Pleural effusion following coronary perforation during balloon angioplasty: an unusual presentation of the postpericardiotomy syndrome.

We report on the development of features of the postpericardiotomy syndrome following coronary perforation during balloon angioplasty, in a patient that was managed conservatively. The case illustrates that while cardiac tamponade does not invariably follow coronary perforation, late consequences derived from this complication may occur. It also widens the spectrum of conditions where the postpericardiotomy syndrome has been observed.     

Detection of moderate and severe coronary artery stenosis with technetium-99m tetrofosmin myocardial single-photon emission tomography

The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of technetium-99m tetrofosmin myocardial imaging for the localization of coronary artery stenoses of different degrees of severity. Stress-rest single-photon emission tomography (SPET) was performed on separate days in 80 patients (64 males, 16 females; mean age 61 years; 43 patients with previous myocardial infarction; 18 patients with pharmacological stress), within 6 months of coronary angiography. Scintigraphic images were blindly and independently evaluated by three observers. Coronary stenosis was defined as a >50% narrowing in luminal diameter; severe stenosis was defined as a proximal stenosis of >75% or a peripheral stenosis of >90%. Coronary angiography revealed normal coronary arteries or insignificant coronary stenosis in 13 patients and significant coronary stenoses in 67 patients. The sensitivity and specificity of ^99mTc-tetrofosmin SPET in respect of severely stenosed vessels were, respectively, 80% and 65% for the left anterior descending artery (LAD), 100% and 46% for the right coronary artery (RCA) and 58 and 78% for the left circumflex artery (LCx) territories. Considering all the significantly stenosed vessels, a significant decrease in sensitivity was observed for LAD territories (to 59%, P=0.05), and a nonsignificant decrease for RCA (88%) and LCx (47%) territories while specificity values remained essentially unchanged. No significant changes in sensitivity or specificity were observed when regions with previous myocardial infarction were excluded. In conclusion, the sensitivity of ^99mTc-tetrofosmin SPET for the localization of individual stenosed vessels is only moderate when all significant stenoses are considered, but the ability of this technique to predict the location of severe coronary artery stenoses seems satisfactory, with the exception of the low specificity in respect of RCA territories. Received 26 April and in revised form 7 June 1997     

Comparison of dobutamine stress echocardiography and technetium-99m sestamibi single-photon emission tomography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy

Stress echocardiography has been considered an accurate method for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients and in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy. In contrast, the specificity of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in these patients has been questioned. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of these two imaging modalities in conjunction with dobutamine stress test for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy. Dobutamine (up to 40 μg kg^–1min^–1) stress echocardiography in conjunction with sestamibi (MIBI) single-photon emission tomography (SPET) was performed in 84 patients with the diagnosis of systemic hypertension who had been referred for evaluation of myocardial ischaemia. Ischaemia was defined as new or worsened wall motion abnormalities at echocardiography and reversible perfusion defects at SPET. Significant coronary artery disease (≥50% luminal diameter stenosis) was detected in 66 patients (79%). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the ischaemic pattern at echocardiography for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease were 73% (CI 63%–82%), 83% (CI 75%–91%) and 75% (CI 66%–84%), those for MIBI were 67% (CI 57%–77%), 83% (CI 75%–91%) and 70% (CI 60%–80%) respectively (P = NS vs echocardiography). Significant stenosis was detected in 123 (49%) of the 252 analysed coronary arteries. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of echocardiography for the regional diagnosis of coronary artery disease were 63% (CI 56%–69%), 90% (CI 86%–94%) and 77% (CI 72%–82%). Those for MIBI were 58% (CI 51%–64%), 91% (CI 87%–94%) and 75% (CI 69%–80) respectively (P = NS vs echocardiography). Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected in 59 patients (70%) by echocardiography and did not influence the overall or regional specificity of echocardiography or MIBI SPET. It is concluded that in hypertensive patients, dobutamine stress echocardiography and MIBI SPET have a comparable accuracy for the overall and regional diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Hypertensive patients with or without left ventricular hypertrophy should not be considered unsuitable candidates for stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Received 10 July and in revised form 19 September 1997     

Normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass: effect on the incidence of persistent postoperative neurological dysfunction following coronary artery bypass graft surgery

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 250 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) from January 1994 through January 1996 to determine the incidence of persistent postoperative neurological dysfunction after CABG and to compare normothermic and moderate hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Normothermic CPB was used in 128 patients (36°–37°C) and hypothermic CPB (27°–28°C) in 122 patients. Postoperative neurological dysfunction included focal motor deficits, delayed recovery of consciousness (>24h) after surgery, and seizures within 1 week postoperatively. Persistent neurological dysfunction was diagnosed if complete resolution had not occurred within 10 days of surgery. The incidence of persistent postoperative neurological dysfunction was 4.1% in the hypothermic CPB group and 2.3% in the normothermic CPB group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P=NS). These results suggest that normothermic CPB did not increase the incidence of persistent postoperative neurological dysfunction compared to hypothermic CPB.     

选择性肾动脉栓塞治疗肾剌伤的临床应用

目的:探讨选择性肾动脉栓塞治疗肾损伤的优越性及其临床应用。材料与方法:同时使用两种栓塞材料——可吸收的明胶海棉条和美国COOK公司产38-3-5弹簧栓子,治疗了两例肾剌伤患者,两例均为男性,年龄分别为20和35岁。结果:两例患者肾刺伤后均经受过保守治疗,治疗时间分别为14和22天,但未奏效。经超选择性肾内动脉分支栓塞、取得了十分满意的止血效果,后随访3～4年,患者一切感觉正常。结论:选择性肾动脉栓塞治疗肾刀刺伤后肾出血是一种安全、可靠、有效的方法。     

Comparison of flow capacities of arterial and venous grafts for coronary artery bypass grafting: evaluation with exercise thallium-201 single-photon emission tomography

Stress thallium-201 tomography was performed to compare the flow capacities of arterial and saphenous vein grafts in patients with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). One hundred and seven consecutive patients (95 male and 12 female; mean age 58±9.1 years) underwent exercise-redistribution ²⁰¹Tl myocardial single-photon emission tomography 4–5 weeks after CABG. When a reversible perfusion defect was present in the area covered by a patent bypass graft, the flow capacity of the graft was defined as insufficient. Of all 285 grafts, 211 were considered as complete bypass. Reversible perfusion defects were present in 29 (27%) of 108 myocardial areas supplied by patent arterial grafts but in only 5 (5%) of 103 myocardial areas supplied by patent saphenous vein grafts (P<0.0001). In the LAD area reversible defects were observed in 22 of 82 areas covered by arterial grafts, in contrast to only 1 of 29 areas covered by venous grafts (P<0.01); in the RCA area reversible defects were observed in 7 of 17 and 4 of 41 areas respectively (P<0.01). There was no difference between the native coronary artery stenosis bypassed by patent arterial and venous grafts (88%±12% vs 86%±14% respectively, P=0.27). In conclusion, flow capacities during peak myocardial demand were more frequently insufficient in arterial bypass grafts than in saphenous vein grafts. Received 23 May and in revised form 7 August 1997     

Comparison of stress-only vs. stress/rest with technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile myocardial perfusion imaging

Unlike conventional thallium-201 myocardial imaging, technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) requires separate stress and rest injections. We prospectively studied 148 consecutive patients referred for myocardial perfusion studies to determine the diagnostic value of rest images once normal exercise or dipyridamole tomographic images had been obtained. In patients referred with no history of previous myocardial infarction in whom the diagnosis of coronary artery disease was suspected, 45 of 109 (41%) patients had normal stress tomographic images. Obtaining rest images did not alter the final interpretation in any of these cases. From this we infer that in patients with normal images after exercise or dipyridamole administration and no past history of myocardial infarction, ^99mTc-MIBI rest images are not required. This provides several advantages including increased speed of diagnosis, decreased patient radiation exposure, improved cost efficiency and decreased demand on tomographic camera time. Offprint requests to: A.Y. Fung     

温针灸为主治疗前列腺增生症疗效观察

笔者于1998年2月～1999年12月应用温针灸为主治疗前列腺增生症51例,效果理想.现报道如下. 1临床资料 1.1病例选择全部98例观察病例均来自男科门诊.按随机法分为治疗组和对照组.其中治疗组51例,年龄最小49岁,最大72岁,平均56.3岁;病程最短2年,最长5年,平均4.1年.对照组47例,年龄最小48岁,最大71岁,平均57.1岁;病程最短3年,最长7年,平均5.0年.两组具有可比性.     

血管紧张素转换酶基因多态性与冠心病关系的研究

目的：探讨血管紧张素转换酶（ACE）基因多态性与冠心病及冠状动脉病变支数的关系。方法：应用PCR扩增ACE基因的16内含子上的287bp插入／缺失片段，确定ACE基因型。在各组间进行基因型和等位基因频率的比较，采用多因素逐步logistic回归分析ACE的DD基因型及其他易患因素对冠心病的作用。用冠状动脉造影标准确诊冠心病。结果：（1）冠心病组ACE的DD基因型和D等位基因频率均高于对照组（x^2分别为16．04，16．08；P均＜0．01）。D等位基因与冠心病的关联性较高（隐性作用时OR＝2．15，P＜0．01，显性作用时OR＝2．84，P＜0．01）。（2）冠状动脉单支，双支，三支病变组之间，ACE基因型分布和D等位基因频率均一致（x^2分别为1．50，1．06，P均＞0．05）。（3）多因素逐步logistic回归分析，排除公认的冠心病危险因素后，ACE的DD基因型仍是冠心病的危险因素。结论：（1）ACE基因多态性与冠心病有相关性；（2）ACE基因型分布和D等位基因频率与冠状动脉病变支数无关；（3）ACE的DD基因型是冠心病的独立危险因素。     

经皮冠状动脉腔内支架置入术治疗冠心病

目的:评估冠状动脉内支架置入术的效果。方法:回顾性分析1996年2月～2000年2月我院接受冠状动脉内支架置入术的120例病人的治疗效果。结果:在183处病变共置入支架125只。在未经介入性治疗的病变置入支架(De novo stenting)101只,PTCA结果不理想(suboptimal)置入支架19只,2例PTCA并发夹层,濒临闭塞时紧急置入支架(Bail-out stenting)2只,在再狭窄病变置入支架3只。置入支架平均直径3.00±0.69mm,平均长度18.15±10.26mm。手术即刻成功率98.4％,主要并发症率为1.6％((2例AMI)。结论:冠脉内支架置入术是治疗冠心病的一种安全有效的介入性治疗技术,其成功率高,并发症少。