Surgical treatment of infectious ulnar artery aneurysm. / Kirurgisk behandling av infeksiøst ulnarisaneurisme.

Infectious ulnar artery aneurysm is a rare condition with no standardised treatment. Our patient was treated with a simple proximal ligature without excision of the aneurysm.

[Tracheal resections]. / Trakealreseksjoner.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal resection is a valuable treatment option in patients with primary localized tumours and in selected patients with post-tracheostomy stenosis. The main symptom is dyspnoea on activity. Tracheal tumour is a rare condition with adenoid cystic carcinoma as the dominant malignant type, whereas papilloma is the most common benign lesion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In our institution we performed eight tracheal operations from 1989 to 2002. Five patients had malignant tumours and three post-tracheostomy stenosis. The patients were reevaluated with endoscopy. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION: Four patients with carcinomas underwent tracheal resection and direct anastomosis. One patient had postoperative irradiation due to carcinoma cells in the resection margin and died five years later. In one patient local infiltration outside the tracheal wall rendered him inoperable. Two of the three patients with benign stenoses had recidivations and underwent endoscopic dilatation and stenting. Patients with localized malignant tumours and selected patients with benign tracheal stenoses may benefit from tracheal resection. Tracheal stenosis is an important differential diagnosis in patients with airway obstruction that does not respond to pharmacological treatment.

Complement activation and cytokine and chemokines release during mediastinitis.

BACKGROUND: Mediastinitis after open heart operation is an infrequent, but life-threatening complication with a reported incidence rate between 1% and 4%. Hospital mortality is estimated at 10% to 35%. The aim of the present work was to study the systemic inflammatory reaction as judged by complement activation and cytokine and chemokines release in patients with mediastinitis after open heart operation. METHODS: Seven patients with clinical signs of mediastinitis were included. Three patients had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting, whereas 4 patients had combined coronary artery bypass grafting, valve replacement, or valvuloplasty. Blood samples were drawn before induction of anesthesia and at the time of reoperation, and thereafter daily during the hospital stay. Controls comprised similar patients with an uneventful postoperative course. RESULTS: The terminal SC5b-9 complement complex concentration in the mediastinitis patients was substantially higher compared with the controls (p < 0.001), and the terminal SC5b-9 complement complex values showed no overlap between the two groups. Interleukin-8, stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha and IL-6 concentrations were also significantly higher in the mediastinitis group than in the control group (p < 0.001), but with considerable overlap between the groups. Interleukin-1beta, interleukin-10, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 concentrations were slightly higher in the mediastinitis group, and no differences were seen for the tumor necrosis factor-alpha. CONCLUSIONS: During mediastinitis, the complement is activated and the cytokines and chemokines, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha are released. These proteins may be involved in the pathogenesis of this complication. Terminal SC5b-9 complement complex may be an indicator to discriminate mediastinitis patients from those with uneventful course.

Sternal wound closure in patients undergoing open-heart surgery: a prospective randomized study comparing intracutaneous and zipper techniques.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective, randomized study was undertaken to compare a non-invasive surgical zipper to intracutaneous suture closure in open-heart surgery with respect to postoperative wound infection rate and cosmetic results. METHODS: A total number of 300 patients were included in the study, of which 150 had their skin wound closed with zipper and 150 with intracutaneous suture. The end-points were superficial and deep sternal wound infections within 6 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: The incidence of total infection after 6 weeks was equal in the two groups (6.7 vs. 6.7%) (P=0.94). The superficial infection rate was 5.3% in the zipper group vs. 6.0% in the intracutaneous, and the deep infection rate was 1.4% in the zipper group and 0.7% in the intracutaneous. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups. Only the cosmetic result differed. On a visual scale from 1 (poorest) to 10 (best), an average score of 8.2 was obtained in the intracutaneous group versus 8.9 in the zipper group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The wound infection rate was equal for the intracutaneous group compared with the zipper group; however, the cosmetic result was judged better by the patients in the zipper group.

Leg wound closure after saphenous vein harvesting in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: a prospective randomized study comparing intracutaneous, transcutaneous and zipper techniques.

OBJECTIVE: Two prospective randomized studies were undertaken to compare different suture closure techniques with respect to postoperative wound infection rates and cosmetic results after saphenous vein harvesting in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. DESIGN: A total of 166 patients were included in the first study, in which 85 had their leg wounds closed with transcutaneous and 81 with intracutaneous suture. In the second study, 168 patients were selected to a non-invasive surgical zipper (n = 78) or intracutaneous suture (n = 90). RESULTS: In the first study the overall infection rate was 20.5%, 17.6% in the transcutaneous group compared with 23.5% in the intracutaneous group (p = 0.35). In the second study the infection rate was 19.3%, 15.3% in the zipper group vs 23.3% in the intracutaneous group (p = 0.20). On a cosmetic scale from 1 to 10, an average score of 8.0 was obtained in the percutaneous (p.c.) group vs 8.3 in the intracutaneous (i.c.) group (p = 0.35), and 9.0 in the zipper group vs 8.4 in the i.c. group (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The incidence of leg wound infection after saphenous vein harvesting in coronary artery bypass graft surgery is high. The zipper closing method may give a lower infection rate and a better cosmetic result compared with the intracutaneous suture.

Changes in the cytokine network and complement parameters during open heart surgery.

OBJECTIVES: During cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) there is a systemic inflammatory reaction, involving enhanced release of inflammatory cytokines and complement. However, few studies have analysed the levels of anti-inflammatory mediators and chemokines after CPB. In this study we investigated the complexity of the cytokine network particularly focusing on the balance between interleukin (IL)-10 and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. METHODS: Blood samples from 20 patients (seven females; 13 males, age 30-81 (median 65) years) who underwent CPB, were collected before, and at several time points after surgery ,and analyzed for plasma levels of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and parameters of complement activation. RESULTS: A marked increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, rather than in inflammatory cytokines, characterized the initial phase after CBP. As for the early inflammatory response the most prominent feature was a rise in the inflammatory chemokines IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, while the increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha was rather modest. In contrast to the rapid 'rise and fall' in most of the markers, significantly raised IL-6 levels persisted throughout the study. Immediately after CPB there was also a marked increase in complement activation, with return to baseline levels on the first postoperative day. CONCLUSION: The present study shows a complex pattern of changes in the cytokine network and complement parameters during CBP with a marked rise in both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. However, in contrast to cytokine pattern during various infections, the initial phase after CPB was dominated by a marked rise in anti-inflammatory cytokines (i.e. IL-10).