Sex differences in the incidence of varicose veins have been suggested; however, the venous mechanisms involved are unclear. We hypothesized sex-related differences in venous function and underlying distinctions in intracellular free calcium, [Ca(2+)](i), signaling and Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms of venous contraction. Circular segments of inferior vena cava (IVC) from male and female Sprague-D...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVC) as induction treatment for lupus nephritis (LN), by race, ethnicity and geographical region. METHODS A total of 370 patients with active Class III-V LN received MMF (target dose 3.0 g/day) or IVC (0.5-1.0 g/m(2)/month), plus tapered prednisone, for 24 weeks. Renal function, globa...

BACKGROUND Data regarding role of socioeconomic status (SES) as etiology and site of involvement of veins in hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction (HVOTO) is scarce and only described from Nepal. We prospectively evaluated the role of SES in patients with HVOTO. METHODS 70 consecutive patients (41 females; mean age 29, range 3-65 years) with HVOTO were studied. Their clinical history, soci...

RATIONALE Although an inferior vena cave (IVC) filter is placed to prevent fatal pulmonary embolism (PE), several complications associated with an IVC filter have been reported. We describe a case with symptomatic PE, of which the origin was an occlusive IVC thrombus that developed from the placement of an IVC filer after a laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG). PATIENT CONCERNS A 71-...

INTRODUCTION Intravascular volume status is an important clinical consideration in the management of the critically ill. Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) has gained popularity as a non-invasive means of intravascular volume assessment via examination of the inferior vena cava (IVC). However, there are limited data comparing different acquisition techniques for IVC measurement by POCUS. The...

Typical atrial flutter is a common reentrant atrial arrhythmia. The critical portion of the reentrant circuit is the rim of tissue between the tricuspid valve (TV) annulus and the inferior vena cava (IVC) (Fig.1).1,2 The reentrant circuit can operate in either clockwise or counterclockwise directions (Figs. 2–3). Elimination of conduction across the TV-IVC isthmus eliminates the tachycardia.3 T...

The CC (cumulus cell) proliferation index in relation to the expression and distribution of Cdk4 and Cx43 proteins, which are crucial factors for oocyte maturation, was investigated. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered from pubertal crossbred Landrace gilts and treated with collagenase, and separated CCs were cultured in standard TCM199 medium for 44 h. At each step of in vitro culti...

We evaluated the usefulness of measurements of the inferior vena cava (IVC) diameters on abdominal echograms as an indicator of changes of venous return in subjects with orthostatic intolerance (OI) induced by simulated microgravity. We performed a standing test and recorded the IVC diameters on abdominal echograms in 12 subjects placed on a 20-day 6 degrees head-down-tilt bed-rest experiment. ...

Inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter change on limited transthoracic echocardiogram (LTTE) can provide a useful guide of fluid status evaluation in critically ill patients. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Prospective evaluation of hemodynamic status was performed in hypotensive patients via LTTE. Images were obtained using an ultrasound machine without M-mode capability. Qualita...

BACKGROUND The United States Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning about adverse events in patients receiving inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. OBJECTIVE To assess relationships between IVC filter insertion and complications while controlling for differences in baseline patient characteristics and medical venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. DESIGN Propensity-matched cohort ...