Staged Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty before Standard Aortic Valve Replacement in Selected Patients with Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis

This study evaluated preoperative balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) as a technique to decrease aortic valve replacement (AVR) risk in patients who have severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis with substantial comorbidity.We report the outcomes of 18 high-risk patients who received BAV within 180 days before AVR from November 1993 through December 2011. Their median age was 78 years (range, 51–93 yr), and there were 11 men (61%). The pre-BAV median calculated Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS PROM) was 18.3% (range, 9.4%–50.7%). Preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction measured a median of 0.23 (range, 0.05–0.68), and the median aortic valve area index was 0.4 cm²/m² (range, 0.2–0.7 cm²/m²). The median interval from BAV to AVR was 28 days (range, 1–155 d). There were no strokes or deaths after BAV; however, 4 patients (22%) required mechanical circulatory support, 3 (17%) required femoral artery operation, and 1 (6%) developed severe aortic valve regurgitation. After BAV, the median STS PROM fell to 9.1% (range, 2.6%–25.7%) (compared with pre-BAV, P <0.001). Echocardiography before AVR showed that the median left ventricular ejection fraction had improved to 0.35 (range, 0.15–0.66), and the aortic valve area index to 0.5 cm²/m² (range, 0.3–0.7 cm²/m²) (compared with pre-BAV, both P <0.05). All patients received AVR. Operative death occurred in 2 patients (11%), and combined operative death and morbidity in 7 patients (39%).Staged BAV substantially reduces the operative risk associated with AVR in selected patients.     

The Lack of Clinical Value of Laboratory Parameters in Predicting Outcome in Acute Renal Failure

In 55 patients with either the oliguric and nonoliguric form of acute renal failure, some laboratory parameters for the analysis of prerenal and intrinsic types of acute renal failure were examined. The parameters were analyzed within 7 days of the clinically known beginning of the illness. The parameters were analyzed as follows: sodium in urine, creatinine urine/plasma ratio, urine osmolality, osmolality urine/plasma ratio, renal failure index, and fractional excretion of filtered sodium. Hemodialysis was performed in 29 of the 55 patients. The oliguric form of acute renal failure was present in 49 of the 55 patients. In relation to renal failure index, prerenal acute renal failure was present in 7 patients and intrinsic acute renal failure in 48. It appears that in patients with a clinical diagnosis ofprerenal acute renal failure, the urinary parameters do not separate them from those with acute tubular necrosis. It also appears that in patients with laboratory diagnosis of prerenal acute renal failure (i.e., a RFT < 1.0), the response to treatment is unpredictable and in fact may have a worse prognosis than in those with a RFI > 1.0 (5/7 deaths vs 10/48 deaths).     

常规全视野数字化乳腺X线摄影(FFDM)与常规FFDM+点压放大诊断乳腺良、恶性微钙化北大核心CSCD

目的观察常规全视野数字乳腺摄影(FFDM)与常规FFDM+点压放大诊断乳腺良、恶性微钙化的价值。方法纳入200例存在乳腺微钙化的女性单侧乳腺单个病变患者,分析其FFDM资料;以病理结果或临床随访为金标准,比较常规FFDM与常规FFDM+点压放大诊断乳腺良、恶性微钙化的效能。结果常规FFDM与常规FFDM+点压放大所示乳腺微钙化形态、大小及分布无明显差异,但部分点压放大后显示腺体内不对称致密影较好。常规FFDM诊断乳腺良、恶性微钙化的曲线下面积(AUC)为0.81[95%CI(0.74,0.87)],常规FFDM+点压放大的AUC为0.83[95%CI(0.77,0.89)],二者差异无统计学意义(χ^(2)=0.78,P=0.39)。常规FFDM诊断乳腺前、中及后部良、恶性微钙化的AUC分别为0.77[95%CI(0.57,0.97)]、0.81[95%CI(0.71,0.91)]及0.82[95%CI(0.72,0.93)],常规FFDM+点压放大的AUC分别为0.89[95%CI(0.71,1.00)]、0.78[95%CI(0.67,0.89)]及0.86[95%CI(0.78,0.94)],二者差异均无统计学意义(χ^(2)=3.27、0.44、0.64,P=0.07、0.51、0.42)。结论常规FFDM与常规FFDM+点压放大诊断良、恶性乳腺微钙化的价值相当。     

老年冠心病合并2型糖尿病患者冠状动脉粥样硬化斑块钙化特征

目的探讨老年冠心病合并2型糖尿病患者冠状动脉粥样硬化斑块钙化的总负荷和钙化特征。方法选择稳定性心绞痛患者72例,其中合并2型糖尿病40例(糖尿病组),无糖尿病32例(非糖尿病组)。均行冠状动脉造影,选取一处狭窄50%～70%的斑块进行血管内超声检查。测量斑块钙化弧面积,如果同一斑块内有多个钙化,分别测量每个钙化的弧面积,并将每个弧面积相加得到钙化总负荷,并记录每个斑块内钙化数量。结果与非糖尿病组比较,糖尿病组患者斑块钙化弧面积明显增大,钙化数量明显增多[(1343.0±1007.3)度×mm vs(707.7±589.0)度×mm,(2.4±2.0)个vs(1.4±1.3)个,P<0.05];糖尿病组与非糖尿病组每个钙化弧面积比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论老年冠心病合并糖尿病患者冠状动脉钙化负荷更重,这种负荷的加重是由于斑块内钙化数量的增加所致,合并和不合并糖尿病的老年冠心病患者冠状动脉粥样硬化斑块钙化数量相同。     

Solitary Milialike Idiopathic Calcinosis Cutis: A Case Unassociated with Down Syndrome

We report a unique case of solitary milialike idiopathic calcinosis cutis (MICC) in a healthy Korean woman, which is not associated with Down syndrome. This case of MICC would be a form of idiopathic calcinosis cutis, which can be solitary or multiple, sporadic or associated with Down syndrome.     

A giant calcifying pseudocyst seen in a patient with overlap syndrome

A case of female with a large cystic tumor in her infrascapular region is reported. The tumor was 8 cm x 7 cm in size. Histologically, it was a pseudocyst with calcification. The patient showed no abnormal renal functions other than proteinuria. Because she had suffered from overlap syndromes of systemic lupus erythematosus, progressive systemic sclerosis, and suspected dermatomyositis, we diagnosed this a unique case of dystrophic calcinosis. There have been several reports of cases with connective tissue diseases showing subcutaneous calcification, but to our knowledge no such giant calcifying pseudocyst has ever been reported.     

Disseminated linear calcinosis cutis associated with the Koebner phenomenon in an infant with congenital acute monocytic leukaemia

We present a unique case of an infant with acute monocytic leukaemia who presented at birth with multiple rubbery, erythematous to violaceous subcutaneous nodules secondary to leukaemia cutis. As these infiltrates regressed with chemotherapy, numerous white to yellow linear confluent papules appeared in a scratch-like pattern. These lesions were widely disseminated but were concentrated across her face, trunk and extremities with relative sparing of the napkin area and back. We propose that these lesions represent a form of dystrophic calcinosis cutis that occurred secondary to koebnerization in an infant with congenital leukaemia cutis.     

皮肌炎伴钙质沉着一例并国内外105例回顾分析

报道1例皮肌炎伴钙质沉着并总结相关文献。共分析总结105例皮肌炎伴钙质沉着患者,其中女59例,男46例,1~12岁患者最多,21%的患者皮损局限,以臀部、四肢为主。除典型结节、斑块外,3.8%的患者可形成钙性液体或钙化性囊性病灶,14.3%患者伴严重关节挛缩、畸形。皮肌炎伴钙质沉着多有危险因素,如持续活动性炎症反应、局部隐性损伤、抗NXP-2抗体阳性等。患者多采用多种药物联合,或者药物与外科手术联合治疗。TNF-α抑制剂等生物制剂正逐步应用于临床个案治疗。