Atypical Abnormal Pulmonary Vein Drainage with Atrial Septal Defect: Surgical Treatment

Sinus venosus atrial septal defect (SV‐ASD) usually coexists with partial anomalous pulmonary vein connection (PAPVC). It is a difficult diagnosis in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) due to eccentric position of defects. We present a rare case of atypical anatomical variation in PAPVC, which was never described before. Two right pulmonary veins drained into superior vena cava, which overrode SV‐ASD and interatrial septum, a third pulmonary vein into the right atrium. Complete diagnosis could not be set after TTE, nor transesophageal echocardiography, whereas angio‐CT was finally conclusive. This diagnostic approach allowed the surgical planning.     

Pediatric cardiac computed tomography angiography: Expert consensus from the Filiale de Cardiologie Pédiatrique et Congénitale (FCPC) and the Société Française d’Imagerie Cardiaque et Vasculaire diagnostique et interventionnelle (SFICV)

This article was designed to provide a pediatric cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) expert panel consensus based on opinions of experts of the Société Française d’Imagerie Cardiaque et Vasculaire diagnostique et interventionnelle (SFICV) and of the Filiale de Cardiologie Pédiatrique Congénitale (FCPC). This expert panel consensus includes recommendations for indications, patient preparation, CTA radiation dose reduction techniques, and post-processing techniques. The consensus was based on data from available literature (original papers, reviews and guidelines) and on opinions of a group of specialists with extensive experience in the use of CT imaging in congenital heart disease. In order to reach high potential and avoid pitfalls, CCTA in children with congenital heart disease requires training and experience. Moreover, pediatric cardiac CCTA protocols should be standardized to acquire optimal images in this population with the lowest radiation dose possible to prevent unnecessary radiation exposure. We also provided a suggested structured report and a list of acquisition protocols and technical parameters in relation to specific vendors.     

血管内支架成形术治疗症状性椎动脉起始部狭窄的疗效分析

目的研究血管内支架成形术治疗症状性椎动脉起始部狭窄的安全性及有效性。方法对16例症状性椎动脉起始部狭窄的患者行支架成形术治疗。16例患者均成功植入球囊扩张支架。结果术后11例患者恢复正常管径;5例患者狭窄程度明显改善,残余狭窄均小于20%。无1例发生严重并发症。在6个月的临床随访中,16例患者均无脑缺血发作及再狭窄发生。结论血管内支架成形术是治疗症状性椎动脉起始部狭窄的安全、有效方法,其长期疗效还需进一步随访研究。     

多层螺旋CT血管成像在支气管动脉灌注化疗前的定位价值

目的探讨多层螺旋CT血管成像(MSCTA)在支气管动脉(BA)灌注化疗前的定位价值。方法分析15例经支气管动脉介入治疗前的的肺癌病例,中央型13例,周围型2例。15例均行螺旋CT增强扫描,后传至工作站利用多平面重组(MPR)、最大密度投影(MIP)和容积再现(VR)等后处理技术观察支气管动脉。结果13例中央型肺癌均由肿瘤性支气管动脉供血,重建图像清晰显示肿瘤性支气管动脉的起点、分支情况及走行特点;其中2例右侧肿瘤性支气管动脉与肋间动脉共干。2例周围型肺癌中有1例由肿瘤性支气管动脉供血,1例找不到明确发自支气管动脉的供血血管。结论多层螺旋CT血管成像能够显示肺癌特别是中央型肺癌的肿瘤性支气管动脉并能为经支气管动脉灌注化疗提供准确定位。     

Vascular Centerline Extraction in 3D MR Angiograms for Phase Contrast MRI Blood Flow Measurement

The accuracy of 2D phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) depends on the alignment between the vessels and the imaging plane. PC MRA imaging of blood flow is challenging when the flow in several vessels is to be evaluated with one acquisition. For this purpose, semi-automatic determination of the plane most perpendicular to several vessels is proposed based on centerlines extracted from 3D MRA. Arterial centerlines are extracted from 3D MRA based on iterative estimation-prediction, multi-scale analysis of image moments, and a second-order shape model. The optimal plane is determined by minimizing misalignment between its normal vector and the centerlines’ tangent vectors. The method was evaluated on a phantom and on 35 patients, by seeking the optimal plane for cerebral blood flow quantification simultaneously in internal carotids and vertebral arteries. In the phantom, difference of orientation and of height between known and calculated planes was 1.2° and 2.5 mm, respectively. In the patients, all but one centerline were correctly extracted and the misalignment of the plane was within 12° per artery. Semi-automatic centerline extraction simplifies and automates determination of the plane orthogonal to one vessel, thereby permitting automatic simultaneous minimization of the misalignment with several vessels in PC MRA.     

带血管蒂舟骨瓣移位术的应用解剖

目的:为治疗距骨骨折提供新术式的解剖学基础.方法:在30侧灌注红色乳胶的成人下肢标本上,对舟骨背侧面形态、血供来源进行观测.结果:舟骨背侧面动脉主要来自内踝前动脉、跗内侧动脉以及足底内侧动脉浅支,分别发3～5支、1～3支和1～2支外径在0.2～1.0mm之间的骨膜支,形成骨膜动脉网.结论:以内踝前血管为蒂,可切取舟骨背侧2.0cm×1.0cm×0.5cm大小的骨瓣,用于距骨颈骨折修复.术式经临床应用证实,手术简便,效果可靠.     

Left Ventricular Transvenous Electrode Dislodgement After Mustard Repair for Transposition of the Great Arteries

An 11-year-old girl who underwent Mustard's operation for complete transposition of the great arteries in infancy, developed Mobitz type II second-degree AV block 81/2 years later. A transvenous, active fixation left ventricular lead was inserted and connected to a rate responsive pacemaker. Two years later the lead dislodged due to the child's growth. A new active fixation electrode was positioned in the left ventricle below the pulmonary valve, leaving an electrode loop in the ventricle. Such an approach may prevent lead dislodgement due to growth after intraatrial repair for transposition of the great arteries, but regular radiological or echocardiographic follow-up of lead position is recommended in these patients.     

AUGMENTATION OF ANGIOTENSIN II RELEASE FROM ISOLATED MESENTERIC ARTERIES OF WISTAR-KYOTO AND SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS FOLLOWING NEPHRECTOMY

1. We previously reported that angiotensin II release from the mesenteric arteries of Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) increased in a time-dependent manner as a result of the isolation of the arteries and perfusion. This phenomenon appeared to be due to the withdrawal of circulating angiotensin II (AII). 2. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that vascular AII generation may be negatively regulated by circulating AII in WKY and SHR, and to clarify the role of this vascular angiotensin II in the sustained hypertension of SHR following nephrectomy. 3. The mesenteric arteries from kidney-intact and nephrectomized WKY and SHR were perfused and the amount of AII released into the perfusate was measured. The effects of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, and the effects of supplementation of renal renin and circulating angiotensins to nephrectomized rats, by blood exchange between kidney-intact and nephrectomized rats, on AII release were examined to clarify the pathway of vascular AII generation after nephrectomy. 4. Nephrectomy caused augmentation of vascular AII release both in WKY and SHR in spite of the abolishment of circulating renin. Captopril reduced this enhanced release of AII, but blood exchange did not affect it. There was no significant difference in these responses between WKY and SHR. 5. These results suggest that WKY and SHR have in common a potent pathway for production of vascular AII in response to the withdrawal of circulating AII, although this pathway is not responsible for the sustained hypertension of SHR after nephrectomy. The precise pathophysiological role of this pathway remains to be elucidated.     

Early assessment of renal resistance index after kidney transplant can help predict long-term renal function.

BACKGROUND: Color Doppler ultrasonography of intrarenal arterial resistance index (RI), performed early after kidney transplant, has proven to reliably predict short-term allograft function. The aim of this study was to assess whether it could also predict long-term renal function. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 76 kidney transplant patients who underwent RI assessment within 1 month after the transplant, subdivided into two groups according to RI values, lower (group A) or higher (group B) than its median value (0.635). RESULTS: Compared with group A subjects, the patients of group B were older at the time of transplant (42 +/- 9 vs 35 +/- 8 years; P = 0.001), the donor age was also older (41 +/- 16 vs 33 +/- 13 years; P = 0.02) and had a slightly higher proteinuria (0.54 +/- 0.5 vs 0.32 +/- 0.2 g/24 h; P = 0.02). Serum creatinine, ciclosporin or tacrolimus trough level, arterial blood pressure, number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches, anti-hypertensive medications and incidence of delayed graft function were not significantly different between the two groups. By univariate analysis, RI turned out to directly correlate with the recipient age, donor age and daily proteinuria (P = 0.007, P = 0.0007 and P = 0.02, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that only donor and recipient age maintained their independent predictive value on RI. Kaplan-Meier analysis, considering a serum creatinine increase >50% as the endpoint of the study, showed a statistically significant different graft survival in the two groups (log-rank test = 5.489; P = 0.01). The univariate relative risk of deterioration of graft function among patients with higher RI was 3.77. Proteinuria and recipient age increased the risk as well. CONCLUSIONS: Our data seem to suggest that early determination of RI can help predict long-term graft function in kidney transplant recipients.