[Atorvastatin and oxidative stress in coronary heart disease with obesity].

The aim of the work was to study the role of atorvastatin in the correction of oxidative stress manifestations in patients with coronary heart disease and dyslipidemnia (DLP). It included 122 patients with stable forms of CHD and 20 practically healthy subjects. Plasma lipids and products of lipid peroxidation (dienic conjugates and compounds reacting with 2-thiobarbituric acid), eryhrocyte antioxidative enzymes glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were determined by standard methods; activity of the ceruloplasmin/transferrin antioxidant system) was measured by electron paramagnetic resonance. The patients underwent 24 hr ECG Holter monitoring. Atorvastatin at a dose of 20 mg/d given during 6 months exerted antioxidative and antiperoxidative effects in 90% of the patients. It normalized parameters of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant protection thereby improving the clinical course of CHD.

Association of rectal diverticula and scleroderma.

Barium enema examinations of 7,200 patients were analyzed to determine the presence of rectal diverticula. Five patients with rectal diverticula, a prevalence of 0.07%, were found. Their diameters varied from 10 to 80 mm. Each of the patients had a single rectal diverticulum. Two patients had scleroderma with no other diverticula in the large bowel. None of our patients had symptoms referable to the rectal diverticula.

The retrotracheal triangle.

The retrotracheal triangle is an area in the posterior superior mediastinum where abnormal structures may be detected in as many as 2% of chest radiographs. The authors describe the anatomy of this space and the abnormalities found therein, including vascular abnormalities (aberrant right subclavian artery, right aortic arch, double aortic arch, true and false aortic aneurysms), thoracic duct lesions, esophageal abnormalities (benign and malignant tumors, congenital atresia, duplication cysts, foreign bodies, diverticula, and achalasia), and miscellaneous entities (intrathoracic thyroid, bronchogenic cyst, bronchogenic carcinoma, cystic hygroma, and emphysema). Careful attention to this long-neglected area on chest radiographs can yield findings of abnormalities not otherwise suspected.

Aberrant right subclavian artery: further observations.

One hundred one posteroanterior and 89 lateral chest radiographs were reviewed of patients with proven aberrant right subclavian artery. The patients were 17-96 years old. Three findings were noted on the posteroanterior radiograph: an oblique edge extending to the right from the aortic knob (60%); demonstration of the vessel through the lucency of the tracheal air column (43%) with sharp margins (29%) or as a tubular opacity without sharp margins (14%); and a "mass" effect at the medial right clavicular area (32%). Three findings were noted on the lateral radiograph: retrotracheal opacity (79%), aortic arch obscuration (62%), and posterior tracheal imprint (49%). Two of these findings (tubular opacity and mass effect) are reported as new observations in patients with aberrant right subclavian artery.

The retrotracheal triangle in pediatric patients.

The retrotracheal triangle is the posterior superior mediastinum and usually is well outlined on the routine lateral chest roentgenogram. It has characteristic features, and careful evaluation of this area on routine roentgenogram will be of assistance in identifying abnormalities producing respiratory or feeding difficulties in infants and children. Anomalies occurring in this area include vascular structures, esophageal lesions, tumor masses, and inflammatory lesions.