Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy assessed with 64-slice computed tomography

A 69-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of sustainedventricular tachycardia with right bundle branch block morphology.After abolition of ventricular tachycardia, an electrocardiogramshowed atrial fibrillation, complete right bundle     

A case of aspergilloma detected after surgery for pneumothorax.

We report a case of aspergilloma in an 80-year-old male patient who had no identifiable underlying disease before surgery for pneumothorax. He was hospitalized for left pneumothorax. A chest CT revealed a large bulla in the left lung apex with a nodule (diameter; 1.5 cm) at the edge of the bulla. After thoracodocesis, air leakage persisted and a large bulla and nodule were resected. Aspergillus was detected histopathologically in the nodule. Treatment with itraconazole 200 mg a day followed, and 4 months later he had no recurrent pneumothorax or Aspergillus infection.     

Diuretic and hypotensive actions of torasemide in hypertensive models of rat

The diuretic and the antihypertensive actions of torasemide were examined in renal and genetic hypertensive rats and compared to the effects of furosemide. Oral administration of torasemide (1 and 3 mg/kg) elicited a dose-dependent increase in the excretion of urine and electrolytes and elevated the urinary Na/K ratio in both renal and genetic hypertensive rats. Torasemide and furosemide had a similar maximum diuretic effect in the normotensive Wistar rat and the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). However, the diuretic activity of furosemide was weaker in the renal hypertensive rat (RHR). Torasemide showed approximately 30 times greater diuretic potency than furosemide. Torasemide and furosemide demonstrated hypotensive action in hypertensive rat models, but not in the normotensive Wistar rat. Especially in the RHR, torasemide exhibited a more potent hypotensive action than furosemide. These results show that the diuretic and antihypertensive activities of torasemide are effective in various rat models of hypertension, while the diuretic activity of furosemide is weak in certain hypertensive rat models. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A case of CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and lekoencephalopathy) with Notch 3 (Arg169Cys) mutation and typical granular osmiophilic materials in peripheral small arteries]

We report a 64-year-old Japanese woman with recurrent ischemic strokes and progressive dementia without any cardiovascular risk factors. Her first stroke was at 45 years old, and she has a family history of ischemic strokes compatible with an autosomal dominant trait. Marked leukoaraiosis and multiple lacunar infarcts were shown on brain MR images, and no atherosclerotic changes were observed in her extra- and intra-cranial arteries by cervical arterial echography and intracranial MR angiography. Excluded other inherited or metabolic diseases causing leukodystrophy by examination of her blood samples, her disease was diagnosed as CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and lekoencephalopathy). We demonstrated granular osmiophilic materials (GOM) on the wall of small arteries from a biopsied peripheral nerve tissue specimen and detected a mutation Arg169Cys of Notch 3 gene. Many CADASIL patients have been reported and over 28 kinds of mutations of the Notch 3 were identified in western countries, while few CADASIL patients have been reported in Japanese people. Among them, eleven CADASIL families have been reported and only five mutations (Arg133Cys, Cys174Phe, Arg213Lys, Arg90Cys and Arg141Cys) have been determined so far. The mutation of Notch 3 in our patient was determined as Arg169Cys, and this is the first report on a Japanese patient with CADASIL due to this mutation.     

LAPAROSCOPIC TREATMENT FOR PERFORATED APPENDICITIS WITH PELVIC ABSCESS

We performed laparoscopic appendectomy and drainage to treat panperitonitis due to perforated appendicitis that occurred in a 28‐year‐old woman. We believe this is an appropriate procedure to treat perforated appendicitis because it is safe and minimally invasive, and faster recovery can be expected than after conventional open appendectomy.     

Atrial septal defect repair through limited lateral thoracotomy in children

Objective We have developed a surgical method for atrial septal defect repair through a limited right lateral thoracotomy in which the incision line begins 2 cm caudal from the lower angle of the scapula and ends at the midaxial line, thereby improving patient satisfaction with the cosmetic results of treatment. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 28 patients who underwent isolated atrial septal defect repair through a limited right lateral thoracotomy between January 2002 and August 2004. The mean age and mean body weight at the time of the operation were 85.8 months (range 9–236 months) and 23.0 kg (range 8.0–56.0 kg), respectively. All repaired defects were the ostium secundum type. Results There was no operative or late mortality and no late morbidity after a mean follow-up of 26 months (range 12–41 months). Echocardiography showed no residual shunt in any of the patients. The mean length of the skin incision was 7.8 cm (range 5.0–11.0 cm), and almost all the patients had satisfactory cosmetic results. Conclusion The atrial septal defect repair through a limited right lateral thoracotomy in pediatric patients showed satisfactory surgical results and excellent cosmetic results.     

An automated on-line method for simultaneous analysis of phenothiazines in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography/sonic spray ionization mass spectrometry using backflush column switching

An automated on-line method for simultaneous analysis of five phenothiazine drugs by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/sonic spray ionization mass spectrometry (SSI-MS) has been established, using backflush column switching. A 400-μl portion of serum sample diluted 81-fold with distilled water was subjected to the on-line system. In the system, an Oasis HLB cartridge was used as the precolumn for extraction; large molecules such as proteins in serum were discarded by use of distilled water containing 0.1% formic acid as a mobile phase. After switching a valve, the analytes trapped in the precolumn were eluted in the backflush mode and separated by a Chromolith Performance RP-18e column, which is composed of C₁₈-bonded monolithic silica. The column effluents were then introduced into the SSI-MS. The present method provided successful separation and determination of six phenothiazines including an internal standard. Satisfactory linearities, reproducibility, and sensitivity were obtained at concentration levels that matched the toxic levels of phenothiazines. All drug peaks appeared within 18 min, and the system could be reequilibrated in only about 8 min for the next run. Because of the simplicity and rapidness of the method, it is likely to be useful in the fields of emergency medicine and forensic toxicology.     

Neocortical gray matter volume in first-episode schizophrenia and first-episode affective psychosis: a cross-sectional and longitudinal MRI study.

BACKGROUND: Overall neocortical gray matter (NCGM) volume has not been studied in first-episode schizophrenia (FESZ) at first hospitalization or longitudinally to evaluate progression, nor has it been compared with first-episode affective psychosis (FEAFF). METHODS: Expectation-maximization/atlas-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tissue segmentation into gray matter, white matter (WM), or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at first hospitalization of 29 FESZ and 34 FEAFF, plus 36 matched healthy control subjects (HC), and, longitudinally approximately 1.5 years later, of 17 FESZ, 21 FEAFF, and 26 HC was done. Manual editing separated NCGM and its lobar parcellation, cerebral WM (CWM), lateral ventricles (LV), and sulcal CSF (SCSF). RESULTS: At first hospitalization, FESZ and FEAFF showed smaller NCGM volumes and larger SCSF and LV than HC. Longitudinally, FESZ showed NCGM volume reduction (-1.7%), localized to frontal (-2.4%) and temporal (-2.6%) regions, and enlargement of SCSF (7.2%) and LV (10.4%). Poorer outcome was associated with these LV and NCGM changes. FEAFF showed longitudinal NCGM volume increases (3.6%) associated with lithium or valproate administration but without clinical correlations and regional localization. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal NCGM volume reduction and CSF component enlargement in FESZ are compatible with post-onset progression. Longitudinal NCGM volume increase in FEAFF may reflect neurotrophic effects of mood stabilizers.