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The paper presents an analysis of correlations between long-term results of coronary arterial stenting and anticholesterol therapy with statins in 131 patients with chronic forms of coronary heart disease. The study revealed that anticholesterol therapy, when administered regardless the initial cholesterol level, improved the clinical condition of patients with initial hypercholesterolemia, and lowered the necessity of repeated endovascular procedures for restenosis and the progression of atherosclerotic changes. The necessity of repeated interventions is lowered by statin application rather than by normal levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins.

The authors analyzed the results of aortocoronary bypass surgery in correlation with the condition of the shunts and the native blood vessels. According to this analysis, 92.9% of the shunts were passable within 7.2 +/- 0.8 months of the surgery. Twelve shunts (four arterial and eight venous ones) had been occluded by the time of the control examination. Another ten shunts (five arterial and five venous ones) had hemodynamically significant stenoses. Concurrent blood flow was revealed in eight patients. According to comparative analysis, in cases of arterial shunting a good condition of the shunts was found in 95.6% of cases, while in patients with venous shunts the shunts were in a good condition in 88.1% of cases. Depending on the type of connection, the passability was satisfactory in 91.2% of straight shunts, in 94.5% of sequential shunts, and in 71.4% of Y-shaped ones. Analysis of changes in the native coronary arteries revealed progression of atherosclerosis in the bypassed arteries proximally to the site of anastomosis in 27 (25.5%) patients. An increase in the degree of stenosis distally of the site of anastomosis was found in 8 (7.5%) of patients; in another 7 (6.6%) patients similar changes were revealed in non-bypassed arteries. The surgery led to the disappearance of anginous manifestations and a negative result of a physical load test in most patients.

The paper presents the results of treatment in patients with chronic heart disease by coronary stenting. Endovascular interventions have been found to be highly effective in attenuating the clinical manifestations, in improving the results of exercise tests, and in reducing needs for medical treatment. The late postoperative factors influencing the higher incidence of stent stenosis have been studied.

USI and CT were performed in 14 patients with textile foreign bodies left in the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space during operation on the biliary tracts (6 cases), kidneys (4 cases), pancreas (2), stomach (1), and during appendectomy (1). A decisive sign in USI that enabled one to detect gauze foreign bodies, was a stable echogenic zone corresponding to a proximal body contour with a solid acoustic shadow behind. Extra-organic localization of these changes contributed to making diagnosis. A certain amount of fluid could be seen around a foreign body during an exudative reaction. In CT, diagnosis was based on the detection of a formation with a capsule containing calcinates and air masses.

The paper discusses the data on 229 cases of lung pathology including 85 with cancer. Sensitivity and specificity were 89.4 and 86% for standard X-ray procedures and 91.8 and 90.3% for computed tomography, respectively. Combined application of the methods was followed by a rise in the parameters to 94.1 and 93%, respectively. Computed tomography proved useful for early detection of lung metastases.

The paper is concerned with analysis of the results of X-ray investigation of 45 patients with aneurysms of the distal part of the arch and descending part of the thoracic aorta. Errors were made in 16 of 35 patients (35.6%) before admittance to hospital. X-ray investigation helped to establish correct diagnosis of aneurysm of the aorta in 42 of 45 patients (93.3%) on the basis of the detection of intense additional shadow formation in left pulmonary field, inseparable from the aortic shadow. The use of a new method of ultrasound diagnosis--duplex scanning--made it possible to establish the presence of aneurysm and to determine its sizes as well as to visualize the relation of the left subclavicular artery to aneurysm in 17 of 21 patients. CT-semiotics of aneurysms of the descending part of the thoracic aorta consisted in its dilatation over 3.5 cm, wall calcification, thrombosis of the cavity and change of the adjacent structures. Basing on the analysis of these signs correct diagnosis was established in 34 of 35 examinees (97.1%).

Possibilities of noninvasive radial diagnostics were studied in examination of 27 patients with dissecting aneurysms of the aorta. Classical X-ray examinations of chest organs have diagnosed aorta wall dissection in 2 of 24 patients. In 19 patients the diagnosis of aorta dissection was suspected. The ultrasound examination gave correct diagnosis in 3 of 4 patients examined. The non-contrast computed tomography has revealed dissecting aneurysms in 8 of 24 patients, an investigation with the intravenous injection of the contrast substance--in 13 of 15 patients. The diagnosis was based upon the detection of 2 canals of the aorta with the dissected intima between them, thrombosis of the false aorta canal and accumulation of the liquid in the pleura and pericardium cavity. When planning operative procedures it becomes necessary to perform aortography.

The paper is concerned with the results of x-ray and CT investigations conducted in 62 patients with suspected aneurysm of the thoracic aorta. The diagnosis was confirmed in 56. Of them 38 patients were operated on, 2 died without surgical intervention. X-ray investigations permitted differential diagnosis of mediastinal formations in 91.5% of cases. However in 2 cases when the combined method of intravenous administration of a contrast medium by means of a syringe was not used, aneurysmal aortic dilatation was not detected by CT. This method was found to be effective for diagnosis of complications of aneurysms of the thoracic aorta (calcinosis, aortic wall stratification and thrombosis of aneurysmal cavity).

Altogether 70 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms were investigated. Of them 23 (32.9%) were investigated with prior diagnostic errors. In 13 patients the diagnosis of thoracic aortic aneurysm was made during erroneously performed thoracotomies (12 patients) and laparotomies (one patients). Diagnostic errors leading to bad tactical mistakes, were caused by insufficient patients' examination and wrong interpretation of x-ray findings.