Transcatheter recanalisation for absent intra-pericardial pulmonary arteries.

Unilateral absence of intra-pericardial pulmonary artery is a rare congenital malformation. If untreated, it can lead to morbidity and mortality in adulthood. Early intervention and restoration of physiologic pulmonary blood flow is necessary. Transcatheter stenting as initial intervention has been rarely reported. We present transcatheter recanalisation and stenting of the obliterated ductus in two newborns with unilateral absence of intra-pericardial pulmonary artery with cross-sectional imaging, procedural details, angiography, and follow up to surgical repair. We believe that such procedure promotes ipsilateral pulmonary vasculature growth to facilitate unifocalization surgery at a later age.

Effective myocardial perfusion and concomitant haemodynamic status determine the clinical diversity of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

BACKGROUND: Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a rare congenital heart disease (CHD) with diverse clinical presentations despite the same anatomy. Factors determining this heterogeneous presentation are not well understood. METHOD AND RESULTS: We retrospectively investigated 14 patients (12 females) who underwent surgical repair of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. These patients were divided into three groups based upon the severity of initial presentation: (1) severe, life-threatening condition (n = 5), (2) mild-to-moderate distress (n = 6), and (3) asymptomatic (n = 3). All patients presented with left ventricular dilation and retrograde flow in left coronary artery by echocardiogram. Eight patients in (1) and (2) presented with severe left ventricular dysfunction. All but one showed abnormal ECG consistent with myocardial ischemia or infarction. Asymptomatic patients had preserved left ventricular systolic function despite ischemic findings on ECG. In 13 patients after surgical repair, all but one normalised left ventricular geometry and systolic function, suggesting nearly full myocardial recovery upon improvement of myocardial perfusion; 8 patients had residual echogenic papillary muscle with variable degree of mitral regurgitation. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of myocardial ischemic injury was present in all patients with anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery regardless of their initial presentation. Retrograde flow in left coronary artery, implying collateral vessel development from right coronary artery to left coronary artery, was noted in all patients, yet only few patients had preserved systolic function at the time of diagnosis. The balance between effective myocardial perfusion and a deleterious fistulous flow provided by these collaterals and the simultaneous haemodynamic status are what determine the clinical diversity of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

Anti-NMDA-receptor antibody encephalitis in infants.

PURPOSE: Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antibody encephalitis is an autoimmune disorder manifesting subacutely with prominent aberrant movements and psychiatric symptoms. The clinical course is one of progressive clinical deterioration that can be halted and often reversed by early diagnosis and treatment. Patterns of presentation and etiology of anti-NMDA-receptor antibody encephalitis are dependent on age and can be challenging to recognize in very young children. REPORTS: Sequential clinical case observations of anti-NMDA-receptor antibody encephalitis presenting in very young children were examined over a year at a single tertiary pediatric institution. Cerebrospinal fluid confirmed anti-NMDA-receptor antibodies in two cases (a 21-month-old boy and a 29-month-old girl) that demonstrated either bizarre behavioral patterns or status epilepticus both associated with progressive deterioration. Once recognized, the clinical course was arrested and reversed by aggressive treatment with plasma exchange, immunoglobulin, and high dose IV steroids. CONCLUSION: Infants with anti-NMDA-receptor antibody encephalitis can present with frank seizures or seizure mimics. Regardless, prompt recognition and aggressive treatment of anti-NMDA-receptor antibody encephalitis, while challenging, can quickly arrest deterioration and hasten recovery, thereby, limiting neurological morbidity.

Expression of TPM1κ, a Novel Sarcomeric Isoform of the TPM1 Gene, in Mouse Heart and Skeletal Muscle.

We have investigated the expression of TPM1 α and TPM1 κ in mouse striated muscles. TPM1 α and TMP1 κ were amplified from the cDNA of mouse heart by using conventional RT-PCR. We have cloned the PCR amplified DNA and determined the nucleotide sequences. Deduced amino acid sequences show that there are three amino acid changes in mouse exon 2a when compared with the human TPM1 κ . However, the deduced amino acid sequences of human TPM1 α and mouse TPM1 α are identical. Conventional RT-PCR data as well as qRT-PCR data, calculating both absolute copy number and relative expression, revealed that the expression of TPM1 κ is significantly lower compared to TPM1 α in both mouse heart and skeletal muscle. It was also found that the expression level of TPM1 κ transcripts in mouse heart is higher than it is in skeletal muscle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the expression of TPM1 κ in mammalian skeletal muscle.