Assessment of the Cross-Sectional Areas of the Psoas Major and Multifidus Muscles in Patients With Adult Spinal Deformity: A Case-Control Study.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a case-control study. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to compare the cross-sectional areas of the psoas major and multifidus muscles between elderly patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) and age-matched and body weight-matched controls, and to evaluate the associations between the cross-sectional areas of these muscles and the severity of spinal deformity. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The study included 49 female kyphosis patients with mild scoliosis (Cobb angle <20 degrees; mean age, 70.9 y, group D). The control group (group C) included age-matched and body weight-matched female patients who underwent abdominal surgery (n=98; mean age, 71.7 y). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional areas of the bilateral psoas majors and multifidus muscles were calculated using preoperative L4/L5 axial computed tomography images. In group D, the following spinopelvic parameters were assessed: sagittal vertical axis, pelvic tilt, pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis, and thoracic kyphosis. The relationships between the muscle cross-sectional areas and spinopelvic parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: The cross-sectional area of the multifidus muscle was lower in group D than in group C. However, the cross-sectional area of the psoas major muscle was not different between the 2 groups. In multiple regression analysis, the cross-sectional area of the multifidus muscle was significantly associated with all spinopelvic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The cross-sectional area of the multifidus muscle might be lower in elderly patients with ASD than in controls. In the elderly population, the severity of sagittal spinal deformity might be correlated with the cross-sectional area of the multifidus muscle. Therefore, muscle imbalances between the flexors and extensors of the spine could participate in the pathology of ASD.

Assessment of pelvic hemodynamics during an open repair of an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm.

PURPOSE: To assess the pelvic circulation during abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair by measuring the inferior mesenteric artery stump pressure (IMA-SP), penile blood flow, and gluteal blood flow. METHODS: Twenty males were selected for this study. An aorto-bi-common iliac arteries (CIA) graft replacement was performed in ten patients (Group Bi-CIA). An aorto-right-CIA/left-external iliac artery (EIA) graft replacement was performed in five (Group Lt-EIA). The other five underwent an aorto-right-EIA/left-CIA anastomosis (Group Rt-EIA). The right graft limb was anastomosed first, followed by the left limb in all of the patients. Pelvic circulation was monitored during aortic reconstruction, including the IMA-SP index (IMA-SPI), penile brachial pressure index (PBI) by pulse-volume plethysmography, and gluteal tissue oxygenation metabolism with near-infrared spectroscopy by monitoring the gluteal tissue oxygenation index (TOI) bilaterally. RESULTS: The PBI and bilateral gluteal TOI became depressed in all patients during proximal aortic clamping. However, there was no significant change in IMA-SPI in each group. The PBI and bilateral gluteal TOI in all groups recovered to the baseline values after completion of bilateral graft limb anastomosis. CONCLUSIONS: IMA-SPI is likely to reflect collateral circulation mainly from the superior mesenteric artery. The penile blood flow and bilateral gluteal blood flow therefore seem to be supplied via the bilateral hypogastric arteries or the profunda femoris arteries.

[Assessment of goserelin treatment in adjuvant therapy for premenopausal patients with breast cancer in Japan-zoladex breast cancer study group trial-B].

OBJECTIVE: Goserelin (GOS) therapy in an adjuvant setting for estrogen receptor(ER)-positive premenopausal patients with breast cancer was assessed in a randomised comparative study. METHODS: ER positive premenopausal patients with n + or n 0 and T > or = 3 cm received tamoxifen (TAM) 20 mg/day, GOS 3.6 mg/4 weeks or GOS + TAM for 2 years, and the clinical efficacy and safety of these regimens were assessed. RESULTS: In the data analysis of total 207 patients, hazard ratios of disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in the GOS group compared to the TAM group were 0.87 and 2.10,respectively. The incidence of adverse drug reactions was similar (42-55%) in all three groups. Since the number of patients in this study did not reach the target number, the efficacy could not be assessed from a statistical aspect. Therefore,meta-analysis with similar foreign studies(ZIPP) was implemented. The results of meta-analysis showed that the hazard ratios of DFS and OS in the GOS group compared to the non-GOS group were 0.83 and 0.85, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although the analysis of 207 patients did not show any statistically significant difference between each of the treatment groups, the results of meta-analysis showed a significant prolongation of DFS in the GOS group. Also high tolerability of GOS was suggested. From these results, GOS was considered highly useful in adjuvant therapy for ER-positive premenopausal patients with breast cancer.

Virtual angioscopy using 3-dimensional rotational digital subtraction angiography for endovascular assessment.

PURPOSE: To investigate the feasibility of 3-dimensional rotational digital subtraction angiography (3D DSA) and the creation of virtual angioscopic images from its data before and after endovascular treatment. TECHNIQUE: Data sets from 3D DSA studies were used to create intraluminal images simulating angioscopy for 36 patients with arterial stenosis, aneurysm, or endoleak after stent-graft deployment. A biplanar DSA unit was used to acquire rotational angiography data, which was then processed with a surface-rendering technique to create maximum intensity projections, shaded surface displays, multiplanar reconstructions, and virtual angioscopy. 3D reconstructions were created in 2 minutes after angiography and provided realistic views adequate for vessel measurement, morphology assessment, and endoleak evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: 3D DSA and virtual angioscopy are novel techniques that have been successful in recreating images of blood vessels immediately after angiography. These techniques could be useful as additional imaging modalities to complement computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of vascular diseases after endovascular therapy.