Temperament traits and psychopathy in a group of patients with antisocial personality disorder

Objective

The Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) have been used extensively in research of personality disorders; however, no previous study has investigated the relation between psychopathy factors and temperament and character traits in patients with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Our aim was to fill this gap in the literature.

Methods

The PCL-R Factor scores and the TCI temperament and character scores were evaluated in 68 men with ASPD and 65 healthy male controls.

Results

The ASPD cases had significantly higher PCL-R Factor 1, Factor 2, and Total scores, as well as significantly higher TCI Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance scores, whereas the control group had higher TCI Reward Dependence, Persistence, Self-Directedness, and Cooperativeness scores. Correlation analysis revealed that, in the whole study group, PCL-R Factor 1, Factor 2, and Total scores were positively correlated with Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance scores and negatively correlated with Reward Dependence, Persistence, Self-Directedness, and Cooperativeness scores. When each group was analyzed separately, the correlations were not significant. Regression analysis supported the main findings.

Conclusion

Our results showed that both PCL-R Factor 1 score, which is claimed to reflect “core psychopathy,” and PCL-R Factor 2 score, which reflects criminal behaviors, were positively correlated with Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance and were negatively correlated with Reward Dependence in the whole sample. The reduced variance of PCL-R in each group might lead to nonsignificant associations within groups. Without the subjects with severe psychopathy in the present study, it might not be possible to show the association.     

The role of MRS in the differentiation of benign and malignant soft tissue and bone tumors

Objective

The aim of our study was to investigate the value of choline in the discrimination of benign and malignant soft tissue and bone tumors.

Materials and methods

The study group consisted of thirty subjects with bone or soft tissue tumors larger than 1.5 cm in diameter. The experiments were performed in a 1.5 T MR scanner. Coils were selected according to specific locations. A single-voxel MRS was performed for three different TE (time to echo) (31, 136, 272 ms). The volume of interest was positioned on the brightest enhancement. The presence of a cholin peak on at least 2 of these spectrums was considered as the marker of malignancy. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the MRS in the detection and diagnosis of malignant lesions were calculated. The reproducibility of MRS and histopathological results were tested with kappa statistics.

Results

Histopathologically, 18 (60%) of the lesions were classed as malignant whereas 12 (40%) were classed as benign. With MRS, 15 (50%) of these lesions were classed as malignant and 15 (50%) as benign. Two patients who were found spectroscopically to have malignant tumors were shown histopathologically to have benign types. Five patients with an MRS showing a benign type were classed with malignant types in histopathological examinations. MRS had a sensitivity rate of 72.2%, specificity of 83.3%, and an accuracy rate of 76.6% in detecting malignant bone and soft tissue tumors. The interrater reliability of both techniques had a kappa value of 0.533.

Conclusions

MRS may help in the differentiation of benign and malignant soft tissue and bone tumors.     

Interrelationship between noninvasive predictors of atherosclerosis: transthoracic coronary flow reserve, flow-mediated dilation, carotid intima-media thickness, aortic stiffness, aortic distensibility, elastic modulus, and brachial artery diameter

BACKGROUND: In this study, we searched for a correlation between transthoracic coronary flow reserve (CFR) and well-established surrogates of coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: The study was conducted on 136 healthy subjects (mean age: 39.9 +/- 7.3 years) who were free of coronary risk factors. Transthoracic echocardiography was used to measure the aortic stiffness index (AoSI), aortic distensibility (AoD), and aortic elastic modulus (AoEM). High-resolution ultrasound was used to measure brachial artery endothelium-dependent and independent vasomotion and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). In addition, transthoracic second harmonic Doppler echocardiography was used to measure CFR. RESULTS: All of the parameters significantly correlated with each other except brachial endothelium-independent dilation. CFR correlated significantly with brachial endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) (r = 0.302, P < 0.01), carotid IMT (r =-0.388, P < 0.01), brachial artery diameter (r = 0.340, P < 0.01), AoD (r = 0.275, P < 0.01), AoS (r =-0.299, P < 0.01), and AoEM (r =-0.30,7 P < 0.01). Carotid IMT correlated significantly with brachial EDD and modestly with brachial artery diameter, AoD, AoS, and AoEM.In multivariate analysis, carotid IMT (beta=-0.323, P < 0.0001) and brachial artery diameter (beta = -0.259, P = 0.001) were significant independent predictors of CFR. The left ventricular mass index (beta= 0.371, P < 0.0001), brachial EDD (beta = -0.232, P = 0.002), and CFR (beta = -0.228, P = 0.003) were significant predictors for IMT. CONCLUSION: Transthoracic CFR correlated significantly with well-established noninvasive predictors of atherosclerosis, and we suggest that it can be used as a surrogate for coronary atherosclerosis.     

An unexpected complication during stent implantation for coarctation of the aorta: longitudinal stent compression

We report a 17-year-old adolescent with diagnosis of the coarctation of aorta (CoA) underwent stent implantation in which complicated with non expansion and longitudinal compression of the stent.     

Pericardiacophrenic shunt: imaging finding of rare splenosystemic collateral. Case report

Portosystemic collaterals are the natural consequence of portal hypertension. These collaterals can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Apart from the usual sites, they can develop in some unusual and rare locations. In this report, imaging findings of an unusual venous collateral pathway between spleen and left subclavian vein in a 30-year-old female patient with cirrhosis and portal hypertension are presented.     

Value of prolonged QRS duration as a predictor of low cardiac output syndrome in patients with impaired left ventricular systolic function who undergo isolated coronary artery bypass grafting

This study determined whether prolonged QRS duration (QRSd; > or =120 ms) is an independent predictor of low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) in patients with low left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Abnormal LV systolic function places patients at greater risk for developing LCOS after isolated CABG. In patients with this form of ventricular function impairment, prolonged QRSd is associated with adverse hemodynamic effects. Clinical, operative, and outcome data from 190 consecutive patients with LVEF <50% who underwent isolated CABG (mean 62 +/- 9 years of age) were retrospectively analyzed. For all patients, preoperative QRSd was determined. LCOS was the primary outcome investigated. Fifty-seven patients (30%) developed LCOS. Compared with the subgroup without LCOS, the subgroup with this syndrome had significantly larger proportions of patients with LVEF <30% and prolonged QRSd. In addition, the group that developed LCOS had a longer mean QRSd (117 +/- 25 vs 102 +/- 17 ms, respectively, p = 0.00003) and a significantly higher frequency of adverse postoperative outcomes. Hospital stay was significantly longer in the subgroup with LCOS than in the subgroup without. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified prolonged QRSd as the most significant predictor of LCOS. LVEF <30%, diuretic therapy, and preoperative risk score (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation) were also identified as independent predictors of LCOS. In conclusion, in patients with impaired LV systolic function, prolonged QRSd is a highly significant predictor of LCOS development after isolated CABG.     

Comparison of direct stenting versus conventional stent implantation on blood flow in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

As compared with balloon angioplasty, stent implantation in treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) reduces abrupt vessel closure, restenosis, and reocclusion rate. However, a few studies have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of direct stenting compared to conventional stent implantation technique. This study was designed to compare possible advantages of direct stenting with conventional stent implantation on immediate coronary blood flow and short-term clinical benefits in patients with AMI. Fifty patients with AMI who underwent mechanical revascularization were eligible for the study. The patients were randomly assigned to undergo either direct stenting (n = 25) or conventional stent implantation (n = 25). Before and after the procedure thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow and postprocedural corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC) of the infarct-related artery were measured. There was no difference in TIMI flow distribution at baseline between the 2 groups. TIMI 3 flow rate significantly increased after procedure in both groups compared to baseline (p < 0.05). Postprocedural cTFC was found significantly lower in the direct stent arm compared to conventional stenting (p < 0.001). Both during and after the procedure the complication rate and procedural time were lower in the direct stenting arm. Direct stenting provides better immediate coronary blood flow and is a safe and feasible method compared with conventional stenting in patients with AMI. Improvement in coronary blood flow measured by the corrected TIMI frame count method may suggests a significant reduction of microvascular injury.     

Noncompaction of ventricular myocardium: A study of twelve patients

We report 12 patients with ventricular noncompaction who were echocardiographically identified at our institution since 1991. The mean age at presentation was 3.5 years. Five patients had isolated noncompaction. Three of them had subnormal left ventricular systolic function at presentation. Noncompaction was associated with complex congenital heart defect in 3 patients. Four patients had simple congenital heart defects: pulmonary stenosis, coarctation of aorta with aberrant origin of right subclavian artery, ventricular septal defect, and partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. The observed rhythm abnormalities were Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, bigemini ventricular extrasystoles, and left bundle branch block. A transvenous pacemaker was implanted in a patient because of complete heart block. Noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium is rare. Our patients clearly represent the clinical and morphological spectrum of this disorder. Distinct morphological features can be diagnosed on 2-dimensional echocardiography.