主动脉夹层50例临床分析

目的 探讨主动脉夹层(AD)的临床表现，以便早期诊断和治疗，降低死亡率。方法 对50例AD患者的临床表现、影像学检查、治疗经过及死亡原因进行回顾性分析。结果 50例行心脏超声检查，确诊者43例(90％)；21例行CT检查。21例诊断为主动脉夹层(100％)；行磁共振显像(MRI)27例，均确诊为主动脉夹层(100％)。经治疗好转出院42例(84％)，1例并发脑梗死且留有一侧肢体活动障碍后遗症。7例死亡(占14％)。结论 早期诊断，有效治疗是降低死亡率的关键，CT、MRI可提供可靠的确诊依据。     

64层螺旋CT三联检查在急性胸痛诊断中的应用

目的探讨64层螺旋CT（MSCT）三联检查显示急性胸痛患者肺动脉、胸主动脉和冠状动脉病变的能力及其临床应用价值。方法70例患者进行64层MSCT回顾性心电门控肺动脉、胸主动脉和冠状动脉联合检查。采用多平面重组（MPR）、最大密度投影（MIP）、曲面重组（CPR）及容积再现（VR）多种重组技术显示肺动脉、胸主动脉和冠状动脉，评价成像质量能否满足临床诊断需要。结果平均扫描时间（8．5±1．0）s，总对比剂用量100ml。肺动脉和主动脉增强后CT值均≥200HU者占95．7％（67／70）；冠状动脉显影图像质量优的节段占85．8％（720／839），图像质量良的节段占8．6％（72／839），图像质量差的节段占5．6％（47／839）。共检出冠状动脉狭窄≥50％者20例，肺动脉栓塞2例，主动脉夹层2例。结论64层MSCT三联检查能够在8s左右1次扫描完成肺动脉、胸主动脉和冠状动脉检查，图像质量可以满足临床诊断需要，在急性胸痛病因诊断中具有很高的临床应用价值。     

Acute type a aortic dissection complicated with acute inferior myocardial infarction following aortic valve replacement

Acute aortic dissection complicated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most fatal situation. We experienced the successful treatment for acute type A aortic dissection complicated with inferior AMI following aortic valve replacement (AVR). A 60-year-old man had had AVR for aortic regurgitation. Sixteen months after the AVR, he had a sudden onset of severe chest pain with complete atrioventricular block. Immediately, temporary pacing and cardiac catheterization were conducted, showing the occlusion of the right coronary artery due to acute type A aortic dissection. On his way to our hospital, direct current shock was conducted 3 times for ventricular fibrillation. We replaced the ascending aorta combined with coronary artery bypass grafting and the postoperative course was uneventful. The key to treat acute aortic dissection complicated with AMI is early accurate diagnosis, prompt temporary pacing for bradycardia, defibrillation for lethal arrhythmia and insertion of a perfusion catheter if possible. These preoperative hemodynamic stabilization gives us the chance to save these patients.     

医疗纠纷尸检86例法医学分析

目的：以法医学观点分析讨论医疗纠纷尸检的意义和重要性。方法：从本系1993年－2001年9月尸检资料中选出涉及医疗纠纷的86例资料，经驻表格逐一登记，分类整理，最后进行分析。结果：医疗纠纷的发生率逐年增多，且多集中于儿科（20例，23.2%)、产科（19例，22.1%)、内科（16例，18.6%)、诊所（10例，11.6%)、外科（9例，10.5%)等。医疗纠纷多与院内猝死、难以避免的并发症死亡、临床诊断不清、误诊、误治及医务人员态度不好等有关。结论：医疗纠纷的发生与许多因素有关，法医受理医疗纠纷尸检在程序上有利于取得社会公信，并有利于纠纷的最终解决。     

Extension of the “Elephant Trunk” Technique in Complex Aortic Pathology: The “Bidirectional” Option

Background. The “elephant trunk” technique, using a free-floating vascular prosthesis, was originally described to facilitate a subsequent operation on the downstream aorta. We developed an additional refinement of this technique, called the “bidirectional elephant trunk.” This option may represent an interesting tool in more complex aortic operations, especially when the descending aorta has to be replaced first in patients with concomitant pathology of the ascending aorta or of the aortic arch.

Methods. The initial operation is performed through a left thoracotomy. The proximal elephant trunk is created by invaginating the future aortic arch graft into the descending aortic graft. The proximal anastomosis between the doubled graft and the proximal descending aorta is performed first. During construction of the distal anastomosis, a distal elephant trunk may be inserted likewise. If the aortic arch and ascending aorta have to be replaced later, this second step is performed through a median sternotomy. The free-floating arch graft is pulled out of the proximal descending aorta with a nerve hook, unfolded, and used for total arch replacement.

Results. This technique was used successfully in 3 patients without mortality. No major complications were observed excepted persistent hoarseness in a patient with preoperative paresis of the recurrent nerve. No perfusion problems due to the unfolding of the free-floating graft occurred during the second operation.

Conclusions. The bidirectional elephant trunk technique is an interesting option that may be suitable for patients presenting with a complex pathology of the whole thoracic aorta when the descending segment has to be replaced first.     

Immediate postgadolinium spoiled gradient-echo MRI for evaluating the abdominal aorta in the setting of abdominal MR examination

To assess the reproducibility and image quality of immediate postgadolinium chelate spoiled gradient-echo MRI in demonstrating disease of the abdominal aorta. All patients (27 patients: 21 men, 6 women) with substantial disease of the abdominal aorta, who underwent abdominal MR examinations at 1.5 T between 1991 and 1995, were entered in the study. Patients were referred for evaluation of suspected aortic disease (14 patients) or other abdominal diseases (13 patients). Three experienced investigators manually measured luminal and external aortic wall diameters and rated image quality, definition of inner and outer walls, extent of disease, and presence of other abdominal abnormalities, in an independent fashion. A cardiovascular surgeon then rated all studies to determine whether clinical management could be based on the MR findings alone. There was 98 to 99% agreement in measurements of luminal and external wall diameter between the three investigators. Overall image quality was rated as good in 77.8 to 88.9% of patients. A total of 31 additional nonaortic abdominal abnormalities were detected by all observers. The cardiovascular surgeon rated 25 of 27 studies as adequate to determine clinical management based on MR findings alone. Immediate postgadolinium spoiled gradient-echo MRI is a reproducible technique for the demonstration of abdominal aortic disease and possesses good image quality. Advantages of this technique include simultaneous evaluation of other nonvascular diseases of the abdomen, short examination time, and easy implementation as part of routine abdominal MRI scanning protocol.     

Lymphatic drainage of the gallbladder

Based upon detailed dissections of the lymphatic system in adult cadavers, the lymphatic drainage of the gallbladder was divided into three pathways: (1) The cholecystoretropancreatic pathway, which had two routes, one running spirally from the anterior surface of the common bile duct to the right rear, and the other running almost straight down from the posterior surface of the common bile duct. These routes converged at the principal retroportal node at the posterior surface of the head of the pancreas. (2) The cholecysto-celiac pathway; this was the route running to the left through the hepatoduodenal ligament to reach the celiac nodes. (3) The cholecysto-mesenteric pathway; this was the route running to the left in front of the portal vein to connect with the nodes at the superior mesenteric root. The cholecysto-retropancreatic pathway can be regarded as the main pathway, and the principal retroportal node appeared to be critical as the main terminal node in the visceral lymphatic system of the gallbladder. These three pathways converged with the abdomino-aortic lymph nodes near the left renal vein, and the nodes in the interaortico-caval space were considered to be of particular importance. Offprint requests to: M. Ito     

Prevalence and localization of nodal metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: role and extension of neck dissection

Lymph node (LN) metastases represent the most important negative prognostic factor in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, even though controversies still exist regarding their management. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze our experience in surgical management of SCC of the oral cavity with particular focus on the prevalence and localization of lymph nodal metastases and recurrences. The clinical records of 89 consecutive patients treated from 1983 to 2002 by concomitant surgery on both the T and N sites, excluding those undergoing salvage surgery, were reviewed. A total of 119 neck dissections (ND) were performed. Survival outcomes were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method, while univariate comparisons by the log-rank and non-parametric tests were performed between different groups of patients. Five-year overall and determinate survivals were 50 and 57%, respectively. LN metastases were observed in 52% (56% of these showing extracapsular spread) and their presence strongly correlated with determinate survival (p < 0.0001). The prevalence of clinical and occult nodal disease was not related to the pT status. Neck levels II (59%) and I (56%) were most frequently involved. Metastases to level IV accounted for 15% of positive LN, even though 28% of them turned out to be skip metastases. Five neck recurrences were observed, only one of which was salvaged by surgery. The high prevalence of clinical and occult LN metastases in this setting suggests that ND should be performed on a nearly routine basis, even for lesions with a low-T category and a cN0 neck. Moreover, ND should always encompass level IV due to the possibility of skip metastases, particularly in tumors involving the oral tongue. In patients with a cN+ neck, levels from I to V should be addressed, particularly in the presence of metastases at levels III and IV.     

Aortic regurgitation secondary to diastolic prolapse of a tubular intimal flap into the left ventricle in a patient with anuloaortic ectasia

A 32-year-old man with distal skeletal manifestations of Marfan's syndrome had experienced shortness of breath and orthopnea for one month. Physical examination showed the presence of severe aortic regurgitation. Both noninvasive and invasive studies revealed that the aortic regurgitation was induced by previously undescribed peculiar and unusual etiology: diastolic prolapse of a circumferentially dissected tubular intimal flap into the left ventricle. The patient underwent surgical repair with striking clinical improvement.