Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Neurosurgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.

Background: Numerous minimally invasive approaches to the skull base have been successively developed. Knowledge of the surgical nuances of a specific approach may facilitate approach selection. This study sought to compare the nuances of an extended version of the minipterional craniotomy (EMPT) with those of the transorbital endoscopic approach (TOEA) to the anterior and middle cranial fossae (ACF and MCF, respectively). Read More

FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 160/12, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.

Wolbachia has deeply shaped the ecology and evolution of many arthropods, and interactions between the two partners are a continuum ranging from parasitism to mutualism. Non-dispersing queens of the termite Cavitermes tuberosus are parthenogenetically produced through gamete duplication, a mode of ploidy restoration generally induced by Wolbachia. These queens display a bacteriome-like structure in the anterior part of the mesenteron. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0207486. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America.

Background: Microbubbles (MB) can be compressed to nanometer-sized droplets and reactivated with diagnostic ultrasound; these reactivated MB possess unique imaging characteristics.

Objective: We hypothesized that droplets formed from compressing Definity MB may be used for infarct-enhancement imaging.

Methods: Fourteen rats underwent ligation of their left anterior descending (LAD) artery, and five pigs underwent 90 minute balloon occlusions of their mid LAD. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2018 Dec 11;111:1-5. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Cardiology, Rui Jin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 20025, PR China. Electronic address:

The interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling pathway plays a vital role in multiple mechanisms associated with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, including inflammation and apoptosis. An IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) can block IL-1 by competitive binding to the IL-1 receptor type I (IL-1RI) and thus may provide a cardioprotective effect. In the present investigation, we determined whether exogenous administration of recombinant human IL-1Ra (rhIL-1Ra) provides a protective role against myocardial I/R injury. Read More

Neurobiol Aging 2018 Nov 17;75:54-61. Epub 2018 Nov 17.

School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. Electronic address:

The anterior thalamic nuclei are important for spatial and episodic memory, however, surprisingly little is known about the status of these nuclei in neurological conditions that present with memory impairments, such as Down syndrome. We quantified neurons and glial cells in the anterior thalamic nuclei of four older patients with Down syndrome. There was a striking reduction in the volume of the anterior thalamic nuclei and this appeared to reflect the loss of approximately 70% of neurons. Read More

Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.

Uncertainty is often inevitable in everyday life and can be both stressful and exciting. Given its relevance to psychopathology and wellbeing, recent research has begun to address the brain basis of uncertainty. In the current review we examined whether there are discrete and shared neural signatures for different uncertain contexts. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China;; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, China;; Shenzhen Institutes of Research and Innovation, University of Hong Kong, China. Electronic address:

Background: The major risk of implanting leadless pacemaker at the right ventricular apex is cardiac perforation.

Objective: We described and prospectively evaluated the safety and feasibility of a technique for mid-septal implantation of the Micra leadless pacemaker.

Methods: We positioning the device at the center of the cardiac silhouette in the right anterior oblique (RAO) view, towards the left in the left anterior oblique (LAO) view and away from the sternum in the left lateral view. Read More

Dermatol Surg 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

All authors are affiliated with the Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Background: Endovenous heat-induced thrombosis (EHIT) is a thrombus that extends from an ablated saphenous vein into the common femoral vein after endovenous radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Objective: To investigate the incidence, progression, treatment, and risk factors associated with EHIT-2 or greater after RFA.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with symptomatic superficial venous incompetence that were treated by RFA of the great saphenous vein or anterior accessory saphenous vein during the July 2012 to December 2016 study period. Read More

Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

Reconstruction of the orbital rim and floor following tumor excision is traditionally performed with bone grafts, vascularized grafts, or free flaps. The authors describe a case of an osteosarcoma of the maxillary sinus and a second case of an ossifying fibroma of the orbital floor, both of which required reconstruction of the orbital floor and rim. In both of these cases, reconstruction of the orbital floor and rim was performed with a titanium implant whose anterior portion was bent inferiorly to recreate the orbital rim. Read More

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantify the activation of partitions within supraspinatus and infraspinatus and some periscapular muscles during four resistance exercises with elastic bands.

Design: 27 right handed healthy volunteers (22.5 ± 2. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ear Nose and Throat Department, Adana, Turkey.

Objectives: Anatomic variations of paranasal sinuses are frequent among population that should be analyzed and interpreted accurately. The purpose of this study is to analyze anatomical variants and their relationships of paranasal sinuses in patients with nasal septal deviation undergoing septoplasty.

Methods: A total number of 150 patients (74 males, 76 females) with nasal septal deviation undergoing septal surgery were included in this retrospective study. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Hubei, China.

Background: Prefabricated flap is an important technique to reconstruct facial skin defects. There is no any procedure for full facial reconstruction, and we are the first one to accomplish it.

Methods: Instead of the traditional supraclavicular island flap, we choose nonexpanded flap pedicled by the anterior perforator of transverse cervical artery (ap-TCA) to repair the whole facial deformity. Read More

Eye Contact Lens 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Departments of Innovative Visual Science (S.K., K.M.), and Ophthalmology (S.K., N.M., M.O., S.A., Y.T., K.M., K.N.), Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Research and Development Division (Y.T.), Rohto, Kyoto, Japan; and Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (S.D.K.), New York, NY.

Objectives: To evaluate corneal irregular astigmatism due to the anterior corneal surface using Fourier harmonic analysis with a Placido ring-based corneal topographer (Placido-based topographer) and three-dimensional anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) in dry eyes.

Methods: Forty-four eyes of 44 subjects with dry eye and 20 eyes of 20 normal control subjects were enrolled. Corneal topographic data were obtained using a Placido-based topographer and OCT. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;32(23):1832-1833

A 41 year old female complained of left eyelid, cheek and face erythema, swelling with pain for 7 days. She was diagnosed with cervical squamous cell carcinoma, stage ⅢA a year ago. The anterior rhinoscopy examination showed that the dry scab adheres to the left nasal cavity, and a small amount of reddish mass were found, and the touch was brittle. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;32(23):1821-1825

Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Eye Ear Nose Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, China.

To investigate the effectiveness of endoscopic keel placement for the prevention and treatment of bilateral vocal cord adhesion. There are 47 cases with bilateral vocal cord lesions and 38 cases with laryngeal adhesion in this study. Bilateral vocal cord lesions were removed and laryngeal adhesion was cut and divided. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;32(23):1817-1820

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University College of Medicine, Yanji, 133000, China.

Observation of the effect of uvuplopalatal flap for OSAHS patients with anterior and posterior pharyngeal stenosis. Fifty-six patients with OSAHS who were mainly anterior posterior stenosis in the velopharyngeal plane were selected. Patients with suspending uvuplopalatal flap were used as observation group (30 cases). Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;32(23):1774-1778

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Nanjing General Hospital of PLA.

To investigate the clinical features of patients with chronic sinusitis with bilateral nasal polyps. The data of 134 patients with chronic sinusitis with bilateral nasal polyps were analyzed, retrospectively. Based on the results of the histopathological examination, patients were divided into eosinophilic chronic sinusitis with bilateral nasal polyps(ECRSwBNP) group and noneosinophilic chronic sinusitis with bilateral nasal polyps(nonECRSwBNP) group. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Jul;32(14):1082-1085;1090

Department of Radiology, Southern Medical University Nanfang Hospital.

Application of technique of high resolution CT (HRCT) and multipliate plane reconstruction, analyzed the image features of suspicious superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) to improve the understanding of the SSCD.From January 2016 to April 2017, a total of 230 adult patients who checked temporal bone HRCT were collected in this retrospective study, of which 160 cases (320 ears) of the non-SSCD, 73 cases were male (146 ears), 87 cases were female (174 ears), aged 18 to 70 years old; 70 cases (113 ears) were suspicious diagnosed with SSCD, 33 cases were male (55 ears), 37 cases were female (58 ears), and 18 to 71 years old. The thin section CT scan of the temporal bone translocation was performed on all subjects, then the CT post processing workstation was used for multipliate plane reconstruction (MPR), and the main rows of coronal and oblique sagittal image reconstruction was performed. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;32(24):1847-1850

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, and Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery(Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100730, China.

To explore the clinical effects, surgical procedure and indications of surgical treatment for benign lesions in maxillary sinus through modified prelacrimal duct recess approach. All 21 patients in this study who diagnosed with benign lesions in maxillary sinus, received routine preoperational exam and underwent endoscopic maxillary sinus surgery through modified prelacrimal duct recess approach. Postoperatively patients received routine medical treatment, and regular follow-up for average 11. Read More

Salud Publica Mex 2018 Sep-Oct;60(5):520-527

Departamento de Epidemiología Ocular y Salud Visual, Instituto de Oftalmología Conde de Valenciana. Mexico City, Mexico.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of dry eye symptoms (DES) and associated risk factors among adults in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study that included 1 508 individuals aged ≥50 years who answered the Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ5), with a score ranging between 0 and 22; the following categories were defined: no DES (<6); mild-moderate DES (6 to 11) and severe DES (≥12).

Results: The prevalence of DES was 41. Read More

Acta Ortop Mex 2018 Jul-Aug;32(4):203-208

Spine Surgery Service. National Institute of Rehabilitation Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra. Mexico City. Mexico.

Objective: To compare results of Plate-Graff, Plate-Cage and PEEK cage in patients with cervical stenosis.

Material And Methods: Prospective, with before and after intervention and comparative study. From January 2005 to October 2011 we included 37 patients (male: 48. Read More

Korean J Ophthalmol 2018 Dec;32(6):438-444

Department of Ophthalmology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

Purpose: To compare the success rates of performing only silicone tube intubation versus carrying out both conjunctival resection and silicone tube intubation.

Methods: The subjects of this study involved 62 patients (96 eyes) between October 2015 and May 2017 who were diagnosed as having punctal stricture or nasolacrimal duct stenosis. Out of 96 eyes, 47 underwent only silicone tube intubation, and 49 underwent both silicone tube intubation and conjunctival resection. Read More

NMR Biomed 2018 Dec 14:e4045. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.

Intracortical bone porosity is a key microstructural parameter that determines bone mechanical properties. While clinical MRI visualizes the cortical bone with a signal void, ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI can acquire high signal from cortical bone, thus enabling quantitative assessments. Magnetization transfer (MT) imaging combined with UTE-MRI can indirectly assess protons in the bone collagenous matrix, which are inversely related to porosity. Read More

Thorac Cancer 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

A preoperative chest computed tomography examination of the right breast in a 52-year-old woman with breast cancer revealed multiple nodules in both lungs. The nodule in the apical segment of the upper lobe of the right lung was larger, at a diameter of approximately 2.1 cm. Read More

Colorectal Dis 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of General Surgery UOC C, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.

Various surgical options have been proposed for the treatment of Fistula-in-Ano (FIA). A balance between healing, recurrence, and continence preservation rates should be maintained which appears to be difficult in complex FIA, such as recurrent, high trans-sphincteric, anterior fistula in a female, multiple tracts, and patients with Crohn's disease. This article is protected by copyright. Read More

Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Dept. of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, CANADA.

Exudativory, the consumption of gums, is an obligate or a facultative dietary niche for some primates and marsupials. Exudativory has been cited as a dietary niche that may have been present in early primates, so finding a dental signature for exudativory is highly desirable. The present study combines exudativorous lorisoids (galagos and lorises) into one sample to compare to closely related, non-exudativorous lorisoids to search for a consistent dental signature of exudativory. Read More

Genesis 2018 Dec 13:e23270. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.

Intermediate mesoderm (IM) is the strip of tissue lying between the paraxial mesoderm (PAM) and the lateral plate mesoderm that gives rise to the kidneys and gonads. Chick fate mapping studies suggest that IM is specified shortly after cells leave the primitive streak and that these cells do not require external signals to express IM-specific genes (James and Schultheiss, 2003). Surgical manipulations of the chick embryo, however, revealed that PAM-specific signals are required for IM differentiation into pronephros - the first kidney (Mauch et al. Read More

Hum Brain Mapp 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Research on age-related memory alterations traditionally targets individuals aged ≥65 years. However, recent studies emphasize the importance of early aging processes. We therefore aimed to characterize variation in brain gray matter structure in early midlife as a function of sex and menopausal status. Read More

Hum Brain Mapp 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy.

About 90% of fMRI findings on specific phobias (SP) include analysis of region of interest (ROI). This approach characterized by higher sensitivity may produce inflated results, particularly when findings are aggregated in meta-analytic maps. Here, we conducted a systematic review and activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on SP, testing the impact of the inclusion of ROI-based studies. Read More

Echocardiography 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Mount Sinai West, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York.

Background: Acute left ventricular (LV) apical ballooning with normal coronary angiography occurs rarely in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (OHCM); it may be associated with severe hemodynamic instability.

Methods, Results: We searched for acute LV ballooning with apical hypokinesia/akinesia in databases of two HCM treatment programs. Diagnosis of OHCM was made by conventional criteria of LV hypertrophy in the absence of a clinical cause for hypertrophy and mitral-septal contact. Read More

J Cell Physiol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

2nd Ward of Burn Department, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, Shandong, China.

Objective: This study aims to test the effect of naproxen treatment and the biological target of naproxen for treating osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in OA synovial tissues and normal counterparts were analyzed by messenger RNA microarray analysis. R package (weighted gene coexpression network analysis) was used to divide DEGs into several modules and determine the hub genes in each module. Read More

Brain Behav 2018 Dec 11:e01138. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Neurology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.

Background: To study the brain iron deposition and its relationships with cognitive impairment and sleep quality in primary insomnia (PI).

Methods: Thirty-five patients with PI and 35 volunteers underwent MRI scanning using high-resolution susceptibility-weighted imaging sequence. Bilateral anterior cingulate cortices, posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen, thalamus, red nucleus, substantia nigra, parietal cortex, and frontal white matter were selected as regions of interest. Read More

J Cell Biochem 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.

Neuropathic pain is the most common chronic pain that is caused by nerve injury or disease that influences the nervous system. Increasing evidence suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in neuropathic pain and neuroinflammation development. However, the functional role of miR-217 in the development of neuropathic pain remains unknown. Read More

Int J Med Robot 2018 Dec 7:e1977. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Oto-, Rhino-, Laryngology, 4D-Visualization Laboratory, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.

Background: Manual paired-point registration for navigated ENT-surgery is prone to human errors; automatic surface registration is often caught in local minima.

Methods: Anatomical features of the human occiput are integrated into an algorithm for surface registration. A vector force field is defined between the patient and operating room datasets; registration is facilitated through gradient-based vector field analysis optimization of an energy function. Read More

Clin Implant Dent Relat Res 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Background: There is lack of studies regarding preservation and possible changes in BBT at dental implants.

Purpose: To assess, on cone beam computer tomograms, the presence of bone at the time of tooth extraction in the maxillary esthetic region and the mean buccal bone thickness 1 month and 1 year after final restoration placement in patients with large bony defects.

Material And Methods: In a cohort study, patients were selected presenting a failing tooth with a large bony defect (test group [n = 20]: large bony defect, immediate placed implant and delayed provisionalization). Read More

J Neuroimaging 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

Background And Purpose: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prevalent disorder, with a subset of patients progressing to dementia each year. Although MCI may be subdivided into amnestic or vascular types as well as into single or multiple cognitive domain involvement, most prior studies using advanced diffusion imaging have not accounted for these categories. The purpose of the current study was to determine if the pattern of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) metrics in patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) correlate to specific cognitive domain impairments. Read More

P R Health Sci J 2018 Dec;37(4):224-229

Department of Surgery, Neurosurgery Section, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Objective: The management of thoracolumbar burst fractures often includes combined anterior/posterior approaches with prolonged operative time and complications. The transpedicular approach offers a posterior only approach with circumferential reconstruction and decompression. We aim to present the experience of a single center in the management of thoracolumbar burst fractures using a posterior-only approach for circumferential stabilization and report on this technique's effectiveness in restoring the alignment of the thoracolumbar junction. Read More

Minerva Urol Nefrol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Urology, Ospedale Policlinico e Nuovo Ospedale Civile S.Agostino Estense, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.

Background: Prostate cancer represents a serious health problem worldwide. Radical prostatectomy is the gold standard for management of localized prostate cancer. Urinary incontinence is among the most common complications affecting RALP patients' post-operative quality of life. Read More

Elife 2018 Dec 14;7. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.

Making decisions in sequentially structured tasks requires integrating distally acquired information. The extensive computational cost of such integration challenges planning methods that integrate online, at decision time. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether 'offline' integration during replay supports planning, and if so which memories should be replayed. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2018 Dec 14;11(1):639. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.

Background: Spirocerca lupi is a parasitic nematode of canids that can lead to a severe and potentially fatal disease. Recently, a new species, Spirocerca vulpis, was described from red foxes in Europe, suggesting a high genetic diversity of the Spirocerca spp. infecting canids. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2014 Apr 5;9(4):158-161. Epub 2014 Feb 5.

Cardiovascular Division, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.

The present case report describes a 53-year-old man with drug-resistant heart failure. Electrocardiogram showed complete right-bundle branch block and left anterior fascicular block. A cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device was implanted in him because echocardiography showed obvious left ventricular dyssynchrony between septal and lateral walls. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2014 Apr 15;9(4):129-133. Epub 2014 Jan 15.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan.

A 78-year-old woman complained of experiencing dyspnea (New York Heart Association II) and faintness. Echocardiography revealed she had asymmetric left ventricular hypertrophy, and a dynamic left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction due to systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. It also revealed calcification of the noncoronary cusp and a high-flow velocity in the LVOT (6. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2014 Jan 13;9(1):32-34. Epub 2013 Dec 13.

Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.

Venous occlusions or anatomic variants are unexpectedly encountered during transvenous pacing lead implantation procedures. A 78-year-old man, who had been medically treated for a thoracic and abdominal dissecting aortic aneurysm was referred to our hospital for treatment of congestive heart failure due to complete atrioventricular block with bradycardia. At the time of the pacemaker implantation, the guidewire for inserting the introducer sheath could not be advanced into the left brachiocephalic vein. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2014 Jan 12;9(1):11-14. Epub 2013 Dec 12.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Ohara General Hospital Medical Center, 33 Kamata-aza Nakae, Fukushima 960-0195, Japan.

A 65-year-old man was admitted into our hospital because of the detailed examination for abnormal Q waves in inferior leads on an electrocardiogram. Coronary angiography and 320-row area detector computed tomography (ADCT) revealed "dual left anterior descending artery (LAD)", which was a rare anomaly of the LAD and chronic total occlusion (CTO) at segment 2 of the right coronary artery (RCA). The course of the anomalous LAD arising from the proximal portion of the RCA was specifically identified between aortic root and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) by 320-row ADCT. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2013 Nov 13;8(5):168-171. Epub 2013 Oct 13.

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases and Intensive Care, Clinic of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Centre Osijek, Ivica Bošnjak, Huttlerova 4, 31 000 Osijek, Croatia.

Essential thrombocythemia (ET), a chronic myeloproliferative disease, is characterized by an increased number of platelets and risk of vascular thrombosis. A case of a patient treated for ET who had acute myocardial infarction (MI) and reinfarction within a month is presented. A 55-year-old male patient was hospitalized because of subacute inferolateral non-ST-segment-elevation MI, without risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2013 Oct 31;8(4):138-141. Epub 2013 Aug 31.

Cardiovascular Division, Osaka Police Hospital, 10-31 Kitayama-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0035, Japan.

Although plaque rupture is the major cause of acute myocardial infarction, vasospasm is also known as a potential cause of acute myocardial infarction. However, it is very rare and is sometimes difficult to diagnose correctly. A 30-year-old male patient with suspected unstable angina pectoris who received catheterization in 1999 had normal coronary artery but positive result in the provocation test of vasospasm. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2013 Oct 31;8(4):129-130. Epub 2013 Aug 31.

Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 6283 Common Oaks Crt # 106, Memphis, TN 38120, USA.

Treatment of coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) can either take the way of a close regular follow up with antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention with possible stenting, or reach the extent of doing coronary artery bypass grafting. The severity of coexistent coronary artery stenosis, symptomatology, embolization to distal coronary beds, and increasing measurements over time are key players to decide whether to proceed with surgery in patients with CAAs. < (i) Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are defined as luminal dilation 50% larger than that of the adjacent reference segment. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2013 Aug 28;8(2):e85-e87. Epub 2013 May 28.

Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan.

A 64-year-old woman was introduced to our hospital suspected of having angina pectoris. A 12-lead electrocardiogram showed negative T wave in inferior leads. An echocardiography revealed no abnormality. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2013 Aug 25;8(2):e72-e76. Epub 2013 Jun 25.

Department of Cardiology, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital, 1-9-6 Senda-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-8619 Japan.

A 51-year-old man recently diagnosed with preclinical Cushing's syndrome complained of chest oppression concomitant with back pain. Following contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) to rule out acute aortic dissection, he developed chest symptoms accompanied by elevation of blood pressure to 240/120 mmHg and ischemic electrocardiographic change. Urgent coronary angiography revealed a coronary artery aneurysm (15 mm × 6 mm) in the distal portion of the left anterior descending artery concomitant with coronary flow delay. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2013 Jul 19;8(1):e46-e48. Epub 2013 Apr 19.

Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Adana 01170, Turkey.

An anomalous right coronary artery (RCA) arising from the left anterior descending artery (LAD) is an extremely rare coronary anomaly. A 71-year-old patient presented with severe exertional angina for 10 days. Coronary angiography revealed that an anomalous RCA originated from the proximal LAD. Read More