The “halo effect” in Korea: change in practice patterns since the introduction of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

Acquisition of the da Vinci surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, USA) has enabled robot-assisted surgery to become an acceptable alternative to open radical prostatectomy (ORP). Implementation of robotics at a single institution in Korea induced a gradual increase in the number of performances of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) to surgically treat localized prostate cancer. We analyzed the impact of robotic instrumentation on practice patterns among urologists and explain the change in value in ORP and RALP—the standard treatment and the new approach or innovation of robotic technology. The overall number of prostatectomies has increased over time because the number of RALPs has grown drastically whereas the number of OPRs did not decrease during the period of evaluation. Our experience emphasizes the potential of RALP to become the gold standard in the treatment of localized prostate cancer in various parts of the world.     

Spontaneous coronary dissection associated with sleep deprivation presenting with acute myocardial infarction

Spontaneous coronary dissection is a rare cause of myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. Idiopathic spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) occurs in patient without risk factors for coronary artery disease and without underlying pregnancy. We describe a case of idiopathic spontaneous coronary dissection after sleep deprivation presenting with acute myocardial infarction. A 40 year old woman presented to an emergency department with squeezing substernal chest pain lasting 1 hour following 72 h sleep deprivation due to overtime work. On admission, ECG showed no significant ST change. But the level of CK-MB and Troponin T were increased up to 77.54 ng/ml and 1.62 ng/ml, respectively. Emergent coronary angiography demonstrated a longitudinal dissection of the middle portion in the diagonal artery with TIMI III flow to the distal part of the vessel. Because the dissected vessel was too small to pass the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and deploy the stent, angioplasty was not performed. Under medical treatment with aspirin, clopidogrel and unfractionated heparin, conservative management was proposed; she remained free of symptom and discharged free of chest pain and in good condition.     

Cardiogenic shock caused by simultaneous subacute stent thrombosis after implantation of sirolimus-eluting stents

Stent thrombosis is a feared complication of percutaneous coronary intervention, although there is a low incidence of thrombotic events following drug-eluting stent implantation. We report a case with cardiogenic shock complicated by acute myocardial infarction due to simultaneous subacute stent thrombosis occurring 3 days after implantation of two sirolimus-eluting stents in the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) and in the proximal right coronary artery (RCA).     

CT findings after nephron-sparing surgery of renal tumors

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to show the CT findings of the various postoperative changes, surgical complications, and tumor recurrence after nephron-sparing surgery for the treatment of renal tumors. CONCLUSION: Familiarity with the various postoperative changes after nephron-sparing surgery may help radiologists in differentiating these changes from tumor recurrence or surgical complications.     

Assessment of Cerebrovascular Reserve before and after STA-MCA Bypass Surgery by SPECT and SPM Analysis

Objective

The purpose of this study was to objectively assess the efficacy of superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass surgery using Technetium (Tc)-99m-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients who underwent STA-MCA bypass surgery.

Materials and Methods

Brain perfusion SPECT images obtained at baseline and after the administration of acetazolamide were reconstructed using statistical parametric mapping in 23 patients, both before and after STA-MCA bypass surgery. The clinical outcomes of the surgery were also recorded and compared with the hemodynamic changes. A voxel with an uncorrected p-value of less than 0.001 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results

SPECT images of the territory supplied by the bypass graft showed an increase in both cerebrovascular flow and reserve at baseline, and the increase was significantly higher following the administration of acetazolamide. All patients showed improvement of clinical symptoms and increased blood flow to the left temporal, parietal, and frontal cortices as well as the thalamus.

Conclusion

Brain SPECT effectively and objectively demonstrated the improved outcomes of STA-MCA bypass surgery, and thus may be used in postoperative analyses.     

Identification of DNA copy number aberrations by array comparative genomic hybridization in patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms

We aimed to use array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to identify chromosomal loci that contribute to the pathogenesis of ruptured intracranial aneurysms (IAs) in a Korean population and to confirm the results using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twenty-three patients with ruptured IAs were enrolled in this study. Array CGH revealed copy number aberrations in 19 chromosomal regions. Chromosomal gains were identified at a high frequency in regions 1p12, 4q24, 5p15.31, 5p15.33, 6p12.2, 6q22.33, 7p21.1, 9q22.1, 10q24.32, 10q26.3, 12q13.13, 17p12, 18q12.3, 18q23, 19p13.3, 20q13.33, 21q11.2, and 21q22.3, whereas chromosomal losses were identified at 15q11.2 and 22q11.21. Real-time PCR confirmed the results of the array CGH studies of the COL6A2, GRIN3B, MUC17, and PRODH genes. This is the first study to identify candidate regions by array CGH in patients with IAs. The identification of genes that may predispose an individual to the development of IAs may lead to a better understanding of the mechanism of IA formation. Multicenter studies comparing cohorts of patients of different ethnicities are needed to better understand the mechanism of IA formation.     

Mechanism of asynchronous Ca2+ waves underlying agonist-induced contraction in the rat basilar artery

Background and purpose:

Uridine 5''-triphosphate (UTP) is a potent vasoconstrictor of cerebral arteries and induces Ca²⁺ waves in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This study aimed to determine the mechanisms underlying UTP-induced Ca²⁺ waves in VSMCs of the rat basilar artery.

Experimental approach:

Isometric force and intracellular Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_i) were measured in endothelium-denuded rat basilar artery using wire myography and confocal microscopy respectively.

Key results:

Uridine 5''-triphosphate (0.1–1000 µmol·L⁻¹) concentration-dependently induced tonic contraction (pEC₅₀ = 4.34 ± 0.13), associated with sustained repetitive oscillations in [Ca²⁺]_i propagating along the length of the VSMCs as asynchronized Ca²⁺ waves. Inhibition of Ca²⁺ reuptake in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) by cyclopiazonic acid abolished the Ca²⁺ waves and resulted in a dramatic drop in tonic contraction. Nifedipine reduced the frequency of Ca²⁺ waves by 40% and tonic contraction by 52%, and the nifedipine-insensitive component was abolished by SKF-96365, an inhibitor of receptor- and store-operated channels, and KB-R7943, an inhibitor of reverse-mode Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange. Ongoing Ca²⁺ waves and tonic contraction were also abolished after blockade of inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate-sensitive receptors by 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate, but not by high concentrations of ryanodine or tetracaine. However, depletion of ryanodine-sensitive SR Ca²⁺ stores prior to UTP stimulation prevented Ca²⁺ waves.

Conclusions and implications:

Uridine 5''-triphosphate-induced Ca²⁺ waves may underlie tonic contraction and appear to be produced by repetitive cycles of regenerative Ca²⁺ release from the SR through inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate-sensitive receptors. Maintenance of Ca²⁺ waves requires SR Ca²⁺ reuptake from Ca²⁺ entry across the plasma membrane via L-type Ca²⁺ channels, receptor- and store-operated channels, and reverse-mode Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange.     

Dynamic maps: a visual-analytic methodology for exploring spatio-temporal disease patterns

Background  

Epidemiologic studies are often confounded by the human and environmental interactions that are complex and dynamic spatio-temporal processes. Hence, it is difficult to discover nuances in the data and generate pertinent hypotheses. Dynamic mapping, a method to simultaneously visualize temporal and spatial information, was introduced to elucidate such complexities. A conceptual framework for dynamic mapping regarding principles and implementation methods was proposed.     

Peripheral arterial disease is associated with coronary artery spasm as assessed by an intracoronary acetylcholine provocation test

1. Both peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and coronary artery spasm (CAS) are associated with endothelial dysfunction. Thus, a higher incidence of CAS may be expected in patients with PAD. In the present study, we evaluated the incidence and characteristics of CAS in patients with PAD.
2. A total of 78 patients with PAD and 241 age- and gender-matched patients without PAD who had chest pain with normal coronary appearance on coronary angiograms underwent intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) provocation test. Acetylcholine was injected into the left coronary artery in incremental doses of 20, 50 and 100 μg/min. Significant CAS was defined as a transient > 70% luminal narrowing with concurrent chest pain and/or ST segment changes.
3. Patients with PAD had a significantly higher incidence of ACh-induced significant CAS than those without PAD (60.3 vs 34.0%, respectively P  < 0.001), as well as chest pain and ST segment changes during the ACh provocation test. Patients with PAD were more sensitive to lower doses of ACh and had a higher incidence of multivessel spasm than those without PAD. Multivariable logistic analysis showed that age, current smoking, PAD and myocardial bridge were independent predictors of ACh-induced significant CAS. Moreover, of these factors, PAD was the strongest independent predictor (odds ratio 4.25; confidence interval 1.33–13.54; P  = 0.014).
4. In patients with chest pain, the presence of arterial disease at another site should still push the clinician towards treating the chest pain as angina, even if the coronary anatomy is normal on a coronary angiogram.