Complicated appendiceal diverticulitis a extremely rare cause of acute abdomen: A case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Appendiceal diverticulitis (AD) represents a rare cause of acute abdomen. Diagnosis of AD is a challenge because of its rarity and resemblance to other ileocecal diseases like as cecal diverticulitis (CD) and acute appendicitis (AA). Preoperative imaging can be useful to aid diagnosis. Surgery represents the correct treatment of AD. CASE PRESENTATION: A 48-year-old Caucasian male presented to the Emergency Department with a two-day history of right lower quadrant (RLQ) abdominal pain and fever. Physical examination revealed RLQ abdominal pain and rebound tenderness with muscle guarding. Laboratory tests reported high levels of C-reactive protein and neutrophilic leukocytosis. Abdominal computed tomography(CT) scan showed findings of AA and a thin-walled 5 mm appendiceal diverticulum. The patient underwent laparoscopic appendectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful, the patient was discharged on the 5th postoperative day in a stable condition. Gross anatomy confirmed the presence of appendiceal diverticulum in the distal appendix on the mesenteric border. Histopathological examination revealed an inflamed and perforated appendiceal pseudo-diverticulum with surrounding AA and peri-appendicitis. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Appendiceal diverticulosis is an uncommon entity, classified as congenital or acquired based on the number of appendiceal layers herniating through the normal wall. Two thirds of diverticula will develop acute or chronic diverticulitis that can lead to several complications some of which can be life-threatening. CONCLUSION: AD is a rare surgical emergency and represents often an overlooked diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality Appendectomy represents a safe and appropriate treatment of AD.

Accidentally ingested wooden toothpick, perforation of a sigmoid diverticulum and mimicking acute colonic diverticulitis: A case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Ingested wooden toothpick (WT) represents a rare cause of acute abdomen. Preoperative diagnosis of ingested WT is a challenge because of its unspecific clinical presentation, the low sensitivity rate of radiological investigations and the patient's inability to often recall the event of swallowing a WT. Surgery represents the main treatment in case of ingested WT-induced complications. CASE PRESENTATION: A 72-year-old Caucasian male presented to the Emergency Department with a two-day history of left lower quadrant (LLQ) abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever. Physical examination revealed LLQ abdominal pain and rebound tenderness with muscle guarding. Laboratory tests reported high levels of C-reactive protein and neutrophilic leukocytosis. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) showed colonic diverticulosis, wall thickening of the sigmoid colon, pericolic abscess, regional fatty infiltration, a suspicion of sigmoid perforation secondary to a foreign body. The patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy: a sigmoid diverticular perforation caused by an ingested WT was noticed and a laparoscopic sigmoidectomy with end-to-end Knight-Griffen colorectal anastomosis, partial omentectomy and protective loop ileostomy were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The ingestion of a WT represents a rare but potentially fatal condition which may cause GI perforation with peritonitis, abscesses and other rare complications if it migrates out of the GI tract. CONCLUSION: Ingested WT may cause serious GI injuries with peritonitis, sepsis or death. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality. Surgery is mandatory in case of ingested WT-induced GI perforation and peritonitis.

Use of the Desarda Technique in Emergency Settings: a Comprehensive Review.

One of the most frequent surgeries performed across the world is an inguinal hernia repair, with at least twenty million people undergoing this procedure each year. The prevalence of groin hernia, defined as projections of adipose tissue or viscera through the femoral or inguinal canal, is 3-6% for women and 27-43% for men. Obstruction of the small bowel is one of the most frequent reasons for a strangulated hernia. The risk of strangulation per annum for a groin hernia is approximately 1-3%. The surgical method used to treat an emergency inguinal hernia surgery remains controversial. The elevated risk of complications and infections using prosthetic as opposed to pure tissue repair accounts for an increased likelihood of contamination of the surgical site and necrosis. To ascertain the utility of the Desarda technique in emergency hernia surgery, a systematic review in conjunction with a meta-analysis was performed, with a particular focus on duration of hospital stay, estimated operating time, relapse rate, and postoperative complications.

Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for benign and malignant disease: a review of techniques and results.

Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is challenging in the initial phases because its progression is rapid. The pancreatic tail and body roughly accounts for 20-30% of all cancerous cases. The standard treatment for symptomatic benign, malignant, and premalignant diseases of the pancreatic tail and body is distal pancreatectomy. This technique has been modified over the years to fit certain indications, with the goal of enhancing post-operative results as well as reducing patient trauma. In cases of a premalignant and symptomatic benign condition, the spleen must be preserved either using Kimura's splenic vessel preservation technique or Warshaw's splenic vessel resection technique. A better long-term prognosis is ensured by regional lymph node dissection and radical R0 resection. Radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy was proposed to tackle the shortcomings of traditional surgery for pancreatic tail and body cancer. In this review, study techniques and results of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for malignant and benign pancreatic ailments were described with the intention of providing knowledge on various suitable techniques reported for pancreatic cancer treatment. Furthermore, this study will serve as a ready reckoner for surgeons and could serve to boost their confidence levels during surgery by avoiding confusion on the selection of suitable for the pancreatic diseases diagnosed.

Giant Retroperitoneal Mass: Case Report in a Primary Hospital and Review of the Literature.

Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RPLS) is a rare form of cancer that mostly affects adults. Symptoms may be undetected unless the tumor begins to grow. Diagnosis is made when the tumor is large and puts vital organs such as the pancreas, liver, kidneys at risk. Symptoms of a liposarcoma depend on tumor location. Liposarcoma in the arms, legs, particularly thighs may be painful, swollen, with patients citing weakness in the affected area; 15% of soft tissue sarcomas are retroperitoneal, with two of the most common types being the well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) and high-grade dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS). The tumor can weigh between 15 kg and 20 kg, with 20 to 25 cm in diameter (4). Surgery is the main form of treatment provided along with adjuvant therapies. We present the case of a 60-year-old woman who was referred to the Emergency Department with acute onset of abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting, right back pain, lipothymia and a giant abdominal mass.

Giant retroperitoneal well-differentiated liposarcoma presenting in emergency with intestinal occlusion: Case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Liposarcoma (LPS) represents the most common type of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) and can be classified into four subtypes. Preoperative diagnosis of retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) is a challenge because of its late and nonspecific clinical presentation. Imaging may be helpful for determining the correct diagnosis. Surgery represents a potentially curative treatment of RLPS. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old Caucasian female presented to the Emergency Department with a two-day history of abdominal pain, abdominal distension, inability to pass gas or stool, nausea, vomiting and lipothymia. Abdominal examination revealed abdominal distention, abdominal pain without obvious muscle guarding and a giant non-tender mass. Laboratory tests reported neutrophilic leukocytosis and anemia. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) showed a heterogeneous and hypodense giant retroperitoneal mass compressing and displacing the surrounding organs and vessels. The patient underwent excision of a giant retroperitoneal mass. The postoperative course of the patient was uneventful. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: RLPS is a malignant neoplasm that can slowly grow to enormous size with possible involvement of adjacent organs and vessels; it may recur locally and has a minimal capacity to metastasize. Preoperative diagnosis and staging of RLPS are important to establish appropriate management and prognosis. Surgery represents the gold standard for non-metastatic RLPS treatment. CONCLUSION: RLPS is a rare malignant neoplasm generally difficult to detect early due to its late and nonspecific clinical presentation. CECT represents the most commonly used modality for diagnosis, staging and preoperative evaluation. Surgery represents the appropriate treatment of non-metastatic RLPS.

Primary jejunogastric intussusception: A case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Jejunogastric intussusception following gastric surgery is a rare complication that, if not diagnosed early, can have catastrophic outcomes. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We have reported a case, never described previously, of an acute spontaneous retrograde JGI, presenting with obstruction and hematemesis, in a 70-year-old woman who has never, previously, undergone abdominal surgery. DISCUSSION: As in all cases of intestinal intussusception, early diagnosis is important for acute JGI as mortality rates increase from 10% when the intervention occurs within 48 h. to 50% if treatment is delayed for 96 h. The diagnosis of JGI can be determined with many imaging studies, such as endoscopy, ultrasonography (US), barium stadium and CT scan. Although JGI, up to now, has been described as a rare complication after any type of gastric surgery, this disease must, however, be suspected also in patients who have never undergone abdominal surgery, if they present with non-sedable abdominal pain associated with signs of high intestinal obstruction and hematemesis. CONCLUSION: Our hope is to add to the available literature to aid physicians in their diagnostic work-up and in developing management plans for similar cases occurring in the future.

Two Cases of Spontaneous Isolated Dissection of Superior Mesenteric Artery in One Night: Report of a (Noninvasive) Double Challenge.

BACKGROUND Spontaneous isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SID-SMA) is a rare but potentially fatal condition. Although many cases of SID-SMA have been reported in the literature in recent years because of the increased use of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning, optimal management has not yet been firmly established. CASE REPORT We report 2 cases of SID-SMA that were managed with stenting and angioplasty via transfemoral access. In case 1 a 54-year-old man presented with diffuse abdominal pain without Blumberg sign. Laboratory data were unremarkable. Abdominal CT scanning revealed SID-SMA and initial bowel ischemia. The angiogram revealed a dissected true lumen of SMA with a narrowing of the ileo-colic artery managed, respectively, with self-expandable stent placement and angioplasty. In case 2, a 45-year-old man presented with severe abdominal cramping and pain of 3 days' duration. Physical examination revealed abdominal tenderness with positive Blumberg sign. Laboratory tests showed leukocytosis and increased lactate dehydrogenase. Abdominal CT scan revealed SID-SMA and initial bowel ischemia. After an SMA angiogram, 2 self-expandable stents were placed and an angioplasty was performed. Although a postprocedural angiogram showed good patency of the SMA in both patients, the first patient had a recurrence of abdominal pain after 5 days with a new narrowing tract of the SMA and more inferiorly a dissection with aneurysm of a false lumen, detected on CT scan, treated respectively with stenting and coils. CT follow-up showed successful morphological results in both patients. CONCLUSIONS In our experience, endovascular treatment of SID-SMA is safe and effective, including in cases of recurrence and postprocedural evolution.

Intestinal obstruction and ischemia by necrotic annular Meckel's diverticulum: Case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is a vestigial remnant of the omphalomesenteric duct, representing the most common congenital malformation of the gastrointestinal tract. Diagnosis of MD is a challenge because of its rarity and frequent asymptomaticity. Radiological exams generally aren't useful for its diagnosis. Intestinal obstruction represents the most common complication of MD in adults. Surgery is the appropriate treatment of complicated MD. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old Caucasian male was admitted to the Emergency Department with a two-day history of abdominal pain associated with inability to pass gas or stool, nausea and vomiting. Physical examination revealed abdominal distention and abdominal pain without Blumberg's sign. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) showed small bowel obstruction caused by suspected MD. Laboratory tests reported high serum levels of glycemia, LDH, C-reactive protein and leukocytosis. After diagnosis of intestinal obstruction, the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy: a segmental resection of ischemic distal ileum bearing a necrotic MD was performed. The postoperative course of patient was uneventful. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: MD is found in 2%-4% of the population in large autopsy and surgical series. MD is mostly asymptomatic and incidentally discovered if not complicated; a debate exist about management of asymptomatic MD. Surgery represents the definitive treatment of complicated MD. CONCLUSION: MD is a true diverticulum rarely discovered in adults. Diagnosis of MD is difficult even with the help of radiological exams. Although surgical resection represents the correct treatment of symptomatic MD, nowadays there is no consensus on the optimal treatment of asymptomatic and incidentally discovered MD.

Gangrenous appendicitis in Amyand's hernia: Surgical approach under local anesthesia. Case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Amyand hernia is a rare disease seen in approximatively 1% of all hernias, complications of it, like acute appendicitis, or perforated appendicitis are even more rare, about 0.1%. Its diagnosis is very difficult in the preoperative period: it is usually an incidental finding. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an unusual case of perforated gangrenous appendicitis with peri-appendicular abscess occurring in an irreducible Amyand's hernia. An 80-year-old male, with chronic obstructive disease and pulmonary emphysema, atrial fibrillation, acute myocardial infarction, underwent urgent surgery, under local anesthesia, for right incarcerated inguinoscrotal hernia. He was found to have a perforated gangrenous appendicitis with peri-appendicular abscess within a right indirect inguinal hernia sac. Appendicectomy and Bassini's hernia repair were performed under local anesthesia without any complications. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The treatment of Amyand's hernia is not standardized. The current generally accepted algorithm for Amyand's hernia is essentially contingent on the appendix's condition within the hernia sac. CONCLUSION: Appendectomy and primary herniorrhaphy, under local anesthesia, for type 3 of Amyand's hernia, is a safe procedure and easy to perform and, if confirmed by further study, could be part of every surgeon's knowledge.

Bouveret's syndrome as a rare complication of cholelithiasis: Disputes in current management and report of two cases.

INTRODUCTION: Bouveret's syndrome is a rare complication of cholelithiasis that determines an unusual type of gallstone ileus, secondary to an acquired fistula between the gallbladder and either the duodenum or stomach with impaction of a large gallbladder stone. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult because of its rarity and the absence of typical symptoms. Adequate treatment consists of endoscopic or surgical removal of obstructive stone. PRESENTATION OF CASES: Two old females patients were admitted to the Emergency Department with a history of abdominal pain associated with bilious vomiting. Physical examination revealed abdominal distension with tympanic percussion of the upper quadrants, abdominal pain on deep palpation of all quadrants and in the first patient positive Murphy's sign. Preoperative diagnosis of gallstone impacted in the duodenum was obtained by abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan in the first patient and by esophagogastroduodenoscopy in the second one. Both patients underwent surgery with extraction of the gallstone from the stomach. Postoperative course of two patients was uneventful and they were discharged home. DISCUSSION: Bouveret's syndrome usually presents with signs and symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction. Preoperative radiological investigations not always are useful for its diagnosis. Appropriate treatment, endoscopic or surgical, is debated and must be tailored to each patient considering medical condition, age and comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Bouveret's syndrome is a very rare complication of cholelithiasis, difficult to diagnose and suspect, because of lack of pathognomonic symptoms. Nowaday there are no guidelines for the correct management of this pathology. Endoscopic or surgical removal of obstructive stone represents the correct treatment.

Acute intrathoracic gastric volvulus with retrograde gastric intussusception: A case report of a rare surgical emergency with review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: The gastric volvulus is a rare condition in which the stomach, or part of it, rotates on its axis, for over 180°, constituting a surgical emergency. Even more rare is gastro-gastric intussusception. A delay in their diagnosis and treatment can have fatal consequences PRESENTATION OF CASE: An 82-year-old woman was admitted to the Surgery Unit with a two-day history of abdominal pain associated at first with coffee vomiting and, subsequently, with unproductive retching and oligoanuria. Physical examination showed severe dehydration, fever, at the abdominal level, palpation caused a marked tenderness of all quadrants, with signs of peritonism. Laboratory test showed showed neutrophilic hyperleukocytosis and high C reactive protein level. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an acute intrathoracic gastric volvulus and a gastrogastric intussuception. The patient was submitted to exploratory laparotomy, subtotal gastrectomy with Roux en Y anastomosis and simple plastic of the esophageal hiatus. At the end of the surgery, however, the patient died of your septic shock. DISCUSSION: The traditional treatment for a patient with acute gastric volvulus is an immediate surgical intervention to derotate the stomach and prevent vascular insufficiency. In the presence of necrosis or gastric perforation, resection should be performed. The few cases of gastrogastric intussusception described in the literature have been treated with sub-total gastrectomy and gastro-jejunal anastomosis. Any delay in diagnosis and treatment can prove fatal. CONCLUSION: Intrathoracic Gastric Volvulus and, even more, retrograde gastrointestinal intussusception are very rare pathologies, difficult to diagnose.

Tubulo-villous adenoma of the appendix: A case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Tubulo-villous adenoma is a rare benign appendiceal neoplasm often asymptomatic with the most clinical manifestation that resembles acute appendicitis. Pre-operative diagnosis is difficult by its rarity and the absence of typical symptoms. Adequate treatment is surgical resection. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 69-year-old male was admitted to the Emergency Department with a two-day history of abdominal pain associated with constipation. Abdominal examination revealed abdominal pain localized, at deep palpation, in the right iliac fossa and in hypogastrium without obvious muscle guarding or rebound tenderness. Laboratory tests showed a normal white blood cell count with 82.3% neutrophils and high C-reactive protein level. After a negative abdominal ecography, the patient was evaluated by abdominal computed tomography, which revealed acute appendicitis. The patient was submitted to surgery and open appendectomy was performed. The post-operative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the 5th post-operative day. DISCUSSION: Acute appendicitis may be a clinical manifestation of a benign appendiceal neoplasm. Pre-operative radiological investigations not always are useful for an early diagnosis that is mandatory because of the potential risk of malignant degeneration. Appropriate treatment of acute appendicitis is debated: some surgeons suggest operative treatment, but others advocate for non-operative management. In our case the patient was submitted to surgery avoiding the risk of diagnostic delay of neoplasm. CONCLUSION: Appendiceal tubulo-villous adenoma is a rare neoplasm difficult to diagnose and suspect because of lack of pathognomonic symptoms and specific diagnostic signs. Acute appendicitis is the most common clinical presentation. Appendectomy is the appropriate treatment.

Exercise oscillatory breathing and NT-proBNP levels in stable heart failure provide the strongest prediction of cardiac outcome when combining biomarkers with cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

BACKGROUND: N-Terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET)-derived variables are gold standards for assessing prognosis in heart failure (HF) patients. We sought to refine cardiac events prediction by performing a combined analysis of NT-proBNP with markers of exercise ventilatory efficiency. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 260 stable HF patients underwent measurements of plasma NT-proBNP levels before, at peak exercise, and at 1-minute CPET recovery phase along with peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)), ventilation to CO(2) production (VE/VCO(2)) slope, and exercise periodic breathing (EPB) determinations. After a median follow-up period of 20.6 months, there were 54 cardiac-related deaths. Univariate analysis including NT-proBNP at rest, at peak exercise, and at 1 minute recovery, peak VO(2), VE/VCO(2) slope, and EPB showed NT-proBNP to be the strongest independent predictor with equivalent performance for rest, peak, and recovery levels. Thus, only NT-proBNP at rest was considered (Harrel C 0.783, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.722-0.844) with VE/VCO(2) slope (Harrel C 0.720, 95% CI 0.646-0.794), EPB (Harrel C 0.685, 95% CI 0.619-0.751), and peak VO(2) (Harrel C 0.618, 95% CI 0.533-0.704). With bivariate stepwise analyses, NT-proBNP along with EPB emerged as the strongest prognosticators (Harrel C 0.800, 95% CI 0.737-0.862). CONCLUSIONS: In the refinement for robust outcome predictors in HF patients, NT-proBNP levels together with EPB led to the most powerful definition. VE/VCO(2) slope and peak VO(2) did not provide any prognostic adjunct. A biomarker/CPET approach seems very promising to warrant the continuous implementation in the prognostic work-up of HF patients.

Development of a cardiopulmonary exercise prognostic score for optimizing risk stratification in heart failure: the (P)e(R)i(O)dic (B)reathing during (E)xercise (PROBE) study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) provides powerful information on risk of death in heart failure (HF). We sought to define the relative and additive contribution of the 3 landmark (CPET) prognostic markers--peak oxygen consumption (VO2), minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope, and exercise periodic breathing (EPB)-to the overall risk of cardiac death and to develop a prognostic score for optimizing risk stratification in HF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 695 stable HF patients (average LVEF: 25 ± 8%) underwent a symptom-limited CPET maximum test after familiarization and were prospectively tracked for cardiac mortality. At multivariable Cox analysis EPB emerged as the strongest prognosticator. Using a statistical bootstrap technique (5000 data resamplings), point estimates, and 95% confidence intervals were obtained. Thirty-two configurations were adopted to classify patients into a given cell, according to EPB presence or absence and values of the 2 other covariates. Configurations without EPB and with VE/VCO2 slope ≤30 were not significantly different from 0 (reference value). Statistical power of configurations increased with higher VE/VCO2 slope and lower peak VO2. This prompted us to formulate a score including EPB as a discriminating variable, the (P)e(R)i(O)dic (B)reathing during (E)xercise (PROBE), which ranges between -1 and 1, with zero as reference configuration, that would help to optimize the prognostic accuracy of CPET-derived variables. The greatest PROBE score impact was provided by EPB, followed by VE/VCO2 slope, whereas peak VO2 added minimal prognostic power. CONCLUSIONS: EPB with an elevated VE/VCO2 slope leads to the highest and most precise PROBE score, whereas no additional risk information emerges when EPB is present with a peak VO2 ≤10 mL O2·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹. PROBE score appears to provide a step forward for optimizing CPET use in HF prognostic definition.

Prognostic value of flow-mediated dilatation following myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Risk stratification for subsequent cardiovascular events following a myocardial infarction (MI) is an important area of research. Previous findings indicate flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) may be a valuable prognostic indicator. This study investigates the prognostic value of FMD in patients suffering an uncomplicated MI. METHODS: One hundred and seventy nine post-MI patients [110 male/69 female, mean age: 64.8+/-10.0 years, ejection fraction: 51.9+/-12.2%] were included in this analysis. Ultrasound images of the brachial artery were used to determine FMD following reactive hyperemia. Subjects were tracked for subsequent cardiovascular events [myocardial infarction, heart failure, additional interventions (percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass)] following data collection via medical chart review. RESULTS: There were 45 subsequent cardiovascular events during a mean tracking period of 13.7 (+/-9.5) months. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed a diagnosis of diabetes (ROC area: 0.67, p=0.001, 95% confidence interval: 0.58-0.77) and percent change in arterial diameter (ROC area: 0.63, p=0.01, 95% confidence interval: 0.53-0.73, optimal threshold: 4.5%) were prognostically significant. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the event-free survival rate for subjects without diabetes and an arterial diameter change >4.5%, without diabetes and percent change in arterial diameter 4.5% and with diabetes and percent change in arterial diameter

Exercise metaboreflex activation and endothelial function impairment in atrial fibrillation.

Exercising muscle hypoperfusion stimulates afferents (metaboreceptors) involved in the regulation of ventilation. Atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly when combined with diseases causing endothelial (ED) impairment, such as hypertension (HP) and diabetes mellitus (DM), depresses the ED activity and enhances exercise hyperventilation. The relationship between these two functions and the underlying mechanisms have not been explored previously. In lone AF or AF associated with HP or DM (12 subjects in each cohort), we investigated the brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (ED function) and ventilation during the recovery phase of handgrip (metaboreflex) exercise for subjects receiving placebo or oral vitamin C (double-blind crossover), both before and after cardioversion (CV) to sinus rhythm. Baseline ED impairment was increasingly more severe and the ergoreflex activity more pronounced in AF + HP and AF + DM compared with lone AF. Vitamin C and CV significantly improved both flow-mediated dilatation and metaboreflex activity in lone AF and AF + HP, and vitamin C did not produce any additive effect when administered after CV. In AF + DM, neither vitamin C nor CV was effective. This study provides the following information: AF generates oxidative injury, which is less when the arrhythmia is lone AF and greater when the arrhythmia is associated with HP. In DM, the oxidative injury generated by AF is refractory to a rather weak antioxidant, like vitamin C, or the baseline damage is such as to prevent any additive influence of AF. In AF, a cause-effect link exists between ED dysfunction and metaboreflex activity. Ventilatory advantages of CV seem to be inversely related with the extension of the underlying ED oxidative impairment.

[Statistical notes. Which risks do the patient incur if his own cardiologist accepts to be involved in a clinical trial without deep consideration of the a priori available evidence?]. / Note statistiche. A quali rischi espone i propri pazienti il cardiologo che accetta di partecipare ad una sperimentazione clinica senza un'approfondita riflessione sulle evidenze disponibili a priori?

The aim of this statistical note is to describe the results of the randomized controlled clinical trial TARGET, which compared the effect of tirofiban (new treatment) and abciximab (standard treatment) in patients who were expected to undergo coronary stenting. Primary aim of TARGET was to evaluate the non-inferiority of tirofiban with respect to abciximab, but it concluded in favor of superiority of the standard treatment. The authors of this study point out that a deep consideration regarding a priori available evidence could have avoided to expose 2398 patients randomized to tirofiban to the risk of death or non-fatal myocardial infarction.