The effects of Argatroban, a selective thrombin inhibitor, in anticoagulation therapy following cardiovascular surgery is reported. The agent was administered in 28 patients by means of continuous intravenous infusion, adjusted to maintain the activated coagulation time at from 170 to 200 seconds. The activated coagulation time was well controlled at a mean rate of 0.482± 0.26μg/kg/min by intravenous drip infusion, and the dose of Argatroban reached a steady state within a few hours. Both the percent rate of prothrombin time and the activated partial thromboplastin time were significantly decreased to 49% and to 36% respectively by Argatroban, and recoverd to the normal range the day after cessation of the drug. Thrombin-antithrombin III complex, an index of coagulation activity, decreased from 35μg/l in the postoperative state to 14 μg/l 4 hours after the infusion of the drug, which demonstrated the good control of anticoagulation status. Clinically, no adverse reactions such as abnormal bleeding tendency was observed. We conclude that Argatroban is a safe and effective agent for anticoagulation therapy in the early postoperative phase.

The patient, a 63-year-old man was admitted to the emergency clinic of our hospital complaining of severe abdominal pain. Ruptured aortic abdominal aneurysm was diagnosed by abdominal CT. The abdominal aortic aneurysm was successfully replaced with a prosthetic graft, and good urination was obtained postoperatively. On the second hospital day, hemoglobinemia with myoglobinuria suddenly appeared, urine volume decreased with high levels of both the serum CPK and GOT. Acute renal failure secondary to rhabdomyolysis of unknown cause was diagnosed. The patient was successfully treated by plasmapheresis and continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF), and is now doing well.

A case of successful surgical treatment for a ruptured infected aneurysm of the abdominal aorta is presented. A 63-year-old man was admitted with a history of persistent fever of unknown cause and lumbago. During medical treatment, a new abdominal pulsatile mass was revealed on physical examination. Leucocytosis and elevation of C-reactive protein were demonstrated. Abdominal echogram and CT scan showed a ruptured aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Ruptured infected aneurysm of abdominal aorta was diagnosed, and an emergency operation was performed. We found a tight inflammatory adhesion around the aneurysm, but there was no abcess formation. The aneurysm had the mural thrombi and necrotic tissue. As usual infected tissue was removed as possible with aneurysmectomy, and an artificial graft was replaced. The culture of the aneurysmal wall tissue was negative, but the infiltration of the inflammatory cells, mainly neutrophilic segmented leukocytes, were found on pathological examination. He is doing well without recurrent infection at 8 months after operation. Twenty five cases of infected abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) were reported in Japan, and 21 cases of them received surgical treatment. Management of infected AAA is discussed.

A 68-year-old woman with multiple gastric ulcers was admitted to our hospital due to post-prandial abdominal pain. Multirow detector computed tomography (MDCT) showed severe stenoses of both the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) ; therefore, we decided to operate based on the presumed diagnosis of abdominal angina. We bypassed the stenoses using a saphenous vein graft from the right external iliac artery to the SMA, distal to the stenosis. The patient was symptom-free postoperatively. In summary, this case of abdominal angina was accurately evaluated preoperatively with MDCT and the flow meter^®. Thereafter, a focal stenosis in the superior mesenteric artery was successfully treated with an external iliac-SMA bypass using a saphenous vein graft.

A 26-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a high fever and thrombocytopenia. The patient was initially given a diagnosis of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and sepsis. Medial therapy with antibiotic and anticoagulative drug was started in the Department of Internal Medicine. After that, dermatologists identified painful nodular erythema on the face and extremities as Osler's nodes. Echocardiogram revealed a vegetation near the annulus of the mitral valve. The urgent operation was performed. Intraoperative findings showed vegetation on the posterior wall of the left atrium and normal mitral valves. Therefore, vegetation was completely excised with the diseased left atrial wall and the mitral valve was preserved. The defect of the atrial wall was repaired with a pericardial patch. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was detected by blood and tissue bacterial culture. Postoperative echocardiograms showed mild mitral regurgitation. The patient was discharged from hospital after an uneventful postoperative course.

A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital due to cardiomegaly on plain chest radiography. He did not have any history of chest pain, trauma or fever of unknown origin. Echocardiography showed severe aortic valve regurgitation. Standard enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a localized dissection or an aneurysm of the noncoronary sinus of Valsalva. However it is difficult to make a definite diagnosis because of cardiac beating artifact. Cardiac multidetecter-row CT demonstrated an aneurysm of the noncoronary sinus of Valsalva connected to the sinus with a small aperture. Aortic valve replacement and patch closure were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and follow-up CT showed thrombus formation in the sinus Valsalva aneurysm. Cardiac multidetecter-row CT was useful for accurate diagnosis of aortic root disease.

CHDF was applied to 8 patients who developed acute renal failure following cardiogenic shock. Four of 8 patients also underwent PCPS (percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass) and all were weaned from PCPS. Five patients were weaned from CHDF. CHDF was very effective to control the concentration of serum potassium, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and diuresis.

Surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms in elderly patients aged over 90 is rare, and the surgical indications in such patients is controversial. Two cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm successfully treated surgically are reported. The first case was a 92-year-old woman, who manifested a severe abdominal pain without hypotension. An impending rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm was suggested on enhanced CT scan, and emergency surgery was indicated. The aneurysm was replaced with a woven Dacron Y-graft. Postoperatively, the patient's social activity returned to the preoperative level. The second case was a 91-year-old man, in whom an increasing abdominal aortic aneurysm had been pointed out on UCG and enhanced CT scan. Because he was socially very active for his age, elective surgery was indicated. The aneurysm was resected and replaced with a woven Dacron I-graft. Postoperatively, the patient overcame a respiratory complication and was eventually discharged without any physical complication. Although he was able to climb mountains before the surgery, he lost some physical activity after the surgery. Because of the potential decrease in physical strength especially in very elderly patients, the general risk evaluation did not always correspond to a precise evaluation and prediction of postoperative activity. It is therefore necessary to be flexible in deciding on the surgical indications in each case.

A 54-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Medical treatment was not effective. Cardiac catheterization showed a peak systolic pressure gradient of 143mmHg between the left ventricle and the ascending aorta. Echocardiogram showed a systolic anterior motion and moderate mitral regurgitation without asymmetric septal hypertrophy. He underwent mitral valve replacement (MVR) with a 27-mm SJM instead of myectomy due to his relatively thin ventricular septum of 16mm. Postoperative cardiac catheterization revealed no significant pressure gradient between the left ventricle and the ascending aorta. MVR is the most effective surgical treatment of HOCM without asymmetric septal hypertrophy.

A 45-year-old woman was admitted for acute left hemiplegia and left hypogastric pain. Central CT showed a right parietal lobe infarction. Abdominal CT demonstrated ovarian tumor and infarction of the liver, spleen and kidney. Chest radiography showed moderate cardiomegaly. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated vegetation in the aortic valves and severe aortic regurgitation. Aortic valve replacement and bi-adnexectomy were performed urgently. Intraoperative examination revealed normal aortic valves except for small amounts of vegetation on leaflet surfaces. Pathological diagnosis of vegetation was fibrin without inflammatory cells or bacteria. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 13 days after surgery without a permanent neurological deficit. Trousseau syndrome caused by ovarian cancer and nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis is rare, and it is important to be aware of this syndrome in the case of a young cerebral infarction patient with malignant disease.