UNUSUAL CASE OF PULMONARY ARTERIOVENOUS FISTULA CONCEALED BY THE CARDIAC SILHOUETTE ON CHEST ROENTGENOGRAM

A large pulmonary arteriovenous fistula was discovered in a patient with long-standing cyanosis, clubbing and dyspnea, with no other cardiovascular signs or symptoms and a normal chest roentgenogram at the time of cardiac catheterization and pulmonary angiography. The fistula was overshadowed by the cardiac silhouette. Surgical resection was successful. Although rarely undetected on the chest roentgenogram, this potentially lethal malformation should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cyanosis unaccompanied by other cardiovascular signs or symptoms.     

Update on molecular diagnosis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant, vascular disease hallmarked by the development of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Germline mutations in two genes, endoglin (ENG) and activin receptor like kinase 1 (ACVRL1), have been implicated in this disease. This report describes molecular diagnosis in a consecutive series of 600 individuals with clinical features of HHT disease. Each coding exon and flanking intronic regions of ENG and ACVRL1 genes was sequenced. Exonic copy number was quantified in probands without a coding sequence mutation. Novel nonsynonymous variants were further analyzed to predict functional consequences. In addition, common single nucleotide polymorphisms genotypes and haplotypes for the two genes were compared between individuals with and without mutations. The highest mutation detection rate (87% [95% CI 80.2–91.5]) was observed in probands who met all four Curacao criteria (epistaxis, telangiectases, AVMs and family history). More than 30% of identified mutations were novel; however, only 6% were variants of unknown significance. Determining the significance of novel mutations as related to disease presents additional challenges. Detection of multiple alterations in the same proband also requires careful evaluation for disease association. In conclusion, the sensitivity of molecular diagnosis is highest in probands with a clinically confirmed diagnosis of HHT. However, a substantial fraction of probands in this group do not carry an identifiable mutation in the coding exons of these two genes. This suggests alternate mechanisms of gene inactivation or involvement of alternate loci, and it requires further investigation.     

Fistules pulmonaires artério-veineuses

A case of multiple pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas is reported. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is a characteristic associated finding, and in this instance affected 10 members of the patient''s family over four generations. This association suggests that the pulmonary condition in its congenital form is part of a generalized vascular dysplasia. Clinically, the patient experienced increased dyspnea and fatigue but cyanosis and polycythemia were not noted. After surgical excision of the fistula with conservation of as much pulmonary tissue as possible, prompt relief of symptoms was obtained. Furthermore, angiographic studies revealed that the small fistulas in the other lung did not enlarge. The presence of multiple fistulas is not a contraindication to surgery, and such fistulas should be excised to improve the patient''s condition and prevent further complications.     

Pulmonary Aspiration of Gastric Acid—Mendelson's Syndrome

Three cases of pulmonary aspiration of gastric acid as a complication of obstetrical anesthesia are described. The clinical picture consists of dyspnea, cyanosis, tachycardia and shock appearing several hours after the aspiration has occurred. On examination, the chest may be quite clear, but the chest radiograph shows a picture indistinguishable from that of pulmonary edema. The most important therapeutic measure is the intravenous administration of corticosteroids in large doses for several days. Bronchoscopy is contraindicated. With routine use of epidural anesthesia, this obstetrical complication can be avoided.     

Familial Fibrocystic Pulmonary Dysplasia: Observations in One Family

At least 31 cases of familial fibrocystic pulmonary dysplasia, within 10 families, have been described in the world literature. The mode of genetic transmission of this disease, however, has been uncertain until now. The author observed three unequivocal and five probable cases of familial fibrocystic pulmonary dysplasia among 56 members of one family. Diagnostic criteria included progressive dyspnea and cyanosis, digital clubbing, pulmonary hypertension, negative sweat tests, polycythemia, arterial hypoxia and hypocapnia, chest radiographs showing diffuse bilateral pulmonary fibrosis, and diffuse fibrocystic pulmonary dysplasia at postmortem examination (two cases). Among the three unequivocal cases one father-to-son transmission was observed. Non-sex-linked dominant transmission of familial fibrocystic pulmonary dysplasia is thereby proved for the first time. One patient also developed a bronchial carcinoma in addition to fibrocystic pulmonary dysplasia; this is considered to be a cause-and-effect relationship and not a coincidental complication.     

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: ENG and ALK-1 mutations in Dutch patients

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) or Rendu-Osler-Weber disease is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by an aberrant vascular development. The resulting vascular lesions range from smaller mucocutaneous telangiectases to large visceral arteriovenous malformations, especially in the skin, lung, gastrointestinal tract and the brain. Mutations in the genes encoding endoglin (ENG, chromosome 9q34) and activin A receptor type-like kinase 1 (ALK-1, also named ACVRL1, chromosome 12q13) are associated with HHT1 and HHT2, respectively. We report here on the genetic and molecular heterogeneity found in the HHT population in the Netherlands. Probands of 104 apparently unrelated families were studied and we performed sequence analysis on both the ENG gene and ALK-1 gene. In most of the probands, we found a mutation in one of the two genes: 53% in the ENG gene and 40% in the ALK-1 gene. In 7% of the families no ENG or ALK1 mutation was found. The mutations detected were deletions, insertions, nonsense, missense and splice site mutations. The majority were novel mutations.     

Coexistence of intradural spinal arteriovenous malformation and associated developmental anomalies - report of two cases

Spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVM) have been devided into dural (Type I), intramedullary glomus (Type II), juvenile (Type III), and perimedullary direct arteriovenous fistulae (Type IV). AVMs are usually associated with subacute myelopathy in what has been known as Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. We presented two patients with two intradural spinal arteriovenous malformations associated in what we call Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. The both patient developed acute back pain and paresthesias, followed by paraplegia and incontinence. The clinical status of one patient has been improved after particle embolization for a 17 years when he deteriorated up to paraplegia after spinal angiography for follow up. Clinical status in another patient deteriorated, because particle emoblisation cannot be performed due to very descrete presentation of the feeding artery. Extensive neuroradiological examination in both patients revealed coexistence of numerous associated developmental anomalies in both patients. We conclude that arteriovenous malformations occasionally are associated with other vascular and nonvascular developmental anomalies elsewhere in the body. These findings rise attention about keep in mind the suspicion of mutual etiopathogenesis and congenital origin of these anomalies. Early timing of the diagnostic and therapeutic interventiosn are stressed to prevent or delay irreversible ishaemic myellopathy or haemorrhage. For the definitive diagnosis of spinal arteriovenous malformations and evaluation of its occlusion grade after the therapy spinal angiography is needed     

肺血栓栓塞症患者栓塞面积和临床特征的相关性分析

目的:分析肺血栓栓塞症患者栓塞面积和临床特征的相关性。方法:将哈尔滨医科大学附属第二医院呼吸内科2007年1月-2011年12月收治的78例肺血栓栓塞症患者作为研究对象,并根据其栓塞面积分为大面积组(38例)和小面积组(40例),观察和比较两组患者的临床症状、临床体征、危险因素分布、血气分析结果、D-二聚体水平。结果:大面积组呼吸困难、心悸、晕厥的发生率均显著高于小面积组,呼吸急促、发绀的发生率均明显高于小面积组患者,Pa O2和Pa CO2均显著低于小面积组,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。半定量乳胶聚集法测定的D-二聚体值在两组之间未见明显统计学差异,免疫比浊法测定的D-二聚体值在大面积组明显高于小面积组,且具有统计学差(P0.05)。结论:(1)呼吸困难、晕厥、心悸、呼吸急促、血压下降、发绀可提示大面积肺血栓栓塞症的发生;(2)Pa O2和Pa CO2明显减低提示大面积肺栓塞可能性较大;(3)D-二聚体是否能提示肺栓塞面积大小可能与其测量方法有关,需进一步研究,但对排除肺栓塞有重要意义。     

Studies on families with Osler's disease]

The authors examined 143 members of a family, where they found 37 (= 25.87%) of Osler patients. It was only in 30% of these patients that the symptoms occurred before the tenth year of age. As in one patient the symptoms did not appear until the age of 58 years, the possibility cannot be excluded that symptoms of the disease will become manifest even in other, sill younger members of the family in the course of time. Epistaxis was observed in 93% of the cases, nephrorrhagia in no case, hepatopathy and gastrorhagy were found only once in each case. The X-ray examination revealed arteriovenous pulmonary aneurysm in 5 cases. As a rule, oestrogen treatment led to good results. A case of death occurred during an influenza epidemic in a severe anaemic patient. Clinical main symptoms of Osler's disease were epistaxis and arteriovenous fistulae which could be roentgenologically identified in the lung. Teleangiectasia could be detected during the autopsy besides vessel anomalies on the surface even in the bronchi, oesophagus, trachea, stomach, kidneys, small intestine and particularly in the large intestines. Conditions of iron deficiency may very often occur in osler Patients; they require a substituting treatment.     

Anatomical correction of complete transposition of the great arteries and ventricular septal defect in infancy.

Two patients, aged 8 weeks and 5 years, with D transposition of great arteries and large ventricular septal defect were treated by transection of both aorta and pulmonary arteries and reattaching them to the appropriate ventricles. This included the origins of the coronary arteries. The ventricular septal defect was closed through a transverse ventriculotomy using a Dacron patch. The younger child was operated on as an emergency because of cyanosis and severe heart failure resistant to intensive medical treatment. The older child had had previous banding of the pulmonary artery at the age of 1 year. In both patients pulmonary artery pressure dropped to below half systemic pressure immediately after the operation. Postoperative progress was satisfactory with relief of cyanosis and heart failure. Early anatomical correction of transposition of the great arteries and ventricular septal defect is feasible and should play an important part in the management of these patients.     

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy successfully treated with corticosteroids: a case report

Background

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy is a special type of tumor thromboembolism. We report the case of a patient who developed pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy with alveolar hemorrhage. Almost all patients with pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy die within 1 week of the onset of dyspnea; however, the prognosis in this case was better, with 10 weeks of survival from presentation.

Case presentation

A 62-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital with a 4-week history of dyspnea on exertion and severe pulmonary hypertension. Five years previously, he had undergone distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. He was afebrile, normotensive, and hypoxemic. A physical examination was unremarkable except for purpura on his upper extremities and trunk. Blood tests showed anemia and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Chest computed tomography revealed diffuse ground-glass opacities with emphysema in his upper lungs, moderate pleural effusions, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and enlargement of the right ventricle and main pulmonary artery. A computed tomography pulmonary angiogram showed no evidence of pulmonary embolism. Lung perfusion scintigraphy showed multiple segmental defects. Although recurrence of gastric cancer was confirmed from the results of bone marrow biopsy, bronchoscopy was not performed due to bleeding diathesis. He was treated with corticosteroids, antibiotics, and platelet transfusion, following which resolution of the abnormal lung shadows and right ventricular pressure overload along with partial alleviation of respiratory failure was observed. Because of his poor performance status, he was eventually transited to palliative care and died 6 weeks after admission. Necropsy of the lung confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy with alveolar hemorrhage.

Conclusions

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with cancer who present with severe pulmonary hypertension. In pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy, local inflammation in pulmonary microvasculature may contribute to pulmonary hypertension, and regulation of inflammation using corticosteroids may help improve the prognosis.

     

The microcirculation of myocutaneous island flaps in pigs studied with radioactive blood volume tracers and microspheres of different sizes.

In order to further improve the understanding of hemodynamic changes in the immediate postoperative phase after elevation of myocutaneous flaps, regional blood flow and arteriovenous (A-V) shunting were measured in rectus abdominis island flaps in 8 pigs. Radioactive microspheres of two sizes (15 and 50 micron) were used. Approximately half (53.4 +/- 6 percent) of the 15-micron microspheres and one-fourth (24.1 +/- 6 percent) of the 50-micron microspheres entering the flap appeared in the venous outflow. Compared with the control area, A-V shunting was significantly increased in muscle and substantially more pronounced in skin. Nutritional blood flow, total blood flow, and vascular volume were increased in muscle and unchanged in skin and subcutis. The lowest tissue hematocrit of 7 +/- 1 percent was found in skin as compared with a central hematocrit of 35 +/- 2 percent. Tissue hematocrit in flap muscle was decreased to 17 +/- 2 percent when compared with control muscle (22 +/- 3 percent), and the mean transit time for blood was correspondingly decreased. Thus vasodilation provided increased perfusion through muscular capillaries and through A-V shunts. Shunting of 15-micron microspheres appeared to take place not only in skin, but also in subcutis and muscle, which challenges the widespread belief that A-V shunting does not occur in muscle.     

Evaluation of Current Knowledge, Awareness and Practice of Spirometry among Hospital -based Nigerian Doctors

Background

The association between systemic sclerosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is well recognized. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been reported to play an important role in pulmonary hypertension. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between systolic pulmonary artery pressure, clinical and functional manifestations of the disease and serum VEGF levels in systemic sclerosis.

Methods

Serum VEGF levels were measured in 40 patients with systemic sclerosis and 13 control subjects. All patients underwent clinical examination, pulmonary function tests and echocardiography.

Results

Serum VEGF levels were higher in systemic sclerosis patients with sPAP ≥ 35 mmHg than in those with sPAP < 35 mmHg (352 (266, 462 pg/ml)) vs (240 (201, 275 pg/ml)) (p < 0.01), while they did not differ between systemic sclerosis patients with sPAP < 35 mmHg and controls. Serum VEGF levels correlated to systolic pulmonary artery pressure, to diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide and to MRC dyspnea score. In multiple linear regression analysis, serum VEGF levels, MRC dyspnea score, and D_LCO were independent predictors of systolic pulmonary artery pressure.

Conclusion

Serum VEGF levels are increased in systemic sclerosis patients with sPAP ≥ 35 mmHg. The correlation between VEGF levels and systolic pulmonary artery pressure may suggest a possible role of VEGF in the pathogenesis of PAH in systemic sclerosis.     

Sarcoidosis as seronegative spondyloarthropathy

Two cases were presented with initial symptoms of inflammatory low back pain and alternate buttock pain. They developed a progressive dyspnea with bilateral mediastinal and hiliar lymphadenopathy and pulmonary interstitial disease as visualized with chest CT scan. Sarcoidosis diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy in both cases--in one case by skin biopsy and in the other by open lung biopsy. These clinical forms of spondyloarthropathy and sarcoidosis were unusual and were compared with similar cases present in the literature.     

Comorbidity among HHT patients and their controls in a 20 years follow-up period

Background

Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder with a wide variety of clinical manifestations due to the presence of multiple arteriovenous malformations in various tissues and organs.

Objective

To study the need for hospital admittance in a group of HHT patients and matched controls during a 20?years follow-up period commencing in 1995.

Methods

All HHT patients in the County of Funen, Denmark, were included. For each patient, three age and sex matched controls were identified at the time of enrolment. Data on all hospitalisations were extracted from the national health registers and compared with clinical records. The hospitalisations were grouped as HHT relevant or not HHT relevant based on the discharge diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, ICD10) and with particular focus on infections, bleedings and thromboembolic events.Patients with HHT were compared with controls concerning the first time incidence of each discharge diagnosis.

Results

We included 73 HHT patients and 219 controls of which one control was lost to follow-up. HHT-patients had significantly more hospitalisations per person caused by infections in joints and bones, but not caused by infections in general. Bleeding episodes were, as expected, more frequent among the HHT-patients. The study revealed a similar incidence of abscesses and thromboembolisms, including in the central nervous system, among the HHT patients and controls.

Conclusions

Based on this study Danish HHT patients had an increased comorbidity of infections in joints and bones and of bleeding episodes. However, the incidence of thromboembolisms, cerebral abscesses and other conditions commonly considered related to HHT was comparable between the patients and the controls. The patients included in this study were closely monitored at a highly specialised HHT Centre where they received relevant diagnostic evaluation, treatment and counselling. Since this is assumed to benefit the overall health of the patients, it may explain why these patients were less prone to comorbidity than other studies have suggested.

     

Endoplasmic reticulum quality control is involved in the mechanism of endoglin-mediated hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant genetic condition affecting the vascular system and is characterised by epistaxis, arteriovenous malformations and mucocutaneous and gastrointestinal telangiectases. This disorder affects approximately 1 in 8,000 people worldwide. Significant morbidity is associated with this condition in affected individuals, and anaemia can be a consequence of repeated haemorrhages from telangiectasia in the gut and nose. In the majority of the cases reported, the condition is caused by mutations in either ACVRL1 or endoglin genes, which encode components of the TGF-beta signalling pathway. Numerous missense mutations in endoglin have been reported as causative defects for HHT but the exact underlying cellular mechanisms caused by these mutations have not been fully established despite data supporting a role for the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control machinery. For this reason, we examined the subcellular trafficking of twenty-five endoglin disease-causing missense mutations. The mutant proteins were expressed in HeLa and HEK293 cell lines, and their subcellular localizations were established by confocal fluorescence microscopy alongside the analysis of their N-glycosylation profiles. ER quality control was found to be responsible in eight (L32R, V49F, C53R, V125D, A160D, P165L, I271N and A308D) out of eleven mutants located on the orphan extracellular domain in addition to two (C363Y and C382W) out of thirteen mutants in the Zona Pellucida (ZP) domain. In addition, a single intracellular domain missense mutant was examined and found to traffic predominantly to the plasma membrane. These findings support the notion of the involvement of the ER's quality control in the mechanism of a significant number, but not all, missense endoglin mutants found in HHT type 1 patients. Other mechanisms including loss of interactions with signalling partners as well as adverse effects on functional residues are likely to be the cause of the mutant proteins' loss of function.     

Elevated circulating microRNA-210 levels in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: a potential new biomarker

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs), which can lead to life-threatening bleeding and other complications, have been reported to occur in 30–50% of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as new biomarkers for human diseases. This study was conducted to explore circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for the screening of HHT patients with PAVMs. MicroRNA array analysis revealed eight altered circulating miRNAs in patients with PAVMs. Real time RT-PCR showed that the levels of circulating miR-210 were significantly elevated in HHT patients with PAVMs but not changed in patients without PAVMs as compared with healthy controls. Circulating miR-210 therefore may be used as a new and sensitive biomarker for the screening of patients with HHT for clinically significant PAVMs.     

血浆B型脑钠肽对心力衰竭和呼吸困难的诊断价值

目的：探讨血浆脑钠肽（BNP）水平在心力衰竭（CHF）T和呼吸困难诊断中的应用。方法：采用免疫荧光快速测试法测定56例已确诊心衰患者、40例心源性呼吸困难患者、29例肺源性呼吸困难患者和30例健康人血浆BNP的含量。结果：心衰组患者血浆BNP水平明显高于对照组,差异显著（P〈0．01）;心源性呼吸困难组患者的BNP值水平（1032．2±879．8pg／ml）与肺源性呼吸困难组患者的BNP值水平（67．1±43．6pg／ml）比较有显著性差异（P〈0．01）。结论：检测BNP水平可为临床诊断CHF及心源性与肺源性呼吸困难的鉴别诊断提供重要依据。     

Acute mitral valve obstruction during infective endocarditis.

Five patients were found during surgery or at necropsy to have the mitral valve orifice obstructed by vegetations. They had had unexplained severe and recurrent episodes of acute febrile pulmonary oedema, and four had few cardiac ausculatory findings. Three patients died suddenly and unexpectedly; the other two were operated on and survived. In view of its ominous prognosis, acute mitral valve obstruction should be considered in patients whose pulmonary symptoms are compatible with endocarditis and are not adequately explained by the findings on examination of the heart. The condition, which should be confirmed by echocardiography, requires emergency surgery.