CCSVI

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Glossary of CCSVI terms

A

Azygos Vein: The azygos vein drains the back of the chest and the spine. We

only have one of these which feeds blood to the vena cava.

Arteries: The blood vessels that take the blood away from the heart. Their

walls are usually thicker than the walls of veins and do not have valves as

veins do.

B

Balloon Angioplasty: a method used to widen narrow or obstructed arteries, but

the term is also commonly applied to the procedure when treating veins. The

correct term for this procedure when applied to a vein is Percutaneous

Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA). A collapsed balloon on the end of a catheter is

inserted in the vein and inflated, thus widening it.

C

CCSVI – Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency: a term coined by Prof

Zamboni describing the inadequate drainage of the brain by the jugular and/or

azygos veins. We should all have two functioning internal jugulars and one

functioning azygos vein. The jugular veins do present a different profile

depending on the position of the person being examined, this is normal. In the

supine position (laying down) they provide the main drainage avenue for the

brain. In the upright position the vertebral veins tend to take over the task,

but there may be a problem if the jugular is permanently constricted. In some

people one of these veins appears to be missing.

D

Doppler: a Doppler is a diagnostic sonographic scanner. There are scanners

suited to a wide variety of applications, most scanners being configured to deal

with a specific kind of diagnostic procedure. A Colour Doppler is the best

method to detect blood flow.

J

Jugular vein: There are two internal Jugular veins which are relatively wide

veins running down the inside of our neck, additionally we have two smaller

external jugular veins running nearer the surface. The two internal jugular

veins are where the problems of obstruction or collapse are most commonly found.

L

Liberation: another term coined by Prof Zamboni to describe the process of

opening up the veins that drain the brain using stents or PTA. Although PTA is

less invasive, as there is nothing left in the vein once the procedure is ended,

it is not always permanent. An estimated 50% of people will have to have the

procedure repeated over time.

M

MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imagery is used to examine organs inside the body. It

provides a good level of contrast between different types of tissues, and is

commonly used in the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.

MRV: Magnetic resonance venography, a test similar to MRI which is used to based

on the different properties of blood compared to other tissues.

P

PTA: See balloon angioplasty

S

Stent: a man made tubular mesh that is very supple and used to keep veins that

are stenosed open and operating normally.

Stenosis: the name given to the condition where a vein has collapsed or is

blocked by a number of different causes.

V

Veins: The blood vessels which take the de-oxygenated blood back to the heart,

they have valves which can sometimes block the lumen (channel in which the blood

flows).

Venography: a procedure in which veins are injected with a die opaque to xray,

so that their condition can be evaluated.

Z

Zamboni: Prof P Zamboni, Vascular Surgeon at the University of Ferrara in Italy

who carried out the first ever study of the veins of MS sufferers.