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Biomedical subjects

Ming-Jang Hsieh

Publications and source records attributed to Ming-Jang Hsieh.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Clinical feasibility of free-breathing, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography for assessing extracardiac thoracic vascular abnormalities in young children with congenital heart diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Congenital heart diseases in pediatric patients are associated with a wide variety of extracardiac thoracic vascular abnormalities. This study analyzed the value of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography during quiet free breathing for assessing extracardiac thoracic vascular abnormalities in young children with congenital heart diseases. METHODS: Fifty-three children with congenital heart diseases (age range, 1 day-40 months; mean, 10.9 months) associated with extracardiac thoracic vascular abnormalities who had undergone both free-breathing, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography and cardiac catheterization, surgical intervention, or both within 2 weeks were reviewed. Diagnostic findings on gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography among patients grouped according to 3 major conditions of conotruncal abnormalities (n = 33), aortic or venous abnormalities (n = 11), and pulmonary vascular abnormalities (n = 9), as well as associated extracardiac thoracic vascular abnormality findings, were compared with findings made by using cardiac catheterization, surgical intervention, or both. RESULTS: Extracardiac thoracic vascular abnormality findings on gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography were similar to those on catheterization, surgical intervention, or both in patients with conotruncal abnormalities (124 vs 127, P = .083), aortic or venous abnormalities (36 vs 33, P = .083), and pulmonary vascular abnormalities (24 vs 25, P = .317). The overall sensitivity of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography for detection of these lesions identified by means of catheterization, surgical intervention, or both was 97.9%. However, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography revealed 11 additional extracardiac thoracic vascular abnormalities that were not found on cardiac catheterization. The kappa coefficient for the correlation of image quality and diagnostic value of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography by using a 4-point-scale (1 = nondiagnostic to 4 = excellent) assessed by 2 independent reviewers was excellent (mean score = 3.66), with superb interobserver agreement (kappa = 0.727-0.874). CONCLUSIONS: Free-breathing, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography is clinically feasible for detailed anatomic delineation and treatment planning of various extracardiac thoracic vascular abnormalities in young children with congenital heart diseases.

Cardiovascular Abnormalities↗

Retrotracheal thymoma masquerading as esophageal submucosal tumor.

A 42-year-old man presented with a two-year history of progressive dysphagia and hoarseness. Esophagogram and endoscopy revealed submucosal mass effect on the upper esophagus. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an elongated mass in the retrotracheal region of the lower neck with extension to the posterior mediastinum. Partial tumor resection and histopathological evaluation revealed a WHO type B2 thymoma. Adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy were subsequently administered resulting in complete tumor regression. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ectopic retrotracheal thymoma with clinical and imaging manifestations mimicking those for esophageal submucosal tumor.

Adult↗

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for hydrothorax in peritoneal dialysis patients - check-air-leakage method.

Hydrothorax developing from pleuroperitoneal communication as a complication of peritoneal dialysis was first described in 1967 [Edward SR, Unger AM. Acute hydrothorax-a new complication of peritoneal dialysis. JAMA 1967; 199:853-5. ]. The incidence of hydrothorax is approximately 1.6-2% of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. The key to successful therapy is obliteration of the transdiaphragmatic route of dialysate leakage with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The method in which air leakage is checked intraoperatively is the preferred choice and better than all other procedures.

Diaphragm↗

MDCT angiography for evaluation of the complete vascular tree of hemodialysis fistulas.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to assess the clinical feasibility of MDCT angiography for evaluating hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: MDCT angiography of the complete vascular trees of 36 failing AVFs or AVF-related complications (20 native and 16 polytetrafluoroethylene graft AVFs) was reviewed. The numbers and degrees of stenoses at the anastomoses, graft loops, and draining and central veins and the presence of aneurysms or thrombosis were recorded. Wilcoxon's signed rank test was used to compare the findings of MDCT angiography with those of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) (n = 10), surgery (n = 22), or both (n = 4) performed within 2-6 days. Kappa statistics were used to correlate the clinical feasibility of MDCT angiography assessed by two reviewers. RESULTS: Among the 14 AVFs examined with both MDCT angiography and DSA, no significant difference was seen in the detection and grading (p = 0.317 to > 0.999) of stenoses at various segments of the entire vascular tree. Among the 36 AVFs examined, MDCT angiography also showed no significant difference from DSA or surgery in revealing vascular stenoses, aneurysms, and thromboses from the supplying artery to central veins (p = 0.317 to > 0.999). Overall, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of MDCT angiography in lesion detection were 98.7%, 97.5%, 98.8%, 97.2%, and 98.3%, respectively. High image quality with superb interobserver correlation (kappa = 0.809 to > 0.999) validated the clinical feasibility of MDCT angiography for assessing AVFs. CONCLUSION: MDCT angiography is clinically feasible for evaluating the complete vascular tree of failing AVFs and in showing uncommon complications, including brachial aneurysms and central vein lesions.

Adult↗

Pseudoaneurysm formation 12 years after ringed intraluminal graft replacement for type B aortic dissection.

A sutureless ringed intraluminal graft has been used as a substitute for the diseased aorta with the advantage of decreasing the aortic cross-clamp time and blood loss. Concerns remain about implications of anecdotal accounts of late complications with this graft. We report on the experience of a 68-year-old man, successfully treated for type B aortic dissection using the sutureless technique, who developed a pseudoaneurysm and aortobronchial fistula over the distal anastomosis of the intraluminal graft 12 years after the operation.

Aged↗

Conduit-on-valve replacement of a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis with a bioprosthesis.

Explantation of a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis with reimplantation of a new bioprosthesis is time-consuming and can be associated with several life-threatening complications. We developed a technique to simplify this procedure and avoid the complications by attaching a new bioprosthesis supported by a pericardium-covered Dacron tube to the intact stent.

Bioprosthesis↗

Castleman disease of the pleura: experience with eight surgically proven cases.

BACKGROUND: Castleman disease of the pleura is unusual, and we present our experience with eight surgically proven cases. METHODS: Between 1980 and 2002, 8 patients (7 women and 1 man; age range, 20 to 53 years; mean, 26.5 years) with surgically proven, pleural Castleman disease (six hyaline vascular type, one plasma cell type, and one mixed type) were encountered. Their clinical, imaging, and surgical findings were reviewed. RESULTS: Five patients were asymptomatic, 1 had dyspnea, 1 had cough, and 1 experienced chest discomfort. Chest radiography showed a well-circumscribed interlobar, cardiophrenic, or paraaortic mass in 6 patients, a massive effusion in 1, and a focal diaphragmatic bulge in 1. Six tumors showed varying degrees of contrast enhancement (10 to 95 HU; mean, 46 HU) on computed tomography. Three cases appeared as well-defined, heterogeneously hyperintense pleural masses on magnetic resonance imaging. The masses varied in size from 3 to 10 cm (mean, 5.2 cm). Five masses greater than 5 cm had prominent pleural arterial blood supply and severe adhesions requiring thoracotomy and resection of nearby structures for radical tumor excision. Blood loss from patients varied between 100 and 850 mL (mean, 620 mL). No tumor recurrence was noted during follow-up (range, 1 to 16 years; mean, 6.5 years). CONCLUSIONS: Pleural Castleman disease predominately affects young women and manifests as a well-circumscribed mass with a varying degree of contrast enhancement on computed tomography and heterogeneity on magnetic resonance imaging. Tumors greater than 5 cm have profuse pleural blood supplies and severe adhesion necessitating open thoracotomy and resection of neighboring structures. Radical resection can produce a satisfactory outcome.

Adult↗

Axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein graft fistula in chronic hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Vascular access failure is a severe and common complication for hemodialysis patients. The possible vascular access sites are limited in dialysis patients. Axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is one of the possibilities. However, the clinical outcome of this procedure is still un-defined. OBJECT: The purpose of this study is to review the clinical outcome of axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein AVF as a hemodialysis vascular access. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed native or graft arteriovenous fistula records for chronic hemodialysis patients at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from January 1986 to March 2001. Records were reviewed for all chronic hemodialysis patients, with more than 2000 individuals receiving more than 10,000 fistulas. Eight patients received axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein AVF. RESULTS: The mean age for these patients was 61.7 +/- 16.3 year-old at time of surgery. All patients had received multiple native or graft arteriovenous fistula creation. The 2-year and 4-year AVF graft survival is 87.5% and 43.8% respectively. One patients developed brachial plexopathy after operation. Another patient had venous hypertension distal to the AVF site. Both patients were managed conservatively. There is no AVF-related mortality in these patients. CONCLUSION: We conclude that axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein graft fistula may be a feasible alternative choice for chronic hemodialysis access.

Adolescent↗

Primary mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the lung.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma has been well documented in the somatic soft tissue and bone. It is a rare subtype of chondrosarcoma characterized by the presence of islands of chondroid or by less osteoid tissue enmeshed within dense sheets of primitive small blue mesenchymal cells with hemangiopericytoma-like vessels, or by both. The vast majority of previously published pulmonary mesenchymal chondrosarcoma was metastatic. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of primary pulmonary mesenchymal chondrosarcoma has been described in the literature. Herein, we report the second case of primary mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the lung and emphasize that biopsy may yield only nonspecific small blue cells, whereas a detailed evaluation of the resected specimen allows definite diagnosis of this rare lung tumor.

Adult↗

Double-switch Ross procedure.

Aortic root replacement with pulmonary autograft (Ross procedure) is a valuable technique. However, the best material for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction remains controversial. We report on the experience with use of an aortic autograft with reimplantation of the diseased aortic valve for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in 3 patients with satisfactory result.

Adolescent↗

Bronchogenic cyst of the esophagus: clinical and imaging features of seven cases.

Seven unusual cases of esophageal bronchogenic cyst (EBC) are presented. Different from mediastinal or pulmonary bronchogenic cysts, EBCs predominately affect young women (six out of seven cases; mean age, 29.9 years), and clinically, such cases were characterized by dysphagia and chest pain, especially during exercise. On radiographs and computed tomographs, EBCs typically appeared as 3- to 4-cm midthoracic cystic masses close abutting to the midthoracic esophagus. Rarely, exophytic lower thoracic EBC may mimic lung nodule. Total cyst excision usually offers satisfactory outcome with no recurrence in long-term follow-up.

Adult↗