Choriocarcinoma complicated with intra-abdominal and intrapleural hemorrhage in pregnancy - case report.

Background: Choriocarcinoma is a rare neoplasm, exceptionally uncommon during an ongoing pregnancy. The disease often has a metastatic character, causing severe symptoms from various anatomic sites like the lungs, central nervous system, vagina, pelvis, or liver. Due to the condition's rarity, evidence on how to treat the choriocarcinoma originating during pregnancy remains scarce. Case presentation: Here, we present a case of a patient who developed choriocarcinoma before the 29th week of gestation. The neoplasm had a metastatic character, resulting in hemorrhage complicated by a hypovolemic shock. The patient underwent an emergency cesarean section and several surgeries to stop the massive hemorrhage. The treatment of the choriocarcinoma included chemotherapy with methotrexate followed by an EMA-CO regimen. The patient had a complete response to the therapy. The neonate suffered from complications related to prematurity. Conclusion: Metastatic choriocarcinoma can be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge during ongoing pregnancy. Treatment of the disease can be associated with severe complications, but a complete response to chemotherapy is possible with a favorable long-term prognosis.

Changes in Subendocardial Viability Ratio in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often associated with cardiac dysfunction, which is a consequence of the brain-heart cross talk. The subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) is an estimate of myocardial perfusion. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in the SEVR in patients with severe TBI without previous cardiac diseases. Methods: Adult patients treated for severe TBI with a Glasgow coma score <8 were studied. Pressure waveforms were obtained by a high-fidelity tonometer in the radial artery for SEVR calculation at five time points: immediately after admission to the intensive care unit and 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after admission. SEVRs and other clinically important parameters were analyzed in patients who survived and did not survive after 28 days of treatment, as well as in patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy (DC). Results: A total of 64 patients (16 females and 48 males) aged 18-64 years were included. Fifty patients survived and 14 died. DC was performed in 23 patients. SEVRs decreased 24 h after admission in nonsurvivors (p < 0.05) and after 48 h in survivors (p < 0.01) and its values were significantly lower in nonsurvivors than in survivors at 24, 72, and 96 h from admission (p < 0.05). The SEVR increased following DC (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A decreased SEVR is observed in TBI patients. Surgical decompression increases the SEVR, indicating improvement in coronary microvascular perfusion. The results of our study seem to confirm that brain injury affects myocardium function.

Successful Combination of Landiolol and Levosimendan in Patients with Decompensated Heart Failure.

Tachycardia and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias often impair cardiovascular capacity in patients with decompensated heart failure (dHF) treated with inotropes. Normalization of heart rhythm or rate typically improves diastolic filling and stroke volume (SV). Thus, isochronal administration of an ultra-short-acting and highly selective ß1-blockers, such as landiolol, along with inotropic calcium-sensitizer medications, such as levosimendan, could benefit patients with dHF.We present a case series of three patients with severe dHF and low ejection fraction who were successfully treated with a combination of landiolol and levosimendan. The co-administration of landiolol and levosimendan was well tolerated, improved cardiac function, normalized SV, and enabled the reduction of norepinephrine dosing in all patients. Additionally, the combination improved the vectorcardiographic spatial QRS-T angle and decreased the corrected QT interval. All patients were successfully discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU).A combination of levosimendan and landiolol was safe and well-tolerated. This combination may be a new option for successful treatment of patients with acute dHF complicated by sinus or supraventricular tachycardias.

Visceral artery aneurysms - classification, diagnosis and treatment.

Although visceral artery aneurysms are rare, mortality due to their rupture is high, estimated at even 25-75%. That is why it is significant to detect each such lesion. Visceral artery aneurysms are usually asymptomatic and found incidentally during examinations performed for other indications. Autopsy results suggest that most asymptomatic aneurysms remain undiagnosed during lifetime. Their prevalence in the population is therefore higher. The manifestation of a ruptured aneurysm depends on its location and may involve intraperitoneal hemorrhage, gastrointestinal and portal system bleeding with concomitant portal hypertension and bleeding from esophageal varices. Wide access to diagnostic tests, for example ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, helps establish the correct diagnosis and a therapeutic plan as well as select appropriate treatment. After a procedure, the same diagnostic tools enable assessment of treatment efficacy, or are used for the monitoring of aneurysm size and detection of potential complications in cases that are ineligible for treatment. The type of treatment depends on the size of an aneurysm, the course of the disease, risk of rupture and risk associated with surgery or endovascular procedure. Endovascular treatment is preferred in most cases. Aneurysms are excluded from the circulation using embolization coils, ethylene vinyl alcohol, stents, multilayer stents, stent grafts and histoacryl glue (or a combination of these methods).

Sonographic assessment of the prevalence and evolution of fluid collections as a complication of kidney transplantation.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and evolution of perirenal fluid collections in a group of 488 patients who have undergone kidney transplantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sonographic documentation of 488 deceased-donor kidney recipients was evaluated for the prevalence of perirenal fluid collections and their evolution in time, depending on selected demographic features of the patients, time of detection, initial dimensions and precise position of the collection relative to the kidney and the location of the transplanted organ in the right or left iliac fossa. The collected data were used for statistical analysis to determine the strength of the potential relationships. RESULTS: In 146 out of 488 subjects perirenal fluid collections were found. In 1/3 of the patients more than one fluid collection was diagnosed. Over 40% of fluid collections were detected within 10 days from the date of the first scan and 24.11% were detected within 10-20 days from the date of the first scan. The majority of fluid collections were located near the lower pole of the kidney. Perihilar collections were the least common. Collections encapsulating the kidney and subcutaneous collections were the largest in size on average. A statistically significant difference between the size of collections located on the surface and the size of those located near the upper pole of the transplanted kidney was demonstrated. However, no correlation was proven to exist between the persistence of the fluid collection and its position relative to the transplanted kidney and its initial size. CONCLUSIONS: The correct evaluation of a fluid collection's dynamics of development and nature requires periodic follow-up of the recipient, preferably in a single clinical center. Ultrasonography is an inexpensive, non-invasive and repeatable method for the determination of the presence of fluid collections. However, the decision whether treatment is necessary requires the sonographic image to be compared with the laboratory signs of inflammation and biochemical analysis of the contents of fluid collections.