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Lusoria artery is a vascular anomaly of the right subclavian artery that arises from the aortic arch (instead of brachiocephalic trunk), distal to the left subclavian artery. The reported incidence is about 1% and usually it is asymptomatic. We report the case of an elderly with moderate dysphagia in the last few months. CT native exam and with contrast material revealed the vascular anomaly, but also a pathological condition. The artery had a retroesophageal course, a large aneurysm and an atheromatous wall- so, the dysphagia was due to the esophageal compression. Even the aberrant right subclavian artery is the most frequent anomaly of the aortic arches, the reported case has a low incidence due to the association of the anatomical variant with aquired vascular changes-atherosclerosis and aneurysm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the incidence of retrocaval ureter is about 1 in 1500 people, this anatomical variant is usually accidentally detected, because the symptoms appear only sometimes, in the third or fourth decade of life. We report the case of a 46 years old male patient that presented with a suspicion of colon tumor. Native CT scan and CT exam with intravenously injected radiocontrast agent indicated a retrocaval course of the middle region of the abdominal ureter with pielocalyceal dilation and proximal ureteral distension (aspect of hydronephrosis grade II). Initially the retrocaval ureter was described as an anomaly in the development of the ureter, but today it is well known that it is an aberration in the development of the inferior vena cava and therefore the term preureteral vena cava is more accurate. The case we described presents the same age and gender-incidence as the cases reported in medical literature, but the ureter presents a particular path that makes the term circumcaval ureter somewhat improper for this malposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report describes a 64 years old female with a cardiac medical history that was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of right upper limb numbness, without neurological symptoms. On admission physical examination revealed weakly palpable brachial, ulnar and radial pulses on right. The CT native exam and with contrast material indicated a pathological condition of the brachiocephalic trunk that was visible only at its origin and division, due to an extensive obstruction. Because the terminal part of the innominate artery was permeable, the right common carotid artery and the right subclavian artery were visible. The blood flow in these arteries was the result of the vascular steal from the opposite arteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hantavirus infection belongs to a group of zoonoses rare in the Balkan Peninsula, causing two major syndromes, depending on the viral serotype involved: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) also known as endemic nephropathy and cardiopulmonary syndrome (CPS). Because there is no specific treatment or vaccine for this condition approved in the USA or Europe, the key to minimizing the risk of adverse progression to chronic kidney disease, secondary hypertension or even death is primarily the recognition and early diagnosis of this condition with prompt therapeutic intervention. The aim of this study was to review the literature data on the epidemiology, pathogenesis and management of this disease and to identify several aspects related to the difficulties encountered in diagnosing this pathology, taking into consideration that the disease is not endemic in this geographical area., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Lupuşoru et al.)

Cancer patients are at high risk for developing acute kidney injury (AKI), which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in these patients. Despite the progress made in understanding the pathogenic mechanisms and etiology of AKI in these patients, the main prevention consists of avoiding medication and nephrotoxic agents such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, contrast agents used in medical imaging and modulation of chemotherapy regimens; when prophylactic measures are overcome and renal impairment becomes unresponsive to treatment, renal replacement therapy (RRT) is required. There are several methods of RRT that can be utilized for patients with malignancies and acute renal impairment; the choice of treatment being based on the patient characteristics. The aim of this article is to review the literature data regarding the epidemiology and management of AKI in cancer patients, the extracorporeal techniques used, choice of the appropriate therapy and the optimal time of initiation, and also the dose-prognosis relationship., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Lupuşoru et al.)

Remodeling of epithelial tissues requires coordinated cell migration. Most of the mechanisms regulating desmosome assembly and stability in migrating epithelial cells are still unknown. The actin cytoskeleton is a significant component of desmosome assembly and maturation. The association of the actin cytoskeleton with adherens junctions requires additional ultrastructural investigations. A transmission electron microscopic study was performed on five samples of rat thymus. Interepithelial series of desmosomes up to 6.5 μm length were found as were composite series of junctions (tight, adherens, and desmosomes). As a particular feature, subplasmalemmal belts of microfilaments, apparently of actin, ran adjacent to the inner dense plaques of desmosomes, passing beneath and at a distance to the tight junctions. They were not found beneath the adherens junctions. The series of desmosomes were termed zipper-like desmosomes (ZLDs), and were either complete, or imperfect. Terminal imperfect or incomplete desmosomes were found at the ends of the zipper-like series. Alpha-smooth muscle actin immune labeling on six other samples of rat thymus was strongly suggestive of the existence of subplasmalemmal actin belts in the epithelial reticular system. Further studies are needed to establish the exact role of the ZLDs during processes of epithelial remodeling., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)