Screening of carotid and intracranial artery diseases by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was performed in forty-one adult patients prior to elective cardiovascular surgery. In twenty patients (48.8%), MRA demonstrated significant cerebrovascular lesions: carotid or main cerebral artery stenosis in 7, diffuse cerebral arteriosclerotic change in 6, vertebral artery lesion in 5 and berry aneurysm in 2. Advanced age (over 70 years) and previous cerebrovascular events increased the incidence of cerebrovascular lesions on MRA. Forty patients underwent scheduled surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass, and pulsatile flow perfusion was used in patients in whom significant cerebrovascular lesions were demonstrated on MRA. One patient with aortic arch aneurysm was judged to be an unacceptable candidate for surgery in light of his marked diffuse arteriosclerotic lesions on MRA. In five patients, staged operation was performed from 10 to 30 days after cerebrovascular surgery (bypass surgery for internal carotid occlusion in 2, aneurysm clipping in 2, carotid endarterectomy in 1). Postoperative neurological complications occurred in one patient (2.5%). In conclusion, screening of carotid and intracranial artery diseases by MRA is a safe and useful method for evaluation of cerebrovascular lesions in patients with advanced age, previous cerebrovascular events and/or arteriosclerotic diseases.

Purpose: Olanzapine has antiemetic activity for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the efficacy of olanzapine for prevention of CINV in patients with severe nausea resistant to standard antiemetic regimen for highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). Methods: Olanzapine was administered in twenty gynecological cancer patients receiving HEC. They had grade 3 nausea (CTCAE ver.4.0) for the acute (24 hours postchemotherapy) and/or delayed (24-120 hours postchemotherapy) period despite the combined use of 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, NK-1 receptor antagonist, and dexamethasone. Oral olanzapine (5 mg/day) was administered on day -1 prior to chemotherapy and continued for 7 days in combination with standard antiemetic regimen. The nausea control rate (grade 0-1) with olanzapine were evaluated. Results: The nausea control rate improved from 30% to 95% for the acute period, 0% to 95% for the delayed period, and 0% to 90% for the overall period. In each period, the nausea control rate improved significantly (p≤0.001). Grade 0-1 sleepiness was observed but there were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities. Conclusion: In this study, olanzapine combined with the standard antiemetic regimen had good antiemetic activity at both acute and delayed period in most of chemotherapy-naive patients receiving HEC. The efficacy of olanzapine suggested additional improvement in the control of severe CINV resistant to standard antiemetic regimen for HEC.

We performed surgical treatment for 21 patients of airway obstructions associated with congenital heart disease from December 1986 to March 1993. In all patients perioperative bronchoscopy demonstrated the cause and site of airway obstructions. Seven patients with corrective cardiac surgery (7/7), 7 with palliative cardiac surgery (7/10) and 2 with surgery for airway diseases (2/4) could be weaned from respirators following surgical treatment. Five patients died postoperatively. A respirator was required in 16 patients (76%) preoperatively. The suspension of pulmonary artery with intraoperative bronchoscopy was carried out in 6 patients. Five (5/6) were successfully extubated earlier postoperative day (mean 8.4 days), whereas only five in 10 patients without that procedure could be weaned from the respirator at a mean of 2 months. Identification of potential airway obstruction and early extubation is needed to reduce the mortality and morbidity caused by airway obstruction associated with congenital heart disease. Preoperative bronchoscopy is useful for diagnosis of airway obstructions and essential for decision making concerning surgical treatment. To early extubation in patients with marked airway obstructions, we recommend appropriate choice of the surgical procedure combined the suspension of pulmonary artery.

Seven children aged 3 to 14 years, underwent cardiac valve replacement with a St. Jude Medical valve prosthesis. In 4, the valve was placed in the aortic position, in 2 in the mitral position and in 1 in the aortic and mitral position. Three patients underwent Konno's procedure. We followed up them from 2.3 to 9.3 years (mean follow-up 6.0 years). There were no operative or hospital deaths. One patient died after delivery by caesarean section 9.3 years after the operation. All patients recieved warfarin and antiplatelet agents for postoperative anticoagulation and no thromboembolic or bleeding complications occured. All survivors did not need reoperation and they were in New York Heart Association functional class 1 without somatic growth retardation.