Myocardial perfusion imaging: clinical experience and recent progress in radionuclide scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging

In the past 20 years, radionuclide scintigraphy has proven to be a sensitive clinical tool in the assessment of myocardial perfusion abnormalities. Magnetic resonance imaging may also be used to study myocardial perfusion, but its potential value still has to emerge in the clinical setting. This review addresses the potential and achievements of both methods in clinical cardiology.     

The incidence of gout in patients with Dupuytren's disease.

In a retrospective study we found that the incidence of gout in patients with Dupuytren's disease is 3.5%. The mean serum uric acid was 330 mumol/l. (5.5 mg./100 ml.) in men and 240 mumol./l. (4.0 mg./100 ml.) in women. The rate of hyperuricaemia was 7%. These are not significantly higher than the expected figures in Britain.     

The value of ventilation scintigraphy after single lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: A decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) as a diagnostic criterion for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) after single lung transplantation may be influenced significantly by the presence of the native lung. To quantify and to discriminate between the relative contribution of graft and native lung to the FEV(1), we retrospectively investigated the diagnostic value of combined FEV(1) measurements and ventilation scintigraphy in pulmonary dysfunction after single lung transplantation in 11 recipients with pulmonary vascular disease, 3 with obstructive lung disease, and 3 with restrictive lung disease. METHODS: We assessed function of the native lung and the graft, and subsequently calculated an adjusted grading of BOS by correcting routine FEV(1) measurements using linear interpolation of bi-annual lung ventilation scans. RESULTS: The contribution of the native lung to the total FEV(1) was slight (median, 9%) in recipients with obstructive disease compared with recipients with vascular (38%) or restrictive lung diseases (27%). Adjusted BOS grading was not useful in patients with obstructive disease. In the other patient groups, the onset of adjusted BOS Grade 1 and standard BOS Grade 1 was at a median of 220 days (range, 127-1146 days) and 836 days (184-3065 days), respectively. CONCLUSION: Ventilation scintigraphy is a useful adjunct in the (early) diagnosis of BOS in recipients of single lung transplants who have vascular and restrictive lung diseases.     

New digital method for quantitative assessment of nasal morphology.

Our aim was to develop and validate a new method to assess objectively and quantitatively the morphology of the nostrils after nasal or nasolabial surgery. We used digital analysis using specific mathematical algorithms to assess several geometric measurements, particularly of facial asymmetry, expressed in adimensional units. Forty-five patients with no facial anomalies (control group) were used initially to evaluate the method and to obtain variables for statistical reference. Thirty-five patients operated on for unilateral cleft lip and palate (cleft group) were then analysed and compared with the control group. Individual scores were obtained for each patient, computed, and correlated with those established by a lay panel. Statistical analysis showed good sensitivity and reliability (R>0.8).     

Effects of 4-deoxypyridoxine on the isovolumic perfused rat heart: influence of oxygenation and glucose availability

The study was performed with isolated perfused isovolumic rat hearts. After a 40 min stabilization period, the effect of 4-deoxypyridoxine (DOP) 10(-5) M was studied with 3 Glc concentrations: 0, 3.3 and 11 mM. DOP was perfused during a 20 min normoxic or anoxic period followed by 40 min of normal perfusion. During normoxia with 11 mM Glc, DOP decreased the contracture observed in the control group. With 0 mM Glc, DOP improved developed pressure and dP/dt+ without a decrease in glycogen stores. During anoxia followed by reoxygenation, a partial protection towards CK release was observed with DOP (3.3 mM Glc). Intracellular PLP levels were higher in the 11 mM Glc group than in the other groups with and without DOP, and DOP with 11 mM Glc increased PLP levels (DOP N2 vs. DOP O2). Glycogen stores increased with 11 mM Glc without DOP (O2 vs. N2), whereas they decreased with DOP without Glc (DOP N2 vs. N2). DOP could improve the yield in glycogenolysis in normoxia and might activate mitochondrial anaerobic metabolism during anoxia.