A comparative study on fatty acid profile in selected vessels of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

Atherosclerosis is one of the leading non-communicable diseases in Sri Lanka. Analysis of fatty acid composition in blood vessels is important in understanding the development of atherosclerosis. Here, analyses of fatty acid profiles in major arteries which are commonly used in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery (CABG) were subjected to investigation. Patients (n = 27) undergoing elective CABG were enrolled in the study. A small biopsy segment of the saphenous vein (SV), radial artery (RA), and left internal mammary artery (LIMA) of patients was obtained during the surgery. The fatty acid (FA) profile of tissue samples was analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS). Among the different arteries tested, palmitic acid and stearic acid were the predominant fatty acids. As far as monounsaturated FA (MUFA) are concerned, oleic acid was found to be the most abundant MUFA in vessels. The FA profile of LIMA samples had a higher SFA percentage and lower unsaturated FA percentage compared to other vessels. Furthermore, the vessel samples of RA indicated the highest percentage of pro-inflammatory ω -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as well as a higher percentage ratio between ω -6: ω -3 PUFA. The fatty acid composition and ω -6: ω -3 PUFA ratio suggests that LIMA graft is preferred for CABG over RA and SV.

A rare presentation of an acute abdomen: an ileal diverticular perforation

Background

This case report highlights the value of prompt intervention of diagnostic laparoscopy in a patient suspects of having an acute abdomen due to an intestinal perforation, where there is a limitation of performing Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography of abdomen. A previously healthy young adult presenting with an acute abdomen due to a spontaneous ileal perforation, without any associated risk factors is a rare clinical entity in a developing country. Therefore, entertaining an early diagnosis will possibly prevent a fatal consequence.

Case presentation

A male patient, 29 years old, recently diagnosed as a young hypertensive without any associated factors, currently on antihypertensive treatment, was admitted to our hospital presenting with an acute severe abdominal pain. During initial assessment, the patient was febrile (101 °F), ill looking, tachycardic (pulse rate 121 bpm) with rapid shallow breathing. Abdominal examination reviled diffuse guarding and rigidity, more severe on right iliac fossa. Following history and clinical examination probable clinical diagnosis was made as an acute appendicitis with perforation. However, ultrasonography was found to have normal appendix. Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography was not performed as a subsequent investigation because of the impairment of renal functions of this patient. Though, non-contrast CT would have been ascertained more diagnostic yield, given the critically ill status of this patient we decided to perform urgent diagnostic laparoscopy. It reviled pus in several abdominal cavities and dense adhesions. Therefore, the procedure was converted to a laparotomy and found to have an ileal perforation with diffuse peritoneal contamination. Diseased ileal segment was resected and anastomosed. Followed by peritoneal lavage.

Conclusion

Ileal perforation due to diverticular disease in a healthy young adult is rare. This case report highlights the importance of considering this clinical entity as a differential diagnosis, the value of early diagnostic laparoscopy, especially in clinical settings with limitations to CT scan, since late diagnosis can give rise to fatal outcome.

Idiopathic pancreatitis is a consequence of an altering spectrum of bile nucleation time

BACKGROUND

The pathogenesis of idiopathic pancreatitis (IP) remains poorly understood. Our hypothesis is that IP is a sequel of micro-crystallization of hepatic bile.

METHODS

A prospective case control study compared 55 patients; symptomatic cholelithiasis - 30 (14 male, median age 36 years; mean BMI - 25.1 kg/m2), gallstone pancreatitis - 9 (3 male, median age 35 years; mean BMI - 24.86 kg/m2 ) and IP - 16 (9 male, median age 34 years; mean BMI -23.34 kg/m2) with 30 controls (15 male, median age 38 years; mean BMI = 24.5 kg/m2) undergoing laparotomy for conditions not related to the gall bladder and bile duct. Ultrafiltered bile from the common hepatic duct in patients and controls was incubated in anaerobic conditions and examined by polarized light microscopy to assess bile nucleation time (NT). In the analysis, the mean NT of patients with gallstones and gallstone pancreatitis was taken as a cumulative mean NT for those with established gallstone disease (EGD).

RESULTS

Patients were similar to controls. Mean NT in all groups of patients was significantly shorter than controls (EGD cumulative mean NT, 1.73 +/- 0.2 days vs. controls, 12.74 +/- 0.4 days, P = 0.001 and IP patients mean NT, 3.1 +/- 0.24 days vs. controls, 12.74 +/- 0.4 days, P = 0.001). However, NT in those with IP was longer compared with those with EGD (mean NT in IP, 3.1 +/- 0.24 days vs. cumulative mean in EGD: 1.73 +/- 0.2 days, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Nucleation time of bile in patients with IP is abnormal and is intermediate to nucleation time of lithogenic bile at one end of the spectrum of lithogenicity and non-lithogenic bile, at the other end.

Biliary microlithiasis, sludge, crystals, microcrystallization, and usefulness of assessment of nucleation time

BACKGROUND

The process of microcrystallization, its sequel and the assessment of nucleation time is ignored. This systematic review aimed to highlight the importance of biliary microlithiasis, sludge, and crystals, and their association with gallstones, unexplained biliary pain, idiopathic pancreatitis, and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

DATA SOURCES

Three reviewers performed a literature search of the PubMed database. Key words used were "biliary microlithiasis", "biliary sludge", "bile crystals", "cholesterol crystallisation", "bile microscopy", "microcrystal formation of bile", "cholesterol monohydrate crystals", "nucleation time of cholesterol", "gallstone formation", "sphincter of Oddi dysfunction" and "idiopathic pancreatitis". Additional articles were sourced from references within the studies from the PubMed search.

RESULTS

We found that biliary microcrystals account for almost all patients with gallstone disease, 7% to 79% with idiopathic pancreatitis, 83% with unexplained biliary pain, and 25% to 60% with altered biliary and pancreatic sphincter function. Overall, the detection of biliary microcrystals in gallstone disease has a sensitivity ranging from 55% to 87% and a specificity of 100%. In idiopathic pancreatitis, the presence of microcrystals ranges from 47% to 90%. A nucleation time less than 10 days in hepatic bile or ultra-filtered gallbladder bile has a specificity of 100% for cholesterol gallstone disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Biliary crystals are associated with gallstone disease, idiopathic pancreatitis, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, unexplained biliary pain, and post-cholecystectomy biliary pain. Pathways of cholesterol super-saturation, crystallisation, and gallstone formation have been described with scientific support. Bile microscopy is a useful method to detect microcrystals and the assessment of nucleation time is a good method of predicting the risk of cholesterol crystallisation.

Microbiology of gallbladder bile in uncomplicated symptomatic cholelithiasis

BACKGROUND

Few studies have assessed microflora and their antibiotic sensitivity in normal bile and lithogenic bile with different types of gallstones.

METHODS

We performed a case control study of 70 bile samples (35 cholesterol and 35 pigment stones from 51 females and 19 males, aged 21-72 years with a median age of 37 years) from patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for uncomplicated cholelithiasis, and 20 controls (14 females and 6 males, aged 33-70 years with a median age of 38 years) who underwent laparotomy and had no gallbladder stone shown by ultrasound scan. The bile samples were aerobically cultured to assess microflora and their antibiotic susceptibility. The procedures were undertaken under sterile conditions.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight (54%) of the 70 patients with gallstones had bacterial isolates. Nine isolates (26%) were from cholesterol stone-containing bile and 29 isolates (82%) from pigment stone-containing bile (P=0.01, t test). Twenty-eight of these 38 (74%) bile samples were shown positive only after enrichment in brain heart infusion medium (BHI) (P=0.02, t test). The overall bacterial isolates from bile samples revealed E. coli predominantly, followed by P. aeruginosa, Enterococcus spp., Klebsiella spp. and S. epidermidis. There were no bacterial isolates in the bile of controls after either direct inoculation or enrichment in BHI.

CONCLUSIONS

Bacterial isolates were found in pigment stone-containing bile. Non-lithogenic bile revealed no bacteria, showing an association between gallstone formation and the presence of bacteria in bile. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns of isolated organisms were similar irrespective of the type of stone.

Hepaticocystic duct and a rare extra-hepatic "cruciate" arterial anastomosis: a case report

INTRODUCTION

The variations in the morphological characteristics of the extra-hepatic biliary system are interesting.

CASE PRESENTATION

During the dissection of cadavers to study the morphological characteristics of the extra-hepatic biliary system, a 46-year-old male cadaver was found to have drainage of the common hepatic duct drains directly into the gall bladder neck. The right and left hepatic ducts were not seen extra-hepatically. Further drainage of the bile away from the gallbladder and into the duodenum was provided by the cystic duct. Formation of the common bile duct by the union of the common hepatic duct and cystic duct was absent. Further more the right hepatic artery was found to be communicating with the left hepatic artery by a "bridging artery" after giving rise to the cystic artery. An accessory hepatic artery originated from the "bridging artery" forming a "cruciate" hepatic arterial anastomosis.

CONCLUSION

Combination of a Hepaticocystic duct and an aberrant variation in the extra-hepatic arterial system is extremely rare.