Bilateral Perthes' Disease

Bilateral Perthes' disease is defined as the form of the condition where radiological changes affect both hips simultaneously. the radiological abnormalities are commonly more severe on one side than on the other. in a small proportion of patients a clear time interval exists between the onset of radiological changes in the two hips. It is suggested that this form of the condition is two unilateral and separate attacks of Perthes' disease and it is more akin to 'recurrent' Perthes' disease.     

Association of Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease and Pulse Pressure with Renal Disease Progression

Background.?This study was performed to identify the association of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) and pulse pressure with renal disease progression in patients with mild chronic renal disease. Methods.?Eligibility criteria for enrollment in this study included age 18 to 70 years, mild chronic renal disease (CRD), undergoing thallium SPECT and echocardiography and followed longer than three years. Mild CRD was defined as serum creatinine level of 1.5 to 3.0 mg/dL in men and 1.4 to 3.0 mg/dL in women. Patients with serious illness, history of kidney transplantation, ejection fraction less than 40% on echocardiography and development of acute renal failure during follow-up were excluded. Results.?A total of 87 patients were included in this study. The underlying renal disease included diabetic nephropathy in 51 patients. Forty-five patients showed positive findings on thallium SPECT and they were classified as having CAD. Coronary angiography showed significant stenosis in 41 of 42 patients studied. Median duration of follow-up was 56 months. During the follow-up period, 40 patients required chronic dialysis therapy and 16 patients showed a doubling of baseline serum creatinine in three years. These 56 patients were classified as progressors. Comparison of clinical and laboratory parameters between progressors and nonprogressors showed a difference in the presence of diabetic nephropathy, mean arterial pressure, 24-h urine protein (p<0.001), pulse pressure (p<0.01), total cholesterol and presence of CAD (p<0.05). There was no association between the progression of CRD and the results of CAD or treatment of CAD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of diabetic nephropathy and mean arterial pressure ≥100 mm Hg were independent predictors of CRD progression. Conclusion.?Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and pulse pressure were associated with renal disease progression.     

风湿性瓣膜病合并冠心病的外科治疗

报告１９９１年１月至１９９５年１１月期间１５例风湿性瓣膜病合并冠心病病人瓣膜替换及冠脉桥术（ＣＡＢＧ）的体会。手术均在低温体外循环下进行。其中二尖瓣替换＋ＣＡＢＧ６例，主动脉瓣替换＋ＣＡＢＧ６例、双瓣替换＋ＣＡＢＧ３例，术后死亡３例，其余治愈出院，作者强调了术前明确诊断的重要性，并就冠脉搭桥、心肌保护、主动脉气囊反搏（ＩＡＢＰ）及药物的应用加以讨论。     

Ethnicity and Peripheral Arterial Disease

INTRODUCTION: the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is relatively well defined for the Caucasian population. Given the susceptibility of Asians and Afro-Caribbeans to coronary heart disease and stroke respectively, and the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in both groups, one would expect a high prevalence of peripheral arterial disease. METHODS: a search of MEDLINE (1966-2002) was undertaken for studies on the incidence and prevalence of PAD, abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and cerebrovascular disease in different ethnic groups. RESULTS: there are very few population-based prevalence studies assessing PAD, AAA or cerebrovascular disease in non-Caucasians. A review of hospital-based series demonstrates different patterns of PAD between ethnic groups. Blacks and Asians have a tendency towards more distal occlusive disease and AAA appear to be predominantly a disease of Caucasians. It is not clear whether these studies provide a true representation of the prevalence of arterial disease in various ethnic groups or are the result of an unmet health care need. CONCLUSIONS: further studies are required to establish the prevalence, natural history and response to treatment of PAD, AAA and cerebrovascular disease in non-Caucasians. Only when this has been achieved, can clinically and cost-effective health care be delivered to affected individuals from different ethnic groups.     

Kimura Disease of the Epiglottis

Kimura disease is a distinct clinicopathological entity of a benign chronic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. It is endemic in Oriental Asians, but sporadic and relatively rare in the West, both in whites and blacks alike. It usually presents as a mass lesion, most commonly in the head and neck region. It had for a long time been confused as synonymous with angiolymphoid hyperplasia with esinophilia. It can impose a challenging diagnosis both clinically and pathologically, especially in non-endemic areas with unusual sites involvement. Even though it is a benign lesion, it can be life-threatening in the epiglottis with a risk of airways obstruction. So far, one case had been reported in the epiglottis with upper respiratory tract obstruction. We report a similar case with a brief review of the literature. The Department to which the work should be attributed: Histopathology Department, Armed Forces hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.     

Cardiorenal Disease: A Clinical Intersection

This review focuses on the association between renal insufficiency and cardiovascular disease and discusses therapeutic options. Although the association of chronic renal insufficiency and cardiovascular risk was first shown in patients with end-stage renal disease, even minor renal dysfunction has now been established as an independent risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and statins can reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with renal insufficiency. Coronary revascularization improves the prognosis in patients with renal dysfunction, but there is still an underutilization of coronary revascularization procedures in patients with renal insufficiency. There is enough data that shows high mortality after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients with reduced renal function and that slight renal dysfunction exposes the patient with a cardiac event to an excessive cardiac mortality. Further investigation should focus on the cause of and possible preventive interventions, for the staggering cardiovascular risk in the ever-increasing number of people with renal dysfunction.