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Correlated pathological and myelographic observations suggest that the combined types of lumbar spinal stenosis appear to be the most common. The posterior articular processes play the greatest part in producing narrowing--the inferior facet narrowing the central canal and the superior facet narrowing the nerve root canal.
A new dual isotope scintigraphic (DISC) examination of the carotid arteries consisting of simultaneous injections of 111In-labeled platelets and 99mTc-labeled red cells was performed on eight male patients suffering from amaurosis fugax attacks. In concordance with the angiographically proven high percentage of significant extracranial carotid disease in patients with amaurosis fugax, six of the eight patients examined had an increased platelet accumulation in the carotid artery clinically affected. In one patient with normal angiography and one amaurosis fugax attack the platelet scintigraphy even revealed a pathological platelet accumulation in the ipsilateral carotid artery. These findings confirm the hypothesis that most amaurosis fugax attacks are due to arterio-arterial emboli originating from atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid bifurcation.
Fluid filled oculoplethysmography (OPG) is a widely used method of assessing carotid stenosis but it has limitations in the detection of bilateral internal carotid artery lesions and of external carotid artery stenoses. In this study, 157 consecutive patients having carotid angiography and fluid filled OPG were assessed to determine the accuracy of the technique and define the sources of error. Haemodynamically significant stenosis (HDS) was defined as at least 50% stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Only the most severely stenosed side of the 35 bilateral HDS lesions was detected owing to the poor reliability of ear pulse delays. Eye/eye delays alone detected the most severely stenosed side in 82 of 98 patients with an HDS stenosis of one or both ICAs for a sensitivity of 84% a specificity of 71% (41/59) and accuracy of 79% (81/157). The measurement of ear/ear pulse delays for external carotid artery (ECA) stenosis had a sensitivity of only 15% (5/34). Ear/eye pulse delays detected none of the 35 patients with bilateral HDS ICA stenosis. Bilateral equal HDS ICA stenoses were a significant source of error. Stenotic disease was present in the aortic arch and branches (five patients) or the carotid siphon (eight patients) and in seven cases it resulted in an incorrect localization on OPG. There was no diagnostic relationship between the severity of delay and the presence of total occlusion. Chronic local eye pathology was present in 13 patients and did not affect the results of the OPG. We have ceased to use ear pulse measurements for routine assessment but continue to use the eye/eye delays in conjunction with a carotid doppler imaging system.
Extracranial vertebrobasilar artery thrombo-occlusive disease may cause repetitive transient ischemic episodes and, less frequently, brain-stem or cerebellar infarction. This report describes 40 patients who experienced repetitive vertebrobasilar ischemic symptoms despite maximal medical therapy. The natural history, pathogenesis, and treatment options for each causative lesion are reviewed. The operative approaches to symptomatic disease of the proximal vertebral arteries, arterial compression by cervical osteophytes, traumatic lesions of the vertebral arteries, and thrombo-occlusive pathology of the distal extracranial vertebral arteries are outlined. Specific anesthetic and surgical techniques that have proved successful while achieving zero operative mortality and low perioperative morbidity rates are reported.
This study was carried out on 49 patients who underwent an ultrasound study by continuous Doppler and echotomography B real-time, an angiography of supra-aortic arteries, and a carotid endarterectomy. Thirteen had had transient ischemic attacks and 20 a stroke. A quantification of the carotid stenosis in 4 stages was established for each method. For detection of lesion an excellent correlation was observed between the results of echotomography and pathology. For the quantification of lesion the correlation between echotomography and pathology was excellent also in 79,7 p. 100 of the cases, discordant in 20,3 p. 100. It was similar to the correlation between arteriography and pathology (excellent in 83 p. 100 of the cases). The correlation with pathology enabled to distinguish for stages of atherosclerotic lesions, to clarify their type of complications, and to evaluate their functional significance, particularly those with a high risk of embolism.
Morphometrical examinations of 265 normally formed hearts collected at autopsies of infants under 2 years of age were used as a control of the heart weight and size of the pulmonary trunk and aorta. The time of anatomical closing of the arterial duct and oval window were established. Comparisons of the results of morphometry of normal and 173 malformed hearts with the tabulated data were used to develop objective criteria for pathological diagnosis of congenital heart diseases: open arterial duct and centrally located defect of the interatrial septum in infants dying within the first two months of life. The criteria for the detection of marginal forms of stenosis of the pulmonary trunk ostium and isolated coarctation of the aortal isthmus were established.
In this study, the author reports on the pathological aspect in seven cases of "entrapped" popliteal artery. Alterations observed were similar to arteriosclerotic changes. The pathologic aspect is not specific. The physiopathogenic mechanism of this arteriopathy is similar to that of the chronic vascular compression syndrome due to pre-existing anatomic abnormalities, such as the thoraco-brachial outlet syndrome of the subclavian artery. Chronic compression of the popliteal artery is considered as a localized microtrauma of the arterial wall.
A complex examination of 76 patients subjected to choledochoduodenostomy has shown that unsatisfactory results of the operation were due to various pathological alterations of anatomical structures and the created anastomosis. The state of distal parts of the cholangiopancreatic system should be necessarily studied by means of endoscopic pancreaticocholangiography when investigating the reasons of unsatisfactory results of choledochoduodenostomy.
After cholecystectomy reoperations are required in 7%. A reoperation in indicated by pathologic alterations overlooked at the first operation, not working biliodigestive anastomoses and injuries to the common bile duct. 138 reoperations of the bile duct wer performed within 4 years which were aimed at reconstructing the normal bile duct anatomy. Mortality rate 8,7%.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the imaging of the left main coronary artery. The group tested--consisted of 26 patients with angina pectoris and 8 controls. The identification and adequate images of the left main coronary artery were obtained in 33 of 34 (97%) patients. In 5 of 26 patients with angina pectoris we observed stenosis of the left main coronary artery. The diameter stenosis of the lesion was judged to be greater than 50%. In addition, we tried to asses Doppler-derived parameters of blood flow. We have demonstrated that the pulsed Doppler study of the left main coronary artery is feasible. Comparison of patients with angina pectoris with the control group showed lower systolic flow velocities (35 +/- 10 cm/s vs. 55 +/- 15 cm/s) and slightly higher diastolic flow velocities (75 +/- 20 cm/s vs. 70 +/- 10 cm/s). This transesophageal examination holds promise for detecting pathologic vascular status. Although the sensitivity and specificity of this findings cannot be determined by our study, we believe that transesophageal echocardiography can provide a reference for the evaluation of patients with known or suspected ischemic heart disease. Further studies including larger groups of patients are recommended.
The popliteal fossa is a relatively small, muscle-bound strategic anatomical area where is found, on the posterior aspect of the knee, a vasculonervous pedicle and where both vascular and pseudovascular disease may develop, the latter originating from wall-constituting parts. Among non-typical popliteal diseases, the authors have singled out four rare syndromes. The popliteal vein may be trapped due to fibrous strangulation or, more often, to compression by the hypertrophied gastrocnemius muscle. This requires proper diagnosis and surgical management prior to thrombosis onset. Synovial cysts raise no diagnostic problems, unless they mimic an episode of phlebitis; echotomography has now become essential for diagnosis. Desmoid tumors for which predominant extra-abdominal occurrence sites are the popliteal fossa, the leg and thigh, are difficult to excise completely, especially at the popliteal level, and are a major technical challenge because of the inclusion of the vasculonervous pedicle. Lastly, in sports pathology, one must be able to recognize the painful fabella syndrome (osteochondritis of sesamoid fibrocartilage in lateral head of gastrocnemius), so as not to mistakenly implicate vascular disease. New developments in imaging (namely, real time CT-echography) are of major help to clinicists, who should, nonetheless, remain chiefly responsible for detecting these diseases.
This report describes a rare case of bronchial mucosal injury caused by aspiration of a delayed-iron tablet. A 44-year-old woman had been taking delayed-iron tablets (Feto-Gradumet) regularly because of iron deficiency anemia, and accidentally aspirated a tablet into her bronchus. After this accident, she had complained of wheezing and shortness of breath. On bronchoscopy, the bronchial mucosa of left lower lobe initially showed remarkable swelling and redness, and became corroded and narrowed gradually by iron toxicity over several months, although we tried to remove some fragments of tablet as completely as possible. While we had examined her bronchi repeatedly by bronchoscopy, the bronchial mucosa gradually normalized during 15 months, but moderate stenosis of the left basal bronchus remained. The pathological findings showed infiltration of inflammatory cells, edema and granuloma formation in the submucosal region. This report suggests that the bronchial injury was due to the toxicity of persistent ferrous sulfate eluted from the iron tablet which had adhered firmly to the wet bronchial wall for a long time.
In two patients in whom most of the bile and the pancreatic juice were mixed, one within the pancreatic duct because of a presumed injury to the ampulla of Vater and the other within the bile duct secondary to a tumor of the ampulla of Vater, there was no pathologic evidence of acute pancreatitis within the pancreas. This was true even though there was chemical evidence that trypsin in its active form passed through the pancreas. On explanation for this is that trypsin inhibitors contained in human bile and pancreatic juice may bind trypsin.
On the basis of angiographic documentations the Authors report on 4 observations (3 men and 1 woman) of extrinsic compression of the coeliac trunk symptomatologically evidenced through abdominal pain attacks. All the patients were treated surgically by resection of the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm. In one case distal pancreatic resection was also performed on account of accompanying chronic pancreatitis. The long-term results were excellent in 3 cases, and good in 1. The diagnosis and surgical indication were made possible after repeated biochemical and instrumental investigations in order to exclude different pathologies (vascular, biliary, pancreatic, gastrointestinal) which might account for the reported symptoms. There is still discussion on the unresolved problem of the pathogenesis of the pain, as well as on surgical tactic and the advisability of completing resection of the arcuate ligament by sympathicectomy or coeliac ganglionectomy.
The chest roentgenograms of 691 normal, arteriosclerotic and hypertensive patients have been reviewed for measurements of the aortic knob. There is a significant correlation between the width of the aorta and age, but no such correlation was found with the degree of hypertension. The comparison between average widths of the aorta in the 3 categories of subjects has shown its increase in arteriosclerotic and hypertensive patients.
The enteric coated KCl tablet formulation generates complications that affect selectively the small intestine. A novel 1 g KCl tablet preparation proved to be accountable for the development of a specific type of intestinal disease. 11 cases of stenotic ulcers of the proximal ileum have been treated at the Clinique chirurgicale "C" (CHRU, Nancy) since January 1986, 9 of them presenting with perforations. These 11 patients required potassium replacement, which was being supplied by the same tablet formula. A study of these 11 cases focusing on the patients history and clinical characteristics was carried out, that included both macroscopic and microscopic examinations of the lesions. Arterial and venous networks were visualized by X-ray in two surgical tissue specimens, respectively, following injection of contrast material. The authors were thus able to bring forth evidence of the clinical uniqueness (prodromal pain reminiscent of König's syndrome and peritonitis characterized by asthenia); to identify the main risk factor (i.e., reduced bowel movement); as well as describe the basic lesion (pylorus-like stenosis), and propound a novel theory concerning the etiology and the pathology of this condition. The observation of the aforementioned cases initiated a nation-wide, post-marketing pharmacological survey, which resulted, as did a similar investigation which had been carried out in the States, in the discontinuation of any treatment by this type of galenic form of the product.
The epididymal tissue and the testis biopsy from 30 patients with obstructive azoospermia, who had undergone refertilization operations, were investigated by light- and electron microscopy. The findings give an insight into the morphologically recognizable tissue relationships, which one finds in patients with congenital or acquired obstruction of the deferent duct. A severe blockage of the testicular secretion is found in the epithelium of these epididymal ducts and demonstrate considerable pathological tissue changes, which indicate an intense resorptive activity. Intra-luminal spermatophages, which are loaded with phagocytized spermatozoa fragments, penetrate through the epithelium. Also great numbers of monocytes, as well as mast cells, and lymphocytes appear in the interstitium. The autoimmune reaction, induced by the continual blockage of epididymal passage over a long period of time, is discussed.
The authors evaluated the reliability of echography in the involvement of the inferior vena cava in the abdominal tumors. 137 patients were studied with echography and 125 with inferior cavography too. All the diagnosis were confirmed with arteriography and/or CT and/or surgical findings. The reliability of the echographic method was significant, and particularly in case of emboli and tumor invasion.