Inferior mesenteric artery back pressure and collateral circulation to the distal colon.

The contribution of the hypogastric and superior mesenteric arteries to inferior mesenteric artery collateral (back) pressure (r-IMA) was measured in eight patients who were free from arterial disease and were operated on for small sigmoid carcinoma. Peak and mean r-IMAs were measured after clamping both common iliac arteries and the middle colic artery together with the marginal artery of Drummond. Measurements were repeated after the injection of 50 mg papaverine into the inferior mesenteric artery. For comparison the r-IMA was normalized against the radial artery pressure to create the r-IMA:radial artery pressure ratio. At peak systolic pressure the r-IMA:radial artery pressure was approximately 0.6. This fell with crossclamping of the middle colic artery and marginal artery of Drummond; a slightly greater fall was observed when the common iliac arteries were clamped. The findings were similar when mean pressures were compared. The changes in pressure ratio observed after collateral clamping were slightly amplified by injection of papaverine. These data suggest that the hypogastric arteries make at least as great or a slightly greater contribution to r-IMA than do the middle colic artery plus marginal artery of Drummond. The data also indicate the presence of other substantial collaterals. These findings stress the importance of the hypogastric collateral supplying the sigmoid colon when the inferior mesenteric artery is acutely occluded as it is during aneurysm resection.

[Scintigraphic diagnosis of esophageal involvement in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)]. / Szintigraphische Diagnostik der Osophagusbeteiligung bei systemischer Sklerose (Sklerodermie).

Motor function disturbances (MFD) of the esophagus occur in the majority (90%) of patients with systemic sclerosis. We have tested the diagnostic value of esophagus scintigraphy in 20 patients with systemic sclerosis (12 CREST and 8 with diffuse form) and 18 controls (11 normals and 7 with pyrosis and/or regurgitation), in order to establish sensitivity, specificity, effects of body posture, and use of a liquid or solid meal in the evaluation of MFD of the esophagus. The patients drank 4 ml of fruit juice marked with 500 microCi of 99mTc-sulfur-colloid and afterwards 10 g of an equally marked and scrambled egg. Pictures were made with a Gamma-Camera until 180 s. Radioactivity was plotted against time and separately analysed for the upper, middle and distal esophagus. 65% of the systemic sclerosis patients had dysphagia and 70% had abnormal barium meal transit in the esophagus. The scintigrams were altered in all the patients with systemic sclerosis (p less than 0.001). Sensitivity using fluids was 95%, and specificity was 89%; with solid food 100% and 50%, respectively. Tests done in the upright position showed a better clearance of the esophagus in patients with systemic sclerosis and control patients, with loss of sensitivity. The qualitative analysis yielded little benefit to the reported results. The quantitative analysis under use of 2 indices (total transit time and clearance rate) permitted a clear distinction among patients and control individuals with and without upper digestive symptoms in the first 15 s of the test. The esophagus scintigraphy is a simple, quantitative and very sensitive method for the diagnosis of MFD of the esophagus in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Evaluation of electrical potential difference across gastric mucosa in patients with chronic gastritis according to site, histology, and degree of inflammation.

The electrical potential difference (PD) of gastric mucosa was measured under direct endoscopic visualization in 39 patients. Seventy-six observations were made, 39 in fundic mucosa and 37 in the antral region. Biopsies taken from these areas allowed the identification of a control group and a gastritis group. The PD measurements of the control group were higher in the fundic mucosa (P less than 0.001) than in the antral region. In the gastritis group, PD measurements both in the fundic and antral regions were lower than those of the control group (P less than 0.01). However, in the gastritis group, PD measurements of the fundic region were still higher (P less than 0.01) than the PD of the antral region. The correlation coefficient of PD measurements versus the semiquantitative assessment of oxyntic and chief cells of the fundus was r = 0.49 (P less than 0.01).