Early assessment of renal resistance index after kidney transplant can help predict long-term renal function.

BACKGROUND: Color Doppler ultrasonography of intrarenal arterial resistance index (RI), performed early after kidney transplant, has proven to reliably predict short-term allograft function. The aim of this study was to assess whether it could also predict long-term renal function. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 76 kidney transplant patients who underwent RI assessment within 1 month after the transplant, subdivided into two groups according to RI values, lower (group A) or higher (group B) than its median value (0.635). RESULTS: Compared with group A subjects, the patients of group B were older at the time of transplant (42 +/- 9 vs 35 +/- 8 years; P = 0.001), the donor age was also older (41 +/- 16 vs 33 +/- 13 years; P = 0.02) and had a slightly higher proteinuria (0.54 +/- 0.5 vs 0.32 +/- 0.2 g/24 h; P = 0.02). Serum creatinine, ciclosporin or tacrolimus trough level, arterial blood pressure, number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches, anti-hypertensive medications and incidence of delayed graft function were not significantly different between the two groups. By univariate analysis, RI turned out to directly correlate with the recipient age, donor age and daily proteinuria (P = 0.007, P = 0.0007 and P = 0.02, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that only donor and recipient age maintained their independent predictive value on RI. Kaplan-Meier analysis, considering a serum creatinine increase >50% as the endpoint of the study, showed a statistically significant different graft survival in the two groups (log-rank test = 5.489; P = 0.01). The univariate relative risk of deterioration of graft function among patients with higher RI was 3.77. Proteinuria and recipient age increased the risk as well. CONCLUSIONS: Our data seem to suggest that early determination of RI can help predict long-term graft function in kidney transplant recipients.     

腹壁下动脉插管化疗在子宫颈及阴道恶性肿瘤的应用

我科6年中对子宫颈及阴道恶性肿瘤施行腹壁下动脉插管化疗共34例,作为配合放疗及争取手术的综合疗法之一,提高晚期宫颈癌的放疗效果,对Ⅱ期早宫颈癌施行根治术者6例,但对腺癌、肉瘤及恶性黑色素瘤等效果差。     

大脑中动脉动脉瘤的血管内治疗

目的探讨血管内治疗大脑中动脉动脉瘤的可行性、安全性和有效性。方法回顾性分析采用血管内治疗的24例大脑中动脉动脉瘤患者的临床资料,包括患者年龄、临床分级、动脉瘤出血量、部位、形态、瘤颈宽度、血管痉挛程度及术中应用技术等。结果100%栓塞17例,95%栓塞4例,90%栓塞3例。1例患者术中血管痉挛加重致不完全失语。随访无动脉瘤再破裂出血病例,1例患者出现迟发性血管痉挛。结论血管内治疗大脑中动脉动脉瘤是一种安全、有效的方法。     

Parallel angioplasty dilatation catheter and guide wire: A new technique for the dilatation of calcified coronary arteries

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of heavily calcified rigid coronary arteries has decreased success and increased complication rates. Three cases are presented describing a new technique for the dilatation of severely calcified coronary arteries that were not dilatable by conventional angioplasty methods. This technique involves the use of a balloon dilatation catheter system parallel to a guide wire. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

脑动静脉畸形的供应动脉及导出静脉与出血危险性的关系

本文通过分析５０例脑动静脉畸形（ＡＶＭ）的全脑数字减影血管造影（ＤＳＡ）资料及手术探查结果，探讨ＡＶＭ的深、浅及供血、引流血管数量与出血发生率的关系。经统计比较发现：深部较浅部ＡＶＭ出血率高；供应动脉条数多于导出静脉条数者及仅有单条导出静脉出血率最高，并与其他组有显著性差异（Ｐ＜０．０５、Ｐ＜０．０１）。因此，我们认为：在临床工作中对这些ＡＶＭ患者应给予足够的重视。     

烟雾病11例临床分析

自１９８５年至今，我院收治１１例经脑血管造影诊断的烟雾病患者。按照日本厚生省本病诊断标准，９例为确诊病例，表现为双侧颈内动脉末端、前动脉、中动脉起始部狭窄或闭塞，其中６例在双侧颅底可见烟雾状异常血管网，３例见单侧血管网；２例为可疑病例，仪表现为单侧上述异常改变。强调应严格烟雾病的诊断。本组采用颞浅动脉一硬膜脑贴敷术治疗患者１例，效果良好，结合日本该病治疗现状讨论，间接血行再建方法仍不失为烟雾病患者的合理治疗方法。     

Dose-dependent headache response and dilatation of limb and extracranial arteries after three doses of 5-isosorbide-mononitrate

Summary The aim of the present study was to compare the ability of different doses of isosorbide-5-mononitrate (5-ISMN) to cause dilatation of medium sized and small arteries, and to examine the intensity and duration of any headache produced. Ten healthy volunteers each received 3 doses of 5-ISMN and placebo on separate days. The diameters of the radial and superficial temporal arteries were repeatedly measured with high frequency ultrasound and pain was scored using a 10 point verbal scale.A clear dose-relationship was found for plasma concentrations and headache, and for changes in the diameter of the temporal artery, but not for the radial artery.It is concluded that headache after 5-ISMN is caused by arterial dilatation or by mechanisms responsible for the arterial dilatation. Ultrasound monitoring of arterial diameters is an important and sensitive tool in the evaluation of nitrates and other vasodilators.     

In vivo comparison of two through-plane MR velocity mapping methods: Fast fourier encoding and phase mapping

Magnetic resonance imaging maps of velocity were acquired with a 1.5-T system in 10 subjects in a plane perpendicular to the main pulmonary artery. Velocity images were successively acquired with a method developed from Fourier-encoding velocity imaging (FEVI) principles with eight gradient steps and one excitation, and with two-point phase-subtraction mapping. Reconstruction in FEVI was implemented by zero-filling interpolation around the eight gradient steps and then around the four central steps. The methods were compared by using estimates of noise in velocity measurements based on the difference between the experimental map and a smooth fitted map. For the same acquisition time, FEVI with four encoding steps was more precise in velocity measurements than phase mapping. Precision was further increased by the use of eight encoding steps, but acquisition time was doubled.     

How Cluster Headache is Explained as an Intracavernous Inflammatory Process Lesioning Sympathetic Fibers

SYNOPSIS
A large body of evidence points to an inflammatory process in the cavernous sinus and tributary veins as being primarily responsible for cluster headaches. The inflammation obliterates the venous outflow from the cavernous sinus on one side and injures the through-running sympathetic fibers to the eye, upper eye lid, forehead skin, and the intracranial internal carotid artery and its branches. The active period ends when the inflammation is suppressed and the sympathetic fibers partially or fully recover. Evidence is presented that the symptoms suggestive of an enhanced parasympathetic activity during attacks may alternatively be explained as local pain fiber activation or a stasis in the outflow from the cavernous sinus. Vasodilator agents like nitroglycerin induce an attack by enhancing the venous load on the cavernous sinus. Constriction of the proximal intracranial internal carotid artery, spontaneously induced by tressful pain activation of the perivascular sympathetic nerves, or by exogenous administration of serotonin 1 D-like receptor agonists or oxygen, terminates the venous load and thus the pain and associated symptoms.