Value of early systematic transoesophageal ultrasonography after mitral valve replacement by Saint-Jude prosthesis

The aim of this study was to assess the value of the routine multiplane transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the early postoperative period after mitral valve replacement with a Saint Jude Médical (SJM) mechanical prosthesis. This prospective work enrolled 56 patients who have been operated between September 1999 and September 2001, all these patients had a multiplan TEE after 14.7 days (8-29 days) of post-operative. The effect of peri-prosthetic leaks was 59%. They were always minimal and asymptomatic. 68% of them disappeared at the late exam. An asymptomatic intermittent blockage of an leaflet had been noted in one patient. It appears to us today indispensable to achieve a systematic TEE in the early post operative period after mitral valve replacement. This exam remains little aggressive and comfortably supportable by the patient in look of information brought.     

Bullous pemphigoid in children. Report of three cases

Bullous pemphigo?d (BP) is an acquired immunobullous disease that usually affects adults and rarely children. About 60 cases of infant PB have been reported. Diagnosis is based on immunofluorescence investigations. Clinical, histological and immunopathological findings in childhood PB appear to be not different from the adult. Nevertheless, oral mucosal and palm and sole lesions seem to occur more frequently. We report 3 cases of children BP in one girl and 2 boys, aged respectively of 7.2 and 3 years. Palm and sole were affected in 1 case, and no oral mucosal lesion was noted. Recovery was reached in all cases under dapsone. Characteristics of BP in children are discussed with comparison to literature data.     

Genotype/phenotype correlations in Arab patients with familial Mediterranean fever

OBJECTIVES: To study the phenotype/genotype correlations in Arab patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was performed in a 3-year period (February 1998-February 2001). Patients were seen in the pediatric FMF clinic of Jordan University Hospital, and the diagnosis of FMF was made according to published criteria. Screening for mutations was carried out by direct sequencing of the entire coding sequence of exon 10 and its donor splice site and by restriction endonuclease testing for mutations in exon 2. A total of 278 patients with clinically positive FMF were screened. RESULTS: Of the 278 patients, 50 (18%) had 2 mutations identified, and 76 (27%) other patients had only 1 mutation identified. The 50 patients with 2 mutations are the subject of this report. The M694V/M694V and the M694V/V726A and M694I/M694I genotypes were the most common (30%, 16%, and 14%, respectively). Three homozygous genotypes (M694V/M694V, V726A/V726A, and M694I/M694I) and 2 compound heterozygous genotypes (M694V/V726A and V726A/M680I) accounted for 78% of mutations. The difference in the mean severity score (14 +/- 2) of the M694V/M694V group and the V726A/V726A (mean severity score, 10 +/- 3) and M694I/M6941 (mean severity score, 6 +/- 1) groups was statistically significant (P =.003 and.0, respectively). The difference between the M649V/M694V group and the M694V/V726A (mean severity score, 15 +/- 2) was not statistically significant (P = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: The genotypes M694V/M694V and M694V/V726A have a severe clinical course in Arab patients with FMF, whereas the M694I/M694I is associated with mild disease.     

Embolization of head and neck hypervascular lesions. A retrospective study of 5 cases

Embolisation of head and neck hypervascular tumours and arterioveinous malformations (AVMs) is now a well-established therapeutic procedure. The purpose of this study was to analyse the technique and to evaluate the safety and value of preoperative embolization of hypervascular lesions. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 5 patients, agged between 14 and 47 years, with hypervascular tumours and AVMs in the head and neck. Lesions were distributed as follow: nasal angiofibroma (n = I), nasal angioleiomyoma (n = I), nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (n = I), aneurysmal bone cyst in the posterior element of the second cervical vertebra (n = I) and AVM of the inferior lip (n = I). Angiography and embolization were carried out at the same time. Complete exclusion of lesions was obtained without any complications. Complementary surgical resection was performed with not notable blood loss.     

Painful traumatic neuroma after a finger stick

In this case report we present a patient with a painful traumatic neuroma after a finger stick by lancet. The patient benefited from surgical excision of the lesion, and her symptoms were completely abolished with additional sympathetic nerve blocks.     

Amyand’s hernia: a case report of prospective ct diagnosis in the emergency department

The diagnosis of Amyands hernia, the development of acute appendicits within an inguinal hernia, is rarely made preoperatively and is often confused clinically with an incarcerated right inguinal hernia. The use of CT to prospectively diagnose Amyands hernia and corresponding imaging findings are not well described in the literature. We report a case of Amyands hernia, which was correctly diagnosed by CT in a female patient presented to the emergency department with right lower quadrant pain and clinical suspicion of a strangulated omentocele.     

Treating pain related to inoperable pancreatic cancer in tropical areas: the advantage of CT-guided celiac plexus block and splanchnic nerves neurolysis

Many sub-Saharan African countries have recently acquired computed tomography scanners that make interventional radiology possible, especially for the treatment of cancer pain. We report the case of a patient with severe abdominal pain related to advanced pancreas cancer. After unsuccessful morphine treatment, he underwent CT-guided alcohol injection for neurolysis of the celiac plexus and splanchnic nerves. This report describes the technique and discusses its potential applications in tropical countries.     

Biliary disease after liver transplantation: the experience of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The biliary tract has been referred to as the "Achilles heel" of liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to document the frequency, clinical presentation and management of biliary complications after liver transplantation in the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The liver transplant clinic at KFSH&RC has registered and followed 220 patients (150 male and 70 female patients; age 40.6 +/- 18.6 years; pediatric 33, adult 187) during the period from 1987 to June 2003. A total of 235 transplants were carried out on these patients. Cadaveric liver transplants had been carried out on 202 patients, non-heart beating liver transplant in three patients, live donor liver transplants in 11 and split transplant in four. Biliary reconstruction was duct-to-duct anastomosis in 147 patients and Roux-en-Y in 73. Biliary complications were suspected on clinical and biochemical parameters and confirmed using imaging techniques. RESULTS: Forty patients (18.2%) developed 53 biliary complications. These included bile leak in 16, strictures in 25, calculi in eight, and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and possible recurrence of primary sclerosing cholangitis in the donor duct in two patients each. Bile leaks were observed in the early postoperative period (median period 30 days, range 1-150 days, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8-51). Leakage occurred at the anastomotic site in 13 patients. Patients presented with bilious drainage (n = 6), abdominal pain at T-tube removal (n = 3), fever (n = 2), sepsis (n = 1), dyspnea (n = 1) and abnormal liver tests (n = 3). Eleven patients had intra-abdominal bilious collections. Two patients were treated conservatively, eight patients had ultrasound-guided aspiration of biloma, five had biliary stenting at endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and two patients needed surgery. There were four deaths, two of which were related to bile leak, one patient was left with permanent external biliary drainage and four patients had biliary strictures in the follow-up period. Biliary strictures occurred at a median period of 360 days (range 4-2900 days; 95% CI 50-670) after the transplant. Hepatic artery thrombosis caused biliary strictures in three, while 21 strictures were localized to the anastomotic site. Biliary strictures presented with elevated liver tests in five patients, progressive cholestasis in five, cholangitis (with septicemia in five) in 11, abdominal pain in two and acute pancreatitis in three patients. Repeat sessions of endoscopic or percutaneous dilatation and stenting (mean sessions 4.4/patient, range 3-7) were attempted in 20 patients to relieve strictures, with success in only nine patients. Seven patients had surgery. Four patients with biliary strictures died. Biliary calculi developed late in the follow-up period and had the appearance of biliary casts in five and sludge in three patients. Eleven (27.5%) patients with biliary disease died compared with 35 (19.4%) patients without biliary disease. CONCLUSIONS: Biliary complications occurred in 18.2% of patients after liver transplantation and included biliary leak and biliary strictures with or without calculi. Management involved a combination of endoscopic, radiologic and operative procedures. Biliary complications caused considerable morbidity and mortality in liver transplant patients.     

Multislice CT in the pre- and postinterventional evaluation of mesenteric perfusion

Multislice computed tomography angiography (CTA) has been found feasible for the evaluation of visceral vasculature. The development of multislice technology has overcome past limitations. First, the faster scanning speed increases volume coverage during a single breath-hold and improves the exploitation of contrast medium. Second, the better spatial resolution results in nearly isotropic voxels allowing reconstruction of high-resolution three-dimensional images with different algorithms. Volume rendering is capable of displaying the visceral vasculature from any external vantage point. Compared to conventional angiography, CTA not only delineates vessels but also depicts the anatomical relationship to adjacent structures and allows the evaluation of perfused organs. CTA also has become an emerging tool for the pre- and postinterventional assessment of vascular anatomy. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to present a spectrum of visceral vascular diseases and interventional and surgical therapies, and to highlight the role of postprocessing for their evaluation.