Bladder pheochromocytoma encountered on sonography.

Pheochromocytomas of the bladder are rare neoplasms, constituting < 0.06% of all vesical tumours. Common presenting features of this tumour include episodes of sweating, hypertension, haematuria and postmicturition syncope. We describe a case of bladder pheochromocytoma in a 66-year-old man whose only symptom of macroscopic haematuria was initially assessed with ultrasonography. Clinical presentation highlights the need for a high index of suspicion during sonographic evaluation of bladder neoplasms because such tumours might present without symptoms of adrenergic excess.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Assessment by radiogrammetric measurement.

PURPOSE: To compare the ability of the medial cortical thickness ratio to the width of the second metacarpal bone at the midshaft (MCR) in discriminating patients as normal, osteopenic or osteoporotic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: MCR was calculated from radiographs of 120 postmenopausal women. By dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, the mineral density was measured in the lumbar spine, the wrist and the femoral neck. Patients were grouped in accordance with the diagnostic criteria of WHO on the basis of t-scores. MCR values were compared with t-scores and the ability of the MCR technique in discriminating the patient groups was evaluated. RESULTS: Analysis of radiogrammetric data revealed significant differences in MCR value between the 3 groups. The MCR was lower in patients with osteoporosis and osteopenia compared with the normal group. The mean value of MCR was also slightly lower in patients with osteoporosis than in those with osteopenia. Accuracy assessment (ROC analysis) of MCR in the discrimination of patients with osteoporosis showed that test accuracy was acceptable, but less accurate than spinal, wrist and femoral neck t-scores. Compared with t-scores, this test was found to fairly discriminate those with and without osteopenia. CONCLUSION: The MCR method can discriminate patients as osteoporotic or normal. However, it seems that the MCR method should not be used for decisions concerning treatment of osteoporosis because of its low accuracy and thereby a risk for misclassification.

Renal vascular resistance in progressive systemic sclerosis: evaluation with duplex Doppler ultrasound.

The study was planned to evaluate renal vascular resistance by means of duplex Doppler ultrasonography in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) with or without signs of renal involvement. Twenty-two female patients with PSS (mean age 38.5 +/- 17.3 years) and 20 age-matched (mean age 36.7 +/- 7.2 years) female healthy controls participated to the study. Doppler indices of renal vascular resistance--resistive index (RI), pulsative index (PI), and systolic-to-diastolic flow velocities ratio (S/D ratio)--were determined on main renal artery and interlobar artery. RI, PI and S/D ratio were found to be increased in PSS patients with signs of renal involvement as compared to those without renal manifestations and healthy controls (p<0.0001 for all groups). Doppler indices of renal vascular resistance were closely related to the duration of the disease, age, and plasma renin activity. Doppler ultrasound is a useful and informative technique in the monitoring of PSS patients with renal involvement.

Spectral pulsed Doppler sonography of renal vascular resistance in sickle cell disease: clinical implications.

The major complications in sickle cell disease (SCD) are microcirculation lesions and impairment of renal function. The aim of this study was the evaluation of renal vascular resistance by means of spectral pulsed Doppler sonography and its relationships with haematological and clinical features in patients with SCD. 40 patients with SCD (mean age 22.4 +/- 7.0) and 14 age and sex matched healthy subjects (mean age 25.7 +/- 9.5) were included into the study. Spectral Doppler sonography of main renal, segmental and interlobar arteries were performed on both kidneys in all patients and controls. Peak systolic, end diastolic and mean velocities through the entire cardiac cycle were obtained, with calculation of the resistive (RI) and pulsatility (PI) indices. All the patients were investigated in stable state conditions and had not been transfused within a month before investigation. Patients were followed for up to 6 months. Patients with SCD had higher values of RIs and PIs than control subjects (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, respectively). Patients with high value of RIs (RI > 0.70) had more pronounced disturbances of blood parameters (all p < 0.05), than patients with normal RIs (RI < 0.70). Significant positive correlation existed between RIs and ISC number, MCHC level (r = 0.52, p < 0.001 and r = 0.42, p < 0.01), while RBC count and Hb level correlated inversely with RIs (r = -0.39, p < 0.01 and r = -0.42, p < 0.01). During follow-up, nine patients (33.3%) with high RIs and only one patient (5.5%) with normal RI developed painful crises. In conclusion, renal vascular resistance, assessed by Doppler sonography was raised in SCD patients as compared with age matched apparently healthy persons. These changes were more pronounced in those with more severe manifestations of disease and correlated with haematological and clinical features of sickle cell disease.

High-altitude pulmonary hypertension: effects of captopril on pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures.

The purpose of investigation was the assessment of the effect of captopril on both systemic (Pa) and pulmonary arterial pressures (PPA) in patients with high-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH). Seventeen patients (mean age 44 +/- 6.8 years) with HAPH and mild-to-moderate systemic arterial hypertension were included in the study. All the patients underwent right heart catheterization with measurements of systolic PPA (PPA,syst), mean PPA (PPA) and diastolic PPA (PPA,diast). After a 4 week placebo phase, patients with PPA,syst > 25 mm Hg, PPA > 15 mm Hg and systemic diastolic blood pressure (Pa,diast) > 100 mm Hg received captopril (50-75 mg at 08.00) for a period of 12 weeks. The statistical evaluation of the results were made using the Student's t-test. It was found that captopril significantly decreases PPA and Pa.

Comparative assessment of the effects of vasodilators on peripheral vascular reactivity in patients with systemic scleroderma and Raynaud's phenomenon: color Doppler flow imaging study.

The aim of the present study was assessment of peripheral vascular reactivity during cold test effects of different types of vasodilators on vascular resistance in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis and Raynaud's phenomenon with use of color Doppler flow imaging of upper extremity.

Bencyclane as an anti-sickling agent.

A vasodilating Ca2+ channel blocker, bencyclane, was used in 18 patients with homozygous sickle cell anaemia (SCD) to test the possible anti-sickling effect. With bencyclane intervention the Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity increased from 256 +/- 29 to 331 +/- 37 nmol Pi/mg protein/h (P < 0.0001) and the Ca(2+)-Mg2+ ATPase level increased from 172 +/- 12 to 222 +/- 44 nmol Pi/mg protein/h (P < 0.0001). The intracytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration reduced from 3.5 +/- 0.6 to 2.7 +/- 0.25 mumol/l (P < 0.0001). The patient's blood contained fewer irreversibly sickled cells (ISCs) (a reduction from 21.4% to 14.4%) (P < 0.05). At the same time MCHC of the erythrocytes decreased from 34.5 to 33.0 g/dl (P < 0.05). Bencyclane appears to be a promising anti-sickling agent that can be used orally in SCD.

[Lymphomatoid granulomatosis: pathologoanatomical study of three cases with a review of the literature and differential diagnosis]. / Limfomatoidnyi granulematoz: Patologoanatomicheskoe izuchenie trekh sluchaev s obzorom literatury i differentsial'noi diagnostikoi.

Evidence obtained at pathological investigation concerns 3 cases of lymphomatoid granulomatosis. The disease pertains to lymphoproliferative affections and is of rare occurrence. In addition to common involvement of the lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, adrenals, etc., there was an advanced lymph node and brain lesion with abundant atypical cells in the infiltrate in the first and third case, respectively. The diagnosis rested on autopsy findings in 1 case and was intravital, established upon morphological examination of intraoperative specimens in 2 cases. Samples obtained at bronchoscopy are not fit for verification of the diagnosis in view of profound necrotic and necrobiotic processes in lymphomatoid granulomatosis.