超声心动图诊断左心室射血分数减低的左冠状动脉异常起源于肺动脉的效果分析

目的探讨左心室射血分数（LVEF）减低的左冠状动脉异常起源于肺动脉（ALCAPA）的超声心动图特点及手术效果。 方法选取2008年10月至2018年9月首都医科大学附属北京儿童医院ALCAPA患者28例，根据LVEF分为LVEF减低组（LVEF＜50%）19例和LVEF正常组（LVEF≥50%）9例，比较2组患者超声心动图表现，应用两独立样本t检验比较2组患者间超声参数的差异。手术患者（17例）分别于术后1 d、1个月、6个月、1年进行超声心动图随访，应用配对t检验与术前超声参数进行对比。 结果LVEF减低组患者LVEF为30%~48%，平均年龄5.4个月；LVEF正常组LVEF为60%~73%，平均年龄2.5岁。LVEF减低组与LVEF正常组相比，左心室舒张末期内径大［（131.95±24.24）mm/m² vs（85.67±20.26）mm/m²］，右冠状动脉内径小［（3.06±0.51）mm vs（4.01±0.62）mm］，差异具有统计学意义（t=-4.465、4.075，P均＜0.001），易形成室壁瘤。LVEF减低组中10例行手术治疗，7例超声心动图随访至术后1年；与术前相比，术后1 d开始左心室舒张末期内径逐渐回缩［（109.98±16.06）mm/m²、（99.49±12.02）mm/m²、（89.48±10.90）mm/m²、（80.03±8.09）mm/m² vs（123.26±12.40）mm/m²］，差异具有统计学意义（t=-2.668、-7.519、-5.413、-6.526，P=0.004、0.001、0.012、0.007），LVEF术后1个月开始恢复，术后6个月达正常水平［（45.50±9.57）%、（66.25±10.34）%、（67.25±4.50）% vs（38.83±7.05）%］，差异具有统计学意义（t=3.162、3.683、5.869，P=0.025、0.014、0.002）。 结论LVEF减低的ALCAPA患儿年龄小、心脏病变重，超声心动图可以准确作出诊断，但需要与心内膜弹力纤维增生症、扩张型心肌病相鉴别。ALCAPA手术治疗远期效果较好，超声心动图在术后随访中有重要作用。     

Saline contrast echocardiography for the detection of anomalous origin of pulmonary artery from aorta

Saline contrast echocardiography is a well‐established modality for the diagnosis of right‐to‐left shunt lesions. In this brief report, we demonstrate, for the first time, its usefulness in the diagnosis of anomalous origin of right pulmonary artery from aorta.     

Embracing oligodendrocyte diversity in the context of perinatal injury

Emerging evidence is fueling a new appreciation of oligodendrocyte diversity that is overturning the tradi-tional view that oligodendrocytes are a homogenous cell population. Oligodendrocytes of distinct origins, maturational stages, and regional locations may differ in their functional capacity or susceptibility to injury. One of the most unique qualities of the oligodendrocyte is its ability to produce myelin. Myelin abnormali-ties have been ascribed to a remarkable array of perinatal brain injuries, with concomitant oligodendrocyte dysregulation. Within this review, we discuss new insights into the diversity of the oligodendrocyte lineage and highlight their relevance in paradigms of perinatal brain injury. Future therapeutic development will be informed by comprehensive knowledge of oligodendrocyte pathophysiology that considers the particular facets of heterogeneity that this lineage exhibits.     

Fever of unknown origin in a Mediterranean survey from a division of internal medicine: report of 91 cases during a 12-year-period (1991–2002)

Despite the availability of all advanced diagnostic tools, fever of unknown origin (FUO) remains a diagnostic challenge for physicians. The objective was to define, through a retrospective study, the categories of the diseases of Sicilian patients admitted at the Department of Clinical Medicine and Emerging Diseases, University of Palermo, Italy, for classical FUO. Using the registration system for patients admitted from 1991 to 2002, 508 charts of patients admitted because of fever were reviewed. Of these, only 91 patients fulfilled the criteria for classical FUO. The origin of FUO was diagnosed in 62 (68.1%) patients. Infection was the most common cause of FUO with 29 cases (31.8% of total of FUO), neoplasms accounted for 13 cases (14.2%), collagen vascular disease for 11 cases (12.0%), and miscellaneous for 9 cases (9.8%). Undiagnosed FUO were 29 (31.8%) and, of them, 22 cases were followed-up for 2 years. A definite diagnosis could be established only in 8 cases, 13 subjects completely recovered and 4 of them died. In the 73.4% of cases, the FUO have been the result of misleading factors in the diagnostic approaches as made by the physician. The results of our study are similar to those already reported by other authors in other populations, with infections as first, neoplasm as second, and collagen vascular diseases as third most important causes of FUO. In our study the prognosis for undiagnosed FUO cases was good, but a definite diagnosis could be established only in few cases. Therefore, further multicentric, prospective studies of good design are required.     

Pulmonary artery origin of the left coronary artery: diagnosis by transoesophageal echocardiography in infancy

In two infants the anomalous origin of the left coronary arteryfrom the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) was detected prospectivelyby transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Colour flow mappingand pulsed Doppler ultrasound revealed a predominant right-to-leftshunt from the pulmonary artery to the left coronary artery.These findings were confirmed by angiography. Transihoracic echocardiography (TTE)failed to show the anomalousorigin of the left coronary artery or any abnormal pulmonaryflow pattern. TEE may be useful in the diagnosis of ALCAPA in selected cases,when TTE is inconclusive.