Left ventricular mass regression after aortic valve replacement with the TTK Chitra™ monoleaflet tilting disc valve.

Objective: To study the extent of left ventricular (LV) mass regression in aortic stenosis after aortic valve replacement with the TTK Chitra™ tilting disc valve. Methods and materials: This study included patients with severe isolated aortic stenosis (AS), admitted in our department. They had aortic valve replacement (AVR) with the TTK Chitra™ tilting disc valve, between January 2008 and December 2010. Data were collected from consecutive forty-eight patients. LV mass and diametric and functional parameters were recorded preoperatively and compared with echocardiography after 3 months, 6 months, then yearly, up to 3 years. Results: 70.8% of the patients were males and 29.2% were females. The mean duration of illness was 37.92 ± 25.87 months. The mean LV ejection fraction increased 3 months after surgery (61.56 ± 10.10% to 69.31 ± 9.34%) with a sustained increase for the next 3 years. The mean LV end-diastolic diameter decreased (50.16 ± 6.05 mm to 45.69 ± 5.93 mm) after 3 months of surgery, with a sustained decrease for the next 3 years. The mean LV end-systolic diameter decreased (32.84 ± 6.96 mm to 29.41 ± 5.86 mm) after 3 months of surgery and then showed a sustained decrease for the next 3 years. The LV mass assessed with echocardiography regressed from 324.65 ± 97.77 g before surgery to 252.64 ± 71.12 g after 3 months and then showed a sustained decrease over the next 3 years. Conclusion: Significant LV mass regression occurred after AVR with the TTK Chitra™ valve. The maximum reversal was found to be within the first 3 months after surgery with sustained beneficial improvement for the next 3 years.

Pituitary carcinoma with a single metastasis causing cervical spinal cord compression. Case report.

Pituitary carcinoma is rare, with fewer than 100 cases having been reported in the English-language literature. The diagnosis of pituitary carcinoma requires the demonstration of cerebrospinal and/or systemic metastases rather than local invasion. The lesion carries a poor prognosis; fewer than 50% of patients survive beyond 1 year after diagnosis. In this report the authors describe the case of a 68-year-old man who had undergone transsphenoidal debulking surgery and pituitary radiotherapy 4 years earlier for a pituitary adenoma. He presented with cervical cord compression due to a single metastasis from pituitary carcinoma. The authors discuss the management of this entity and review the literature for current opinion on the pathogenesis of these tumors, factors resulting in malignant transformation, and the reliability of markers that predict future malignant behavior. Evidence for the various treatment modalities is also appraised.

Deceleration energy and change in velocity on impact: key factors in fatal versus potentially survivable motor vehicle crash (mvc) aortic injuries (AI): the role of associated injuries as determinants of outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the difference in force mechanisms between fatal and potentially survivable MVC aortic injuries (AI) compared to non-AI severe thoracic injuries (ST). METHODS: Of 324 autopsied MVC driver or front seat passenger fatalities (1997-2000), there were 43 fatal AI (36 scene deaths, 7 hospital deaths) and 5 additional AI survivors. RESULTS: Of the 48 AI, there was only a 42% survival for those reaching hospital alive. 80% of AI survivors had isthmus lesions and all had no or minimal brain injury (GCS >= 13), no cardiac injury and only 20% ribs 1-4 fx or shock; of AI non-survivors reaching hospital alive, 67% had GCS <= 12, 50% cardiac injury, 83% ribs 1-4 fx and 83% shock; AI scene deaths had 78% severe brain injury, 56% cardiac injury, 69% lung injury and 78% ribs 1-4 fx. Quantifying forces in AI scene mortality: the Instantaneous Velocity on Impact of the subject vehicle (delta V1) and the Impact Energy Dissipated (IE) on the subject vehicle (V1) in joules demonstrated a linear regression in fatal car MVC AIs: Energy dissipated (joules) = -56.65 x (delta V1)(2) + 15972 x delta V1 - 454661, r(2) = 0.83. However, for 27 patients with non-AI but severe thoracic (ST) injury (AIS>=3), the relationship of IE to delta V1 had a linear regression of Energy dissipated (joules) = -5.0787 x (delta V1)(2) + 4282.1 x delta V1 - 57182 1, r(2) = 0.84, with the slope difference between the regression for AI scene deaths and that of ST and AI survivors being significant (p<0.05). Based on these relationships, a Critical Zone limited by MVC Impact Energy level of 336000 joules and a delta V1 of 64 kph appears to be the limit of potential survivability in MVCs producing aortic injuries. All AI above these thresholds died. In contrast, ST had greater use of seatbelts (AI 10% vs all ST 60%) and airbags (AI 50% vs all ST 72%), and an 83% survival. CONCLUSION: The data suggest different mechanisms of force delivery and injury patterns in fatal vs potentially survivable AI, and vs ST MVCs. They suggest that an approach to improving vehicle safety measures for AI may involve better safety devices and mechanisms for reducing that fraction of Impact Energy dissipated on V1 for a given delta V1 which is focused on the upper portion of the subject's thoracic cage between the levels of ribs1-8.

Cardiac rupture in acute myocardial infarction: a reassessment.

Cardiac rupture as a complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been described as occurring infrequently. Because of the recent dramatic decrease in autopsy rates, the authors believe that current studies do not accurately represent the frequency of this catastrophic complication. Autopsy protocols and archived histologic slides of patients with AMI were retrospectively reviewed to determine whether the frequency of cardiac rupture, as a complication of AMI, is altered when a non-hospital-based patient cohort after autopsy is evaluated. This review yielded 153 cases of 41 women and 112 men, whose postmortem examinations revealed gross and histologic evidence of AMI. Cardiac rupture was present in 30.7% of these cases. Of the 47 patients with rupture, 35 had no relevant medical history. The remaining 12 patients had various medical conditions. None of the patients in the rupture group had previously treated symptoms related to coronary artery conditions. Whereas women constituted 26.8% of the total AMI group, they had a cardiac rupture rate of 61%. By contrast, men with AMI had a cardiac rupture rate of 19.6%. All patients in the cardiac rupture group had heart weights over the predicted expected weight as a function of body weight. Age, gender, and heart weight were significant factors associated with cardiac rupture, whereas body mass index was not significantly related. When these factors were evaluated jointly, age was a significant explanatory factor for rupture among both men and women, whereas body mass index and heart weight were significant for men but not for women. When the rupture sites occurred on the left ventricular myocardium, the anterior wall was affected in 21 cases (45%), the posterior wall in 18 (38%), the lateral wall in 4 (9%), and the apex in 3 (6%). The right ventricular myocardium ruptured in 1 case (2%). Most of the patients had severe multivessel coronary artery disease. Histologic study of the specimens showed that the majority of ruptures occurred between 24 and 72 hours after myocardial infarction. This study showed a frequency of cardiac rupture of 30.7% in patients with AMI and sudden death according to medical examiner's records. These findings confirm and reinforce the importance of postmortem examination and autopsy as an adjunct to clinical medical practice.