Abstract: Median arcuate ligament syndrome is considered as rare syndrome manifested by variety of symptoms. Aim of the Work: To assess the presence of asymptomatic patients showing the typical color duplex ultrasound and CT angiographic features of MAL syndrome and the impact of these findings on the pathogenesis and management of the syndrome. Material and Methods: 200 asymptomatic patients were examined with color duplex ultrasound and further CT angiography was performed to all patients with color duplex findings of arcuate ligament syndrome. Results: 8 patients showed typical color duplex findings and CT angiographic features of MALS. Conclusion: The diagnosis of MAL syndrome shouldn't depend only on the imaging criteria and should be strongly linked to the unexplained patient symptoms after meticulous exclusion of other etiologies. The management shouldn’t depend only on relieving the arterial stenosis but also on dissection of peri arterial nerve plexus.

Abstract: Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been introduced as a promising therapeutic choice in heart failure patients (HF) with ventricular dyssynchrony, shown with a wide QRS. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CRT on the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR) quantitatively using the volumetric Doppler method in HF patients. Patients and methods: This was a prospective before-after survey in which 22 HF patients with wide QRS (≥120 ms) and NYHA class III who were included. All patients were evaluated initially for QRS width, NYHA class, MR volume, MR fraction HF and mitral valve area (MV area). Biventricular pacing was done through cardiac-resynchronization device along with three pacing leads and same evaluations were done after CRT. Results: The mean (SD) QRS width and NYHA class were significantly decreased after CRT in HF patients (P<0.001). Also MR volume (46.9±30.2cc vs. 27.0±26.4cc, P<0.001) and fraction (40.1±25.5% vs. 26.8±22.7%, P=0.002) were improved following CRT. The decrease of MV area after CRT was also significant (10.6±3.0cm² vs. 8.6±2.6cm², P<0.001). Conclusion: As MR is associated with morbidity and mortality in HF patients and the standard surgical therapy may not be practical for a majority of them, this novel treatment may improve their disease condition significantly.

Abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia, and patients frequently visit emergency departments, where the condition might be diagnosed for the first time. An analysis of factors that might lead a chronic patient to seek urgent medical treatment is important, especially in terms of preventing long-term disability and morbidity. This is even truer for atrial fibrillations, whose complications have a known notoriety and are source of important mortality figures, mainly related to ischemic stroke or more serious consequential cardiac arrhythmias. We have studied paroxysmal AF cases treated during a period of two months in an emergency facility of the University Hospital Centre of Tirana, with 106 patients recruited sequentially in a prospective, open-label and descriptive study. Our data confirmed an important association between overweight and obesity and paroxysmal AF in general, since more than 80% of the patients suffering from this condition had a high body mass index. A thorough discussion of the data, confronted with much larger studies reported from several sources and available actually, is made at the end of the paper. The necessity to re-confirm findings through larger groups of study and through a multi-centre design is formulated.

Abstract: Metabolic syndrome is a term, which refers to a combination of medical disorders that are associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The syndrome is more common in female than males. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among patients with cardiovascular diseases in Gaza and to examine the association between traditional risk factors for the non-communicable diseases and each of the component of the metabolic syndrome. We used the Adult Treatment Protocol III National cholesterol Education Programme of America (ATPIII) indicators for diagnosis and determination of metabolic syndrome. The syndrome was met if an individual had three or more criteria: waist circumference >102cm in men and >88cm in women, fasting plasma glucose ≥110mg/dl, Blood pressure ≥130/85mmhg, serum Triglycerides ≥150mg/dl and serum HDL cholesterol <40mg/dl in male and <50mg/dl in female. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 59.5%, without difference between male and female. The main risk factors for metabolic syndrome were high blood pressure (78.8% for systolic and 73.8% for diastolic Blood Pressure), large waist circumference (67.9%), high Triglycerides (78.6%), and high fasting blood sugar (86.4%). HDL cholesterol was protective but not statistically significant. The risk factors of metabolic syndrome in both sexes in descending order were as follows, high fasting blood sugar, large waist circumference, high Triglycerides, high Blood Pressure, and low HDL cholesterol. We conclude that high level of prevalence of metabolic syndrome in our study population indicates the need for an active health programme to reduce the factors influencing the prevalence. Therefore, preventive interventions must be taken seriously.

Abstract: Background: Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is a major cause of death all over the world. Among patients with coronary artery disease, there are different cardiovascular risk factors which may exhibit their effects on coronary angiographic findings. This work aimed to study the relation of different cardiovascular risk factors with coronary angiographic findings in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Methods: This case-series prospective study involved 220 patients with IHD who underwent coronary angiography in Mosul Cardiac Catheterization Unit in Ibn-Sina Teaching Hospital over a period of five months from April 1^st through August 31^st 2006. Patients with different coronary risk factors including smoking, positive family history of IHD, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension (HT), dyslipidemia, obesity and physical inactivity who presented with IHD were categorized and compared according to presentations into; ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) ( n = 72), Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and/or unstable angina (n = 98) and chronic stable angina (n = 50) and then the patients were re-grouped according to the number of cardiovascular risk factors into patients with < 3 risk factors (n = 125) vs. those with > 3 risk factors (n = 95). Results: There were significant associations between the risk factors and the angiographic characteristics in patients with IHD. There were more significantly stenosed lesions among patients with > 3 risk factors compared to patients with < 3 risk factors (p < 0.05). Lesions were more diffused (p < 0.01), with higher incidence of left ventricular dysfunction (p < 0.001) among former patients compared to later ones. Conclusions: Significant findings were observed in the angiographic profile of patients with multiple risk factors. There were more multi-vessels and diffused angiographic findings among patients with chronic stable angina.

Abstract: Background: Aortic valve stenosis causes gradual obstruction to left ventricular outflow tract. It is a common valvular disease that carries many life threatening complications. We hypothesized that the reduction or elimination of the pressure gradient across the aortic valve after correction of the stenotic lesion would lead to regression of left ventricular mass and improve left ventricular functions. Aim of the work is to assess the effectiveness of the correction and factors controlling these changes in left ventricular mass index and functions. Methods: preoperative and postoperative Electro-cardiography and echocardiography were performed for all patients. The corrective procedures included aortic valve replacement, balloon aortic valvuloplasty and open valve repair. Results: Sixty patients had correction of aortic valve stenosis (44 males, 16 females). ECG score preoperatively ranged between3 and 9 with a mean of 6 ± 1.63. Postoperatively, it ranged between 0 and 6 and mean of 3 ± 0.7. The mean LVED/BSA was reduced from 32.52 preoperatively to 30.41 postoperatively. The mean interventricular septal thickness index was reduced by 1.03. The mean left ventricular posterior wall thickness index was reduced by 0.99. Mean left ventricular mass index was reduced by 31.86 gm. The mean ejection fraction increased by 6.45. Mean trans-aortic peak gradient was reduced by 41.36 mmHg. Conclusions: Correction of aortic valve stenosis improves systolic and diastolic left ventricular function and a reduction in left ventricular mass index. Aortic root enlargement procedures can be safely avoided.

Abstract: Chronic anemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases outcome in patients with heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy and uncontrolled hypertension. This study was performed to analyze the prevalence of anemia among cardiac patients and to determine the relationship between anemia and socio demographic characteristics. The study design is a cross sectional based on 300 cardiac patients ( ≥ 19 years) who were hospitalized in ALShifa hospital (Gaza) for 3 months period during the year 2012. The analysis includes socio demographic data, traditional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and Laboratory test included (hemoglobin and clearance creatinine measurement). Collected data was analyzed by using statistical package for social science version 20.0. Anemia was defined as Hemoglobin less than < 12 g/dl in female and less than 13 g/dl in male based on World health organization criteria. Among 300 patients, 181patients (60.3%) were anemic and 119 (39.7%) were non-anemic. The mean age for all population was 61.4 years. Mean age of patients with anemia tends to be higher (63.9 years) than non-anemic (57.7 years) and the differences between the two means reached statistical significant level (P value < 0.001). Anemia was more common in female (71.4%), older age (71.1%), diabetics (70%), impaired clearance creatinine (70%), hypertensive’s (65%) and low education level (64.5%). The highest proportion belonged to valvular heart disease (77.8%), congestive heart failure (74.6%) followed by hypertension (54%), and the lowest is coronary artery disease (46%). Logistic regression reveals that low education, low clearance creatinine level, smoking and diabetes are independently associated with anemia. We conclude that Anemia is common among cardiovascular disease patients, and worsens the prognosis of their clinical condition. Intervention policies to minimize anemia risk factors are needed.

Abstract: In the treatment of heart failure, clinical signs are low cardiac output, therapy with positive inotropic agents in an acute cardiac care is mandatory. Three classes of inotropic drugs are currently used, including beta-adrenergic agonists (especially dobutamine), phosphodiesterase inhibitors (such as milrinone) and the recently developed calcium sensitizers such as levosimendan. The classic inotropic drugs offer short-term haemodynamic enhancement in heart failure patient and their use has been connected with poor prognosis. The inotropic drugs, the Ca²⁺-sensitizers, may offer a choice of long-lasting result.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To compare between mistletoe(Viscum album) and bleomycin as chemical agents for pleurodesis in malignant pleural effusions. METHODS: In this study 50 patients with pathologically confirmed, symptomatic, malignant pleural effusion irrespective of the primary tumor were studied at Suez Canal University hospital in the period of 3 years from January 2009 to December 2012. Patients were divided into 2 groups; 25 patients each: group A(pleurodesis with Mistletoe using 100mg – 5 ampoules-repeated two or three times, injected every other day) and group B(pleurodesis with Bleomycin1 iu/kg average-4 ampoules-or maximally 60 units). follow-up included postero-anterior and lateral chest radiography done after one week, month and 3 months. RESULTS: Most of the patients among both groups show complete remission defined as no effusion detected within four weeks of pleurodesis (72% and 56% among bleomycin and Viscum groups respectively). Significant difference was found between both groups. Recurrences were more frequent among group A (20% versus 8% in group B), P < 0.05. Hospital stay was shorter in the bleomycin group of patients, with a mean of (6.2) day. CONCLUSION: Both bleomycin and Viscum album are effective and safe agents for chemical pleurodesis, however bleomycin has some advantages over Viscum album due to its lower incidence of failure, and being more economic and for the shorter hospital stay.

Abstract: Coronary artery disease risk factors are increasing worldwide, the increase is more prominent among young women due to increase of unfavorable coronary risk factors mainly related to increase in Body mass index rates(BMI). Coronary events predominate in obese women with other associated coronary risk factors. Increase BMI increases risk of fatal or non-fatal coronary events 1.5 to 3 times. Our study aimed to identify risk factors for coronary artery disease among obese and overweight Palestinian women, to plan for interventions policies. The study design is an observational based on 500 overweight and obese women (BMI greater than or equal 25 kg/m²). Coronary angiography was performed for all the study population, and revealed 250 patients with approved CAD, the rest of the study population consist of 250 cases with normal coronary. Socio demographic data, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, blood glucose, hemoglobin and clearance creatinine measurement were collected. We excluded all patients with history of prior cardiac surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0. Our findings indicate that the mean age for cases is (63.5 ±8.7) vs. (58.2±9.8) for control and the difference is statically significant (Pvalue= 0.001). Other risk factors include rise of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, high blood sugar and impaired clearance creatinine are present in overweight and obese women with documented coronary artery disease. Regression analysis shows that advancing ages, and diabetes, are the main factors for development of coronary artery disease in obese women. Conclusion: Diabetes Mellitus is the major risk factor for the development of CAD and measures to control diabetes will minimize the chances of CAD among overweight and obese women in Palestine.