal scores of venous lesions. The patients, also those with duration of multiple sclerosis not longer than 5 years, who had their first attack of the disease at younger age, presented with less severe vascular lesions.

Conclusion. Positive correlation suggests that venous lesions are not directly triggering multiple sclerosis. There should be another factor that initiates pathological processes in the central nervous system.

Google trends: CCSVI continues to decline in interest as measured by Google's trend index