Redefining the fluoroscopic landmarks for common femoral arterial puncture during cardiac catheterization: Femoral angiogram and computed tomography angiogram (FACT) study of common femoral artery anatomy.

BACKGROUND: The mid-femoral head (F50 ) is a common fluoroscopic target for common femoral artery (CFA) puncture during cardiac catheterization. Punctures above the inguinal ligament (marking the proximal end of CFA) increase the risk of retroperitoneal hemorrhage and are classified as high punctures. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 114 CT angiograms for the anatomic relationship of the inguinal ligament to the femoral head (FH) and inferior epigastric artery (IEA). We analyzed 114 CT angiograms and 500 femoral angiograms, for the relation of the mid-point of CFA to F50 and F75 (the junction of upper 3/4th and lower 1/4th of FH). RESULTS: The proximal third of femoral head (F33 ) (-1.4 mm) and IEA nadir (-2.9 mm) were closer approximations to the inguinal ligament than the IEA origin (-12.8 mm) or cranial end of FH (-15.2 mm). The inguinal ligament correlated better with the IEA nadir than F33 (R2 = 0.49 vs. 0.001). F75 was a closer approximation for the mid-point of the CFA than F50 (0.3 mm vs. -9.2 mm). Using F75 as the target for CFA puncture carried the lowest risk for non-CFA punctures (18.6%), while using F50 had a 41.2% risk for non-CFA punctures. F75 had an increased risk for low punctures (14.2%) but F50 had a far higher risk for high punctures (36.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The nadir of IEA is the best landmark for identifying the inguinal ligament (the proximal end of CFA) and defining high punctures. F75 is a more accurate target for successful CFA puncture than F50.

Stem cells improve left ventricular function in acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Animal studies have suggested dramatic improvement in cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) through regeneration of the myocardium or neovascularization by transfer of cells derived from bone marrow (BMC) generated clinical studies. Recently published small sized studies have yielded mixed results, leaving the question unanswered. HYPOTHESIS: We analyzed data from these studies in a meta-analysis to investigate if intracoronary stem cell therapy was effective in improving cardiac function. METHODS: A total of 7 randomized controlled trials meeting the inclusion criteria were identified by a systematic literature search. Primary endpoint was change in global left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) baseline to follow-up (ranging between 3 to 6 months). The meta-analysis consisted of 516 patients (BMC group, 256; control group, 260). A 2-sided alpha error of less than .05 was considered to be statistically significant (P<.05). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between the BMC treatment and control groups at baseline. Compared to the control group, patients in the BMC treatment group had significantly greater increase in LVEF from baseline to follow-up (mean difference: 6.108%; SE: 1.753%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.672%- 9.543%; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis suggests that intracoronary bone marrow stem cell infusion may be effective in improving left ventricular systolic function in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

Left ventricular end diastolic pressure and serum brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with abnormal impedance cardiography parameters.

BACKGROUND: Distinct hemodynamic patterns determined by impedance cardiography (ICG) have been found to be superior to clinical assessment for the identification of patients at risk for heart failure decompensation in the outpatient setting. Correlation of these hemodynamic patterns with serum brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) and left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) has not been established. We evaluated the correlation of low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups for acute decompensation of heart failure (ADHF) as determined by ICG parameters with LVEDP and serum BNP. METHODS: Consecutive patients referred for cardiac catheterization with echocardiographic diagnosis of left ventricle dysfunction (systolic or diastolic) or history of congestive heart failure (CHF) underwent ICG evaluation, serum BNP measurement, and LVEDP by cardiac catheterization. Three groups at different levels of risk for ADHF were determined according to ICG parameters: thoracic fluid content (TFC) and stroke volume index (SVI); low risk (low TFC, high SVI), intermediate risk (low-low or high-high TFC and SVI, respectively), and high risk (high TFC and low SVI). RESULTS: Sixty three patients were included in the present study. Mean LVEDP and serum BNP levels were 20.2 +/- 8.2 mmHg and 814 +/- 1005 pg/mL, respectively, in the high-risk group in comparison to 12.3 +/- 6.2 mmHg and 53 +/- 38 pg/mL in the low-risk group (p = 0.01 and p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ICG parameters that represent high risk for ADHF have higher levels of serum BNP and LVEDP in comparison with patients who have intermediate- or low-risk ICG parameters for ADHF.

Pioglitazone and the risk of myocardial infarction and other major adverse cardiac events: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials.

A recent meta-analysis suggested that the use of rosiglitazone increases the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is unclear whether this is a class effect of thiazolidinediones (TZD). We did a meta-analysis to evaluate cardiovascular outcomes with the use of pioglitazone. Randomized, controlled trials in which pioglitazone was compared with placebo or other hypoglycemic agents were considered for analysis. Studies were included if the data for MI were available. Studies were identified with use of relevant search words in Medline, Pubmed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases. Data abstraction was done by 2 individual authors using a standardized protocol. The relative risk across all study groups was computed by the Mantel-Haenszel method, and interstudy heterogeneity was assessed by the chi method. All results were computed according to 95% confidence intervals. Five trials (N = 9965) met the inclusion criteria for analysis. The relative risk for MI was 0.86 (0.69-1.07; P = 0.17). The relative risks for stroke and revascularization were 0.79 (0.61-1.02; P = 0.07) and 0.40 (0.13-1.23; P = 0.11), respectively. Pioglitazone does not increase the risk for MI and may decrease the risk for stroke and revascularization.

Takayasu arteritis presenting as postpartum cardiomyopathy.

A case of Takayasu arteritis (TA) presenting as postpartum cardiomyopathy in a puerperal 26-year-old Hispanic female patient is presented. TA is a large-vessel vasculitis affecting young to middle-aged women. TA can result in cardiomyopathy as a direct result of myocardial involvement. The patient had classical clinical and radiographic findings of TA that were previously undiagnosed. She had rapid functional improvement with corticosteroids. The importance of a thorough physical examination of peripheral pulses is stressed in all patients, especially in those with cardiomyopathy.

Stress cardiomyopathy in a Caucasian man.

Stress cardiomyopathy is increasingly being described as a form of reversible left ventricular systolic dysfunction, with a characteristic shape on left ventriculography. The acute clinical, electrocardiographic and laboratory abnormalities are reminiscent of acute coronary syndrome, with nonobstructive coronary arteries on angiography. Wall motion abnormalities typical of this disease exhibit apical akinesis with compensatory basal hyperkinesis, resulting in the characteristic systolic apical ballooning. Stress cardiomyopathy is much more common in women than men, especially postmenopausal women, and it is typically triggered by intense medical, emotional or physical stress. The pathogenesis of the disease is not well understood, with current evidence favouring catecholamine myocardial injury. Until prospective distinction can be made between stress car-diomyopathy and acute coronary syndrome, the diagnosis should be that of exclusion. In addition to long-term beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and diuretics as needed, treatment is generally supportive, with recovery of baseline left ventricular function within a few weeks to a month.

HIV type 1 RNA level as a clinical indicator of renal pathology in HIV-infected patients.

To determine the value of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA level in distinguishing HIV-associated nephropathy from non-HIV-associated nephropathy renal pathological conditions, we retrospectively compared renal histopathological findings for 86 HIV-infected patients according to HIV-1 RNA levels. We found that HIV-associated nephropathy was unlikely among patients with HIV-1 RNA levels <400 copies/mL. Hypertensive vascular disease surpassed HIV-associated nephropathy as the most common renal pathological finding among the entire cohort. HIV-1 RNA level did not correlate with renal survival.

Renal sympathetic nervous system and the effects of denervation on renal arteries.

Resistant hypertension is associated with chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system resulting in various comorbidities. The prevalence of resistant hypertension is often under estimated due to various reasons. Activation of sympathetic nervous system at the renal- as well as systemic- level contributes to the increased level of catecholamines and resulting increase in the blood pressure. This increased activity was demonstrated by increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity and renal and total body noradrenaline spillover. Apart from the hypertension, it is hypothesized to be associated with insulin resistance, congestive heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea. Renal denervation is a novel procedure where the sympathetic afferent and efferent activity is reduced by various techniques and has been used successfully to treat drug-resistant hypertension improvement of various metabolic derangements. Renal denervation has the unique advantage of offering the denervation at the renal level, thus mitigating the systemic side effects. Renal denervation can be done by various techniques including radiofrequency ablation, ultrasound guided ablation and chemical ablation. Various trials evaluated the role of renal denervation in the management of resistant hypertension and have found promising results. More studies are underway to evaluate the role of renal denervation in patients presenting with resistant hypertension in different scenarios. Appropriate patient selection might be the key in determining the effectiveness of the procedure.

Syncope from dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction simulating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a patient with primary AL-type amyloid heart disease.

Dynamic left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction is seen classically in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Cardiac amyloidosis can present with asymmetric hypertrophy that resembles hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and, in some cases, with dynamic LVOT obstruction. The occurrence of syncope in such patients is not uncommon. The syncope is usually thought to be related to mechanisms other than LVOT obstruction, such as arrhythmias, conduction disturbances, orthostatic hypotension, or vasovagal effects associated with neuropathy.Herein, we report the case of a patient who had immunocyte-derived (primary AL-type) cardiac amyloidosis with the echocardiographic appearance of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and evidence of LVOT obstruction that caused syncope. We were able to provoke and identify dynamic LVOT obstruction that produced presyncopal symptoms similar to those that typically occur in such patients spontaneously. Dynamic LVOT obstruction as a cause of syncope should be considered in patients who have cardiac amyloidosis and echocardiographic evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Lemierre syndrome complicating a subcutaneous neck abscess.

Lemierre syndrome is septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein caused typically by an oropharyngeal infection. We report a case of Lemierre syndrome complicating a subcutaneous neck abscess. Lemierre syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of septic emboli and sepsis, especially in a patient with tenderness along the sternomastoid muscle.

Paradoxical bronchospasm: a potentially life threatening adverse effect of albuterol.

We report a case of paradoxical bronchospasm to both levalbuterol and albuterol. While the exact mechanism for this known adverse effect of albuterol is not known, awareness of this adverse effect can be life saving to the patient. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of paradoxical bronchospasm to levalbuterol inhalation solution.

Antiretroviral therapy in the treatment of HIV-associated nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: The effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the clinical course of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is not well-established. This study was undertaken to further elucidate the potential benefit of ART in HIV-infected patients with documented HIVAN. METHODS: A cohort of 263 consecutive HIV-infected patients referred to the Johns Hopkins renal clinic from 1995 to 2004 was examined. Patients were included if they had biopsy-proven HIVAN and did not require dialysis within 1 month of their kidney biopsy. The cumulative probability of renal survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox regression method. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients among 152 biopsied patients had HIVAN. Among 36 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 26 were treated with ART (group I) and 10 patients were not (group II). Except for age, baseline demographics and clinical characteristics were similar in the two groups. Renal survival was significantly better in the group receiving ART by both univariate (P = 0.025) and multivariate analysis (overall adjusted hazard ratio = 0.30; 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.98; P < 0.05) for ART compared with no treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with biopsy-proven HIVAN treated with ART had better renal survival compared with patients who did not receive ART. HIVAN should be considered as an indication to initiate ART.

Nephrotic range proteinuria and CD4 count as noninvasive indicators of HIV-associated nephropathy.

PURPOSE: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated nephropathy is a common and serious cause of progressive renal insufficiency in patients with HIV, frequently presenting with nephrotic range proteinuria. The purpose of this study is to document the histopathologic diagnoses seen in HIV-positive patients with and without nephrotic range proteinuria and to evaluate the predictive value of both nephrotic range proteinuria and CD4 count in diagnosing HIV-associated nephropathy. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional, single-center study of all 107 HIV-positive patients who had both a renal biopsy and urine protein measurement between 1995 and 2002. Nephrotic range proteinuria was defined as a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio > 3 or a 24-hour urine protein > 3 g. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of those patients with and without HIV-associated nephropathy were compared. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of nephrotic range proteinuria in the diagnosis of HIV-associated nephropathy were determined. RESULTS: Fifty-five biopsied patients had nephrotic range proteinuria, among whom 29 (53%) were diagnosed with HIV-associated nephropathy. Among the remaining patients, 12 had non-HIV-associated nephropathy focal segmental glomeruloscerlosis, 3 had membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, 2 had AA Amyloid, 2 had diabetic nephropathy, and 7 had other diagnoses. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of nephrotic proteinuria in the diagnosis of HIV-associated nephropathy were 73%, 61%, 53%, and 79%, respectively. The patients with HIV-associated nephropathy had a significantly higher creatinine (8.2 mg/dL vs 2.5 mg/dL, P < .001) and a lower CD4 count (158 count/mm3 vs 349 count/mm3, P < .01) at the time of biopsy. Although significantly more patients with HIV-associated nephropathy had a CD4 count below 200 (P = .03), among those with a CD4 count below 200, 10 of 30 patients (33%) had diagnoses other than HIV-associated nephropathy. Injection drug use, presence of hepatitis C, and hypertension were not associated with HIV-associated nephropathy. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that HIV patients with nephrotic range proteinuria warrant a kidney biopsy because the presence of nephrotic range proteinuria, even in the presence a low CD4 count, does not establish the diagnosis of HIV-associated nephropathy.

Sonography as a predictor of human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether renal sonography can be used to predict the pathologic diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 87 human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients who underwent both kidney biopsy and renal sonography after referral to the Johns Hopkins Renal Clinic from January 1995 to July 2002. Using a standardized measure of echogenicity, an independent blinded radiologist reviewed the original sonographic images. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, receiver operating characteristic curves, and likelihood ratios were determined with the use of the biopsy pathologic report as the criterion standard. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (39%) had biopsy-proved human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy. A higher serum creatinine level, greater proteinuria, and black race were associated with human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy, whereas age, sex, hypertension, and diabetes were not. Sensitivity and specificity for the highest 2 levels of echogenicity were 96% and 51%, respectively Sensitivity and specificity for the highest level of echogenicity were 40% and 95%. The likelihood ratio for the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy on the basis of the highest echogenicity score was 7.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.3-73.0; P = .006). The likelihood ratio for the lowest 2 echogenicity scores was 0.08 (95% confidence interval, 0.002-0.57; P = 0.003). Kidney size was not associated with human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy status. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that, among patients with human immunodeficiency virus and kidney disease, the highest and lowest levels of sonographic echogenicity have diagnostic value in respectively establishing or excluding human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy.