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Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of single Judkins left (JL) catheter to view right and left coronary artery in right transradial coronary angiography. Methods: A total of 266 patients underwent coronary angiography from the right radial artery were studied prospectively. Patients with ad-hoc percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), peripheral angiography, ventriculography or aortography procedures (67 patients) were excluded from the study. Coronary angiography was performed with the JL catheter as single catheter group in 171 of the remaining 199 patients, and with the Judkins right and left catheters as the control group in the other 28 patients. Complications, procedure success, procedure time and fluoroscopy time were evaluated between the two groups. Results: Procedure success were 93% (159/171) in patients with a single catheter group and 96.4% (27/28) in patients with two catheter (Judkins right and left) group (control group) (p = 0.49). Complications (spasm) are the same between the two groups (8 of 171 [4.7%] patients in study group and 1 of 28 [3.6%] patients in control group, p = 0.79). Fluroscopy time in single JL catheter group was significantly higher (6.20 ± 4.97 min vs 3.76 ± 2.78 min, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Single JL catheter using to view right and left coronary artery in right transradial coronary angiography was safe and effective. In our study, the success rate of getting left and right coronary artery images with a single JL catheter as high as 93%. However, insisting on imaging with a single catheter extends the duration of fluoroscopy time Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of single Judkins left (JL) catheter to view right and left coronary artery in right transradial coronary angiography. Methods: A total of 266 patients underwent coronary angiography from the right radial artery were studied prospectively. Patients with ad-hoc percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), peripheral angiography, ventriculography or aortography procedures (67 patients) were excluded from the study. Coronary angiography was performed with the JL catheter as single catheter group in 171 of the remaining 199 patients, and with the Judkins right and left catheters as the control group in the other 28 patients. Complications, procedure success, procedure time and fluoroscopy time were evaluated between the two groups. Results: Procedure success were 93% (159/171) in patients with a single catheter group and 96.4% (27/28) in patients with two catheter (Judkins right and left) group (control group) (p = 0.49). Complications (spasm) are the same between the two groups (8 of 171 [4.7%] patients in study group and 1 of 28 [3.6%] patients in control group, p = 0.79). Fluroscopy time in single JL catheter group was significantly higher (6.20 ± 4.97 min vs 3.76 ± 2.78 min, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Single JL catheter using to view right and left coronary artery in right transradial coronary angiography was safe and effective. In our study, the success rate of getting left and right coronary artery images with a single JL catheter as high as 93%. However, insisting on imaging with a single catheter extends the duration of fluoroscopy time [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This publication reviews the steps in the path towards obtaining a complete image of the brain. Up to the 1920s, plain X-ray films could demonstrate only calcified tumors, shifts in midline position of a calcified pineal gland due to a mass in the cranium, or foreign metallic objects within the skull. Walter Dandy reported in 1918 that he visualized cerebral ventricles by introducing air as a contrast agent through a trocar into one of the occipital lobes or the right frontal horn of the ventricular system. Dandy localized lesions that distorted or shifted the ventricles. In 1920, Dandy placed air by lumbar puncture into the spinal subarachnoid space that could visualize the brain and entire ventricles. Antonio Egas Moniz with the assistance of his neurosurgeon colleague, Almeida Lima, obtained X-ray images of cerebral arteries of dogs and decapitated human heads from corpses after injecting strontium bromide into their carotid arteries. Satisfied by these experiments, Moniz injected strontium bromide directly into carotid arteries of five patients which failed to show intracranial vessels. In the sixth patient, intracranial arteries were outlined but that patient died of cerebral thrombosis presumably due to the hyperosmolality of that contrast agent. Finally, on June 18, 1927, Moniz injected 22% sodium iodine into a 20-year-old man and obtained clear visualization of his carotid artery and intracerebral branches after temporarily occluding the artery with a ligature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute intracranial hypertension (IH) is commonly found in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Some magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings that are suggestive of acute IH and are thus important for planning treatment and improving clinical outcomes have been reported; however, the significance of changes in ventricular size in the presence of acute CVT-related IH remains unclear. Purpose: To investigate changes in ventricular size in patients with CVT-related IH by MRI and to determine whether such changes are predictors of IH in these patients. Material and Methods: Forty patients with CVT-related IH and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers who had undergone T1-weighted volumetric MRI were enrolled in this retrospective study and allocated to one of the following three groups: IH pre-treatment group (Day 1); IH post-treatment group (Day 30); and controls. Data concerning the volume of the ventricular system were compared between the groups. Results: The volumes of the ventricular system in the three groups were 16.10 ± 8.22 cm3, 16.14 ± 8.14 cm3, and 15.10 ± 4.75 cm3, respectively. The volumes of the ventricular system were similar in pre-treatment and post-treatment patients with IH (P = 0.982) and controls (P = 0.446). Conclusion: The lack of a significant difference in ventricular system volumes between the three study groups suggests that changes in ventricular size are neither a reliable MRI predictor of acute CVT-related IH caused by CVT or a predictor of the short-term prognosis (30 days) of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: Nous rapportons le cas d'une femme de 68 ans présentant un tableau de syndrome coronarien aigu, avec, à la ventriculographie, un aspect typique de ballonisation apicale en faveur d'une cardiomyopathie de stress, et à l'échographie, une altération de la fréquence d'éjection ventriculaire gauche (FEVG), avec un gradient sous-aortique maximal supérieur à 50 mmHg. Le gradient sera levé après titration en aténolol intraveineux. Récupération totale de la FEVG après deux jours d'hospitalisation. Le syndrome de tako-tsubo touche principalement les femmes âgées dans un contexte de stress physique ou psychique. L'hypothèse physiopathologique principale repose sur une hypersensibilité myocardique en réponse à la libération de catécholamines. La prévalence de l'obstruction sous-aortique dans la cardiopathie de stress est imprécise et doit être systématiquement recherchée. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of our study was to assess the agreement between pre- and post-natal measurements in prenatal isolated ventriculomegaly.Methods: Ninety-two women were referred for lateral ventricular abnormality and followed prospectively. Cases with at least one dilated lateral ventricle ≥10 mm and a normal work up (serological tests, detailed anatomical scan, fetal brain MR imaging, genetic counseling, and amniocentesis) were considered idiopathic ventriculomegaly and comprised the study group for post-natal follow up. Prenatal measurements were performed by ultrasound and MR imaging. Post-natal measurements were performed by cranial sonography at age of 1-3 months. Measurements were performed in the customary plane for each modality. Paired Student's t test was used to assess the mean difference between pre- and postnatal measurements.Results: Forty three cases comprised the study group for post-natal measurements. A statistically significant decrease in ventricular width (p < .001) was observed between pre- and post-natal measurements. On clinical follow up for 24 months, all cases were normal except three who demonstrated very mild neurological deficits.Conclusions: Our study indicates statistically significant regression of prenatal isolated ventriculomegaly in the post-natal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Very little is known about the incidence and prevalence of hydrocephalus in patients with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS). The biggest challenge is to distinguish communicating hydrocephalus from ventricular dilatation secondary to brain atrophy, because both conditions share common clinical and neuroradiological features. The main purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between ventriculomegaly, brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes, aqueductal and cervical CSF flows, and CSF opening pressure in MPS patients, and to provide potential biomarkers for abnormal CSF circulation. Methods: Forty-three MPS patients (12 MPS I, 15 MPS II, 5 MPS III, 9 MPS IV A and 2 MPS VI) performed clinical and developmental tests, and T1, T2, FLAIR and phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) followed by a lumbar puncture with the CSF opening pressure assessment. For the analysis of MRI variables, we measured the brain and CSF volumes, white matter (WM) lesion load, Evans' index, third ventricle width, callosal angle, dilated perivascular spaces (PVS), craniocervical junction stenosis, aqueductal and cervical CSF stroke volumes, and CSF glycosaminoglycans concentration. Results: All the scores used to assess the supratentorial ventricles enlargement and the ventricular CSF volume presented a moderate correlation with the aqueductal CSF stroke volume (ACSV). The CSF opening pressure did not correlate either with the three measures of ventriculomegaly, or the ventricular CSF volume, or with the ACSV. Dilated PVS showed a significant association with the ventriculomegaly, ventricular CSF volume and elevated ACSV. Conclusions: In MPS patients ventriculomegaly is associated with a severe phenotype, increased cognitive decline, WM lesion severity and enlarged PVS. The authors have shown that there are associations between CSF flow measurements and measurements related to CSF volumetrics. There was also an association of volumetric measurements with the degree of dilated PVS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is no facile quantitative method for monitoring hydrocephalus (HCP). We propose quantitative computed tomography (CT) ventriculography (qCTV) as a novel computer vision tool for empirically assessing HCP in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods Twenty patients with SAH who were evaluated for ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement were selected for inclusion. Ten patients with normal head computed tomography (CTH) findings were analyzed as negative controls. CTH scans were segmented both manually and automatically (by qCTV) to generate measures of ventricular volume. Results The median manually calculated ventricular volume was 36.1 cm 3 (interquartile range [IQR], 30–115 cm 3 ), which was similar to the median qCTV measured volume of 37.5 cm 3 (IQR, 32–118 cm 3 ) ( P = 0.796). Patients undergoing VPS placement demonstrated an increase in median ventricular volume on qCTV from 21 cm 3 to 40 cm 3 on day T-2 and to 51 cm 3 by day 0, a change of 144%. This is in contrast to patients who did not require shunting, in whom median ventricular volume decreased from 16 cm 3 to 14 cm 3 on day T-2 and to 13 cm 3 by day 0, with an average overall volume decrease 19% ( P = 0.001). The average change in ventricular volume predicted which patients would require VPS placement, successfully identifying 7 of 10 patients ( P = 0.004). Using an optimized cutoff of a change in ventricular volume of 2.5 cm 3 identified all patients who went on to require VPS placement (10 of 10; P = 0.011). Conclusions qCTV is a reliable means of quantifying ventricular volume and hydrocephalus. This technique offers a new tool for monitoring neurosurgical patients for hydrocephalus, and may be beneficial for use in future research studies, as well as in the routine care of patients with hydrocephalus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a rare condition that may lead to intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) in the fetus or neonate. Platelet alloimmunisation causing FNAIT has been described in association with fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly (VM), presumably due to subclinical ICH. The objective of this study was to assess the association between fetal VM and platelet alloimmunisation.Methods: This is a case series of pregnancies with fetal VM screened for platelet alloantibodies from 2003 to 2012. Cases of multiple pregnancies, structural anomalies, aneuploidies, or congenital infection were excluded.Results: Of 45 pregnancies with fetal VM that were screened for platelet alloantibodies, 5 (11%) were positive. There was only one antenatal ICH, with confirmed fetal severe thrombocytopenia before termination of pregnancy. The other cases were treated with intravenous immunoglobulins without prior fetal blood sampling. No other case of neonatal thrombocytopenia was confirmed.Conclusions: The prevalence of platelet alloimmunisation was high in this series of fetal VM. Prospective large studies are needed to confirm the role of platelet alloimmunisation in fetal VM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The association between preexisting ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt and the risk of new-onset acute appendicitis in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not well established. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationships between VP shunt and acute appendicitis in patients with TBI. Methods A longitudinal cohort study matched by a propensity score in patients with TBI with (4781 patients) or without (9562 patients) VP shunt was conducted using the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan between January 1993 and December 2013. Results The main outcome studied was diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The cumulative probability of acute appendicitis was not different between these 2 groups ( P = 0.6244). A Cox model showed central nervous system (CNS) infection to be an independent predictor of acute appendicitis with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.98. Patients with TBI with both a VP shunt and a CNS infection had a greater risk of developing new-onset acute appendicitis (hazard ratio 4.25; 95% confidence interval 1.84–9.81) compared patients with TBI without a VP shunt or CNS infection. Conclusions We concluded that VP shunt is not a risk factor in the development of appendicitis in patients with TBI. Patients with TBI with a shunt and a CNS infection may have a greater risk of developing acute appendicitis. Therefore, care in avoiding CNS infection is a key for the prevention acute appendicitis in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the case of a female infant referred for prenatal MR evaluation of ventriculomegaly, which had been attributed by the referring obstetrician to aqueductal stenosis. Fetal MR confirmed ventriculomegaly but also demonstrated cerebral volume loss and white matter abnormalities. After birth, the infant developed persistent lactic acidosis. A diagnosis of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency was made on the basis of metabolic and molecular genetic studies. Ventriculomegaly is a common referral reason for fetal MR, yet there are few published reports of the radiographic findings that accompany inborn errors of metabolism, one potentially under-recognized cause of enlarged ventricles. This case contributes to this small body of literature on the imaging features of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency by describing pre- and postnatal MR findings and key clinical details. Our report emphasizes the necessity of considering pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency and other metabolic disorders as potential etiologies for fetal ventriculomegaly since prompt diagnosis may allow for early initiation of treatment and improve outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Chronic heart failure (HF) is characterized by reduced serum T3 levels and increased activity of the T3 degrading enzyme deiodinase D3. This may result in an intracellular composition of the cardiomyocyte mimicking that of hypothyroidism. Short-term T3-administration to systolic HF patients might be beneficial. Question Does long-term treatment with T3 have a beneficial effect on cardiac function and neurohormonal activation in chronic systolic HF patients with serum T3 levels below 1.6 nmol/l? Design A randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled intervention study with oral T3 treatment twice daily for 3 months. The T3 dose was uptitrated to a final dose avoiding reduced TSH levels. Primary end-point Left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods Cardiac imaging was performed using multiple gated tomographic radionuclide ventriculography (MUGASPECT). Neurohormonal stimulation was evaluated by plasma measurements of natriuretic peptides, aldosterone, renin, noradrenalin and copeptin levels. The patients were monitored for potential cardiac arrhythmias at the start of each treatment period. Results Thirteen patients completed the protocol. Mean LVEF was 43%, range: 37-52 and serum T3 levels 1.4 nmol/l (0.9-1.6). The T3 dose was 20 µg per day (10-40). TSH levels did not change between groups, whereas serum T3 levels increased in the active arm. Cardiac function as measured by LVEF, enddiastolic and end-systolic volumes and cardiac output did not change during T3-treatment and neither did the neurohormonal profile. There were no side-effects in terms of cardiac arrhythmias and no change in resting heart rate. Conclusions This study does not support the hypothesis that oral T3 treatment might be beneficial to patients with chronic, stable systolic HF with a modest degree of reduced LVEF and low-normal serum T3 concentrations. The study included both functional studies of heart contractility as well as measures of the neurohormonal activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil-based contrast medium has extremely slow clearance rate from cerebrospinal fluid. The medium known as myodil or pantopaque or iopenydylate was firstly introduced in 1944 to be used in myelography, cisternography and ventriculography. It was commonly used until 1980s but was later replaced by watersoluble mediums in 1990s because of its complication and sequelae. Although rare, images of the remnants may still be encountered on radiograms since its remnants may be seen after six decades. In this article, incidental radiopaque images in panoramic radiography and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) were presented in two patients whose myelography was taken before herniated discs' operation. Unusual incidental radiopacities in intracranial region were observed on panoramic radiography image of a male and CBCT image of a female, both of whom underwent myelography more than 30 years ago. Dentomaxillofacial radiologists should be aware of this radiographic appearance, should be able to differentiate it from possible pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adams Andrew McConnell (1884-1972) is widely credited as the first neurosurgeon in Ireland. He was largely self-taught but also learned his craft by observing the work of other early neurosurgeons like Harvey Williams Cushing and Walter Dandy in the United States or Sir Geoffrey Jefferson and Sir Hugh Cairns in the Great Britain. He introduced the technique of ventriculography to Europe, having learned it from Dandy. He was a founder member of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons in 1926 and served as its president from 1936 to 1938. He was also president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He published papers on a wide variety of topics, including one of the first descriptions of suboccipital decompression for Chiari malformation in 1938. He contributed to surgical education in Ireland as Professor of Surgery at RCSI and later at his alma mater, Trinity College Dublin, and by training a large number of assistants who went on to become important Irish surgeons in the twentieth century. As a doctor, Adams Andrew McConnell was a pioneering figure. For many years, he was the only neurosurgeon in Ireland and his legacy still lives on at the National Neurosurgical Centre at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin where one of the neurosurgical wards bears his name. This article recounts his life and numerous achievements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: External ventricular drain (EVD) placement is a common neurosurgical procedure performed in both the intensive care unit (ICU) and operating room (OR). The optimal setting for EVD placement in regard to safety and accuracy of placement is poorly defined. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 150 consecutive patients who underwent EVD placement at a tertiary care center from January of 2013 to February of 2014. Clinical and radiographic data were obtained and used to compare safety and accuracy of placement between EVDs placed in the ICU versus OR. Results: One hundred and thirty eight patients were evaluated. Complications (hemorrhage, infection, non-functional drain) occurred in 21.5% of ICU placements and 6.7% of OR placements (p = 0.028). Grade 1, 2, and 3 placements occurred in 67.7%, 25.8%, and 6.5% of ICU placements, respectively, versus 55.6%, 42.2%, and 2.2% of OR placements (p = 0.258). No patient who received pre-placement antibiotics suffered a ventriculostomy associated infection (VAI). Conclusion: Patients who underwent ventriculostomy placement in the ICU differed in important ways (i.e. indication for placement and the administration of pre-procedure prophylactic antibiotics) from patients treated in the OR. However, the available data suggests that complications of hemorrhage, infection, and non-functional drains may be mitigated by ventriculostomy placement in the OR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an abnormal connection between the heart chambers or one of the great veins. Most small fistulas have a good prognosis, while a prominent fistula or numerous small fistulas may lead to coronary steal. Herein we present the case of a patient who presented to our clinic with stable angina pectoris and who had CAFs originating from all major coronary arteries and draining into the left ventricle mimicked as left ventriculography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Kaolin injected on postnatal day (P)21 to induce ventriculomegaly. [•] Kaolin animals divided based on severity of ventriculomegaly. [•] Kaolin animals had increased startle response at P28 except the least severe group. [•] Kaolin animals had Morris water maze deficits when tested on P28. [•] The most severe ventriculomegaly animals were unable to learn in the MWM on P42. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ventriculo-arterial coupling (VAC) has been shown to be impaired in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) and hypertension, and to improve with antihypertensive treatment. We examined if VAC in patients with type 2 DM and hypertension improved after a period of intensified antihypertensive treatment. VAC was estimated as the ratio of effective arterial elastance ( E) to end-systolic elastance ( E) using pressure and flow curves obtained non-invasively (applanation tonometry and echocardiography). Left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions were evaluated using LV volumes, ejection fraction (EF), mitral inflow pattern, and Doppler tissue mitral annulus velocities. In total, 180 patients were included and for 100 patients the data met the quality criteria. Patients were categorized as having controlled (CH, n = 34), uncontrolled (UH, n = 32) or resistant (RH, n = 34) hypertension. In patients with RH, EF at follow-up was reduced from 48 to 42 % ( p = 0.005) and E from 2.18 mmHg/ml to 1.47 mmHg/ml ( p = 0.003). E, however, was also reduced in patients with CH and UH (CH 2.41-2.26, p = 0.05, UH 2.51-2.04, p = 0.05). In the present study, intensified antihypertensive treatment did not improve VAC or LV function in patients with hypertension and type 2 DM despite better control of BP. We speculate whether this is due to a reduction in myocardial perfusion pressure or to a gradual progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although detecting left ventricular thrombus in anterior myocardial infarction is important for the prevention of embolic events, imaging of apical thrombus is often difficult using conventional echocardiography. We examined whether contrast echocardiography improves sensitivity and specificity in detecting thrombus in the left ventricle in comparison with conventional echocardiography alone in patients with anterior myocardial infarction. Participants in this single-center prospective study comprised 392 patients with anterior myocardial infarction admitted between 2000 and 2006. After conventional echocardiography, all patients underwent contrast echocardiography (left ventricular opacification and myocardial contrast echocardiography) during intravenous drip infusion of contrast media at rest. Left ventricular thrombus was diagnosed based on left ventriculography or multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT). Mural left ventricular thrombus was confirmed by left ventriculography and/or MDCT in 32 of 393 patients (8 %). Sensitivity and specificity of conventional echocardiography alone were 88 % and 96 %, respectively, compared with 100 % each with contrast echocardiography. Among the 32 patients with left ventricular thrombus, 25 patients (78 %) showed no perfusion in the anterior wall on myocardial contrast echocardiography, even with a four-beat interval. In conclusion, contrast echocardiography offers a clinically feasible and useful method for noninvasively evaluating left ventricular thrombus in anterior myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 46-year-old African-American male with past medical history significant for Kartagener's syndrome, essential hypertension, and HIV presented with acute chest pain. ECG and troponins indicated an acute myocardial infarction. Ventriculography confirmed dyskinesia of the left ventricle, with an EF of 25%. However the coronary catheterization showed nonobstructed coronaries. Ventricular contraction and EF were restored in 4 weeks. To our knowledge, this is the first incidence of Takotsubo's reported in a young patient withKartagener's syndrome. Chronic lung diseasemay contribute to the development of Takotsubo's cardiomyopathy, which is a documented yet not fully understood phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are considered to be static congenital lesions; however, a subset may possess dynamic pathophysiological capabilities of growth, regression or other morphological changes with time. We report on an adult patient harboring a pineal AVM who presented with progressive symptoms of obstructive hydrocephalus and was successfully treated by endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). Clinical presentation This 63-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed 8 years previously with an asymptomatic unruptured pineal AVM and followed conservatively until he developed a progressive impairment in consciousness with gait apraxia and incontinence over a period of 2 months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed obstructive hydrocephalus due to nidal compression at the level of the aqueduct. Treatment by ETV resulted in resolution of neurological deficits and ventriculomegaly without evidence of complications at 18-months follow-up. Conclusion Treatment by ETV in adults with obstructive hydrocephalus due to deep pineal AVMs is a reasonable option in selected cases. A discussion of the pathological mechanisms and therapeutic options for this rare entity is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present rapid aneuploidy diagnosis of de novo partial trisomy 12q (12q24.21→qter) and partial monosomy 6q (6q27→qter) by aCGH using uncultured amniocytes in a fetus with coarctation of the aorta, ventriculomegaly and thickened nuchal fold. We discuss the association of TBX3, TBX5 and MED13L gene duplication with coarctation of the aorta, and the association of RNASET2 gene haploinsufficiency with ventriculomegaly in this case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study was to demonstrate an assessment of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) patency and anatomy by standard left ventriculography, and to define a proposal for predicting LIMA function according to left ventriculography outcome. A total of 335 patients with an indication of coronary angiography were included. Standard coronary angiography and left ventriculography were performed initially. Visualization of LIMA occurred in the late phase of ventriculography and the LIMA visualization frame rate was counted for each patient. Then selective LIMA angiography was performed and LIMA diameter, LIMA course and anatomy, and subclavian artery anatomy were noted. Finally, the results of left ventriculography and LIMA angiography were compared by statistical analysis. During left ventriculography, LIMA was visualized in 96.4% of the patients. The mean LIMA visualization frame rate was 53.8 ± 17.7 and the mean LIMA diameter was 2.60 ± 0.36 mm. There was a strong correlation between LIMA visualization frame rate and LIMA diameter, LIMA course, and also asymptomatic subclavian artery disease ( P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that LIMA visualization frame rate is the major independent determinant for LIMA diameter prediction ( P < 0.001); LIMA diameter, LIMA course, proximal LIMA side branch, and subclavian artery disease are the major predictors of LIMA visualization on left ventriculography ( P < 0.001). LIMA patency and anatomy can be evaluated accurately with a simple method using left ventriculography. Besides direct visualization of LIMA, the visualization frame rate may constitute a reliable parameter for assessing LIMA function. A LIMA visualization frame rate of less than 50 is associated with a healthy and well-sized LIMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autologous bone marrow cell transplantation (BMCs-Tx) is a promising novel option for treatment of cardiovascular disease. We analysed in a randomized controlled study the influence of the intracoronary autologous freshly isolated BMCs-Tx on the mobilization of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Sixty-two patients with AMI were randomized to either freshly isolated BMCs-Tx or to a control group without cell therapy. Peripheral blood (PB) concentrations of CD34/45+- and CD133/45+-circulating progenitor cells were measured by flow cytometry in 42 AMI patients with cell therapy as well as in 20 AMI patients without cell therapy as a control group on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 3, 6 as well as 12 months after AMI. Global ejection fraction (EF) and the size of infarct area were determined by left ventriculography. We observed in patients with freshly isolated BMCs-Tx at 3 and 12 months follow up a significant reduction of infarct size and increase of global EF as well as infarct wall movement velocity. The mobilization of CD34/45+ and CD133/45+ BM-CPCs significantly increased with a peak on day 7 as compared to baseline after AMI in both groups (CD34/45+: P < 0.001, CD133/45+: P < 0.001). Moreover, this significant mobilization of BM-CPCs existed 3, 6 and 12 months after cell therapy compared to day 1 after AMI. In control group, there were no significant differences of CD34/45+ and CD133/45+ BM-CPCs mobilization between day 1 and 3, 6 and 12 months after AMI. Intracoronary transplantation of autologous freshly isolated BMCs by use of point of care system in patients with AMI may enhance and prolong the mobilization of CD34/45+ and CD133/45+ BM-CPCs in PB and this might increase the regenerative potency after AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fourth ventricular outlet obstruction (FVOO) causes obstructive hydrocephalus. Often, despite high-quality MRI sequences, differentiation between FVOO and communicating (absorptive) hydrocephalus is not easy. We describe our initial experience with five children with suspected FVOO that underwent CT ventriculography (CTV) or cisternography (CTC), to assist with this difficult diagnosis. Methods: Over 2.5 years, five children with suspected FVOO (5 months-7.5 years old) underwent CTV or CTC. Technical and clinical data were retrospectively collected. Results: Four children had progressive macrocephaly, and one child had progressive ventriculomegaly. On CTV/CTC, four of five children showed communication between the ventricular system and spinal subarachnoid space or prepontine cistern, as evidenced by passage of contrast material. One child had a FVOO and therefore underwent an endoscopic third ventriculostomy, and is since, symptom and shunt free for 2.5 years. Conclusion: CT ventriculography in infants, and CT cisternography in elder children, may assist to differentiate between FVOO and communicating hydrocephalus. The importance of these tests is for children with MRI suggestive of FVOO related hydrocephalus, but with no clear demonstration of the obstruction site. The implication of this differentiation may be for deciding between treatment of hydrocephalus with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt or with an endoscopic third ventriculostomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stereotaxic brain atlas of the basal ganglia and thalamus of Macaca fascicularis presented here is designed with a surgical perspective. In this regard, all coordinates have been referenced to a line linking the anterior and posterior commissures (ac-pc line) and considering the center of the ac at the midline as the origin of the bicommissural space. The atlas comprises of 43 different plates (19 coronal levels, 10 sagittal levels and 14 horizontal levels). In addition to 'classical' cyto- and chemoarchitectural techniques such as the Nissl method and the acetylcholinesterase stain, several immunohistochemical stains have been performed in adjacent sections, including the detection of tyrosine hydroxylase, enkephalin, neurofilaments, parvalbumin and calbindin. In comparison to other existing stereotaxic atlases for M. fasicularis, this atlas has two main advantages: firstly, brain cartography is based on a wide variety of cyto- and chemoarchitectural stains carried out on adjacent sections, therefore enabling accurate segmentation. Secondly and most importantly, sagittal and horizontal planes are included. Sagittal planes are very useful for calculating oblique trajectories, whereas, clinical researchers engaged in neuroimaging studies will be more familiar with horizontal sections, as they use horizontal (also called 'axial') brain images in their daily routine of their clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine: 1) Neuroendoscopical treatment outcome in hydrocephalic children less than 1 year of age at Juan Manuel Marquez Pediatric Hospital, 2) Factors of failure after this technique in this age group?, 3) Which patients less than 1 year of age are candidates for this procedure?. Methods: We have developed these techniques in 12 pediatric patients between 6 days and 1 year old. We performed this neuroendoscopical procedure at Juan Manuel Marquez Pediatric Hospital in Havana, Cuba, during the last 6 years. The basic surgical technique was a frontal burr hole, with access to the ventricular system that allows the procedure in relation with the diagnosis. Results: ETV was successful in therapy of hydrocephalus in five infants (42%) and fails in the others 7 children who were treated with a Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. The neuroendoscopic techniques do not produce any serious complications. Conclusion: The range of success increased with the children's age. Our results indicate that endoscopic third ventriculostomy will be our first option in the hydrocephalic patient over 3 month of age but there is a need in the near future, for more multicentre studies in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many different criteria and pacing maneuvers exist to determine the etiology of a narrow QRS complex tachycardia (NCT). This report describes a case of NCT wherein the initial conflicting findings at the time of the EP study were then clarified by the development of left bundle branch block and prolongation of ventriculoatrial conduction time confirming the diagnosis of a left sided accessory pathway. The accessory pathway was then successfully ablated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of the diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy has increased rapidly over the past few years, possibly due to increasing awareness among cardiologists. At initial presentation the diagnosis remains a challenge because of the close similarity between the presentation of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and that of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Recognition of salient aspects of the medical history at presentation are important in order to organise further appropriate investigations such as echocardiography and left ventriculography at the time of coronary angiogram. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy can be easily missed without ventriculography early after presentation because of the transient nature of left ventricular dysfunction, and in many centres left ventriculogram is not done as standard in the setting of STEMI. The authors advocate left ventriculography in all cases of ST elevation who have unobstructed coronaries. The correct diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is very important for future advice and management of the patient. The prognosis of this condition is generally excellent with almost all patients returning to normal within a few weeks. This article examines the takotsubo cardiomyopathy literature and discusses the pathophysiology, clinical features, management, and prognosis of this condition in the context of an illustrated case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ventricular remodeling, first described in animal models of left ventricular (LV) stress and injury, occurs progressively in untreated patients after large myocardial infarction and in those with dilated forms of cardiomyopathy. The gross pathologic changes of increased LV volume and perturbation in the normal elliptical LV chamber configuration is driven, on a histologic level, by myocyte hypertrophy and apoptosis and by increased interstitial collagen. Each of the techniques used for tracking this process—echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography, and cardiac magnetic resonance—carries advantages and disadvantages. Numerous investigations have demonstrated the value of LV volume measurement at a single time-point and over time in predicting clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure and in those after myocardial infarction. The structural pattern of LV remodeling and evidence of scarring on cardiac magnetic resonance have additional prognostic value. Beyond the impact of abnormal cardiac structure on cardiovascular events, the relationship between LV remodeling and clinical outcomes is likely linked through common local and systemic factors driving vascular as well as myocardial pathology. As demonstrated by a recent meta-analysis of heart failure trials, LV volume stands out among surrogate markers as strongly correlating with the impact of a particular drug or device therapy on patient survival. These findings substantiate the importance of ventricular remodeling as central in the pathophysiology of advancing heart failure and support the role of measures of LV remodeling in the clinical investigation of novel heart failure treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Intraventricular thrombosis is a serious event, generally complicating a wide myocardial infarction. It requires an adapted therapy, based on the oral anticoagulants. The diagnosis is generally carried out by trans-thoracic echocardiography but with an insufficient sensitivity and a specificity. In this context, the place of cardiac MRI remains to be explored. Patients and method: We carried out a retrospective registry of all cardiac MRI done in our hospital since 2003, for assessment of an intracardiac mass or an cerebral stroke. The aim was to compare the results of cardiac MRI with those of echocardiography and contrast ventriculography. Results: Our registry includes 26 cases of intraventricular thrombi, confirmed by cardiac MRI. Our results confirm the lack of sensitivity of echocardiography and the ventriculography. The Kappa correlation coefficient of echocardiography and ventriculography, with respect to the MRI, are very weak, respectively of −0.08 and 0.16. Conclusions: The values of echocardiography and contrast ventriculography seem limited. The realization of a complementary cardiac MRI must be recommended as often as possible in case of doubt or high risk disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Although longitudinal reference intervals for ventricular size are crucial for the diagnosis of dilated ventricles, such data are sparse. Objective: To establish references for ventricular measurements at birth, and at 4 and 8 months follow-up, and to examine the inter-observer variation of the measurements. Materials and methods: This prospective, longitudinal study included 120 term newborns (boys 65, girls 55), mean age 1.5 days on initial scans, with re-examination at 4 months and 8 months of age. One examiner performed all the examinations, measuring: ventricular index, frontal horn width, third ventricle width, frontal subarachnoid space depth, optic nerve sheath diameter and resistive index. Results: One hundred eight (90%) and 90 (75%) of the infants, respectively, attended for follow-up at 4 and 8 months of age. All measures increased with age, except for the depth of the subarachnoid spaces that showed an initial rise, followed by a mild drop at 8 months, and for the resistive index that remained stable at 0.6. The increase was particularly significant for frontal horn width with an increase from 2.2 mm at birth to 6.5 mm at 4 months in boys, and 2.1-5.8 mm in girls. The agreement between two observers was fair to moderate for most of the measurements. Conclusion: The increase in the width of the frontal horns between birth and 4 months of age, as well as the wide normal range found among all three age groups are noteworthy and should inform future diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal canal stenosis (CS) occurs in patients with hydrocephalus who are treated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting. The pathophysiology of CS comprises CSF overdrainage. We analyzed the incidence of CS and the factors causing it. Thirty-three patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt during childhood visited the Outpatient Department in Yamaguchi University Hospital in 2006. Diameters of spinal canal at C4 were measured. Treatment procedure, age, and type of hydrocephalus in the patients with CS were compared with those without CS. Of the 33 patients, 10 (30.3%) presented CS, and two (6.1%) were symptomatic. A low-pressure valve caused CS with a significantly higher incidence than a medium- or high-pressure valve (60.0% vs. 17.4%, P < 0.05). Although the difference was not significant, the average age of shunt insertion for a patient with CS was slightly less (0.87 ± 0.99) than for a patient without CS (1.63 ± 1.58). No differences in the CS incidence were observed between obstructive and communicating hydrocephalus. In order to prevent CS, the hydrocephalus should be appropriately controlled by using a medium- or high-pressure valve until the diameter of the spinal canal reaches the required level. Adjustment of the programmable valve with the patient’s growth should be ideal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We attempted to detect alterations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). We obtained sagittal volume images of the entire head by three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and compared the regional distribution of CSF in 12 patients with iNPH, 14 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and 17 healthy individuals using VBM with automatically extracted CSF objects. VBM demonstrated significant widening at the lateral ventricles and Sylvian fissures and narrowing of the CSF space at the high convexity/midline areas in iNPH patients, compared to the AD patients and healthy controls ( p < 0.05, after correction with a false-discovery rate). In addition, the ratio of the CSF volume in the lateral ventricle/Sylvian fissure area to that in the high convexity/midline area in iNPH patients (3.9 ± 1.2) was remarkably greater than that in AD patients (1.2 ± 0.3) and controls (0.9 ± 0.3; one-way ANOVA, p < 0.001; post hoc Tukey’s test, p < 0.001); we could discriminate iNPH patients from those in the other two groups without any overlap, when using a cutoff level of 1.9. VBM using CSF objects can be used to delineate the characteristic alteration of the CSF space in iNPH patients, which has been evaluated by visual interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The left ventricle tracking in planar scintigraphic images is an important step to study the coronary state. However, it is not as simple as we thought, because of the bad quality of these images. The study of the related work showed that classic methods based on low level image characteristics failed to localize the ventricle. In this paper, we suggest using a method based on a priori knowledge. Assuming that the human heart can appear in different images as one of a variety of possible shapes, we can incorporate the shape and the texture to delineate the boundaries of the left ventricle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical myelomeningocele (CMMC) is a rare entity in neurosurgical practice, which presents different clinical characteristics compared with other more common lumbosacral variant. Since not much about this lesion has been reported in the literature, this study, herein, demonstrates by cases the clinical characteristics, methods, and techniques of surgical treatment of CMMC in children. A total of 10 children (six boys and four girls) with CMMC were recruited in this study. Their ages ranged from 9 days to 8 years with a median age of 3 months. All patients underwent neurological and radiological examinations. One was found to have had a mild unilateral arm weakness, and others were neurologically intact. Of these 10 patients, five had other associated neurological or orthopedic anomalies, including mild ventriculomegaly in two, cervical diastematomyelia in one, Chiari II malformation and hydrocephalus in one, and sacral spina bifida occulta in one. Surgical excision of the lesion with intradural exploration of the sac to release any potential adhesion bands was performed for all. No complications, such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage and infection, had been found after operation. During the follow-up of 1–7 years (mean of 3.9 years), all cases did not suffer from aggravation of nervous symptoms. None of the patients deteriorated postoperatively, and the one with left arm weakness improved following surgery. In the two children with mild ventriculomegaly, cerebral ventricle returned to be normal after surgery. The management strategies of CMMC are early surgical treatment with standard microneurosurgical techniques to prevent the development of neurological defects. It is safe and effective to adopt surgery excision of the lesions with intradural exploration of the sac to release any potential adhesion bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) is an important modulator of phospholipid transfer and exchange among proteins. It also plays a role in inflammation and oxidative stress. Accordingly, PLTP has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is common in patients with atherosclerosis, and both inflammation and oxidative stress have also been implicated in its development and progression. The goal of the present study was to examine the relation between plasma PLTP activity and LV systolic function. Baseline plasma PLTP activity was measured in 389 male patients referred for coronary angiography for a variety of indications. Detailed clinical, angiographic and laboratory characteristics were available for the patients. Compared to those patients with normal LV function (defined as an ejection fraction of ≥55% on ventriculography), patients with any degree of LV dysfunction had elevated PLTP activity (median PLTP 17.8pmol/μl/h versus 15.9pmol/μl/h, p =0.0038). Using multivariate analysis, and adjusting for a variety of confounding variables known to affect both LV function and PLTP activity, PLTP activity was an independent predictor of the presence of any left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the entire population (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.12–1.93, p =0.0052). Furthermore, PLTP activity was an independent predictor of the presence of LV dysfunction in both patients with and without myocardial infarction on presentation (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.18–4.86, p =0.0161 and OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.05–1.89, p =0.0206, respectively). In conclusion, PLTP activity may represent a novel marker of LV systolic dysfunction in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) determined by invasive ventriculography (routine cardiac cath; LV-gram) was compared with that determined by echocardiography in 100 patients scheduled for angiography (86% had LV-gram and 2DE during same hospital admission). Seventy percent of patients had at least single-vessel obstructive coronary artery disease, defined as more than 50% stenosis. By all estimates, the LVEF was higher in patients without coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to patients with CAD. There was an excellent correlation between the LVEF by cath and echo, but this correlation was noticeably less strong in patients with CAD, especially with involvement of the left circumflex artery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ventriculomegaly at term age is an important predictor of neurologic outcome in preterm infants. Previous studies have found only poor correlations between two-dimensional (2D) cranial ultrasound (US) measurements of lateral ventricles and volume measurements using three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Paired cranial MRI and US scans in a population based cohort of 28 extremely preterm infants were obtained at term equivalent age. A 3D MRI volume and five different 2D ultrasound measurements were assessed for each lateral ventricle. Correlations and interobserver variability were calculated. Reliability of US measurements and correlations between MRI volumes and US measurements of the frontal horns and ventricular midbody were consistently good. The highest correlation was achieved by combining the coronal frontal horn measurements to a frontal horn product (r 2 = right 0.94, left 0.95). Our study underlines the value of cranial ultrasound measurements in neonatal care and follow-up. (E-mail: s.horsch@gmx.de) [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Accurate analysis of CT brain scans is vital for diagnosis and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). Automatic processing of these CT brain scans could speed up the decision making process, lower the cost of healthcare, and reduce the chance of human error. In this paper, we focus on automatic processing of CT brain images to segment and identify the ventricular systems. The segmentation of ventricles provides quantitative measures on the changes of ventricles in the brain that form vital diagnosis information. Methods: First all CT slices are aligned by detecting the ideal midlines in all images. The initial estimation of the ideal midline of the brain is found based on skull symmetry and then the initial estimate is further refined using detected anatomical features. Then a two-step method is used for ventricle segmentation. First a low-level segmentation on each pixel is applied on the CT images. For this step, both Iterated Conditional Mode (ICM) and Maximum A Posteriori Spatial Probability (MASP) are evaluated and compared. The second step applies template matching algorithm to identify objects in the initial low-level segmentation as ventricles. Experiments for ventricle segmentation are conducted using a relatively large CT dataset containing mild and severe TBI cases. Results: Experiments show that the acceptable rate of the ideal midline detection is over 95%. Two measurements are defined to evaluate ventricle recognition results. The first measure is a sensitivity-like measure and the second is a false positive-like measure. For the first measurement, the rate is 100% indicating that all ventricles are identified in all slices. The false positives-like measurement is 8.59%. We also point out the similarities and differences between ICM and MASP algorithms through both mathematically relationships and segmentation results on CT images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical trials using intracoronary (IC) delivery of cells have addressed efficacy but the optimal delivery technique is unknown. Our study aimed to determine whether transvenous intramyocardial (TVIM) approach was advantageous for cellular retention in AMI. Methods: Domestic pigs (n = 4) underwent catheterization with coronary angiography and ventriculography prior to infarction and pre- and post-cells. Pigs underwent 90-minute balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). After one week they were prepared for IC (n = 2) or TVIM (n = 2) delivery of bone marrow mononuclear cells (MNC) labeled with GFP. IC infusion used an over-the-wire catheter to engage the LAD and balloon inflation to prevent retrograde flow. Venography via the coronary sinus was used for TVIM delivery. The anterior interventricular vein was engaged with a guidewire allowing use of the TransAccess™ catheter that is outfitted with an ultrasound tip for visualization. Animals were sacrificed one hour after delivery and tissue was analyzed. Results: Procedures were performed without complication and monitoring was uneventful. 1 × 108 MNC were isolated from each bone marrow (BM) preparation and 1 × 107 MNC delivered. Ventriculography at one week revealed wall motion abnormalities consistent with an anterior AMI. TVIM and IC delivery revealed mean 452 cells per section and 235 cells per section on average, respectively, in the infarct zone ( P = 0.01 ). Conclusion: We have demonstrated that TVIM approach for cell delivery is feasible and safe. Moreover, this approach may provide an advantage over IC infusion in retention of the cellular product; however, larger studies will be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective – Hydrocephalus is much more complex than a simple disorder of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation. Shunting primarily corrects disturbed fluid flow which may have an impact on cerebral blood flow and metabolism. We studied hydrocephalic patients before and after shunting to characterize changes in their CSF compensatory parameters. Material and methods – We selected 25 patients and studied them retrospectively. All patients had ventriculomegaly and clinical symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus. After shunting, they were still presenting with some adverse symptoms, mainly headaches, slow improvement or no improvement of ventriculomegaly. Therefore, they underwent further infusion studies to assess shunt function. In all cases, the shunts were confirmed to be draining CSF adequately. Parameters of CSF dynamics: baseline intracranial pressure (ICP), resistance to CSF outflow, cerebrospinal elasticity, content of vasogenic pressure waves (pulse, respiratory and B waves) and compensatory reserve assessed as moving correlation coefficient between mean CSF pressure and pulse amplitude (RAP), were compared before and after shunting. Results – Mean ICP and resistance to CSF outflow decreased ( P < 0.003) after shunting. All vasogenic pressure waves decreased ( P < 0.005). Compensatory reserve (RAP) significantly improved ( P < 0.005). Conclusion – A functioning shunt has an important impact on CSF circulation and pressure–volume compensation. Infusion studies can demonstrate the return of disturbed CSF dynamics to normal values even if clinical or radiological changes are not dramatic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-tubercular meningitic hydrocephalus (TBMH) and post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) is often considered a contraindication for endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), as it is mostly of communicating type in these cases. The aim of the present study was to define the role of ETV in patients with communicating hydrocephalus. Ten consecutive patients of TBMH, PTH and postneurocysticercus (NCC) hydrocephalus were formed the study group. Diagnosis of communicating hydrocephalus was made using magnetic resonance ventriculography (MRV). If contrast was seen coming out from the ventricular system into the basal cisterns, it was considered as communicating hydrocephalus. Patients with clinical and imaging evidence of raised intracranial pressure and failed medical treatment were taken up for ETV. All patients were studied by preoperative and postoperative MRV. Success of the procedure was assessed by the improvement in clinical and imaging parameters on postprocedure follow-up in all these cases. Technically successful ETV was performed in all 10 patients. Overall success rate of ETV in communicating hydrocephalus was 70% ( n = 7). The shunt surgery was performed in the remaining three patients with ETV failure. One patient developed complication following postoperative MRV and was managed conservatively. We conclude that ETV is effective in post-TBM, post-traumatic communicating and post-NCC communicating hydrocephalus and should be considered as initial surgical option for cerebrospinal fluid diversion in these patients. MRV is a relatively safe technique to ascertain the patency of subarachnoid space as well as ETV stoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of myocardial dysfunction in an HIV-infected population receiving state-of-the-art treatment. Methods Between April 2001 and July 2002, 91 HIV-infected patients had a radionuclide ventriculography performed with determination of right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), as well as measurement of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Between July 2005 and January 2007, 63 patients (69%) agreed to participate in a follow-up study with a mean follow-up of 4.5 years. Results All patients had normal LVEF at both examinations. A minimal increase in mean LVEF of 0.02 was observed at follow-up ( P=0.01). At the initial visit, four patients [6%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2–15%] had a reduced RVEF, and at follow-up two patients (3%; 95% CI 0–11%) had slightly reduced RVEF. No significant change in mean RVEF was found. No patients had increased BNP and no change in mean plasma BNP was found. Conclusions HIV-related cardiomyopathy appears not to constitute a problem in closely monitored, well-treated HIV-infected patients. Compared with pre-highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) studies, it seems that the improvement in immunocompetency and viral load has removed the problem of HIV-related cardiomyopathy. Although HAART has been suggested as a possible new cause of cardiomyopathy, we did not find any evidence of this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Angiography of the right ventricle (RV) is a standard, reference technique to diagnose wall motion abnormalities in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C). RV wall motion is usually assessed by qualitative, visual impression, and has lacked a quantitative basis for defining abnormalities. Since the normal RV has a markedly asymmetric movement, angiographic interpretation can differ, even among experienced clinicians. The purpose of this study was to quantify RV wall motion based on contrast ventriculography in patients with ARVD/C and to specify the severity and location of wall motion abnormalities, as compared with normal subjects. Methods and Results: We analyzed the angiographic contours of the RV in three views from 19 normal subjects and 23 subjects with ARVD/C. Contour area movement during contraction was calculated circumferentially and further analyzed in nine zones. RV ejection fraction was also computed. Wall motion in ARVD/C was depressed by more than 30% at the tricuspid valve and inferior wall regions (P < 0.001) and significantly reduced at the apex (P = 0.003). However, the RVOT and anterior wall motion were not significantly reduced. RV ejection fraction was depressed from 60 ± 11% in normal subjects to 41 ± 12% in ARVD/C patients (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Wall motion abnormalities in ARVD/C can be quantified and compared with normal controls, showing primarily reduced movement in the tricuspid and inferior wall regions. This study delineates objective measurements that can be used to aid in the diagnosis of ARVD/C. In addition, they may be incorporated in future refinements of criteria to diagnose ARVD/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]