[A case of pyeloureteritis cystica: a diagnosis to keep in mind]. / La pyélo-urétérite kystique : un diagnostic à ne pas méconnaître.

The diagnosis of pyeloureteritis cystica is rare. Data from the literature about this disease are limited. Pyeloureteritis cystica is described as a benign inflammatory disease of the urinary tract, resulting from chronic inflammation of the urothelium. Radiologically, it is characterized by multiple rounded incomplete images of the urinary tract. The histology can confirm the diagnosis or eliminate differential diagnosis. We report the case of a pyeloureteritis cystica in a 64-year-old man, who had a chronic haematuria since ten years.

[Para-aortic paraganglioma found by arteriography. Apropos of a case and review of the literature]. / Paragangliome para-aortique découvert en artériographie. A propos d'un cas et revue de la littérature.

A 53 years old man had an angiography for suspected renovascular hypertension (arteritis, renal insufficiency, duplex scanning). It showed a narrow right renal artery streched by a 45 mm mass arising from the adrenal. The computed tomography showed the tumor and the nuclear magnetic resonance imaging indicated a pheochromocytoma. The patient had no complain of headaches, palpitations or sweating. Biochemistry was normal except for a slight serum creatinin elevation and a non significant urinary noradrenaline level. A diagnostic of non functioning pheochromocytoma was made. The therapeutics consisted in a surgical ablation of the tumor and the right kidney (non functioning) and the patient became normotensive thereafter without treatment. The histologic feature was an aortico-sympathetic paraganglia, the adrenal was normal. Paraganglias are arising from the paraganglion system including chemodectoma and glomus jugulare tumor. Non functioning retroperitoneal paraganglias are uncommon: less than 50 in the literature between 1902 and 1992.

[Venous grafts as arterial substitutes. Immediate and medium-term development]. / Le greffon veineux utilisé comme substitut artériel. Evolution précoce et à moyen terme.

This study, based on the authors' experiments in dogs and on data from the literature, describes the immediate and mediumterm histological development of autologous vein grafts. Dissection alone results in extensive endothelial cell desquamation, which may be aggravated by distension and preservation of the graft in an inappropriate medium. Immediately after re-establishment of the arterial blood flow the inner surface of the graft is covered by a fibrinoerythrocytic membrane. Endothelialization begins 10-15 days later but remains incomplete in dogs after 9 months; it is not limited to the suture lines but proceeds by islets disseminated over the surface. As early as the 15th post-operative day, a myo-intimal layer of myofibroblastic cells develops; the origin and control of these cells are still unknown. A better knowledge of the histological development of vein grafts and underlying mechanisms appears to be essential to improvements in surgical procedures and subsequent long-term functional performance of the grafts.

[Value of cineradiography in the study of Budd-Chiari syndrome. Value of various angiographic technics. Apropos of 8 cases]. / Intérêt du radiocinéma dans l'exploration du syndrome de Budd-Chiari. Valeur des différentes techniques d'angiographie. A propos de huit observations.

Eight cases of surgically proven Budd Chiari disease, have been explored pre- operatively by cine-angiography. This procedure is very safe and simple, and allows a dynamic study of the intra- and extra-hepatic pathways. The authors are reviewing the different modalities of radiologic evaluation of Budd-Chiari disease, including inferior vena cava phlebography, opacification of supra-hepatics veins, and coeliac arteriography. They propose a flow sheet in the radiological work-up of these patients.

Effects of chronic lung denervation on breathing pattern and respiratory gas exchanges during hypoxia, hypercapnia and exercise.

The influence of vagal fibres from the lung on ventilatory responses to hypercapnia, hypoxia and exercise was studied in two intact dogs (C) and two chronically lung denervated dogs (C.L.D.). In intact dogs, inspiration duration did not change as tidal volume increased in response to increased chemical drives. Chronic lung denervation did not affect the hypercapnia- or hypoxia-induced elevations in V, despite significant changes in breathing pattern. During exercise, oxygen consumption was similar for C and C.L.D. animals. V for a given oxygen uptake was the same in C and C.L.D. dogs, but VT was higher in C.L.D. animals at all levels of exercise. It is concluded that vagal fibres from the lung play a role in determining the breathing pattern, but are not required for a normal ventilatory response to hypercapnia, hypoxia and exercise. Interaction between vagal sensory input and specific structures sensitive to chemical or physical stimuli is discussed.

Biological and mechanical behavior of autologous pericardium used for tricuspid valvular replacement in dogs.

The fate of autologous pericardium when used to replace a tricuspid valve leaflet has been investigated in dogs. Changes have been studied by means of macroscopic, mechanical, histological, scanning electron microscopy, and in vitro culture techniques. In each of nine experiments the valve failed and death occurred within the first 15 post-operative days. Retraction, thickening of the cusp, fibrinous deposition and/or tissue rupture were associated with a decrease of resistance to traction tests, decrease of elasticity and increase of viscosity of the implanted tissue. The early behavior of autologous pericardium was characterized by precocious inflammatory reaction on the valve leaflets, focal disruption of the collagenous structure of the leaflets, absence of fibroblastic cell infiltration as confirmed by in vitro culture of implanted pericardium and the lack of endothelial-like cell surface at the 10th-15th postoperative day.