Pluripotent stem cell-derived committed cardiac progenitors remuscularize damaged ischemic hearts and improve their function in pigs.

Ischemic heart disease, which is often associated with irreversibly damaged heart muscle, is a major global health burden. Here, we report the potential of stem cell-derived committed cardiac progenitors (CCPs) have in regenerative cardiology. Human pluripotent embryonic stem cells were differentiated to CCPs on a laminin 521 + 221 matrix, characterized with bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, and transplanted into infarcted pig hearts.

Multimodality Imaging in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis is a rare disorder where abnormal protein aggregates are deposited in tissues forming amyloid fibrils, leading to progressive organ failure. Although any organ can be affected, cardiac involvement is the main cause of morbidity and mortality associated with amyloidosis as diagnosis is often delayed due to the indolent nature of the disease in some forms. An early diagnosis of disease and knowledge of the type/subtype of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) are essential for appropriate management and better outcome.

The pancreatic and extrapancreatic manifestations of IgG4-related disease.

The association between immunoglobulin IgG4 and autoimmune pancreatitis was first shown in 2001. Since then many previously established fibrosclerotic diseases demonstrating synchronous or metachronous multiorgan involvement have been included within the ambit of IgG4-related disease. Diagnostic criteria have been proposed involving 1) serum IgG4 level elevated beyond 135 mg/dL, 2) IgG4+ to IgG+ plasma cell ratio > 40% and >10 IgG4+ cells per high power field of biopsy sample and 3) a constellation of imaging features which involve a variety of organ systems.

Pictorial essay: Uncommon causes of coronary artery encasement.

This pictorial essay presents cases of non-atherosclerotic coronary artery encasement which were encountered in our institution, including malignant lymphoma, Erdheim-Chester disease, immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease and Polyarteritis Nodosa. These conditions usually have multisystemic involvement which aid in the diagnosis. Awareness of these uncommon disorders and their ancillary findings can facilitate early, accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.

Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease: Recent Advances in Pathogenesis and Imaging Findings.

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a novel, immune-mediated, multisystem disease characterized by the development of tumefactive lesions in multiple organs. IgG4-RD encompasses many fibroinflammatory diseases that had been thought to be confined to single organs. Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis as malignancies leading to aggressive treatment may be averted by identification of the multisystem nature of IgG4-RD.

"Biliary Diseases with Pancreatic Counterparts": Cross-sectional Imaging Findings.

On the basis of the similarities in the histopathologic findings and the clinical-biologic behaviors of select biliary and pancreatic conditions, a new disease concept, "biliary diseases with pancreatic counterparts," has been proposed. Both nonneoplastic and neoplastic pathologic conditions of the biliary tract have their counterparts in the pancreas. Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related sclerosing cholangitis is the biliary manifestation of IgG4-related sclerosing disease, and type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis is its pancreatic counterpart.

Diagnostic performance of dark-blood T2-weighted CMR for evaluation of acute myocardial injury.

Objectives: We compared the image quality and diagnostic performance of 2 fat-suppression methods for black-blood T2-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE), which are as follows: (a) short T1 inversion recovery (STIR; FSE-STIR) and (b) spectral adiabatic inversion recovery (SPAIR; FSE-SPAIR), for detection of acute myocardial injury.

Background: Edema-sensitive T2-weighted FSE cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is useful in detecting acute myocardial injury but may experience reduced myocardial signal and signal dropout. The SPAIR pulse aims to eliminate artifacts associated with the STIR pulse.

Differential diagnosis for bilateral abnormalities of the basal ganglia and thalamus.

The basal ganglia and thalamus are paired deep gray matter structures that may be involved by a wide variety of disease entities. The basal ganglia are highly metabolically active and are symmetrically affected in toxic poisoning, metabolic abnormalities, and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. Both the basal ganglia and thalamus may be affected by other systemic or metabolic disease, degenerative disease, and vascular conditions.

Stent-assisted percutaneous angioplasty for extra-cranial carotid disease:experience at Singapore General Hospital.

Introduction: This study aims to analyse the results of carotid stenting in a tertiary referral centre in Singapore.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis of all carotid artery stenting (CAS) cases in a single centre from March 1997 to December 2008 was performed. Sixty successful procedures were performed in 61 patients, with bilateral stenting in 1 patient, and 2 failed procedures.

Renal artery stump to inferior vena cava fistula: unusual clinical presentation and transcatheter embolization with the Amplatzer vascular plug.

Fistulous communication between the renal artery stump and inferior vena cava following nephrectomy is rare. We describe the case of a 52-year-old man with a fistula detected on investigation for hemolytic anemia in the postoperative period. The patient had had a nephrectomy performed 2 weeks prior to presentation for blunt abdominal trauma.