Francesco Carbonetti MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Antonio Cremona, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Pierluigi Aloisio, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Nicola Maltzeff, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Giuseppe Argento, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Carlo Capotondi MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Vincenzo David MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Objective of the study was to prove accuracy and feasibility of MDCT Angiography of the anterior abdominal wall in the planning of breast reconstruction with DIEP flaps in mastectomized patients.

34 nulliparous (average age 54 yrs.) and 20 multiparous ( average age 48 yrs.) underwent MDCT Angiography of the abdominal anterior wall to study the deep inferior epigastric arteries (DIEA) and its perforating branches. (GE 16X0.625,pitch 1.3,120KV, Xenetix 350) With MPR ,MIP and VR reconstructions were evaluated the caliber and integrity of DIEA ,the caliber of the perforating arteries at the emergence of the anterior fascia of the rectus abdominis muscle, respectively, and their distance from the transverse umbilical line and the linea alba. The collected data were verified by surgeons in the operating room. A standardized BMI was used for each patient.

For the deep inferior epigastric artery (DIEA) Moon and Taylor classification was used . A correspondence of 100% of the number and location of the perforating arteries was found between the results obtained at the MDCT-Angiography and the surgical results. It was recorded an average caliber size of 1.2 mm for the medial perforating vessels and 0.9 mm for the lateral. In 10/54 patients the caliber of the vessels was overstimated at the MDCT-Angiography, the most frequent complications during surgery were related to venous necrosis of the vessels. Nullipaours showed greater calibers of the arteries compared to multiparous, overweight and obese patients showed greater calibers compared to normal weight patients.P-value was calculated and data were statistically significant.

MDCT-Angiography is a valid technique in the planning of the mammary reconstruction with DIEP flap which permit an accurate evaluation of the perforating vessels and the possibility to decrease the time of the surgery.

MDCT-Angiography could be used to detect with an high accuracy the vessels needed to perform the DIEP-Flap in order to reduce the operating time and avoid complications , nullipaourous female, overweighed and obese patients (both nulliparous and mutliparous ) should be found to have greater calibers of the perofrating vessels compared to the normal weighted patients

Carbonetti, F, Cremona, A, Aloisio, P, Maltzeff, N, Argento, G, Capotondi, C, David, V, Accuracy of MDCT Angiography of the Anterior Abdominal Wall in the Planning of the Mammary Reconstruction with DIEP-Flap in Mastectomized Patients.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14011135.html