Investigating the potential of clinical and biochemical markers to differentiate between functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea and polycystic ovarian syndrome: A retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA) is a common cause of amenorrhoea, but diagnosis can be challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and biochemical features of FHA, compared to that of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and assess the diagnostic performance of the different parameters for differentiating the two conditions. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: This was a retrospective observational study. We analysed clinical and biochemical parameters of women diagnosed with FHA and PCOS following specialist assessment at the reproductive endocrine gynaecology clinic, St Mary's Hospital. RESULTS: Compared with PCOS, women with FHA had significantly lower body mass index (BMI; 20.1 ± 2.9 vs. 31.1 ± 7.8 kg/m2 ; p< .0001) and a thinner endometrium (3.75 ± 2.23 vs. 6.82 ± 3.32 mm; p< .0001). Women with FHA had significantly lower luteinising hormone (LH; 3.46 ± 7.31 vs. 8.79 ± 4.98 IU/L; p< .0001), and lower LH to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio, estradiol, thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine and prolactin levels; there was no significant difference in FSH levels. BMI had the greatest predictive performance for FHA (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.93; p< .001), followed by estradiol (AUC: 0.89; p< .001), LH (AUC: 0.88; p< .001) and LH:FSH ratio (AUC: 0.86; p< .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data provides quantification for diagnostic accuracy of clinical parameters to differentiate FHA from PCOS, namely low BMI, estradiol, LH and LH:FSH ratio. These data could help clinicians more reliably diagnose FHA in women with secondary amenorrhoea.

Thrombus aspiration in primary angioplasty for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Mechanical reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention in acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction is superior to fibrinolysis in terms of short-term and long-term outcome, provided that it can be delivered on time and by an experienced team. Balloon angioplasty and stent implantation of an occluded epicardial vessel during ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction can cause disruption of the frail thrombus containing lesions associated with suboptimal myocardial reperfusion and microcirculatory obstruction. Distal embolization of atherothrombotic material can be prevented by thrombus aspiration during primary angioplasty. Mechanical aspiration via end-hole large-lumen thrombectomy catheters has been shown to improve Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow and result in a more consistent early resolution of ST-segment elevation in multiple registries. More recently, a more sophisticated quantification of the myocardial damage has been applied using myocardial scintigraphy and magnetic resonance, with no difference between patients treated with thrombectomy and patients treated with conventional therapy. The expectations in terms of lasting mortality benefit raised by the first Dutch single-center randomized trial of thrombectomy versus predilation with plain old balloon angioplasty (Thrombus Aspiration During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction, TAPAS) were not confirmed by a much larger Swedish trial (Thrombus Aspiration ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction, TASTE) showing no outcome changes. Although we are waiting for new trials to clarify these controversial results, thrombectomy is still used in selected patients with high thrombus load or with persistent occlusion of the infarct-related artery after wire passage. Here we review the various systems available and discuss their relative merits and the reported results.

Reducing the harm associated in treating hyperkalaemia with insulin and dextrose.

Inpatient treatment of hyperkalaemia with insulin and dextrose can be complicated by iatrogenic hypoglycaemia. We sought to assess the incidence of hypoglycaemia in hospitalised patients with renal disease and assess the impact of the introduction of a local guideline incorporating the use of sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC) for patients with moderate hyperkalaemia. After establishing a significant burden of hypoglycaemia in the initial observation period, a requirement for hourly capillary blood glucose monitoring (for up to 6 h) following the administration of insulin for hyperkalaemia was incorporated into the guidelines. The two-fold introduction of SZC alongside changes in patient care after the administration of insulin/dextrose resulted in more appropriate use of insulin/dextrose, as well as a significant (73%) reduction in the iatrogenic burden of hypoglycaemia (P = 0.04).

Improvements in Sperm Motility Following Low- or High-Intensity Dietary Interventions in Men With Obesity.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity increases risks of male infertility, but bariatric surgery does not improve semen quality. Recent uncontrolled studies suggest that a low-energy diet (LED) improves semen quality. Further evaluation within a randomized, controlled setting is warranted. METHODS: Men with obesity (18-60 years) with normal sperm concentration (normal count) (n = 24) or oligozoospermia (n = 43) were randomized 1:1 to either 800 kcal/day LED for 16 weeks or control, brief dietary intervention (BDI) with 16 weeks' observation. Semen parameters were compared at baseline and 16 weeks. RESULTS: Mean age of men with normal count was 39.4 ± 6.4 in BDI and 40.2 ± 9.6 years in the LED group. Mean age of men with oligozoospermia was 39.5 ± 7.5 in BDI and 37.7 ± 6.6 years in the LED group. LED caused more weight loss than BDI in men with normal count (14.4 vs 6.3 kg; P < .001) and men with oligozoospermia (17.6 vs 1.8 kg; P < .001). Compared with baseline, in men with normal count total motility (TM) increased 48 ± 17% to 60 ± 10% (P < .05) after LED, and 52 ± 8% to 61 ± 6% (P < .0001) after BDI; progressive motility (PM) increased 41 ± 16% to 53 ± 10% (P < .05) after LED, and 45 ± 8% to 54 ± 65% (P < .001) after BDI. In men with oligozoospermia compared with baseline, TM increased 35% [26] to 52% [16] (P < .05) after LED, and 43% [28] to 50% [23] (P = .0587) after BDI; PM increased 29% [23] to 46% [18] (P < .05) after LED, and 33% [25] to 44% [25] (P < .05) after BDI. No differences in postintervention TM or PM were observed between LED and BDI groups in men with normal count or oligozoospermia. CONCLUSION: LED or BDI may be sufficient to improve sperm motility in men with obesity. The effects of paternal dietary intervention on fertility outcomes requires investigation.

Clinical Utility of Novel Fractional Flow Reserve Pullback for Individual Lesion Contribution in Serial Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) pullback is frequently used to assess serially diseased arteries, but has been shown to be inaccurate due to physiological interaction between individual lesions. We evaluated the clinical utility of a novel solution that improves estimation of true FFR contribution of each stenosis in the presence of serial disease. METHODS: Ten interventional cardiologists were presented with tiered information for 18 elective patients with serial coronary disease and submitted revascularization strategies and assessment of lesion significance. Operators were first shown clinical and angiographic information only (Angio); then, conventional practice FFR (FFRnorm); and finally, pullback with corrected FFR contributions of each stenosis (FFRpred). RESULTS: The treatment strategy agreement between operators was k=0.39, k=0.64, and k=0.77 using Angio, FFRnorm, and FFRpred, respectively (P<.001). Lesion significance uncertainty was 26%, 28%, and 3%, respectively. The number of stents per patient was 1.49 ± 0.57, 1.50 ± 0.57, and 1.3 ± 0.5, respectively (P<.001). In total, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy changed in over 50% of cases analyzed, with participants opting for shorter stent length with FFRpred (29.5 ± 15.2 mm) compared with FFRnorm (34.1 ± 14.4 mm; P<.001) and Angio (34.6 ± 14.3; P=.04). This was accompanied by significantly less interobserver variability. CONCLUSION: The ability to quantify the contribution of individual lesions with the novel FFR pullback-based solution significantly increases operator confidence regarding PCI strategy, reduces heterogeneity in practice, and can reduce the planned number of stents and total stent length.

Coronary Artery Aneurysms: A Review of the Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are uncommon and describe a localized dilatation of a coronary artery segment more than 1.5-fold compared with adjacent normal segments. The incidence of CAAs varies from 0.3 to 5.3%. Ever since the dawn of the interventional era, CAAs have been increasingly diagnosed on coronary angiography. Causative factors include atherosclerosis, Takayasu arteritis, congenital disorders, Kawasaki disease (KD), and percutaneous coronary intervention. The natural history of CAAs remains unclear; however, several recent studies have postulated the underlying molecular mechanisms of CAAs, and genome-wide association studies have revealed several genetic predispositions to CAA. Controversies persist regarding the management of CAAs, and emerging findings support the importance of an early diagnosis in patients predisposed to CAAs, such as in children with KD. This review aims to summarize the present knowledge of CAAs and collate the recent advances regarding the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease.

Fibromatosis of the Sigmoid Colon With CTNNB1 (ß-Catenin) Gene Mutation, Arising at the Site of Ileocolic Anastomosis for Resection of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor.

We describe a case of intra-abdominal fibromatosis, which occurred in a 44-year-old woman who had a previous history of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the sigmoid mesocolon, which was treated with imatinib and resection. A mass was detected at the site of ileocolic anastomosis of the previous small bowel resection and sigmoid colectomy, nearly 3 years later. Clinically, this was suspected to represent recurrent GIST and was excised, but histology and mutational analysis showed desmoid-type fibromatosis with a mutation in codon 41 of exon 3 of the CTNNB1 (ß-catenin) gene. The occurrence of fibromatosis at the site of excision of GIST is very rare, but its recognition is important as the treatment of the two neoplasms differs significantly. As imaging cannot reliably distinguish between these 2 entities, histological diagnosis is crucial for correct clinical management.

Coronary covered stents.

Covered stents offer an effective bail-out strategy in vessel perforations, are an alternative to surgery for the exclusion of coronary aneurysms, and have a potential role in the treatment of friable embolisation-prone plaques. The aim of this manuscript is to offer an overview of currently available platforms and to report results obtained in prior studies.

Near-infrared spectroscopy-intravascular ultrasound: scientific basis and clinical applications.

Coronary angiography underestimates the magnitude of the atherosclerotic burden and cannot detect the presence of disease in the early phases. Recognition of these inherent limitations of angiography has been an impetus for the development of other coronary imaging techniques. The novel near-infrared spectroscopy-intravascular ultrasound (NIRS-IVUS) catheters can detect and quantify the presence of lipid core in the atherosclerotic plaque and associate it with other features such as lumen size and plaque architecture. Lipid-rich plaques are known to pose a higher risk of distal embolization during interventions and plaque disruption. The aim of this manuscript is the review of the potential clinical and research applications of this technology as highlighted by recent studies.