BACKGROUND: There is little data on the association between the lower nutrition represented by serum albumin levels and related factors in a general population. The present study aimed to determine whether the albumin level positioned as some kind of biomarker with frailty measures, trace elements, and an inflammation marker. METHODS: In 2018, we performed an epidemiological survey in 1368 subjects who resided in Tanushimaru, Japan, in which we examined the blood chemistry including albumin, trace elements, hormone levels, and carotid ultrasonography. Albumin levels were categorized into 4 groups (G1 [3.2-3.9 mg/dL], G2 [4.0-4.3 mg/dL], G3 [4.4-4.6 mg/dL], and G4 [4.7-5.3 mg/dL]). The participants underwent measurements of handgrip strength and were tested by asking to walk 5 m. Their cognitive functions were evaluated by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). RESULTS: Multiple stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that albumin levels were significantly and independently associated with age (inversely), systolic blood pressures, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), MMSE score, frailty measures (handgrip strength), an inflammation marker (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), hormones (growth hormone (inversely) and insulin-like growth factor-1), and trace elements (calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc), with a linear trend. CONCLUSIONS Lower albumin levels, even in the normal range, were found to be related factors of frailty measures, trace elements, and an inflammation marker in a general population.
Aged ; Albumins/metabolism* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Frailty/physiopathology* ; Hand Strength/physiology* ; Humans ; Inflammation/blood* ; Japan ; Male ; Trace Elements/blood*

Case : A 75-year-old man was brought to our hospital by ambulance with dorsal pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed acute communicating aortic dissection (Stanford type B) complicated by an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSCA). Under a diagnosis of type B dissection, conservative treatment by hypotensive therapy and resting was performed. One month after onset, contrast-enhanced CT showed the expansion of the false lumen, and intermittent abdominal pain persisted. To close the entry of the distal arch and reconstruct the ARSCA route, right common carotid artery-right axillary artery bypass, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), and coil embolization of the ARSCA were performed. Five days after surgery, contrast-enhanced CT revealed the expansion of a false abdominal lumen. Abdominal endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) was additionally conducted, leading to the disappearance of false lumen blood flow. ARSCA is a congenital arch vessel abnormality. It may cause obstruction of the esophagus/trachea, aortic aneurysm/dissection of an adjacent area, or aneurysmal changes/rupture of the ARSCA. Various techniques have been reported ; reconstruction of the ARSCA route and closure of the false lumen by de-branch TEVAR may be effective for acute communicating aortic dissection with an ARSCA.

Primary cardiac lymphomas are rare cardiac neoplasms with poor prognoses. We report a 61-year-old man who presented with superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome. Trans-thoracic echocardiography showed a 77×91-mm mass occupying the right atrium. The tumor obstructed the SVC. The deteriorating hemodynamics of our patient prompted a surgical intervention. We resected as much of the tumor as possible under cardiopulmonary bypass. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the SVC syndrome disappeared. Pathological examination was consistent with malignant lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell type. After cardiac operation, the patient was treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamaide, adriamycin, vincristin, and prednisone (CHOP-R). The patient has been in good health for 30 months without signs of recurrence.

We report the case of a 55-year-old woman with aortitis syndrome. She was admitted to our hospital because of repeated chest pain and syncope. An electrocardiogram and the laboratory data suggested acute myocardial infarction, and coronary angiography showed severe bilateral coronary ostial stenosis. No valvular disease was observed. Aortitis syndrome was suspected because of the stenosis of the brachiocephalic artery in addition to the bilateral coronary ostial stenosis, while the patient did not have elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Coronary artery bypass grafting was performed, and the patient's postoperative course was uneventful. However, she again experienced chest pain 9 months after surgery due to aortic regurgitation (AR) and diffuse narrowing change of the left internal thoracic artery graft. Aortic valve replacement and Re-CABG was performed, and the patient was treated with steroid therapy postoperatively. The postoperative course was uneventful, but the patient thereafter died due to bleeding of a malignant adrenal tumor at 21 months after the second surgery.

A sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare cardiac disorder, and reports of it with an anomalous origin of the coronary artery are scarce. A 35-year-old male was admitted to our department with fatigue and cough. Multi-detector-row computer tomography (MDCT) revealed an isolated extracardiac right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm with an anomalous origin of the left circumflex artery (LCX) and total occlusion of the right coronary artery (RCA). Its diameter was about 70 mm. We performed a partial aortic root remodeling procedure with a trimmed J-graft because he had neither aortic regurgitation (AR) nor annuloaortic ectasia (AAE). Concomitantly, coronary artery bypass grafting to the RCA (Seg. 3) using a saphenous vein, and reconstruction of the LCX by Piehler's technique using a saphenous vein were added. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged on the 28th postoperative day. Postoperative MDCT revealed that the aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva was not enhanced, and the RCA and LCX were patent. This procedure preserved the patient's own normal aortic valve and sinus of Valsalva and enables him to have more physiologically normal hemodynamics than aortic root reconstruction using a composite graft, e.g. Bentall procedure, Cabrol procedure, although the potential progression of the AR requires careful follow-up.

A 69-year-old woman, who had undergone a right nephrectomy for renal tuberculosis in her teens, was admitted with a low grade fever, anorexia and progressive dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography showed cardiac tamponade and chest CT revealed an enlarged ascending aorta. She was treated with pericardiocentesis. Specimens of pericardial effusion failed to demonstrate any acid-fast bacilli, but they did reveal a high level of adnosine deaminase (72 IU/l). A diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis was considered, and antituberculous chemotherapy was started. However, he presented with severe back pain 32 days later and CT revealed type A acute aortic dissection. We therefore replaced the ascending aorta and aortic root. A histopathological examination of the ascending aorta revealed evidence of a granulomatous inflammatory reaction with Langhans giant cells. She thereafter received antituberculous chemotherapy with 4 drugs for 2 months, with continued rifampicin and isoniazid treatment. There was no evidence of any graft infection after 70 days.

A 52-year-old man suffered from rupture of a right aortic arch and a descending aortic aneurysm. The patient was treated with an open stent grafting technique, and complete revascularization was achieved. Twelve days after the operation, a computed tomographic scan revealed a fistula between the distal esophagus and the excluded aneurysm sac. Twenty-six days later, the patient was treated by an esophagectomy, a cervical esophagogastrostomy, as well as a feeding jejunostomy. The infectious parietal thrombus was partially debrided, and the aneurysm sac was filled with omentum. The patient recovered uneventfully. The patient has been followed for 18 months with no signs of infection.

A 59-year-old woman with a history of pulmonary and cardiac sarcoidosis was admitted to our hospital because of acute femoral artery occlusive diseases. Preoperative echocardiography showed diffuse hypokinesis and biventricular tumors. Transesophageal echocardiography revaealed mobile biventricular tumors. The tumors which consisted of organized thrombi were successfully excised. She was discharged 23 days after surgery. This suggested that hypokinesis accompanying cardiac sarcoidosis caused the biventricular thrombi.

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (RAAA) can be lethal unless appropriate diagnosis and immediate repair are made. Since advanced age is a surgical risk, however, octogenarians are considered as poorer candidates for elective surgical intervention before rupture. The aims of this study were to clarify the problems and factors that are associated with mortality from RAAA in elderly patients. A retrospective study of all infrarenal RAAA patients (n=126) who presented at our center between 1985 and 2003 is presented. The patients were classified into 2 groups, Group O included 37 RAAA patients (male:female=22:15) aged 80 years old or over, and Group Y included 89 RAAA patients (male:female=70:19) under 80 years old. We analyzed and compared preoperative, operative, and postoperative states between groups. The percentage of cardiopulmonary arrests (CPA) was significantly higher in Group O (14/37, 38%) than in Group Y (24/89, 27%). The other preoperative factors (time to reach hospital, time in shock, blood pressure, base excess, hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, aneurysmal size) were not significantly different between the groups. The operative factors (operation time, aortic clamp time, the amounts of urine output and bleeding during the operation) were not significantly different between the groups. The rates of postoperative complications did not significantly differ between the groups. In a comparison of all cases, including patients with CPA, the survival rate was significantly lower in Group O (14/37, 37.8%) compared with Group Y (55/89, 61.8%). On the other hand, for the patients who underwent prosthetic graft replacement, the survival rate was equivalent in Group O (14/18, 77.8%) and Group Y (55/75, 73.3%). The mortality rate and percentage of CPA in Group O were significantly higher than in Group Y although the preoperative, operative and postoperative statistics are not significantly different. For patients who undergo prosthetic graft replacement, the survival rate is equivalent. These findings suggest that octogenarian patients cannot withstand the hypovolemic shock that is due to RAAA. We recommend elective operation before rupture in elderly patients with AAA.

Patients on chronic hemodialysis, undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have high perioperative mortality and morbidity. In order to reduce the perioperative risks, we performed intraoperative hemodiafiltration (HDF) during off-pump CABG (OPCAB). A 62 year-old-man, who had been on dialysis for 2 years, was admitted with a sensation of chest compression. A coronary angiography revealed 75% stenosis with severe calcification in the left anterior descending artery and 90% stenosis in the second diagonal branch. During the operation, veno-venous HDF was started, using a double lumen catheter that was introduced into the femoral vein at the same time that a skin incision was made. During the exposure of the diagonal branch by rotating the heart, the blood flow of HDF was decreased and dehydration was halted to avoid hemodynamic deterioration. The patient was extubated 1.5h after the operation and did not require continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Routine hemodialysis was restarted on the 3rd postoperative day. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged to home on the 11th postoperative day. HDF during OPCAB for this chronic dialysis patient was observed to be effective and yielded an excellent postoperative recovery without CHDF in the ICU.