Active clinical trials for "Constriction, Pathologic"

The purpose of this study is to determine whether carotid surgery combined with optimal medical therapy improves long-term survival free of ipsilateral stroke in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis at higher-than-average risk of ipsilateral stroke when compared with optimal medical therapy alone.

To describe the prevalence and clinical features of patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVI and concomitant clinically indicated, complex and/or high-risk PCI

The purpose of this trial is to study the improvement of cerebral hemodynamics in high risk stroke patients with impaired Cerebrovascular Reserve (CVR) due to high grade stenosis of the internal carotid (ICA) or middle cerebral artery (MCA) by Intense Aerobic Exercise (IAEx).

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an important cause of young stroke which could result in major disability. Cohort studies suggested that 17% of young ischemic stroke were accountable by APS (1). Although warfarin has been the mainstay of treatment in APS for the past decades, recurrent thromboembolism occurred up to 10% of warfarinized patients with APS (2, 3). These observations call for an in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms secondary to antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Contrary to traditional understanding, recent evidence suggested mechanisms of cerebrovascular ischemia in APS are far more complex than hypercoagulability alone. In the proposed cross-sectional study, we aim to determine the prevalence of intracranial stenosis, and to explore the correlations between the neuroimaging findings and the immunological as well as clinical features in patients with APS. In the proposed cross-sectional study, we aim to determine the prevalence of intracranial stenosis, and to explore the correlations between the neuroimaging findings and the immunological as well as clinical features in patients with APS.

This is a randomized non-blinded comparison of dorsal vs. ventral approach for buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty in the bulbar urethra. Buccal mucosa graft is a common method of repairing the strictured urethra. Current evidence suggests the two approaches for placement of the graft are equally successful at correcting the stricture and the two approaches have similar risks of complications. The investigators propose to randomly assign appropriately selected patients to either a dorsally- or ventrally-placed graft. No additional procedures beyond the normal care protocol will be required of the patients. Success will be assessed via objective and subjective methods; complications will be tallied in a standardized fashion. Outcomes will be measured at two years.

This study is a randomised comparison of apical stent valve treatment versus conventional valve surgery in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis.

Although the incidence of rheumatic fever and its complications has declined in developed countries, the disease remains a major health problem in many developing countries. It is estimated that up to 30 million school-age children and young adults worldwide suffer from chronic rheumatic heart disease, and almost a third of them suffer from mitral valve stenosis (MS). Various treatments are currently available to patients, including medical, surgical, and percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC), depending on the severity of symptoms, the type and severity of mitral stenosis, and the morphology of the mitral valve. Successfully performed PTMC increases the optimal mitral valve area and is unlikely to result in significant mitral valve regurgitation. PTMC candidates are selected according to the latest ESC guidelines for the treatment of mitral stenosis based on echocardiographic examination of the mitral valve and its dimensions. The Wilkin score, determined using ultrasound, is an important tool for patient selection. CMR provides tomographic assessment of the heart with high spatial resolution and enables accurate assessment of ventricular volume, identification of segmental kinetic abnormalities, and detection of tissue changes such as fibrosis, edema, or fatty substitution. Patients with severe mitral stenosis who underwent percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) showed significant changes in right ventricular (RV) function. One study assessed the pre and post changes in RV function after PTMC and found significant improvements in RV parameters such as RVSP, RVOT-FS, RV TEi index, RV wall thickness, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure. Successful balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) is associated with improvement in left ventricular (LV) function and remodeling. A study using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) found that BMV led to an increase in LV peak systolic global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global circumferential strain (GCS) at 6 months, with further improvement at 1 year. Ventriculo-arterial coupling (VAC) plays an important role in the physiology of cardiac and aortic mechanics as well as in the pathophysiology of heart disease. VAC assessment has independent diagnostic and prognostic value and can be used to improve risk stratification and monitor therapeutic interventions. Traditionally, VAC is assessed by noninvasive measurement of the end-systolic elasticity ratio of arteries (Ea) and ventricles (Ees). Therefore, measuring any component of this ratio or new, more sensitive myocardial markers (e.g.B. global longitudinal strain) and arterial function (e.g. pulse wave velocity) can better characterize the VAC. In valvular heart disease, systemic arterial compliance and valve-arterial impedance have established diagnostic and prognostic value and can monitor the effects of valve replacement on vascular and cardiac function. Treatment to improve VAC by improving one of its components may delay the onset of heart failure and potentially improve the prognosis of heart failure. According to Ozdogru I et al, A study of patients with severe mitral stenosis undergoing percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty and healthy subjects, demonstrated that mitral stenosis induced an increase in arterial stiffness that was improved after percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty. Diastolic dysfunction has emerged as an important predictor of adverse outcomes in multiple forms of congenital heart disease. A recently derived CMR prognostic tool, the left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI), has been evaluated as part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). LACI is defined as the ratio between LA end-diastolic volume and LV end diastolic volume. It was created to determine whether the close physiological relationship between the LA and LV could serve as a primary prevention tool in the early detection of cardiovascular disease. LACI has been shown to serve as a strong predictor for the incidence of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disease, and coronary heart disease death in healthy adult populations. A novel right atrioventricular coupling index can potentially help with risk stratification, novel parameter, termed the Right Atrioventricular Coupling Index (RACI), and was defined as the ratio of RA end-diastolic volume to right ventricle (RV) end-diastolic volume. According to our knowledge there was no specific study was done using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) for assessment of Ventricular-arterial coupling pre and post PTMC

The purpose of this registry is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RIC for patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (sICAS) undergoing endovascular therapy.

Punctal stenosis is a progressive constriction of the puncta with resultant epiphora. One of the most effective treatment options is 1- to 4-snip punctoplasty combined with or without Mitomycin-C.

Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) is the worlds leading cause of death. IHD is often caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries, which prevents blood from flowing to the heart muscle, causing pain and damage to the heart. If an individual has a myocardial infarction (MI), parts of the heart that are damaged cannot be repaired. Therefore, it is important to identify and treat the narrowing of the arteries before an MI occurs. At present there are 2 main methods of identifying narrowing of the arteries. The first is an invasive procedure, the other using a CT scan. Whilst both methods are effective, they entail risk. The invasive procedure can damage the coronary arteries, whilst the CT scan exposes patients to radiation and contrast, which can increase the risk of cancer and allergic reactions. Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanning is an alternative to these methods, but it has been limited in use in the past due, in part, to the high technical knowledge required to obtain images. In addition, there is a degree of subjectivity in the selection of the mid-diastolic rest period, potentially affecting consistency of results. This means it is difficult to use in a day-to-day hospital environment. However, recent technological developments using artificial intelligence mean that images can be acquired in a more automated and consistent fashion. This new scan has yet to be tested in a clinical trial. Therefore, the objective of the clinical study is to test this new scan to determine its efficacy. 230 patients at 5 sites at risk of coronary artery disease, who have been referred for invasive coronary angiography, will undergo both their angiography and the new MR scan. The MR scan will then be compared to CCTA for diagnostic accuracy and image quality. The investigators hypothesise that the new MR scan will have the same diagnostic accuracy as invasive coronary angiography, with no differences in interpretation of the images across the 5 different hospitals. If proven effective, this would demonstrate that MR scanning of the coronary arteries could prove a safe, clinically useful alternative to both CT scanning and invasive assessment of coronary artery narrowing. In addition, if there is no difference across different locations, it would demonstrate that these scans can be performed consistently, facilitating implementation on a healthcare-system wide basis.