Importance of papillary muscle infarction detected by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in predicting cardiovascular events.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that papillary muscle infarction (PMI) following recent myocardial infarction (MI) correlates with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and prognostic significance of PMI by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in a large cohort of patients. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients who underwent CMR between January 2007 and December 2009 were evaluated for the presence of PMI in one or both of the left ventricle papillary muscles. The primary outcome was a time to a combined endpoint of all-cause mortality and worsening heart failure. Secondary outcomes were time to individual components of the combined outcome. RESULTS: 419 patients were included in our analysis, 232 patients (55%) had ischemic cardiomyopathy. Patients were followed at six-month intervals for a median follow-up time of 3.7 (interquartile range (IQR): 1.6; 6.3) years after initial imaging. During this period 196 patients (46.8%) had a primary outcome and 92 patients (22%) died. PM infarct was identified in 204 (48.7%) patients with twice as many posteromedial (PRM) (27%) than anterolateral (ARL) lesions (11%) and a similar number with infarct in both (11%). There was no association between studied outcomes and the presence of PMI in either PRM or ARL PM. The presence of infarct in both PM was a predictor of both the primary outcome (HR 1.69, CI[1.01-2.86], p<0.049.) and mortality (HR 1.69, CI[1.01-4.2], p<0.046). CONCLUSION: The presence of infarct in either papillary muscle was not associated with outcomes. However, infarct involving both papillary muscles was associated with worse outcomes.

[Is coronary magnetic resonance angiography already a clinically useful diagnostic tool?]. / Ist die koronare Magnetresonanzangiographie als diagnostisches Routineverfahren schon zu empfehlen?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows the evaluation of coronary arteries non-invasively and without the use of ionizing radiation. Coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is technically demanding due to the small size, tortuous course, and bulk motion of the coronary arteries as well as signal from surrounding epicardial fat and myocardium. In comparison to invasive x-ray coronary angiography not all coronary artery segments can be assessed by coronary MRA. At present the diagnostic accuracy of coronary MRA for detection of significant stenosis in coronary arteries is suboptimal. The presence of coronary anomalies and the patency of aortocoronary bypass grafts can be assessed by MRA with high diagnostic accuracy. The combination of coronary MRA with other MRI techniques for detection of ischemia has the potential to be of clinical value in the diagnostic work-up of patients with coronary artery disease.

The histological diagnosis of dysplastic and neoplastic lesions in inflammatory bowel disease: a pathological perspective.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are at an increased risk for developing colorectal carcinoma (CRC). The accurate diagnosis of dysplasia in biopsies taken during periodic surveillance of long-standing IBD patients is most important in prevention of UC and CD related cancer. Distinction of low from high grade IBD-related dysplasia and differential diagnosis between IBD-related dysplasia and dysplasia in sporadic adenoma as well as distinction from pseudodysplastic lesions in inflammatory pseudopolyps or reparative lesions is often very subtle and difficult and demands expertise of second experienced gastrointestinal pathologist. Although surveillance colonoscopy with multiple biopsies does not reduce the cancer mortality, it offers a reasonable chance of detecting precancer and performed prophylactic colectomy. Novel methods of detecting dysplasia are continuously being evaluated, including chromoscopy and molecular biology markers. In the future, one may expect, from these new markers to detect the dysplasia in IBD patients before development of histological evidence of neoplastic changes.

Immunohistochemical expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 2 (MMP-1 and MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) in ruptured and non-ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: Recent evidence suggests that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (TIMPs) are crucial for trophoblast implantation in normal pregnancy. To evaluate the expression of MMP-1, MMP2, and the tissue inhibitor of MMP-2 (TIMP-2) along the invasive pathway of trophoblast in ruptured and non-ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancies, we performed a retrospective immunohistochemical study. METHODS: In 15 tissue specimens of patients with ruptured (N = 7) and non-ruptured (N = 8) first trimester tubal ectopic pregnancies who underwent laparoscopic salpingectomy, immunohistochemical staining against MMP-1, MMP-2, and TIMP-2 was performed. Serial paraffin sections were photographed and digitized for a computerized quantitative image analysis. Mean percentages of positive stained areas by MMP-1, MMP-2, and TIMP-2 antibodies in the extravillous trophoblast were determined for ruptured and non-ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancies and compared. RESULTS: In our 15 tissue specimens of ectopic pregnancies MMP-1 and TIMP-2 were found to be more prominent in the immunohistochemical distribution pattern than MMP-2. However, no statistically significant difference could be detected between the mean percentages of positive stained area by MMP-1, MMP-2, and TIMP-2 antibodies in ruptured and non-ruptured tubal pregnancies. DISCUSSION: For the first time, we measured the comparative immunohistochemical expression of MMP-1, MMP-2, and TIMP-2 in ruptured and non-ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancies. Although our results did not show any statistically significant difference between ruptured and non-ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancies, we conclude that MMP-1, MMP-2, and TIMP-2 are functionally involved in the highly proliferative early first part of ectopic implantation.

Systemic methotrexate treatment of interstitial pregnancy--magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a valuable tool for monitoring treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Interstitial pregnancy occurs in 2-4% of ectopic pregnancies and is defined as implantation of the trophoblast in the interstitial part of the tuba uterina. Therefore the term intramural pregnancy can also be found in the literature. In 20% of the cases that progress beyond 12 weeks of amenorrhea a potentially life-threatening rupture of the uterus occurs, leading to a maternal mortality rate of 2.5%. According to the literature until a few years ago diagnosis was mainly made intraoperatively, and resulted in cornual resection or hysterectomy per laparotomy. Better methods of diagnosis and treatment of interstitial pregnancy can help to decrease morbidity and mortality associated with this condition. PATIENTS: We describe two cases of interstitial pregnancies that were eventually diagnosed and also monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after systemic methotrexate treatment. Both patients were uniparous and experienced their second spontaneous pregnancy. METHODS: Treatment consisted of four doses (50 mg/m2 body surface area) of systemic intramuscular methotrexate alternating with four doses (6 mg) of intramuscular folic acid. When beta-hCG levels were undetectable, MRI results were compared with pre-therapeutic MRI findings. RESULTS: In patients A and B, beta-hCG levels were undetectable 64 and 88 days after initiation of methotrexate treatment, while magnetic resonance imaging revealed nearly equally persisting interstitial pregnancies. They initially presented as hyperintense lesions with hypointense zones and changed into a hypointense lesion with a central hyperintense area for patient A, and a completely hyperintense lesion for patient B at the time of negative beta-hCG levels in follow-up MRI. CONCLUSION: Systemic methotrexate treatment with an intramuscular regimen is effective in the treatment of interstitial pregnancy. MRI has the ability of correct tissue differentiation and objective three-dimensional measuring of interstitial pregnancy. We therefore propose this imaging modality as a valuable tool for monitoring systemic methotrexate treatment of interstitial pregnancy that should be used additionally to beta-hCG clearance curves.

Could we treat more unruptured ectopic pregnancies with intramuscular methotrexate?

The main reason for the restricted use of methotrexate in the treatment of ectopic pregnancy (EP) obviously is the fear of tubal rupture in patients with lower abdominal pain after the administration of methotrexate. Therefore, we wanted to find out if patient characteristics at first presentation, such as age, pretreatment beta-hCG level, adnexal mass as visualized by transvaginal ultrasonography, or history of prior EP, would identify patients at risk for tubal rupture if they were hemodynamically stable and showed no signs of peritoneal irritation. We examined whether more patients could have been treated medically with methotrexate, because tubal rupture was unforeseeable at first presentation and inclusion criteria for methotrexate treatment were fulfilled. From January 1996 to August 1998, 122 patients diagnosed as having EP were treated at the Gynecologic Department of the University Hospital of Vienna. Inclusion criteria for medical treatment with intramuscular methotrexate (50 mg/ m(2) body surface area) were (1) hemodynamic stability, (2) an unruptured ectopic mass < or = 5 cm at the greatest dimension demonstrated at transvaginal ultrasonography; (3) beta-hCG level < or = 5,000 mIU/ml; (4) no cardiac activity of the extrauterine embryo; (5) wish of future fertility, and (6) informed consent. Patients with hemodynamic instability, severe abdominal pain, an ectopic mass > or = 5 cm at the greatest dimension, beta-hCG levels > or = 5,000 mIU/ml, cardiac activity of the extrauterine embryo, and no wish of future fertility, or disagreement with methotrexate treatment, primarily underwent surgery. Despite the fact that none of the above patient characteristics at first presentation identified patients at risk for tubal rupture, only 60/122 patients (49%) actually underwent medical treatment whereas our inclusion criteria would have granted medical treatment in 101/122 patients (83%). We determined the actual and maximal possible percentages of patients with unruptured EP eligible for medical treatment of EP with intramuscular single-dose methotrexate 50 mg/m(2) body surface area. Our data show that tubal rupture in hemodynamically stable patients is not foreseeable and should not lead to a restricted use of medical treatment in patients preferring methotrexate.

[Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis]. / Familijarna hemofagocitna limfohistiocitoza.

The paper presents two cases of familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in one family. The first case is the first-born female child with symptoms of an abrupt onset of hepatic failure and encephalopathy at the age of 2.5 months, and the second case is the third-born male child from the fourth pregnancy who died in his first month with a similar clinical manifestation. By means of histological examination, a diffuse proliferation of histiocytes of benign appearance with numerous phagocytized erythrocytes in the cytoplasm was found in both patients. These infiltrates existed in numerous organs and tissues of the body, but they were mostly visible in the spleen, liver, lymph nodes and in the bone marrow. The course of the disease is rapidly progressive with an up to now insufficiently explained etiology of the disease, with the existence of an autosomal recessive type of inheritance and defects in cellular and humoral immunity.

[Pulmonary adiaspiromycosis]. / Adiaspiromikoza pluca.

A 54-yr old male patient with a history of dyspnea and cough is presented. Due to the clinical course of disease and the radiological changes in the chest a diagnosis of sarcoidosis was established. However, the open lung biopsy revealed the true nature of the pulmonary disease: pulmonary adiaspiromycosis, only secondary to asbestosis, siderosis and silicosis as due to the well known occupational exposure to asbestos and other dusts.

[Nodular amyloidosis of the lungs associated with Sjögren's syndrome]. / Nodulusna amiloidoza pluca udruzena sa Sjögrenovim sindromom.

Pulmonary amyloidosis can develop together with both primary or secondary amyloidosis, isolated or associated with amyloidosis of other organs. In the study a case of a 59 year old female with multiple nodules and diffuse amyloid infiltration in pulmonary parenchyma associated with Sjörgen's syndrome is presented. Amyloid deposits were also found in the surgically removed parotid salivary gland, mostly in its blood vessel walls.

[Acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage after placement of a peritoneojugular shunt]. / Akutna gastrointestinalna krvarenja nakon ugradnje peritoneojugularnog santa.

Since 1984 the peritoneovenous (LeVeen) shunt has been installed in 33 patients (10 females 30.3%, and 23 males 69.7%), with the average age of 54 +/- 8 years all in the oedema--ascitic decompensation phase of their primary illness. The control group consisted of 39 patients with identical etiology and primary illness stadium, sex and age structure and duration of primary illness, all treated with medicament - diet therapy. All the operated patients and those treated with medicament--diet regime died. Their autopsy findings were confronted. The aim of this study was to indicate the type and frequency of digestive hemorrhage in this population on our own clinical--patient material. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage was the cause of death in 8 (24.24%) patients out of the group operated on, and 6 (15.3%) from the control group. The isolated rupture of esophageal varices was the cause of death in one (3.03%) patient out of the group operated on, and in 5 (12.12%) patients from the control group, the rupture of esophageal varices with toxic vasculitis in 3 (0.09%) patients from the group operated on, and not in one out of the control group; rupture of esophageal varices associated with toxic vasculitis and disorders of the hemostatic mechanism appeared in 4 (12.12%) of patients from the group operated on, and in 1 (2.56%) of the control group. On the basis of the presented it can be concluded that gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a significantly more frequent cause of death in the group operated on than in the control group, and that hemorrhages are of an all the more complex etiology when the flow-in of ascites into circulation is greater. Hemodilution and endotoxins are to blame for their occurrence and it is necessary to preoperatively conduct, beside the control of the hemostatic mechanism, also the test of ones own ascitic burdening and to determine the level of endotoxin in the ascites.