Bilateral absence of the deep brachial artery.

The aim of the following study was to present and comprehensively describe a case of a bilateral absence of the deep brachial artery (DBA). Furthermore, its embryology and clinical significance will also be discussed. During routine dissection, a 71-year-old male cadaver with a bilateral abnormality in the DBA and its branches was found. The first branch of the brachial artery (BA) was found to be the radial collateral artery, which passed behind the radial nerve. Furthermore, the middle collateral artery originated distal to the radial collateral artery and gave off first a singular, minor muscular branch and then the superior ulnar collateral artery. Later, the preceding nutrient arteries of the humerus and the deltoid branch consecutively branched off from the middle collateral artery. Subsequently, the middle ulnar collateral artery, the inferior ulnar collateral artery, the deltoid artery, the radial artery, and the ulnar artery branched off from the BA, as adapted in the current knowledge regarding the anatomy of the upper extremity. Furthermore, detailed measurements of the distances between the mentioned arteries were carried out. In the present study, a bilateral absence of the DBA was demonstrated. Meta-analysis focusing on the anatomy of this artery has shown how variable its characteristics are. However, our case report is the first in the literature to present this extremely rare variation. Having adequate knowledge regarding the anatomy of the arteries of the proximal arm is of immense importance when performing orthopaedic and reconstructive surgeries in this area.

[Evaluation of nitric oxide metabolites concentration in patients with type I diabetes]. / Ocena stezenia metabolitów tlenku azotu u chorych z typem 1 cukrzycy.

Nitric oxide (NO) mainly known as a relaxing factor, serves a wide variety of other functions in different tissues. It is quickly metabolized to NO2- and NO3- in humans. The aim of the study was to estimate plasma nitrite anion (NO2-) concentration in type 1 diabetic patients. The study was performed in 30 well metabolically controlled patients (18 female and 12 male, aged 30.2 +/- 10.6 years, duration of diabetes 8.4 +/- 6.8 years. HbA1c 6.5 +/- 1.2%) (group A) and 20 poorly metabolically controlled patients (12 female and 8 male, aged 29.8 +/- 9.8 years, duration of diabetes 8.0 +/- 4.8 years, HbA1c 11.2 +/- 1.6%) (group B). The concentration of NO2- was measured with the use of a calorimetric micromethod, where nitrate reductase catalyses the conversion of NO3- to NO2-. The NO2- plasma concentration was significantly higher in diabetic patients in comparison to controls. The highest NO2- concentration was noticed in the group of well metabolically controlled diabetic patients (group A, group B, healthy subjects: 41.99 +/- 4.02, 33.33 +/- 2.44, 16.68 +/- 2.16 mumol/l, respectively, p < 0.05, p < 0.0001). The nitrite concentrations did not correlate with HbA1c (r = -0.03, p > 0.05). The results support the concept that metabolism of nitrite oxides in diabetes is disturbed independently from the degree of metabolic control.