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We report two cases of membranous obstruction of the inferior vena cava (MOIVC) in which we observed patchy calcification in the membrane. The location of the calcification in the membrane was confirmed histologically. This finding was found histologically in four of eight cases of MOIVC, and it is a useful finding in the CT diagnosis of MOIVC.

A case of primary myelofibrosis that showed intrahepatic periportal extramedullary hematopoiesis on CT and sonography is presented. Pathological correlation of the autopsy material was obtained. It should be included in the differential diagnosis of periportal abnormality on CT.

We investigated the effects of three different drugs, nilvadipine (NV), nicardipine (NC) and hydralazine (HD), having calcium entry blocking and/or vasodilating properties, on blood pressure, heart weight and venous distensibility in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). All of these drugs (1.0 and/or 3.2 mg/kg/day, s.c., 12-14 weeks) countered to almost the same extent the development of hypertension in young SHRs and lowered high blood pressure in the older SHRs. In both age-groups, on the other hand, ventricular weight/body weight ratios for the NV-treated group, but not for the NC- or HD-treated group, were significantly smaller than those for the corresponding vehicle-treated group. In addition, lower body venous pressure-volume curves, which were measured on the day after the last drug administration, shifted dose-dependently in the direction of the volume for the NV-treated group, indicating that venous distensibility was expanded by NV. NC and HD did not have such an effect at the same hypotensive doses. We conclude that NV prevented the development of hypertension and lowered high blood pressure in SHRs. NV also improved cardiac hypertrophy and decreased venous capacity. The depressant effect of NV on cardiac hypertrophy may be due not only to its hypotensive effect, but also, at least partially, to its venodilating effect.

A 62-year-old woman who had a diastolic murmur was found to have an unusual type of coronary arterial fistula between bilateral coronary arteries and the left ventricle by selective coronary angiography. This anomaly appeared to be of no functional significance. The diastolic murmur was the only audible sign of the fistulous communications in this case.