Myocardial bridging as evaluated by 16 row MDCT

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to find out the prevalence, appearance and clinical symptoms of myocardial bridging (MB) by MDCT coronary angiography (CTA).

Materials and methods

A total of 280 (50 females) consecutive patients followed with coronary artery disease or postoperative stent and bypass control, underwent CTA performed by 16-MDCT scanner between January 2006 and April 2006. Short axis multiplanar reformatted images were evaluated. MBs were classified as complete and incomplete bridges with respect to continuity of the myocardium over the tunneled segment of left anterior descending artery (LAD) in interventricular groove and the cut-off value is 1.3 mm. Patients diagnosed with MB on CTA who had prior catheter angiography studies were re-evaluated for the presence of MB.

Results

One hundred and twenty MBs [98 (81.6%) on LAD, 2 (1.6%) on diagonal branch, 11 (9.1%) on obtuse marginal, 4 (3.3%) on right coronary artery, 5 (4.1%) on ramus intermedius artery] were detected in 108 (38.5%) patients. Eighty-five (70.8%) of bridged segments in 79 (28.2%) patients were complete and the rest [35 (29.2%) in 34 (12.1%) patients] were incomplete. In 12 patients two MBs (either on different arteries or on the same artery) were detected. The length of bridged segments in patients with complete and incomplete MBs varied between 4–50.9 mm (mean 18 mm) and 4–37.3 mm (mean 13.6 mm), respectively, and the depth of myocardium over the artery ranged between 1–6.4 mm (mean 2.3 mm) and 1–1.2 mm (mean 1 mm), respectively. Thirty (27.7%) out of 108 patients, in whom MB was detected on CTA, were found to have correlative catheter angiography studies, retrospectively and MB was detected only in 4 (13.3%) out of 30 patients.

Conclusion

MDCT coronary angiography is a non-invasive, efficient method in the diagnosis of MB avoiding the procedural risks that catheter angiography carries. MDCT coronary angiography allows direct visualization of the bridge itself and may thus give the opportunity to differentiate between complete and incomplete myocardial bridges.     

Intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt: diagnosis by colour/power Doppler imaging and three-dimensional ultrasound

Intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt, considered to be a rare disease, can lead to hepatic encephalopathy. With recent advances in diagnostic imaging techniques, the number of reports of intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunts identified incidentally in patients without symptoms are increasing. We report an intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt that was diagnosed incidentally by real-time ultrasound and colour Doppler imaging, including the use of three-dimensional ultrasound using minimum intensity projections and power Doppler.     

DMSA renal scanning versus urography for detecting renal scars in vesicoureteral reflux

32 children admitted to Hacettepe University Hospital for surgical treatment of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) between 1987 and 1988 were included in this prospective double-blind study. All patients underwent intravenous urography (IVU), voiding cystouretrography and 99mTc DMSA renal scanning. The sensitivity and specificity of the DMSA scan and IVU for detecting renal scarring were investigated. With regard to the presence of renal scarring, the sensitivity and specificity of IVU and DMSA were not found to be statistically different. But when the scars were scored, DMSA was found to have a higher scoring index compared to IVU. In patients who were candidates for surgical management of VUR, renal scars could be detected both by IVU and DMSA scan but, for the follow-up, the DMSA scan was found to be the investigation of choice.     

Using computer based data acquisition and analysis system for nasal potential difference measurement in cystic fibrosis

Nasal potential difference (PD) measurement has been used as a diagnostic test for cystic fibrosis (CF). It has been shown that large differences in reproducibility of nasal PD measurement can exist between different study sites. These differences reduce the validity of studies. In our study we tried to measure nasal PD values for a group of Turkish CF patients by using a computer based data acquisition system, which could eliminate the bias due to using different voltmeters. The CF group (n=40, mean age 9.3 years) value was -39.21+/-1.74 mV, and the control group (n=36, mean age 17.08 years) value was -18.24+/-1.48 mV (mean+/-SEM). Using the electronic data acquisition and analysis systems gave reliable results with high specificity (92%), sensitivity (79%), positive predictive value (95%) and negative predictive value (72%). Computer based data acquisition and analysis system provides suitable monitoring and continuous recording during measurements and facilitates repeat readings at the same distances along the nasal floor. Using electronic data acquisition may help to minimize the subjectivity in voltmeter measurements and hand analysis.     

Use of the TriSpan Coil to Facilitate the Transcatheter Occlusion of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is a rare vascular malformation of the lung which may occur as an isolated entity or in association with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Because of considerable risk of serious complications such as cerebral embolism, brain abscess and pulmonary hemorrhage, definitive treatment should be considered in most patients. Embolization with coils or detachable balloons is currently the preferred treatment. Paradoxical embolization of coils and balloons may happen, especially in patients with PAVMs with large feeding arteries. In this report we present our initial experience with the use of the TriSpan coil to lower the risk of coil migration during the transcatheter occlusion of PAVMs.     

One calyx one ureter

A case of duplication of the renal collecting system in which a single calyx is drained by a single ureter is presented. A second ureter draining a single calyx was not reported in the literature before.