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Biomedical subjects

C M Gross

Publications and source records attributed to C M Gross.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Ostial renal artery stent placement for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease.

To test the utility of endoprosthetic treatment for ostial renal artery stenosis, and to examine blood pressure and its treatment, serum creatinine, and restenosis rate, 44 ostial renal stent placements were performed in 30 patients with concomitant coronary artery disease, arterial hypertension, and the indication for angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) therapy. There was a marked decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (163+/-30 to 145+/-17 and 93+/-18 to 83+/-10 mm Hg; P < 0.008) with a decrease in number of medication (3.2+/-0.9 to 2.8+/-1.0; P = 0.005). In 5 out of 8 patients not receiving an ACE inhibitor, this drug could be added. Serum creatinine changed from 1.46+/-0.7 mg/dl to 1.39+/-0.58 mg/dl (P = ns). Three patients showed restenosis (12.5%). Ostial stenting lowers blood pressure, decreases antihypertensive drugs and increases medication flexibility.

Adult

Elective stenting of carotid artery stenosis in patients with severe coronary artery disease.

AIMS: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of elective carotid stent implantation in patients with carotid stenoses and concomitant coronary artery disease, as an alternative to combined carotid and coronary surgery. METHODS: We treated 50 patients with >70%, stenoses in 53 carotid arteries with balloon angioplasty followed by elective stent implantation. All patients had severe coronary artery disease, and/or mitral insufficiency, aortic stenosis, rhythm disorders or generalized arteriosclerosis. In three patients the opposite carotid artery was occluded; nine patients had bilateral stenoses of which two received stents bilaterally. RESULTS: Fifty-six successful stent implantations (42 Wallstents, eight BeStents, two AVE-Microstents, one Palmaz Schatz stent, three Sito stents) were performed, reducing the baseline percent stenosis from 78 +/- 18%, to 13 +/- 11%. Complications included three transient ischaemic attacks, one minor and one major stroke. Follow-up was available for 46 patients over a mean of 10 months. Three asymptomatic restenoses and one deformation of a BeStent occurred. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results indicate that carotid artery stenting in patients with concomitant severe coronary artery disease is feasible, safe, and may be an alternative to combined carotid and coronary surgery.

Aged

Relation between arteriosclerosis in the coronary and renal arteries.

This study analyzes the severity of coronary artery disease in terms of the severity of renal artery disease in 609 patients undergoing coronary and renal angiography. The presence of renal artery disease of any severity is strongly suggestive of advanced coronary artery disease.

Angiography

Stent implantation in patients with superior vena cava syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using Wallstent implantation to treat superior vena cava syndrome due to malignant tumors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Digital subtraction angiography showed obstruction of the superior vena cava in 13 patients who then underwent transluminal dilatation and Wallstent implantation. The patients were treated with IV heparin and monitored in the emergency department. Thereafter, they were treated with a platelet inhibitor for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Because their signs and symptoms improved, patients were able to resume radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or both. One patient died of cardiac arrhythmia 1 day after stent placement. Although eight patients have subsequently died of their bronchial or thyroid gland tumors, superior vena cava syndrome did not recur in any patient. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous implantation of Wallstent endoprostheses provides excellent palliation for superior vena cava syndrome.

Aged

Assessment of echocardiographic left ventricular mass before and after acute volume depletion.

Left ventricular mass calculations are often performed to assess the need or effectiveness of antihypertensive drug therapy. However, there are multiple potential errors that may affect the accuracy of these calculations, which can possibly include acute changes in preload. Therefore, to assess the hypothesis that acute volume depletion might alter calculated left ventricular mass, 15 normotensive healthy male volunteers underwent standard M-mode echocardiographic evaluations (at the level of the chordae tendineae guided by two-dimensional echocardiography) before and 2 h after 40 mg of intravenous furosemide. One patient was eliminated due to hypotension prior to the final echocardiogram. The echocardiograms were blinded to patient identity and the time sequence and read separately by two investigators. Four to five cycles were read per echocardiogram by each investigator. All values measured were the mean of the two investigators. Echocardiographic measurements were derived by both the American Society of Echocardiography and Penn conventions. An average urine volume of 1728 mL was collected, and the mean weight change 2 h after furosemide administration was 1.78 kg (P = .001). Penn left ventricular diastolic diameter (1.8 mm, P = .015) and left ventricular mass index (10 g/m2, P = .04) were significantly decreased; however, there was no significant change in septal, posterior, or relative wall thicknesses. As it is unreasonable to believe that acute remodeling of the left ventricle resulted in a decline in left ventricular mass in 2 hours, it is concluded that acute volume changes resulted in a decrease in left ventricular mass measurement due to the influence of diastolic diameter on the calculation of cardiac mass.

Blood Volume

Assessment of late potentials in patients with essential hypertension by the signal-averaged electrocardiogram with five year follow-up.

Both the Framingham and Manitoba Heart Studies have identified electrocardiographic left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) as a risk factor for sudden cardiac death. Low amplitude ventricular late potentials in the terminal part of ventricular activation have been associated with sustained ventricular tachycardia and have identified those at risk for sudden cardiac death. Therefore, we prospectively examined 23 essential hypertensives without known symptomatic coronary heart disease by two-dimensional echocardiography and signal averaged electrocardiograms (SAECGs) for the detection of ventricular late potentials. The SAECG vector-magnitude complex measurements included the total duration of the complex (QRSd), the voltage in the last 40 ms (V40), and the duration of low amplitude signals < 40 microV in the terminal portion of the complex (LASd). Echocardiographic parameter means were: LV diastolic diameter = 46.0 +/- 4.5 mm, combined septal and posterior wall thickness = 23.3 +/- 4.2 mm, LV mass (Woythaler method) = 235.1 +/- 69.1 g, LV mass (Penn method) = 199.5 +/- 55.3 g and ejection fraction = 63.9 +/- 6.2%. SAECG measurement means were QRSd = 88.2 +/- 9.9 ms, V40 = 63.1 +/- 34.7 microV RMS, and LASd = 23.5 +/- 10.0 ms. No echocardiographic parameter correlated with SAECG duration; however, age correlated with QRSd (r = 0.48, P = 0.02). Posterior wall thickness (r = -0.43, P = 0.04), LV mass index (r = -0.44, P = 0.03) and LV mass/height (r = -0.49, P = 0.02) inversely correlated with LASd.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

First clinical experiences with a new angioscopic system for diagnosing peripheral vascular changes.

Conventional angiography allows a global view of regional vascular anatomy but precise information can only be deduced indirectly using contrast medium. The use of the three-dimensional picture of angioscopy, however, allows a direct evaluation of the vascular system. In order to extend our experiences with angioscopy, we employed a new micro-cardio-angioscopic system which consists of four components: a CCD color camera (360,000 pixels); a highly flexible optical probe which can be resterilised (1.4-0.6 mm diameter) incorporating 10,600-6,000 glass fibers, with a viewing angle of 140 degrees, 70 degrees, and 50 degrees and a focusing system that allows a distance from 2 mm to infinity; a high power light source and an insertion catheter with inflatable balloon. Using a known technique (intermittent blood-flow blockage and continual rinsing with NaCl solution), 36 cases involving 27 patients were examined before and after desobliteration of the femoral artery. In 88% of the cases it was possible to control the result of the intervention by angioscopy. Smaller intimal lips, the thrombotic wall, and intimal ruptures were clearly visible. Quantification of the stenoses was also successful in 88% of the cases, and in 8 patients the angioscopic findings deviated from the conventional angiogram. In 14% of the cases, angioscopic examination of the recanalisation result showed that thrombolytic therapy was necessary. Angioscopy offers the possibility of qualitative vascular diagnosis. It is a valuable addition to angiography.

Angioplasty, Laser

Case report: acute presentation of pseudo myocardial infarction secondary to metastatic cancer.

Electrocardiographic ST segment changes that mimic myocardial infarction (MI) may occur secondary to metastatic carcinoma. Presented here is a case in which symptomatology suggestive of acute MI occurred with impressive new anterior ST segment elevation in a patient with a history of laryngeal carcinoma. Clinical options in this setting are discussed, including use of thrombolytic agents and acute catheterization.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell

Long-term severe pulmonary hypertension associated with right atrial myxoma.

An 18-year-old black woman presented with marginally compensated right heart failure, severe pulmonary hypertension, tricuspid incompetence, and right atrial myxoma. Catheterization suggested a substantial reactive component to her P-HTN, especially to nifedipine. Initial management consisted of excision of two right atrial myxomas and tricuspid annuloplasty, and postdischarge management with nifedipine, 30 mg four times daily. Emergency pulmonary thromboendarterectomy was required two weeks later for acute cor pulmonale. It is suggested that concomitant procedures are mandatory in this setting because of the otherwise accelerated adverse pathophysiology of obliterative pulmonary vascular obstructive disease.

Adolescent

Abnormal left ventricular-left atrial posterior wall contour: a new two-dimensional echocardiographic sign in constrictive pericarditis.

We measured the angle P formed by the junction of the left ventricular and left atrial posterior walls, and also the distances from the ultrasound transducer to the left ventricular posterior wall and left atrial posterior wall (DV and DA), respectively, in the parasternal long-axis two-dimensional echocardiographic view. We studied 23 normal adults and four patient groups with conditions commonly associated with left atrial dilatation: mitral regurgitation (14), mitral stenosis (16), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (13), and constrictive pericarditis (7). Statistically significant differences were found between the constrictive pericarditis group and each of the other groups. Angle P was less than 150 degrees in 0 of 23 normal individuals, in 0 of 14 with mitral regurgitation, in 1 of 16 with mitral stenosis, in 0 of 13 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and in five of seven with constrictive pericarditis. DA minus DV exceeded 20 mm in 0 of 23 normal individuals, one of four with mitral regurgitation, in 6 of 16 with mitral stenosis, in 0 of 13 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and in five of seven patients with constrictive pericarditis; We conclude that angle P greater than 150 degrees suggests constrictive pericarditis; DA minus DV greater than 20 mm suggests constrictive pericarditis if mitral stenosis can be excluded.

Echocardiography

Echocardiographic detection of an infected superior vena caval thrombus presenting as a right atrial mass.

A patient was found to have a large mobile right atrial mass by two-dimensional echocardiography after developing sepsis due to prolonged central hyperalimentation. Contrast echocardiography was helpful in localizing the origin of the mass. A large infected thrombus emanating from the superior vena cava was removed at operation. The discussion includes a review of the literature on the echocardiography of right atrial masses.

Catheterization, Central Venous

Congenital absence of pericardium: an unusual cause of atypical angina.

Congenital defects of the pericardium are unusual. Patients may experience exertional chest pain, cardiac arrhythmias, syncope, sudden death, or incarceration of myocardium, or they may be entirely asymptomatic. We describe the case of a symptomatic pericardial herniation diagnosed by echocardiography and confirmed by cineangiography. Successful repair was accomplished using a polytetrafluoroethylene soft-tissue prosthesis.

Adult