The “expanded gallbladder fossa sign” in liver cirrhosis

Abdominal Radiology -     

The “light bulb sign” in liver hemangioma

Abdominal Radiology -     

Filling accuracy and imprecision of commercial evacuated sodium citrate coagulation tubes

Current recommendations advocate that blood tubes for coagulation testing should be filled not less than 90% of their nominal filling volume, since under- or over-filling >10% may generate unreliable results of some hemostasis assays. This study was hence aimed to explore filling accuracy and precision of commercial blood tubes. Between-lot variations of 3 different lots (20 tubes per lot) of 3.2% citrate blood tubes manufactured by Becton Dickinson, Greiner and Kima were studied. One additional lot from each manufacturer was assessed in triplicate (three series of 20 tubes), to assess within-lot variation. All tubes were first weighed empty and then filled with distilled water by a syringe, under ideal filling conditions. Filled tubes were weighed again, in duplicate. For each 20 tubes series, mean bias (deviation from the ideal tube filling volume) and imprecision (coefficient of variation; CV%) were calculated. All biases were within ±10%. Within-lot and between-lot variation in filling volume was acceptable, and comprised between 0.4 and 2.4%. Greiner tubes were the most accurate (bias, ?1.0 to 2.4%), followed by Kima (bias, ?7.8 to ?5.9%) and Becton Dickinson (bias, ?9.6 to 3.3%) tubes. The highest between-lot difference was noted for Becton Dickinson tubes (up to 12.9%), followed by Greiner and Kima tubes (up to 3.4 and 1.8%, respectively). Although coagulation tubes filling accuracy was within ±10% for all three tested manufacturers, the overall bias was found to be variable among manufacturers and lots. Major effort shall be made by blood tube manufacturers for improving standardization of their products.     

Inappropriate shock and percutaneous cardiac intervention: A lesson to learn in the cath lab

Coronary disease is a common condition in patients affected by heart failure with severely reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This condition represents an indication for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in order to reduce the risk of sudden death related to arrhythmias. Nevertheless, inappropriate shocks are associated with worse quality of life, hospitalization, and death. We present the case of an inappropriate shock related to percutaneous coronary intervention during the insertion and advancement of the guidewire into the left anterior descending artery (LAD) in a patient with an ICD. Physicians’ awareness about the clinical implication of noise arising during a coronary procedure is very important in patients with an ICD or pacemaker, to avoid inappropriate shock or pacing inhibition and to raise the possibility of lead implantation in or helix protrusion into the coronary lumen.     

Erythropoiesis and chronic kidney disease–related anemia: From physiology to new therapeutic advancements

Erythropoiesis is triggered by hypoxia and is strictly regulated by hormones, growth factors, cytokines, and vitamins to ensure an adequate oxygen delivery to all body cells. Abnormalities in one or more of these factors may induce different kinds of anemia requiring different treatments. A key player in red blood cell production is erythropoietin. It is a glycoprotein hormone, mainly produced by the kidneys, that promotes erythroid progenitor cell survival and differentiation in the bone marrow and regulates iron metabolism. A deficit in erythropoietin synthesis is the main cause of the normochromic normocytic anemia frequently observed in patients with progressive chronic kidney disease. The present review summarizes the most recent findings about each step of the erythropoietic process, going from the renal oxygen sensing system to the cascade of events induced by erythropoietin through its own receptor in the bone marrow. The paper also describes the new class of drugs designed to stabilize the hypoxia-inducible factor by inhibiting prolyl hydroxylase, with a discussion about their metabolism, disposition, efficacy, and safety. According to many trials, these drugs seem able to simulate tissue hypoxia and then stimulate erythropoiesis in patients affected by renal impairment. In conclusion, the in-depth investigation of all events involved in erythropoiesis is crucial to understand anemia pathophysiology and to identify new therapeutic strategies, in an attempt to overcome the potential side effects of the commonly used erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.     

Immunocytochemical detection of milk proteins in tracheal aspirates of ventilated infants: a pilot study

In this study, we evaluated immunocytochemical staining for milk proteins (alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin) in tracheal aspirates of mechanically ventilated infants, and assessed whether this staining technique supported a clinical diagnosis of aspiration in infants receiving orogastric feedings. All newborns requiring mechanical ventilation in the neonatal intensive care unit of a major tertiary care hospital were potential subjects for this study. Tracheal aspirates were obtained prior to the introduction of enteral feeding and at various time points thereafter in newborns requiring mechanical ventilation. Cells were obtained and processed for immunocytochemical staining of alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin. In total, 88 specimens recovered from 34 infants were adequate for staining. Alveolar macrophages recovered from most of the infants who were never fed (true negative controls) did not display immunoreactivity for milk proteins: 4/34 or 12% of infants' aspirates demonstrated presence of milk proteins before enteral feeding was commenced. Tracheal aspirates obtained from 12 infants after introduction of enteral feedings appeared to support clinical and radiological findings suggestive of aspiration events, with positive immunostaining on several occasions. These observations support our work in a murine model and demonstrate that immunocytochemical staining of tracheal aspirates for milk proteins may enhance the ability to diagnose pulmonary aspiration. Further studies are needed to define the clinical significance of our findings and the effects of single and repeated aspiration events on respiratory status.     

Rituximab prevents recurrence of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a case report

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare disorder of small vessels that is associated with deficiency of the von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease, ADAMTS13. The presence of anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies is considered a factor predisposing to relapses. Despite close monitoring and intensive plasma treatment, in these patients acute episodes are still associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates, and the optimal therapeutic option should be prevention of relapses. This study was conducted in a patient with recurrent TTP due to high titers of ADAMTS13 inhibitors, who used to have 2 relapses of TTP a year. The study compared the standard treatment plasma exchange with rituximab. Results documented that plasma exchange had only a small transient effect on ADAMTS13 activity and inhibitors; on the contrary, prophylaxis with rituximab was associated with disappearance of anti-ADAMTS13 antibodies, a progressive recovery of protease activity, and it allowed the patient to maintain a disease-free state during a more than 2-year follow-up.