Hypertensive crisis in young woman with Takayasu arteritis.

A young woman who was experiencing repeated convulsions was admitted. The patient's brain magnetic resonance image revealed reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy. Blood pressure fluctuated at times to more than 200 mmHg, and the measurement of the right and left upper arms differed by approximately 70 mmHg. Enhanced computed tomography revealed stenotic lesions of some arteries including the left renal artery. Such findings led to an initial diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis and hypertensive encephalopathy caused by renovascular hypertension. A percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty was successfully performed. The patient's blood pressure returned to normal value without the use of antihypertensive drugs.

Focal Renal Arterial Fibromuscular Dysplasia Demonstrated via Intravascular Ultrasound Image.

A young male suffering from renovascular hypertension was admitted. His initial arteriogram highlighted a focal stenosis of the right renal artery. His intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) revealed increasing medial layer thickness accompanied by a mixture of both high and low echoic materials in this layer. There was also mild thickening of the intimal layer. The diagnosis of medial fibroplasia and intimal fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) was made. Balloon angioplasty decreased the volume of dysplastic tissue. The IVUS images facilitated both the initial diagnosis of focal renal arterial stenosis and the evaluation of the mechanism of dilatation by angioplasty.

Potential candidates for cardiac resynchronization therapy in Japanese patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy--a Niigata multicenter study of DCM--.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the candidates suitable for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and to examine the significance of the QRS duration in Japanese patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS AND RESULTS: The study population consisted of 357 patients. The selection criteria for candidates suitable for CRT were QRS duration =130 ms, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) =35% and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV by ACC/AHA/NASPE 2002 guidelines. We divided the study population into 2 groups: group A with a QRS duration <130 ms, and group B with a QRS duration =130 ms. In 25 of the 375 patients (7.0%), all the criteria were fulfilled. Group B had a significantly larger left ventricular diameter end-diastole and end-systole than group A (P<0.0001). Group B had a lower LVEF (P<0.0001). There was a fair inverse correlation (r=-0.58, P<0.0001) between the length of the QRS duration and LVEF. CONCLUSION: Approximately 7% of the Japanese patients with DCM are CRT candidates. In the present study, we found that prolonged QRS duration was associated with poor systolic function.