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Biomedical subjects

M Lins

Publications and source records attributed to M Lins.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Acute coronary syndrome after diclofenac induced coronary spasm].

We report about a 67-year old man, who was submitted to our clinic with acute coronary syndrome. The cardiac catheterization showed a proximal thrombus in the left anterior descending (LAD). The other coronary arteries did not have significant lesions. After percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with stent-implantation into the proximal LAD the patient remained clinically stable. Cardiac enzymes confirmed no myocardial necrosis. Three days after the acute coronary syndrome the patient developed a podagra, which was treated with colchicinum, diclofenac and local cooling. Five hours after initial therapy the patient developed severe symptoms of angina pectoris and electrocardiographical signs of an acute posterior and anterior myocardial infarction. Immediate coronary angiography demonstrated extended vasospasm of the right coronary artery. Intracoronary application of verapamil and nitroglycerin resolved the coronary spasm. The patient reported about a self-indicated application of diclofenac six hours before hospital admission. This case demonstrates that oral application of diclofenac can provoke coronary vasospasm.

Acute Disease↗

[Bland-White-Garland syndrome in an adult].

We report about a 47-year-old woman, who presented with a history of cardiac failure. Echocardiography showed an impaired left ventricular function, clinically significant mitral regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension. Diagnosis of a Bland- White-Garland syndrome was made by coronary angiography. Subsequent therapy consisted of ligation of the anomalus origin of the left coronary artery, implantation of a Mammaria interna graft to the left coronary artery and replacement of the mitral valve by a mechanical prosthesis. One year after operation, left ventricular function was still impaired. At a 3-year follow-up, left ventricular function improved continuously.

Coronary Angiography↗

[The role of stress-echocardiography in diagnostics of hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis and determination of indications for myocardial revascularisation.].

In 118 patients dobutamine (n=108) or exercise (n=10) stress-echocardiography and coronary angiography were carried out within time interval of 4 weeks. Retrospective analysis of data obtained showed that sensitivity and specificity of stress echocardiography for detection of more than 70% coronary artery stenosis was 75 and 71%, respectively. No significant reduction of sensitivity or specificity was found in any clinical group. Negative result of stress echo in most of the cases evidenced for continuation of conservative therapy while positive result in 66% of cases attested necessity of myocardial revascularization. Detection of stress induced disturbances of local myocardial contractility could be used as a proof of hemodynamic significance of 50-70% coronary artery stenosis.

Coronary Angiography↗

[Pullback atherectomy. An alternative procedure in the treatment of coronary stenosis and in-stent restenosis].

Optimized directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) has shown significantly superior acute and long-term results compared to conventional balloon angioplasty (BA). Nevertheless DCA has remained a niche application due to specific procedural aspects. The pullback atherectomy catheter (PAC), developed to retrieve atheromatous plaque material, is an alternative debulking device. We report on clinical and angiographic experience in 55 consecutive patients, in whom de novo lesions (35 pts) as well as instent restenoses (17 pts) were treated. The minimal luminal diameter (MLD, mm) rose after PAC and additional BA from 1.06 +/- 0.53 to 2.68 +/- 0.48 and from 1.10 +/- 0.48 to 2.55 +/- 0.49 mm, respectively. A stenosis reduction from 69 +/- 13 to 19 +/- 16 and from 64 +/- 15 to 16 +/- 10%, resp., could be documented. After 3-6 months a complete angiographic follow-up showed MLD values of 2.01 +/- 0.69 and 1.88 +/- 0.61 mm. Nine of 35 (26%) vs. 5 of 17 (29%) pts developed significant restenosis at the treated site (diameter stenoses > 50%). Stent implantation was necessary to achieve an optimal acute angiographic result or due to dissection in 17 vs. 5 pts. Major cardiac events did not occur; however, two restenosed coilstents were removed by PAC. With the pullback atherectomy catheter, a safe and effective alternative device is available for the treatment of coronary lesions and also of in-stent restenosis. Promising short and acceptable long-term results are comparable to those of other debulking procedures.

Aged↗

Endoluminal beta-radiation therapy for the prevention of coronary restenosis after balloon angioplasty. The Dose-Finding Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Beta radiation is effective in reducing vascular neointimal proliferation in animals after injury caused by balloon angioplasty. However, the lowest dose that can prevent restenosis after coronary angioplasty has yet to be determined. METHODS: After successful balloon angioplasty of a previously untreated coronary stenosis, 181 patients were randomly assigned to receive 9, 12, 15, or 18 Gy of radiation delivered by a centered yttrium-90 source. Adjunctive stenting was required in 28 percent of the patients. The primary end point was the minimal luminal diameter six months after treatment, as a function of the delivered dose of radiation. RESULTS: At the time of follow-up coronary angiography, the mean minimal luminal diameter was 1.67 mm in the 9-Gy group, 1.76 mm in the 12-Gy group, 1.83 mm in the 15-Gy group, and 1.97 mm in the 18-Gy group (P=0.06 for the comparison of 9 Gy with 18 Gy), resulting in restenosis rates of 29 percent, 21 percent, 16 percent, and 15 percent, respectively (P=0.14 for the comparison of 9 Gy with 18 Gy). At that time, 86 percent of the patients had had no serious cardiac events. In 130 patients treated with balloon angioplasty alone, restenosis rates were 28 percent, 17 percent, 16 percent, and 4 percent, respectively (P=0.02 for the comparison of 9 Gy with 18 Gy). Among these patients, there was a dose-dependent enlargement of the lumen in 28 percent, 50 percent, 45 percent, and 74 percent of patients, respectively (P<0.001 for the comparison of 9 Gy with 18 Gy). The rate of repeated revascularization was 18 percent with 9 Gy and 6 percent with 18 Gy (P=0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Intracoronary beta radiation therapy produces a significant dose-dependent decrease in the rate of restenosis after angioplasty. An 18-Gy dose not only prevents the renarrowing of the lumen typically observed after successful balloon angioplasty, but actually induces luminal enlargement.

Aged↗

[Effect of exercise tolerance test on hemostasis in patients with and without coronary heart disease].

BACKGROUND: Physical exercise leads to an elevated coagulation activity with a possibly disturbed hemostatic balance. Therefore patients with coronary heart disease have a potentially increased risk of thromboembolic events after a bicycle exercise tolerance test, that is frequently performed for diagnostic reasons. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with angiographically known coronary heart disease (Group I: n = 49; age 59 years; male = 42, female = 7) were investigated in comparison to a healthy cohort (Group 2: n = 51; age 53 years; male = 44, female = 7) to study the influence of a standardized exercise tolerance test on hemostatic variables. Blood samples were taken before and after exercise. RESULTS: No significant changes were found for any investigated parameter between both groups. However, 3 parameters did change significantly within the groups: factor VIII rose in Group 1 from 132 to 156% and in Group 2 from 106 to 136% and the von Willebrand factor rose in Group 1 from 230 to 249% and in Group 2 from 228 to 247%. An elevated fibrinolytic potential was found with an increase of plasminogen-alpha 2-antiplasmin in Group 1 from 251 to 401 micrograms/l and in Group 2 from 247 to 350 micrograms/l. CONCLUSION: The findings underline the clinical presumption that exercise tolerance test does not increase the risk for thromboembolic complications in patients with coronary heart disease in comparison to patients without coronary heart disease, as long as the exercise tolerance test is performed in a standardized way and under aerobe conditions.

Antifibrinolytic Agents↗

Pericardiocentesis: differential aspects of a common procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk and effectiveness of pericardiocentesis in primary and repeat cardiac tamponade. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Intensive care unit in a medical university hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty-three consecutively admitted patients with cardiac tamponade. INTERVENTIONS: In all patients pericardiocentesis was performed via the subxiphoid pathway after echocardiographic detection of the pericardial effusion. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: There was no adverse event in patients undergoing primary pericardiocentesis, which was sufficient to resolve pericardial effusion in 51 of 63 patients (81%). However, repeat pericardiocentesis necessitated by the recurrence of symptomatic pericardial effusion yielded suboptimal results in 10 of 12 patients (83%). CONCLUSION: Pericardiocentesis is the treatment of choice for primary symptomatic pericardial effusion. In recurrent pericardial effusion surgical approaches appear to be preferable.

Adult↗

Immunoglobulin A and secretory immunoglobulin A in the bronchoalveolar lavage from patients after lung transplantation.

Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) is the most important Ig on mucosal surfaces. In bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, sIgA is mainly produced by bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT). The presence of pre-formed antibodies against donor tissue in kidney transplantation is associated with hyperacute rejection, indicating a humoral (antibody-mediated) reaction. In heart and liver transplantation, humoral rejection has also been documented. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of IgA in patients after lung transplantation. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was established to determine the levels of sIgA, IgA, and total protein in the lavage. IgA and sIgA were both detectable in BAL from transplanted lungs. IgA and sIgA levels were both higher during episodes of infection than during episodes of rejection or during the control episodes. The level of IgA during episodes of rejection equaled the level of IgA during the control episodes. The level of sIgA was significantly decreased during episodes of acute rejection (1.8 +/- 1.0 microg/mL) when compared with the control (7.2 +/- 1.0 microg/mL; p = 0.013). This study demonstrates that BALT retains the ability to produce Ig even after lung transplantation. The levels of IgA and sIgA and their ratio do not contribute to the differentiation between rejection and infection in lung-transplanted patients.

Acute Disease↗

Coagulation activation in patients undergoing directional coronary atherectomy.

Restenosis is a major problem of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and related procedures. To better understand the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms, coagulation and fibrinolytic variables were analysed prospectively in 35 patients after directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) and in 20 control patients undergoing diagnostic heart catheterisation and coronary angiography. Blood samples were taken before and 1 h, 24 h and 48 h after the procedure. No subacute thrombosis or unstable angina were documented in any patient. In 8 out of these 35 patients late restenosis was diagnosed during follow-up angiography 3-6 months after DCA. In these 8 patients prothrombin fragments (F1 + 2) rose from 0.7 to 0.9 nmol/l (P < 0.01) and thrombin-antithrombin III complexes (TAT) from 2.9 to 6.0 micrograms/l (P < 0.01), but not significantly in 27 patients without restenosis and in the control patients. In patients with late restenosis plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) also increased from 2.4 to 4.9 U/ml (P < 0.05) 24 h after DCA while there were no significant changes in patients without restenosis and in control patients. D-Dimer/TAT ratio reflecting the balance between clotting activation and fibrinolysis was significantly lower after 24 h in restenosis patients. The findings suggest that coagulation activation and hypofibrinolysis during 48 h after DCA might be associated with the development of late restenosis.

Adult↗

[Endomyocardial biopsy--helpful in differential diagnosis between myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. A case report].

Endomyocardial biopsy is an established technique to distinguish between myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Even when clinical symptoms for myocarditis are lacking, immunohistologic findings may establish a clear diagnosis. For treatment, however, an early diagnosis is mandatory. We report on a 44 year old patient who was admitted with the echocardiographic diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. He underwent diagnostic angiocardiography and endomyocardial biopsy. The latter demonstrated an active myocarditis. At the time of read-mission, 2 weeks later, the patient had deteriorated. Now, additional to a symptomatic therapy, prednisolone, azathioprine and human immunoglobulin G were given and patient conditions improved dramatically. The use of endomyocardial biopsy seems recommendable in order to define patients diagnosis and their results may be necessary to decide patients therapy.

Adult↗

Multiple coronary artery-left ventricular fistulae: haemodynamic quantification by intracoronary Doppler ultrasound.

Multiple coronary artery-left ventricular fistulae involving all three major coronary arteries are extremely rare. Clinical findings are heterogeneous but include a history of typical or atypical angina pectoris in most cases. Coronary arteriography in a 65 year old woman who presented with chest pain at rest revealed multiple fine fistulae arising from the left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary arteries. Left-to-left shunt was estimated by measurements of coronary artery flow velocity with intravascular Doppler ultrasound.

Aged↗

A case of Behçet's syndrome presenting with Dieulafoy's ulcer.

Behçet's syndrome represents a multisystemic disease with vasculitic changes. We here describe a patient with Dieulafoy's ulcer and oral, genital and bronchial mucosal lesions who met the criteria of incomplete Behçet's syndrome. The rare observation of Behçet's syndrome presenting with Dieulafoy's ulcer in our patient raises the question as to whether this type of ulcer, usually caused by a developmental malformation of a submucosal gastric artery, may occasionally be due also to submucosal aneurysms that result from a vascular inflammation.

Aged↗

[The thrombophilic status of patients with inflammatory diseases].

BASIC PROBLEM AND OBJECTIVE OF STUDY: Inflammatory reactions are taken to be nonspecific defensive measures of the organism and are associated with complex changes at cellular and humoral level. Activation of blood coagulation plays an important part in this, especially as it is accompanied by an increased risk of thromboembolism. It was the aim of this investigation to assess this risk by measuring sensitive markers of coagulation activation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Biochemical markers of coagulation activation (prothrombin-fragment F1 + 2 and thrombin-antithrombin III complex [TAT]) and fibrin formation (D-dimer) were measured in 130 patients (61 men, 69 women; mean age 56.9 [20-89] years). 44 had pneumonia, 44 bronchitis and 42 urinary tract infections. A healthy control group for comparison consisted of 11 men and 15 women (mean age 48.7 [23-79] years). RESULTS: F1 + 2, TAT and D-dimer were significantly increased, compared with the controls, in all three patient groups (P < 0.01). The greatest rises occurred in the patients with pneumonia: F1 + 2: median 1.2 vs 0.6 nmol/I, TAT: 6.2 vs 2.1 micrograms/l and D-dimer 2476 vs 223 ng/ml. CONCLUSION: These findings underline the importance of consistent thrombosis prophylaxis in patients with inflammatory disease, especially those at an increased risk.

Adult↗

Chylous cardiac tamponade in acute pancreatitis.

A 47-year-old woman with acute necrotizing pancreatitis developed sudden cardiorespiratory arrest and needed resuscitation. A pericardial effusion was found, and 350 ml of a white nontransparent milky fluid was aspirated that contained 1020 mg triglycerides/100 ml. The diagnosis of chylous cardiac tamponade was made. Absence of amylase in the chylous effusion militates against the popular hypothesis that lymphatic transport of exocrine digestive enzymes from the inflamed pancreas produces the frequent intrathoracic serosal effusions in acute pancreatitis. The data of our patient rather suggest that these effusions result from the leakage of pancreatic inflammatory exudates through the diaphragm which, apparently, may even result in the loss of pericardial and adjacent thoracic lymph vessel integrity. Although pericardial tamponade is a rare complication, it should be considered if otherwise unexplained circulatory deterioration occurs in a patient with acute pancreatitis.

Acute Disease↗

Early postoperative flow rates after internal thoracic artery grafting for the left coronary artery system.

OBJECTIVE: The low perioperative flow rates of internal thoracic artery (ITA) conduits have been regarded as a limitation of their use in critical coronary situations with a high myocardial blood demand. To clarify whether these restrictions are justified, early postoperative flow rates were determined. METHODS: Following bilateral ITA grafting, 48 of 106 patients (April 1993-September 1994) underwent recatheterization. Subsequent to control angiography between days 8 and 12, 20 of these patients were studied by intravascular Doppler techniques applied for ITA grafts supplying the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and branches of the circumflex system (CX) (n = 20). Doppler spectral analysis allowed for determination of the average peak velocity and diastolic-systolic velocity ratio. Vascular diameters were assessed by simultaneously performed quantitative angiography and mean flow rates were calculated. All parameters were recorded at rest and following selective stimulation with nitroglycerin (0.2 mg) and papaverine (12.5 mg) to evaluate the graft flow capacity. RESULTS: Baseline values of average peak velocity at rest were 24.6 +/- 11.5 cm/s for ITA-LAD conduits and 21.9 +/- 6.8 cm/s for ITA-CX pedicles. Following dilative stimulation with papaverine, a significant increase in average peak velocities were obtained for both locations (ITA-LAD: 47.3 +/- 17.1 cm/s, ITA-CX: 42.3 +/- 11.8 cm/s). The application of nitroglycerin had a similar effect (ITA-LAD: 42.6 +/- 15.3 cm/s, ITA-CX: 40.3 +/- 10.7 cm/s). The vascular diameters of ITA conduits remained unchanged on nitroglycerin stimulation, whereas papaverine effected significant dilatation in both locations. Flow rates at rest were not significantly different (ITA-LAD: 51.0 +/- 34.2 ml/min, ITA-CX: 44.7 +/- 16.4 ml/min) and maximal flow increase was observed following papaverine stimulation of the LAD conduits (116.1 +/- 90.6 ml/min). Dilative stimulation effected an increase in diastolic-systolic velocity ratios from average values at rest in a range between 34% and 41.7% for both groups and substances. CONCLUSIONS: The basic blood flow in functioning ITA grafts appears to be similar in conduits supplying the LAD and marginal branches. Flow rates between 50 and 60 ml/min at rest should meet myocardial demands, even in the LAD position. Increased flow rates were predominantly based on higher flow velocities with an increased diastolic flow proportion. Enlargement of the graft diameter may exert additional effects, at least following papaverine stimulation at a particular concentration.

Blood Flow Velocity↗