UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundPercutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy is a relatively new technique. Very few studies have reported the clinical outcome of percutaneous endoscopic discectomy in terms...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Routinely used prognostic factors fail to predict clinical outcome in a significant proportion of breast cancer patients, implying that they can not detect some important biological characteristics. Chromosomal changes have been described in breast carcinomas for many years but their significance is not clear. We compared chromosomal changes with clinico-pathological characteristics and clinical outcome in 203 breast cancer patients with a follow-up of 9-18 years. Combining data from classical cytogenetics and flow cytometry revealed chromosomal abnormalities in 142 cases (70%). Of these, 51 (35.9%) contained two or more cytogenetically abnormal clones. Polyclonality was significantly associated with poor breast-cancer-specific survival (P = 0.03) within 5 years, independent of tu...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The OASIS Registry started annual collection of longitudinal data on patients on home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in 1984. This report describes outcome profiles on 1594 HPN patients in seven disease categories. Analysis showed clinical outcome was principally a reflection of the underlying diagnosis. Patients with Crohn's disease, ischemic bowel disease, motility disorders, radiation enteritis, and congenital bowel dysfunction all had a fairly long-term clinical outcome, whereas those with active cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had a short-term outcome. The long-term group had a 3-year survival rate of 65 to 80%, they averaged 2.6 complications requiring hospitalization per year, and 49% experienced complete rehabilitation. The short-term group had a mean survival of 6 months; they averaged 4.6 ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

IntroductionMost clinical studies on the outcome of apical surgery concentrate on periapical healing based on radiographic and clinical characteristics (signs and symptoms). This study focuses on long-term changes in periodontal parameters after apical surgery. MethodsPeriodontal parameters (ie, probing depth [PD], level of gingival margin [GM], and calculated clinical attachment level [CAL]) were collected at baseline and at 1 and 5 years after apical surgery. Changes in PD, GM, and CAL were calculated over time and were also evaluated in relation to patient-, tooth-, and treatment-related covariables. ResultsOne hundred eighty-six of 242 initially identified teeth could be evaluated. Significant changes in GM and CAL were observed at facial sites during the first year after surgery (mean...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

This study prospectively assessed the outcome of 134 cemented titanium stems and serum ion levels. The stems were polished (0.1 μm Ra) with circular cross section. At the end point,...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The current study investigated relations among ethnic similarity in caregiver-therapist pairs of youth participating in Multisystemic Therapy, therapist adherence, and youth long-term behavioral and criminal outcomes. Participants were 1,979 youth and families treated by 429 therapists across provider organizations in 45 sites. Relations were found, independently, and in the presence of ethnic similarity, between adherence and reductions in youth externalizing and internalizing behavior problems 1-year posttreatment and youth criminal charges 4 years posttreatment. Relations between ethnic similarity and outcomes were found only for reductions in youth externalizing behavior problems and not when adherence was included in the model. Adherence ratings were higher, however, in ethnically similar caregiver-therapist pairs, and evidence was found that this increased adherence predicted slightly better ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We sought to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction and its effect on clinical outcomes. Employing data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The question of whether storage of red blood cells (RBCs) alters their capacity to deliver oxygen and affects patient outcomes remains in a state of clinical equipoise. Studies of the changes...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Introduction: Generally agreed outcome criteria in psychosis are required to evaluate the effectiveness of new treatment strategies. The aim of this study is to explore clinical recovery...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Purpose:The goal of this study was to use two separate databases to evaluate the clinical outcomes and the economic impact of adherence to Level I Pathways, an evidence-based oncology...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AIMSTo evaluate and compare the risk of specific safety outcomes in patients prescribed ibuprofen and paracetamol concomitantly with those in patients prescribed ibuprofen or paracetamol...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

An asymptomatic pink discoloration of a maxillary right fourth premolar tooth was discovered during a routine oral examination on a 9 year-old Belgian Malinois dog. A radiolucent lesion was seen in the pulpal chamber on radiographic examination. The lesion had perforated the mesiobuccal root of the tooth. The primary differential diagnosis was idiopathic internal resorption. The tooth was treated by partial resection (removal of the mesiobuccal root and associated crown). A vital pulpotomy and amalgam restoration was performed on the remaining tooth structure. A follow-up 1 year later demonstrated a successful treatment outcome. The animal was asymptomatic and able to perform military duties. Clinical and radiographic signs of healing were evident and the tooth was functional. PMID:10518874

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and wound complications in coccygectomy with or without subperiosteal resection. This retrospective study included 25 patients who underwent...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveDisc herniations at the L1-L2 and L2-L3 levels are different from those at lower levels of the lumbar spine with regard to clinical characteristics and surgical outcome....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundHealth-Related Quality of Life assessment is widely used in clinical research, but rarely in clinical practice. Barriers including practical difficulties administering...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most lethal form of diffuse lung fibrosis, killing approximately half of those affected within 2-3 years of diagnosis. Until recently, no therapies had been shown to have an impact on disease progression. The Clinical Studies Assessing Pirfenidone (Esbriet) in IPF: Research of Efficacy and Safety Outcomes (CAPACITY) program comprised two almost identical double-blind placebo-controlled studies assessing the effects of pirfenidone on change in forced vital capacity, the primary end point, over a 72-week period. One of these studies was positive, matching in magnitude the benefit seen in two previous positive Japanese studies. The other study did not meet its primary end point but positive trends were consistent in this and a number of secondary end point...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background For the past 14 years, we have been performing laparoscopic adrenalectomy via the lateral transabdominal as well as the posterior retroperitoneal approach. The aim of this study is to describe patient selection criteria for each approach with comparison of perioperative outcomes. Methods In patients with smaller tumors, low body mass index (BMI), history of previous abdominal operations, appropriate body habitus, and bilateral pathology, we have performed preferentially the posterior approach. Data regarding clinical pathology, tumor size, BMI, estimated blood loss (EBL), operating time (OT), morbidity, mortality, and duration of stay were analyzed retrospectively. Data are expressed as mean +- standard error of the mean (SEM). Results One hundred seventy-two laparoscopic adrena...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe link between maternal factors and birth outcomes is well established. Substantial changes in society and medical care over time have influenced women's reproductive...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To assess long-term outcomes following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of congenital aortic coarctation in adults.Methods: Seventeen patients underwent PTA for symptomatic adult coarctation of the aorta. Sixteen patients, with a mean age of 28 years (range 15-60 years), were reviewed at a mean interval after angioplasty of 7.3 years (range 1.5-11 years). Assessment included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Doppler echocardiography, and clinical examination. Current clinical measurements were compared with pre- and immediate post-angioplasty measurements.Results: At follow-up 16 patients were alive and well. The patient not included in follow-up had undergone surgical repair and excision of the coarctation segment following PTA. Mean brachial systolic blood pressure for the group decreased from 174 mmHg before ...

Science.gov (United States)

A patient with a totally edentulous maxilla and a seVere Class III intermaxillary relationship in the anterior region was treated by implants. In the mandible, there were 10 teeth between the second premolars. The inclination and width of the maxillary anterior residual bone were measured on cephalometric X-ray film obtained before treatment. The results of cephalometric analysis did not support clockwise rotation of the mandible or lingual angling of the maxillary anterior teeth by use of prosthesis to improve the Class III relationship. Ten implants were simultaneously placed in the maxilla. Then, a maxillary temporary full bridge was seated after reduction of the crown lengths of the mandibular anterior teeth. An apically positioned flap operation was performed to eliminate periodontal pockets and to obtain clinically suitable crown lengths of the mandibular anterior teeth. A noncemented, screw-retained maxillary full bridge and a conventional mandibular full ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The solid-pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is a rare type of exocrine pancreatic neoplasm. SPT predominantly affects young women and female children, and is usually discovered incidentally. This tumor is generally benign with a low incidence of malignancy. A 13-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital with a few weeks' history of mild abdominal pain and jaundice. On physical examination, there was no palpable mass. The laboratory tests showed increased SR, CRP, high bilirubin, amylase and lipase serum levels. Ultrasound imaging revealed a solid lesion in the region of the pancreatic head. On MRI, precise tumor localization in the head of the pancreas with pancreatic duct dilatation and compression of the common bile duct were visualized. Pancreaticoduodenectomy and cholecystectomy was performed with good clinical outcome. Microscopic and immunohistochemical studies indicated that tumor cells were typical of SPT ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of repeat stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for acoustic neuromas, we assessed tumor control, clinical outcomes, and the risk of adverse radiation effects in patients whose tumors progressed after initial management. Methods and Materials: During a 21-year experience at our center, 1,352 patients underwent SRS as management for their acoustic neuromas. We retrospectively identified 6 patients who underwent SRS twice for the same tumor. The median patient age was 47 years (range, 35-71 years). All patients had imaging evidence of tumor progression despite initial SRS. One patient also had incomplete surgical resection after initial SRS. All patients were deaf at the time of the second SRS. The median radiosurgery target volume at the time of the initial SRS was 0.5 cc and was 2.1 cc at the time of the second SRS. The median margin ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has become the standard treatment modality for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, the clinical outcomes in patients with unresectable...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundIn cancer research, the association between a gene and clinical outcome suggests the underlying etiology of the disease and consequently can motivate further studies. The...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pregabalin in painful cervical or lumbosacral radiculopathy treated in Primary Care settings under routine clinical practice. An observational,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundOne-stage implant placement has clinically acceptable treatment outcomes. Among other advantages, it may allow investigation of early wound healing. The...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Mechanism-based inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 is characterized by NADPH-, time-, and concentration-dependent enzyme inactivation, occurring when some drugs are converted by CYPs to reactive...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Integration of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) has become a topic of increasing interest to the imaging community over the past two years. In this text, the authors attempt to distinguish facts from fiction concerning such integrated systems. Analysis of existing information of combined imaging on existing brain PET/MR systems and imaging experience with PET-computed tomography (CT) is reviewed. Various types of system integration of PET and MR are discussed with completely independent systems on one hand and completely integrated systems with the possibility of simultaneous data acquisition on the other hand. Furthermore, it is discussed, what simultaneous data acquisition with nuclear imaging systems combined with MR or CT really means, as technical simultaneity may not be relevant in light of the pharmacokinetics of the nuclear tracers used. The authors conclude that combining PET/MR is an interesting research endeavor with ...

CERN Document Server

Divided into diagnostic and treatment sections, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the most common medical procedures performed in modern clinical settings. Each section presents common names for the procedure; an outline of the disease or injury for which the procedure is performed; a brief review of the anatomical structures and physiological processes that are involved; staffing, equipment, and pre-procedure requirements; a detailed description of the procedure itself; and, a discussion of expected outcomes as well as potential complications. Each chapter includes a summary and

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

PurposeTo conduct a retrospective analysis within a large university teaching hospital, comparing outcomes between patients receiving either radical surgery or radiotherapy as curative treatment for bladder cancer.Patients and MethodsBetween March 1996 and December 2000, 169 patients were treated radically for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Data were collected from patient notes. Statistical analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to compare radiotherapy and surgical outcome data.ResultsThere was no difference in overall, cause-specific, and distant recurrence-free survival at 5 years between the two groups, despite the radiotherapy group being older (median age, 75.3 years vs. 68.2 years). There were 31 local bladder recurrences...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

This study describes procedures and outcomes in a functional analysis of problem behavior of 2 public school students. For a 13-year-old honors student, bizarre tacts (labeled as psychotic speech by...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThere have been dramatic changes in the approach to screening for aneuploidy over the last 20 years. However, the approach to screening for other complications of pregnancy...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

This 3-year longitudinal study investigated whether low-wage employment was associated with improved psychological and parenting outcomes in a sample of 178 single mothers who were employed...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

This report describes a case of toxic myopathy in a two year old sheltie dog with clinical signs of profound weakness, myoglobinuria, and muscle enzyme elevations. The clinical signs were likely related...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Over the past 10 years, the original partnership of clinician and statistician for the running of clinical research projects, especially clinical trials, has come to be supplemented by the data manager...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

DNA isolation procedures significantly influence the outcome of PCR-based detection of human pathogens. Unlike clinical samples, DNA isolation from food samples such as fresh and fresh-cut produce has remained a formidable task and has hampered the sensitivity and accuracy of molecular methods. We...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The early and precise diagnosis, the prognosis, and the clinical management of multiple sclerosis, remain a considerable challenge. In recent years, the development of novel and powerful proteomic...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The aim of this study is to clarify the relation among developmental outcome, nutritional state during the neonatal period, maturational electroencephalographic changes. Thirteen extremely low birth weight infants who completed 6- or 9-year follow-up were a subject of this study. Undernutrition was defined as enteral feeding below 100mL/kg/day at 3weeks of age. Dysmature patterns were defined as the persistence of EEG patterns 2weeks or more immature for post-conceptional age. IQ was examined at 6 and 9years of age. Body height and weight, and head circumference at 6years of age were stratified by the percentile grades. Full and verbal IQ was significantly lower in infants with undernutrition than those with normal nutrition. Among infants with undernutrition, those with persistent dysmatu...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The objective of this article is to evaluate two-year clinical and radiological follow-up results for patients who were treated with microdiscectomy and posterior dynamic transpedicular stabilisation...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and diabetes mellitus, as well as patients admitted with elevated blood glucose without known diabetes, have impaired outcome. Therefore intensive glucose-lowering therapy with insulin (IGL) has been proposed in diabetic or hyperglycaemic patients and has been shown to improve survival and reduce incidence of adverse events. The current manuscript provides an overview of randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of IGL. Furthermore, systematic glucose?insulin?potassium infusion (GIK) has been studied to improve outcome after AMI. In spite of positive findings in some early studies, GIK did not show any beneficial effects in recent clinical trials and thus this concept has been abandoned. While IGL targeted to achieve normoglycaemi...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The aims of this study were to identify risk factors and evaluate the association with clinical outcomes of postoperative cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI). Data from 2488 consecutive adult patients were analyzed. Patients were classified as having CSA-AKI based on the risk, injury, failure, loss of kidney function, and end-stage kidney disease (RIFLE) criteria using peak postoperative creatinine in the postoperative intensive care unit (ICU). Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for CSA-AKI. CSA-AKI occurred in 584 patients (23.5%). CSA-AKI patients had significantly longer aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times. Furthermore, CSA-AKI patients had higher hospital mortality (5.5% vs 1.5%, PCopyright2...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The optimal management of men with very favorable clinicopathological factors who develop biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) has not been previously reported. Both local and systemic recurrences are unlikely in this cohort. This study examines their management and outcomes. Between October 2000 to March 2010, 1627 men underwent open RP by a single surgeon. In all, 448 (27.5%) met the following criteria for extremely low risk disease: preoperative PSA level <10?ng?ml?1, clinical stage T1c/T2a, Gleason score ?6, estimated cancer volume in the surgical specimen ?5% and no evidence for positive surgical margin. Undetectable PSA was defined as ?0.04?ng?ml?1. BCR was defined as PSA ?0.2?ng?ml&#...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose We retrospectively analyzed the results of percutaneous nephrolithotomy operations for treatment of staghorn kidney stone disease in elderly patients and compared surgical parameters and outcomes with a control group of young adult patients. Patients and method Between 2002 and 2010, 300 consecutive patients underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy operation for treatment of staghorn kidney stone disease. Forty-five of the patients were older than 65?years and considered to be in elderly group. Thirty-seven of the patients were between the ages 18 and 36?years and considered to be the control group. Surgical parameters and outcomes were compared between groups. Results There were no significant differences between groups for stone area, operation time, difference in hemoglobin levels...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background and objectives.Thymidylate synthase (TS) expression levels appear to be related to response to 5-fluorouracil-(5-FU)-based chemotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Three polymorphisms have been proposed as modulators of TS expression: a tandemly repeated sequence (2R/3R) in the 5? UTR, a SNP (G > C) within the 3R allele and a 6 bp deletion in the 3' UTR.To evaluate the influence of TS expression and polymorphisms on clinical outcome of 5-FU-treated patients we performed a comprehensive genetic analysis on 63 CRC patients.Methods.TS expression levels were analyzed in normal and tumor tissues. TS coding sequence and UTR polymorphisms were investigated on DNA from normal tissue. LOH analysis was performed to determine tumor genotype.Results.A difference in disease-free sur...

Science.gov (United States)

Therapeutic hypothermia is a promising method for controlling intracranial pressure (ICP) in severely brain-injured patients. However, clinical data regarding the effect of brain hypothermia on overall outcome of these patients is limited. This may be because there are specific pitfalls associated with the clinical management of induced hypothermia in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These pitfalls may be avoided by preventing specific risk factors when cooling is induced and with rewarming. However, these risk factors have not been well systematically discussed in the literature. In this paper, three categories of clinical issues regarding the management of brain hypothermia are discussed: (1) stress-induced secondary brain injury mechanisms; (2) technical aspects of intensive care unit (ICU) cooling management; and (3) rewarming rates and methods. For patients with a Glasgow Coma ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract The fit of patient coping style and psychotherapy focus has been suggested as improving treatment outcome. This article reviews the definitions, measures, and previous research surrounding this hypothesis. An original meta-analysis of 12 carefully selected studies (N = 1,291 patients) resulted in a weighted, mean effect size (d) of .55 in favor of a fit between externalizing patients and symptom-focused treatment or, alternatively, internalizing patients and insight-focused treatment. This medium-size effect indicates that nondiagnostic patient factors, like coping style, are important considerations in the selection of effective therapies. Clinical examples and clinical recommendations are provided. 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 67:176-183, 2011.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary Background:- Cholinesterase inhibitors form the mainstay of treatment for persons with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer-s disease (AD). The rivastigmine patch may increase compliance and the proportion of patients maintaining an efficacious dose compared with oral cholinesterase inhibitors. Objective:- To investigate the proportion of patients who reached and maintained the target rivastigmine patch dose compared with the target rivastigmine capsule dose reported in clinical trials. Methods:- This was a multicentre, 24-week, open-label study in persons with probable AD and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of --10 and --26. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients (ITT population) treated with 9.5-mg/24-h rivastigmine patch for at least 8-weeks at week 24. Secondary ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Ventricular septal defect after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a complication associated with poor outcome in the absence of intervention. We report a case of successful TEE guided transcatheter closure of a post myocardial infarction (MI) ventricular septal defect (VSD) with an Amplatzer occluder in a 79 years old male with cardiogenic shock.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

SummaryTwo Caucasian males (57 and 70 years old) were referred to our attention with parasinus mucoceles, maxillary and frontal mucocele, respectively, that had eroded the orbital rim...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BACKGROUND:Reports indicate that characteristics of older adults with chronic pain may be different than those of younger persons.OBJECTIVE:To study...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

PurposeIntestinal stomas can pose significant challenges for long-term (≥ 5 years) rectal cancer (RC) survivors. Specifying common challenges and sociodemographic or clinical...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewing's sarcoma is the second most common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. It is most prevalent between the ages of 10 and 15 years. There are present two cases of Ewing's sarcoma of the chest wall. The clinical, radiological and pathological features are described and the therapeutic options are discussed. (Author)

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The earliest clinical evidence of diabetic nephropathy is microalbuminuria. Progression from microalbuminuria to overt nephropathy occurs in 20-40% within a 10-year period with approximately 20% of...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We report an unusual case of spontaneous haemopneumothorax associated with haemoptysis due to blood clots within emphysematous bulla in a 42-year-old man. Haemoptysis disappeared after surgery.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary Background- Treatments that achieve sustainable steroid-free clinical remission in Crohn-s disease are needed; however, long-term steroid-sparing efficacy data are limited. Aim- To evaluate steroid-sparing efficacy and the impact of steroid discontinuation on adverse events during treatment of Crohn's disease with adalimumab in the phase III randomised, double-blind 1-year CHARM trial and for an additional 2-years in its open-label extension ADHERE. Methods- Steroid-free remission and response and steroid-sparing (-50% steroid dose reduction) remission rates were evaluated over 3-years in patients who were taking corticosteroids at CHARM baseline. Results- Of 778 patients randomised in CHARM (including those who did not achieve clinical response to open-label induction therapy), 31...

Science.gov (United States)

Studies of the effectiveness of operant, relaxation, cognitive, and multimodal behavioural approaches to the treatment of chronic benign pain other than headache were evaluated. In general, the quality of the studies was poor, and most investigations lacked appropriate and adequate control conditions, outcome measures, and/or follow-ups. While outcome reports for all four behavioural treatments have been mainly positive, few data were found which conclusively demonstrate that any of the approaches are effective or that they are the treatment of choice. The data do, however, imply that behavioural approaches may help patients lead more normal and productive lives. Specifically, the literature suggests that: (1) the operant method leads to increased activity levels and decreased pain and drug intake, (2) the relaxation approach results in decreased EMG levels and some pain reductions, (3) the cognitive techniques are speculative at this time, and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this study was to assess experimentally and clinically the usefulness of Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR) in angiographic examinations. FCR had a spatial resolution with much lower X-ray exposure doses, although the resolution of FCR was generally inferior to conventional films. When a contrast medium of 1% iodine concentration was used, FCR pinpointed a mass 1.5 mm in diameter; and conventional film could detect a mass 2.2 mm in diameter. The contrast of iodine in FCR examinations was stable. A high sensitivity of imaging plate allowed a wide range of visualization. In 148 selective angiographic examinatinons for 138 patients, FCR-subtraction images were superior to conventional film angiography for contrast resolution; it had a high sensitivity in detecting areas, such as the mediastimun and left lobe of the liver, and tumor stains in capillary phase. The capability of FCR arteriogram was as good as film arteriogram even with a half concentration of ...

Science.gov (United States)

Patients with end stage renal failure (ESRD) require renal replacement therapy in the form of dialysis or renal transplantation. There is an increasing number of people receiving maintenance dialysis as patients with ESRD are increasing faster than the supply of transplantable organs. The mortality rate on dialysis is 4-6 times that of the general population and is substantially reduced by transplantation. For the past 8 years, dialysis research has focused on improving patient outcomes and quality of life on dialysis. This review examines recent advances in haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in a historical context and considers future research possibilities. PMID:19329705

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Objectives Vietnamese patients? views on healthcare are changing as surgical interventions become more commonplace, but their views on perioperative care have remained largely unstudied during this period of rapid change. This study assesses Vietnamese patients? impression of anesthesia safety and postoperative pain in relation to clinical outcomes with the aim of improving patient-centered perioperative care. Methods The study cohort consisted of 180 hospitalized patients who were followed for 24?h following abdominal surgery. The assessments of these patients on the use of anesthesia and postoperative pain were measured by means of a 5-point Likert scale survey. Perioperative events were recorded on standardized forms by medical staff. The relationship between relevant factors affecting ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

High-level expression of mitotic arrest defective protein 2 (MAD2), a central component of the spindle assembly checkpoint, has been observed in a variety of human malignancies. Aim of the present study was to observe the expression of MAD2 in human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and explore its clinicopathologic significance and evaluate MAD2 expression as a prognostic marker. MAD2 transcript was found to be overexpressed in the great majority of lung cancers by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. A total of 358 NSCLCs were analyzed immunohistochemically on tissue microarrays. High-level MAD2 expression was observed in 26.3% (94 of 358 cases), and correlated with male sex (P=0.0002), tumor progression (pT status) (P=0.0009), visceral or parietal pleural invasion (P=0.0151), non-adenocarcinoma, ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose Elective laparoscopic sigmoid resection (LSR) for symptomatic diverticular disease is supposed to have significant short-term advantages compared to open surgery (open sigmoid resection (OSR)). This opinion is rather based on inferences from trials on colonic resections for malignant diseases or minor laparoscopic surgery. This randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare quality of life as well as morbidity and clinical outcome after LSR vs. OSR following a midterm follow-up period. Methods Patients presenting with a symptomatic sigmoid diverticular disease stage II/III (Stock/Hansen) were randomly allocated to LSR or OSR in a prospective multicenter trial. Endpoints included the quality of life assessed with a standardized questionnaire, postoperative mortality, and compl...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Objective:- To review the rate of inadvertent cystotomy during laparoscopic hysterectomy performed by the Sydney West Advanced Pelvic Surgery Unit (SWAPS). To compare this rate with other published data. To identify the risk factors for bladder injury at laparoscopic hysterectomy and to review the management and outcome following such injury. Method:- This was a retrospective observational study. All hysterectomies where the SWAPS clinical fellow was involved were included. The study period was from January 2001 to June 2009. Simple statistical formulae were used to analyse data in this study. Results:- There were 1223 hysterectomies performed during this period. Eighty-one percent of these were performed laparoscopically. There were 14 (1.1%) bladder injuries reported during this period. ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

ABSTRACT Introduction. Significant progress has been made in the understanding of physiological and pharmacological mechanisms of human sexual functioning through preclinical research in animal models. Aim. To provide an evidence-based documentation of the experimental models evaluating male and female sexual function for useful clinical translation. Methods. Consensus discussion over the past 18 months leading to summarized views of seven experts from six countries. Main Outcome Measure. Report was based on the critical analysis of scientific information available in literature and subcommittee presentations, discussions, and exchanges of ideas and feedback. Results. Fundamental research in animal models has led to considerable understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying desi...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Aims To determine, in the context of a trial in which counseling did not improve smoking cessation outcomes, whether this was due to a failure of the conceptual theory identifying treatment targets or the action theory specifying interventions. Design Data from a randomized clinical trial of smoking cessation counseling and bupropion SR were submitted to multi level modeling to test whether counseling influenced real time reports of cognitions, emotions and behaviors, and whether these targets predicted abstinence. Setting Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, Madison, WI. Participants A total of 403 adult, daily smokers without contraindications to bupropion SR use. Participants were assigned randomly to receive individual counseling or no counseling and a 9 week course o...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The survival of acetabular components depends on several factors: wear, osteolysis and septic or aseptic loosening. Osteolysis seems to be the main cause for concern in cementless arthroplasties. Acetabular osteolysis results from particle debris and segmental unloading of acetabular bone by rigid sockets. We investigated a cementless elastic monoblock socket with regard to acetabular osteolysis and aseptic loosening in a cohort of young patients. We evaluated 158 hip arthroplasties with a minimum follow-up of ten?years (ten to 18) and a mean age of 42?years (18?50). The overall revision rate at 14?years was 80% with a 98% survival rate for aseptic loosening. The mean polyethylene wear rate was 0.11?mm/year. Progressive acetabular osteolysis was seen in 3% of patients evaluated. In conclus...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Introduction: Restrictions in prescribing broad spectrum antimicrobials have been part of a strategy to reduce Clostridium difficile cases in the UK in recent years. However, there has been little work on assessing the safety of alternative antimicrobial agents. Methods: We performed an uncontrolled prospective observational survey over a 1-year period to determine the effectiveness and safety of a new antimicrobial stewardship programme in a district hospital in the UK. Results: In total, 227 Gram-negative bacteraemias (203 episodes) occurred in the study period. Guidelines were adequate in 194 of 203 (95%) episodes and 163 episodes (80.2%) received adequate therapy. Patients in the inadequate therapy group had >2-fold increased likelihood of death [odds ratio (OR) = 2.63, 95% confidence ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose Suprasellar meningiomas usually present with visual deterioration, including decreased visual acuity and/or visual field defects. Suprasellar meningiomas have a close relationship with the optic apparatus, arteries of the anterior circulation, pituitary stalk and hypothalamus, which makes safe surgical resection a challenge especially with dissection around an already compromised optic apparatus. In this report 21 patients operated on for a suprasellar meningioma over a 4-year period are reviewed. Postoperative outcome and visual recovery are evaluated, including analysis of its determinants. Methods Over a 4-year period (2002?2006), patients surgically treated for suprasellar meningiomas were included in this retrospective study. All tumors were located at the tuberculum sellae an...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We investigated 161 children under 24 months of age by CT of the skull and reviewed the anamnestic and clinical history. 87 children showed subdural effusions, and 74 did not. There were 33 patients with other pathological findings in CT, and 41 had normal scans. Age and sex distribution as well as localization of the subdural effusions were consistent with the literature. The 87 children with subdural effusions represented 17% in a sample of about 5000 CT scans. CT was the most reliable method for diagnosis of subdural effusions, compared to other techniques. There was a preponderance of small subdural effusions from 1 to 7 mm thickness (51%). Other CT abnormalities accompanying subdural effusions were found. Most frequently the interhemispheric sulcus was dilated and an internal hydrocephalus was present. Also in our group there were 7 anamnestical and 6 clinical symptoms highly diagnostic of subdural effusions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paraquat is a nonselective contact herbicide of great toxicological importance, being associated with high mortality rates, mainly due to respiratory failure. We report the case of a 22-year-old male admitted to the emergency room with a sore throat, dysphagia, hemoptysis, and retrosternal pain after the ingestion of 50 mL of a paraquat solution, four days prior to admission. Chest CT scans revealed pulmonary opacities, pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and subcutaneous emphysema. The patient was submitted to two cycles of immunosuppressive therapy with cyclophosphamide, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone. The pulmonary gas exchange parameters gradually improved, and the patient was discharged four weeks later. The clinical and tomographic follow-up evaluations performed at four months after discharge showed that there had been further clinical improvement. We also present a brief review of the literature, as well as a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Two patients who developed large intracranial vessel occlusion after standard radiation therapy for brain tumor are described. This form of vascular occlusion is usually seen in patients who have previously been treated by radiotherapy for intracranial tumor who then develop a relatively acute change in neurologic status. Histology of the lesion mimics accelerated focal arteriosclerosis. The clinical and radiographic manifestations of one case were highly atypical. The vasculopathy became evident shortly after termination of radiation therapy for a fourth ventricular ependymoma, and the angiographic picture stimulated a diffuse arteritis. The second patient was more typical, with clinical symptoms developing 12 years after radiation therapy for an oligodendroglioma. Occlusion of a proximal vessel that had been included in the radiation port was demonstrated radiographically and confirmed by pathologic examination. The ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Objective.The interest of dental research in metal-free restorations has been rising in the last 20 years following the introduction of innovative all-ceramic materials in the daily practice. In particular, high strength ceramics and related CAD/CAM techniques have widely increased the clinical indications of metal-free prostheses, showing more favourable mechanical characteristics compared to the early ceramic materials.The purpose of the present paper is providing a brief review on the all-ceramic dental materials, evaluating pros and cons in the light of the most recent scientific results and of the authors? clinical experience.Materials. A structured review of the literature was given on the basis of medical and engineering papers published in the last decades on the use of dental cera...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The philosophy pervading the treatment approach to Ewing's sarcoma was to have therapy encompass all foci of disease, including sites of occult or potential involvement in addition to obvious clinical manifestations. The experience with integrated methods of treatment in 66 consecutive patients at the National Cancer Institute is reviewed. A median survival of 18 months (44 percent 2 year survival rate) for patients with recognizable metastases on admission bears impressive witness to the value of adjuvant therapy in Ewing's sarcoma. Even more encouraging, an uncorrected 5 year survival rate of 53 percent (42 percent continuously free of disease) for patients given ''pyrophylactic'', adjuvant therapy indicates the potential for permanent control of disease in a significant fraction of cases with clinically localized primary tumors. (U.S.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To report outcomes of a single institution study of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. The dose-volume dependency of the observed gastrointestinal toxicity is explored. Methods and materials: Twenty-seven patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma (n = 26 Klatskin tumours and one intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC)) were treated by linac-based SBRT. The dose schedule was 45 Gy in three fractions prescribed to the isocenter. Results: The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 6.7 and 10.6 months, respectively. With a median follow-up of 5.4 years, 6 patients had severe duodenal/pyloric ulceration and 3 patients developed duodenal stenosis. Duodenal radiation exposure was higher in patients developing moderate to high-grade gastrointestinal toxicity with the difference in mean maximum dose to 1 cm"3 of duodenum reaching statistical significance. A statistically significant ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background:- Only one study has used a prospective method to analyze the diagnostic stability of first psychotic episodes in children and adolescents. The Child and Adolescent First-Episode Psychosis Study (CAFEPS) is a 2-year, prospective longitudinal study of early-onset first episodes of psychosis (EO-FEP). Aim:- To describe diagnostic stability and the variables related to diagnostic changes. Methods:- Participants were 83 patients (aged 9-17-years) with an EO-FEP consecutively attended. They were assessed with a structured interview (Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime version) and clinical scales at baseline and after 2-years. Results:- The global consistency for all diagnoses was 63.9%. The small group of bipolar disorder had high stabilit...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report presents findings from the first year of a two-year study of interactive efforts involving utilities and non-utility parties (NUPS) working together to prepare plans, develop Demand-Side Management (DSM) programs, or otherwise promote integrated planning and the use of cost-effective DSM measures. Of the ten cases covered in the current study, seven involved the collaborative approach to NUP involvement, which generally is marked by intensive utility-NUP interactions designed to reach consensus on a broad range of important issues; in collaboratives, outside consultants often are provided to enhance the technical capabilities of the NUPS. Another of the cases in this study involved a cooperative arrangement,'' whereby a utility and a NLT worked together in a focused short-term effort to develop a single DSM program. The intense interaction involved in this approach makes it very similar to a collaborative, except ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Background and purpose: Local treatment for non-metastatic Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFTs) is controversial. Results achieved in a single institution in patients with ESFT of the humerus are presented. Materials and methods: Patients treated between 1983 and 2000 for ESFT of the humerus were included. The impact of local treatment (surgery, radiotherapy or both) on outcome was assessed. Results: 55 patients: 34 males (62%); 21 females (38%); mean age: 17.9 (range: 3-40). Local treatment: surgery in 27 patients (49%), radiotherapy in 17 (31%) and surgery followed by radiotherapy in 11 (20%). After a mean follow-up of 15 years (range: 7-25 years), 27 patients (49%) remained continuously disease free, 27 (49%) relapsed and one died of chemotherapy toxicity. The local recurrence rate was 13% overall: 18% (3/17) after radiotherapy, 7% (2/27) after surgery and 19% (2/11) after surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (p = ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The clinical courses of heterotopic ossification (HO) as a consequence of trauma and central nervous system insults have many similarities as well as dissimilarities. Detection is commonly noted at two months. The incidence of clinically significant HO is 10%-20%. Approximately 10% of the HO is massive and causes severe restriction in joint motion or ankylosis. The most common sign and symptom are decreased range of motion and pain. The locations are the proximal limbs and joints. Sites of HO about a joint may vary according to the etiology of the HO. Roentgenographic evolution of HO occurs during a six-month period in the majority of patients. Treatment modalities include diphosphonates, indomethacin, radiation, range of motion exercises, and surgical excision. Surgical timing differs according to etiology: traumatic HO may be resected at six months; spinal cord injury HO is excised at one year; and traumatic brain injury ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

To quantify the number of cases and clinical courses of Acanthamoeba keratitis treated at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) between December 1982 and May 2005, and to review their clinical course and response to medical and surgical therapy. Retrospective review of medical records of all patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis diagnosed by the KKESH Microbiology or Pathology or Pathology Laboratory since the opening of the hospital. During a period of over 22 years, only six cases of confirmed. Acanthamoeba keratitis were diagnosedand treated at KKESH. In two cases the diagnosis was made by corneal biopsy, while four cases required examination of a histopathology specimen obtained at the time of therapeutic keratoplasty to establish the diagnosis. One eye was cured by medical therapy, while five eyes required one (4eyes) or two (1 eye) therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) to achieve a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A review is made of the various brain imaging agents utilised in the post few years with their own characters and respective advantages: cerebral blood volume tracers, non diffusible tracers, diffusible tracers among which gases and lipophilic agents. Our results with IAMP and SPECT are presented in two different clinical application fields: normal pressure hydrocephalus and cerebral ischemia.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A 2-year follow-up regarding healing complications, such as redisplacement, nonunion, and segmental collapse of the femoral head, was performed in 306 patients operated on for femoral neck fracture and examined with /sup 99m/Technetium-MDP scintimetry within 2 weeks postoperatively. Scintimetric evaluation was performed by selecting regions of interest over the femoral head on the fracture side and the intact side and by comparing the uptake. A femoral head ratio fractured/intact side thus was obtained. Of 199 patients with an intact femoral head uptake (ratio less than or equal to 1.0), 181 showed no signs of healing complications at 2 years, whereas 18 had developed healing complications. Of 107 cases with a deficient femoral-head uptake (ratio < 1.0), 96 had developed healing complications within 2 years from the operation, while 11 cases had no signs of radiographic complications. We conclude that /sup 99m/Tc-MDP ...

Science.gov (United States)

Childhood anxiety is impairing and associated with later emotional disorders. Studying risk factors for child anxiety may allow earlier identification of at-risk children for prevention efforts. This study applied an ecological risk model to address how early childhood anxiety symptoms, child temperament, maternal anxiety and depression symptoms, violence exposure, and sociodemographic risk factors predict school-aged anxiety symptoms. This longitudinal, prospective study was conducted in a representative birth cohort (n = 1109). Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized associations between risk factors measured in toddlerhood/preschool (age = 3.0 years) and anxiety symptoms measured in kindergarten (age = 6.0 years) and second grade (age = 8.0 years). Early child risk factors (anxiety symptoms and temperament) emerged as the most robust predictor for both parent-and child-reported anxiety ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The implementation of a three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy facility in the radiotherapy department of the Heinrich Heine University is described. Complex radiotherapy techniques with commercially available networked systems are introduced to improve clinical work. Over 18 month we have gained clinical experience with a PHILIPS Multileaf Collimator (MLC) mounted on a SL 25 linear accelerator. For a limited period the MLC was used as a conventional blocking device. The standard MLC-shapes are controlled with a stand-alone computer system. In addition, a three-dimensional treatment planning system (3-D-TPS / TMS-Radix, Helax AB) based on convolution/superposition algorithms was recently installed. Treatment optimization is achieved using static field arrangements with complete volumetric computerized tomographic patient data for 3-D-TPS. Conformal adaptation of the 95%-isodose to the Planning Target Volume (PTV, ICRU 50) results in ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

There is limited information on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) although AKI may contribute to morbidity and mortality. We investigated the incidence of AKI in patients with moderate and severe TBI and the association of AKI with risk factors and outcomes in these patients. We studied all TBI patients over 16 years of age admitted to the two designated trauma hospitals in the state of Victoria, Australia from 1 January to 31 December 2008. Patients were included if they had head trauma and presented with a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) <13. Prospectively collected data from the hospital trauma registries, ICUs, and pathology databases were analyzed retrospectively. Risk injury failure loss end (RIFLE) criteria were used to categorize rena...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Background:- Surgical dislocation of the hip has been developed to deal with the problems causing femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). This is a relatively recent procedure that was historically reserved for larger areas specializing in hip surgery. Methods:- We hypothesized that surgical dislocation can be used for symptomatic FAI in a typical Australasian tertiary orthopaedic centre with acceptable results. This prospective study reviews the results of 53 surgical dislocations in this setting, looking particularly at functional outcomes and early complications. Results:- There were significant improvements in the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index score at 1, 2, 3 and 4 years post-operatively. Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Aim- Conventional outcomes such as survival, tumour recurrence and complication rates after surgery for rectal cancer have been rigorously assessed, but the importance of maintaining quality of life (QOL) after surgery for rectal cancer has received less attention. The aim of the current study was to analyse QOL and the occurrence of pelvic dysfunction after the surgical treatment of rectal cancer. Method- Between May 2005 and May 2008, 150 patients with rectal cancer underwent abdominoperineal resection (APR) or anterior resection (AR). Seventy-four answered two preoperative questionnaires. At a follow up of 1-year, 65 were alive without sign of recurrence and answered the same questionnaires: (a) validated RAND 36-item health survey QOL questionnaire; and (b) self-administered d...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The approval (2003) and enforcement (2005) of a smoking ban in Italy have been viewed by many as an unexpectedly successful example of policy change. The present paper, by applying a processualist approach, concentrates on two policy cycles between 2000 and 2005. These had opposing outcomes: an incomplete decisional stage and an authoritative decision, enforced two years later. Through the analysis of the different phases of agenda setting, alternative specification and decision making, we have compared the quality of participation of policy entrepreneurs in the two cycles, their political strategies and, in these, the relevance of issue image. The case allows us to direct the attention of scholars and practitioners to an early phase of the policy implementation process - which we have nam...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The primary goal of this study was to assess the association between the full birth weight distribution and prevalence of specific developmental disabilities and related measures of health and special education services utilization in US children. Using data from the 1997?2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Sample Child Core, we identified 87,578 children 3?17?years of age with parent-reported information on birth weight. We estimated the prevalences of DDs (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], autism, cerebral palsy, hearing impairment, learning disability without mental retardation, mental retardation, seizures, stuttering/stammering, and other developmental delay) and several indicators of health services utilization within a range of birth weight categories. We cal...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

BACKGROUND.The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) covers the direct clinical costs of breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up for medically underserved, low-income women. Personal costs are not covered. In this report, the authors estimated personal costs per woman participating in NBCCEDP mammography screening by race/ethnicity and also estimated lifetime personal costs (ages 50-74 years).METHODS.A decision analysis model was constructed and parameterized by using empiric data from a retrospective cohort survey of mammography rescreening among women ages 50 years to 64 years who participated in the NBCCEDP. Data from 1870 women were collected from 1999 to 2000. The model simulated the flow of resources incurred by a woman participat...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveFamily-centered bedside rounds (FCBR) are recommended to improve trainee education, patient outcomes, and family satisfaction. However, bedside teaching...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The authors reviewed the literature on psychological and psychosocial outcomes for individuals undergoing cosmetic surgery, to address whether elective cosmetic procedures improve psychological...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The aim of this study was to compare the results of different treatment strategies for osteochondral defects (OCD) of the talus. Electronic databases from 1966 to June 2000 were systematically screened. Thirty-nine studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. No randomized clinical trials could be identified. The results of nonoperative treatment were described in 14 studies, of excision alone in 4, of excision and curettage in 10, of excision, curettage and drilling in 21, of cancellous bone grafting in 2, of fixation in 3, and of osteochondral transplantation in 1. Good or excellent results were found in 45% of the cases. Comparison of different surgical procedures showed that excision, curettage and drilling resulted in the highest mean success rate (86%), followed by excision and curettage (76%) and excision alone (38%). From the results of this systematic review we conclude that nonoperative treatment and excision alone are not to be recommended for treatment of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In consistency with the increasing requests from Member States for establishing radiotherapy programmes, an IAEA Technical Co-operation project was initiated in Latin America aimed at improving the physical aspects (as a complement to the clinical issues) of quality assurance in radiotherapy; this ARCAL XXX project (RLA/6/032) was classified as a Model Project of the IAEA. Among the important outcomes of the project were (i) the training of a considerable number of medical physicists in hospitals of the region, (ii) the development of a protocol for quality control procedures, and (iii) the organization of quality audit site visits (to the participant countries) where the implementation in hospitals of the developed quality control procedures is verified. The present publication is the protocol for quality control of the physical aspects of radiotherapy. It contains detailed procedures on what should be measured by a medical physicist in a ...

Science.gov (United States)

In 2000, the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) laid out a definition of competence that included six specific areas of focus: patient care (including clinical reasoning), medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. The ACGME's intention was to mandate increasingly reliable and valid assessment measures to be used by all training programs over the next decade, with the goal of providing "more credible, accurate, reliable and useful educational outcome data." In this article, the authors will review definitions of competency according to the new ACGME standards and examine the assessment tools currently available, including global evaluations, 360-degree evaluations, checklists, standardized examinations and direct observations. The authors will provide an overview of critical considerations in different assessment ...

Science.gov (United States)

A large proportion of patients may develop chronic pain following cancer treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. These patients can experience significant levels of physical and psychological morbidity. Our aim was to investigate a cognitive-behavioral pain management program (PMP) for cancer patients with chronic treatment-related pain. Thirteen patients (1 man, 12 women; mean age 52 yrs) completed the study, 9 of whom had a history of breast cancer and had received extensive medical treatment, including surgery. A combination of physical and psychological techniques were adapted from previous work in chronic benign pain and implemented by two therapists. Interventions included education, relaxation, exercise training, and goal setting. A variety of outcomes were examined to assess general fitness, psychological distress, coping success, activities of daily living, and pain report. The median number of interventions by each therapist was 10 (4 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A computer method that calculates tracheal cross-sectional area by compensating for partial volume averaging was developed and validated in a study with phantoms. The program was then used to determine the tracheal cross-sectional area of 30 normal children who ranged in age from four months to 18 years. CT-derived cross sections were correlated with age, height, weight, and body-surface area, and they were compared with findings of published clinical and post-mortem studies. CT cross-sectional areas ranged from 20 to 275 mm/sup 2/, varied by as much as 22% at the three different tracheal levels studied, and appeared to correlate most closely with body height. CT-derived tracheal cross-sectional areas are quite similar to those in published reports of postmortem and clinical studies. Measurements of tracheal cross section by CT may prove useful in quantitating tracheal compromise by intrinsic or extrinsic causes.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Spondylarthritides (SpA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are idiopathic, chronic inflammatory disorders. Although they are very distinct and well-defined entities, there is clinical and genetic evidence supporting some degree of overlap between the pathogenesis of the two. Subclinical gut inflammation is present in up to two thirds of all SpA patients and can evolve into IBD. This subclinical gut inflammation has been shown to be strongly associated with joint inflammation, providing a clue for a common pathophysiologic background. Despite extensive research progress in the field over the past few years, many questions remain unanswered. In this paper, we focus on the clinical, genetic, and pathophysiologic overlap of SpA and IBD. Furthermore, we discuss some of the targets that may i...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background: While waiting for surgery, patients often exhibit fear and anxiety. Music is thought to be an alternative to medication to relieve anxiety. However, due to concerns about infection control, devices other than headphones may be considered for this purpose. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the anxiety-relieving effect of broadcast versus headphone music playing for patients awaiting surgery. Design: A randomized controlled clinical study. Setting: The waiting area of an operating theater of a metropolitan teach hospital in Taiwan. Participants: Alert adult with age between 20 and 65 years old waiting for surgery without premedications. Methods: A total of 167 patients were randomly assigned to the headphone, broadcast and control groups. Both the headphone a...

Science.gov (United States)

Bacterial attachment-effacement (att-eff) is emerging as an important virulence characteristic common to both enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). The contribution of the plasmid-encoded EPEC adherence factor to the production of mucosal lesions and diarrhea was investigated in gnotobiotic piglets. Bacterial att-aff in the intestinal mucosa of piglets infected with plasmid-cured EPEC strain E2348/69 (O127) was indistinguishable from that in piglets infected with the parent strain, but the distribution of lesions was different; it occurred in the small intestines of 6 of 7 piglets infected with the parent strain compared with only 2 of 11 (P = 0.006) infected with the plasmid-cured strain. Plasmid-encoded factors in EPEC and EHEC strains did not appear to contribute to bacterial competition with normal gut microflora. Of 13 strains belonging to five EPEC serogroups, O55, O142, O26, O119, and O111, 3 fulfilled the criteria for EHEC (2 O26 and 1 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The outcome was retrospectively examined and prognostic factors were discussed for arterial chemo-infusion therapy (ACT) through an implanted reservoir system and radiation therapy (RT) in patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCC). ACT plus RT were conducted to 25 patients (mean age 61.7 y, M/F 12/13, stage III-IVB) during 10 years from 1996 to 2005 with various regimens of cisplatin (CDDP), 5- fluorouracil (FU), epirubicin (FARM), mitomycin C (MMC) plus 39-50 Gy of radiation in a fractionated manner partly involving internal RT (2 cases, 15 Gy) and RT for metastatic bone (1, 25 Gy). The survival rates at 1, 2 and 3 years after ACT+RT were respectively 52.5, 43.7 and 28.1%; total efficacy (PR) was 36% (9/25) at 6 months; and significantly good prognostic factors were found to be female and absence of metastasis remote and/or lymphatic around artery. Authors concluded that ACT+RT was a meaningful ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose We assess the outcome in 46,XX men with congenital adrenal hyperplasia who were born with Prader 4 or 5 genitalia and assigned male gender at birth. Materials and Methods After receiving institutional review board approval and subject consent we reviewed the medical records of 12 men 35 to 69 years old with 46,XX congenital adrenal hyperplasia, of whom 6 completed social and gender issue questionnaires. Results All subjects were assigned male gender at birth, were diagnosed with virilizing congenital adrenal hyperplasia at age greater than 3 years and indicated a male gender identity with sexual orientation to females. Ten of the 12 subjects had always lived as male and 2 who were reassigned to female gender in childhood subsequently self-reassigned as male. Nine of the 12 men had ...

Science.gov (United States)

PMID:21305303

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Aims To determine the long-term health economic benefits associated with lispro vs. regular human insulin (RHI) in UK Type 1 diabetic (T1DM) patients using the previously published and validated CORE Diabetes Model. Methods A literature review designed to capture clinical benefits associated with lispro and T1DM cohort characteristics specific to UK was undertaken. Clinical benefits were derived from a Cochrane meta-analysis. The estimated difference (weighted mean) in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was -0.1% (95% confidence interval -0.2 to 0.0%) for lispro vs. RHI. Severe hypoglycaemia rates for lispro and RHI were 21.8 and 46.1 events per 100 patient years, respectively. Costs and disutilities were accounted for severe hypoglycaemia rates. All costs were accounted in 2007 UK from...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hospital wastes comprises approximately 80% domestic waste components, also known as non-risk waste and 20% hazardous or risk waste. The 20% of the hospital waste stream or the risk waste (also known as infectious, medical, clinical wastes) comprises components which could be potentially contaminated with infections, chemical or radioactive agents. Therefore, it should be handled and disposed of in such a manner as to minimize potential human exposure and cross-contamination. Hospital risk waste and be subdivided into seven general categories as follows: infections, anatomical/pathological, chemical, pharmaceutical, radioactive waste, sharps and pressurised containers. These waste categories are generated by many types of health care establishments, including hospitals, clinics, infirmaries.... The document presents also tables of number of hospitals and estimated bed number in different regions in Lebanon; estimated hospital risk and non-risk ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Background: EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) inhibitors confer clinical benefit in metastatic colorectal cancer when combined with chemotherapy. An emerging strategy to improve outcomes in rectal cancer is to integrate biologically active, targeted agents as triple therapy into chemoradiation protocols. Material and methods: cetuximab and bevacizumab have now been incorporated into phase I-II studies of preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for rectal cancer. The rationale of these combinations, early efficacy and toxicity data, and possible molecular predictors for tumor response are reviewed. Computerized bibliographic searches of Pubmed were supplemented with hand searches of reference lists and abstracts of ASCO and ASTRO meetings. Results: the combination of cetuximab and CRT can be safely applied without dose compromises of the respective treatment components. Disappointingly low ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Advances in the diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma of the rib were considered and retrospective analysis of the treatment of 32 patients (76% of them were children at the age of 10-15 y.o.) in the clinic of children oncology was performed. It was shown that the diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma of the rib in children ought to be combined taking into account the course, morphology and radiation examination techniques. Most optimum treatment consisted of combined therapy (cyclic polychemotherapy, lesion focus irradiation at the summary focus dose of 57 Gy, surgery with subsequent polychemotherapy for not less than 1.5 years

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Aim.- To describe the clinical aspects of implantable cardioverter defibrillators care in Sweden with focus on organisation, the role and education of nurses, patient information and education and areas in need of improvement. Background.- Implantable cardioverter defibrillators implantations have developed rapidly in recent years and are now an established arrhythmia treatment. The expanding indication for implantable cardioverter defibrillators implantation demands new competencies and resources in the implantable cardioverter defibrillators team members. Methods.- Participants were recruited among physicians and nurses in all of the hospitals implanting implantable cardioverter defibrillators (n-=-16). Data were collected by a questionnaire. Additionally, all written educational materia...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We report a 20-year-old woman who suffered headaches before presenting with a state of fluctuating vigilance. MRI showed diffuse high signal in the basal ganglia bilaterally on diffusion- and T2-weighted images, which had areas of both low and high apparent diffusion coefficient, presumed to correspond to cytotoxic and vasogenic oedema. MR venography showed no flow in the deep cerebral veins or straight sinus. Heparin was given, with clinical recovery. On follow-up MRI, the appearances became normal. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A case has been presented of an expanding, aggressive bone cyst in the scapula of an 11-year-old girl. The lesion had the appearance of a highly aggressive, cyst-like disorder that appeared to be benign. Biopsy and histological preparation confirmed the presence of a solitary bone cyst. The clinical, radiological, and pathological criteria associated with a solitary bone cyst, particularly in the scapula, were discussed and the literature was reviewed. The differential diagnosis was stressed and a number of examples of scapular lesions was presented radiologically, particularly lesions that might be confused with solitary bone cyst. (orig./SHA).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The prevalence of hepatic cysts is 0.1% to 0.5% based on autopsy studies, and 2.5% based on US examinations. Percutaneous therapies are a new alternative to surgery. They include simple percutaneous aspiration, catheter drainage alone, and catheter drainage with sclerotherapy. We present an 11-year-old boy admitted to hospital because of abdominal pain. A diagnosis of simple hepatic cyst was made, which was treated with aspiration and tetracycline hydrochloride solution (5%) injection into the cystic cavity. Complete regression was seen on US and MRI examination at 3 months, with total collapse and deflation of the cyst. The cyst regressed totally, leaving a hyperechoic linear scar on US examination at 1 year. On the basis of the clinical and imaging results obtained, percutaneous sclerotherapy of hepatic cysts can be recommended as the treatment of choice and as a valid alternative to laparoscopy in children. (orig.)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) depend on technology to meet their daily needs and form relationships. Speech generating devices (SGDs) are integral components of communication systems. Reliability of SGDs is critical for effective use in everyday life. This study examined the reliability of new SGDs and found that mean time to first failure was 42.7 (SD = 41.2) weeks and at least 40% required repairs within the first year of use. The components that most frequently broke down were touch screens, wiring, main boards, batteries, memory cards, and AC adaptors. The costs of repairing SGDs were analyzed. The clinical implications of device breakdown are identified for key stakeholders, including clients, families, service providers, funding agencies, and ma...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The authors used studies of local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (LCMRGlc) to examine development of cerebral organization in 5 days to 1 year old children. A group (n=8) of infants with diverse pediatric disorders allowed investigation of developmental changes in LCMRGlc, while also providing relevant clinical management information. Patients consisted of questionable and definite neonatal seizures, cerebral embolism from cardiac sources, and otherwise normal infants with facial nevi with consideration of Sturge-Weber. Gradual increase in cortical LCMRGlc coincides with suppression of intrinsic subcortical reflexes present in all newborns. Two retarded children (2 years old) showed LCMRGlc developmental patterns of a few days old, which corresponded to their functional and mental status. These studies illustrate great potential of PET to study normal and altered states of human brain development.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

From 1964 to 1973 at the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, Havana City, 18 clinical histories were studied, all of them from patients with Erwing's sarcoma, histologically diagnosticated by biopsy. Age, sex, race, traumatism background, hemogram disturbances, radiographic signs, primary tumor localization, and early treatment, were exposed. Early treatment in 14(83%) patients as radiotherapy. Local recurrence or metastasis was presented in 10(55,5%) patients during the two first years following attack treatment. Five (35,7%) patients was the survival rate within five years starting early treatemt. After five years, three (21,4%) patients were alive: for 18 and 14 year, and 64 month period; two patients died at 62 and 64 months. It is concluded that this survival may be increased by initial behaviour enclosed at the technologic therapeutic patterns of the the Institute of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Intracapsular femoral neck fractures remain unsolved fractures even after improvement in techniques of diagnosis and internal fixation. Individuals who sustain displaced femoral neck fractures are at high risk of developing avascular necrosis and non-union. Although several methods for predicting the viability of femoral head have been reported, they are not effective or widely used because of unreliability, potential complications and technical difficulties. Dynamic MRI was introduced in the recent past as a simple, non-invasive technique to predict the femoral head viability after the femoral neck fractures. In this study role of dynamic MRI was studied in 30 patients with 31 intracapsular femoral neck fractures. Fractures were divided in to three types according to dynamic curve patterns on MRI evaluation and were followed up for 6 months to 2 years to observe the final outcome. Sensitivity, Specificity and the Accuracy of dynamic MRI in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The vascular status of femoral heads in the post-traumatic period of intracapsular femoral neck fracture (ICFNF) remains uncertain until the patient actually develops avascular necrosis (AVN). Several methods for predicting the viability of femoral head have been reported, that are not effective or widely used because of unreliability, potential complications, and technical difficulties. The present study involved the use of Dynamic MRI (DMRI) in assessing femoral head vascularity to predict AVN. The role of DMRI was studied prospectively in 30 patients with 31 ICFNF. Fractures were divided in to three types (Type A, B, or C) based on the femoral head vascularity shown by dynamic curve patterns on MRI evaluation. Type A was preserved vascularity, Type B was some decrease in vascularity but still viable while Type C was significantly reduced vascularity. These were followed-up for 6 months to 2 years to observe the final outcome in terms of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Within the framework of the EU power plant conceptual study (PPCS), helium-cooled modular divertor concepts have been investigated in detail at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe during the past few years. The first conceptual design proposed was based on convective cooling with the use of flow promoters in the form of pin and/or slot arrays (HEMP/HEMS) to increase the cooling surface and, hence, enhance the heat transfer capacity. While continuing the design optimisation, an advanced multiple-jet design (HEMJ) was introduced, which is based on direct jet-to-wall impinging cooling and offers advantages in terms of simple construction and manufacturing. Main emphasis of the 2004 work program (TW4-TRP-001) lay on experiments for the concepts HEMJ and HEMS, which were mainly performed at the Efremov Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. For experiment preparation, detailed test programs were worked out and accompanying CFD analyses were accomplished. The ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To propose a new design concept of a nuclear reactor used in the space, research has been conducted on the conceptual design of a new nuclear reactor on the basis of the following three main concepts: (1) Thermionic generation by thermionic fuel elements (TFE), (2) reactivity control by rotary reflector, and (3) reactor cooling by liquid metal. The outcomes of the research are: (1) A calculation algorithm was derived for obtaining convergent conditions by repeating nuclear characteristic calculation and thermal flow characteristic calculation for the space nuclear reactor. (2) Use of this algorithm and the parametric study established that a space nuclear reactor using 97% enriched uranium nitride as the fuel and lithium as the coolant and having a core with a radius of about 25 cm, a height of about 50 cm and a generation efficiency of about 7% can probably be operated continuously for at least more than ten years at 100 kW only by reactivity ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Over a 5-year period (1976-1980) 499 patients with non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours were included in the Danish Testicular Carcinoma Study (DATECA). The 3-year crude survival for patients in clinical stages I, II and III was 91, 77 and 45 per cent, respectively. In stage I the relapse-free survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival was observed. For stage II patients maintenance chemotherapy following radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine did not improve relapse-free or crude survival. The survival of patients with non-seminomatous tumours improved significantly during the ...

Science.gov (United States)

Feline heartworm disease is a very different clinical entity from canine heartworm disease. In cats, the arrival and death of immature heartworms in the pulmonary arteries can cause coughing and dyspnea as early as 3 months postinfection. Adult heartworms suppress the function of pulmonary intravascular macrophages and thus reduce clinical disease in chronic feline heartworm infection. Approximately 80% of asymptomatic cats self-cure. Median survival time for symptomatic cats is 1.5 years, or 4 years if only cats living beyond the day of presentation are considered. Aberrant worm migration is more frequent than it is in dogs, and sudden death can occur with no prior clinical signs. The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia likely contributes to the inflammatory pathology of heartworm disease, but its role is not yet fully clear. Unfortunately, the diagnosis, treatment, and management of ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveTo investigate and to quantify the relationship between hospital costs and health outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Veterans Health Administration...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe optimal treatment for locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) is still a matter of debate. This study assessed the outcome of LRRC patients treated with multimodality...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveTo report the outcome of children with life-threatening asthma (LTA) admitted to a university Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).MethodsRetrospective...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Study Objectives:To evaluate the value of mouth opening during sleep for predicting surgical outcomes after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP).Methods:Retrospectively,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

PurposeTo assess the relationship between low-grade inflammation, measured as basal high sensitivity (hs)-CRP, and IVF outcome.MethodsWe recruited...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AbstractSevere pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with unfavorable outcomes secondary to injury from activation of the inflammatory cascade, the release of excitotoxic...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Communication problems have been implicated in many safety and quality issues, but tools to examine communication networks and their impact on patient outcomes are only beginning to become available....Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To evaluate the predictive factors for treatment response and prognostic factors affecting survival outcomes after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma. Medical records of forty two patients with histologically confirmed analsquamous cell carcinoma, who had complete CCRT between 1993 and 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. Median age was 61.5 years (39-89 years), and median radiotherapy (RT) dose was 50.4 Gy (30.0-64.0 Gy). A total of 36 patients had equal to or less than T2 stage (85.7%). Fourteen patients (33.3%) showed regional nodal metastasis, 36 patients (85.7%) were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin, and the remaining patients were treated by 5-FU plus cisplatinum. The median follow--up time was 62 months (2-202 months).The 5-year overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, disease-free survival, and colostomy-free survival ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a rare malignancy. Despite radical resection, survival remains poor, with high rates of local and distant failure. To clarify the role of radiotherapy with chemotherapy, we performed a retrospective analysis of resected patients who had undergone chemoradiotherapy. Methods and Materials: A total of 45 patients (13 with proximal and 32 with distal disease) underwent resection plus radiotherapy (median dose, 50.4 Gy). All but 1 patient received concurrent fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. The median follow-up was 30 months for all patients and 40 months for survivors. Results: Of the 45 patients, 33 underwent adjuvant radiotherapy, and 12 were treated neoadjuvantly. The 5-year actuarial overall survival, disease-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and locoregional control rates were 33%, 37%, 42%, and 78%, respectively. The median survival was 34 months. No patient died perioperatively. Patient age #<=#60 ...

Science.gov (United States)

... commands may be input from a terminal or they ... up the outcomes of the stochastic parameters corre- ... queue of subproblems to be solved, the first ...

Science.gov (United States)

Carotid Artery Disease; Stroke; Amaurosis Fugax; Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A retrospective study was made of all radionuclide (RN) bone images performed at our institution over a two-year period to evaluate femoral head viability after nonpathologic fracture of the femoral neck. Twelve patients had avascular femoral heads during the perioperative period, of which nine had adequate follow-up. Seven of these nine patients had follow-up bone images. Revascularization occurred in four patients, while three had persistent absence of femoral head uptake. With clinical follow-up ranging from four to 29 months (median: 14 months), only two of these nine patients developed clinical or radiographic evidence of osteonecrosis. RN bone imaging performed in the perioperative period does not reliably predict the development of post-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head and, at present, should not be used to determine prospectively method of treatment of femoral neck fracture.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In 576 patients quantitative scintigraphy of the sacroiliac joints and the spinal cord with "9"9"mTc-pyrophosphate was performed. 328 were patients with proven ankylosing spondylitis according to the New York criteria. 120 were patients with a clinically and roentgenologically suspected ankylosing spondylitis and 128 persons formed a healthy control group. The count rate in small regions of interest (ROI) in the sacroiliac joints, the spinal cord and the os sacrum were compared on the basis of indexes. The scintigraphic data of patients with ankylosing spondylitis were compared with the healthy control group and with the radiographic findings and radiologic staging of the disease. In a longitudinal follow-up study during 1 to 6 years these investigations were continued together with clinical and roentgenological checks. Quantitative bone scintigraphy provides characteristic indexes for ankylosing spondylitis, indicating the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: To describe the clinical aspects and evaluate optical coherence tomography of macular microholes. Methods: Seven patients were assessed (8 eyes) with microholes of the macula. All patients underwent complete eye examination, fundus photography, fluorescent angiography and OCT-3 imaging. Results: Ages ranged from 26 to 69 years. Six patients were female (85.7%) and five of them had microhole in the right eye. The presenting symptom was decrease in visual acuity (71.3%) and central scotoma in (14.3%). Five eyes (71.4%) had no defects shown by fluorescent angiography. A defect in the outer retina was demonstrated in all eyes on optical coherence tomography. The lesions were nonprogressive. Conclusion: Macular microholes are small lamellar defects in the outer retina. The condition is nonprogressive, generally unilateral and compatible with good visual acuity. Fundus biomicroscopy associated with an optical coherence tomography are the ...

Science.gov (United States)

PMID:10488815

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

PMID:1354044

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english AIM: This prospective randomized clinical study was conducted to compare radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) with wire-guided localization to evaluate optimum localization techniques for non-palpable breast lesions. METHODS: A total of 108 patients who were undergoing an excisional biopsy for non-palpable breast lesions requiring pathologic diagnosis were randomly assigned to the ROLL group (n = 56) and wire-guided localization group (n = 52). In the study, pati (more) ents' characteristics, radiological abnormalities, radiological technique of localization, localization time, operation time, weight of the excised specimen, clearance margins, pathological diagnosis and perioperative complications were assessed. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups in terms of age, radiological abnormalities and localization technique (p = non-significant for all). ROLL techniques resulted in 100% retrieval of the lesions; for the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction is a well-described clinical entity. Most IVC obstructions from malignant neoplasms are a direct result of tumor compression [Oviedo J, Cerda S. Vascular invasion by hepatocellular carcinoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2001;125: 454-5; Furui S, Sawada S, et al. Gianturco stent placement in malignant caval obstruction: analysis of factors for predicting the outcome. Radiology 1995;195:147-52; Fletcher WS, Lakin PC, et al. Results of treatment of inferior vena cava syndrome with expandable metallic stents. Arch Surg 1998;133:935-8]. The symptoms of IVC obstruction include progressive ascites, scrotal edema and lower body edema. These constellations of symptoms are described as IVC syndrome and are devastating to a patient with end-stage cancer. We describe a palliative therapy utilizing Luminexx nitinol self-expanding stents to treat intracaval hepatoma thrombus obstructing the IVC. The procedure is rapidly ...

Science.gov (United States)

Preterm children born before 32 weeks of gestation represent 1% of the annual births in Switzerland, and are the most at risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities. A neurological surveillance is thus implemented in the neonatal units, and multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental follow-up is offered to all our preterm patients. The follow-up clinics of the University hospitals in Lausanne and Geneva follow the Swiss guidelines for follow-up. An extended history and neurological examination is taken at each appointment, and a standardized test of development is performed. These examinations, which take place between the ages of 3 months and 9 years old, allow the early identification and treatment of developmental disorders frequent in this population, such as motor, cognitive or behavioral disorders, as well as the monitoring of the quality of neonatal care. PMID:21452511

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Ventricular septal defects can occur as part of other congenital cardiac malformations or as an isolated finding. Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are rare, most commonly involving the right or noncoronary sinuses. They can be congenital or acquired through infection, trauma, or degenerative diseases. They frequently co-exist with ventricular septal defects, aortic valve dysfunction, or other cardiac abnormalities. More commonly, sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are diagnosed after the clinical sequelae of rupture. Several etiologic factors may lead to the development of pathologic pericardial effusion and the detection of pericardial effusion was one of the first applications of echocardiography to gain widespread acceptance. We present a case of a chance finding of an aneurysm of the right ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Spastic equinovarus foot deformity commonly occurs after stroke or head trauma. Management by split anterior tibial tendon transfer to the lateral border of the foot was chosen by the authors. The purpose of that work was to assess the reliability of this method to improve patient's functional autonomy and investigate the relationship between the initial clinical examination findings and the quality of the functional results. 84 feet, operated in 82 patients out of 130, of mean age 46 years, were reviewed at a mean follow-up of 65 months. Very few complications were observed. Toe deformities remain a commonly associated problem. 80 patients were able to walk barefoot, 74 reported an increase in their walking distance, and 73 could regularly wear normal shoes. There is a strong relationship...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We have developed a chitosan/polyglycolic acid (PGA) artificial nerve graft which was previously used for bridge implantation of dog sciatic nerves across 30-mm long defects. Here we describe a clinical trial of this graft for repairing a 35-mm-long median nerve defect at elbow of a human patient. During the 3-year follow-up period, functional recovery of the injured median nerve was assessed by pinch gauge test, hydraulic hand dynamometry, static two-point discrimination and touch test with monofilaments, in couple with electrophysiological examinations. The motor and sensory function of the median nerve demonstrated an ongoing recovery postimplantation, reaching M4 and S3+ levels during the follow-up period. The results indicate that the chitosan/PGA artificial nerve graft could be used ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The combination of functional and morphological imaging technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) has shown its value in the clinical and preclinical field. However, CT provides only very limited soft-tissue contrast and exposes the examined patient or laboratory animal to a high X-ray radiation dose. In comparison to CT, magnetic resonance tomography (MRI) provides excellent soft-tissue contrast and allows for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS) or functional MRI (fMRI). Thus, the combination of PET and MRI has been pursued for several years. First approaches have succeeded using conventional photo multiplier tube (PMT) technology together with light fibers to transfer scintillation light away from the high magnetic field. Latest...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

For the purpose of nationwide surveillance of the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens collected from patients in Japan, the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy conducted a third year of nationwide surveillance during the period from January to April 2008. A total of 1,097 strains were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections. Susceptibility testing was evaluable with 987 strains (189 Staphylococcus aureus, 211 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 6 Streptococcus pyogenes, 187 Haemophilus influenzae, 106 Moraxella catarrhalis, 126 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 162 Pseudomonas aeruginosa). A total of 44 antibacterial agents, including 26 ?-lactams (four penicillins, three penicillins in combination with ?-lacta...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Solitary fibrous tumors of the thyroid gland (T-SFT) are rarely described, with only 21 cases being reported in the English literatures, all showing benign clinical characteristics. We herein present a 76-year-old woman presenting with a 3-month history of rapidly enlarging neck masses and the CT showed masses with partial calcification in the right thyroid lobe. We performed right hemithyroidectomy and isthmectomy with negative margin under general anesthesia. Histologically, the masses consisted of pleomorphic spindle cells with high mitoses and collagen bands. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed positive reactions for CD34, vimentin and bcl-2, then a diagnosis of malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the right thyroid was made. Six months postoperatively, the CT showed ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background. The `RISchio CArdiovascolare nei pazienti afferenti all' Area Vasta In Dialisi (RISCAVID) study is an observational and prospective trial including the whole chronic haemodialysis (HD) population in the northwest part of Tuscany (1.235 million people). The aim of the study was to elucidate the relevance of traditional and non-traditional risk factors of mortality and morbidity in HD patients as well as the impact of different HD modalities.Methods. A total of 757 HD patients (mean age 66 +- 14 years, mean dialytic age 70 +- 76 months, diabetes 19%) were prospectively followed up for 30 months and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and non-fatal CV events (acute myocardial infarction and stroke) were registered. At the time of the enrolment, demographic, clinical...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

On 10 dialysis patients we performed 12 balloon dilatations, 2 catheter lyses, 6 stent implants (Palmaz stent) and one atherectomy of central venous stenoses or occlusions (v. subclavia, v. brachiocephalica) at the shunt arm of the patient. The primary success rate was, in balloon PTA and lysis, 12/14 interventions, and in stent placement and atherectomy 7/7. The angiographical and clinical primary result after stent implantation was significantly better than after conventional dilatation. After 66% of the balloon dilatations recidivation occurred within the first year; this can be treated by means of repeated PTA. Whether long-term exclusion of recurrence can be achieved by stent implantation, must be established by means of follow-up studies that are at present in progress. (orig.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Pyogenic sacroiliitis is a rare entity in children. Diagnosis is often delayed because of its variable clinical presentation, low suspicion by the examining physician, and rare findings on radiographs. Delayed diagnosis, however, results in complications such as iliopsoas abscess. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl hospitalized with a 21-day history of fever, pain in the left iliac fossa, and flexion contracture of the hip. On examination, she had fever (38.9 ^oC), psoitis, localized tenderness at the left sacroiliac joint, and pain elicited by lateral compression of the pelvis. The abdominal examination was normal. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 130mm in the first hour, C-reactive protein was 186mg/l, and the white blood cell count was 18,400/mm^3, with 79% neutrophils. Urin...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

From 1946 - 1990, i.e. from shortly after the end of World War II and the rise of the cold war until the German reunification, there had been extensive uranium mining both in Saxony and Thuringia, which formed the southern parts of the former German Democratic Republic. Mining activities started in Saxony in the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge). Mining was conducted by a Soviet, since 1954 by a Soviet- German Incorporated Company named Wismut. It is estimated that about 400,000 persons may have worked in this time period with the company, most of them underground or in uranium ore processing facilities. In the early years, exposure to radiation and dust was particularly high for underground workers. After introduction of several ventilation measures and wet drilling from 1955 onwards, the levels of exposures to the various agents steadily decreased. After German reunification, it was decided by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment to save health data ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: calculation of conversion coefficients for the reconstruction of organ doses from entrance doses for abdomen radiographs of 0, 1, 5, 10, 15, and 30-year-old patients in conventional pediatric radiology for the radiographic settings recommended by the German and European guidelines for quality management in diagnostic radiology. Materials und method: using the commercially available personal computer program PCXMC developed by the Finnish Center for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (Saeteilyturvakeskus STUK), conversion coefficients for conventional abdomen radiographs were calculated performing Monte Carlo simulations in mathematical hermaphrodite phantom models describing patients of different ages. The possible clinical variation of beam collimation was taken into consideration by defining optimal and suboptimal radiation fields on the phantoms' surfaces. Results: conversion coefficients for the reconstruction of organ does in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Femoral head vitality before, during and at various intervals from the operation was determined by tetracycline labeling and/or _9_9 sp (m)Tc-MDP scintimetry. In a three-year follow-up, healing prognosis could be determined by scintimetry 3 weeks from operation; deficient femoral head vitality predicting healing complications and retained vitality predicting uncomplicated healing. A comparison between pre- and postoperative scintimetry indicated that further impairment of the femoral head vitality could be caused by the operative procedure, and as tetracycline labeling prior to and after fracture reduction in 370 fractures proved equivalent, it was concluded that the procedure of osteosynthesis probably was responsible for capsular vessel injury, using a four-flanged nail. The four-flanged nail was compared with a low-traumatic method of osteosynthesis, two hook-pins, in a prospective randomized 14 month study, and the postoperative femoral head vitality was ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper shows the efficacy of computed radiography for major airway in pediatrics. For this purpose, we examined 40 children (range 2 weeks to 14 years; mean 2.3 years) using Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR) and radiation dose using pediatric phantom under FCR and conventional film and screen system. In comparison study with FCR and conventional film and screen system, FCR images are superior to conventional system in all cases. Scorings were done for the quality of the image of the pharynx, the trachea, and both main bronchi. In phantom study to check radiation dose, radiation dose could be reduced 1/6 of the value using high speed film and screen and 1/15 of the value using conventional speed film and screen. FCR also showed clear airway images in all cases but technical failure to evaluate the clinical lesion. These results suggest that FCR is the adequate imaging modality to evaluate the major airway in children. ...

Science.gov (United States)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common behavioral disorders in children. Symptoms of ADHD include hyperactivity, low frustration tolerance, impulsivity, and inattention. While the biological pathways leading to ADHD are not clearly delineated, a number of genetic and environmental risk factors for the disorder are recognized. In the early 1970s, research conducted by Dr. Benjamin Feingold found that when hyperactive children were given a diet free of artificial food additives and dyes, symptoms of hyperactivity were reduced. While some clinical studies supported these findings, more rigorous empirical studies conducted over the next 20 years were less positive. As a result, research on the role of food additives in contributing to ADHD waned. In recent years, however, interest in this area has revived. In response to more recent research and public petitions, in December 2009 the British ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The authors assess the role of Computed Topography in the diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma (MM) and investigate if Computed Tomography findings can influence the clinical approach, prognosis and treatment. 273 multiple myeloma patients submitted to Computed Tomography June 1994, to December, 1996. The patients were 143 men and 130 women (mean age: 65 years): 143 were stage I, 38 stage II and 92 stage III according to Durie and Salomon's clinical classification. All patients were submitted to blood tests, spinal radiography and Computed Tomography, the latter with serial 5-mm scans on several vertebral bodies. Computed Tomography despicted vertebral arch and process involvement in 3 cases with the vertebral pedicle sign. Moreover, Computed Tomography proved superior to radiography in showing the spread of myelomatous masses into the soft tissues in a case with solitary permeative lesion in the left public bone, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noninvasive and simplified methods for estimating regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and regional partition coefficient (#lambda#) using the inhalation of stable xenon (Xe"s) and computed tomographic (CT) scanning are described. Thirty percent Xe"s in 70% oxygen was inhaled for 240 seconds and exhaled for 160 seconds during serial CT scanning without denitrogenation in 26 patients with cerebrovascular diseases and four volunteer controls. During the investigation, the end-tidal Xe"s concentration was continuously monitored with a thermoconductivity analyzer to determine the build-up range (A value) and build-up rate constant (K value) of the artery by the curve fitting method. Calculated A and K values were corrected by the following formulae reported previously: for patients aged 0-20 years, A_e = 0.75A_a + 2.15, K_e = 0.67K_a + 0.69; 21-40 years, A_e = 0.56A_a + 3.24, K_e = 0.38K_a + 1.12; 41-60 years, A_e = 0.91A_a + ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The objective was to characterize imaging findings of benign notochordal cell tumors (BNCTs). Clinical and imaging data for 9 benign notochordal cell tumors in 7 patients were reviewed retrospectively. Conventional radiographs (n = 9), bone scintigrams (n = 2), computed tomographic images (n = 7), and magnetic resonance images (n = 8) were reviewed. Eight of the 9 lesions were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and microscopically examined. There were 3 male and 4 female patients with an age range of 22 to 55 years (average age, 44 years). Two patients had two lesions at different sites. The lesions involved the cervical spine in 4 patients, the lumbar spine in 2, the sacrum in 2, and the coccyx in 1. The most common symptom was mild pain. The lesions of 2 patients were found incidentally during imaging studies for unrelated conditions. Five patients underwent surgical procedures. One patient died of surgical complications. All ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AbstractObjective: This study examined the effectiveness of a telephone-based referral-care management (TBR-CM) intervention on psychiatric health...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Increasing evidence suggests that sex differences exist in the etiology, presentation, treatment, and outcome from stroke. The reasons for these sex disparities are becoming increasingly explored, but...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The visual outcome, histopathology, and electrodiagnostic tests of a man with a malignant melanoma of the choroid who received foveal argon laser photocoagulation prior to enucleatiion are described....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Male reproductive proteins (MRPs), associated with sperm and semen, are the moieties responsible for carrying male genes into the next generation. Evolutionary biologists have focused on their...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundRecent studies have shown associations between size and body proportions at birth and health outcomes throughout the life cycle, but there are few data...Full Text Available

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AimDetermine if periodontitis progression during pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes.Materials...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The aim of the paper is to review the role of interventional radiology in the management of hemodialysis vascular access and complications in renal transplantation. The evaluation of patients with hemodialysis vascular access is complex. It includes the radiology/ultrasound (US) evaluation of the peripheral veins of the upper extremities with venous mapping and the evaluation of the central vein prior to the access placement and radiological detection and treatment of the stenosis and thrombosis in misfunctional dialysis fistulas. Preoperative screening enables the identification of a suitable vessel to create a hemodynamically-sound dialysis fistula. Clinical and radiological detection of the hemodynamically significant stenosis or occlusion demands fistulography and endovascular treatment. Endovascular prophylactic dilatation of stenosis greater than 50% with associated clinical abnormalities such as flow-rate reduction is warranted to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minimally invasive treatment for small renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be necessary in selected patients and, anyway, is desirable. In situ ablation techniques, including RFA, have been developed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility, safety and short-term local effectiveness of percutaneous US-guided RFA in a small series, as well as mid-term patient outcome. Thirteen patients with a total of 18 tumors (17 small lesions, 35 mm in size or less, and a larger one, 75 mm in size) underwent 19 RFA sessions. Seven patients had a solitary kidney, and three suffered from VHL disease, too. We treated four lesions in a patient with a bilateral tumor. In another patient, three lesions were ablated. Seventeen tumors were RCC; one was a metastasis from lung cancer. Eight lesions were parenchymal, six exophytic, two parenchymal/exophytic, one parenchymal/central and one central. A monopolar RF system with multitined expandable electrode needles was used. The ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The likelihood that past experience will produce correct guides to current practice depends on the signal-to-noise ratio for the clinical problem of interest. If the signal-to-noise ratio is high, the...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In 2008, a clinical information tool was developed and embedded in the electronic health record system of an academic medical center. In 2009, the initial information tool, Clinical-e, was superseded...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The clinical signs and postmortem findings in sheep from two flocks accidentally poisoned with monensin are described. Clinical signs began within 24 hours of exposure to monensin. In the acute stages...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To evaluate the importance of surgical margins for local and systemic control of Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFT). Methods and Materials: Between 1979 and 1999, 512 patients with ESFTs entered 4 different adjuvant and neoadjuvant studies performed at a single institution. Of these patients, 335 were treated with surgery alone (196) or surgery followed by radiotherapy at doses of 44.8 Gy (139). We compared their outcome with that of the 177 patients who were locally treated by radiotherapy at 60 Gy. Results: Local control (88.8% vs. 80.2%, p < 0.009) and 5-year disease-free survival (63.8% vs. 47.6%, p < 0.0007) were significantly better in patients treated with surgery and, among them, in those with adequate surgical margins (96.6% vs. 71,7%, p < 0.0008, and 69.6% vs. 46.3%, p < 0.0002). Nonetheless, better results were observed only in extremity tumors. Conclusions: Surgery is better than radiotherapy in cases of ...

Science.gov (United States)

The global spread of HIV and AIDS has presented a major threat to development, affecting the health of the poor and many aspects of social and economic development. The greatest impact of the epidemic has been felt in sub-Saharan Africa, and Zambia ranks among the worst hit countries. The Free Basic Education Policy in Zambia upholds the right of all children to a universal basic education. This study explored staff and student perceptions of the impact of the epidemic on access to, and the quality of, basic education for AIDS-affected children, orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs) in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, where the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate ranges from 34 to 40%, and life expectancy has dropped to 33 years. Data were collected from education personnel in six districts of the Copperbelt with the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS and from staff and students in six schools. The data indicated a range of factors that adversely affect the access ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stargardt`s disease (MIM 248200), originally described in 1909, is an autosomal recessive condition of childhood, characterized by a sudden and bilateral loss of central vision. Typically, it has an early onset (7 to 12 years), a rapidly progressive course and a poor final outcome. The central area of the retina (macula) displays pigmentary changes in a ring form with depigmentation and atrophy of the retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE). Perimacular yellowish spots, termed fundus flavimaculatus, are observed in a high percentage of patients. We have recently reported the genetic mapping of Stargardt`s disease to chromosome 1p13. On the other hand, considering that fundus flavimaculatus (MIM 230100) is another form of fleck fundus disease, with a Stargardt-like retinal aspect but with a late-onset and a more progressive course, we decided to test the hypothesis of allelism between typical Stargardt`s disease and late-onset autosomal recessive ...

Science.gov (United States)

We evaluated 190 children with very high-risk leukemia, who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in 2 sequential treatment eras, to determine whether those treated with contemporary protocols had a high risk of relapse or toxic death, and whether non-HLA-identical transplantations yielded poor outcomes. For the recent cohorts, the 5-year overall survival rates were 65% for the 37 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 74% for the 46 with acute myeloid leukemia; these rates compared favorably with those of earlier cohorts (28%, n = 57; and 34%, n = 50, respectively). Improvement in the recent cohorts was observed regardless of donor type (sibling, 70% vs 24%; unrelated, 61% vs 37%; and haploidentical, 88% vs 19%), attributable to less infection (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.12; P = .005), regimen-related toxicity (HR = 0.25; P = .002), and leukemia-related death (HR = 0.40; P = .01). Survival probability was dependent on ...

Science.gov (United States)

BackgroundNatural disasters result in significant numbers of disabling impairments. Paradoxically, however, the traditional health system response to natural disasters largely neglects health-related rehabilitation as a strategic intervention.ObjectivesTo examine the role of health-related rehabilitation in natural disaster relief along three lines of inquiry: (1) epidemiology of injury and disability, (2) impact on health and rehabilitation systems, and (3) the assessment and measurement of disability.DesignQualitative literature review and secondary data analysis.ResultsAbsolute numbers of injuries as well as injury to death ratios in natural disasters have increased significantly over the last 40 years. Major impairments requiring health-related rehabilitation include amputations, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries (SCI), and long bone fractures. Studies show that persons with pre-existing disabilities are more likely to die in a natural disaster. ...

Science.gov (United States)

Retroviruses are well known pathogens of mammals, birds and fish. Their potential to induce cancer in chickens was already described almost 100 years ago and murine retroviruses have been a subject of study for 50 years. The first human retroviruses, HTLV and HIV, were discovered more than 30 years ago, surprising researchers and physicians by the profound differences in the diseases they cause. HTLV-1 is able to induce, after decades of infection, lymphomas/leukemia or neuroimmune disorders whereas untreated HIV infection leads almost inevitably to AIDS. The recently described XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) appeared to possess many of the features known for HTLV and was regarded by some to be the third human retrovirus. However, recent publications by Knox et al. [1] and Paprotka et al. [2] have shed new light on this gammaretrovirus. Knox and colleagues clearly demonstrate that XMRV is absent in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Background and purpose: We evaluate the feasibility of concomitant and adjuvant docetaxel combined with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and androgen deprivation in high-risk prostate carcinomas. Methods: Fifty men with high-risk localized prostate cancer (16), locally advanced (28) or very high-risk prostate cancer (6) were included. Seventy Gy were delivered on prostate and seminal vesicles in 35 fractions, concurrently with weekly docetaxel (20 mg/m"2). Three weeks after the completion of 3D-CRT, docetaxel was given for 3 cycles (60 mg/m"2), every 3 weeks. Patients had to receive LHRH agonist during 3 years. Results: The intent to treat analysis shows that four patients out of 15 stopped prematurely the chemotherapy due to grade 3-4 acute toxicity. In the per protocol analysis, 46 patients completed a full-dose chemoradiation regimen representing 413 cycles: five patients experienced a grade 3 toxicity, and 15 patients experienced a grade 2 ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A questionnaire on the development of specialist clinics was distributed to the members of the Association of British Neurologists and completed by 104 members (85 consultants). Half of the respondents...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A tunable diode laser is used to obtain infrared spectra of carbon dioxide in biological materials. The spectral resolution is sufficient to readily distinguish differing isotopic species. The technique may prove useful in clinical tests.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In 2005, the American Medical Informatics Association undertook a set of activities relating to clinical decision support (CDS), with support from the office of the national coordinator and the Agency...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

There is ample historical verification of 46,XX congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) patients being born with essentially male genitaliawhile outcome information is scant. Prior to glucocorticoid...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Purpose:To study the outcome of in-the-bag implanted square-edge polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) intraocular lenses (IOL) with and without primary posterior capsulotomy in...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: Radiotherapy (RT) has been the predominant local treatment for Ewing's sarcoma of bone at the University of Florida. Twice-daily hyperfractionated RT was initiated in 1982 to improve local control and functional outcome. This retrospective review compares the results of once-daily vs. twice-daily RT in patients with primary Ewing's sarcoma of an extremity, with emphasis on functional outcome. Methods and Materials: Between June 1971 and January 1990, 37 patients were treated at the University of Florida for nonmetastatic Ewing's sarcoma of bone with a primary lesion in an extremity. Three patients underwent amputation. Of 34 patients treated with RT, 31 had RT alone and 3 had a combination of RT and local excision. Before 1982, 14 patients received once-daily RT; since 1982, 17 patients have received twice-daily RT. Doses of once-daily RT varied from 47 to 61 Gy at 1.8-2 Gy per fraction. Doses of twice-daily RT varied, depending on the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gastrointestinal lymphomas are almost exclusively of a non Hodgkin's type. The Western form is characterized by a higher incidence of stomach location (50 %), a MALT type (mucosa associated lymphoid tissue) (40 %), a B-cell type (90 %), and a high grade (55 %). Chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori is an important risk factor. Mediterranean lymphomas form a particular clinical and pathological entity with diffuse involvement of the small bowel and are frequently being associated with a chronic malabsorption disorder. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori in early lymphomas, and the use of tetracyclines in early Mediterranean lymphomas, have been shown to induce durable remissions. For more advanced gastric lymphomas, treatment usually consists of anthracycline-based chemotherapy followed by involved field radiotherapy. Surgery is usually reserved for complications such as perforation or bleeding, or in some selected cases for salvage after failure of non-surgical ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: To evaluate the initial and mid-term results of a new self-expanding low strut profile nitinol stent for treatment of atherosclerotic lesions stenoses and occlusions in the superficial femoral artery (SFA). Materials and Methods: In 8 patients (4 male, 4 female, mean age 74.8 {+-} 8.8 years) with SFA lesions and non-satisfying results after PTA treatment alone, 10 self-expanding nitinol Xpert stents were deployed via a 4 F sheath. Stent characteristics and handling were graded by the interventionalist. Fontaine classification, duplex flow measurements and ankle brachial index (ABI) at rest and stress were taken prior and one day after stent placement. Patients were followed 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure obtaining the same parameters at each appointment. Results: Initial stent treatment was successful in all patients. Stent handling and positioning were rated very good and safe. All patients improved clinically by at least one ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This study compared rCBF pattern in normal adult and normal children using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). The purpose of this study was to determine distribution pattern not seen visual analysis in both groups. Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT was performed in 12 normal adults (M:F=11:1, average age 35 year old) and 6 normal control children (M:F=4:2, 10.5{+-}3.1y) who visited psychiatry clinic to evaluate ADHD. Their brain SPECT revealed normal rCBF pattern in visual analysis and they were diagnosed clinically normal. Using SPM method, we compared normal adult group's SPECT images with those of 6 normal children subjects and measured the extent of the area with significant hypoperfusion and hyperperfusion (p<0.001, extent threshold=16). The areas of both angnlar gyrus, both postcentral gyrus, both superior frontal gyrus, and both superior parietal lobe showed significant hyperperfusion in normal adult group ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In interventional radiology (IVR) of cerebral aneurysms, it is important to understand the form and physical relationships between the cerebral aneurysm and the surrounding vessels. However, because the vessels in the head area are highly complex, it can be difficult to comprehend the structure using conventional angiography. Therefore, three-dimensional rotational angiography (3D-RA) has been used in recent years. This article discusses studies of the spatial resolution of 3D-RA. We reconstructed 3D-RA of an acrylic slit phantom (slit widths: 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 mm) and examined spatial resolution by visual evaluation and profile curves. When the slit phantom was arranged to avoid the effect of beam hardening, the spatial resolution of 3D-RA was found to be as high as 0.75 mm. When the slit phantom was placed orthogonal to the rotational axis of the C-arm, the spatial resolution of 3D-RA was decreased because of the cone angle effect of X-rays. However, it was ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The combination of functional and morphological imaging technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) has shown its value in the clinical and preclinical field. However, CT provides only very limited soft-tissue contrast and exposes the examined patient or laboratory animal to a high X-ray radiation dose. In comparison to CT, magnetic resonance tomography (MRI) provides excellent soft-tissue contrast and allows for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS) or functional MRI (fMRI). Thus, the combination of PET and MRI has been pursued for several years. First approaches have succeeded using conventional photo multiplier tube (PMT) technology together with light fibers to transfer scintillation light away from the high magnetic field. Latest PET/MRI developments use solid-state light detectors that can be operated even at high magnetic fields. Initial pilot studies with prototype animal PET/MRI ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Between 1984 and 1988, seven women with breast cancer were treated with intraoperative electron beam therapy (IOEBT). All patients were Caucasian. Patient age ranged from 37 to 62 (median 53) years. Histopathology was infiltrating duct carcinoma (6/7) or medullary carcinoma (1/7). Four tumors were staged T1 N0 MO, one T1 N1 MO, one T2 N1 MO, and one lesion was recurrent. At the time of primary lumpectomy or axillary node dissection, a dose of 10 or 15 Gy IOEBT was administered to the tumor bed with 6 or 9 MeV electrons through the lumpectomy wound. All patients received 45 or 50 Gy over five to six weeks with 6 MV photons to the breast and, in four patients, to the regional nodes. Three patients received adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen. No post-operative complications were observed. All patients are alive as of August, 1989, with no evidence of recurrent disease. Excellent cosmesis is the rule. Clinical and technical aspects of treatment ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eight patients, one male and seven females, with no pre-existing hypothalamic-pituitary disease, who developed symptoms of hypopituitarism following cranial irradiation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were studied 5 years or more after radiotherapy. All were GH deficient. Four of the patients with no GH response during insulin tolerance tests (ITT) showed increased GH in response to synthetic human growth hormone releasing factor (GRF-44). Four patients had impaired cortisol responses to ITT, and gradual but diminished cortisol responses to ovine corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF-41). There was no significant difference between mean peak increments in response to ITT and those in response to CRF-41. TSH responses to TRH were delayed in five and absent in two patients; four of these had low free T4 index. Prolactin was raised in all seven women and increased further in response to TRH. Two patients had impaired gonadotrophin responses to LHRH. None of the patients ...