Role Of Medical Therapy Research Articles

Surgical Management and Role of Medical Therapy in Ruptured Aneurysmal Neurocysticercosis

We describe the case of an 80-year-old Hispanic male with an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to an inflammatory middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm rupture. Two years prior to this episode, the patient had undergone a resection of a left intracranial neurocysticercosis lesion. A current CT, CTA and MRI showed significant SAH, a left MCA aneurysm and a cystic lesion compatible with neurocysticercosis. Intraoperatively, this aneurysm was found to be adjacent to a neurocysticercosis cyst, a diagnosis confirmed by surgical pathology. Only a few cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to an inflammatory brain aneurysm have been reported. Due to the associated higher incidence of intraoperative rupture and difficulty clipping, our paper highlights the importance of considering an inflammatory origin in patients with a history of neurocysticercosis and subarachnoid hemorrhage. This is the oldest patient on record reported for this diagnosis and surgery.

Role of Medical Therapy in the Management of Nasal Polyps

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal and paranasal sinus mucosa that, despite differing hypotheses regarding its cause, remains poorly understood. Major symptoms are nasal congestion or blockage, loss of smell, rhinorrhea, postnasal drip, and facial pain or pressure. Among the objectives of CRSwNP management are to eradicate nasal polyps from nasal and sinusal cavities, eliminate symptoms, and prevent recurrences. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment and are the most effective drugs for treating CRSwNP. Other potential treatments are nasal saline irrigation and antihistamines (in allergic conditions). Endoscopic sinus surgery is recommended when medical treatment fails. After surgery, medical treatment, including nasal and oral corticosteroids, is recommended.

PPARγin Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is member of a family of nuclear receptors that interacts with nuclear proteins acting as coactivators and corepressors. The colon is a major tissue which expresses PPARγ in epithelial cells and, to a lesser degree, in macrophages and lymphocytes and plays a role in the regulation of intestinal inflammation. Indeed, both natural and synthetic PPARγ ligands have beneficial effects in different models of experimental colitis, with possible implication in the therapy of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This paper will specifically focus on potential role of PPARγ in the predisposition and physiopathology of IBD and will analyze its possible role in medical therapy.

The Evolving Role of Preoperative Testing in Vascular Surgery Patients

It has been traditionally recommended that candidates for vascular surgery receive noninvasive stress perfusion testing risk stratification to help decide which patients may benefit from coronary artery revascularization. Recent clinical trials have contested the efficacy of revascularization in this population as well as the information yield of noninvasive testing. This article reviews a number of these studies that are likely to change our beliefs regarding testing and subsequent interventions as well as evolving role of medical therapy in patients undergoing vascular surgery.

An introduction to aortic regurgitation

The valvular heart disease condition, aortic regurgitation, occurs as a result of an abnormality of the aortic valve or the aortic root, or a disease process that may affect both the valve and the aortic root. Aortic regurgitation can occur as either an acute severe problem or presentation or as a chronic problem and presentation. This article considers the pathophysiology and causes, progression and natural history of the disease process, clinical presentation and findings on examination and the diagnostic tests. Diagnostic tests per formed to confirm the diagnosis will be explored, including echocardiography, exercise tolerance testing, chest X-ray, and electrocardiogram. The role of medical therapy and surgical aortic valve replacement is also discussed.

Medical therapy in acute coronary syndromes: Which medicines and at what doses?

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) occurs when plaque rupture in a coronary artery is superimposed with thrombus formation. This accounts for 1.7 million hospital admissions in the United States annually and significant morbidity and mortality. Although there are advantages to an invasive approach to treating patients with ACS, the role of medical therapy is vital as an adjunctive treatment to reperfusion therapies and in stabilizing ruptured plaques and modifying the metabolic milieu that predisposes to plaque formation and rupture. This article reviews the most important drug classes for medical treatment of ACS patients, as well as optimal doses. This is an exciting time to be involved in the field of cardiovascular medicine, as we continue to see profound improvement from medical therapy in the morbidity and mortality associated with ACS.

Medical Marijuana: The Conflict Between Scientific Evidence and Political Ideology. Part Two of Two

In Part I of this article, I examined the role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in drug approval and then detailed the known risks of medical marijuana (any form of Cannabis sativa used—usually by smoking—to treat a wide variety of pathologic states and diseases). Part II of the article will begin by reviewing the benefits of Cannabis sativa as documented by well designed scientific studies that have been published in the peer-reviewed literature. I will then propose that ability of scientists to conduct impartial studies designed to answer the question of marijuana's role in medical therapy has been greatly hampered by political considerations. I will posit that in spite of the considerable efforts of policymakers, it is becoming apparent that marijuana's benefits should be weighed against its well-described risks. I will conclude that political advocacy is a poor substitute for dispassionate analysis and that neither popular votes nor congressional “findings” should be permitted to trump scientific evidence in deciding whether or not marijuana is an appropriate pharmaceutical agent to use in modern medical practice. Whether or not marijuana is accepted as a legitimate medical therapy should remain in the hands of the usual drug-approval process and that the statutory role of the Food and Drug Administration should be dispositive.

Which type of treatment is advisable in the prevention of recurrence after surgery in Crohnʼs disease?

P revention of recurrence after intestinal resection is a major goal in Crohn’s disease (CD) treatment. After complete resection of all the affected gut, endoscopic lesions reappear in 70%–90% of patients 1 year after surgery while, 10%–20% of patients have symptoms. Within 3 years 90% of those with endoscopic recurrence at 1 year are symptomatic. Some factors such as site and extent of disease, presence of perforating disease, smoking habit, and age of the patient can influence recurrence time, as well as the severity of symptoms. For patients who smoke, cessation significantly reduces postoperative recurrence. Several controlled trials have evaluated the role of medical therapy in CD recurrence prevention. A reduction in recurrence rates or in the severity of recurrence has been observed with aminosalicylates, nitroimidazole antibiotics, and immunosuppressive drugs.

An 82-Year-Old Woman With Worsening Hypertension

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is a common disorder in adults with atherosclerosis and is associated with hypertension, impaired renal function, congestive heart failure, and angina pectoris. The incidence of RAS is increasing because of the aging of the US population and increasing prevalence of atherosclerosis. The case of Mrs S, an 82-year-old woman with long-standing hypertension and unilateral RAS detected by magnetic resonance angiography, illustrates the challenges surrounding indications for revascularization. The discussion reviews the clinical presentation and natural history of RAS and strategies for diagnosis. The role of medical therapy, surgery, and endovascular therapy are reviewed, particularly in the context of guidelines and systematic reviews to help clinicians and patients facing this challenging decision.

Sudden Cardiac Death and the Role of Medical Therapy

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for more than 300,000 deaths annually in the United States. The goal of medical therapy in patients considered to be at high risk (coronary artery disease, post myocardial infarction, structural heart disease and congestive heart failure) involves treating the disease state as well prevention of potentially lethal arrhythmias. Treatment with angiotensin receptor inhibitors, beta blockers and statins has been shown to improve survival in this high risk group. The use of anti-arrhythmic drugs has been studied and found to lack efficacy and has potential for adverse effects. The role of omega-3 fatty acids in preventing sudden death continues to evolve.

Pharmacological management of Cushing's syndrome: an update

The treatment of choice for Cushing's syndrome remains surgical. The role for medical therapy is twofold. Firstly it is used to control hypercortisolaemia prior to surgery to optimize patient's preoperative state and secondly, it is used where surgery has failed and radiotherapy has not taken effect. The main drugs used inhibit steroidogenesis and include metyrapone, ketoconazole, and mitotane. Drugs targeting the hypothalamic-pituitary axis have been investigated but their roles in clinical practice remain limited although PPAR-gamma agonist and somatostatin analogue som-230 (pasireotide) need further investigation. The only drug acting at the periphery targeting the glucocorticoid receptor remains Mifepristone (RU486). The management of Cushing syndrome may well involve combination therapy acting at different pathways of hypercortisolaemia but monitoring of therapy will remain a challenge.

Current thinking on the management of the acromegalic patient

Although the concept that acromegaly is associated with heightened cardiovascular risk is not new, it has become apparent that there are a number of risk factors associated with this disease and that specific therapeutic modalities may have variable effects on these risk factors. In addition, it is important to understand the medical therapies available for acromegaly and their role in acromegaly management. Acromegaly is associated with heightened cardiovascular risk, including derangements in glucose homeostasis and lipids, but also in markers of vascular function. Recent studies have demonstrated treatment-specific effects on these markers. In addition, recent studies have detailed further the efficacy and safety of various therapeutic options, in particular that of pegvisomant, the growth hormone receptor antagonist. A role for medical therapy as primary, de-novo therapy has been considered and recent studies support such use. The goals of acromegaly therapy are to control excess growth hormone secretion and limit, if not reverse, the long-term medical consequences and risk of premature mortality associated with acromegaly. It is critical to control both the growth hormone hypersecretion and associated cardiovascular risk factors to prevent the associated risks of cardiovascular disease and enhanced mortality. Medical therapy has an important adjuvant role in the management of acromegaly and use of somatostatin analogs as first-line therapy for specific groups of patients should be considered.

Acute renal failure due to bilateral uric acid lithiasis in infants

Acute renal failure (ARF) is one of the complications of urolithiasis, but the role of medical treatment to relieve urinary obstruction in children with ARF is uncertain. We report on infants with acute obstructive uric acid lithiasis. We describe presentation features as well as diagnosis methods and medical treatment in five infants who were admitted to our institution with ARF due to uric acid lithiasis. The medical treatments for all patients were fluid liberalization, urine alkalinization, and oral allopurinol. Two children underwent urinary diversion. Within 8 h, urine output improved in all patients, and the stones passed spontaneously. All obstructed kidneys were relieved with medical treatment, and no renal sequel remained. So this series has showed a role of medical therapy in acute obstructive uric acid lithiasis.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

Since the last World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension in 2008, we have witnessed numerous and exciting developments in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Emerging clinical data and advances in technology have led to reinforcing and updated guidance on diagnostic approaches to pulmonary hypertension, guidelines that we hope will lead to better recognition and more timely diagnosis of CTEPH. We have new data on treatment practices across international boundaries as well as long-term outcomes for CTEPH patients treated with or without pulmonary endarterectomy. Furthermore, we have expanded data on alternative treatment options for select CTEPH patients, including data from multiple clinical trials of medical therapy, including 1 recent pivotal trial, and compelling case series of percutaneous pulmonary angioplasty. Lastly, we have garnered more experience, and on a larger international scale, with pulmonary endarterectomy, which is the treatment of choice for operable CTEPH. This report overviews and highlights these important interval developments as deliberated among our task force of CTEPH experts and presented at the 2013 World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension in Nice, France.

Medical and surgical treatment of chronic mitral regurgitation

Chronic severe mitral regurgitation is a progressive disease that can lead to left ventricular dysfunction. New information on the natural history of the disease, along with advances in surgical techniques, has changed the roles of medical and surgical therapies. There is no well-defined role for medical therapy in chronic mitral regurgitation. The goal of the treating physician is therefore to identify the optimal timing for surgical intervention. The timing of surgical intervention depends primarily on two factors: (i) clinical symptoms and (ii) the left ventricular response to volume overload. However, the aetiology of mitral regurgitation, the likelihood of surgical repair, the occurrence of atrial fibrillation and the presence of pulmonary hypertension, together with the haemodynamic response to exercise, are important factors in the optimal surgical timing. New concepts in the understanding of the natural history of the disease coupled with success of mitral repair have recently resulted in a widespread evolution towards earlier surgery.

Symptoms, diagnosis and endoscopic management of common bile duct stones

Bile duct stones (BDS) are often suspected on history and clinical examination alone but symptoms may be variable ranging from asymptomatic to complications such as biliary colic, pancreatitis, jaundice or cholangitis. The majority of BDS can be diagnosed by transabdominal ultrasound, computed tomography, endoscopic ultrasound or magnetic resonance cholangiography prior to endoscopic or laparoscopic removal. Approximately 90% of BDS can be removed following endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC)+sphincterotomy. Most of the remaining stones can be removed using mechanical lithotripsy. Patients with uncorrected coagulopathies may be treated with ERC+pneumatic dilatation of the sphincter of Oddi. Shockwave lithotripsy (intraductal and extracorporeal) and laser lithotripsy have also been used to fragment large bile duct stones prior to endoscopic removal. The role of medical therapy in treatment of BDS is currently uncertain. This review focuses on the clinical presentation, investigation and current management of BDS.

Role of medical therapy in the device era for the treatment of heart failure

Role of medical therapy in the device era for the treatment of heart failure

Role of Medical Therapy in the Management of Acromegaly

Medical therapy plays an important role in the management of patients with acromegaly and is commonly used adjunctively after surgical resection of the pituitary tumor. Generally, surgery alone provides a 50 to 70% rate of cure; however, the outcome depends on the experience and ability of the surgeon and the characteristics of the tumor. The role of postsurgical medical therapy is to achieve long-term biochemical control of the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis. In some patients, medical therapies may be implemented sooner as primary or preoperative therapy. Somatostatin analogs have been the mainstay of medical therapy for acromegaly. The somatostatin analog octreotide produces normalization of IGF-I in approximately 50% of patients but is associated with gastrointestinal adverse effects, including the development of gallstones. Octreotide requires thrice-daily subcutaneous administration. Long-acting formulations of somatostatin analogs (octreotide LAR, lanreotide) are at least as effective and as well tolerated as short-acting octreotide. Unfortunately, some patients are suboptimally responsive to or become intolerant of these agents. Pegvisomant belongs to a new class of agents known as GH-receptor antagonists. This novel agent competitively binds to the GH receptor, blocking IGF-I production. Pegvisomant is highly effective in achieving normal IGF-I concentrations and in reducing signs and symptoms of acromegaly, even in patients resistant to previous treatments. Pegvisomant has been proved safe and well tolerated and has no effect on gallbladder motility. GH levels remain elevated. Transient elevations in liver enzyme levels require monitoring but rarely necessitate termination of therapy. Normalizing IGF-I concentrations with pegvisomant also may have a beneficial effect on carbohydrate metabolism and cardiovascular risk.

The aging woman: the role of medical therapy

The growth of the postmenopausal population demands a change in the medical profession's approach to health and disease. Especially in the developed world, lifespan is increasing, and at the age of 60 the majority of women will still have at least 20 years to live. There will, therefore, be an increasing need for health programs that lead to more years of disability free life. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is but one example of the dilemmas medical therapy of the aging woman poses. In the sixties, estrogen was considered a wonder drug, effective for a multitude of postmenopausal problems and illnesses. Recent research has placed this notion into a more balanced perspective, emphasizing that every medical treatment should be based on evidence. It is therefore worrisome if the decline in the use of HRT is followed by an increased use of alternative medicine with mostly undocumented effects.

Immunoadsorption in systemic lupus erythematosus: different techniques and their current role in medical therapy.

In the last 30 years, several studies have documented the effect of plamapheresis and immunoadsorption in eliminating pathogenic autoantibodies (AB) and immune complexes (IC) from circulation of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, these extracorporeal therapies are still not accepted as first line options, which may be because of existing controlled studies failing to confirm any obvious benefit. Immunoadsorption offers some advantages compared with plasmapheresis, but until today only the avoidance of any substitution fluids has really been used. The new therapeutic options given by immunoadsorbers--a continuous application in acute disease states or chronic use instead of immunosuppressive drugs--have still to be evaluated in systemic autoimmune diseases. To date published studies of immunoadsorption in patients with SLE reveal good efficacy in a majority of patients combined with excellent biocompatibility. Randomized controlled trials are mandatory to give continued support to the therapeutic opportunities offered only by immunoadsorption; the limited number of patients suitable for this therapy necessitates multicentric cooperation.