Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy in the management of hepatolithiasis.

The treatment of lithiasis in patients with biliodigestive bypass can be controversial. The combination of percutaneous access together with cholangioscopy is an alternative to surgical treatment for the management of this pathology. In recent years, the appearance of smaller and more flexible fiber-optic cholangioscopes as well as the possibility to perform lithotripsy have changed the treatment of this pathology, providing good results.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation. Is it mandatory to ablate the atrioventricular junction to obtain a good response?

Aim: Current guidelines recommend atrioventricular junction (AVJ) ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Our study compared the CRT response of patients in sinus rhythm (SR) vs. AF.

Pitfalls of programming sensing polarities using the coronary sinus lead in biventricular pacemakers.

Knowledge of the available sensing polarities in biventricular pacemakers is necessary for appropriate troubleshooting and avoiding possible pitfalls of cardiac resynchronization therapy programming, as illustrated through this case presentation.

Autologous skeletal myoblast transplantation in patients with nonacute myocardial infarction: 1-year follow-up.

Objective: To determine the feasibility and safety of skeletal myoblast transplantation in patients with chronic myocardial infarction undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: Twelve patients with a previous myocardial infarction and ischemic coronary artery disease underwent treatment with coronary artery bypass grafting surgery and intramyocardial injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts cultured with autologous serum. Global and regional cardiac function was assessed by echocardiogram.

Fruit and vegetable consumption is inversely associated with blood pressure in a Mediterranean population with a high vegetable-fat intake: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Study.

There is evidence that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables reduces blood pressure (BP). Characteristically, the Mediterranean diet is rich in plant-derived foods and also in fat, but studies conducted in Mediterranean countries to relate diet to BP are scarce. We studied the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and BP in a cross-sectional analysis of 4393 participants in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Study, an ongoing dynamic cohort study in Spain.