Arteria lusoria in patients with a normal and a right-sided aortic arch diagnosed with multi-slice computed tomography: a report of two cases.

A retro-oesophageal course of the right subclavian artery is referred to as "arteria lusoria". It may be related to severe compression of the trachea and oesophagus, typically resulting in impaired swallowing. The paper presents two patients with arteria lusoria, which in one patient was an aberrant right subclavian artery and in the other an aberrant left subclavian artery, originating from the right-sided aortic arch. In both cases the diagnosis was made with multi-slice computed tomography. The embryology of the anomalies and clinical status of the patients is discussed. Arteria lusoria should be considered in differential diagnosis in patients with dyspnoea and dysphagia. Multi-slice computed tomography allows this anatomical variant to be reliably visualised.

An unusual crossed course of separately originating left circumflex and left anterior descending arteries with concomitant anomalies found in multi-slice computed tomography.

Coronary artery anomalies occur in approximately in 1-2% of the population. The split origin of branches of the left coronary artery is a relatively common anomaly, usually with no significant observable impairment of cardiac function. The application of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) for cardiac imaging is increasing and becoming, along with other techniques, a recognised method of examination of the coronary arteries. In the case presented we observed in an ECG-gated MSCT the anomalous origin and proximal course of the arteries of the left sinus of Valsalva. The ostiae of both coronary arteries were located unusually: the ostium of the LAD was found posterior to the ostium of the LCx. Because of this, the proximal part of the LAD crossed the proximal part of the LCx superiorly. Furthermore, muscular bridges were found in the middle part and in the first diameter branch of the LAD. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a crossed course of the LCx and the LAD to be presented in the literature. Applications of MSCT in coronary imaging are presented in comparison with other diagnostic imaging methods. The advantages and limitations of MSCT as a diagnostic tool for anomalies of the coronary arteries are discussed.

[Usefulness of amplitude as a rheographic-cardiographic parameter for evaluation of degree of heart failure]. / Przydatnosc amplitudowych parametrów reokardiograficznych dla oceny stopnia niewydolnosci krazenia.

Impedance rheographic-cardiography has been performed in 40 patients with chronic congestive heart failure. At the same time, polycardiographic data have been recorded and used for the correlative analysis. A curve dZ/dt has been analysed and "S", "X", "A", "O" waves amplitudes together with A/S and X/S ratios have been calculated, depending on the degree of heart failure. It was found, that rheographic-cardiography may be valuable technique for the assessment of the degree of heart failure. Curve dZ/dt in patients with more advanced heart failure is of hypodynamic character (decrease in "S", "X", and "A" waves amplitude with an increase in "O" wave amplitude), being similar to sinusoidal curve. The most valuable rheographic-cardiograph parameters enabling the assessment of heart failure are: "S" and "O" waves amplitudes, and A/S and X/S ratios. Correlative analysis has also shown several important relationships between rheographic-cardiographic and polycardiographic parameters, which may facilitate the assessment of heart failure.

[Usefulness of the rheocardiogram for determination of left ventricular contraction periods in patients with chronic circulatory failure]. / Przydatnosc reokardiogramu do oznaczania podstawowych podokresów skurczu lewej komory u chorych z przewlekla niewydolnoscia krazenia.

Simultaneous determinations were carried out of the basic periods of left-ventricular contraction by the polycardiographic Weissler method and by impedance rheocardiography. The studied material comprised 40 patients with chronic circulatory failure. Both methods were found to differentiate adequately groups of patients with various degrees of circulatory failure, and a high positive correlation was demonstrated between the results obtained with both methods. Impedance rheocardiography was shown to be particularly useful in patients with chronic circulatory failure, since it was well tolerated by the patients and made possible easy determination of points corresponding to the basic phenomena in the cardiac cycle which are indispensable for the determination of left-ventricular contraction periods.