OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to assess the value of delayed-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI) to guide ablation of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NIC). BACKGROUND In patients with NIC, ventricular arrhythmias often are associated with scar tissue. DE-MRI can be used to precisely define scar tissue. METHODS DE-MRI was performed in ...

BACKGROUND Although it is known that Anderson-Fabry Disease (AFD) can mimic the morphologic manifestations of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) on echocardiography, there is a lack of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) literature on this. There is limited information in the published literature on the distribution of myocardial fibrosis in patients with AFD, with scar reported principally ...

Dear Editors, Thyroidectomy is the most frequently used method when performing surgery for thyroid cancer. A transverse incision on the neck is typically used to approach the thyroid; scar formation in highly visible areas of the neck is a consequence of using this method. The mean score of the Dermatology Life Quality Index for persons who have a thyroidectomy scar is similar to the mean score...

BACKGROUND Breast reduction is an increasingly common procedure performed by Canadian plastic surgeons. Recent studies in the United States show that use of the inferior/central pedicle inverted T scar method is predominant. However, it is unknown what the practice preferences are among Canadian plastic surgeons. OBJECTIVE The goal of the present study was to assess trends in breast reduction...

Scarring is the inevitable consequence of wound repair, which may cause significant physical and mental pain to patients when excessive. Bone morphogenetic protein‑7 (BMP‑7) has been proved to inhibit TGF‑β‑induced fibrosis in various tissues including dermal papilla cells. However, the effect of BMP‑7 on hypertrophic scarring, a common proliferative disorder of dermal fibroblasts, has not been...

A major factor in the failure of central nervous system (CNS) axon regeneration is the formation of glial scar after the injury of CNS. Glial scar generates a dense barrier which the regenerative axons cannot easily pass through or by. In this paper, a mathematical model was established to explore how the regenerative axons grow along the surface of glial scar or bypass the glial scar. This mat...