RAPHAEL ADAR

We studied 39 patients with thromboangiitis obliterans to determine their cellular and humoral immune responses to native human collagen Type I and Type III, which are constituents of blood vessels. Cell-mediated sensitivity to these collagens was measured by an antigen-sensitive thymidine-incorporation assay. The mean stimulation index--the ratio of thymidine incorporation in the presence of antigen to that in its absence--with both Type I and Type III collagens used as antigens was ...

PURPOSE: To report intermediate results of a pilot study in which the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist abciximab was given to patients during percutaneous carotid stenting for recurrent internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. The objective was to prevent procedure-related cerebral embolic events and decrease the incidence of recurrent stenosis.

METHODS: Sixteen patients (9 women; mean age 66.5 years, range 39-78) with severe ICA recurrent stenosis (>80%) underwent balloon ...

One hundred patients with primary palmar hyperhidrosis (HH) underwent bilateral upper dorsal sympathectomy (UDS) by the supraclavicular approach. Pre-operative epidemiological and clinical data are described. The immediate and late results, as well as the complications and side-effects are detailed. Follow-up was completed on 93 patients between four and 50 months after the operation (average 18 months). Of 93 patients, 91 had drying of the hands. In 58% some moisture returned to the ...

We examined the effect of left renal vein (LRV) division during abdominal aortic aneurysm operations on renal function during the recovery period. Fifteen patients with LRV division were compared with 26 patients in whom the LRV was not ligated. These two groups of patients did not differ significantly in any of their preoperative characteristics, operative management, or postoperative complications. Preoperative, highest postoperative, and predischarge levels of plasma urea and ...

Translumbar aortographies performed in 91 patients for limiting leg ischemia were reviewed, and stenosis was graded by points from one (normal vessel) to five (complete occlusion) for each vessel. Of 62 nondiabetic patients, 18 (29 per cent) were impotent, while of 29 diabetics, 17 (58.6 per cent) were impotent (p less than 0.01). Significantly greater stenosis (p less than 0.005) was found in the internal pudendal arteries of impotent patients when compared statistically with potent ...

INTRODUCTION: The literature on thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO, Buerger's disease) suffers from the lack of a unified method of establishing the diagnosis of the disease. The aim of this study was to test the application of a point scoring system (PSS) in the diagnosis of TAO.

METHOD: Points are awarded for young age at onset, foot claudication, upper extremity involvement, superficial vein thrombosis and vasospastic phenomena. Atypical features detract points, and the resultant score ...

The present study was undertaken in order to develop numerical criteria for the parameters of laser Doppler flowmetry-skin blood flow velocity and pulse wave amplitude in the evaluation of lower extremity ischemia. Fifty limbs of young healthy volunteers were examined in order to obtain baseline normal values. Patient population was divided into moderately ischemic (52 limbs) and severely ischemic (22 limbs), based on patients' complaints, physical examination, ankle-brachial indices, ...

BACKGROUND: Protruding aortic arch thrombus is associated clinically with life-threatening emboli. Definitive treatment for aortic arch thrombus removal has demanded complicated vascular surgical procedures, with high morbidity and mortality.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) enabled diagnosis of a protruding thrombus at the aortic arch in 5 patients, and a simultaneous lesion in the descending aorta in 1 patient. Four patients had visceral emboli, coinciding ...

Sixty-nine percutaneous transluminal angioplasties (PTAs) were performed in the iliac and the femoral arteries of 54 patients. The main factors that might affect the results were reviewed: associated diseases, severity of ischemic symptoms, location and type of lesions (stenosis or occlusion and their length), and presence of disease distal to the site dilated. The vascular status of the patients in our series was more severe than in most others. Improvement at follow-up (average 15 ...

PURPOSE: A rat model was developed to investigate the effects of acute peripheral ischemia on the components of the fibrinolytic system.

METHODS: Laparotomy was performed and ischemia was introduced by total aortic clamping at a subrenal position. Control animals underwent sham laparotomy alone. Plasma and tissue samples were collected for analysis at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after operation.

RESULTS: Functional assays of rat plasma revealed a dramatic and transient increase in ...

Ten patients with pregangrenous and gangrenous changes of the toes in the presence of normal peripheral pulses are described. In the absence of diabetes this is an uncommon condition and is only rarely reported upon in the literature. Four patients had non occlusive arteriosclerotic changes in large arteries; three suffered from thrombocytosis and one from polycythemia vera; one patient had a monoclonal gamopathy and one was exposed to cold three months before the onset of gangrene. ...

The effect of bilateral upper dorsal sympathectomy (UDS) on cardiac function was investigated in two groups of young healthy patients who underwent bilateral excision of T2 and T3 ganglia for palmar hyperhidrosis. In ten patients echocardiography of left ventricular function (LVF) was performed before operation and 2 weeks after operation. Electrocardiograms (ECG) were done before operation, during operation immediately after sectioning each sympathetic chain, and at 2 weeks after ...

Purpose: To report intermediate results of a pilot study in which the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist abciximab was given to patients during percutaneous carotid stenting for recurrent internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. The objective was to prevent procedure-related cerebral embolic events and decrease the incidence of recurrent stenosis.Methods: Sixteen patients (9 women; mean age 66.5 years, range 39–78) with severe ICA recurrent stenosis (>80%) underwent balloon ...