Using B-mode ultrasonography, the frequency of carotid atherosclerosis was investigated prospectively in 50 patients on maintenance haemodialysis compared to healthy controls. The patients showed significantly more atheromatous plaques at the carotid bifurcation, as well in the internal and external carotid artery (chi-square-test, p less than 0.05). There was no statistical difference between normotensive patients on haemodialysis and the control group, but hypertensive patients showed statistically significant more plaques of the cervical vessels (chi-square-test, p less than 0.05). Therefore, atheromatous plaques in haemodialysis patients appear to be due to hypertension rather than to maintenance dialysis.
We describe a combined positive (iodinated contrast medium) and negative (carbon dioxide) contrast technique to facilitate percutaneous tube placement for nephrostolithotomy of staghorn calculi. This technique, which can be used either retrograde or antegrade, facilitates identification of the posterior calices for nephrostomy puncture and helps the operator identify the space between the stone and the caliceal wall. With it, we have been able to enter a posterior calix in 44 consecutive patients who had branched renal calculi.
Quantitative intraarterial digital subtraction arteriography (DSA) was performed using a calibration catheter with three distal metallic ring markers. The two outer markers were 50 mm apart, and the third marker was in the middle. Measurements of 54 vessel diameters of the abdominal aorta, renal, lumbar, and iliac arteries were performed in a comparison study with direct film arteriograms in 10 aortofemoral runoff studies. Diameter measurements were made by both the observer on hard copy DSA images and by a computer using modified semiquantitative software. Against measurements on film, which were used as the standard, deviation in measurement on digital images varied from 8 to 13% for arterial diameters less than 5 mm and from 2 to 6% for diameters greater than or equal to 5 mm. Projectional artifacts caused 3% or less error. Knowing these variations in measurement is important in order to determine error tolerances for clinical applications. The calibration catheter serves as a convenient internal marker for DSA.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.