Inhaled NO (iNO) is used to treat pulmonary hypertension and is being investigated for prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonates. Extrapulmonary effects of iNO are widely recognized, but the underlying chemistry and pharmacology are poorly understood. Growing evidence suggests that, in addition to diffusion of NO, NO-derived nitrosants can react ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Noninvasive imaging of cerebral aneurysms is still considered inferior to conventional angiography. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ivACT in the assessment of intracranial aneurysms compared with 3D-DSA.MATERIALS AND METHODS:We included 13 patients with 15 incidental unruptured saccular aneurysms scheduled for diagnostic ...

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, being responsible for more than 20% of all deaths in the country. This is in large part due to the difficulty of diagnostic screening for CAD. Phonoangiography seeks to detect CAD via the acoustic signature associated ...

SUMMARY:The purpose of this work was to compare inter- and intraobserver agreement in the analysis of CAWT by using MDCTA. The CAWT in 35 patients was quantified by 4 observers. Bland-Altman statistics were used to measure the agreement between observers. The results of our study demonstrated that the CAWT measured ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: There is recent interest in the role of carotid bifurcation anatomy, geometry and hemodynamic factors in the pathogenesis of carotid artery atherosclerosis. Certain anatomical and geometric configurations at the carotid bifurcation have been linked to disturbed flow. It has been proposed that vascular dimensions are selected to minimize ...

Prior to the eighteenth century, the vertebral venous plexus (VVP) received scant mention, had no clinical relevance and was largely ignored by anatomists, most likely due to its location and non - distensible nature. Gilbert Breschet in 1819 provided the first detailed anatomical description of the VVP, describing it as ...

: Although complications of the epidural technique are known to affect the fetus adversely, there are no data indicating that regional analgesia directly causes harmful effects to the fetus. Our purpose was to determine the effect of epidural labor analgesia on the Doppler velocimetric indices of the uterine and fetal ...

To determine whether arterial stiffness relates to left ventricular mass (LVM) in adolescents and young adults. Demographic, anthropometric, laboratory, echo, carotid ultrasound and arterial stiffness data were obtained in 670 subjects 10 to 24 years of age (35% male, 62% non-Caucasian). Global stiffness index (GSI) was calculated from five measures ...

The conservative management of retained placenta accreta has been proposed as an alternative option in selected cases. Three patients under conservative management of placenta accreta were followed using the pulsatility index of the uterine arteries and the β fraction of human chorionic gonadotropin to determine the degree of vascularity between ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral treatment are associated with metabolic and cardiovascular complications that potentially increase the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in this population. Measurement of arterial wall thickness has been used as a surrogate of extent, severity and progression of atherosclerosis. A cross-sectional ...

The clinical significance of magnetic resonance-imaged plaque characteristics in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) is not well established. We studied associations of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and leg symptoms with MRI-measured plaque area and percent lumen area in the SFA in participants with and without lower-extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD). ...

Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) using the volume plethysmographic method is a noninvasive atherosclerotic indicator which is not influenced by blood pressure. Coronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a reliable technique to measure progression of atherosclerosis. The association between CAVI and IVUS has not been reported. The aim of this study was ...

This report describes the case of previous type-A aortic dissection treated with the placement of a termino-terminal prosthesis, which developed a large peri-prosthetic pseudoaneurysmatic sac, detected by CT, performed 2 years after the surgery. This raised the suspicion of a communication between the pseudoaneurysmatic sac and the aortic lumen, but ...

There are studies stressing out that atherosclerosis is most common associated systemic condition in patients with retinal artery occlusion. The aim of this study was to analyze values of body mass index and lipid fractions in healthy individuals and patients with retinal artery occlusion. This study included 90 participants during ...

PURPOSE: Although a site common for pathology and of great importance to the neurosurgeon, the three-dimensional (3D) morphometry of the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) has had incomplete descriptions in the literature. METHODS: Using a novel 3D digital-image computer data analysis system, 115 patients underwent evaluation of their ACoA based on ...

The author presents the case of a child with bilateral thumb hypoplasia. Pollicization of the left index finger with grade 4 thumb hypoplasia was attempted and abandoned, apparently because of anomalous vascular anatomy. A secondary procedure identified a substantial second dorsal metacarpal artery that connected with a palmar-ulnar digital vessel ...

OBJECTIVE: In the era of the staged Fontan operation, small pulmonary artery index (<250 mm(2)/m(2)) has not affected the early or midterm results. The lower limit of pulmonary artery index, however, has not yet been determined. We created numeric models of the Fontan circulation to investigate the lower limit of ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships between colour Doppler findings, infectious parameters and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores in patients with mild acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-seven patients diagnosed with PID were enrolled in the study. Resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) of uterine, arcuate and utero-ovarian ...

BACKGROUND: Echocardiography remains a clinically useful screening test for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in patients with a history of pulmonary embolism (PE). To devise an effective screening strategy, the definition of a high-risk group is necessary. METHODS: We examined a total of 744 patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism ...

PURPOSE: Extracranial carotid artery stenosis is accepted as a significant risk factor for cerebrovascular events. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate whether the Stenosis Asymmetry Index (SAI) between carotid arteries (in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients) can be considered a further parameter in the stroke risk stratification. MATERIALS AND ...

Purpose: To review why hemodialysis fistulas fail to mature and how percutaneous techniques can salvage them. Methods: A review of the medical literature was performed, with specific attention to the location of the lesions, the types and the numbers of procedures performed, salvage and patency rates. Results: Using balloon angioplasty ...

We report the use of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in a dog with hepatic encephalopathy secondary to a congenital portosystemic shunt. A severe increase in the pulsatility index was measured in the right middle cerebral artery, left middle cerebral artery, and basilar artery. These values returned to normal following medical stabilization ...

A 27-year-old male presented with progressive ascending myelopathy leading to tetraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine showed dilated perimedullary veins and spinal cord edema. Catheter angiography demonstrated a direct carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) with prominent pontomesencephalic and perimedullary venous drainage. Successful coil embolization of the fistula was performed with ...

The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) are used to evaluate arterial distensibility. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the acute and chronic effects of smoking on arterial stiffness as measured by baPWV and CAVI.  Ten male smokers were studied to evaluate the acute ...

Aim: To evaluate the mitral annulus characteristics in significant mitral regurgitant lesions using mitral valve quantification (MVQ) program. Methods: We examined 117 patients (39 women), aged 18-86. Patients were separated into four subgroups: 35 patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation, 42 patients with isolated prolapse of the mitral valve, 12 patients ...

PURPOSE: Evaluation of computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiography parameters revealing pulmonary embolism (PE) severity with particular attention to pulmonary obstruction indexes. Comparison with clinical and hemodynamic data and determination of predictive role in the development of chronic pulmonary heart disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study analyzes 45 not consecutive ...

Background:  Arterial compliance and endothelium-dependent vasodilation are two characteristics of the vessel wall. In the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study we studied the relationships between arterial compliance and endothelium-dependent vasodilation versus the Ankle-Brachial index (ABI), a clinically used index of peripheral artery disease. Methods:  In ...

Left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft to pulmonary vasculature (PV) fistula is a rare complication of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), with only a handful of cases being reported. The fistula in these cases connects to a distal branch of the pulmonary artery. The etiology of these fistulae is uncertain, ...

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the only proven safe intravascular contrast agent in renal failure and contrast allergy. The use of CO₂ as a contrast agent for the evaluation of failing dialysis fistulas has the potential to preserve residual renal function by eliminating the use of contrast material or decreasing the ...

Coronary artery fistulas are uncommon anomalies. They occur in 0.1-0.2% of patients undergoing coronary arteriography. The origin of the fistulas is the right coronary artery followed by the left anterior descending and lastly by the circumflex artery (17%). Termination into the right heart side occurs in 90% of cases. Termination ...

We report a retrograde approach for the successful closure of large left coronary artery fistulas in the cases of two children using the Amplatzer vascular plug. This method simplified the procedure by eliminating the need for making an arteriovenous loop.

The results of the research of early vascular alterations in LDL-R carriers in comparison with those in non-carriers with severe hypercholesterolemia are controversial. To investigate the difference between severe hypercholesterolemia patients that carry LDL-R defective gene and those that do not have it, in their functional (flow-mediated vasodilation) and structural ...

Neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) and impaired dilatation are important contributors to arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure. It is unclear whether chronic kidney disease (CKD) itself causes adverse remodeling in arterialized veins. Here we determined if CKD specifically triggers adverse effects on vascular remodeling and assessed whether these changes affect the function of ...

The objective of this study is to evaluate the incidence and morphologic features of coronary-pulmonary artery fistulas (CPAF) by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). From 2006 to 2008, 5,372 patients underwent ECG-gated cardiac CT scans using 64-slice MDCT at our institute. Among them, 17 cases of CPAF were detected (M:F = 14:3, mean ...

Arterial stiffness is involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease, and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis. The present study was designed to examine whether SCH is associated with an increase in carotid arterial stiffness. The carotid arterial stiffness parameter in 93 patients with SCH and ...

We report preventive innominate artery division or ligation through a suprasternal approach for impending tracheo-innominate artery fistula (TIF) with recurrent airway oozing in patients with severe neuromuscular disease. Our approach is less invasive and a favorable procedure as preventive surgery for impending TIF.

A 23-year-old man presented with cyanosis since birth. Precordial echocardiography failed to detect any structural heart abnormality except for enlarged left atrium. Pulmonary angiography revealed a type I right pulmonary artery-to-left atrial fistula. Simple ligation of the fistula without cardiopulmonary bypass was performed successfully, and the cyanosis disappeared postoperatively.

Coronary artery fistulas (CAFs) are rare congenital or acquired anomalies characterized by an abnormal communication between the coronary arteries and the cardiac chambers or great vessels. Most patients are asymptomatic during childhood but symptoms and complications have been reported with advancing age. Until recently, surgery was the routine mode of ...

A patient with a history of hypertension presented with worsening shortness of breath, fatigue, and productive cough with blood-tinged sputum. A continuous murmur was heard at the lower sternum and chest X-ray showed mild cardiomegaly. A dilated right atrium with moderately elevated pulmonary artery pressures was detected by transthoracic echocardiogram. ...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disease, which is associated with an excess of cardiovascular events. A decrease in the compliance of the arterial system, termed arterial stiffness, results in increased cardiac workload. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a priority for modern medicine. Therefore, further studies ...

Coronary artery fistulae are rare abnormal communications between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber or a great vessel which may shunt blood flow away from the myocardial capillary network. Vieussens arterial ring is usually described as a collateral pathway between the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries, pathology ...

Congenital systemic-to-pulmonary artery fistulas are very rare, with the exception of congenital heart disease and pulmonary sequestration. We describe the first reported case of left internal mammary and bronchial artery to pulmonary artery fistulas associated with bilateral coronary arteries to pulmonary artery fistulas.

Coronary fistulas to one of the cardiac chambers are infrequent anomalies and usually are found unexpectedly. Fistulas communicating between coronary artery and left heart chambers are extremely rare, especially those emptying into the left ventricle. We report a case in which all three major coronary arteries emptied into the left ...

We report the successful repair for tracheoinnominate fistula, in which the innominate artery was interposed with a synthetic graft and the pectoralis muscle was used as a seal against infection. We know of 10 other reported cases.

Endobronchial brachytherapy and interventional bronchology have changed the management of stage 3A (T4N0M0) non-small cell lung carcinoma. We discuss the case of a female patient who developed massive hemoptysis due to a fistula between the left pulmonary artery and stented left main bronchus. Although transcatheter management of the fistula was ...

OBJECTIVES: The relevance of iatrogenic left coronary artery fistulas complicating surgical myectomy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is not known. We prospectively defined the echocardiographic features, prevalence, and clinical significance of left coronary artery fistulas in 40 consecutive patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy undergoing extended septal myectomy. METHODS: Echocardiographic analysis was ...

We experienced the surgical repair of an extremely rare pulmonary artery dissection without pulmonary hypertension. The patient had multiple coronary-pulmonary artery fistulae, which presumably caused pulmonary artery dissection. The surgical treatment included the closure of the multiple coronary fistulae and the resection of the intimal flap in the main pulmonary ...

OBJECTIVES: To report on the methods and results of treatment of large congenital coronary-cameral fistulae by transcatheter closure with Amplatzer devices. BACKGROUND: Large coronary-cameral fistulae cause a steal phenomenon from the normal coronary circulation. Surgical closure is an option. However, transcatheter methods allow for temporary occlusion, definition of anatomy, and ...

A congenital coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a rare form of heart disease in which a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber or another vascular structure communicate. CAF could worsen ventricular perfusion and function, favoring ventricular ischemia and arrhythmias. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CAF, draining ...

Dural fistulas with cortical venous drainage often present with hemorrhage or neurologic deficit, and prompt treatment is indicated. Occlusion of the draining vein by endovascular techniques or surgical disconnection is considered curative. We present our first endovascular experience with use of Onyx via the arterial route in these aggressive fistulas. ...