Qutenza is a high-potency capsaicin (8%) topical patch, labeled for treating pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Qutenza decreases pain sensation by reducing transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) expression and decreasing the density of epidermal nerve fibers in the application area. Systemic absorption from Qutenza is low. Qutenza has not been directly compared to any other medications for the treating PHN. Two pivotal clinical trials compared Qutenza to a control patch (0.04% capsaicin) in PHN. The primary endpoint of both trials was the reduction in numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) score. Qutenza reduced pain from baseline to weeks 2 to 8 (29.6% and 32% reductions) compared to control (19.9% and 24.4% reductions; P ≤ .01). The improvement in NPRS scores persisted, with score reductions greater with Qutenza (29.9% and 32.3% reductions) compared to control (20.4% and 25% reductions; P ≤ .03) for the period 2 to 12 weeks. Safety and efficacy of capsaicin 8% has been demonstrated in open-label trials for up to 48 weeks. The most common adverse drug reactions occurring with capsaicin 8% are application site erythema (63%) and application site pain (42%). Some patients experienced transient increases in blood pressure during Qutenza application. Qutenza must be administered by a physician or under the close supervision of a physician. Prior to application, pretreat the affected area with a topical anesthetic to reduce application site pain. Some patients may require systemic analgesics during and after treatment for treatment-associated pain. Applications of Qutenza can be repeated no sooner than once every 3 months, as needed.

Background X-ray magnetic resonance fusion (XMRF) allows for use of 3D data during cardiac catheterization. However, to date, technical requirements have limited the use of this modality in clinical practice. We report on a new internal-marker XMRF method that we have developed and describe how we used XMRF during cardiac catheterization in congenital heart disease. Methods and Results XMRF was performed in a phantom and in 23 patients presenting for cardiac catheterization who also needed cardiac MRI for clinical reasons. The registration process was performed in <5 minutes per patient, with minimal radiation (0.004 to 0.024 mSv) and without contrast. Registration error was calculated in a phantom and in 8 patients using the maximum distance between angiographic and 3D model boundaries. In the phantom, the measured error in the anteroposterior projection had a mean of 1.15 mm (standard deviation, 0.73). The measured error in patients had a median of 2.15 mm (interquartile range, 1.65 to 2.56 mm). Internal markers included bones, airway, image artifact, calcifications, and the heart and vessel borders. The MRI data were used for road mapping in 17 of 23 (74%) cases and camera angle selection in 11 of 23 (48%) cases. Conclusions Internal marker–based registration can be performed quickly, with minimal radiation, without the need for contrast, and with clinically acceptable accuracy using commercially available software. We have also demonstrated several potential uses for XMRF in routine clinical practice. This modality has the potential to reduce radiation exposure and improve catheterization outcomes.

No abstract

During development of the outflow tract, the walls of the truncus arteriosus change from a diffuse extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounded by an extension of the myocardium to alternating laminae of smooth muscle and elastic connective tissue. The transition rapidly follows septation, when mesenchyme associated with the endothelium differentiates. Using immunocytochemical methods with antibodies to components of the tunica media and the tunica adventitia we have analysed the differentiation of the vessel walls of the outflow tract of the chick. The tunica media marker, elastin, forms laminae in a radial sequence, beginning at the outer margin of the truncus mesenchyme. Conversely, smooth muscle myosin is first expressed in cells associated with the endothelium. Laminin is expressed as a cell surface component throughout the development of the outflow tract. Matrix fibronectin distribution is correlated with the regions that will form the tunica media and apparently forms a radial gradient which is highest near the endothelium. Markers for the tunica adventitia, collagen I and VI, are expressed first at the peripheries of the newly formed tunica media, and collagen VI expression spreads radially through the tunica media. Thus, the vessel wall components appear within the mesenchyme of the truncus arteriosus in opposed radial gradients of differentiation. The tunica media cells acquire secretory and contractile phenotypes independently and may be responding to different stimuli in their expression of these features.