[Stanford Type A Acute Aortic Dissection with Leg Ischemia and Visceral Ischemia].

A 52-year-old man developed Stanford type A acute aortic dissection and suffered severe pain in the back and the chest, and numbness of the left lower limb. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed occlusion of the left iliac artery due to dissection. The celiac artery was also obstructed and the superior mesenteric artery was severely narrowed, but there was no clear sign of organ ischemia. Endovascular treatment in the iliac artery was performed, but the patient complained of right upper abdominal pain 6 hours after the procedure. Serum liver enzyme levels were significantly elevated. Repeat contrast-enhanced CT revealed liver infarction, ischemic cholecystitis, and duodenal ischemia due to decreased collateral flow. We immediately carried out cholecystectomy and revasculariza-tion of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries using a saphenous vein. The patient underwent central repair for aortic dissection several days after recovery of liver function, and was discharged uneventfully 24 days later.

[Endovascular Stent Grafting Using Gadolinium-based Contrast Agent and Intravascular Ultrasound in a Patient of Iodinated Contrast Media Allergy].

A 75-year-old male with a history of allergy to iodinated contrast media was referred for the treatment of the left subclavian artery aneurysm. The aneurysm was saccular and maximum diameter over 30 mm. Stent grafting was performed with the use of gadolinium-based contrast agent and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Ipsilateral vertebral artery was temporarily occluded with a balloon catheter to protect against distal embolism. The IVUS reduced the amount of gadolinium-based contrast agent. There were no neurological, renal or other complications after the treatment. Stent grafting of the left subclavian artery aneurysm may be safely performed with gadolinium-based contrast agent and IVUS, even if iodinated contrast media is contraindicated.

[Complete Anterior Papillary Muscle Rupture with Angiographically Normal Coronary Arteries;Report of a Case].

We present a case of complete anterior papillary muscle rupture (PMR) due to localized papillary muscle infarction, without significant coronary artery disease. A 69-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital because of acute orthopnea and cardiogenic shock. Echocardiography showed severe mitral regurgitation due to anterior PMR, and emergency coronary angiography revealed no obstructive disease in the coronary arteries. Emergency mitral valve replacement was performed with intra-aortic balloon pumping support. Intraoperatively, the anterolateral papillary muscle was found to be completely ruptured. With maximal posterior leaflet preservation, mitral valve replacement was successfully performed. Her postoperative course was uneventful. Pathologic examination showed both old fibrosis and new ischemic lesion in the same resected papillary muscle. It could be speculated that repeated localized subendocardial infarction caused so-called spontaneous PMR.

[Extended Sandwich Patch Repair with the Right Ventricular Approach for Posterior Ventricular Septal Perforation].

Ventricular septal perforation(VSP) is a catastrophic complication of acute myocardial infarction, and posterior VSP reportedly has worse outcomes. We present a case of a 79-year-old man with posterior VSP following acute myocardial infarction. He underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for acute postero-inferior myocardial infarction due to occlusion of the mid-portion of the right coronary artery. Ultrasound Cardiography (UCG) revealed the VSP on the posterior ventricular septum with right ventricle(RV) inferior wall akinesis. Surgical repair was planned 4 weeks later because his hemodynamic state remained stable without intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) support. Post-infarction posterior VSP was successfully repaired through inferior right ventricular incision. Two patches were fixed to the ventricular septum using the sandwich patch technique with BioGlue surgical adhesive reinforcement. The postoperative course was uneventful, and there was no residual shunt after the operation. This method of approaching via right ventricular incision was considered to be useful in patients who have severe necrosis near the free-wall side of the posterior VSP.

A Case of Successful Treatment of Ruptured Pancreaticoduodenal Artery Aneurysm Caused by Celiac Artery Dissection.

A 52-year-old man was admitted due to severe epigastric lesion pain. Esophagus gastroduodenal endoscopy showed impaired duodenal dilatation, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) aneurysm 13 mm in diameter below the head of the pancreas, retroperitoneal hematoma, idiopathic celiac artery (CA) dissection, and common hepatic artery disruption. Angiographic embolization with a mixture of N-butyl-1,2-cyanoacrylate and lipiodol was performed, and follow-up study showed improvement of the dilatation of the duodenum and disappearance of the aneurysm. Here we report a quite rare case of PDA aneurysm by idiopathic dissection of CA treated successfully with angiographic embolization.

[Two Surgical Cases of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome in Childhood].

Loeys-Dietz syndrome( LDS) is a recently recognized autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder. Mutations in the genes encoding transforming growth factor-beta( TGF-ß) receptor 1 and (2 TGFBR1, TGFBR2)have been associated with LDS. We report here 2 cases of LDS in childhood. Case 1 was a 10-year-old man, who had aneurysm of both the pulmonary trunk and the ascending aorta, associated with pulmonary and aortic valve insufficiency. Surgical repair was performed successfully at the age of 17. The aortic valve was replaced with a mechanical valve. The aneurysmal ascending aorta was replaced with a Dacron graft. Pulmonary valvuloplasty and pulmonary arterioplasty was performed. Case 2 was a 3-month-old female infant, who had a patent ductus arteriosus( PDA) and aortic root dilation. A detailed physical examination revealed hypertelorism, bifid uvula, retrognathia, talipes equinovarus, and camptodactyly. Computed tomography and echocardiography demonstrated PDA, Valsalva sinus dilation, and arterial tortuosity. These findings were consistent with the clinical manifestations of LDS. Surgical ligation and clipping of the PDA was performed with good results. A molecular genetic analysis subsequently demonstrated a heterozygous missense mutation of the TGFBR2. Since aortic dissection occurs at smaller aortic diameters, early diagnosis and close monitoring are important for patients with LDS.

[Pediatric case of congenital coronary artery fistula; surgical result and late changes in coronary artery aneurysm].

Congenital coronary artery fistula is an uncommon heart anomaly involving the coronary arteries. We report here a case of a 4-year-old boy who had a coronary fistula from the right coronary artery to the right ventricle, with a coronary aneurysm. He was asymptomatic, but the calculated ratio of pulmonary blood flow to systemic blood flow was shown to be high [pulmonary flow (Qp)/systemic flow(Qs)=1.78]. The coronary angiography showed that the right coronary artery was dilated beginning at the ostium and had an aneurysm at the acute marginal portion. A large spherical aneurysm approximately 20 mm in diameter was found to have been connected with coronary fistula opening into the right ventricle. Surgical repair by closure of the fistula under direct vision, partial resection and suture closure of the aneurysm was performed. Plication of the proximal portion of the right coronary artery was not performed, and the diffusely dilated artery was left untouched. After this operation, he recovered well under anticoagulant treatment with warfarin and aspirin. Postoperative angiography was performed 17 months after the surgery to evaluate morphological changes in the coronary artery. The angiography confirmed the closure of the fistula and the regression of coronary artery dilatation.

[Redo off-pump coronary artery grafting through left thoracotomy].

An 80-year-old man successfully underwent reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting( CABG) via left thoracotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass. The proximal end of the saphenous vein graft( SVG)was connected to the thoracic aorta using an automated proximal anastomosis system. Then the SVG routed beneath the pulmonary hilum was anastomosed to the high lateral branch and the anterior descending artery in a sequential mode. He recovered uneventfully and is free of chest pain after redo CABG. In selected patients, redo CABG for the left coronary artery can be safely performed through left thoracotomy.

Effects of the air sac thickness on ventilation by a 1D model of an avian respiratory system.

Airflow in an avian respiratory system was simulated to study why birds affected with airsacculitis have respiratory distress. The airflow in the avian lung was modeled with a 1D electrical circuit and simulated for investigating what effect an increase in wall thickness of air sacs caused by airsacculitis has on flow in lung. The results demonstrated that thickening of the air sac wall caused anti-synchronization between an elastic recoiling force of the air sac walls and an intra-pleural pressure, bringing difficulties in expansion of air sacs to draw in airs during an inspiration period and thereby decreasing air to be pumped out during an expiration period. This was reflected in a decrease in air flow volume in parabronchi where gas exchange takes place. Therefore, it was concluded that airsacculitis causes imbalance in air flow dynamics in the avian lung and thus impairs breathing ability of birds.

Limited resection for noninvasive bronchioloalveolar carcinoma diagnosed by intraoperative pathologic examination.

BACKGROUND: The establishment of limited resection procedures for non-small cell lung cancer is expected. Many groups have suggested noninvasive bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) to be a potential indication for limited resection. METHODS: We designed a prospective phase II study evaluating limited resection for noninvasive BAC diagnosed by intraoperative pathologic examination. From 1999 to 2007, limited resection was the procedure in 46 patients (16 men and 30 women; median age, 69 years; range, 49 to 83) who were diagnosed intraoperatively as having noninvasive BAC. The first end point was the predictive value of the intraoperative pathologic examination for noninvasive BAC diagnosis. The second end point was overall survival, disease-free survival, and cancer-specific survival, calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: We performed wedge resections for 44 patients and segmentectomy for 2 patients. Permanent pathologic examination revealed 3 patients had primary lung adenocarcinomas other than noninvasive BAC. The predictive value of intraoperative pathologic examination for noninvasive BAC diagnosis was 94%. During a median 51-month follow-up, there were only 2 cancer unrelated deaths. The 5-year overall survival rate and the disease-free survival rate were 93%, and the 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our prospective phase II study indicate that limited resection, mainly by wedge resection, is a potentially curative surgical procedure and may be an acceptable alternative to lobectomy for patients with noninvasive BAC. Furthermore, an intraoperative pathologic diagnosis of noninvasive BAC is strongly predictive and allows for an intraoperative decision to perform a limited resection in these patients.

Engineering imaging: using particle image velocimetry to see physiology in a new light.

1. Despite the array of sophisticated imaging techniques available for biological applications, none of the standard biomedical techniques adequately provides the capability to measure motion and flow. Those techniques currently in use are particularly lacking in spatial and temporal resolution. 2. Herein, we introduce the technique of particle image velocimetry. This technique is a well-established tool in engineering research and industry. Particle image velocimetry is continuing to develop and has an increasing number of variants. 3. Three case studies are presented: (i) the use of microparticle image velocimetry to study flow generated by high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in a human airway model; (ii) the use of stereoparticle image velocimetry to study stirred cell and tissue culture devices; and (iii) a three-dimensional X-ray particle image velocimetry technique used to measure flow in an in vitro vascular flow model. 4. The case studies highlight the vast potential of applying the engineering technique of particle image velocimetry and its many variants to current research problems in physiology.

Electroporation-mediated transfer of plasmid DNA encoding IL-10 attenuates orthotopic tracheal allograft stenosis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Electroporation has been shown to increase the efficacy of intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA, resulting in a higher level of foreign gene expression. Using this technique, we examined the effect of viral IL-10 gene transfer on the prevention of tracheal allograft stenosis in an animal model. METHODS: On the day of tracheal transplantation, recipient Lewis rats were intramuscularly injected with either plasmid pCAGGS-LacZ or plasmid pCAGGS-viral IL-10, followed immediately by electroporation. Tracheas from Brown Norway donors were transplanted into the backs of Lewis recipients, and the histology of the grafts were assessed 2 and 4 weeks after transplantation. RESULTS: The serum level of IL-10 peaked at 2000 pg/ml one day after injection; the level then slowly decreased, but was maintained above 1000 pg/ml until 8 days after injection. At Day 28, the airway lumina of the tracheal allografts were almost completely obliterated by fibroproliferative tissue in the control pCAGGS-LacZ-treated rats. In rats injected once with pCAGGS-viral IL-10, luminal obliteration was significantly decreased compared with the control pCAGGS-LacZ-treated rats (mean luminal opening 46.8% vs 0% p<0.05). The loss of epithelial cells lining the airway was also decreased in the IL-10-treated group (mean epithelial coverage 42% vs 5% p<0.05). Multiple injections with pCAGGS-viral IL-10 did not further improve the histological changes. CONCLUSION: IL-10 gene transfer by intramuscular injection using electroporation attenuated tracheal allograft stenosis associated with mild epithelial injury.

Experimental analysis of pendelluft flow generated by HFOV in a human airway model.

HFOV (High frequency oscillatory ventilation) is an effective artificial respiration technique for the treatment of pulmonary disease patients. In HFOV, the pendelluft is one of the important factors in gas transport and mixing mechanisms. Experimental analysis of the pendelluft flow generated in a bronchial tube model of single bifurcation with different volume ratios of daughter branches has been carried out by using time-resolved micro-particle image velocimetry obtaining instantaneous velocity distributions of oscillatory flows in the bronchial tube model at a frequency range of 10-15 Hz. Based on the oscillatory velocity profiles changing with time for different frequencies, the pendelluft phenomena have been discussed.

Primary malignant schwannoma of the lung.

A 72-year-old male referred for surgical treatment underwent chest computed tomography to further investigate a well defined mass with a maximal diameter of 3.2 cm at the left S10. There was no pathological diagnosis established by either bronchoscopic biopsy specimens or computed tomography-guided percutaneous needle biopsy. The lower lobe and mediastinal lymph nodes were excised (complete resection). The 6.5-cm encapsulated grayish mass showed extensive areas of hemorrhage and necrosis on cut surface. Results from histological and immunohistochemical study yielded a definitive diagnosis of malignant schwannoma. Primary malignant schwannomas of the lung are extremely rare and the prognosis is poor in most cases. Our patient is currently well without recurrence more than 2 years after complete resection. Complete surgical resection is the best therapeutic option for primary malignant schwannoma of the lung.

Kidney-targeted naked DNA transfer by retrograde renal vein injection in rats.

Kidney-targeted gene transfer is expected to revolutionize the treatment of renal diseases. Previous gene transfer methods using nonviral vectors administered via renal arterial, pelvic, or ureteric routes into the glomerulus, tubules, or interstitial fibroblasts have resulted in low-level expression for <1 month. The peritubular capillaries (PTC) network is one of the main targets of kidney transplant rejection and of progressive tubulointerstitial fibrosis, which typifies all progressive renal diseases. To access the PTC, we retrogradely injected a lacZ expression plasmid in Ringer's solution into the renal vein of rats. We detected lacZ expression exclusively in the interstitial fibroblasts near the PTC of the injected kidney by immunoelectron microscopic analysis. Nephrotoxicity attributable to gene transfer was not apparent. We then used a rat erythropoietin (Epo) expression plasmid vector, pCAGGS-Epo, in a reporter assay. We obtained maximal Epo expression when the DNA solution was injected within 5 sec, and with a volume of 1.0 ml. We observed a dose-response relationship between serum Epo levels and the amount of injected DNA up to 100 microg. We detected the transgene-derived Epo mRNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction only in the kidneys injected with pCAGGS-Epo. After an injection of 100 microg of pCAGGS-Epo, the serum Epo levels peaked at 208.3 +/- 71.8 mU/ml at week 5, and gradually decreased to 116.2 +/- 38.7 mU/ml at week 24. A similar pattern was obtained using smaller doses of plasmid, 2 microg or 30 microg of pCAGGS-Epo. Transgene-derived Epo secretion resulted in significant erythropoiesis. This novel technique is simple and safe, allowing high-level and long-term stable gene expression specific to the fibroblasts near the PTC, and should have therapeutic value for future applications in humans.