Saccular aortic aneurysm that resembled a mediastinal neoplasm.

INTRODUCTION: Saccular aortic arch aneurysms in unusual sites may be misdiagnosed as a neoplasm. We present the case of a rare saccular aortic arch aneurysm between trachea and esophagus that resembled a mediastinal neoplasm in the preoperative findings. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 63-year-old male with an abnormal mediastinal shadow on chest X-ray was referred to the hospital. An axial plain computed tomogram of the chest revealed mediastinal soft tissue next to the right side of the aortic arch resembling a neoplasm originating from the gap between the trachea and the esophagus. The coronal view constructed by enhanced 64-row multi detector computed tomography revealed the soft tissue was an aneurysm arising from the inner side of the aortic arch. An aortic arch replacement was performed via a median sternotomy. DISCUSSION: A thoracic aortic aneurysm sometimes behaves like a mediastinal neoplasm. The multiple cross-sectional image from multidetector computed tomography was useful for the correct diagnosis of such an aneurysm. CONCLUSION: The possibility of an aneurysm should be considered whenever a mass in contact with the aortic wall is identified.

[Total arch replacement through a mediansternotomy for an aortic arch aneurysm with an aberrant right subclavian artery].

The patient was a 77-year-old man. In 2004, he developed thrombosed aortic dissection extending from the distal aortic arch to the renal artery bifurcation. He was discharged after his condition improved with conservative treatment. He was followed up as an outpatient because there was an aneurysm, which measured 50 mm in diameter, at the aortic arch. Thereafter the aneurysm gradually enlarged. In May 2009, computed tomography (CT) showed that the aneurysm had increased to 10 cm in diameter and the patient began to have back pain. Thus, surgery was planned. CT revealed that the right subclavian artery originated distal to the left subclavian artery and coursed posterior to the esophagus and trachea. Surgery was performed using median sternotomy. Arch replacement and right subclavian artery reconstruction were performed under hypothermic circulatory arrest with selective cerebral perfusion. The right subclavian artery was controlled at the right border of the trachea, and cerebral perfusion was performed at this site. An end-to-side anastomosis to the reconstructed right common carotid artery was performed by an anterior tracheal approach. The patient had no cerebral complications and his postoperative course was uneventful.

Safety of perioperative hemodialysis and continuous hemodiafiltration for dialysis patients with cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: We have routinely used postoperative continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) combined with intraoperative hemodialysis (IHD) for dialysis patients undergoing open-heart surgery. This perioperative management could avoid any limitation of potassium concentration in the cardioplegic solution, strict restriction of fluid administration, or blood transfusion. METHODS: To evaluate the safety of this strategy, 22 dialysis patients who underwent open-heart surgery (Dialysis Group) were retrospectively compared with 30 patients with normal renal function selected from the same time period with rigorously matched clinical characteristics such as age, gender, and operative procedures (Matched Group). RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the operative variables such as the operative procedures, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and aortic cross-clamp time in both groups. There were two deaths (9.1%) in the Dialysis Group compared with Matched Group (0%). In the Dialysis Group, the levels of serum potassium and creatinine were well controlled in the perioperative period with a mean duration of IHD and CHDF of 243.7 +/- 60.6 min and 2.7 +/- 1.1 days, respectively. In particular, no significant difference between intraoperative and postoperative levels of serum potassium was observed in the Dialysis Group (P = 0.09), whereas there was a significant increase in the Matched Group (P = 0.004). Mean volume administered for the first 24 h after surgery was not different from the Matched Group. There were no vascular access-related complications in the Dialysis Group. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative CHDF combined with IHD can provide a similar management protocol for dialysis patients compared to patients with normal renal function.

Surgical revascularization for acute coronary syndrome: comparative surgical and long-term results.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequate timing of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: In our institution, emergency CABG has been avoided when possible for ACS patients favoring stabilization with medical therapies, including intra-aortic balloon pumping or percutaneous coronary intervention. After thorough preoperative examinations, an urgent CABG is performed. A total of 67 patients with ACS underwent CABG, comprised of 33 patients receiving an emergency CABG (emergent group: E-G) and 34 patients receiving an urgent CABG (urgent group: U-G). The early and long-term results were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Preoperatively, the incidences of acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock were significantly higher in E-G. No significant differences were found in the intraoperative factors except for the number of distal anastomoses (2.5 in E-G vs. 3.1 in U-G, p=0.01). The hospital mortality was 9.1% in E-G, and 2.9% in U-G, with no significant difference between the groups. Moreover, no patient in U-G necessitated emergency CABG while waiting for surgery. The patency rate of the grafts was 100% in E-G, and 96.2% in U-G. The 5-year survival rate excluding in-hospital death was 80.3% in E-G, and 78% in U-G (p>0.05). The 5-year cardiac event-free rate was 80.3% in E-G, and 80.9% in U-G (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: An emergency CABG can be reserved for ACS patients when symptoms and hemodynamic state are stabilized with medical therapies. Improvements in long-term results can be expected after high quality and complete surgical revascularization.

Coronary artery aneurysm with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Coronary artery aneurysms rarely develop in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. We herein describe a case of a right coronary artery aneurysm associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. A 49-year-old woman with known systemic lupus erythematosus presented with an acute myocardial infarction. A coronary artery aneurysm and thrombo-occlusion in the right coronary artery necessitated percutaneous coronary intervention. She experienced three myocardial infarctions during the following two months. A coronary artery dissection occurred during the percutaneous coronary intervention at the time of the last myocardial infarction, and emergency coronary artery bypass grafting was successfully performed. Difficulties in treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention and the fact that arteritis is a possible cause of a coronary artery aneurysm may indicate that surgical therapy, including coronary artery bypass grafting with or without the obliteration of an aneurysm, is the treatment of choice for a coronary artery aneurysm with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Clinical Use of Centrifugal Pumps and the Roller Pump in Open Heart Surgery: A Comparative Evaluation.

Centrifugal pumps have been used widely as the main pump in open heart surgery to reduce damage to blood elements and to reduce the activation of the coagulation system. The purpose of this study was the evaluation and comparison of the effects of two types of centrifugal pumps and of one type of roller pump on blood elements, the coagulation system, complements, and immunoglobulins. Two types of centrifugal pumps (Lifestream; St. Jude Medical, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; and BP-80; Medtronic, BioMedicus, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minnesota, U.S.A.) and one roller pump (Mera Co.) were used separately as the main pump for cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) in 29 patients. Platelet counts, lactate dehydrogenase, antithrombin III, thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), complements (C3, C4, and CH50) and immunoglobulins G, A, and M values were measured before and after CPB and compared. Values, except those for TAT, showed no significant difference among the three groups. The TAT values increased less in each of the centrifugal pump groups than in the roller pump group. This finding suggests that thrombin synthesis might be suppressed by the use of a centrifugal pump.