Influence of lung volume on the interaction between cardiac output and cerebrovascular regulation during extreme apnoea.

What is the central question of this study? Does the reduction in cardiac output observed during extreme voluntary apnoea, secondary to high lung volume, result in a reduction in cerebral blood flow, perfusion pressure and oxygen delivery in a group of elite free divers? What is the main finding and its importance? High lung volumes reduce cardiac output and ventricular filling during extreme apnoea, but changes in cerebral blood flow are observed only transiently during the early stages of apnoea. This reveals that whilst cardiac output is important in regulating cerebral haemodynamics, the role of mean arterial pressure in restoring cerebral perfusion pressure is of greater significance to the regulation of cerebral blood flow. We investigated the role of lung volume-induced changes in cardiac output (Q̇) on cerebrovascular regulation during prolonged apnoea.

CASTLEMAN'S DISEASE PRESENTING AS A TUMOROUS PARACARDIAC FORMATION.

Castleman's disease (in the literature also known as angiofollicular hyperplasia) is a rare benign lymphoproliferative disease. Clinically, it can manifest as unicentric or multicentric disease. Unicentric disease is most often diagnosed by accident or by symptomatology resulting from compression upon the adjoining anatomical structures.

[LEFT VENTRICULAR NON-COMPACTION].

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a rare cardiomyopathy, which is today, due to modern ultrasound technology more frequently detected in clinical practice. It is caused by the failure of normal embryonic development of the myocardium from loosely arranged muscle fibers to the mature compacted form of myocardium. Morphologic presentation consists of unique two-layered structure, a thick noncompacted endocardial and a thin compact epicardial layer, in infero-lateral and apical segments.

Dynamic diaphragmatic MRI during apnea struggle phase in breath-hold divers.

The purpose of the study was to provide insight in diaphragmatic involuntary breathing movements (IBM) during struggle phase of apnea at total lung capacity (TLC) and functional residual capacity (FRC) using magnetic resonance imaging along with measurements of hemodynamics and arterial oxygenation. The study was performed in eight elite breath-hold divers. There was a similar increase in diaphragmatic cranio-caudal excursions towards the end of TLC and FRC apnea.

Two Cases of Rare Basilar Hypoplasia.

In this article, we report two cases of basilar artery hypoplasia; the first case was a primitive trigeminal artery, and the second was an isolated basilar artery hypoplasia. Both patients had general neurologic disturbances, including periodic intention tremor of the left hand. Our data underscore the utility of complementary time of flight (TOF) magnetic resonance and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography as reliable first detection methods for steno-occlusive diseases and in cases of suspected congenital vascular anomalies.

Impact of late hospital admission on the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The objective of this study is to determine the time elapsed from the onset of pain in patients with AMI to their hospital admission (pain to door time) and fibrinolytic administration (door to needle time). The objective is also to determine whether there is a difference between the frequency of fibrinolytic administration to patients and the survival rate of patients with AMI with respect to the location they are transported from. This prospective clinical study included patients manifesting clear clinical, electrocardiographic and biochemical evidence of AMI, according to criteria of ECS (European Society of Cardiology), and who were admitted to the Coronary Care Unit of Split Clinical Hospital in the period from 1 January to 31 December 1999.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during pulmonary hyperinflation in apnea divers.

Purpose: Apnea divers hyperinflate the lung by taking a deep breath followed by glossopharyngeal insufflation. The maneuver can lead to symptomatic arterial hypotension. We tested the hypotheses that glossopharyngeal insufflation interferes with cardiac function further reducing cardiac output (CO) using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to fully sample both cardiac chambers.

Pain to hospital times after myocardial infarction in patients from Dalmatian mainland and islands, southern Croatia.

Aim: To analyze pre-hospital delay in patients with myocardial infarction from mainland and islands of Split-Dalmatian County, southern Croatia.

Methods: The study included all patients with myocardial infarction transported by ambulance to the University Hospital Split in 1999, 2003, and 2005. Pre-hospital delay was analyzed in the following intervals: pain-to-call, call-to-ambulance, ambulance-to-door, and door-to-coronary care unit interval.