New Biomarkers (Endocan, Interleukin-17, and Thrombospondin-4) for the Diagnosis, Assessment of Severity, and Follow-Up of Peripheral Arterial Disease.

The present study evaluated the use of endocan, interleukin-17 (IL-17), and thrombospondin-4 (TSP-4) blood levels as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and follow-up of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Patients with PAD (Rutherford categories I, II, and III) who were admitted between March 2020 and March 2022 for cardiovascular surgery or outpatient clinic follow-up were included. The patients ( = 60) were divided into 2 groups: medical treatment ( = 30) and surgical treatment ( = 30).

Do Patients With Arterial Occlusive Disease of Different Etiologies Benefit Equally From Cilostazol?

Background: Cilostazol is a guideline-recommended drug that improves intermittent claudication and quality of life in patients with chronic atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease. The drug is used for most etiologies of arterial occlusive diseases in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate whether patients benefit equally from cilostazol regardless of etiology.

Do 'Videos' sections of Internet search engines provide accurate and adequate information about totally implantable venous access ports?

Objective: After cancer diagnosis, patients often look to Internet to learn more about totally implantable venous access ports which improve compliance with systemic anticancer therapy, as they do not get enough information from healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the video quality on Internet about totally implantable venous access ports using the most used three Internet search engines worldwide.

Methods: 'Videos' sections of the most used three Internet search engines were queried using 'Chemotherapy Port', 'Port Catheter' and 'Totally Implantable Venous Access Ports' keywords.

Struggle in struggle: Surgical treatment of Leriche syndrome in a horseshoe kidney patient.

Coexistence of infrarenal aortic occlusion, known as Leriche syndrome, and horseshoe kidney is extremely rare. The isthmus of the latter, which usually contains functional renal parenchyma, complicates surgery. A 52-year-old male patient with Leriche syndrome and concomitant horseshoe kidney disease underwent a successful surgical repair.

Surgical Treatment of Constrictive Pericarditis.

Constrictive pericarditis is the final stage of a chronic inflammatory process characterized by fibrous thickening and calcification of the pericardium that impairs diastolic filling, reduces cardiac output, and ultimately leads to heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography, computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging each can reveal severe diastolic dysfunction and increased pericardial thickness. Cardiac catheterization can help to confirm a diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction secondary to pericardial constriction, and to exclude restrictive cardiomyopathy.

Evaluation of Infection Resistance of Biodegradable versus Conventional Annuloplasty Rings in an in vivo Rat Subcutaneous Model.

Background: Biodegradable atrioventricular annuloplasty rings are theoretically more infection resistant due to their intra-annular implantation technique and nonporous structures (monofilament of poly-1,4-dioxanone). The aim of this study was to investigate the infection resistance of a biodegradable annuloplasty ring (Kalangos-Bioring®) in a rat subcutaneous implantation model and to compare it with a commonly used conventional annuloplasty ring (Edwards Physio II®).

Methods: This study included 32 Wistar albino rats which were divided into 2 groups according to the implantation of sterile or infected annuloplasty rings as control and study groups.