Management of unstable angina

One-hundred and seven patients with unstable angina were treated between 1981 and 1987. Platelet dysfunction and elevation of fibrinogen was observed. The efficacy of aspirin, dipyridamole and heparin on coagulation profile is compared. Left main disease was seen in 11.4 per cent. Left anterior descending was occluded in 90.7 per cent. Aortocoronary bypass graft using saphenous vein graft was carried out on all patients. On an average, each patients received 3.5 grafts. Emergency surgery was done in nineteen. Associated ventricular aneurysm was resected in nine. Thirteen patients died. Operative mortality decreased to nil in 1986–1987. Perioperative infarction was seen in five patients. Clinical improvement was seen in 80.3 per cent and 48.9 per cent were asymptomatic. Actuarial survival was 92 per cent after six years. Postoperative coronary angiography in 28 patients showed patency of grafts in 18, partial patency in six and occlusion in four. Aspirin was found useful after surgery to relieve angina. Spiroergometry and Thallium²⁰¹ scintigraphy was useful to assess medical and surgical treatment.     

Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease and dual positivity for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody in a patient with membranous nephropathy

We present the case of a 50-year-old man who underwent kidney biopsy for nephrotic syndrome. In addition to a membranous pattern, anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) staining was noted before manifestations of anti-GBM disease. Hematuria and renal failure ensued 2 weeks later. In addition, he had simultaneous circulating levels of anti-GBM antibody and both perinuclear (P-) and cytoplasmic (C-) antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA).     

A computational framework to quantify tissue microstructural integrity using conventional MRI macrostructural volumetry

In this work, we present a framework to fuse and quantify tissue microstructural attributes (e.g. diffusion, functional, relaxation and perfusion MRI) using high spatial resolution T1-weighted volumetric measurements. The proposed computational procedures can be implemented by utilizing advanced, image segmentation, registration and diffusion tensor image processing software. Feasibility of the framework is also demonstrated using in-house developed software and freely available software such as FreeSurfer for regional tissue segmentation, Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs) for registration and DTIStudio for fiber tracking and diffusion tensor data processing. We also demonstrate the application of these methods in the provision of quality control measures to assess the fidelity of tissue segmentation and multi-modal MRI registration.     

Management of malignant colon polyps: Current status and controversies

Colon cancer remains a significant clinical problem worldwide and in the United States it is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women.It is generally accepted that most malignant neoplasms of the colon arise from precursor adenomatous polyps.This stepwise progression of normal epithelium to carcinoma,often with intervening dysplasia,occurs as a result of multiple sequential,genetic mutations-some are inherited while others are acquired.Malignant polyps are defined by the presence of cancer cells invading through the muscularis mucosa into the underlying submucosa(T1).They can appear benign endoscopically but the presence of malignant invasion histologically poses a difficult and often controversial clinical scenario.Emphasis should be initially focused on the endoscopic assessment of these lesions.Suitable polyps should be resected en-bloc,if possible,to facilitate thorough evaluation by pathology.In these cases,proper attention must be given to the risks of residual cancer in the bowel wall or in the surrounding lymph nodes.If resection is not feasible endoscopically,thenthese patients should be referred for surgical resection.This review will discuss the important prognostic features of malignant polyps that will most profoundly affect this risk profile.Additionally,we will discuss effective strategies for their overall management.     

A multinational observational investigation of illness perceptions and quality of life among patients with a Fontan circulation

Objective: First, to compare QOL and illness perceptions between patients with a Fontan circulation and patients with anatomically simple defects (ie, atrial septal defects [ASD] or ventricular septal defects [VSD]). Second, to explore illness perceptions as a mediator of the association between congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnosis and QOL.
Design: Cross-sectional observational study.
Setting: Twenty-four cardiology centers from 15 countries across five continents.
Patients: Four hundred thirty-five adult patients with congenital heart disease (177 Fontan and 258 ASD/VSD) ages 18-83 years.
Outcome Measures: QOL and illness perceptions were assessed by the Satisfaction With Life Scale and the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire, respectively.
Results: Patients with a Fontan circulation reported lower QOL (Wald Z = -3.59, p 5 <.001) and more negative perceptions of their CHD (Wald Z = -7.66, p < .001) compared with patients with ASD/VSD. After controlling for demographics, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and New York Heart Association functional class, path analyses revealed a significant mediation model, αβ = 0.15, p = .002, 95% CI = 0.06-0.25, such that CHD diagnosis was indirectly related to QOL through illness perceptions.
Conclusions: The Fontan sample’s more negative perceptions of CHD were likely a reflection of life with a more complex defect. Illness perceptions appear to account for unique differences in QOL between groups of varying CHD complexity. Psychosocial screening and interventions may be important treatment components for patients with CHD, particularly those with Fontan circulations.     

Bases for maternal perceptions of infant crying and colic behaviour

According to the commonest definition, infant colic is distinguished by crying which is 'paroxysmal'-that is, intense and different in type from normal fussing and crying. To test this, maternal reports of the distress type of 67 infants whose fuss/crying usually exceeded three hours a day ('persistent criers') were scrutinised using 24 hour audiorecordings of the infants' distressed vocalisation. 'Moderate criers' (n = 55) and 'evening criers' (n = 38) were also assessed. Most of the distress in all three groups was fussing. In the audiorecordings the persistent criers showed a higher crying: fussing ratio than the moderate criers, but intense crying was rare. A third of the persistent criers were reported by their mothers to have occasional, distinct colic bouts of 'intense, unsoothable crying and other behaviour, perhaps due to stomach or bowel pain.' In the audiorecordings these periods were longer, but not paroxysmal in onset or more intense than the crying of persistent criers not judged to have colic. The audible features of the crying may be less important than its unpredictable, prolonged, hard to soothe, and unexplained nature.     

The bird's nest inferior vena cava filter: progress report

The bird's nest inferior vena cava filter, in clinical trial since 1982, has been placed in 568 patients at risk for pulmonary embolism. Of the 481 patients in whom the filter had been in place for 6 months or more, 440 were followed up clinically. The prevalence of clinically suspected recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism was 2.7% (12 patients) and that of inferior vena cava filter occlusion was 2.9% (13 patients). With the initial filter design, filter migration occurred in five patients. No migrations have occurred in the 147 patients treated with the filter after its modification to improve the anchoring system for greater stability. The bird's nest filter has proved safe and effective in the prevention of pulmonary embolism.     

正常大鼠肝内门－体分流的研究

经大鼠门静脉注射乳胶微球，以完全阻塞肝内的门静脉分支，并观察门静脉压力（ＰＶＰ）的变化。结果表明，门静脉内注射直径为１５或８０μｍ的微球使ＰＶＰ分别增加了１０２．２％和２７２．３％；顺序注射不同组合的微球（１５μｍ＋４０μｍ＋８０μｍ或８０μｍ＋４０μｍ＋１５μｍ）并未使ＰＶＰ获得进一步的升高（分别增加了１６２．８％和１７８．６％）。尽管门静脉内注射乳胶微球可使ＰＶＰ显著升高，但却无法达到肝外门静脉钳闭时的高度（４．８７～５．７５ｋＰａ）。肝静脉楔入压（ＷＨＶＰ）于门静脉钳闭时明显下降，但在注射１５μｍ的微球后却与ＰＶＰ同步升高。所有实验鼠肺内均发现有许多微球。上述结果提示正常大鼠可能存在肝内门－体分流。     

Sensitivity and specificity of first screen mammography in the Canadian National Breast Screening Study: a preliminary report from five centers

Sensitivity and specificity of first screen mammography in a randomized screening trial at five centers are reported. A total of 23,101 women underwent mammography; in 139, breast cancer was detected at first screening; in 20, less than 12 months after first screening; and in 47, at second screening. All 206 cancer cases were histologically confirmed, and 174 were defined as being detectable at first screening. Average length of follow-up for all women was 3.2 years. Interpretations of first screen mammograms by the center radiologists were matched to known outcomes. Simultaneous blind review was performed by a single reference radiologist with mammograms from all 206 cancer cases and those of a random sample of 739 women not known to have breast cancer at 15 months or more after initial screening. Overall, the five screening centers achieved a sensitivity of 69% (range, 60%-78%), a specificity of 94% (range, 93%-96%), a positive predictive value of 8.6% (range, 3%-16%), and a negative predictive value of 99.7% (range, 99.6%-99.9%).