Pain perception during self-reported distress and calmness in patients with borderline personality disorder and self-mutilating behavior.

Self-mutilation occurs in 70-80% of patients who meet DSM-IV criteria for borderline personality disorder. Approximately 60% of these patients report that they do not feel pain during acts of self-mutilation such as cutting or burning. Findings of recent studies measuring pain perception in patients with BPD are difficult to interpret since variables such as distress, dissociation or relevant psychotropic medication have not been controlled. The Cold Pressor Test (CPT) and the Tourniquet Pain Test (TPT) were administered to 12 female patients with BPD who reported analgesia during self-mutilation and 19 age-matched healthy female control subjects. All subjects were free of psychotropic medication. The patients were studied on two occasions: during self-reported calmness and during intensive distress (strong urge to cut or burn themselves). Even during self-reported calmness, patients with BPD showed a significantly reduced perception of pain compared to healthy control subjects in both tests. During distress, pain perception in BPD patients was further significantly reduced as compared with self-reported calmness. The present findings show that self-mutilating patients with BPD who experience analgesia during self-injury show an increased threshold for pain perception even in the absence of distress. This may reflect a state-independent increased pain threshold which is further elevated during stress. Interpretation of these findings is limited by their reliance upon self-reports.

The carotid compression test for therapeutic occlusion of the internal carotid artery. Comparison of angiography with transcranial Doppler sonography.

BACKGROUND: The anterior communicating artery is a key collateral pathway in patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusions. Diagnostic balloon or manual occlusion of the ICA is a qualified test for the collateral function of the circle of Willis. The aim of our study was to test whether transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) with manual carotid compression is able to predict the degree of cross-over flow and tolerance of ICA occlusion. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on 88 patients suffering from neck tumors or inoperable ICA aneurysms with planned ligation or permanent balloon occlusion of the ICA. Preceding a balloon occlusion lasting 20 min we performed TCD with manual carotid compression test. Insufficient cross-over flow during transient carotid occlusion was defined angiographically as missing opacification of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) after selective injection of contrast media in the contralateral ICA, and sonographically as a decrease greater than 60% in flow velocity of the MCA ipsilateral to the carotid occlusion. RESULTS: TCD and angiography could be compared in 70 of 88 patients. Angiography showed no or insufficient collateral flow in 26%. All patients (n = 10) with a decrease in MCA velocity greater than 60% on angiography showed missing or poor cross-over flow. A greater than 50% increase in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) predicted moderate or good cross-over flow in 98%. Clinical observation revealed 11 transient neurological deficits. Eight of them showed insufficient cross-over flow angiographically and sonographically. In 2 of 11 only TCD revealed such low collateral supply. Neither technique predicted hemodynamic ischemia in only 1 of the 11. CONCLUSION: TCD with carotid compression test is a valid method for predicting interhemispheric flow and clinically relevant hemodynamic compromise in cases of occlusion of the ICA.

Colour-coded duplex sonography of preocclusive carotid stenoses.

OBJECTIVE: The accuracy of colour-coded duplex sonography (CCDS) for differentiating preocclusive stenoses from occlusions of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a crucial point in non-invasive quantification of atherosclerotic lesions prior to carotid endarterectomy. METHODS: A total of 401 consecutive patients with CCDS followed by ICA arteriographies as gold standard was available for comparison. The entire number was divided into groups of <90%, 90-94%, preocclusive (95-99%) stenoses and occlusions. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value for distinguishing these groups were calculated using a contingency table. RESULTS: With CCDS we found a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 99% in 43 preocclusive ?95% stenoses. Similar findings were seen in 31 occlusions of the ICA (SE 87%, SP 99%). CCDS accurately differentiates the subgroups of severe carotid obstructions (90-94%, ?95% and occluded) shown by a predictive accuracy of 97, 96 and 93%. Carotid endarterectomies were performed in two of three angiographically occluded but sonographically preocclusive arteries. Intraoperatively preocclusive ICAs were seen in both cases. CONCLUSION: CCDS showed a high accuracy for differentiating preocclusive stenoses and occlusion of the ICA. Intraoperative findings indicated that angiography is not the absolute gold standard for preocclusive carotid disease in every case. Irregularities of the stenosis channel make it impossible to estimate the true area reduction in stenoses ?90%. The hemodynamic estimation of degree of stenosis by Doppler ultrasound may be closer to reality than angiographic measurement.

[Color-coded duplex ultrasound in pre-occlusive stenoses of the internal carotid artery]. / Farbkodierte Duplexsonographie bei präokklusiven Stenosen der Arteria carotis interna.

In a prospective study the results of 238 consecutive ultrasound examinations of the carotid artery were correlated with angiography to test the reliability of colour coded duplex sonography in preocclusive carotid artery disease. This series was compared with a series of 611 vessels with angiographically controlled conventional duplex sonography. In 61 resp. 84 cases stenoses > or = 90% or occlusions of the internal carotid artery were found. The reliability of colour coded duplex sonography for the diagnosis of > or = 90% stenoses was extremely high (sensitivity and specificity 98%), as well as in preocclusive, > 95% stenoses (100% and 98%), and for the diagnosis of occlusion, after exclusion of angiographic false positive diagnosis of occlusion (95% and 99%). Statistically colour coded flow imaging failed to increase significantly the high diagnostic sensitivity or specificity of conventional duplex sonography, especially in preocclusive carotid artery disease. However, the remarkable increase in frequency of the diagnosis preocclusive stenosis with the introduction of colour coded Duplex Sonography probably reflects a higher sensitivity of this method. In addition the direct comparison of both ultrasound techniques showed a better image of the vessel wall abnormalities and the residual lumen with colour coded duplex sonography.