Biomedical subjects

Michael Galanski

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Galanski.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Diameters of the thoracic aorta throughout life as measured with helical computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: The use of helical computed tomography is well established in the evaluation of the thoracic aorta. Nevertheless, normal diameters and their changes during adult life according to this method are not available. We planned to set up normal diameters for the thoracic aorta of adults obtained by helical computed tomography. METHODS: Seventy adults, 17 to 89 years old, without any signs of cardiovascular disease were investigated with helical computed tomography. Aortic diameters were measured at seven predefined thoracic levels. RESULTS: Aortic diameters (mean +/- SD) were 2.98 +/- 0.46 cm at the aortic valve sinus, 3.09 +/- 0.41 cm at the ascending aorta, 2.94 +/- 0.42 cm proximal to the innominate artery, 2.77 +/- 0.37 cm at the proximal transverse arch, 2.61 +/- 0.41 cm at the distal transverse arch, 2.47 +/- 0.40 cm at the isthmus, and 2.43 +/- 0.35 cm at the diaphragm. Men had slightly longer diameters than did women. All diameters increased with age. There was no influence of weight, height, or body surface area. After normalization to the diameter at diaphragmatic level, no statistically significantly influential factor could be detected. CONCLUSIONS: This study delineates normal intrathoracic aortic diameters for helical computed tomography, including relationships with sex and age. Pathologic dimensions of the aorta should preferably be provided as percentiles or z scores.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

COACH syndrome associated with multifocal liver tumors.

Here, we describe a 20-yr-old woman with COACH syndome (hypoplasia of Cerebellar vermis, Oligophrenia, congenital Ataxia, Coloboma, and Hepatic fibrosis) developing multiple liver lesions. Epigastric and right upper abdominal pain and lack of appetite led to clinical evaluation. Liver function tests showed an increase in transaminases and cholestatic parameters; alpha-fetoprotein was in the normal range. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging examinations revealed multiple liver lesions. Histological examinations of ultrasonographically guided biopsies were consistent with regenerative hepatic nodules without features of malignant or dysplastic cells. The sizes of these tumors did not change over a period of 12 months. Our report presents the 10th case of COACH syndrome with a hitherto undescribed association with hepatic tumors.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed2001

Angiography for renal artery stenosis: no additional impairment of renal function by angioplasty.

The aim of this study was to compare renal function between patients with renal angiography and patients with renal angiography and angioplasty (AP) for renal artery stenosis (RAS). Forty-seven patients with suspected RAS were prospectively investigated by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) using non-ionic low osmolar contrast media (CM). In 22 patients RAS was detected and in 16 cases an angioplasty was performed in the same session. The following parameters were determined 1 day prior to and after the DSA, respectively: serum creatinine (S-Crea, micromol/l) and single-shot inulin clearance (In-Cl, ml/min) for the evaluation of renal function; and urine alpha 1-microglobuline (AMG, microg/g Crea) and beta-N-acetyl-glucoseaminidase (beta-NAG, U/g Crea) as markers of tubular toxicity. Serum creatinine was measured additionally 2 days after CM had been injected. In both groups with and without AP 174+/-65 and 104+/-56 ml of CM ( p<0.0005) were used, respectively. There were no differences with regard to renal function or risk factors for CM nephrotoxicity between both groups. In the group with AP S-Crea and In-Cl (each: mean+/-SD) did not change significantly (before DSA: 171+/-158 and 61+/-24, after DSA: 189+/-177 and 61+/-25, respectively), beta-NAG (median) rose from 4 to 14 ( p<0.05) and AMG from 8 to 55 (n.s., because of high SD). In the group without AP S-Crea increased from 134+/-109 to 141+/-113 ( p<0.01), In-Cl dropped from 65+/-26 to 62+/-26 ( p<0,01), beta NAG (median) rose from 4 to 8 ( p=0.01), and AMG from 7 to 10 (n.s.). A rise in baseline S-Crea by more than 25% or 44 micromol/l occurred in 4 and 2 patients in the group with and without AP, respectively. Creatinine increase was reversible in all cases within 7 days. In this study using sensitive methods to detect changes of renal function and tubular toxicity no additional renal function impairment in DSA with angioplasty for RAS compared with DSA alone could be demonstrated. Our data suggest that AP performed for RAS has a beneficial effect on renal function.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiovascular flow measurement with phase-contrast MR imaging: basic facts and implementation.

Phase-contrast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a well-known but undervalued method of obtaining quantitative information on blood flow. Applications of this technique in cardiovascular MR imaging are expanding. According to the sequences available, phase-contrast measurement can be performed in a breath hold or during normal respiration. Prospective as well as retrospective gating techniques can be used. Common errors in phase-contrast imaging include mismatched encoding velocity, deviation of the imaging plane, inadequate temporal resolution, inadequate spatial resolution, accelerated flow and spatial misregistration, and phase offset errors. Flow measurements are most precise if the imaging plane is perpendicular to the vessel of interest and flow encoding is set to through-plane flow. The sequence should be repeated at least once, with a high encoding velocity used initially. If peak velocity has to be estimated, flow measurement is repeated with an adapted encoding velocity. The overall error of a phase-contrast flow measurement comprises errors during prescription as well as errors that occur during image analysis of the flow data. With phase-contrast imaging, the overall error in flow measurement can be reduced to less than 10%, an acceptable level of error for routine clinical use.

Aorta↗