Transcatheter renal denervation therapy for hypertension has undergone development over a decade,a considerable amount of clinical research evidences have been accumulated.There are different devices developed based on the radio frequency,ultrasound,chemistry,and cryoablation techniques and selection of ablation targets has been optimized gradually.Transcatheter renal denervation may become an important treatment option for hypertension in the future.This article aims to systematically elucidate the technical principles,clinical evidence of transcatheter renal denervation results with different devices,the limitations,and prospects for application of various denervation techniques.

Middle aortic syndrome(MAS)is a rare aortic disease characterized by primary or secondary factors leading to localized or diffuse narrowing of the middle segment of the aorta,which often involves the primary branches of the middle segment of the aorta,resulting in clinical manifestations such as severe hypertension and intermittent claudication.This article reviewed the current research status and advances in the diagnosis and treatment of MAS.

Middle aortic syndrome(MAS)is a rare aortic disease characterized by primary or secondary factors leading to localized or diffuse narrowing of the middle segment of the aorta,which often involves the primary branches of the middle segment of the aorta,resulting in clinical manifestations such as severe hypertension and intermittent claudication.This article reviewed the current research status and advances in the diagnosis and treatment of MAS.

Transcatheter renal denervation therapy for hypertension has undergone development over a decade,a considerable amount of clinical research evidences have been accumulated.There are different devices developed based on the radio frequency,ultrasound,chemistry,and cryoablation techniques and selection of ablation targets has been optimized gradually.Transcatheter renal denervation may become an important treatment option for hypertension in the future.This article aims to systematically elucidate the technical principles,clinical evidence of transcatheter renal denervation results with different devices,the limitations,and prospects for application of various denervation techniques.

Seasonal variations in ambient temperature are associated with fluctuations in blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease.This article provides a comprehensive review regarding the impact of ambient temperature on blood pressure,elucidates its underlying mechanisms,explores the relationship between temperature and blood pressure changes,as well as cardiovascular prognosis,and proposes management strategies for controlling blood pressure fluctuations related to temperature in patients with hypertension.Understanding the interrelationship between temperature and blood pressure changes might provide valuable insights for the decision making of improved diagnosis and treatment strategy for patients with hypertension.

Objectives:To evaluate the safety and feasibility of simultaneous bilateral adrenal vein sampling(AVS)via the basilic vein approach. Methods:21 consecutive patients with primary aldosteronism(PA)who underwent simultaneous bilateral AVS via the basilic vein in Fuwai Hospital between July 2023 and November 2023 were enrolled in this study.The puncture site,catheter used in AVS,operation time,fluoroscopy time,contrast agent dosages,success rate of bilateral sampling,adverse events,and complications were recorded and analyzed.Successful sampling was determined by a selectivity index(cortisol in the adrenal vein/cortisol in inferior vena cava)greater than or equal to 2. Results:The average age of 21 patients was(49.3±7.7)years,with 13 male patients.The first 5F sheath was successfully inserted into the right basilic vein in all patients,the second 5F sheath insertion failed in two patients and switched to the ipsilateral cephalic vein approach.The 5F MPA1 catheter was inserted into the right adrenal vein and the 5F TIG catheter into the left adrenal vein in all patients.Operation time was 17.50(12.00,22.00)min,fluoroscopy time was 5.90(4.75,10.55)min,and contrast agent dosage was 25.00(25.00,35.00)ml.Bilateral AVS was successful in all patients.Two patients experienced adverse events,one case was catheter entanglement,which resulted in 5F TIG catheter slipped from adrenal vein,and another case was vascular spasm.No complications were recorded. Conclusions:Simultaneous bilateral AVS via basilic vein approach is safe and feasible in most PA patients,further researches with larger patient cohort are needed to validate the results from this study.

Objectives:To investigate long-term clinical outcomes of renal denervation(RDN)for the treatment of resistant hypertension. Methods:This study retrospectively enrolled 58 patients with resistant hypertension who received RDN treatment via femoral artery approach at Fuwai Hospital between February 2012 and November 2019.Follow up was performed at 1,3,6 months,1 year,and annually after RDN,and the last follow-up was June 2023.The baseline data and postoperative follow-up data including office blood pressure,24-hour mean blood pressure and heart rate,types and load of antihypertensive drugs,renal function,and major adverse events(including renal artery stenosis,acute myocardial infarction,stroke,cardiovascular death,and all-cause death)were obtained and analyzed.The impact of RDN on 10-year cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events was evaluated using the Framingham risk assessment model and the Chinese model. Results:A total of 58 patients were enrolled,with 1 patient(1.72%)died from lung cancer.Forty-one patients(70.69%)were visited in the last follow-up and the average follow-up time was(10.21±1.75)years.Compared with baseline,the office systolic/diastolic blood pressure was decreased by(12.59±21.65)/(9.87±14.27)mmHg(P<0.01,1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),24-hour mean systolic/diastolic blood pressure reduced by(11.28±15.33)/(7.94±12.29)mmHg(P<0.01),24-hour mean heart rate reduced by(2.45±9.46)bpm(P>0.05),the types of antihypertensive drugs decreased by 1.17±2.25(P<0.01),the drug load reduced by 1.45±2.37(P<0.001),and the estimated glomerular filtration rate decreased by(6.83±18.37)ml/(min·1.73 m2)(P<0.05)at the last follow-up.The impact of RDN on 10-year cardiovascular events and stroke risk was as follows:Framingham risk assessment showed an absolute risk decrease of 14.25%and 2.12%,respectively,and decreased by 5.72%and 17.46%using the Chinese cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk assessment. Conclusions:This study showed that RDN could significantly reduce blood pressure levels in patients with resistant hypertension in the long-term follow up,and was expected to further reduce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics and therapeutic efficacy of central nervous system (CNS) aspergillosis.Methods:The clinical manifestations, laboratory examination, neuroimaging features, treatment and prognosis of 37 cases of CNS aspergillosis diagnosed and treated in the First Medical Center of People′s Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2000 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the correlation between intracranial lesions and paranasal sinus lesions, they were divided into two groups: rhino-cerebral aspergillosis (RA, n=21) group and cerebral aspergillosis (CA, n=16) group. Results:Only 16.2% (6/37) of CNS aspergillosis patients had a clear background of immunosuppression, but 35.1% (13/37) were complicated with diabetes. The most common clinical manifestations were headache (73.0%, 27/37), cranial nerve involvement (59.5%, 22/37) and fever (37.8%, 14/37). Cerebrospinal fluid characteristics included increased pressure (53.8%, 14/26), increased white blood cell count (46.7%, 14/30), decreased glucose (30.0%, 9/30), increased protein (70.0%, 21/30), and high positive results of the metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of pathogenic microorganism (7/10). Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed that commonly involved sites were sinus, orbital apex, posterior orbit, cavernous sinus (43.2%, 16/37) and cerebral lobes (27.0%, 10/37). Treatment options included antifungal drugs alone (64.9%, 24/37), combination of drugs and surgery (27.0%, 10/37) and surgery alone (8.1%, 3/37). Compared with the CA group, RA group had fewer males [47.6% (10/21) vs 14/16, χ2=6.34, P=0.012] and older age [(54.2±19.4) years vs (38.4±18.4) years, t=2.50, P=0.017], and was more prone to headache [85.7% (18/21) vs 9/16, χ2=4.00, P=0.046) and cranial nerve involvement [81.0% (17/21) vs 5/16, χ 2=9.31, P=0.006]. The misdiagnosis rate of these patients in the early stage was 73.0% (27/37). A total of 29 patients (85.3%, 29/34) were treated with voriconazole successively, and the course of treatment was 3.0 (0.5, 10.4) months. Compared with salvage therapy, the mortality of primary therapy was lower (4/17 vs 9/12, χ2=7.54, P=0.006). All patients were followed up to December 2021, and 17 patients died, with a mortality rate of 45.9% (17/37). Conclusions:CNS aspergillosis may have no definite immunosuppressive background. Some of CNS aspergillosis patients are complicated with diabetes, and the clinical manifestations of the disease lack specificity, with high misdiagnosis rate in the early stage, no inflammatory changes in cerebrospinal fluid, and high positive rate of mNGS for pathogenic microorganism. Early and long-term application of voriconazole can significantly reduce the mortality rate.

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and summarize the experience on the diagnosis and treatment of aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis in pediatric patients. Methods: This study was a retrospective study. Five pediatric patients diagnosed as aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis in Fuwai Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to August 2018 were included. The clinical features, methods of examination, treatment and outcome were analyzed. Results: There were 2 male and 3 female patients in this cohort. The age of onset ranged from 10 to 13 years. The main clinical symptoms were as follows: intermittent claudication and hypertension (5 patients), heart failure (3 patients). Three patients with heart failure were misdiagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in other hospitals. Except 1 patient died due to disease aggravation before operation, the other 4 patients received interventional therapy for severe heart failure or refractory hypertension on the basis of hormone anti-inflammatory treatment, including 2 patients treated with aortic balloon dilatation and 2 patients treated with aortic balloon dilatation and stent implantation. In post-operational follow-up, clinical symptoms and laboratory examination values of the 4 patients treated with interventional therapy were significantly improved. Conclusions The clinical symptoms of pediatric patients with aortic stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis mainly present with intermittent claudication, hypertension and heart failure. Aortic intervention strategy should be applied for pediatric patients with severe heart failure or refractory hypertension as early as possible.