Complex anatomic variation in the brachial region

Authors describe a case of a complex anatomic variation discovered during dissection of the humeral region. On the right side, brachial artery followed a superficial course. Musculocutaneous nerve did not pierce coracobrachialis muscle but instead passed below the muscle before continuing in the forearm. On the left side, a communication between musculocutaneous and median nerve was dissected. Those variations are analytically presented with a brief review on their anatomic and clinical implications. Considerations on their embryological origin are attempted

Case series and a systematic review concerning the level of the aortic bifurcation

Background: The aim of this study is to present the level of aortic bifurcation in a sample of Greek origin (case series) and to perform an up-to-date systematic review in the existing literature. Materials and methods: Seventy-six formalin-fixed adult cadavers were dissected and studied in order to research the level of aortic bifurcation. Additionally, PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for eligible articles concerning the level of aortic bifurcation for the period up to February 2020. Results: The mean level of aortic bifurcation according to our case series was the lower third of the L4 vertebral body (21/76, 27.6%). The level of aortic bifurcation ranged between the lower third of the L3 vertebral body and the lower third of the L5 body. No statistically significant correlation was found between the two sexes. The systematic review of the literature revealed 31 articles which were considered eligible and a total number of 3537 specimens were retracted. According to the recorded findings the most common mean level of aortic bifurcation was the body of L4 vertebra (1495/3537 cases, 42.2%), while the range of aortic bifurcation was described to occur from upper third of L3 vertebrae to the upper third of the S1 vertebrae in the 52.8% of the cases (1866/3537). Conclusions: The mean level of AA corresponds to the body of L4 and presents a great range (form L3U to S1U). Knowledge of the mean level of aortic bifurcation and its probable ranges is of great significance for interventional radiologists and especially vascular surgeons that deal with aneurism proximal to the aortic bifurcation

Body donation for research and teaching purposes: the contribution of blood donation units in the progress of anatomical science

Background: Cadaver’s dissection has a fundamental role in teaching and understanding the anatomy. Postmortem body donation (PMBD) is an important source of cadavers and provides an opportunity to carry out research or educational activities in medicine and surgery. The objective of the current study is to determine the perspectives and attitudes toward PMBD among blood donors (BLD) and elderly people. These data are fundamental to highlight the PMBD extent and individual factors that might influence PMBD. Materials and methods: Six hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed to 500 (327 male and 173 female, mean age 39.9 ± 9.6 years) blood donors (BLD) and 150 elderly people (62 males and 88 females, mean age 74 ± 9.4 years). A specially designed self-administered questionnaire covering demographic data, knowledge and attitude of the participants concerning body donation (BD) was used. Results: Concerning the perception of BD among BLD and elderly people, the most common reason for BD in both study groups was the contribution in research, while the commonest reason for hesitating about BD was the lack of information, following by personal reasons. The BLD were more likely to be interested in BD for contribution in research and personal reasons. Additionally, BLD were less likely than the elderly to hesitate about BD for religious and personal reasons and more likely to hesitate about BD for not being informed. BLD who were interested in BD for contribution in research were significantly older. Elderly people who hesitated about BD for personal reasons were significantly older. In the BLD group, those who responded that blood and body donation are the same were significantly younger, while in the elderly group — significantly older. The proportion of BLD who declared that blood and body donation is the same was significantly higher in more educated people. Conclusions: A need for well-organised and informative BD programmes is evident. Orientating the public towards this practice is of high moral and medical value, since with this important promotion the altruistic act of BD will expand globally.

Association between arterial stiffness, cerebral small vessel disease and cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Arterial stiffness may be a cause of cerebral small vessel disease and cognitive impairment. We therefore performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the association between stiffness, cerebral small vessel disease and cognitive impairment. For the associations between stiffness (i.e. carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), brachial-ankle PVVV (baPWV), carotid stiffness and pulse pressure) on the one hand and cerebral small vessel disease and cognitive impairment on the other, we identified 23 (n = 15,666/20 cross-sectional; 1 longitudinal; 2 combined cross-sectional/longitudinal) and 41 studies (n= 57,671/26 cross-sectional; 11 longitudinal; 4 combined cross-sectional/longitudinal), respectively. Pooled analyses of cross-sectional studies showed that greater stiffness was associated with markers of cerebral small vessel disease with odds ratios, per +1 SD, of 1.29-1.32 (

Anatomical variations of the pelvis during abdominal hysterectomy for benign conditions

Background: Anatomical variations are defined as atypical morphologic and positional presentations of anatomical entities. Pelvic anatomical variations encountered during abdominal hysterectomy can be of clinical interest, given that misidentification of certain structures can lead to iatrogenic injuries and postoperative sequelae. The aim of the present study was to detect and highlight the anatomical structures of interest and their variations to the surgeon performing abdominal hysterectomy for benign conditions. Materials and methods: A narrative review of the literature was performed including reports of anatomical variations encountered in cadavers, by surgeons during abdominal hysterectomy and radiologists on computed tomography angiography, searching within a 10-year span on Pubmed database. Studies regarding the treatment of malignant conditions requiring lymphadenectomy and different modes of surgical approach were reviewed with regards to the aspects relevant to benign conditions. The search was extended to the reference lists of all retrieved articles. Results: Ureters and the uterine arteries, due to anatomical variations, are the anatomical structures most vulnerable during abdominal hysterectomy. Specifically, the ureters can present multiplications, retroiliac positionings and ureteric diverticula, whereas, the uterine arteries can present notable variability in their origins. Such variations can be detected preoperatively or intraoperatively. Conclusions: Although rare, the presence of anatomical variations of the uterine arteries and ureters can increase the posibility of complications should they escape detection. Intraoperative misidentification could lead to improper dissection or ligation of the affected structures. Knowledge of these variations, coupled with extensive preoperative investigation and intraoperative vigilance can minimize the risk of complications

Methods for evaluating endothelial function: a position statement from the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Peripheral Circulation

The endothelium holds a pivotal role in cardiovascular health and disease. Assessment of its function was until recently limited to experimental designs due to its location. The advent of novel techniques has facilitated testing on a more detailed basis, with focus on distinct pathways. This review presents available in-vivo and ex-vivo methods for evaluating endothelial function with special focus on more recent ones. The diagnostic modalities covered include assessment of epicardial and microvascular coronary endothelial function, local vasodilation by venous occlusion plethysmography and flow-mediated dilatation, arterial pulse wave analysis and pulse amplitude tonometry, microvascular blood flow by laser Doppler flowmetry, biochemical markers and bioassays, measurement of endothelial-derived microparticles and progenitor cells, and glycocalyx measurements. Insights and practical information on the theoretical basis, methodological aspects, and clinical application in various disease states are discussed. The ability of these methods to detect endothelial dysfunction before overt cardiovascular disease manifests make them attractive clinical tools for prevention and rehabilitation

Cardiovascular/stroke risk predictive calculators: a comparison between statistical and machine learning models

Background: Statistically derived cardiovascular risk calculators (CVRC) that use conventional risk factors, generally underestimate or overestimate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or stroke events primarily due to lack of integration of plaque burden. This study investigates the role of machine learning (ML)-based CVD/stroke risk calculators (CVRCML) and compares against statistically derived CVRC (CVRCStat) based on (I) conventional factors or (II) combined conventional with plaque burden (integrated factors). Methods: The proposed study is divided into 3 parts: (I) statistical calculator: initially, the 10-year CVD/stroke risk was computed using 13 types of CVRCStat (without and with plaque burden) and binary risk stratification of the patients was performed using the predefined thresholds and risk classes; (II) ML calculator: using the same risk factors (without and with plaque burden), as adopted in 13 different CVRCStat, the patients were again risk-stratified using CVRCML based on support vector machine (SVM) and finally; (III) both types of calculators were evaluated using AUC based on ROC analysis, which was computed using combination of predicted class and endpoint equivalent to CVD/stroke events. Results: An Institutional Review Board approved 202 patients (156 males and 46 females) of Japanese ethnicity were recruited for this study with a mean age of 69±11 years. The AUC for 13 different types of CVRCStat calculators were: AECRS2.0 (AUC 0.83, P<0.001), QRISK3 (AUC 0.72, P<0.001), WHO (AUC 0.70, P<0.001), ASCVD (AUC 0.67, P<0.001), FRScardio (AUC 0.67, P<0.01), FRSstroke (AUC 0.64, P<0.001), MSRC (AUC 0.63, P=0.03), UKPDS56 (AUC 0.63, P<0.001), NIPPON (AUC 0.63, P<0.001), PROCAM (AUC 0.59, P<0.001), RRS (AUC 0.57, P<0.001), UKPDS60 (AUC 0.53, P<0.001), and SCORE (AUC 0.45, P<0.001), while the AUC for the CVRCML with integrated risk factors (AUC 0.88, P<0.001), a 42% increase in performance. The overall risk-stratification accuracy for the CVRCML with integrated risk factors was 92.52% which was higher compared all the other CVRCStat. Conclusions: ML-based CVD/stroke risk calculator provided a higher predictive ability of 10-year CVD/ stroke compared to the 13 different types of statistically derived risk calculators including integrated model AECRS 2.0

Cardiovascular risk assessment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using carotid ultrasound B-mode imaging

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic chronic inflammatory disease that affects synovial joints and has various extra-articular manifestations, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with RA experience a higher risk of CVD, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Inflammation is a common phenomenon in RA and CVD. The pathophysiological association between these diseases is still not clear, and, thus, the risk assessment and detection of CVD in such patients is of clinical importance. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has gained prominence in advancing healthcare and, therefore, may further help to investigate the RA-CVD association. There are three aims of this review: (1) to summarize the three pathophysiological pathways that link RA to CVD; (2) to identify several traditional and carotid ultrasound image-based CVD risk calculators useful for RA patients, and (3) to understand the role of artificial intelligence in CVD risk assessment in RA patients. Our search strategy involves extensively searches in PubMed and Web of Science databases using search terms associated with CVD risk assessment in RA patients. A total of 120 peer-reviewed articles were screened for this review. We conclude that (a) two of the three pathways directly affect the atherosclerotic process, leading to heart injury, (b) carotid ultrasound image-based calculators have shown superior performance compared with conventional calculators, and (c) AI-based technologies in CVD risk assessment in RA patients are aggressively being adapted for routine practice of RA patients

Agenesis of the coeliac trunk: a case report and review of the literature

Vascular anatomical variations of the abdomen are very common. Awareness of these variations is of paramount importance in clinical practice mainly in achieving best results in minimal invasive or surgical vascular procedures. From surgical point of view, the preoperative knowledge of vascular anatomy and the relations to the surrounding structures and tissues aims to minimise inadvertent complications. Agenesis of the coeliac trunk is one of the rare anatomical variations of the abdominal aorta. Limited number of cases have been reported in the medical literature, most of which are based on angiographic and cadaveric studies of adult humans. In this paper, we report a case of absence of the coeliac trunk that has been detected as an incidental radiological finding in a female patient who was admitted with abdominal pain

Ultrasound-based stroke/cardiovascular risk stratification using Framingham Risk Score and ASCVD Risk Score based on “Integrated Vascular Age” instead of “Chronological Age”: A multi-ethnic study of Asian Indian, Caucasian, and Japanese cohorts

Background: Vascular age (VA) has recently emerged for CVD risk assessment and can either be computed using conventional risk factors (CRF) or by using carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) derived from carotid ultrasound (CUS). This study investigates a novel method of integrating both CRF and cIMT for estimating VA [so-called integrated VA (IVA)]. Further, the study analyzes and compares CVD/stroke risk using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS)-based risk calculator when adapting IVA against VA. Methods: The system follows a four-step process: (I) VA using cIMT based using linear-regression (LR) model and its coefficients; (II) VA prediction using ten CRF using a multivariate linear regression (MLR)based model with gender adjustment; (III) coefficients from the LR-based model and MLR-based model are combined using a linear model to predict the final IVA; (IV) the final step consists of FRS-based risk stratification with IVA as inputs and benchmarked against FRS using conventional method of CA. Area-under-the-curve (AUC) is computed using IVA and benchmarked against CA while taking the response variable as a standardized combination of cIMT and glycated hemoglobin. Results: The study recruited 648 patients, 202 were Japanese, 314 were Asian Indian, and 132 were Caucasians. Both left and right common carotid arteries (CCA) of all the population were scanned, thus a total of 1,287 ultrasound scans. The 10-year FRS using IVA reported higher AUC (AUC =0.78) compared with 10-year FRS using CA (AUC =0.66) by ~18%