It is true that some of the narrowings seen on MRV do not prove to be stenoses on the catheter based venograms. While the narrowings are a sign of CCSVI, some of them are not necessarily the cause of CCSVI. If you looked at the jugular veins while standing, you would see that they are always narrowed, even in the absence of CCSVI. That is because the blood of the brain drains through the vertebral veins, not the jugular veins, when standing.
Imagine you had a flat soft hose and you ran a lot of water through it. It would distend and change shapes as it filled. If you slow the flow, the hose would partially collapse, perhaps becoming oval in shape.
The same thing happens to the jugular vein in CCSVI. Obstructions that increase resistance to drainage through the jugular veins drive the blood through the vertebral venous system. Thus as flow is reduced in the jugular vein it collapses and appears narrow. These narrowings seem to occur next to the carotid bulb and the second cervical vertebra
Nonetheless, the narrowing is a “sign” of CCSVI, even if it is not the cause of the CCSVI. Other signs include lots of small collateral vessels and large branches bypassing the areas of resistance. Big thick valves, reversed valves and poorly developed narrowed veins are other signs.
So MRV has value in screening but catheter venography is the gold standard.
Consider the brain to be like a barrel with two openings.
take two hose and place them in the openingsl
push water into one hose and let it drain through the other hose
by regulating input and output you can get a steady state to keep the fluid in the barrel to the same level
now block the drainage.
eiither less water can go into the barrel or the barrel will explode.
in the body, if you reduce the amount of blood getting out of the skull, then the amount of blood that gets into the brain must be reduced.
Reducing the blood flow into the brain is a bad thing most of the times. Flow in the carotid and vertebral arteries is essential for brain life.
why? Because oxygen and nutrients get to the brain via the carotid arteries so reducing inflow to the brain leads to inadequate oxygen to the brain. that can lead to cell death or dysfunction.
sou wrote:]After having balloon angioplasty, could we take any measures to prevent or postpone restenosis? For example, quit smoking if we smoke, take vitamins and antioxidants, reduce stress, follow a healthy diet, etc. Do you think that this could help the venous wall be more healthy?
I have had the doppler scan, and there is a stenosis, yet I am not scheduled until the 11th of May for my consultation with the Prof (I'd imagine the procedure would follow fairly soon after the initial consultation). Is there anything I can do in the meantime to address the stenosis?
I am curious about this as well...I guess my question would be: What causes restenosis? And are any of the possible causes of restenosis preventable?
When lying down, blood drains out of the brain through the jugular veins. When standing up,the jugular veins collapse and blood returns to the heart through the vertebral veins.
Is there anything I can do in the meantime to address the stenosis?
But then if stents are placed in jugular(s); too much blood (?) is drained out of the brain during daytime (standing/seated), stents preventing their collapse Question (not sure I express myself correctly here, pardon me)
After having balloon angioplasty, could we take any measures to prevent or postpone restenosis? For example, quit smoking if we smoke, take vitamins and antioxidants, reduce stress, follow a healthy diet, etc. Do you think that this could help the venous wall be more healthy?
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