Anaesthetic management of the surgical separation of a pair of thoracopagus-cardiopagus twins

We describe the anaesthetic management of the surgical separation of a pair of thoracopagus-cardiopagus twins with a common right atrium and a myocardial tissue bridge containing vascular channels between their ventricles. One of them died during the procedure, the surviving twin is now two years old. The survival of one twin for two years without significant sequelae, after the surgical separation of twins with shared right atrium and fused ventricles, has not previously been reported. Careful preoperative assessment is essential to anticipate potential serious problems during the procedure.     

Anaesthesia for the separation of conjoined twins

Anaesthesia for separation of thoracopagus twins is described. One twin died 10 hr postoperatively and was found to have an undiagnosed coarctation of the aorta. The second twin required long term respiratory support and survived. The anaesthetic management and postoperative care are discussed.     

超声诊断胸腹联体双胎2例

<正>病例1,孕妇30岁,孕1产0,孕11+2周。外院超声提示胎儿异常。超声检查:宫腔内可见1个妊娠囊,囊内见双胎儿,腹侧相对,相对位置始终不变;胎儿头臀长分别约4.0 cm、3.9 cm,颅骨光环完整,颅内及胸腹腔内结构显示不清,胸腹处分界不清(图1A),无胎心搏动,双上肢及双下肢均可见;周身皮肤呈水肿状态;宫内可见1个胎盘。三维超声示两胎儿胸腹部紧贴(图1B)。超声诊断:宫内妊娠,联体双胎(胸腹联体),胎死宫内。行引产术,大体病理所见支持     

Anesthetic management of staged separation of craniopagus conjoined twins

We present a case of successful separation of craniopagus conjoined twins. The procedure was staged to permit each child to develop adequate independent cerebral venous drainage and to prevent deleterious, perioperative cerebral edema. Surgical hemorrhage, blood product delivery, and hemodilution were minimized.     

Anesthetic management of premature conjoined twins posted for nonseparation emergency surgery

Craniopagus conjoined twins are rare, and the chance that an anesthesiologist might face the challenge of providing anesthesia for this condition is very rare. The incidence of conjoined twins ranges from 1 : 50 000 to 1 : 200 000 births. We describe the anesthetic management of a pair of premature craniopagus conjoined twins posted for emergency surgery prior to their separation.     

Anesthesia for repair of gastroschisis in thoracopagus twins: a case report

The first pair of live conjoined twins in Fiji were delivered in June 2004. Their union was unexpected and in addition they had gastroschisis requiring urgent surgery. With limited resources available there was uncertainty about the degree of sharing of the major organs. Whilst the media speculated on separation overseas, the local team of doctors were faced with a rare emergency. Surgical repair of the abdominal defect was performed using a combined general and regional anesthesia technique. The thoracopagus twins died 3 days postoperatively in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Perioperative management is discussed.     

联体畸形婴儿的手术时机与共用肝的分离方法

目的 探讨联体畸形婴儿的手术时机以及术中共用肝离断线的定位及其分离方法.方法 以两者胆总管为两条纵形线,在两线中间设一条与两线平行的纵线作为共用肝的离断线,然后采用"局部血流阻断"法,对共用肝进行离断.结果 3对联体畸形婴儿中,剑脐联体畸形1对,胸腹联体畸形2对,每对婴儿均共用同一肝脏,但每人各有独立的胆囊及胆管.分别于出生后第28天、第96天、第89天实施分离手术,均获成功.局部血流阻断后,术中肝脏断面出血很少,术后肝功能恢复顺利.分离手术后6个患儿均痊愈出院.结论 对两患儿胆总管各自独立发育完善的共用肝脏,以两者胆总管作为纵向坐标定位共用肝离断线,多数情况下能避免肝脏重要血管及胆管损伤.共用肝离断中,局部血流阻断法仅阻断了离断线局部的血流,对非操作区的肝脏血流干扰极小,有利于肝功能恢复,增加两患儿术后的成活率.     

Comparison of Three Inferior Vena Cava Reconstruction Techniques in Adult Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: Result From King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital,Thailand

BackgroundIn orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), 3 caval reconstruction techniques are being performed worldwide. These are conventional, piggyback technique, and side-to-side cavocaval anastomosis (CCA). Each has its own advantages and drawbacks. Herein we report the result from our hospital comparing the 3 techniques.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the detail of OLT performed from January 2008 to March 2020. Data being collected included type of caval reconstruction, blood loss, operative time, ischemic time, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and total hospital stay, and several postoperative complications.ResultsIn the given period, 11 conventional, 90 piggyback, and 113 CCA caval reconstruction were done. There were no statistically significant differences in blood loss, operative time, cold ischemic time, and length of ICU and hospital stay. The CCA group had the lowest warm ischemic time (40 minutes) followed by the piggyback technique (43 minutes) and the conventional technique (47 minutes; P < .001). Regarding postoperative complications, there were no statistically significant differences in rate of primary nonfunction, early allograft dysfunction, hepatic artery/portal vein/biliary complication, or rate of acute kidney injury. The hepatic venous outflow complication rate was indifferent between 3 groups.ConclusionsThe present study showed no difference in outflow obstruction rate among the 3 techniques. The choice for reconstruction should rely on the preference of each institute and the suitability of each patient. The CCA technique may provide the lowest warm ischemic time.     

Surgical separation of shared liver with cotton tourniquets in conjoined twins: simple and effective hemostasis

Objective

Surgical separation of the fused liver is extremely risky and sometimes life-threatening in conjoined twins because of the potential risks of hypovolemia and hemorrhagic shock.

Methods

Three pairs of symmetrical conjoined twins sharing fused livers were successfully separated by using a simple but effective local blockade measure without disturbing the portal circulation.

Results

The volume of intraoperative blood loss was minimal, and no major complications occurred. All the separated babies survived the procedure and remained healthy, both physically and mentally, after discharge. Two babies died of pneumonia associated with their preexisting cardiac defects.

Conclusions

Cotton tourniquets temporally and securely blocked the local blood supply to the narrow gap dissecting interface with minimal interference with the remaining segments, in addition to orienting the transection of the fused liver and minimizing blood loss from the liver dissection.     

Identification of thoracic intervertebral spaces by means of surface anatomy: a magnetic resonance imaging study

BACKGROUND: Successful thoracic epidural analgesia depends on the sensory blockage of specific dermatomes following appropriate placement of the epidural catheter. This study aimed to ascertain how accurately anaesthesiologists identify thoracic intervertebral spaces, and whether counting from the prominent vertebra is easier than using the iliac crest as an anatomical landmark. METHODS: Five anaesthesiologists attempted to locate one out of five consecutive intervertebral spaces (Th7-Th8 to Th11-Th12) on patients referred for magnetic resonance imaging of the vertebral column. The intended thoracic interspace and the counting reference point (C7-Th1 or L3-L4) were marked with oil capsules. The body mass index, gender and position of the patient were recorded. The exact capsule positions were determined by a radiologist after the study. RESULTS: In 92 patients, 26.7% of the thoracic interspaces were correctly identified. The counting reference point was the only variable studied with a significant influence on error. The accuracy increased when the iliac crest was used as an anatomical landmark rather than the prominent vertebra (odds ratio, 0.29). The majority (76.4%) of all the incorrectly placed capsules were found cephalad to the intended level. CONCLUSION: We recommend that the caudal of two to three possible interspaces should be used when placing an epidural catheter in the thoracic spine. Because of the inaccurate localization of the thoracic intervertebral spaces, documentation should state the site of puncture as being in the upper or lower thoracic spine instead of claiming to be in an exact interspace.     

Evaluation of post-procedure changes in aneurysmal lumen following detachable coil-placement using multi-planar reconstruction of high-field (3.0T) magnetic resonance angiography

Summary Background. Placement of detachable coil(s) for intracranial aneurysms has become one of the standard methods of management. Although detailed analysis of post-procedure changes in aneurysmal lumen is essential, technical difficulties often limit such evaluation. Development of higher magnetic field systems is steadily widening clinical usage of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) primarily due to its significantly higher signal to noise ratio. Objective. In this study, we evaluated a multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) technique of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) on a 3.0T system in an attempt to develop a routine method of post-procedure evaluation following detachable coil placement. Methods. Eleven patients with an intracranial aneurysm following placement of a Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) participated in the study. Time of flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was obtained immediately after, and up to two years after coil embolisation utilising a GE 3.0T system. Data was analysed using standard maximum intensity projection (MIP) as well as the MPR technique and the results were compared to conventional catheter angiography. Results. The study demonstrated that, compared to MIP, MPR can provide further information of alteration in aneurysm lumen, especially in analysis of: 1) jet of blood flow, 2) thrombus formation, 3) neck remnant or re-filling of blood, 4) location and shape of coils including compaction, and 5) coil protrusion into the parent artery. Conclusions. Combined MPR/MIP analysis of high-field MRA appears to be a powerful non-invasive method for evaluating GDC-treatment that can potentially replace conventional catheter angiography in many clinical situations. Correspondence: Yukihiko Fujii, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery and Center for Integrated Human Brain Science, Brain Research Institute, University of Niigata, 1 Asahimachi, Niigata 951–8585, Japan.     

三种金属修复体磁共振成像伪影范围的研究

目的：研究3种合金单颌固定义齿磁共振成像伪影大小。方法：制取志愿者上颌牙列模型,在模型上分别用钴铬、镍铬、钛合金制作做3套大小形状相同的铸造7—7联冠。将3套联冠按材料不同分成3组。将志愿者不戴义齿在phi1ips1．5T下进行磁共振头颈部扫描作为对照纽,志愿者分别戴3种义齿重复上述检查作为实验组,将实验组与对照组进行对比,观察伪影大小及影响范围,测量伪影影响的宽度、高度,进行单因素方差分析。结果：3种义齿均形成了与义齿形状相近的伪影,并对邻近组织观察产生了一定的影响,但影响范围局限,均未影响到脑部及颈椎的影像。结论：钛合金伪影最小,3种金属义齿均不影响脑部等重要部位的观察。     

Magnetic resonance imaging in experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage

Summary Background. We developed an MRI protocol to measure cerebrovascular diameter and blood flow velocity, and if we could detect cerebrovascular alterations after SAH and their impact on cerebral ischaemia.Method. SAH was induced in 15 Wistar rats by means of the endovascular filament method; 6 other rats served as control. MRI measurements were performed on a 4.7T NMR spectrometer 1 and 48 hours after SAH and 9 days thereafter. Diffusion-weighted and T₂-weighted images were acquired to detect cerebral ischaemia. The arterial spin labelling method was used to measure CBF. MR angiography was used to measure vessel diameter and blood flow velocity, from which the arterial blood flow was calculated.Findings. The ischemic lesion volume increased between 1 and 48 hours after SAH from 0.039 to 0.26 ml (P = 0.003). CBF decreased from 53.6 to 39.1 ml/100 g/min. The vessel diameter had narrowed, the blood flow velocity diminished as did the arterial blood flow in most vessels, but only the vasoconstriction in the right proximal ICA reached significance (0.49 mm to 0.43 mm, P = 0.016). Baseline values were restored at day 9.Conclusions. We showed that it is feasible to detect alterations of in-vivo vessel diameter and blood flow velocities and their consequences for brain damage after experimental SAH in the rat. The growth of the infarct volume between day 0 and 2 after SAH and the parallel vasoconstriction suggest that delayed cerebral ischaemia after SAH occurs in rats and that this may be caused by vasoconstriction.     

Radiological Characteristics and Management of Intramuscular Myxoma of the Temporal Muscle: Case Report

The patient was a 51-year-old male with a 3-year history of a slow-growing, asymptomatic, subcutaneous mass in the left temporal region. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-defined extracranial lesion with heterogeneous enhancement and without invasion of the skull. A variety of soft tissue tumors were included in the differential diagnosis. The patient underwent total resection of the tumor, and a diagnosis of intramuscular myxoma was confirmed histologically. There was no evidence of recurrence at 6-month follow-up. The present case is the first characterization of the radiological appearance of intramuscular myxoma in the temporal muscle. I emphasize that increased awareness of this rare lesion and a careful clinical and radiological preoperative assessment are crucial in determining an appropriate treatment strategy for patients with a soft tissue tumor of the head.     

Preoperative magnetic resonance angiography in fibular-free flap reconstruction of head and neck defects

BACKGROUND: Conventional angiography has been recommended for imaging of the leg prior to fibular-free flap harvest. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) offers a similar level of accuracy at no risk to the patient and at a lower cost. METHODS: Thirty-two patients who were considered for fibular-free flap were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative MRA of the lower extremities was performed on all patients and used to evaluate vessel patency. The decision of free flap donor site was based upon MRA findings. RESULTS: The choice of side harvested was changed in four (12.5%) patients and the fibula was excluded as a donor site in three patients (9%). Flap design was altered in one patient found to have abnormally short peroneal arteries. The usual correlation between palpable distal pulses and proximal patent arteries was found to be unreliable. All 29 patients underwent successful free flap reconstruction with no ischemic complications. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative MRA is useful when choosing the side of fibular harvesting and in excluding patients from the fibula as a donor site. We feel that the cost of obtaining preoperative imaging is outweighed by avoiding potential ischemic complications and additional operating room time with no risk to the patient's health.     

Dissecting aneurysm of the posterior communicating artery

Summary. A 36-year-old male presented with an extremely rare dissecting aneurysm of the posterior communicating artery manifesting as severe occipital headache. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a partially thrombosed aneurysm of the right posterior communicating artery and angiography showed the pearl and string sign. Three months later, repeat angiography showed that the aneurysm was completely thrombosed and the posterior communicating artery was occluded. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed an intimal flap. These neuroradiological findings demonstrated that the aneurysm was a dissecting aneurysm of the right posterior communicating artery. He was discharged with no neurological deficit.     

动态对比增强MRI在鼻咽癌中的应用进展

鼻咽癌(NPC)是鼻咽部最常见恶性肿瘤,其发生发展与血管生成密切相关。动态对比增强MRI(DCE-MRI)能定量反映病灶内的血流灌注及血管通透性,从形态学和功能学角度准确评估肿瘤恶性程度,有助于指导临床选择治疗方案。本文对DCE-MRI在NPC中的应用进展进行综述。     

Prebiopsy magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging in the diagnosis of prostate cancer

Introduction: Existing screening investigations for the diagnosis of early prostate cancer lack specificity, resulting in a high negative biopsy rate. There is increasing interest in the use of various magnetic resonance methods for improving the yield of transrectal ultrasound‐guided biopsies of the prostate in men suspected to have prostate cancer. We review the existing status of such investigations. Methods: A literature search was carried out using the Pubmed database to identify articles related to magnetic resonance methods for diagnosing prostate cancer. References from these articles were also extracted and reviewed. Results: Recent studies have focused on prebiopsy magnetic resonance investigations using conventional magnetic resonance imaging, dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging, magnetization transfer imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the prostate. This marks a shift from the earlier strategy of carrying out postbiopsy magnetic resonance investigations. Prebiopsy magnetic resonance investigations has been useful in identifying patients who are more likely to have a biopsy positive for malignancy. Conclusions: Prebiopsy magnetic resonance investigations has a potential role in increasing specificity of screening for early prostate cancer. It has a role in the targeting of biopsy sites, avoiding unnecessary biopsies and predicting the outcome of biopsies.