Biomedical subjects

K Lhotta

Publications and source records attributed to K Lhotta.

58 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

CAPD: a successful treatment in patients suffering from therapy-resistant congestive heart failure.

During the last six years 13 patients suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF), refractory to conventional medical treatment and classified class IV as defined by the New York Heart Association (NYHA), were treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (1) at Innsbruck University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine. All patients required intensive care and were end-stage. The minimum observation period was six weeks, maximum 67 months. Cardiac recompensation was effected in all patients, who were stabilized in class II after NYHA. The patient with the shortest observation period of six weeks received an orthotopic heart transplant. None of the patients died of a CAPD-associated complication. All patients were restored to a normal life style without major dependence on outside help. The occurrence and treatment of the prerenal kidney failure that causes life-threatening problems in end-stage CHF should be subject to further study with regard to its clinical course and the determination of plasma-ANF, plasma-renin and plasma-aldosterone concentration.

Aldosterone↗

PubMed1990

Renal disease in a patient with hereditary complete deficiency of the fourth component of complement.

Hereditary complete deficiency of the fourth component of complement (C4) is an extremely rare disorder with 17 cases reported so far. Twelve of these patients suffered from a systemic-lupus-erythematosus-like illness. The patient we here describe presented with severe Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) at the age of 17. Immunofluorescence of a kidney biopsy showed granular deposits of IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and fibrinogen in the mesangium and segmentally along the basement membrane. Six years later, the patient developed hypertension and nephrotic syndrome. Renal function deteriorated rapidly. He was on hemodialysis for 12 months and then received a cadaveric kidney graft. After 2 years of uncomplicated course, microhematuria and proteinuria developed. Immunofluorescence of a transplant biopsy was virtually identical to the pattern in the patient's own kidneys. We thus conclude that the patient had recurrence of his primary disease in the graft. Three and a half years after transplantation hemodialysis had to be restarted. This unique case supports the current view that deficiency of classical pathway components predisposes to the development of immune complex diseases and that the complement system is activated via the alternate pathway in HSP. Furthermore, we assume that complete C4 deficiency was the major cause for the recurrence and unfavorable outcome of HSP in the graft.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pheochromocytoma and sub-clinical Cushing's syndrome during pregnancy: diagnosis, medical pre-treatment and cure by laparoscopic unilateral adrenalectomy.

The coexistence of pheochromocytoma and primary adrenal Cushing's syndrome of the same adrenal gland has rarely been reported. We describe here the case of a female patient presenting with mild Cushing's stigmata, hypertension and diabetes mellitus in whom we diagnosed a pheochromocytoma of the left adrenal gland with coexisting non-ACTH-dependent cortisol hypersecretion. While hormonal work-up was still in progress, the patient became pregnant and wanted to carry her pregnancy to full-term. A laparoscopic adrenalectomy in the 17th week of gestation was decided upon and the patient accordingly prepared for surgery by pre-treatment with phenoxybenzamine. Successful surgery--the first ever reported laparoscopic resection of a pheochromocytoma in pregnancy--without perioperative complications was performed under general anesthesia, with the patient receiving peri- and post-operative hydrocortisone substitution. Pathohistological examination revealed a pheochromocytoma with positive immunostaining for interleukin-6 (IL-6) and negative immunostaining for ACTH, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and cytochrome P450, and with no signs of malignancy. A paracrine stimulation of the ipsilateral adrenal cortex by IL-6 produced by the pheochromocytoma, leading to cortical hyperplasia and subclinical Cushing's syndrome, is suggested by the positive immunostaining for IL-6 and the MRI findings. Post-operatively, secondary adrenal insufficiency ensued, necessitating continuing hydrocortisone replacement over 12 months. Hypertension resolved after surgery, and diabetes after the uncomplicated vaginal delivery at term.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Divergent effects of hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis on cardiac diastolic function.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of dialysis procedures on cardiac diastolic function. DESIGN: Comparative, nonrandomized matched pair study. SETTING: Nephrology and cardiology departments at a university hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-four patients on hemodialysis (HD) (n = 17) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (n = 17), matched by sex, age, duration of dialysis treatment, and presence/absence of diabetes. MEASUREMENTS: Cardiac function was estimated by means of M-mode, two-dimensional, and spectral Doppler echocardiography, and results were statistically evaluated by means of univariate and multivariate analytical procedures. RESULTS: Although not statistically significant, trends towards differences between the two patient groups were detected for left ventricular mass (p = 0.083) and parameters of diastolic function (p = 0.079). These differences in left ventricular performance and diastolic function between HD and CAPD patients were also evident when calculating Spearman rank correlation coefficients. Left ventricular mass and diastolic function were closely correlated to each other in all dialysis patients. Moreover, by means of a multivariate analytical procedure (Hotelling T-square test), diversities in diastolic function between the two patient groups could be clearly established (p = 0.037), with more impaired diastolic function in HD patients. In addition, cardiac performance was shown to depend to a certain extent on hemoglobin concentration. CONCLUSION: Clear differences in diastolic function and cardiac performance were evident between CAPD and HD patients. From the data of our pilot study, it may be speculated whether decrease of left ventricular mass could be beneficial for the improvement of diastolic function and cardiac hemodynamics in dialysis patients.

Adult↗