artery stenosis
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Background. Risk factors of coronary heart disease have been discussed in the literature; however, conventional statistical models are not appropriate when the outcome of interest is number of vessels with obstructive coronary artery disease. In this paper, a novel statistical model is discussed to investigate the risk factors of number of vessels with obstructive coronary artery disease. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 633 elderly cardiovascular patients at Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran from September 2011 to May 2013. Clinical outcome is number of vessels with obstructive coronary artery disease (=0, 1, 2, 3), and predictor variables are baseline demographics and clinical features. A right-truncated zero-inflated double Poisson regression model is performed which can accommodate both underdispersion and excess zeros in the outcome. The goodness-of-fit of the proposed model is compared with conventional regression models. Results. Out of 633 cardiovascular patients, 327 were male (51.7%). Mean age was ~ 65 ± 7 years (for individuals with zero, one ,and two coronary artery stenosis) and ~ 66 ± 7 years (for individuals with three coronary artery stenosis). BMI ( 0.04 ± 0.01 , p = 0.011 ) and female gender ( 0.19 ± 0.09 , p = 0.032 ) were significant associated with the count part of the model, and only BMI ( − 0.47 ± 0.2 , p = 0.011 ) was significantly predictive of logit part of the model. The goodness-of-fit measurements indicate that the proposed model outperforms the conventional regression models. Conclusion. The proposal regression model shows a better fit compared to the standard regression analysis in modeling number of vessels with obstructive coronary artery disease. Hence, using truncated zero-inflated double Poisson regression model—as an alternative model—is advised to study the risk factors of number of involved vessels of coronary artery stenosis.

ABSTRACT Background: Carotid artery stenosis increases cerebral ischemic event risk through changing different cerebral hemodynamic parameters. Objective: To investigate how cerebral hemodynamics in the M1 segment of middle cerebral artery change in patients with carotid artery stenosis, after motor tasks using transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD). Methods: Thirty-two healthy subjects and 30 patients with unilateral symptomatic carotid artery stenosis were recruited. The patient population was divided into three groups according to the degree of stenosis (group 1: ≥50 to 69%, group 2: 70 to 89% and group 3: ≥90 to 99%). TCD was used to measure the pulsatility index (PI) and cerebral vasomotor reactivity (CVR). Results: In the patient group, significant differences for symptomatic side PI values (p=0.01) and mean CVR increases (p=0.05) were observed, compared with the healthy controls. However, the difference was not statistically significant for asymptomatic side PI values and mean CVR increases. The results from the intergroup comparison showed significantly higher percentages of symptomatic and asymptomatic side CVR increases in group 1, compared with groups 2 and 3 (p=0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). Conclusions: Our study showed that cerebral autoregulation and hemodynamic mechanisms are impaired in patients with carotid artery stenosis. Furthermore, the impairment of PI and CVR tends to get worse with increasing degrees of stenosis. In addition, this study demonstrated that assessment of these two hemodynamic parameters in clinical practice might be helpful for monitoring the progress of carotid artery stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine correlation of zero coronary artery calcium score (CACS) with non-significant coronary artery stenosis by using computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA). METHODOLOGY: 62 patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent CACS test and CTCA from April 2018 to November 2020. Patients were examined with 160 slice multidetector CT and grouped according to their age, gender, CACS, and maximum coronary luminal stenosis. CACS was assessed using Agatston scoring and degree of stenosis was assessed by automatic software and severity was scored according to CAD-RADS. The correlation between these two main variables was calculated using Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS: The 62 patients were divided into four groups according to CACS, using the Agatston Unit (AU). Group 1; 0 AU (41 patients, 66.13%), Group 2; 1-100 AU (13 patients, 20.97%) Group 3; 101-400 AU (4 patients, 6.45%), Group 4; 401-1000 AU (4 patients, 6.45%). In 41 patients with zero calcium score (32 males and 9 females), 38 patients (92.68%) were found to have no coronary artery stenosis, 2 patients (4.87%) had mild coronary artery stenosis and 1 patient (2.43%) had moderate coronary artery stenosis. Total 35 patients presented for screening purpose out of which 25 (71%) had zero calcium score and no significant coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION: In high risk patients, zero calcium score excludes significant coronary artery stenosis (50%), hence coronary calcium score is a good screening tool before subjecting patients to coronary angiography.

Abstract Background The celiac artery stenosis due to compression by median arcuate ligament (MAL) has been reported in many cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy, but not in cases of esophagectomy. Recently, the celiac artery stenosis due to MAL or arteriosclerosis has been reported to be associated with the gastric tube necrosis or anastomotic leakage following Ivor–Lewis esophagectomy. Herein, we present the first reported case of esophageal cancer with celiac artery stenosis due to compression by the MAL successfully treated by McKeown esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction following prophylactic MAL release. Case presentation A 72-year-old female patient was referred to our department for esophagectomy. The patient had received two courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5-FU and cisplatin for T2N0M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the middle esophagus. Preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) showed celiac artery stenosis due to compression by the MAL. The development of collateral arteries around the pancreatic head was observed without evidence of aneurysm formation. The patient reported no abdominal symptoms. After robot-assisted esophagectomy with mediastinal lymphadenectomy, gastric mobilization, supra-pancreatic lymphadenectomy, and preparation of the gastric tube were performed under laparotomy. Subsequently, the MAL was cut, and released to expose the celiac artery. Improved celiac artery blood flow was confirmed by decreased pulsatility index on intraoperative Doppler sonography. The operation was completed with the cervical esophagogastric anastomosis following cervical lymphadenectomy. Postoperative CECT on postoperative day 7 demonstrated increased celiac artery patency. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course thereafter. Conclusions Prophylactic MAL release may be considered in patients with celiac artery stenosis due to compression by the MAL on preoperative CECT for esophagectomy.

Purpose: This study aimed to use quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) to systematically investigate the changes of iron content in gray matter (GM) nuclei in patients with long-term anterior circulation artery stenosis (ACAS) and posterior circulation artery stenosis (PCAS).Methods: Twenty-five ACAS patients, 25 PCAS patients, and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent QSM examination. Patients were scored using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) to assess the degree of neural function deficiency. On QSM images, iron related susceptibility of GM nuclei, including bilateral caudate nucleus, putamen (PU), globus pallidus (GP), thalamus (TH), substantia nigra (SN), red nucleus, and dentate nucleus (DN), were assessed. Susceptibility was compared between bilateral GM nuclei in healthy controls, ACAS patients, and PCAS patients. Partial correlation analysis, with age as a covariate, was separately performed to assess the relationships of susceptibility with NIHSS and mRS scores.Results: There were no significant differences between the susceptibilities for left and right hemispheres in all seven GM nucleus subregions for healthy controls, ACAS patients, and PCAS patients. Compared with healthy controls, mean susceptibility of bilateral PU, GP, and SN in ACAS patients and of bilateral PU, GP, SN, and DN in PCAS patients were significantly increased (all P < 0.05). In addition, mean susceptibility of bilateral TH and SN in PCAS patients was significantly higher than in ACAS patients (both P < 0.05). With partial correlation analysis, mean susceptibility at bilateral PU of ACAS patients was significantly correlated with mRS score (r = 0.415, P < 0.05), and at bilateral PU in PCAS patients was correlated with NIHSS score (r = 0.424, P < 0.05).Conclusion: Our findings indicated that abnormal iron metabolism may present in different subregions of GM nuclei after long-term ACAS and PCAS. In addition, iron content of PU in patients with ACAS and PCAS was correlated with neurological deficit scores. Therefore, iron quantification measured by QSM susceptibility may provide a new insight to understand the pathological mechanism of ischemic stroke caused by ACAS and PCAS.

Abstract Background To date, few data on the assessment of transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) by using inflow inversion recovery (IFIR) are available. The aims of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of IFIR in the assessment of TRAS using Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) as the reference. Results We retrospectively assessed the IFIR of 195 transplant renal arteries. The IFIR images for 194/195 arteries were judged to be of excellent, good, or moderate quality, and 1/195 was not diagnostic. There were 100 arteries with TRAS, of which 27 were subjected to DSA. The stenosis percentages were divided into five grades. Using DSA images, the TRAS in 27 patients were estimated as grade 1 (2, 7.4%), grade 2 (8, 29.6%), grade 3 (10, 37.0%), grade 4 (7, 25.9%) and grade 5 (0, 0%). In comparison, the TRAS was shown to be grade 1 (1, 3.7%), grade 2 (8, 29.6%), grade 3 (9, 33.3%), grade 4 (9, 33%) and grade 5 (0, 0%) in the IFIR images. The nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare IFIR with DSA. In addition, a Bland–Altman plot was used to estimate the agreement between IFIR and DSA measurements. There was no significant difference between IFIR and DSA measurements (p < 0.05). Conclusions Relative to the reference DSA, IFIR was shown to be noninvasive, accurate for the diagnosis and evaluation of TRAS.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTRA) is a common treatment method for renal vascular disease (RVD). However, PTRA may not be effective in patients with abnormal vascular disease. Renal autotransplantation (RAT) has been used as an alternative therapy for these diseases. Restrictions due to intracorporeal kidney cold preservation and the renal function of intracorporeal RAT were not as well protected compared with open operation. We developed this technique of 3D-printed polylactide (PLA) cold jackets for laparoscopic complete intracorporeal RAT for the purpose of better protecting the renal function and determining the feasibility of this novel procedure. The procedure was successfully applied to a 51-year-old woman with bilateral renal artery stenosis. The operation time was 5 hours, and blood loss was 200 ml. The patient’s blood pressure remained constant throughout the operation, and the pressure was maintained at 120-140/70–90 mmHg without antihypertensive drugs 1 week after the operation. B-ultrasound showed that the blood flow signal of the transplanted kidney was normal and the boundary between the skin and medulla was clear. The patient was discharged 2 weeks after surgery. One year postoperatively, Doppler ultrasound of the autotransplant showed that the transplanted kidney was normal in size and shape. Radionuclide renal dynamic imaging revealed that the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of the transplanted kidney was 36.9 ml/min. 3D-printed polylactide (PLA) cold jackets for laparoscopic complete intracorporeal RAT are a safe and effective method for the treatment of renal artery stenosis and represent a feasible method for preserving the renal function of severe renal artery stenosis patients; however, the technology is still at the exploratory stage and has room for further improvements.