Impact of Morphine Treatment With and Without Metoclopramide Coadministration on Myocardial and Microvascular Injury in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the Randomized MonAMI Trial.

Background Intravenous morphine administration can adversely affect platelet inhibition induced by P2Y receptor inhibitors after acute myocardial infarction. In contrast, some evidence suggests that opioid agonists may have cardioprotective effects on the myocardium. The aim of this prospective, randomized MonAMI (Impact of Morphine Treatment With and Without Metoclopramide Coadministration on Platelet Inhibition in Acute Myocardial Infarction) trial was, therefore, to investigate the impact of morphine with or without metoclopramide coadministration on myocardial and microvascular injury.

Myocardial Fibrosis in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Volumetric Assessment of Late Enhancement Provided by Cardiac Computed Tomography.

Introduction: With subgroups of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) confers a 4% to 5% risk for adverse prognosis. Besides left-ventricular muscle mass (LV-MM) myocardial fibrosis (MF) assessable by late gadolinium enhancement in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) has been related to that. Myocardial fibrosis can also be demonstrated by late enhancement (LE) in late-enhanced multislice computed tomography (leMDCT).

Sustained benefit at 2 years for covered stents versus bare-metal stents in long SFA lesions: the VIASTAR trial.

Purpose: The hypothesis that covered stents are superior to bare-metal stents (BMS) in long femoropopliteal artery disease was tested. The one-year results of the VIASTAR trial revealed a patency benefit of covered stents in the treatment-per-protocol (TPP) analysis only.

Methods: A prospective, randomized, single-blind, multicenter study evaluated 141 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) after treatment with heparin-bonded covered stents (VIABAHN(®) Endoprosthesis) or BMS.

Heparin-bonded covered stents versus bare-metal stents for complex femoropopliteal artery lesions: the randomized VIASTAR trial (Viabahn endoprosthesis with PROPATEN bioactive surface [VIA] versus bare nitinol stent in the treatment of long lesions in superficial femoral artery occlusive disease).

Objectives: The hypothesis that endovascular treatment with covered stents has equal risks but higher efficacy than bare-metal stents (BMS) in long femoropopliteal artery disease was tested.

Background: Although endovascular treatment of short superficial femoral artery lesions revealed excellent results, efficacy in long lesions remains unsatisfactory.

Methods: In a prospective, randomized, single-blind, multicenter study, 141 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease were assigned to treatment with heparin-bonded, covered stents (Viabahn 72 patients) or BMS (69 patients).

Evaluation of two different vacuum-assisted breast biopsy systems: Mammotome(R) system 11G/8G vs. ATEC(R) system 12G/9G.

Background: Breast cancer screening programs have been established worldwide and early detection of breast cancer has increased steadily. The most common way to confirm dignity of non-palpable and sonographically-occult suspicious findings on mammography is the stereotactically-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy

Purpose: To compare two stereotactically guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy systems measuring time effectiveness and quality of harvested material in clinical practice.

Material And Methods: One hundred and forty-six patients presenting with suspicious microcalcifications on mammography were included in the study.

Prospective, randomized single-center trial to compare cryoplasty versus conventional angioplasty in the popliteal artery: midterm results of the COLD study.

Purpose: To evaluate safety and efficacy of cryoplasty versus conventional angioplasty for focal popliteal arterial occlusive disease.

Materials And Methods: Patients with focal atherosclerotic stenoses and occlusions of the popliteal artery were randomized to cryoplasty or conventional angioplasty as the initial treatment strategy. The primary objective was target lesion patency.

CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy with novel steerable biopsy canula: ex-vivo evaluation in ventilated porcine lung explants.

The purpose was to evaluate ex-vivo a prototype of a novel biopsy canula under CT fluoroscopy-guidance in ventilated porcine lung explants in respiratory motion simulations. Using an established chest phantom for porcine lung explants, n = 24 artificial lesions consisting of a fat-wax-Lipiodol mixture (approx. 70HU) were placed adjacent to sensible structures such as aorta, pericardium, diaphragm, bronchus and pulmonary artery.

Leash your guiding catheter: or how to obtain a stable catheter position for crossover iliac embolization procedures.

We present a safe and quick technique for crossover embolization procedures of the internal iliac artery with high-profile guiding catheter systems, after a pull-through maneuver with establishment of a crossover catheter-snare system. The attached snare is used to stabilize and direct the guiding catheter.

Low-profile primary stent placement for the treatment of focal calcified ulcerated stenosis in the infrarenal aorta.

Purpose: To analyze the immediate and midterm success of low-profile stent placement in calcified ulcerated lesions of the infrarenal aorta in patients with arterial occlusive disease.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective case series, 13 symptomatic patients (eight men, five women; mean age, 64.8 years +/- 12.

CT fluoroscopy guided biopsy of small pulmonary and upper abdominal lesions: efficacy with a modified breathing technique.

Purpose: To characterize a new protocol of computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy-guided biopsy of the lung and upper abdomen to minimize the intervention time, complication rate, and exposure to ionizing radiation for both the patient and the radiologist.

Materials And Methods: Fifty patients (23 women, 27 men; mean age, 64.3 years; age range, 36-83 years) with lung (n = 41) or upper abdomen (n = 9) nodules 15 mm or smaller underwent CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsy from November 2005 to October 2006.

Value of single-dose contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography versus intraarterial digital subtraction angiography in therapy indications in abdominal and iliac arteries.

The objective of the study was to prove the value of single-dose contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography [three-dimensional (3D) ceMRA] in abdominal and iliac arteries versus the reference standard intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (i.a.DSA) when indicating a therapy.

A multicenter, site-independent, blinded study to compare the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography using 1.0M gadobutrol (Gadovist) to intraarterial digital subtraction angiography in body arteries.

Purpose: Prospective evaluation of diagnostic accuracy of single field-of-view contrast-enhanced MR Angiography (ceMRA) with 1.0M gadobutrol compared to intraarterial DSA in body arteries.

Materials And Methods: In an European multicenter study 179 patients underwent ceMRA and DSA.

Chronic mesenteric ischemia: stenting of mesenteric arteries.

This article focuses on stent placement in mesenteric arteries in patients with the rare diagnosis of chronic mesenteric ischemia. We present a survey from the initial stage of recognition of this gastrointestinal disorder and its manifestations to treatment by stenting to avoid further ischemic episodes and bowel infarction and necrosis. The advantages of stent placement in splanchnic arteries are discussed in comparison to open surgical revascularization.

Stent placement with the monorail technique for treatment of mesenteric artery stenosis.

Purpose: To analyze the immediate and midterm success of stenting of mesenteric arteries by a monorail technique in patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective case series, 19 patients (11 male, 8 female; mean age, 62.9 +/- 10.

Value of fat-suppressed PD-weighted TSE-sequences for detection of anterior and posterior cruciate ligament lesions--comparison to arthroscopy.

Objective: To evaluate fat-suppressed (FS) proton-density-weighted (PDw) turbo spin-echo (TSE) magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of anterior and posterior cruciate ligament lesions in comparison to arthroscopy.

Materials And Methods: In a prospective study 31 knee joints were imaged on a 1.5T MR scanner (Vision, Siemens, Erlangen) prior to arthroscopy using following sequences: (a) sagittal FS-PDw/T2w TSE (TR/TE: 4009/15/105 ms); (b) sagittal PDw/T2w TSE (TR/TE:3800/15/105 ms).

Experimental and clinical evaluation of acromioclavicular joint structures with new scan orientations in MRI.

The objective of the study was to evaluate MRI for visualization of acromioclavicular (ac) joint structures in cadaveric shoulders, asymptomatic volunteers and symptomatic patients with trauma of the ac-joint. Three cadaveric shoulders were examined to find adequate planes and sequences for MRI. Afterwards, MR images were correlated to corresponding anatomical sections.

Abdominal and iliac arterial stenoses: comparative double-blinded randomized study of diagnostic accuracy of 3D MR angiography with gadodiamide or gadopentetate dimeglumine.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate accuracy of gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) angiography with gadodiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine (0.1 mmol/kg), with intraarterial DSA as reference standard, for imaging abdominal and iliac arterial stenoses.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by all institutional review boards; informed consent was obtained from each subject before procedures.