Angioplasty and stenting of basilar artery with short term results

Symptomatic basilar artery stenosis has a poor prognosis. Surgical bypasses are technically demanding and of no proven benefit. A new generation of intravascular stents that are flexible enough to navigate the tortuosities of the vertebral artery may provide a new therapeutic approach. Our two cases, 57 and 52 year-old men experienced a vertebrobasilar ischemia with repeat vertigo and falls. Magnetic resonance angiography from vertebrobasilar arteries revealed severe middle basilar artery stenosis in case 1 and Transcranial Doppler [TCD] shown severe vertebrobasilar artery stenosis in the other one. The patients underwent uncomplicated angioplasty and stenting of the basilar arteries, with excellent angiographie results. During follow-up [12 months in case I and 8 months in case 2], the patients were well and free of symptoms. The new flexible intravascular stents provides a novel therapeutic approach for patients with basilar artery stenosis

Urgent carotid artery angioplasty and stenting with distal embolic protection in acute stroke

To determine the feasibility and safety of emergent carotid artery angioplasty and stenting with distal embolic protection in acute stroke cases. We describe one patient that immediate balloon angioplasty and stenting of stenotic right internal carotid artery improved his neurologic symptoms completely and his clinical outcome was favorable. This therapeutic option may prove to be a useful means of treating a patient with acute stroke with ischemia in middle cerebral artery territory and acute cervical carotid stenosis. Emergency carotid artery stent placement can be considered as a therapeutic option in selected patients with acute ischemic stroke; however further studies are required to determine the effectiveness of this approach

survey on delayed hypersensitivity in the sheep immunized against theileriosis

To evaluate the response of delayed hypersensitivity in the sheep immunized against theileriosis, 80 sheep in 3 experimental groups and 3 control groups were inoculated [i. d.], in the lateral neck area with normal and 1/10 normal theilerine. The response to the theilerine, as appearance of nodule and thickening of skin at the site of inoculation, was observed and measured after 72 hours. From the vaccinated sheep, 71.42% and the recovered sheep, 80.0% showed positive reaction against theilerine, revealing 1 mm or more of thickening skin. This research resulted in understanding that firstly, dermal test can be useful for evaluation of immunity in the vaccinated animals. Secondly, the better reaction in the recovered animals could be due to the role played by the antigens of the piroplasmic form of the Theileria, in delayed hypersensitivity response