Noticable Findings in Cranial MRI of the Patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is characterized by increased intracranial pressure. We investigated the optic nerve, Meckel's cavity, internal carotid artery (ICA) and pituitary findings of IIH by Cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). METHODS: Cranial MRI images of 35 adult patients with IIH and 35 adult subjects with normal cranial MRI results (control) were evaluated. Optic nerve diameter (OND), optic nerve sheat diameter (ONSD), OND/ONSD ratio, ON tortuosity, ON protrusion, posterior scleral flattening, ICA transverse diameter, CSF distance in Meckel's cavity and ICA transverse diameter/CSF distance in Meckel's cavity ratio, and pituitary gland measurements (height and transverse dimension; and Optic chiasm- pituitary gland distance) were measured. RESULTS: OND and ONSD of the IIH group were significantly higher than those of the control groups at anterior and posterior measurements (p < 0.05). OND/ONSD ratio of the IIH group was lower at anterior measurement; and higher at the posterior measurement than the control group (p < 0.05). Right ICA transverse diameter and bilateral CSF distance in Meckel's cavity of the IIH group were higher than those of the control. Optic chiasm- pituitary gland distance of the IIH group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: OND/ONSD ratio is different in anterior and posterior measurements. So we recommend measuring OND and ONSD separately in IIH patients to use in the clinical practice. Similarly, optic chiasm-pituitary gland distance is also another point to note for IIH patients on MRI. Our paper adds new approach to IIH in terms of OND/ONSD ratio.

Evaluation of hormone replacement therapy which may have an adrenomedullin-mediated protective effect on cardiovascular disorders.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study aimed to determine whether there is an adrenomedullin (AM)-mediated protective effect of postmenopausal estrogen/progestin therapy (HRT) against cardiovascular disorders. METHODS: A total of 22 post-menopausal women without hysterectomy undergoing postmenopausal symptoms (aged 43-52) were treated with conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/die) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg/die) for six months. The flow velocity of the right middle cerebral artery [measured as resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI)], plasma levels of adrenomedullin and endothelin- 1 (ET-1), mean baseline ratio of AM to ET-1, and lipid profiles were assessed before and after HRT. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found for triglycerides, total cholesterol, AM/ET-1 ratio and right middle cerebral artery PI (p<0.05), without any significant differences in HDL, LDL, AM, ET-1, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, a right middle cerebral artery RI (p>0.05) between pre- and post- HRT. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenomedullin may be added to other vasoactive peptides as a new potential candidate for HRT-mediated vascular protection. The ratio of AM/ET-1 vs AM or ET-1 alone may be a useful biological marker of this protection.

[Determining the aortic and renal hemodynamic effects of propofol on rabbits using Doppler ultrasonography]. / Propofol-fentanil anestezisinin tavsanlarda aorta ve renal hemodinami üzerine etkilerinin Doppler US ile degerlendirilmesi.

PURPOSE: The hemodynamic effects of propofol-fentanyl anesthesia were known to reduce arterial pressure and heart rate. We aimed to determine the effects of propofol-fentanyl anesthesia on renal artery blood flow and aorta by using Doppler ultrasonography on an animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 8 male New Zaeland White strain rabbits. The initial aortic and renal hemodynamic measurements were determined on animals using ketamin anesthesia. Later the right femoral arteries were cannulated for determining arterial blood pressure and pulse oximetry was followed from the ear. Propofol 5-7 mg/kg with fentanyl 1-2 microg/kg was injected via the ear vein. Doppler parameters (RI, RI, Vmax, Vmin) of the renal artery and aorta were determined after the anesthesia. RESULTS: According to the basal measurements, arterial blood pressure and breath rates declined significantly (27% and 53% respectively, p<0.05); however there were no statistical alteration of aortic and renal artery Doppler parameters. CONCLUSION: Anesthesia induced by propofol-fentanyl did not induce a statistically significant difference in Doppler parameters obtained from the renal artery and aorta. It is clinically important to know that determining the changes in RI and PI during the postoperative period is not related to the propofol-fentanyl anesthesia.

Effects of hypertension and antihypertensive treatment on retrobulbar circulation detected on Doppler sonography.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of antihypertensive drugs in essential hypertension and in the central retinal, posterior ciliary, and ophthalmic arteries by using Doppler sonography. METHODS: Thirty patients with essential hypertension and 32 control subjects were enrolled in the study. The pulsatility and resistive indices were evaluated in the central retinal, posterior ciliary, and ophthalmic arteries before and 2 months after treatment with antihypertensive drugs as well as in the control group. The pulsatility and resistive index values for each artery in each group were compared statistically. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the retrobulbar pulsatility and resistive index values in each artery among the patients with initially diagnosed hypertension and the control group (P < .05). There were significant reductions in the resistive and pulsatility index values of the posterior ciliary and ophthalmic arteries after treatment (P < .05). For the ophthalmic artery, posttreatment pulsatility and resistive index values did not reach the level of flow measured in the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The alteration of Doppler parameters of medication-free patients with hypertension may result from a peripheral vasospasm in the retrobulbar circulation, and the improvement in the Doppler parameters with oral antihypertensive drugs may indicate the importance of early diagnosis in ameliorating hypertension-induced retrobulbar circulation changes.