Endovascular Stent Placement for Cervical Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm Causing Cerebral Embolism: Usefulness of Neuroradiological Evaluation

Summary  We present a case of a cervical internal carotid artery aneurysm that caused cerebral embolism. This lesion was supposed to be a dissecting aneurysm due to blunt neck injury. The large aneurysm with intramural thrombus was treated with endovascular placement of a balloon-expandable stent. Both CT and MRI were useful for evaluating the size and characteristics of the aneurysmal wall. Intravascular ultrasound imaging was also useful for evaluation of the satisfactory stent deployment and identification of the neck of the aneurysm. We disscuss effectiveness of endovascular stenting for cervical internal carotid artery aneurysm with intramural thrombus and the usefulness of a combination of the neuroradiological imaging before, during and after the interventional procedure.     

Surgical management of arteriosclerotic coronary artery aneurysm.

A 60-year-old man suffered antero-septal myocardial infarction at the age of 56. Coronary angiography demonstrated total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery and a large saccular aneurysm of the right coronary artery. Diffuse coronary ectasia was also shown in the right coronary artery adjacent to the aneurysm. Despite anticoagulant therapy, the aneurysm formed a thrombus and developed coronary artery stenosis distal to the aneurysm. Ligation of the aneurysm and in situ gastroepiploic artery grafting were performed. Sudden heart failure was developed during skin closure. As this condition was considered to be graft hypoperfusion, supplemental saphenous vein grafting was placed. Ligation is a simple, reliable technique to prevent future complications for a large saccular right coronary artery aneurysm, however, gastroepiploic artery might be an inappropriate bypass conduit for the ligated coronary artery with diffuse ectasia.     

Clinicopathological Features of Recurrence in Patients After 10-year Disease-free Survival Following Curative Hepatic Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

The present study aimed to clarify the clinicopathologic features of long-term disease-fee survival after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

This retrospective study identified 940 patients who underwent curative resection of HCC between 1991 and 2000 at five university hospitals. Seventy-four patients with 10 years of recurrence-free survival were identified and followed up. They were divided into two groups, 60 recurrence-free and 14 with recurrence after a 10-year recurrence-free period.

Results

Overall survival rates of recurrence and non-recurrence groups were 68 and 91 % at 16 years, and 34 and 91 % at 20 years (p = 0.02), respectively. There were five (36 %), and two deaths (3 %), respectively, after 10 recurrence-free years. A second resection for recurrence was performed in four patients (29 %), and mean survival was 15.3 years after the first hepatectomy. Although three patients in the non-recurrence group (5 %) developed esophageal and/or gastric varices, seven patients in the recurrence group (50 %) developed varices during 10 years (p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, preoperative and 10-year platelet count was identified as a favorable independent factor for maintained recurrence-free survival after a 10-year recurrence-free period following curative hepatic resection of HCC.

Conclusions

Recurrence of HCC may occur even after a 10-year recurrence-free period. Long-term follow-up after resection of HCC is important, and should be life-long. Patients with higher preoperative and 10-year platelet counts are more likely to have long-term survival after resection. A low platelet count, related to the degree of liver fibrosis, is a risk factor for recurrence and survival of HCC after curative resection.     

Diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis using multi-detector helical CT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of multi-detector helical CT (MDHCT) with contrast medium in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Materials and Methods: The bilateral veins of the dorsal pedis in 45 patients (12 men, 33 women; average age, 64 years) under clinical suspicion of DVT were first punctured using 22-G needles. Then CT scanning from the level of the foot to the inferior vena cava was started 20 sec after the initial injection of 200 mL of dilute contrast medium (50 mL nonionic iodinated contrast medium of 300 mgI/mL and 150 mL saline) at a rate of 5 mL/sec. RESULTS: Two patients were excluded because of unsuccessful venous puncture. The average scanning time in 43 patients was 38.5 +/- 7.9 seconds. Images of veins from the foot to the inferior vena cava were clearly demonstrated in each case. MDHCT showed DVT in 32 cases and patent deep vein in 11 cases. Simultaneous venography of the lower extremity in 18 patients clearly visualized DVT at the same level detected by contrast MDHCT. CONCLUSION: MDHCT for the diangosis of DVT has the advantages of wider scanning range, shorter scanning time, and finer Z-axis resolution than the other diagnostic modalities.     

Effects of Sevoflurane and Isoflurane on Renal Function and on Possible Markers of Nephrotoxicity

Background: Low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia is associated with increasing circuit concentrations of compound A, which is nephrotoxic in rats, but the effect of compound A and low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia on renal function in humans is unclear. The authors compared the effects of high- and low-flow sevoflurane and isoflurane anesthesia on renal function and on several possible markers of nephrotoxicity in humans.

Methods: Forty-two patients without preexisting renal disease underwent either low-flow isoflurane (1 l/min, n = 14), low-flow sevoflurane (1 l/min, n = 14), or high-flow sevoflurane (6 l/min, n = 14) anesthesia for body-surface-area surgery scheduled to last at least 4 h. Twenty-four-hour urinary excretion of N-acetyl-[small beta, Greek]-glucosaminidase (NAG), [small beta, Greek]2-microglobulin, protein, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine concentrations were measured before and after anesthesia.

Results: There were no differences in blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and creatinine clearance among the three groups after anesthesia. Increased urinary N-acetyl-[small beta, Greek]-glucosaminidase excretions were seen in the low-flow and high-flow sevoflurane groups, but not in the low-flow isoflurane group (P < 0.01). Ten patients in the low-flow sevoflurane group had 24-h urinary excretion of protein that exceeded the normal ranges after anesthesia, but only one patient in the isoflurane and none in the high-flow sevoflurane groups had this.     

Coronary Vascular Bed Perfusion with a Polyethylene Glycol-Modified Hemoglobin-Encapsulated Liposome, Neo Red Cell, in Rats

Whether hemoglobin (Hb) encapsulated liposomes have vasoconstrictive activity remains controversial. We therefore examined the vascular activity of a liposome Hb, Neo red cell (NRC), in a simple in vitro model of Langendorff perfusion of the rat heart using Krebs-Henseleit (KH) solution as the perfusate. In the KH solution, NRC (Hb at 1 mg/ml), however, induced an immediate and abnormal increase in perfusion pressure. Histological examinations revealed that embolisms were the likely cause of this disturbance. Inorganic crystals formed by the mixing of NRC with the perfusate were a possible source of the embolisms. We found that the addition of bovine serum albumin to the perfusate was effective in avoiding embolic events. This protocol was used to compare the vasoconstrictive properties of unmodified bovine Hb and NRC. Unmodified bovine Hb (1 mg/ml) caused an increase in perfusion pressure and a decrease in the duration of bradykinin-induced relaxation. In contrast, NRC (Hb at 1 mg/ml) had no such vasoconstrictive effects. These results provide the first information regarding perfusion of the circulatory vascular bed by NRC and further evidence that the encapsulation of Hb into liposomes is an effective approach to modulate Hb-related vasoconstrictive activity.     

Surgical treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm in patients with concomitant coronary artery disease

Objective: Surgical treatment of thoracic aortic surgery in patients with coronary artery disease was investigated. Methods: Between 1990 and April 2003, 330 patients underwent elective thoracic aortic surgery. Fifty-six patients who underwent aortic root reconstruction were excluded and 274 patients were examined. Fifty-four (20%) patients showed concomitant coronary artery disease. Ten had undergone coronary revascularization previously; and 3 underwent coronary revascularization [2 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 1 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)] before aortic surgery. Twenty-three patients underwent elective CABG simultaneously and 2 patients had additional coronary artery bypass because of cardiac ischemia during operation. The number of patients who underwent thoracic aortic surgery including Asc Ao+AVR was 2, hemi arch 1, total arch 15, distal arch 5, distal arch+LV aneurysmectomy 1, and thoracoabdominal Ao 1. Two patients underwent coronary revascularization with arterial grafts and the others with SVG grafts. Results: There was one hospital death (4%). In patients without coronary bypass, 2 patients suffered cardiac ischemic events. Conclusion: Our thoracic aortic operations with concomitant CABG using SVG were overall successful. Our current strategies for thoracic aortic surgery in patients with concomitant coronary artery disease include conducting a dipyridamole myocardial perfusion-imaging test first in patients not at risk of coronary artery disease, and if the test is positive, coronary angiography is performed and aggressive coronary revascularization is conducted where possible.