Cerebral perfusion in patients with unilateral internal carotid artery occlusion by dual post-labeling delays arterial spin labeling imaging

BACKGROUND Global and regional cerebral blood flow(CBF)changes in patients with unilateral internal carotid artery occlusion(ICAO)are unclear when the dual post-labeling delays(PLD)arterial spin labeling(ASL)magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)technique is used.Manual delineation of regions of interest for CBF measurement is time-consuming and laborious.AIM To assess global and regional CBF changes in patients with unilateral ICAO with the ASL-MRI perfusion technique.METHODS Twenty hospitalized patients with ICAO and sex-and age-matched controls were included in the study.Regional CBF was measured by Dr.Brain's ASL software.The present study evaluated differences in global,middle cerebral artery(MCA)territory,anterior cerebral artery territory,and Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score(ASPECTS)regions(including the caudate nucleus,lentiform nucleus,insula ribbon,internal capsule,and M1-M6)and brain lobes(including frontal,parietal,temporal,and insular lobes)between ICAO patients and controls at PLD 1.5 s and PLD 2.5 s.RESULTS When comparing CBF between ICAO patients and controls,the global CBF in ICAO patients was lower at both PLD 1.5 s and PLD 2.5 s;the CBF on the occluded side was lower in 15 brain regions at PLD 1.5 s,and it was lower in 9 brain regions at PLD 2.5 s;the CBF in the contralateral hemisphere was lower in the caudate nucleus and internal capsule at PLD 1.5 s and in M6 at PLD 2.5 s.The global CBF in ICAO patients was lower at PLD 1.5 s than at PLD 2.5 s.The ipsilateral CBF at PLD 1.5 s was lower than that at PLD 2.5 s in 15 regions,whereas the contralateral CBF was lower at PLD 1.5 s than at PLD 2.5 s in 12 regions.The ipsilateral CBF was lower than the contralateral CBF in 15 regions at PLD 1.5 s,and in M6 at PLD 2.5 s.CONCLUSION Unilateral ICAO results in hypoperfusion in the global and MCA territories,especially in the ASPECTS area.Dual PLD settings prove more suitable for accurate CBF quantification in ICAO.

Minimally Invasive Total Arterial Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Left Main Stem Disease

Objective: The aim was to show that Minimally Invasive total arterial revascularization for left main stem coronary artery disease, via a left anterior Mini thoracotomy using bilateral internal thoracic arteries is feasible, reproducible and safe. Further, there has been no exclusive data or experience with minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting in left main stem disease. Methods: From April 2019 to March 2024, 41 patients with left main stem stenosis, left main equivalent disease and unprotected left main with triple vessel disease underwent off pump minimally invasive multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting using either in situ pedicled Bilateral Internal Thoracic arteries or Left and Right Internal Thoracic artery Y composite conduits at three centers. Bilateral Internal Thoracic arteries were harvested under direct vision. All patients had an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump inserted via the femoral artery prior to induction of anesthesia, to prevent any hemodynamic instability, arrhythmias, and was removed following completion of the procedure in the operating room without any complications. Efficacy and outcomes were evaluated by i) Primary (MACCE)-Major Adverse Cardiac and Cardiovascular events and ii) Secondary outcome measures including total length of stay, return to full physical activity and quality of life. Mean follow-up was 1.4 years (Maximum was 2.5 years). Results: 41 patients with left main stem coronary artery stenosis, underwent total arterial revascularization using bilateral internal thoracic arteries. Left main stem stenosis was present in 29 patients, Unprotected left main stem stenosis with triple vessel disease in 7 and left main equivalence in 5 patients. In this cohort, 29 patients with only left main stem stenosis had 2 grafts each, 7 patients with left main and triple vessel disease had 3 grafts and 5 patients with left main equivalent disease had 2 grafts respectively. The average number of grafts was 2.2. One patient was converted to open sternotomy as an emergency because of hemodynamic instability and myocardial revascularization was done on cardiopulmonary bypass (2.2%). The average hospital stay was 3.7 days. Ejection fraction was 45% ± 5%. There was one mortality (2.2%) but no major morbidity. The average ICU and hospital stay was 24 ± 4 hours and 3.7 days. All patients were free from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at follow-up. Conclusions: Multivessel total arterial revascularization using left and right internal thoracic arteries, was performed via a left anterior Mini thoracotomy on patients with left main stem disease and showed that it was safe, reproducible and will help extend the armamentarium of the surgeon in minimally invasive Coronary artery bypass grafting. Concomitantly it helped enhance the potential for shorter hospital stay, increased survival, decreased morbidity, and earlier return to full activity. Furthermore, the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting in this high-risk group evaluated by primary and secondary outcome measures have been good in this study.

New debate of revascularization strategy of non-infarct-related artery lesions in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock:decoding the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial,not enough to challenge the current guidelines

To the Editor: Research result of CULPRIT-SHOCK trial[1] presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2017 conference suggested that acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with multivessel disease (MVD) and cardiogenic shock undergoing primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) treated with culprit-only revascularization (COR) strategy had lower mortality at one month compared with immediate complete revascularization in single procedure (CRS) strategy, which challenge current guidelines and years of consensus[2-5].

Risk factors of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy and central retinal artery occlusion

AIM:To investigate the difference in risk factors between non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy(NAION)and central retinal artery occlusion(CRAO)and develop a predictive diagnostic nomogram.METHODS:The study included 37 patients with monocular NAION,20 with monocular CRAO,and 24 with hypertension.Gender,age,and systemic diseases were recorded.Blood routine,lipids,hemorheology,carotid and brachial artery doppler ultrasound,and echocardiography were collected.The optic disc area,cup area,and cup-to-disc ratio(C/D)of the unaffected eye in the NAION and CRAO group and the right eye in the hypertension group were measured.RESULTS:The carotid artery intimal medial thickness(C-IMT)of the affected side of the CRAO group was thicker(P=0.039)and its flow-mediated dilation(FMD)was lower(P=0.049)than the NAION group.Compared with hypertension patients,NAION patients had higher whole blood reduced viscosity low-shear(WBRV-L)and erythrocyte aggregation index(EAI;P=0.045,0.037),and CRAO patients had higher index of rigidity of erythrocyte(IR)and erythrocyte deformation index(EDI;P=0.004,0.001).The optic cup and the C/D of the NAION group were smaller than the other two groups(P<0.0001).The diagnostic prediction model showed high diagnostic specificity(83.7%)and sensitivity(85.6%),which was highly related to hypertension,the C-IMT of the affected side,FMD,platelet(PLT),EAI,and C/D.CONCLUSION:CRAO patients show thicker C-IMT and worse endothelial function than NAION.NAION and CRAO may be related to abnormal hemorheology.A small cup and small C/D may be involved in NAION.The diagnostic nomogram can be used to preliminarily identify NAION and CRAO.

Surgical treatment of a rare brachial artery aneurysm postarteriovenous fistula closure after kidney transplant:A case report

BACKGROUND Brachial artery aneurysms are defined as dilations greater than 50%of the normal diameter,which are rare among all peripheral arterial aneurysms.While they are often present as pseudoaneurysms,true brachial artery aneurysms are also detected rarely.In this case report,the surgical repair method of true brachial artery aneurysms,which is a rare condition,is explained.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we present a 61-year-old male patient with complaints of swelling and pain in the right arm antecubital region that had been progressing over 6 mo.Upon the diagnosis of a true brachial artery aneurysm associated with arteriovenous fistula,the aneurysm was surgically repaired with an autologous saphenous vein graft.The patient was discharged without any neurovascular complications postoperatively.CONCLUSION True brachial artery aneurysms are rare and there are not any recommendations for their management in the current literature.Even though the treatment of true aneurysms in this artery is primarily based on a surgical treatment,endovascular repair also might be an option.

Simultaneous Compression of the Celiac Trunk, Superior Mesenteric Artery, and Renal Arteries by the Median Arcuate Ligament: About One Case

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), is a rare abdominal vascular compression syndrome caused by the compression of the proximal celiac trunk by the median arcuate ligament. According to many authors, a low insertion of the diaphragmatic crura or an abnormally high origin of the celiac trunk from the aorta can cause compression of the celiac artery. Usually, patients with MALS are asymptomatic. Computed tomography (CT) angiography of the abdomen is the main imaging modality to confirm the diagnosis. The coexistence of celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery compression by the median arcuate ligament is rarely described in the literature. To our knowledge, until now, a simultaneous combination of three abdominal vascular compressions by the median arcuate ligament has never been described. From this case, we report a simultaneous compression of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and renal arteries by the median arcuate ligament.

OCTA characteristics in non-arteritic central retinal artery occlusion and correlation with visual acuity

AIM:To observe the retinal and choroidal circulations in patients with non-arteritic permanent central retinal artery occlusion(NA-CRAO)via optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)and analyze their correlation with visual acuity.METHODS:Sixty-two eyes with clinically confirmed acute NA-CRAO were included in the study and divided into:A type(mild n=29),B type(moderate n=27)and C type(severe n=6)based on the degree of visual loss,retinal edema,and arterial blood flow delay in fundus fluorescence angiography(FFA).Contralateral healthy eyes were used as the control group.Best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),slit lamp microscopy,indirect ophthalmoscopy,fundus color photography,OCTA,and FFA were performed.Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to determine the correlations between retinal and choroidal vessels and visual acuity.RESULTS:There were no statistically significant differences in age,gender,and intraocular pressure among the three types and the control group(P>0.05).Vessel density in deep capillary plexus(VD-DCP)significantly decreased(P<0.05)in all three types of NA-CRAO patients compared to the control group.Vessel density in superficial vascular plexus(VD-SVP)significantly decreased(P<0.05)in type A patients and choriocapillaris flow area significantly decreased(P<0.05)in type B and type C patients compared to the control group;while outer retinal flow areas significantly increased in the type A(P<0.05)and decreased in type C patients(P<0.05).The retinal thickness significantly increased in type C group(P<0.05).The VD-SVP at fovea in the type A was significantly lower than both of type B and C.The VD-SVP at nasal parafovea in type A and B was significantly lower than type C(P<0.05).The logMAR BCVA of type A was significantly better than that of type B and C groups(P<0.05).Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that the logMAR BCVA was positively correlated with VD-SVP at fovea(r=0.679,P=0.031)and nasal parafovea(r=0.826,P=0.013).CONCLUSION:OCTA is valuable for assessing retinal ischemia,and evaluating visual impairment.Deep retinal vasculature is commonly affected in all NA-CRAO types.VDSVPs at fovea and nasal parafovea can serve as reliable markers of visual impairment in NA-CRAO.

Mimicking aneurysm in a patient with chronic occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery

The chronic occlusion of intracranial arteries generally has no or mild clinical symptoms,and the clinical symptoms of acute cerebral artery occlusion are mostly manifested as severe cerebral infarction symptoms,which often make early diagnosis difficult,thus losing the best treatment opportunity.Once cerebral infarction occurs,the consequences are difficult to recover.This is also an important reason for the high misdiagnosis rate and mortality of this disease.In this paper,the characteristics of the disease were analyzed to provide clinical reference.

Life-threatening bleeding caused by artery pseudoaneurysm after endoscopic procedure successfully treated by artery embolization

The Kakinuma et al’s case report shows that non-pregnancy-related arterial pseudoaneurysm is a relatively rare,little known by some gynecologists,endo-scopists,surgeons or radiologists,which can cause massive bleeding.Arterial pseudoaneurysm is a condition in which the wall of a blood vessel collapses due to some invasive event,and the resulting leaked blood is engulfed by soft tissues,forming a cavity that is in communication with the vessel.It is a potentially life-threatening complication that could occurs after some deliveries and some gynecological invasive procedures.Remarkably,an undetermined percentage of pseudoaneurysms are asymptomatic,and in an asymptomatic patient it is difficult to predict the risk of haemorrhage and the attitude to follow,which depends on several factors,such as,the size and location of the vessel involved,changes in the size of the pseudoaneurysm,or the available therapeutic resources to be offered to patients,among others circumstances.The management of abdominal arterial pseudoaneurysm does not have consistent scientific evidence,but it seems that,regardless of the associated circumstances,the pseudoaneurysm could be treated at least initially,and mainly,through endovascular procedures,as done by Kakinuma et al.

Anticipation for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is an advanced targeted therapeuticapproach for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type ofprimary liver cancer. HAIC has demonstrated significant potential in managingadvanced HCC, particularly in regions with high prevalence rates. Despite itspromise, several challenges and areas for future research remain. Clinical studieshave substantiated the efficacy of HAIC in enhancing survival outcomes forpatients with advanced hepatic carcinoma. Notably, combination therapiesinvolving immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as lenvatinib and programmeddeath-1 inhibitors, have shown substantial improvements in median overallsurvival and progression-free survival compared to systemic chemotherapy.These combination therapies have also exhibited superior response rates anddisease control, with manageable and often less severe adverse events relative tosystemic treatments. This article is based on the review by Zhou et al and aims todiscuss the current status and future directions in the treatment of HCC, emphasizingthe role of HAIC and its integration with novel therapeutic agents.

Hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy:A resurgence

In this manuscript,we comment on the article by Zhou et al,who assessed the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy(HAIC)and its combination strategies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)using network metaanalysis methodology.We focus specifically on the potential advantages and role of HAIC in the treatment algorithm for advanced HCC.However,there remains numerous knowledge gaps before the role of HAIC can be established.There is significant heterogeneity of HAIC regimes with difficult interpretation of the clinical outcomes.Additionally,there is a lack of direct comparative data between HAIC,systemic chemotherapy,novel immunotherapies and targeted therapies.The underlying biochemical mechanisms that might explain the efficacy of HAIC and its effect on the HCC microenvironment requires further research.In the developing era of nanotechnology and targeted drug delivery systems,there is potential for integration of HAIC with novel technologies to effectively treat advanced HCC whilst minimising systemic complications.

Hepatic arterial infusion pump chemotherapy for colorectal liver metastases: Revisiting traditional techniques to explore new frontiers

Hepatic arterial infusion(HAI)chemotherapy,first introduced in the 1980s,has gained recognition as an effective locoregional treatment for colorectal liver metastasis(CRLM).Initially used for unresectable liver metastases,HAI’s app-lication has expanded to the adjuvant setting following hepatic resection,with early studies indicating improved hepatic disease-free survival.Recent research demonstrates that combining HAI with modern systemic therapies enhances conversion to resectability and prolongs both recurrence-free and overall survival,even in heavily pretreated patients with diverse RAS mutational statuses.Person-alization through approaches like microsatellite instability status and dose mo-difications further optimize outcomes.However,the complexity of HAI requires expertise across multidisciplinary teams,limiting its widespread adoption to specialized centers.Ongoing clinical trials continue to investigate HAI’s role in CRLM management,highlighting its potential to become a cornerstone of liver-directed therapy.We explore how HAI chemotherapy,in combination with personalized medicine,can advance treatment strategies for metastatic colorectal cancer.

Innovative applications and research progress of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the study conducted by Wang et al,which explores hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and its synergistic strategies in managing advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).HCC ranks as the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality globally and is frequently associated with portal vein tumor thrombus(PVTT).The approach to managing HCC,particularly when PVTT is present,diverges markedly between Eastern and Western practices.These differences are rooted in variations in epidemiology,etiology,pathology,comorbidities,and prognosis.The paper delves into the diagnosis,classification,and treatment strategies for HCC with PVTT,as well as the evolving role and advancements of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy in the therapeutic landscape of HCC.

Hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy using mFOLFOX versus transarterial chemoembolization for massive unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma:a prospective non.randomized study

Background: Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) is recommended as the standard care for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC) stage A-B. However, the efficacy of TACE on large(> 10 cm) stage A-B HCC is far from satisfactory, and it is proposed that hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy(HAIC)might be a better first-line treatment of this disease. Hence, we compared the safety and efficacy of HAIC with the modified FOLFOX(mFOLFOX) regimen and those ofTACE in patients with massive unresectable HCC.Methods: A prospective, non-randomized, phase II study was conducted on patients with massive unresectable HCC. The protocol involved HAIC with the mFOLFOX regimen(oxaliplatin, 85 mg/m^2 intra-arterial infusion; leucovorin,400 mg/m^2 intra-arterial infusion; and fluorouracil, 400 mg/m2 bolus infusion and 2400 mg/m^2 continuous infusion)every 3 weeks and TACE with 50 mg of epirubicin, 50 mg of lobaplatin, 6 mg of mitomycin, and lipiodol and polyvinyl alcohol particles. The tumor responses, time-to-progression(TTP), and safety were assessed.Results: A total of 79 patients were recruited for this study: 38 in the HAIC group and 41 in the TACE group. The HAIC group exhibited higher partial response and disease control rates than did the TACE group(52.6% vs. 9.8%, P < 0.001;83.8% vs. 52.5%, P = 0.004). The median TTPs for the HAIC and TACE groups were 5.87 and 3.6 months(hazard radio[HR] = 2.35,95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-4.76, P = 0.015). More patients in the HAIC group than in the TACE group underwent resection(10 vs. 3,P = 0.033). The proportions of grade 3-4 adverse events(AE) and serious adverse events(SAE) were lower in the HAIC group than in the TACE group(grade 3-4 AEs: 13 vs. 27, P = 0.007;SAEs: 6 vs. 15,p = 0.044). More patients in the TACE group than in the HAIC group had the study treatment terminated early due to intolerable treatment-related adverse events or the withdrawal of consent(10 vs. 2,P = 0.026).Conclusions: HAIC with mFOLFOX yielded significantly better treatment responses and less serious toxicity than did TACE. HAIC might represent a feasible and promising first-line treatment for patients with massive unresectable HCC.

Association of arterial stiffness with coronary flow reserve in revascularized coronary artery disease patients

AIM: To investigate the association of arterial wave reflection with coronary flow reserve(CFR) in coronary artery disease(CAD) patients after successful revascularization.METHODS: We assessed 70 patients with angiographically documented CAD who had undergone recent successful revascularization. We measured(1) reactive hyperemia index(RHI) using fingertip peripheral arterial tonometry(RH-PAT Endo-PAT);(2) carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity(PWVc-Complior);(3) augmentation index(AIx), the diastolic area(DAI%) and diastolic reflection area(DRA) of the central aortic pulse wave(Arteriograph);(4) CFR using Doppler echocardiography; and(5) blood levels of lipoprotein-phospholipase A2(LpPLA2).RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, blood pressure parameter, lipidemic, diabetic and smoking status, we found that coronary flow reserve was independently related to AIx(b =-0.38, r = 0.009), DAI(b = 0.36, P = 0.014), DRA(b = 0.39, P = 0.005) and RT(b =-0.29,P = 0.026). Additionally, patients with CFR < 2.5 had higher PWVc(11.6 ± 2.3 vs 10.2 ± 1.4 m/s, P = 0.019), SBPc(139.1 ± 17.8 vs 125.2 ± 19.1 mm Hg, P = 0.026), AIx(38.2% ± 14.8% vs 29.4% ± 15.1%, P = 0.011) and lower RHI(1.26 ± 0.28 vs 1.50 ± 0.46, P = 0.012), DAI(44.3% ± 7.9% vs 53.9% ± 6.7%, P = 0.008), DRA(42.2 ± 9.6 vs 51.6 ± 11.4, P = 0.012) and Lp PLA2(268.1 ± 91.9 vs 199.5 ± 78.4 ng/m L, P = 0.002) compared with those with CFR ≥ 2.5. Elevated Lp PLA2 was related with reduced CFR(r =-0.33, P = 0.001), RHI(r =-0.37, P < 0.001) and DRA(r =-0.35, P = 0.001) as well as increased PWVc(r = 0.34, P = 0.012) and AIx(r = 0.34, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Abnormal arterial wave reflections are related with impaired coronary flow reserve despite successful revascularization in CAD patients. There is a common inflammatory link between impaired aortic wall properties, endothelial dysfunction and coronary flow impairment in CAD.

Does kidney transplantation onto the external iliac artery affect the haemodynamic parameters of the cavernosal arteries？

Reduced cavernosal arterial inflow has been hypothesized to be the likely cause of erectile dysfunction after kidney transplants in recipients revascularized through end-to-end anastomosis to the internal lilac artery, suggesting that end-to-side anastomosis at the external iliac artery is preferable. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the effect of the use of the external iliac artery on erectile function, hormone profiles and penile blood flow by evaluating changes in penile colour Doppler ultrasound parameters in a consecutive series of 22 recipients before and after end-to-side external lilac artery transplantation. The mean International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function （IIEF-EF） domain score decreased significantly 3 months after transplant （18.09±6.33 vs. 22.50±7.09, P=O.01）. The reduction in peak systolic velocity （PSV） was significant for the cavernous artery homolateral to the side of transplant （42.60±18.77 vs. 52.01±19.91, P=0.01）. The mean postoperative end diastolic velocity （EDV） did not differ significantly from the preoperative value （P=0.74）. No statistical differences were found in the serum levels of testosterone or prolactin. Kidney grafts anastomosed at the external lilac artery produced significant （P=0.01） reductions in arterial inflow at the homolateral cavernosal artery that remained above the normal threshold. Whether these haemodynamic changes can explain the worsening of postoperative erectile function remains to be proven.

Diagnosis and outcomes of collateral arterial formation after irreversible early hepatic artery thrombosis in pediatric liver recipients

BACKGROUND： Early hepatic artery thrombosis （eHAT） has been recognized as an important cause of graft loss and mortality. However, the incidence, etiology and outcome are not dear, especially for children. The present study was to investigate the formation of collateral artery flow after irreversible eHAT and its impact on patient＇s prognosis. METHODS： We analyzed eHAT after liver transplantation in children from October 2006 to April 2015 in our center, illustrated the formation of collateral hepatic artery flow after irreversible eHAT and explored the diagnosis, complications, treatment and prognosis. The basic and follow-up ultrasonographic images were also compared. RESULTS： Of the 330 pediatric liver recipients, 22 （6.67%） de- veloped eHAT within 1 month. Revascularization attempts in- duding surgical thrombectomy, interventional radiology and conservational treatment （thrombolysis） were successful in 5 patients. Among the 17 patients who had irreversible eHAT, follow-up ultrasonography revealed that collateral artery flow was developed as early as 2 weeks after eHAT. Liver abscess and bile duct complication occurred secondary to eHAT in variable time. CONCLUSIONS： Collateral arterial formation is a compensatory adaptation to eHAT to supply blood to liver grafts. However, the severe bile duct damage secondary to eHAT is irreversible and retransplantation is unavoidable.

Total Arterial Revascularization with Internal Mammary Artery or Radial Artery π Graft Configuration

Summary： To investigate the clinical use of π graft in total arterial revascularization and its outcomes, a retrospective analysis of 23 patients out of 1000 patients undergoing total arterial coronary bypass surgery with a π graft between September 1994 and December 2004 was performed. In the selected patients for the management of triple vessel disease with middle diagonal/intermediate ramus disease such that a skip with the left internal mammary artery （LIMA） or radial artery （RA）, the main stem of π graft, to the left anterior descending coronary artery （LAD） will not work and the right internal mammary artery （RIMA） or right gastroepiploic artery （RGEA） cannot pick up the diagonal/intermediate ramus, hence the LAD and diagonal/intermediate ramus were grafted with a mini Y graft using the distal segment of LIMA, RIMA, RA or RGEA, together with the bilateral internal mammary artery （BIMA） or LIMA-RA T graft to compose π graft. Twenty-three patients （18 males, 5 females） underwent the π graft procedure. There were no deaths or episodes of myocardial infarction, stroke, and deep sternal wound infection. One patient required reopening for controlling bleeding. Until the end of 2004, during a mean follow-up of 81.0±28.4 months, no angina needing re intervention or operative therapy or coronary related death occurred. In conclusion, in patients with specific coronary artery anatomy/stenosis, the BIMA （sometimes LIMA with RA or RGEA） π graft can be successfully performed for total arterial revascularization with good midterm outcomes.

Drug coated balloon angioplasty for renal artery stenosis due to Takayasu arteritis: Report of five cases

BACKGROUND Takayasu arteritis is a rare but intractable chronic disease in young female patients. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the involved renal arteries has been reported;however, few studies have reported the use of drug coated balloon angioplasty in the treatment of Takayasu arteritis. We aimed to demonstrate five young female patients who presented with a history of hypertension due to Takayasu arteritis. CASE SUMMARY From April 2017 to October 2018, five female patients were diagnosed with hypertension due to Takayasu arteritis by computed tomography angiography (CTA) and laboratory tests. Four patients had a complaint of headache with or without dizziness, and one patient showed no symptom. There was no significant family or past history of hypertension or kidney disease, and the physical examinations were almost normal on admission. We performed a treatment by drug coated balloon angioplasty. Blood pressure decreased dramatically in all patients after balloon angioplasty, and the patency of treated renal artery was demonstrated with CTA over 5 months after the angioplasty procedure. CONCLUSION Drug coated balloon angioplasty is safe and effective for renal artery stenosis due to Takayasu arteritis. A prospective study with a larger sample size is necessary to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment.

Effects of renal artery stenosis on realistic model of abdominalaorta and renal arteries incorporating fluid-structureinteraction and pulsatile non-Newtonian blood flow

The effects of the renal artery stenosis （RAS） on the blood flow and vessel walls are investigated. The pulsatile blood flow through an anatomically realistic model of the abdominal aorta and renal arteries reconstructed from CT-scan images is simulated, which incorporates the fluid-structure interaction （FSI）. In addition to the investigation of the RAS effects on the wall shear stress and the displacement of the vessel wall, it is determined that the RAS leads to decrease in the renal mass flow. This may cause the activation of the renin-angiotension system and results in severe hypertension.