[Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Complicated by Cerebral Malperfusion and Leg Ischemia:Report of a Case]

An 82-year-old woman suddenly developed chest pain and apoplexy. Computed tomography (CT) showed acute type A aortic dissection, the true lumen in the brachicephalic artery was severely compressed by the faulse lumen. Pulsation in the either leg was not detected during induction of anesthesia. We evaluated the cerebral blood flow and lower extremity blood flow using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during the operation, tissue oxygenation index (TOI) was continuously monitored during the operation. Cardiopulmonary bypass( CPB) was established by puncturing the true lumen in the ascending aorta and bicaval venous drainage. TOI was returned to normal range by CPB. Although the central repair (ascending aorta replacement) was performed, leg ischemia persisted. We performed ascending aorta-bifemoral bypass. After the operation, leg ischemia disappeared and CT revealed patency of the bypass graft. Postoperative course was uneventful without deterioration of neurological function. She was discharged 49 days after the operation.

One-stop shop for 3-dimensional anatomy of hepatic vasculature and bile duct with special reference to biliary image reconstruction

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Three-dimensional CT has become an essential tool for successful hepatic surgery. Up to now, efforts have been made to simultaneously visualize hepatic vasculature and bile ducts. Herein, we introduce a new one-stop shop approach to hepatic 3D-anatomy, using a standard enhanced MDCT alone.

METHODOLOGY

A 3D-reconstruction of hepatic vasculature was made using data from contrast enhanced MDCT and SYNAPSE VINCENT software. We identified bile ducts from axial 2D image, and then reconstructed the 3D image. Both hepatic vasculature and bile duct images were integrated into a single image and it was compared with the 3D image, utilized with MRCP or DIC-CT.

RESULTS

The first branches of both the right and left hepatic ducts were hand-traced and visualized for all 100 cases. The second branches of these ducts were visualized in 69 cases, and only the right second branch was recognized in 52 cases. Anomalous variations of bile ducts, such as posterior branch joining into common hepatic duct, were recognized in 12 cases. These biliary tract variations were all confirmed by MRCP or DIC-CT.

CONCLUSIONS

Our new one-stop shop approach using the 3D imaging technique might contribute to successful hepatectomy as well as reduce medical costs and radiation exposure by omission of MRCP and DIC-CT.

Levandoski panographic analysis in the diagnosis of hyperplasia of the coronoid process

The Levandoski panographic analysis of routine panoramic radiographs was developed to improve the diagnosis of hyperplasia of the coronoid process. The ratio of the length of the coronoid process to the condylar process in the Levandoski panographic analysis has a linear relationship with that in the cephalometric analysis (r = 0.75, n = 59). The ratio in patients with hyperplasia of the bilateral coronoid process was significantly greater than that of the control on both sides (P < 0.01). Although the minimum value of ratio in the patients was 1.15, the maximum value of the controls was 1.07. These results show that the Levandoski panographic analysis is useful in the evaluation of hyperplasia of the coronoid process in adults. When a patient complains of limited mouth-opening and the ratio is more than 1.1, further investigations should be made to verify the diagnosis of hyperplasia of the coronoid process.

Enzymic formation of di-D-fructose 1,2'; 2,1' dianhydride from inulobiose by Aspergillus fumigatus

The enzyme of Aspergillus fumigatus which produces di-D-fructose 1,2'; 2,1' dianhydride (difructose anhydride I) (Tanaka et al., 1979) was investigated for its mode of action. Fractionation and purification of the enzyme showed that it produced difructose anhydride I not from inulin but from inulobiose by the reverse reaction of the partial hydrolysis of difructose anhydride I.