Repair of a ruptured aortic arch aneurysm complicated by postoperative paraplegia: Report of a case

We report herein the rare case of a 79-year-old man who suffered permanent paraplegia after undergoing an otherwise successful total arch replacement for a ruptured aortic arch aneurysm. During cardiopulmonary bypass, perfusion to the distal aorta was maintained from the femoral artery, and postoperative aortography showed intact tributaries from the aorta including the intercostal arteries. Postoperative paraplegia is an extremely rare complication of operations on the aortic arch; however, we speculate that the paraplegia in this patient could be attributed either to a steal phenomenon involving the radicular artery, or to the anatomical particularity of the spinal cord artery described by Cole and Gutelius as the segmental system.     

金粉蕨素抑制大鼠主动脉平滑肌增殖作用及机制

目的 :观察金粉蕨素对牛血清刺激的大鼠主动脉平滑肌细胞增殖的抑制作用 ,并对其作用机制进行初步探讨。方法 :体外培养大鼠主动脉平滑肌细胞 ,以终浓度为 10 %的新生牛血清 (NCS)作为刺激因素 ,用噻唑蓝 (MTT)比色法和细胞计数法观察细胞增殖状况 ,用流式细胞仪分析细胞周期 ,用Westernblot实验测定蛋白表达。结果 :与 10 %牛血清组相比 ,不同浓度金粉蕨素组的MTT测定值与细胞数目均明显下降 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,其下降幅度呈浓度依赖性 ;10 μmol·L-1时达峰值 (P <0 .0 1) ;细胞周期分析显示 ,金粉蕨素组G1期百分比 (85 .1% )高于10 %牛血清组 (70 .0 % ) ,而S期比例 (4 .3% )低于10 %牛血清组 (16.4 % ) ;Westernblot结果显示给药组P ERK1 2蛋白表达明显低于同时间点牛血清组。结论 :金粉蕨素能阻止细胞周期由G0 G1期向S期推进 ,抑制血管平滑肌细胞增殖 ,此作用与其抑制ERK1 2磷酸化、影响MAPK ERK通路激活有关。     

Flow characteristics past jellyfish and St. Vincent valves in the aortic position under physiological pulsatile flow conditions

Thrombus formation and hemolysis have been linked to the dynamic flow characteristics of heart valve prostheses. To enhance our understanding of the flow characteristics past the aortic position of a Jellyfish (JF) valve in the left ventricle, in vitro laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) measurements were carried out under physiological pulsatile flow conditions. The hemodynamic performance of the JF valve was then compared with that of the St. Vincent (SV) valve. The comparison was given in terms of mean systolic pressure drop, back flow energy losses, flow velocity, and shear stresses at various locations downstream of both valves and at cardiac outputs of 3.5 L/min, 4.5 L/min, and 6.5 L/min respectively. The results indicated that both valves created disturbed flow fields with elevated levels of turbulent shear stress as well as higher levels of turbulence in the immediate vicinity of the valve and up to 1 diameter of the pipe (D) downstream of the valve. At a location further downstream, the JF valve showed better flow characteristics than the SV in terms of velocity profiles and turbulent shear stresses. The closure volume of the SV valve was found to be 2.5 times higher than that of the JF valve. Moreover, the total back flow losses and mean systolic pressure drop also were found to be higher in the SV than the JF valve.     

Aortic aneurysm and dissection are not associated with an increased risk for giant cell arteritis/ polymyalgia rheumatica

It has recently been claimed that giant cell arteritis (GCA) is associated with a markedly increased risk of aortic aneurysm formation or rupture. In the present study, the opposite approach was taken, by looking for the incidence of GCA and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) in patients with aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, or both (AA/D). The records of 315 consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of AA/D were reviewed. In addition, follow up information was obtained in 82 patients by examination in the outpatient clinic. After careful examination and assessment of clinical and laboratory data, it was found that none of the 82 patients who survived hospitalisation and were available for examination had GCA or PMR. Moreover, review of the retrospective data available from hospital records of the total consecutive 315 patients with AA/D failed to find any patient with a diagnosis of GCA/PMR. In conclusion, the present study did not find an increased prevalence of GCA/PMR among a cohort of Israeli patients with AA/D. Therefore, it is suggested that a thorough investigation aiming to diagnose GCA/PMR is not cost effective in most of the elderly patients presenting with AA/D.     

Effects of exogenous sphinganine, sphingosine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate on relaxation and contraction of porcine thoracic aortic and pulmonary arterial rings.

Fumonisin mycotoxicosis in pigs causes a decrease in mean aortic pressure, an increase in mean pulmonary arterial pressure, and increases in serum concentrations of sphinganine (3.2 microM) and sphingosine (1.4 microM). To determine a causal relationship between the hemodynamic changes and sphingolipid alterations, we examined the in vitro effects of sphinganine, sphingosine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate on porcine aortic and pulmonary arterial rings. Both sphinganine and sphingosine relaxed un-contracted and phenylephrine-contracted aortic rings at > or = 10 microM and > or = 1 microM, respectively. Sphingosine (> or = 10 microM) relaxed un-contracted and phenylephrine-contracted pulmonary arterial rings, whereas sphingosine-1-phosphate (10 microM) contracted pulmonary arterial rings. Sphingosine (3 microM) also impaired the contractile response of pulmonary artery rings to 60 mM KCl. The results suggested that the systemic hypotension caused by fumonisin is mediated, in part, by increases in serum sphinganine and sphingosine concentrations, and the pulmonary hypertension is mediated, in part, by increased sphingosine-1-phosphate concentrations.     

The effect of two low-dose propofol infusions on the relationship between six-pulse transcranial electrical stimulation and the evoked lower extremity muscle response

BACKGROUND: Transcranial stimulation of the motor cortex using high-voltage electrical stimuli given in train is a method of monitoring the integrity of the motor pathways during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the stimulus intensity and the corresponding amplitude of the myogenic motor evoked potential (tcMEP) in response to six-pulse transcranial electrical stimulation during two levels of low-dose propofol infusion and stable fentanyl/nitrous oxide anaesthesia. METHODS: Nine patients (37-78 yr) scheduled to undergo surgery on the thoracoabdominal aorta were studied. After achieving a stable anaesthetic state the output voltage was decreased with 50 V intervals from 350 V to 200 V during a target propofol infusion aimed at a plasma steady-state concentration of 0.7 microg x ml(-1) and increased with 50 V intervals from 200 V to 450 V during a target propofol infusion aimed at a plasma steady-state concentration of 1.4 microg x ml(-1). TcMEPs were recorded from the right tibialis anterior muscle. RESULTS: Doubling the target propofol infusion to 1.4 microg x ml(-1) resulted in a 30-50% decrease in tcMEP amplitude. The largest tcMEP amplitude using the six-pulse paradigm was found during a propofol infusion aimed at a plasma concentration of 0.7 microg x ml(-1) and demanded a stimulus output of 350 V, corresponding to a charge density of 7.5 microC x cm(-2) per phase. CONCLUSION: Doubling the target propofol infusion to 1.4 microg x ml(-1) provides less robust, but still recordable tcMEPs in response to six-pulse electrical stimulation. Safety guidelines are discussed.     

Long-term survival following emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Survival following emergency surgery for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm remains poor and is in stark contrast to that for elective repair. We have carried out a 5-year retrospective observational study to determine the long-term (5-year) survival of patients following emergency surgery for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm at a district general hospital in East Anglia. A total of 99 patients presented to the operating theatre for emergency repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in this 5-year study period. In-hospital mortality was 70% and was unchanged over the 5 years. Overall long-term survival in those patients discharged from hospital was good. The ICU cost per long-term survivor was calculated to be pound sterling 36750.     

胸痛发作小于3h的急性主动脉综合征与非ST段抬高型心肌梗死的差异化风险评估

目的 研究在胸痛发作小于3h的情况下,急性主动脉综合征(AAS)及非ST段抬高型心肌梗死(NSTEMI)的差异化风险评估.方法 回顾性分析AAS患者69例,NSTEMI患者136例,对两组数据进行统计学分析,比较组间差异.利用单因素及多因素Logistic回归分析评估AAS及NSTEMI的差异化风险因素.比较各差异化风...     

营养教育在腹主动脉瘤患者根治术后的临床应用

目的 探讨营养教育在腹主动脉瘤患者根治术中的应用价值。方法 选取2017年10月至2019年10月青岛市市立医院收治的行根治术的腹主动脉瘤患者96例,采用随机数字表法分为对照组(48例,行常规护理)和观察组(48例,行常规护理联合营养教育),比较两组康复效果、营养指标和生活质量,另参照焦虑自评量表(SAS)和抑郁自评量表(SDS)判定患者心理状态。结果 观察组首次排气时间、下床活动时间和住院时间短于对照组,心理状态评分低于对照组,依从性和生活质量综合评定问卷评分高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组患者体重为(68.16±6.32) kg,体质指数为(23.02±0.54)kg/m²,血清白蛋白水平为(37.2±2.4)g/L,血清转铁蛋白水平为(2.45±0.36)g/L,血清前白蛋白水平为(267.27±25.12)mg/L,总铁结合力为(56.17±6.24)μmol/L,高于对照组的(64.32±5.44)kg、(21.72±0.78)kg/m²、(32.1±1.8)g/L、(2.16±0.32)g/L、(215....     

胸主动脉夹层动脉瘤假腔壁力学分析的动物实验

目的从力学的角度分析腹主动脉瘤破裂和胸主动脉夹层动脉瘤破裂的原因。方法通过胸主动脉夹层假腔内外层的屈服形状改变比能,发现两者间的关系。结果60%的实验犬形成夹层模型。假腔内层的形状改变比能测试结果差异有统计学意义。结论当胸主动脉管壁遭遇大于内层屈服形状改变比能而又小于外层屈服形状改变比能的血流冲击时,就会导致中膜分离形成夹层。