วันเสาร์ที่ 16 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2569

Upper Extremity Ischemia

Upper Extremity Ischemia

Upper extremity ischemia มีความหลากหลายของสาเหตุและ presentation มากกว่า lower extremity ischemia โดยแบ่งได้เป็น:

  • large vessel disease (proximal to wrist)
  • small vessel disease (distal to wrist)

สาเหตุใน upper extremity ไม่ได้เกิดจาก atherosclerosis เป็นหลักเสมอไป แต่ embolism, vasculitis, vasospasm, thoracic outlet syndrome และ autoimmune disease มีบทบาทสำคัญ


Definitions

Acute upper extremity ischemia

  • onset <2 weeks
  • usually thromboembolic
  • limb-threatening emergency

Chronic upper extremity ischemia

  • progressive arterial narrowing
  • often collateral compensated

Key anatomy

Arterial supply

Subclavian artery
Axillary artery
Brachial artery
Radial/Ulnar arteries
Palmar arches


Important collateral circulation

Upper extremity collateral circulation ดีมากกว่า lower extremity

จึงทำให้:

  • severe ischemia พบได้น้อยกว่า
  • amputation จาก vascular disease พบน้อย

Dual blood supply ของ hand:

  • radial artery
  • ulnar artery

complete palmar arch พบได้ถึง ~90%


Major causes

1. Arterial embolism (most common acute cause)

ประมาณ 61% ของ acute upper limb ischemia

Common sources

  • atrial fibrillation
  • valvular disease
  • LV thrombus
  • endocarditis
  • cardiac myxoma

2. Atherosclerotic disease

พบได้น้อยกว่า lower extremity

Sites:

  • subclavian
  • axillary
  • brachial artery

3. Trauma

Penetrating

  • knife
  • gunshot

Blunt

  • shoulder traction injury
  • humeral fracture/dislocation
  • elbow dislocation

4. Thoracic outlet syndrome (arterial TOS)

มักเกิดจาก cervical rib

Mechanism:

  • subclavian artery compression
  • poststenotic aneurysm
  • distal embolization

5. Vasculitis / autoimmune disease

Large vessel vasculitis

  • Takayasu arteritis
  • Giant cell arteritis

Small vessel disease

  • scleroderma/CREST
  • SLE
  • Sjögren
  • rheumatoid vasculitis
  • mixed connective tissue disease

6. Hemodialysis access-induced distal ischemia (HAIDI)

AKA:

  • dialysis access steal syndrome (DASS)

พบหลัง AV access creation

Symptoms:

  • coolness
  • pain
  • ulcer
  • gangrene

Risk สูงใน:

  • brachial-based AV access
  • DM
  • PAD

7. COVID-19 related thrombosis

arterial thrombosis ได้แม้ respiratory symptoms ไม่มาก


Acute upper extremity ischemia

Clinical presentation

Classic 6 Ps

Pain

earliest sign

Pallor

Poikilothermia

Pulselessness

Paresthesia

early nerve ischemia

Paralysis

late ominous sign


Important clues

Embolic disease

  • sudden onset
  • unilateral
  • absent radial pulse
  • contralateral arm normal

Location of embolus

Proximal brachial occlusion

whole arm ischemia

Distal brachial bifurcation

forearm/hand ischemia


Chronic upper extremity ischemia

Exertional symptoms

Arm claudication

exercise-induced arm fatigue/pain


Subclavian steal syndrome

Pathognomonic for proximal subclavian occlusion

Mechanism:
retrograde vertebral artery flow

Symptoms

  • dizziness
  • syncope
  • neurologic symptoms during arm exercise

Exam

  • BP difference between arms
  • weak ipsilateral pulses

Digital ischemia / gangrene

Usually from:

  • emboli
  • vasculitis
  • autoimmune disease
  • dialysis steal syndrome

proximal atherosclerotic occlusion rarely causes digital gangrene


Physical examination

Essential components

Pulse examination

  • subclavian
  • axillary
  • brachial
  • radial
  • ulnar

compare both arms


Bilateral arm blood pressure

Difference 30–40 mmHg
suggests proximal subclavian occlusion


Doppler examination

absence of distal Doppler signals
severe ischemia


Wrist-brachial index (WBI)

Severe ischemia

WBI <0.4


Neurologic examination

ประเมิน:

  • sensation
  • motor function

motor deficit/paralysis
= advanced ischemia


Diagnosis

Clinical diagnosis ทำได้ ~90% จาก:

  • history
  • vascular exam
  • pulse asymmetry
  • risk factors

Important diagnostic clues

Sudden unilateral ischemia

embolus likely

Chest pain + left arm ischemia

think aortic dissection

Symmetric pulse reduction

systemic disease/vasculitis


Imaging

Acute ischemia

CTA

rapid evaluation

Catheter angiography

gold standard

  • therapeutic option

Angiographic clues

Embolus

  • sharp cutoff
  • rounded meniscus
  • no collateral circulation

Thrombosis

  • tapered cutoff
  • collateral vessels often present

Chronic ischemia imaging

  • Duplex ultrasound
  • CTA/MRA
  • digital plethysmography
  • pulse volume recording

Differential diagnosis

Stroke/TIA

may mimic ischemia


Compartment syndrome

pain out of proportion


Complex regional pain syndrome

pain/swelling but pulses preserved


Frostbite


Venous phlegmasia


Severity classification

ใช้ Rutherford classification เช่นเดียวกับ lower extremity

Class I

viable limb

Class IIa

marginally threatened

Class IIb

immediately threatened

Class III

irreversible ischemia


Treatment approach

Acute ischemia

Initial management

Immediate IV unfractionated heparin

unless contraindicated


Revascularization indications

  • threatened limb
  • neurologic deficit
  • persistent ischemia

Methods:

  • embolectomy
  • thrombectomy
  • thrombolysis
  • endovascular repair
  • bypass surgery

Chronic ischemia

Atherosclerotic disease

optimal medical therapy:

  • antiplatelet
  • statin
  • BP control
  • smoking cessation

Dialysis access steal syndrome

may require:

  • access revision
  • DRIL procedure
  • ligation

Vasculitis

treat underlying inflammatory disease


Important clinical pearls

Upper extremity ischemia atherosclerosis only

Always think about:

  • embolism
  • vasculitis
  • thoracic outlet syndrome
  • autoimmune disease
  • dialysis access steal

Sudden unilateral cold pulseless arm

cardioembolic disease until proven otherwise


Large BP difference between arms

proximal subclavian stenosis/occlusion


Digital ischemia

strongly associated with autoimmune disease


Hand ischemia after AV fistula

consider DASS/HAIDI immediately


High-yield associations

Condition

Classic clue

AF embolus

sudden pulseless painful arm

Subclavian steal

dizziness with arm exercise

Arterial TOS

young patient + cervical rib

Takayasu

young woman + pulse deficit

GCA

elderly + headache/jaw claudication

Scleroderma

Raynaud + digital ischemia

Dialysis steal

ischemic hand after AV access

 

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