Stent-graft detachment from aortic wall after stent-graft repair of acute aortic dissection

AbstractPreliminary studies have demonstrated that stent-graft repair is an attractive method for treatment of aortic dissection. However, few reports have described long-term results. A 72-year-old woman with acute type B aortic dissection underwent stent-graft repair. The entry was closed, and the false lumen disappeared completely. The postoperative course was uneventful for 4 years 5 months, when detachment of the stent graft from the aortic wall was noted. Because the device appears to be stable, follow-up is on an outpatient basis

Combination of high-resolution cone beam computed tomography and metal artefact reduction software: a new image fusion technique for evaluating intracranial stent apposition after aneurysm treatment.

We introduce a new imaging technique to improve visualisation of stent apposition after endovascular treatment of brain aneurysms employing high-resolution cone beam CT and three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography. After performing a stent-assisted coil embolisation of brain aneurysm, the image datasets were processed with a metal artefact reduction software followed by the automated image fusion programmes. Two patients who underwent aneurysm coiling using a Neuroform stent were evaluated. The reconstructed 3D images showed a detailed structure of the stent struts and identified malappositions of the deployed stents. Case 1 showed good apposition on the outer curvature side of the carotid siphon, while the inner curvature side showed prominent malapposition. Case 2, with multiple aneurysms, showed good apposition on both outer and inner curvature sides, although inward prolapse of the struts was observed. This new imaging technique may help evaluate stent apposition after the endovascular aneurysm treatment

Acute and contained rupture of the descending thoracic aorta: Treatment with endovascular stent grafts

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate feasibility and safety of endovascular stent grafting for the treatment of patients with rupture of the descending thoracic aorta. Methods: Thirteen patients with rupture of the descending thoracic aorta were treated with endovascular stent grafting. Six patients were treated on the day of diagnosis because their vital signs were unstable, and the other seven patients were treated electively. Five patients had infection or potential infection, and the other eight patients did not. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene-covered or polyester-covered Z stents were used in all patients. Results: Stent grafts were successfully placed in all patients. No endoleaks were observed at the end of the procedure. However, rebleeding was observed within 2 weeks of the procedure in two patients with infection. Six patients (46%) died within 5 months of the procedure (mean survival period, 61 ± 60 days). All five patients with infection (100%) died, and only one of eight patients without infection (13%) died (P <.01). The remaining seven patients are alive during the mean follow-up period of 21 months (overall survival rate, 54%), although additional surgical interventions, including surgical conversion in one case and upper extremity extraanatomic bypass in the other, were necessary in two of these patients. Conclusion: Endovascular stent grafting may be a safe and feasible method for the treatment of rupture of the descending thoracic aorta in selected patients without infection. However, its usefulness in terms of long-term prognosis appears to be extremely limited, especially in patients with infection. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:100-5.

A CLINICO-PATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF 163 UNTREATED CASES OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS C

We performed a clinico-pathological study of 163 untreated cases of chronic hepatitis C. Most of the patients were clinically asymptomatic and their physical examinations showed unremarkable or minimal changes at the time of the liver biopsy. Liver function tests tended to present slight abnormalities, involving mainly alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamil transferase (GGT) levels. In spite of these mild abnormalities, advanced chronic liver disease was histologically detected in the majority of the patients, mainly showing chronic active hepatitis. Most characteristic histological finding was an interlobular bile duct damage, which correlated with the presence of lymphoid aggregates in the portal tracts and with the development of fibrosis

Stability of stationary solutions of the Schrodinger-Langevin equation

The stability properties of a class of dissipative quantum mechanical systems are investigated. The nonlinear stability and asymptotic stability of stationary states (with zero and nonzero dissipation respectively) is investigated by Liapunov's direct method. The results are demonstrated by numerical calculations on the example of the damped harmonic oscillator.Comment: revised, 12 pages, 7 figure

Two elderly patients with advanced maxillary gingival carcinoma with complete response to concurrent radiotherapy and S-1 chemotherapy

金沢大学附属病院歯科口腔外科The use of the novel oral fluoropyrimidine anticancer drug S-1 as a single agent or in combined chemotherapy has been reported to be useful for the treatment of advanced oral cancer. We report two elderly patients with advanced oral cancer who achieved complete response (CR) after concurrent radiotherapy and S-1 chemotherapy. Patient 1 was an 81-year-old woman who had a 50. mm × 40. mm tumor erosion in the right upper gingival region. At 2.5 years after the end of concurrent radiotherapy and S-1 chemotherapy, tumor relapse was observed, although CR continued temporarily. The patient died 3 years after the end of concurrent radiotherapy and S-1 chemotherapy due to tumor relapse and high blood pressure resulting in deterioration of patient condition. Patient 2 was an 89-year-old woman who had a 40. mm × 30. mm tumor ulcer in the right gingiva. Neither relapse nor metastasis was seen, and patient condition remained good for the 3 years after concurrent radiotherapy and S-1 chemotherapy. In both patients, MRI showed that the tumor had deeply invaded the palatal bone, almost reaching the nasal cavity, with metastasis to the right upper superior internal jugular nodes. In both patients, biopsy showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Concurrent radiotherapy and S-1 chemotherapy induced CR without severe adverse effects. © 2010 Asian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Study of variable stars in the MOA data base: long-period red variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud

One hundred and forty six long-period red variable stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) from the three year MOA project database were analysed. A careful periodic analysis was performed on these stars and a catalogue of their magnitudes, colours, periods and amplitudes is presented. We convert our blue and red magnitudes to $K$ band values using 19 oxygen-rich stars. A group of red short-period stars separated from the Mira sequence has been found on a (log P, K) diagram. They are located at the short period side of the Mira sequence consistent with the work of Wood and Sebo (1996). There are two interpretations for such stars; a difference in pulsation mode or a difference in chemical composition. We investigated the properties of these stars together with their colour, amplitude and periodicity. We conclude that they have small amplitudes and less regular variability. They are likely to be higher mode pulsators. A large scatter has been also found on the long period side of the (log P, K) diagram. This is possibly a systematic spread given that the blue band of our photometric system covers both standard B and V bands and affects carbon-rich stars.Comment: 19 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA