[Marked dilatation of the bilateral common carotid artery: a case report].

We reported a rare case of marked dilatation of the bilateral common carotid artery (CCA) associated with stenosis of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA). A 64-year-old female was admitted with right hemiparesis and dysarthria. She was hospitalized 2 years ago for cholecystitis. For 5 years, she has been under medical treatment for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, cardiac failure associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and atrial fibrillation. Brain CT scan showed infarction of the left corona radiata. Angiography revealed marked dilatation of the bilateral CCA and the internal carotid artery (ICA), moderate dilatation of the innominate artery and the right subclavian artery, kinking of the right CCA, diverticular outpouching of the left ICA, and stenosis of the right external carotid artery and the left MCA. Breast CT scan revealed moderate dilatation and marked calcification of the ascending aorta and the aortic arch. Laboratory examination did not show any sign of inflammation, rheumatoid factor (RA), antistreptolysis-O (ASLO) and antinucleotic antibody. Based on the clinical course, radiological findings and laboratory data, possible diagnosis of the dilatation of the bilateral CCA was discussed with particular emphasis on arteriosclerotic aneurysm and aortitis syndrome.

Bartter's syndrome with gouty arthritis.

A 45-year-old woman with Bartter's syndrome complicated with gouty arthritis is reported. Bartter's syndrome was diagnosed from hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, high plasma renin activity, normal blood pressure and attenuated pressor response to exogenous angiotensin II infusion. Serum uric acid was 11.8 mg/dl, the renal clearance of uric acid was low (3.0 ml/min) and fractional excretion of uric acid (FEUA) was 7.0%, being the lower limit of the normal range. Fractional excretion of phosphate was low (5.3%) and fractional free water clearance per fractional distal sodium delivery was 0.51. The mechanism of hyperuricemia in this case is discussed.

A case of swallow syncope induced by vagovagal reflex.

A 65-year-old man experienced syncope associated with advanced atrioventricular (AV) block upon swallowing. Continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring revealed first and second degree AV block. ECG revealed advanced AV block (Max R-R 6.38 s) upon swallowing, a cold drink. Demand ventricular pacing alleviated his symptoms. In this patient, the advanced AV block might have been precipitated by a vagovagal reflex triggered by expansion of the esophagus, resulting in selective suppression of the atrioventricular node.

Hemodynamic and natriuretic responses to intravenous infusion of dopamine in patients with essential hypertension.

In order to clarify the role of dopamine on the pathophysiology of essential hypertension, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), urine volume (UV), urinary sodium excretion (UNaV), endogenous creatinine clearance (Ccr), fractional excretions of sodium (FENa), inorganic phosphorus (FEP) and potassium (FEK), plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and plasma noradrenaline concentration (PNA) were measured before and after intravenous infusion of dopamine (3 micrograms/kg/min, 60 min) in normotensive (NT) and essential hypertensive subjects (EHT). Following dopamine infusion, a significant decrease of MAP and an increase of HR were observed in EHT but not in NT. UV, UNaV, Ccr, FENa, FEP and FEK increased significantly in both NT and EHT, and changes in these except for Ccr were significantly greater in EHT than in NT. In EHT, following dopamine infusion, PNA was clearly elevated, but no remarkable change was found in PRA and PAC. A significantly positive correlation was found between delta UNaV and delta FENa or delta FEP, and between delta FENa and delta FEP, while no significant relation was observed between delta UNaV and delta Ccr, delta MAP or MAP before dopamine infusion. A significant inverse correlation between supine PRA before dopamine infusion and delta FENa or delta FEP and a positive correlation between age and delta FENa or delta FEP were also observed in these patients. The changes in UNaV positively correlated with delta FENa and delta FEP in both low renin (group L) and normal renin EHT (group N) and with delta Ccr i group N but not in group L. The mean values of delta FENa, delta FEP and delta FEK were significantly higher in group L as compared with those in age-matched group N. These results suggest that, since the enhanced response to infused dopamine may reflect reduced dopaminergic activity, attenuation of renal dopaminergic activity might exist and be involved through a distribution of water-sodium metabolism, at least in part, in the pathophysiological mechanism in EHT, particularly in group L.