Coronary Artery Anomalies in Patients With Transposition of the Great Arteries and Their Impact on Postoperative Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Coronary anomalies are frequently present in children with transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Such anomalies significantly increase the complexity of arterial switch operations and may have an effect on postoperative outcomes. In this study, we aimed to assess the frequency of coronary anomalies in children with TGA and describe their effect on postoperative outcomes. METHODS: All patients with TGA who underwent an arterial switch operation between 1991 and 2015 were consecutively enrolled in this study. Patient coronary patterns were obtained from corresponding operative reports and analyzed to determine their associations with adverse postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: The study included 715 patients with isolated and complex TGA. Coronary anomalies were present in 33.7% of patients and were significantly correlated with the side-by-side configuration of the great arteries. Coronary sinuses with more than 1 ostium were associated with a significantly increased risk of postoperative death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.58), and coronary arteries with a single ostium were associated with an increased risk of postoperative reinterventions (HR, 2.49). In contrast, the trap-door technique of coronary artery transplantation was associated with a reduced risk of reinterventions during postoperative follow-up (HR, 0.40). Complex coronary anomalies were significantly associated with postoperative coronary events (HR, 2.12). CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of patients whose circumflex artery branches off of the right coronary artery, an anomaly that clearly has no effect on postoperative follow-up, patients with unusual coronary patterns are at higher risk for adverse postoperative outcomes than patients with normal coronary anatomy and must be monitored carefully.

[Adalimumab as induction therapy for Crohn's disease - one center study]. / Adalimumab w indukcji remisji w chorobie Lesniowskiego- Crohna ­ studium jednoosrodkowe.

Adalimumab is a subcutaneously administered recombinant fully human monoclonal antibody targeting tumor necrosis factor alpha. It has been approved for use in Poland to treat patients with Crohn's disease under the program of Polish National Health Found since 2010. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of adalimumab monotherapy for inducing clinical remission in patients with active Crohn's disease . The primary outcome assessment was the reduction in score to 150 or below on the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) at 12 weeks and the secondary one was the reduction in ΔCDAI of at least 100 points. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2015 we treated 68 patients with active Crohn's disease (mean CDAI score 359). All the patients came from region of Silesia, an area with the same environment conditions. The patients were given adalimumab (Humira, AbbVie) subcutaneously at a dose of 160 mg at week 0, 80 mg at week 4 and 40 mg every two weeks thereafter. RESULTS: Twenty eight patients (41%) had a clinical remission at week 12 (CDAI ≤150) and 33 patients (49%) had a ΔCDAI response. During the 12-week of induction therapy infection with Clostridium difficile occurred in 4 patients and one patient died of a severe CMV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Adalimumab is effective as induction therapy for patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease, however in individual cases serious infections including CMV infection can occur. A potential predictive factors for response can be female gender, non-smoking status and high CRP level at baseline.

[Microscopic colitis - a frequent cause of chronic diarrhea]. / Mikroskopowe zapalenie jelita grubego ­ czesta przyczyna przewleklej biegunki.

Chronic diarrhea is a very common problem in the general population. It requires a physician to differentiate its causes and depending on its etiology referring the patient to a hospital for diagnosis and subsequent treatment. One of the causes of chronic diarrhea may be microscopic colitis, which is characterized by the presence of clinical symptoms without endoscopic or radiological abnormalities. Diagnosis is based on a histopathological examination of the colon and thus clinical suspicion of the disease is so important for further diagnosis and treatment, which is primarily based on the use of topical steroids such as budesonide.

[Treatment of microscopic colitis - what's new?] / Leczenie mikroskopowego zapalenia jelita grubego ­ co nowego?

Microscopic colitis (MC) is frequent, although still uncommonly diagnosed, cause of chronic diarrhea. The etiopathology of MC is unknown but this disease has strong influence on patient's quality of life (measured by health-related quality of life - HRQoL). MC is characterized by microscopic abnormalities in large bowel's mucosa whereas endoscopic and radiological examination findings are normal. The treatment of MC is an essential social and financial problem due to its frequency in society. Thanks to the results of some controlled research which judged efficiency of some medicines as well as advisory groups recommendations, the MC therapy is nowadays going from empiric to accordance with evidence based medicine.

The neoaortic root in children with transposition of the great arteries after an arterial switch operation.

OBJECTIVES: Neoaortic root changes in children with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) are reportedly risk factors for the development of neoaortic regurgitation (NeoAR). The aims of this study were to assess the neoaortic root diameter and relative proportion in children with TGA after surgical correction and to identify possible correlations with the development of neoaortic insufficiency. METHODS: Of the 611 children who had the arterial switch operation performed in the Cardiology Department of the Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital, 172 consecutive patients were qualified for this study. The inclusion criteria were: anatomical correction performed during the neonatal period, more than 10 years of postoperative observation and at least two full echocardiographic examinations. RESULTS: NeoAR increased during postoperative follow-up and at the end of the observation period, 76% of the patients had NeoAR (27%-trace, 42%-mild, 7%-moderate and 0.6%-severe). Among the analysed risk factors for NeoAR development, the significant ones were arterial valve discrepancy (OR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.04-4.02; P = 0.031) and the non-facing commissures (OR = 4.05; 95% CI: 1.34-11.9; P = 0.01). The neoaortic root diameter was not statistically significantly correlated with the presence of NeoAR or with the heart defects associated with transposition. The neoaortic root was initially, on average, 37% (z-score = 1.58) bigger than the aortic root in healthy children. This disproportion increased during the follow-up evaluations to 57% (z-score = 2.09). CONCLUSIONS: The neoaortic root in children after the arterial switch procedure develops differently from that in healthy children, but this is not evidently related to NeoAR development or associated heart defects.

Interventional treatment of critical coarctation of the aorta in an extremely low birth weight preterm neonate.

The authors describe successful balloon angioplasty of aortic coarctation in a preterm neonate weighing 670 grams. The intervention was performed in an open incubator to ensure stable temperature comfort and to minimise the risk of hypothermia during the procedure of obtaining surgical vessel access, performing balloon angioplasty, and closure of the wound.

Long-term outcome of direct neopulmonary artery reconstruction during the arterial switch procedure.

BACKGROUND: Neopulmonary stenosis at anastomosis site is one of the most frequent complications after the arterial switch procedure for transposition of the great arteries. The surgical technique is a crucial factor associated with the frequency of stenotic complications. We present the outcomes of direct neopulmonary anastomosis during the arterial switch procedure in patients with simple transposition. This research was to assess the efficacy of this surgical technique based on the incidence of postprocedural supravalvular neopulmonary stenosis (SVPS). METHODS: Among 545 patients operated on in our department between 1992 and 2009, the 346 consecutive survivors who had undergone simple transposition in the first month of life were included in this analysis. Switch procedures were performed with direct neopulmonary artery anastomosis in 318 patients (92%); in the remaining 28 (8%), the risk of coronary artery compression required the use of a pericardial patch for pulmonary reconstruction. RESULTS: Neopulmonary stenosis occurred in 9 patients (2.6%): 5 had undergone direct neopulmonary reconstruction, and 4 had been treated with a patch. Balloon angioplasty of SVPS was performed twice in 1 patient. No patients required reoperation to treat neopulmonary stenosis. In multivariate analysis (logistic regression), patch reconstruction (odds ratio, 27.5; p=0.001) and nonfacing commissures (odds ratio, 11.1; p=0.004) were correlated significantly with the incidence of SVPS. CONCLUSIONS: Direct neopulmonary artery anastomosis during arterial switch is an interesting alternative to patch reconstructions and ensures a good postoperative result with low rates of complications and SVPS.