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Sample records for technique symptomatic patients

  1. Evaluation of the Gow-Gates and Vazirani-Akinosi techniques in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a prospective randomized study.

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    Click, Vivian; Drum, Melissa; Reader, Al; Nusstein, John; Beck, Mike

    2015-01-01

    Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of the Gow-Gates and Vazirani-Akinosi techniques in patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Therefore, the purpose of this prospective, randomized study was to evaluate the anesthetic efficacy of the Gow-Gates and Vazirani-Akinosi techniques using 3.6 mL 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine in mandibular posterior teeth in patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. One hundred twenty-five emergency patients diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis randomly received either a Gow-Gates or Vazirani-Akinosi injection using 3.6 mL 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine to block the inferior alveolar nerve before endodontic access. Subjective lip numbness was recorded. Pulpal anesthetic success of the injection was defined as no pain or mild pain upon endodontic access and instrumentation as measured on a visual analog scale. Subjective lip numbness was obtained 92% of the time with the Gow-Gates technique and 63% of the time with the Vazirani-Akinosi technique. The difference was statistically significant (P = .0001). For the patients achieving lip numbness, successful pulpal anesthesia was obtained 35% of the time with the Gow-Gates technique and 16% of the time with the Vazirani-Akinosi technique. The difference was statistically significant (P = .0381). We concluded that for patients who achieved lip numbness neither the Gow-Gates technique nor the Vazirani-Akinosi technique provided adequate pulpal anesthesia for mandibular posterior teeth in patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Both injections would require supplemental anesthesia. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Symptomatic portal vein occlusion: treated by interventional radiological techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Maoqiang; Gu Xiaofang; Guan Jun; Wang Zhongpu; Liu Fengyong; Wang Zhiqiang

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the interventional radiological techniques for management of symptomatic portal vein (PV) occlusion. Methods: Nine patients with PV trunk occlusion were treated using interventional procedures. Four patients presented with abdominal pain, distention, and malabsorption; five presented with portal hypertension and repeated bleeding from esophagogastric varices. The etiologic factors were identified in all 9 patients, including post-transplantation of the liver in 2, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with PV tumor thrombus in 3, post abdominal operative state in 1, and PV thrombosis in 3 cases. The portal access was established via a percutaneous transhepatic route in 4, and via a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt ( TIPS) approach in 5 patients. The interventional procedures included stent placement in 4, balloon angioplasty in 6, and catheter directed pharmacologic and mechanical thrombolysis in 7 patients. Results: The technical success was achieved in all cases. No complications related to the procedure occurred. Portal flow was reestablished in all patients after the procedures. Clinical improvement was seen in 3 patients with symptomatic PV thrombosis, characterized by progressive reduction of abdominal pain, distention, and diarrhea. Follow-up time ranged from 4 to 36 months. One patient with HCC died of multiple organs metastases at 11 months after the treatment . One patient died of intraabdominal sepsis and multiple organs failure 12 days after the procedure even though the antegrade flow was re-established in the main trunk of the PV. Patency of the PV trunk was confirmed by follow-up color Doppler ultrasound scan in the rest 7 patients, without recurrence of variceal bleeding or PV thrombus. Conclusions: Interventional minimally invasive procedures, including balloon angioplasty, stent placement, catheter directed local pharmacologic and mechanical thrombolysis, are safe and effective in

  3. Results of surgical excision of urethral prolapse in symptomatic patients.

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    Hall, Mary E; Oyesanya, Tola; Cameron, Anne P

    2017-11-01

    Here, we present the clinical presentation and surgical outcomes of women with symptomatic urethral prolapse presenting to our institution over 20 years, and seek to provide treatment recommendations for management of symptomatic urethral prolapse and caruncle. A retrospective review of medical records from female patients who underwent surgery for symptomatic urethral prolapse from June 1995 to August 2015 was performed. Surgical technique consisted of a four-quadrant excisional approach for repair of urethral prolapse. A total of 26 patients were identified with a mean age of 38.8 years (range 3-81). The most common presentations were vaginal bleeding, hematuria, pain, and dysuria. All patients underwent surgical excision of urethral prolapse via a standard approach. Follow-up data was available in 24 patients. Six patients experienced temporary postoperative bleeding, and one patient required placement of a Foley catheter for tamponade. One patient experienced temporary postoperative urinary retention requiring Foley catheter placement. Three patients had visible recurrence of urethral prolapse, for which one later underwent re-excision. Surgical excision of urethral prolapse is a reasonable treatment option in patients who have tried conservative management without relief, as well as in those who present with severe symptoms. Possible complications following excision include postoperative bleeding and recurrence, and patients must be counseled accordingly. In this work, we propose a treatment algorithm for symptomatic urethral prolapse. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. The effect of congruence in patient and therapist alliance on patient's symptomatic levels.

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    Zilcha-Mano, Sigal; Snyder, John; Silberschatz, George

    2017-05-01

    The ability of alliance to predict outcome has been widely demonstrated, but less is known about the effect of the level of congruence between patient and therapist alliance ratings on outcome. In the current study we examined whether the degree of congruence between patient and therapist alliance ratings can predict symptomatic levels 1 month later in treatment. The sample consisted of 127 patient-therapist dyads. Patients and therapists reported on their alliance levels, and patients reported their symptomatic levels 1 month later. Polynomial regression and response surface analysis were used to examine congruence. Findings suggest that when the congruence level of patient and therapist alliance ratings was not taken into account, only the therapist's alliance served as a significant predictor of symptomatic levels. But when the degree of congruence between patient and therapist alliance ratings was considered, the degree of congruence was a significant predictor of symptomatic levels 1 month later in treatment. Findings support the importance of the level of congruence between patient and therapist alliance ratings in predicting patient's symptomatic levels.

  5. How Effective Is Supplemental Intraseptal Anesthesia in Patients with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis?

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    Webster, Stephen; Drum, Melissa; Reader, Al; Fowler, Sara; Nusstein, John; Beck, Mike

    2016-10-01

    Previous studies have reported high levels of success with intraseptal injection for various dental procedures but provide limited information on the use of the injection during endodontic treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this prospective study was to determine the anesthetic efficacy of the supplemental intraseptal technique in mandibular posterior teeth diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis when the conventional inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block failed. One hundred patients with a diagnosis of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in a mandibular posterior tooth were recruited. Following profound lip numbness after the administration of the conventional IAN block, endodontic treatment was initiated. Patients still experiencing moderate to severe pain during treatment were administered mesial and distal supplemental intraseptal injections using 0.7 mL 4% articaine with 1:000,000 epinephrine administered with a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery unit. Success was defined as the ability to perform endodontic access and instrumentation with mild to no pain. Success with the IAN block was achieved in 25% of patients. Supplemental intraseptal injections provided success in 29% of patients. Supplemental intraseptal injections achieved profound pulpal anesthesia in 29% of patients when the IAN block failed. This low level of success would not provide predictable levels of anesthesia for patients requiring emergency endodontic treatment for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in mandibular posterior teeth. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Urine sampling techniques in symptomatic primary-care patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Anne; Aabenhus, Rune

    2016-01-01

    in infection rate between mid-stream-clean-catch, mid-stream-urine and random samples. Conclusions: At present, no evidence suggests that sampling technique affects the accuracy of the microbiological diagnosis in non-pregnant women with symptoms of urinary tract infection in primary care. However......Background: Choice of urine sampling technique in urinary tract infection may impact diagnostic accuracy and thus lead to possible over- or undertreatment. Currently no evidencebased consensus exists regarding correct sampling technique of urine from women with symptoms of urinary tract infection...... a randomized or paired design to compare the result of urine culture obtained with two or more collection techniques in adult, female, non-pregnant patients with symptoms of urinary tract infection. We evaluated quality of the studies and compared accuracy based on dichotomized outcomes. Results: We included...

  7. Postoperative lumbar MR imaging with contrast enhancement. Comparison between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grane, P.; Tullberg, T.; Rydberg, J.; Lindgren, L.

    1995-01-01

    Contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the spine after surgery for lumbar disk herniation almost always shows pathologic changes. To investigate to what extent these changes are correlated to patients' actual clinical symptoms, we compared the postoperative MR findings in 19 asymptomatic patients with 42 symptomatic patients (43 levels). The asymptomatic patients underwent MR examination one year after surgery. Twenty-six of the symptomatic patients underwent MR one year of less after surgery, and in 16 patients (17 levels) MR was performed more than one year after surgery. Sixteen percent of the asymptomatic and 42% of the symptomatic patients had disk herniation at the level of previous surgery. Most of the herniated disks were found in the symptomatic patients less than one year after surgery. The amount of epidural scar tissue, displacement and thickening of nerve roots, and compression of the dural sac were also studied. Disk herniation as a probable cause of recurrent sciatica was a common finding among symptomatic patients examined one year or less after surgery. In comparing asymptomatic patients and symptomatic patients with more than one year between surgery and MR examination, no significant radiologic differences, including disk herniation, were found. (orig.)

  8. Postoperative lumbar MR imaging with contrast enhancement. Comparison between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients

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    Grane, P. [Dept. of Neuroradiology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden); Tullberg, T. [Dept. of Orthopaedics, St. Goeran`s Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden); Rydberg, J. [Dept. of Radiology, St. Goeran`s Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden); Lindgren, L. [Dept. of Neurosurgery, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden)

    1995-05-01

    Contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the spine after surgery for lumbar disk herniation almost always shows pathologic changes. To investigate to what extent these changes are correlated to patients` actual clinical symptoms, we compared the postoperative MR findings in 19 asymptomatic patients with 42 symptomatic patients (43 levels). The asymptomatic patients underwent MR examination one year after surgery. Twenty-six of the symptomatic patients underwent MR one year of less after surgery, and in 16 patients (17 levels) MR was performed more than one year after surgery. Sixteen percent of the asymptomatic and 42% of the symptomatic patients had disk herniation at the level of previous surgery. Most of the herniated disks were found in the symptomatic patients less than one year after surgery. The amount of epidural scar tissue, displacement and thickening of nerve roots, and compression of the dural sac were also studied. Disk herniation as a probable cause of recurrent sciatica was a common finding among symptomatic patients examined one year or less after surgery. In comparing asymptomatic patients and symptomatic patients with more than one year between surgery and MR examination, no significant radiologic differences, including disk herniation, were found. (orig.).

  9. Silent myocardial ischemia in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis: associated factors.

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    Arenillas, Juan F; Candell-Riera, Jaume; Romero-Farina, Guillermo; Molina, Carlos A; Chacón, Pilar; Aguadé-Bruix, Santiago; Montaner, Joan; de León, Gustavo; Castell-Conesa, Joan; Alvarez-Sabín, José

    2005-06-01

    Optimization of coronary risk evaluation in stroke patients has been encouraged. The relationship between symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and occult coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been evaluated sufficiently. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of silent myocardial ischemia in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and to identify factors associated with its presence. From 186 first-ever transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke patients with intracranial stenoses, 65 fulfilled selection criteria, including angiographic confirmation of a symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis and absence of known CAD. All patients underwent a maximal-stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], C-reactive protein, and homocysteine (Hcy) levels were determined before SPECT. Stress-rest SPECT detected reversible myocardial perfusion defects in 34 (52%) patients. Vascular risk factors associated with a pathologic SPECT were hypercholesterolemia (P=0.045), presence of >2 risk factors (P=0.004) and high Lp(a) (P=0.023) and Hcy levels (P=0.018). Ninety percent of patients with high Lp(a) and Hcy levels had a positive SPECT. Existence of a stenosed intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA; odds ratio [OR], 7.22, 2.07 to 25.23; P=0.002) and location of the symptomatic stenosis in vertebrobasilar arteries (OR, 4.89, 1.19 to 20.12; P=0.027) were independently associated with silent myocardial ischemia after adjustment by age, sex, and risk factors. More than 50% of the patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and not overt CAD show myocardial perfusion defects on stress-rest SPECT. Stenosed intracranial ICA, symptomatic vertebrobasilar stenosis and presence of high Lp(a) and Hcy levels may characterize the patients at a higher risk for occult CAD.

  10. Clinical-pathomorphological correlation in patients with symptomatic dystonias

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    Ivanović Nataša

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Symptomatic dystonia can be the result of various metabolic, degenerative diseases, the consumption of certain medications or exposure to toxic agents. However, only symptomatic dystonia with focal structural lesion provides a significant "window" for, at least indirect, perception of aetiopa-thogenesis and pathomorphological substratum of idiopathic dystonia. Our study included 57 patients with symptomatic dystonia, which as a base had focal or multifocal lesions, of whom 7 patients had generalized dystonia, 18 hemidystonia, 6 segmental dystonia, 7 torticollis, 6 blepharospasm, 7 hand dystonia, 3 spasmodic dysphonia, and 3 had oromandibular dystonia. Stroke was highly statistically the most frequent cause of structural lesions (33/57 or 58%. Relevant pathomorphological changes were present in 50/57 (88% patients, of whom 25 (50% had lesion in the lenticular nucleus (including individual damage of the putamen and globus pallidus, 12/50 (24% had damage of the thalamus and 6/50 (12% had damage of the brainstem. Generalized dystonia was most frequently associated with bilateral lesion of the putamen, hemidystonia with lesion of contralateral putamen, torticollis with damage of the caudate nucleus, hand dystonia with lesion of the thalamus and blepharospasm with lesion of the upper brainstem.

  11. Diagnostic accuracy and tolerability of contrast enhanced CT colonoscopy in symptomatic patients with increased risk for colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozsunar, Yelda; Coskun, Guelten; Delibas, Naciye; Uz, Burcin; Yuekselen, Vahit

    2009-01-01

    Objective: We compared the accuracy and tolerability of intravenous contrast enhanced spiral computed tomography colonography (CTC) and optical colonoscopy (OC) for the detection of colorectal neoplasia in symptomatic patients for colorectal neoplasia. Methods: A prospective study was performed in 48 patients with symptomatic patients with increased risk for colorectal cancer. Spiral CTC was performed in supine and prone positions after colonic cleansing. The axial, 2D MPR and virtual endoluminal views were analyzed. Results of spiral CTC were compared with OC which was done within 15 days. The psychometric tolerance test was asked to be performed for both CTC and colonoscopy after the procedure. Results: Ten lesions in 9 of 48 patients were found in CTC and confirmed with OC. Two masses and eight polyps, consisted of 1 tubulovillous, 1 tubular, 2 villous adenoma, 4 adenomatous polyp, 4 adenocarcinoma, were identified. Lesion prevalence was 21%. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values were found 100%, 87%, 89%, 67% and 100%, respectively. Psychometric tolerance test showed that CTC significantly more comfortable comparing with OC (p = 0.00). CTC was the preferred method in 37% while OC was preferred in 6% of patients. In both techniques, the most unpleasant part was bowel cleansing. Conclusion: Contrast enhanced CTC is a highly accurate method in detecting colorectal lesions. Since the technique was found to be more comfortable and less time consuming compare to OE, it may be preferable in management of symptomatic patients with increased risk for colorectal cancer.

  12. Plaque Characteristics of Patients with Symptomatic Mild Carotid Artery Stenosis.

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    Takai, Hiroki; Uemura, Juniti; Yagita, Yoshiki; Ogawa, Yukari; Kinoshita, Keita; Hirai, Satoshi; Ishihara, Manabu; Hara, Keijirou; Toi, Hiroyuki; Matsubara, Shunji; Nishimura, Hirotake; Uno, Masaaki

    2018-03-20

    Carotid revascularization may be considered for severe stenosis, but its use for symptomatic mild stenosis (<50%) with vulnerable plaque or ulcer remains uncertain. The characteristics of patients with symptomatic mild stenosis who underwent revascularization are reviewed. The subjects of this study were 18 patients with symptomatic mild stenosis (<50%) on angiography from among 175 patients who underwent revascularization in our department. The plaques were evaluated by black-blood magnetic resonance imaging (BB-MRI) and ultrasonography (US) and classified into 2 types: type 1 (n = 15), a lesion with an ulcer or mobile plaque or thrombosis on angiography or US; and type 2 (n = 3), a lesion without any of the above. Fourteen patients underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA), and 4 patients underwent carotid artery stenting. The stenosis on angiography was 27.2% ± 10.7 (5%-41%), and the area carotid artery stenosis rate on US was 69.8 ± 14.5% (44.5%-97%). The stenosis rate of these 2 methods was not at all correlated. In type 1 plaque that underwent CEA, 10 of 11 patients had vulnerable plaque by histopathology, and 1 patient had thrombus on the plaque by operative findings. In type 2 plaque that underwent CEA, all patients had vulnerable plaque by histopathology. During the follow-up period, none of the patients had restenosis or stroke. The findings of US and BB-MRI in patients with symptomatic mild stenosis (<50%) on angiography are important for determining treatment. If BB-MRI or US shows the findings of vulnerable plaque in mild stenosis, surgical treatment may be considered for these patients. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Differences in autonomic nerve function in patients with silent and symptomatic myocardial ischaemia.

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    Shakespeare, C. F.; Katritsis, D.; Crowther, A.; Cooper, I. C.; Coltart, J. D.; Webb-Peploe, M. W.

    1994-01-01

    BACKGROUND--Autonomic neuropathy provides a mechanism for the absence of symptoms in silent myocardial ischaemia, but characterisation of the type of neuropathy is lacking. AIM--To characterise and compare autonomic nerve function in patients with silent and symptomatic myocardial ischaemia. METHODS AND RESULTS--The Valsalva manoeuvre, heart rate variation (HRV) in response to deep breathing and standing, lower body negative pressure, isometric handgrip, and the cold pressor test were performed by patients with silent (n = 25) and symptomatic (n = 25) ambulatory ischaemia and by controls (n = 21). No difference in parasympathetic efferent function between patients with silent and symptomatic ischaemia was recorded, but both had significantly less HRV in response to standing than the controls (p < 0.005 for silent and p < 0.01 for symptomatic). Patients with silent ischaemia showed an increased propensity for peripheral vasodilatation compared with symptomatic patients (p < 0.02) and controls (p < 0.04). Impaired sympathetic function was found in patients with pure silent ischaemia (n = 4) compared with the remaining patients with silent ischaemia whose pain pathways were presumed to be intact. CONCLUSIONS--Patients with silent ischaemia and pain pathways presumed to be intact have an enhanced peripheral vasodilator response, and if this applied to the coronary vasculature it could provide a mechanism for limiting ischaemia to below the pain threshold. Patients with pure silent ischaemia have evidence of sympathetic autonomic dysfunction. Images PMID:8297687

  14. Achieving symptomatic remission in out-patients with schizophrenia--a naturalistic study with quetiapine.

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    Wobrock, T; Köhler, J; Klein, P; Falkai, P

    2009-08-01

    Symptomatic remission was defined as a score of mild or less on each of eight key schizophrenia symptoms on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-8). To evaluate the symptomatic remission criterion in clinical practice and to determine predictors for achieving symptomatic remission, a 12-week non-interventional study (NIS) with quetiapine was conducted in Germany. For the comparison of patients with and without symptomatic remission, sociodemographic and clinical variables of 693 patients were analyzed by logistic regression for their predictive value to achieve remission. Four hundred and four patients (58.3%) achieved symptomatic remission after 12 weeks' treatment with quetiapine. Remission was significantly predicted by a low degree of PANSS-8 total score, PANSS single items blunted affect (N1), social withdrawal (N4), lack of spontaneity (N6), mannerism and posturing (G5), and low disease severity (CGI-S) at baseline. Predictors of non-remission were older age, diagnosis of schizophrenic residuum, multiple previous episodes, longer duration of current episode, presence of concomitant diseases, and alcohol abuse. This study demonstrated that the majority of schizophrenia out-patients achieved symptomatic remission after 12 weeks treatment and confirms the importance of managing negative symptoms in order to achieve disease remission.

  15. Symptomatic Control in End-of-Life Patients

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    Mariana Alves

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available End-of-life patients present a variety of symptoms that cause suffering for them and their respective families. Health professionals throughout their university, internship and medical careers are ill-prepared to manage and improve the quality of life of these patients. This article aims to provide basic skills in the symptomatic management of end-of-life patients, focusing in particular on the control of pain, dyspnoea, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and anorexia. It also aims to draw attention to basic concepts of control concerning refractory symptoms and palliative sedation.

  16. [Symptomatic remission and its relationship to social functioning in Tunisian out-patients with schizophrenia].

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    El Gharbi, I; Chhoumi, M; Mechri, A

    2017-11-28

    The concept of symptomatic and functional remission represents an important challenge in the care of the mentally ill, particularly in patients with schizophrenia. Operational criteria for symptomatic remission in schizophrenia have been proposed by Andreasen et al. (2005). Over the last decade, these criteria have been widely validated; however few studies have been conducted outside developed countries. Moreover, the association of symptomatic remission with functional outcome has not yet been established in developing countries including Tunisia, as there may be variability in the social and familial environment. To determine the frequency and associated factors of symptomatic remission in a sample of Tunisian out-patients with schizophrenia and to explore the relationship between symptomatic remission and some indicators of social functioning. A cross-sectional study was carried-out on 115 out-patients with schizophrenia (87 males, 28 females, mean age=37.56±10.2 years) in the psychiatry department of the university hospital in Monastir (Tunisia). Nearly all of the patients (98.26%) had been hospitalized at least once in a psychiatric unit. The last hospitalization dated back to 39 months on average (range=6 months to 16 years). Symptomatic remission was assessed by the eight core items of the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS). These are the items P1 "Delusions"; P3 "Hallucinatory behavior" and G9 "Unusual thought content" for the positive dimension, the items P2 "Conceptual disorganization" and G5 "Mannerism and disorders of posture" for the disorganization dimension and the items N1 "Blunted affect", N4 "Social withdrawal" and N6 "Lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation" for the negative dimension. A score of mild or less on all eight-core symptoms constitutes symptomatic remission. This symptom level should have been maintained for six months. The social functioning was assessed by the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale

  17. Anterior pseudoarthrectomy for symptomatic Bertolotti's syndrome.

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    Malham, Gregory M; Limb, Rebecca J; Claydon, Matthew H; Brazenor, Graeme A

    2013-12-01

    Painful L5/S1 pseudoarthrosis has been previously managed with posterior excision and/or lumbar fusion. To our knowledge, the anterior approach for L5/S1 pseudoarthrectomy in the treatment of Bertolotti's syndrome has not been described. We present two patients with severe symptomatic L5/S1 pseudoarthroses that were successfully excised via an anterior retroperitoneal approach with 2 year clinical and radiological follow-up. The literature regarding surgical treatments for Bertolotti's syndrome is reviewed. The technique for an anterior retroperitoneal approach is described. This approach has been safe and effective in providing long term symptomatic relief to our two patients. Further studies comparing the outcomes of anterior versus posterior pseudoarthrectomy will guide the management of this condition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Circulating cell-derived microparticles in patients with minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea.

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    Ayers, L; Ferry, B; Craig, S; Nicoll, D; Stradling, J R; Kohler, M

    2009-03-01

    Moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has been associated with several pro-atherogenic mechanisms and increased cardiovascular risk, but it is not known if minimally symptomatic OSA has similar effects. Circulating cell-derived microparticles have been shown to have pro-inflammatory, pro-coagulant and endothelial function-impairing effects, as well as to predict subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk. In 57 patients with minimally symptomatic OSA, and 15 closely matched control subjects without OSA, AnnexinV-positive, platelet-, leukocyte- and endothelial cell-derived microparticles were measured by flow cytometry. In patients with OSA, median (interquartile range) levels of AnnexinV-positive microparticles were significantly elevated compared with control subjects: 2,586 (1,566-3,964) microL(-1) versus 1,206 (474-2,501) microL(-1), respectively. Levels of platelet-derived and leukocyte-derived microparticles were also significantly higher in patients with OSA (2,267 (1,102-3,592) microL(-1) and 20 (14-31) microL(-1), respectively) compared with control subjects (925 (328-2,068) microL(-1) and 15 (5-23) microL(-1), respectively). Endothelial cell-derived microparticle levels were similar in patients with OSA compared with control subjects (13 (8-25) microL(-1) versus 11 (6-17) microL(-1)). In patients with minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea, levels of AnnexinV-positive, platelet- and leukocyte-derived microparticles are elevated when compared with closely matched control subjects without obstructive sleep apnoea. These findings suggest that these patients may be at increased cardiovascular risk, despite being minimally symptomatic.

  19. Theory of mind and functionality in bipolar patients with symptomatic remission.

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    Barrera, Angeles; Vázquez, Gustavo; Tannenhaus, Lucila; Lolich, María; Herbst, Luis

    2013-01-01

    Functional deficits are commonly observed in bipolar disorder after symptomatic remission. Social cognition deficits have also been reported, which could contribute to dysfunction in patients with bipolar disorder in remission. Twelve bipolar disorder patients in symptomatic remission (7 patients with bipolar disorder type I and 5 with bipolar disorder type II) and 12 healthy controls completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Faux Pas Test to evaluate theory of mind (ToM). Both groups also completed the Functional Assessment Short Test (FAST). The performance of the bipolar patients in the cognitive component of ToM was below normal, although the difference between the control group was not statistically significant (P=.078), with a trend to a worse performance associated with a higher number of depressive episodes (P=.082). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for the emotional component of ToM. Global functionality was significantly lower in bipolar patients compared to the control group (P=.001). Significant differences were also observed between both groups in five of the six dimensions of functionality assessed. No significant correlation was found between functionality and theory of mind. Bipolar patients in symptomatic remission exhibit impairments in several areas of functioning. Cognitive ToM appears more affected than emotional ToM. Deficits in ToM were not related to functional impairment. Copyright © 2012 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  20. Adherence predicts symptomatic and psychosocial remission in schizophrenia: Naturalistic study of patient integration in the community.

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    Bernardo, Miguel; Cañas, Fernando; Herrera, Berta; García Dorado, Marta

    Psychosocial functioning in patients with schizophrenia attended in daily practice is an understudied aspect. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between symptomatic and psychosocial remission and adherence to treatment in schizophrenia. This cross-sectional, non-interventional, and multicenter study assessed symptomatic and psychosocial remission and community integration of 1,787 outpatients with schizophrenia attended in Spanish mental health services. Adherence to antipsychotic medication in the previous year was categorized as≥80% vs.<80%. Symptomatic remission was achieved in 28.5% of patients, and psychosocial remission in 26.1%. A total of 60.5% of patients were classified as adherent to antipsychotic treatment and 41% as adherent to non-pharmacological treatment. During the index visit, treatment was changed in 28.4% of patients, in 31.1% of them because of low adherence (8.8% of the total population). Adherent patients showed higher percentages of symptomatic and psychosocial remission than non-adherent patients (30.5 vs. 25.4%, P<.05; and 32 vs. 17%, P<.001, respectively). Only 3.5% of the patients showed an adequate level of community integration, which was also higher among adherent patients (73.0 vs. 60.1%, P<.05). Adherence to antipsychotic medication was associated with symptomatic and psychosocial remission as well as with community integration. Copyright © 2016 SEP y SEPB. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  1. Nosocomial Transmission of C. difficile in English Hospitals from Patients with Symptomatic Infection

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    van Kleef, Esther; Gasparrini, Antonio; Guy, Rebecca; Cookson, Barry; Hope, Russell; Jit, Mark; Robotham, Julie V.; Deeny, Sarah R.; Edmunds, W. John

    2014-01-01

    Background Recent evidence suggests that less than one-quarter of patients with symptomatic nosocomial Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) are linked to other in-patients. However, this evidence was limited to one geographic area. We aimed to investigate the level of symptomatic CDI transmission in hospitals located across England from 2008 to 2012. Methods A generalized additive mixed-effects Poisson model was fitted to English hospital-surveillance data. After adjusting for seasonal fluctuations and between-hospital variation in reported CDI over time, possible clustering (transmission between symptomatic in-patients) of CDI cases was identified. We hypothesised that a temporal proximity would be reflected in the degree of correlation between in-hospital CDI cases per week. This correlation was modelled through a latent autoregressive structure of order 1 (AR(1)). Findings Forty-six hospitals (33 general, seven specialist, and six teaching hospitals) located in all English regions met our criteria. In total, 12,717 CDI cases were identified; seventy-five per cent of these occurred >48 hours after admission. There were slight increases in reports during winter months. We found a low, but statistically significant, correlation between successive weekly CDI case incidences (phi = 0.029, 95%CI: 0.009–0.049). This correlation was five times stronger in a subgroup analysis restricted to teaching hospitals (phi = 0.104, 95%CI: 0.048–0.159). Conclusions The results suggest that symptomatic patient-to-patient transmission has been a source of CDI-acquisition in English hospitals in recent years, and that this might be a more important transmission route in teaching hospitals. Nonetheless, the weak correlation indicates that, in line with recent evidence, symptomatic cases might not be the primary source of nosocomial CDI in England. PMID:24932484

  2. Symptomatic subsyndromal depression in hospitalized hypertensive patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiaie, Roberto Delle; Iannucci, Gino; Paroli, Marino; Salviati, Massimo; Caredda, Maria; Pasquini, Massimo; Biondi, Massimo

    2011-12-01

    Clinicians generally agree on the association between depression and hypertension. Less clear is if the nature of the link is direct or indirect and if this should be considered confined only to syndromal forms or if it concerns also subsyndromal affective presentations. This study investigated the nature of the association between hypertension and subsyndromal depression in hospitalized hypertensive patients. 196 hypertensive and 96 non hypertensive inpatients underwent a SCID interview, to exclude patients positive for any Axis I or Axis II diagnosis. Symptomatic Subsyndromal Depression (SSD) was identified according to criteria proposed by Judd. Psychopathological assessment was performed with Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and Hopkins Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Clinical assessments included blood pressure measurement, evaluation of general health conditions and screening cardiovascular risk factors (smoke, alcohol, body weight, sedentary life style). Hypertensives met more frequently criteria for SSD. They also scored higher on ASI and SCL-90. However, those with more severe physical conditions, if compared with more healthy patients, did not show increased psychopathological severity. Similarly, psychopathological symptom severity did not differ among hypertensives positive for other cardiovascular risk factors, commonly more frequent among depressed subjects. Further analyses are needed to explore the potential advantage obtained on blood pressure control by treating SSD. Hospitalized hypertensives, more frequently satisfied criteria for Symptomatic Subsyndromal Depression. These milder affective forms are probably directly linked to the presence of hypertension, rather than being indirectly associated to physical impairment or to higher prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Local radiotherapy for palliation in multiple myeloma patients with symptomatic bone lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jeong Won; Lee, Jeong Eun

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the clinical outcomes of symptomatic bone lesions in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who received local radiotherapy (LRT). Fifty-one patients with 87 symptomatic bone lesions treated via LRT were analyzed. LRT was delivered at a median total dose of 21 Gy (range, 12 to 40 Gy) in a median of 7 fractions (range, 4 to 20 fractions). The clinical outcomes of LRT and the factors affecting treatment response were assessed. After a median follow-up time of 66.7 weeks, symptom relief was achieved for 85 of 87 lesions (97.7%). The median time to symptom relief was 7 days from the start of LRT (range, 1 to 67 days). The duration of in-field failure-free survival ranged from 1.1 to 450.9 weeks (median, 66.7 weeks). The radiation dose or use of previous and concurrent chemotherapy was not significantly associated with in-field failure for LRT (p = 0.354, 0.758, and 0.758, respectively). Symptomatic bone lesions in patients with MM can be successfully treated with LRT. A higher radiation dose or the use of concurrent chemotherapy may not influence the in-field disease control. A relatively low radiation dose could achieve remission of symptoms in patients with MM

  4. Local radiotherapy for palliation in multiple myeloma patients with symptomatic bone lesions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jeong Won; Lee, Jeong Eun [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-03-15

    To evaluate the clinical outcomes of symptomatic bone lesions in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who received local radiotherapy (LRT). Fifty-one patients with 87 symptomatic bone lesions treated via LRT were analyzed. LRT was delivered at a median total dose of 21 Gy (range, 12 to 40 Gy) in a median of 7 fractions (range, 4 to 20 fractions). The clinical outcomes of LRT and the factors affecting treatment response were assessed. After a median follow-up time of 66.7 weeks, symptom relief was achieved for 85 of 87 lesions (97.7%). The median time to symptom relief was 7 days from the start of LRT (range, 1 to 67 days). The duration of in-field failure-free survival ranged from 1.1 to 450.9 weeks (median, 66.7 weeks). The radiation dose or use of previous and concurrent chemotherapy was not significantly associated with in-field failure for LRT (p = 0.354, 0.758, and 0.758, respectively). Symptomatic bone lesions in patients with MM can be successfully treated with LRT. A higher radiation dose or the use of concurrent chemotherapy may not influence the in-field disease control. A relatively low radiation dose could achieve remission of symptoms in patients with MM.

  5. Prevalence of Symptomatic Lumbar Spondylolysis in Pediatric Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitta, Akihiro; Sakai, Toshinori; Goda, Yuichiro; Takata, Yoichiro; Higashino, Kosaku; Sakamaki, Tadanori; Sairyo, Koichi

    2016-05-01

    Lumbar spondylolysis, a stress fracture of the pars interarticularis, is prevalent in adolescent athletes. Recent advances in diagnostic tools and techniques enable early diagnosis before these fractures progress to complete fractures through the pars. However, because patients often consult family physicians for primary care of low back pain and these physicians may not have access to diagnostic modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography, stress fractures can be missed. This study surveyed the prevalence of symptomatic spondylolysis in pediatric patients who consulted an orthopedic clinic for primary care and investigated whether such acute stress fractures may be overlooked without MRI. The prospective study investigated 264 patients who were younger than 19 years and had low back pain. Of the 153 patients (58.0%) with low back pain persisting for longer than 2 weeks, 136 who agreed to undergo MRI were included in the study. This group included 11 elementary school students, 71 junior high school students, and 54 high school students. The overall prevalence of lumbar spondylolysis was 39.7% (54 of 136) and was 9.3% in elementary school students (5 of 11, 45.5%), 59.3% in junior high school students (32 of 71, 45.1%), and 31.5% in high school students (17 of 54, 31.5%). All 54 patients with spondylolysis had a history of athletic activity. Primary care physicians should recognize that approximately 40% of pediatric patients presenting with low back pain persisting for longer than 2 weeks may have spondylolysis and should consider MRI in those with a history of athletic activity. Because the spine is immature in this age group, almost half of affected elementary school and junior high school students may have lumbar spondylolysis. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(3):e434-e437.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  6. Endovascular Treatment of a Symptomatic Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm by Chimney and Periscope Techniques for Total Visceral and Renal Artery Revascularization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cariati, Maurizio, E-mail: cariati.maurizio@sancarlo.mi.it [San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Sciences (Italy); Mingazzini, Pietro; Dallatana, Raffaello [San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Department of Vascular Surgery (Italy); Rossi, Umberto G. [San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Sciences (Italy); Settembrini, Alberto [San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy); Santuari, Davide [San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Department of Vascular Surgery (Italy)

    2013-05-02

    Conventional endovascular therapy of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm with involving visceral and renal arteries is limited by the absence of a landing zone for the aortic endograft. Solutions have been proposed to overcome the problem of no landing zone; however, most of them are not feasible in urgent and high-risk patients. We describe a case that was successfully treated by total endovascular technique with a two-by-two chimney-and-periscope approach in a patient with acute symptomatic type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm with supra-anastomotic aneurysm formation involving the renal and visceral arteries and a pseduaneurismatic sac localized in the left ileopsoas muscle.

  7. Mortality in asymptomatic vs. symptomatic patients surgically treated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Kirsten Riis; Bødtger, Uffe

    , tobacco pack years, or FEV1. Former malignancy was significantly more prevalent among asymptomatic than symptomatic subjects (33 % vs. 11%), with insignificant differences in prevalence of other co-morbidities or in post-surgical TNM (82% vs 85% in stages IA-IIB). 12-months mortality was insignificantly...... higher in asymptomatic than symptomatic subjects (23% vs. 12%), and in patients with former malignancy compared to patients with no former cancer (17% vs. 16%). Discussion: Symptoms at diagnosis per se appear unrelated to mortality in patients with NSCLC referred for surgery. Asymptomatic patients were...

  8. Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery for the Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geraci, Laura; Napoli, Alessandro; Catalano, Carlo; Midiri, Massimo; Gagliardo, Cesare

    2017-01-01

    Uterine fibroids, the most common benign tumor in women of childbearing age, may cause symptoms including pelvic pain, menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, pressure, urinary symptoms, and infertility. Various approaches are available to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids. Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) represents a recently introduced noninvasive safe and effective technique that can be performed without general anesthesia, in an outpatient setting. We review the principles of MRgFUS, describing patient selection criteria for the treatments performed at our center and we present a series of five selected patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids treated with this not yet widely known technique, showing its efficacy in symptom improvement and fibroid volume reduction.

  9. Nonoperative treatment of symptomatic spondylolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurd, Mark F; Patel, Deepan; Norton, Robert; Picetti, George; Friel, Brian; Vaccaro, Alexander R

    2007-12-01

    Symptomatic spondylolysis resulting from a stress fracture of the pars interarticularis is a cause of low back pain in the juvenile and adolescent patient. Treatment is conservative in the majority of cases. To analyze the outcome of patients with symptomatic isthmic spondylolysis treated nonoperatively with a custom fit thoracolumbar orthosis and activity cessation for 3 months followed by an organized physical therapy program. Retrospective case series. Four hundred thirty-six juvenile and adolescent patients with spondylolysis. Pain improvement, hamstring flexibility, range of motion, resolution of back spasms, and return to previous activities. Retrospective review of 436 juvenile and adolescent patients with symptomatic spondylolysis confirmed by single-photon emission computed tomography or computed tomography. Clinical outcomes were assessed through patient history and physical examination. Ninety-five percent of patients achieved excellent results according to a modified Odom's Criteria. The remaining 5% of patients achieved good results as they required occasional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain. Back spasms were resolved and hamstring tightness and range of motion returned to normal in all patients. All patients returned to their preinjury activity level. No patients went on to surgery. Symptomatic juvenile and adolescent patients with an isthmus spondylolysis may be effectively managed with a custom fit thoracolumbar orthosis brace and activity cessation for approximately 3 months followed by an organized physical therapy program.

  10. Bleeding Risk Profile in Patients With Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, Frederic; Husmann, Marc; Benenati, James F; Katzen, Barry T; Del Conde, Ian

    2016-06-01

    To assess the bleeding risk profile using the HAS-BLED score in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD). A post hoc analysis was performed using data from a series of 115 consecutive patients (mean age 72.4±11.4 years; 68 men) with symptomatic PAD undergoing endovascular revascularization. The endpoint of the study was to assess bleeding risk using the 9-point HAS-BLED score, which was previously validated in cohorts of patients with and without atrial fibrillation. For the purpose of this study, the low (0-1), intermediate (2), and high-risk (≥3) scores were stratified as low/intermediate risk (HAS-BLED risk (HAS-BLED ≥3). The mean HAS-BLED score was 2.76±1.16; 64 (56%) patients had a HAS-BLED score ≥3.0. Patients with PAD Rutherford category 5/6 ischemia had an even higher mean HAS-BLED score (3.20±1.12). Logistic regression analysis revealed aortoiliac or femoropopliteal segment involvement, chronic kidney disease, as well as Rutherford category 5/6, to be independent risk factors associated with a HAS-BLED score ≥3. Patients with PAD, especially those presenting with Rutherford category 5/6 ischemic symptoms, have high HAS-BLED scores, suggesting increased risk for major bleeding. Prospective clinical validation of the HAS-BLED score in patients with PAD may help with the risk-benefit assessment when prescribing antithrombotic therapy. © The Author(s) 2016.

  11. Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery for the Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Geraci

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Uterine fibroids, the most common benign tumor in women of childbearing age, may cause symptoms including pelvic pain, menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, pressure, urinary symptoms, and infertility. Various approaches are available to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids. Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS represents a recently introduced noninvasive safe and effective technique that can be performed without general anesthesia, in an outpatient setting. We review the principles of MRgFUS, describing patient selection criteria for the treatments performed at our center and we present a series of five selected patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids treated with this not yet widely known technique, showing its efficacy in symptom improvement and fibroid volume reduction.

  12. Visual Aids for Improving Patient Decision Making in Severe Symptomatic Carotid Stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fridman, Sebastian; Saposnik, Gustavo; Sposato, Luciano A

    2017-12-01

    Because of the large amount of information to process and the limited time of a clinical consult, choosing between carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid angioplasty with stenting (CAS) can be confusing for patients with severe symptomatic internal carotid stenosis (ICA). We aim to develop a visual aid tool to help clinicians and patients in the decision-making process of selecting between CEA and CAS. Based on pooled analysis from randomized controlled trials including patients with symptomatic and severe ICA (SSICA), we generated visual plots comparing CEA with CAS for 3 prespecified postprocedural time points: (1) any stroke or death at 4 months, and (2) any stroke or death in the first 30 days and ipsilateral stroke thereafter at 5 years and (3) at 10 years. A total of 4574 participants (2393 assigned to CAS, and 2361 to CEA) were included in the analyses. For every 100 patients with SSICA, 6 would develop any stroke or death in the CEA group compared with 9 undergoing CAS at 4 months (hazard ratio [HR] 1.53; 95%CI 1.20-1.95). At 5 years, 7 patients in the CEA group would develop any periprocedural stroke or death and ipsilateral stroke thereafter versus 12 undergoing CAS (HR 1.72; 95%CI 1.24-2.39), compared with 10 patients in the CEA and 13 in the CAS groups at 10 years (HR 1.17; 95%CI 0.82-1.66). Visual aids presented in this study could potentially help patients with severe symptomatic internal carotid stenosis to better weigh the risks and benefits of CEA versus CAS as a function of time, allowing for the prioritization of personal preferences, and should be prospectively assessed. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. MR imaging of symptomatic osteochondromas with pathological correlation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehta, M.; Knapp, T.; White, L.M.; Wunder, J.S.; Bell, R.S.

    1998-01-01

    Objective. To demonstrate the value of MR imaging in the diagnosis and differentiation of the various symptomatic complications of osteochondromas, providing pathological correlation with emphasis on the usefulness of MR imaging as a single imaging modality in these patients. Design. We retrospectively reviewed all MR examinations of clinically symptomatic osteochondromas (30 patients) performed at our institution between March 1990 and October 1997. Patients. Thirty patients had clinically symptomatic osteochondromas during the study period. Twenty patients were male and 10 were female. There were five cases of multiple osteochondromatosis. Pathological correlation was available in 24 patients. Results and conclusion. Symptomatic complications included fracture (7%), osseous deformity limiting range of motion (23%), vascular injury (7%), neurological compromise (10%), bursa formation (27%) and malignant transformation (27%). MR imaging was able to diagnose or suggest the etiology for the clinical symptomatology in all cases, demonstrating that it is an ideal imaging modality in the diagnostic evaluation of symptomatic complications of osteochondromas and often avoids the need for further imaging. (orig.)

  14. Cerebral and extracerebral vasoreactivity in symptomatic lacunar stroke patients: a case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deplanque, Dominique; Lavallee, Philippa C; Labreuche, Julien; Gongora-Rivera, Fernando; Jaramillo, Arturo; Brenner, David; Abboud, Halim; Klein, Isabelle F; Touboul, Pierre-Jean; Vicaut, Eric; Amarenco, Pierre

    2013-08-01

    Whether cerebral artery endothelial dysfunction is a key factor of symptomatic lacunar stroke and cerebral small vessel disease remains unclear. Cerebral and extracerebral vasoreactivity were measured in 81 patients with recent symptomatic lacunar stroke and in 81 control subjects matched for main vascular risk factors. Cerebral vasoreactivity and carotid endothelial-dependent vasodilation were measured after five-minutes of carbon dioxide-induced hypercapnia. Brachial endothelial-dependent vasodilation was assessed after hyperemia induced by deflating a cuff around the forearm previously inflated to 200 mmHg for four-minutes. Carotid and brachial endothelial-independent vasodilation were measured five-minutes after administration of sublingual nitroglycerin 300 μg. Brain magnetic resonance imaging were analyzed in lacunar stroke patients. One-month after stroke onset, patients had more severely impaired cerebral vasoreactivitys than matched controls (mean ± standard deviation, 14·4 ± 12·1% vs. 19·4 ± 17·4%; P = 0·049). Severe alterations of both carotid and brachial endothelial-dependent and at a lesser degree of carotid and brachial endothelial-independent vasodilation were observed in both groups. After adjustment for confounders, subjects with a cerebral vasoreactivity value in the two lower tertiles (≤19·6%) were more likely to have had a symptomatic lacunar stroke (adjusted odds ratio, 3·78; 95% confidence interval, 1·42 to 10·08; P = 0·008). Only alteration of brachial endothelial-independent vasodilation correlated with parenchymal abnormalities, namely microbleeds and leukoaraiosis. While abnormalities in extracerebral vasoreactivity seem related to vascular risk factors, the severity of endothelial dysfunction in cerebral arteries may be determinant in the occurrence of symptomatic lacunar stroke in patients with small vessel disease. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2012 World Stroke

  15. Normalized wall index specific and MRI-based stress analysis of atherosclerotic carotid plaques. A study comparing acutely symptomatic and asymptomatic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, C.; Teng, Z.; Sadat, U.; Young, V.E.; Graves, M.J.; Gillard, J.H.; Li Zhiyong

    2010-01-01

    Biomechanical stresses play an important role in determining plaque stability. Quantification of these simulated stresses can be potentially used to assess plaque vulnerability and differentiate different patient groups. 54 asymptomatic and 45 acutely symptomatic patients underwent in vivo multicontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the carotid arteries. Plaque geometry used for finite element analysis was derived from in vivo MRI at the sites of maximum and minimum plaque burden. In total, 198 slices were used for the computational simulations. A pre-shrink technique was used to refine the simulation. Maximum principle stress at the vulnerable plaque sites (id est (ie), critical stress) was extracted for the selected slices and a comparison was performed between the 2 groups. Critical stress in the slice with maximum plaque burden is significantly higher in acutely symptomatic patients as compared to asymptomatic patients (median, inter quartile range: 198.0 kPa (119.8-359.0 kPa) vs 138.4 kPa (83.8-242.6 kPa), P=0.04). No significant difference was found in the slice with minimum plaque burden between the 2 groups (196.7 kPa (133.3-282.7 kPa) vs 182.4 kPa (117.2-310.6 kPa), P=0.82). Acutely symptomatic carotid plaques have significantly high biomechanical stresses than asymptomatic plaques. This might be potentially useful for establishing a biomechanical risk stratification criteria based on plaque burden in future studies. (author)

  16. SURGERY OF SYMPTOMATIC MYOCARDIAL BRIDGING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Maghamipour N. Safaei

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Myocardial bridging with systolic compression of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD may be associated with myocardial ischemia. In symptomatic myocardial bridging unresponsive to medical treatment, surgical unroofing of the left LAD can be performed. Little information is available about the long-term prognosis of patients with this coronary anomaly after the surgical unroofing, so we decided to evaluate the result of this operation. A total of 26 patients underwent surgical unroofing of myocardial bridging. Patients had a myocardial bridge of at least 3 cm in length in the middle of LAD and with more than 70% compression during systole. Unroofing was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass in 16 and with off pump technique in 10 patients. In 6 patients repeat angiographies for control of myotomy were done. In one of them a nonsignificant 20% narrowing was seen. Postoperative scintigraphic and angiographic studies demonstrated restoration of coronary flow and myocardial perfusion without residual myocardial bridges under beta-stimulation in 24 patients. Two patients had residual narrowing. With off pump technique, 1 patient had perforation of the right ventricle and 1 patient underwent reoperation because of incomplete unroofing during the first operation. None of the patients with cardiopulmonary bypass technique had residual chest pain or other complications. Surgical unroofing of myocardial bridging with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass is a safe and easy procedure with low operative risk and with excellent functional results.

  17. Goal attainment after treatment in patients with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamik, Mamta M; Rogers, Rebecca G; Qualls, Clifford R; Komesu, Yuko M

    2013-11-01

    The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess differences in goal attainment of self-described goals after treatment of symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) for women who chose surgery compared to women who chose pessary; and (2) compare patient global improvement between groups. Women who had symptomatic stage ≥II prolapse presenting for care of POP to the urogynecology clinic at the University of New Mexico were recruited. Patients listed up to 3 goals they had for their treatment. In addition, they completed the short forms of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20), the POP/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire, and the Body Image Scale. Goals listed by patients were then categorized into 10 categories. Each of the listed goals was categorized based on a consensus of 5 providers. At 3 months' follow-up patients listed if they had met their self-described goals on a scale of 0-10 and also answered the Patient Global Improvement Index (PGI-I). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups' baseline characteristics. Surgery patients ranked their goal attainment higher than pessary patients for all the 3 goals listed. Similarly, PGI-I scores were also higher in the surgical (2.4 ± 1.1) than the pessary (1.93 ± 0.8) treatment groups (P < .04). Patients in the surgery group also had better symptom improvement as measured by the PFDI-20 (P < .02). Patients who chose surgery had better global improvement and met their goals better compared to patients who chose pessary. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Early risk of recurrent stroke in patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion: Results from CAOS, a multicenter registry study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Pastor, Andrés; Gil-Núñez, Antonio; Ramírez-Moreno, José María; González-Nafría, Noelia; Tejada, Javier; Moniche, Francisco; Portilla-Cuenca, Juan Carlos; Martínez-Sánchez, Patricia; Fuentes, Blanca; Gamero-García, Miguel Ángel; Alonso de Leciñana, María; Cánovas-Verge, David; Aladro, Yolanda; Parkhutik, Vera; Lago-Martín, Aida; de Arce-Borda, Ana María; Usero-Ruíz, María; Delgado-Mederos, Raquel; Pampliega, Ana; Ximenez-Carrillo, Álvaro; Bártulos-Iglesias, Mónica; Castro-Reyes, Enrique

    2017-10-01

    Background The risk of recurrent stroke among patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion is not well established, and management of the condition remains controversial. Symptomatic carotid near-occlusion with full collapse has been identified as a strong predictor of early recurrence. We aimed to analyze the 90-day risk of recurrent ipsilateral ischemic stroke in medically treated patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion. Methods We performed a multicenter, nationwide, prospective study from January 2010 to May 2016. Patients with angiography-confirmed symptomatic carotid near-occlusion were included. The primary endpoint was ipsilateral ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) within 90 days after the presenting event. For this analysis, patients who underwent revascularization within 90 days after stroke were excluded. Results The study population comprised 141 patients from 17 Spanish centers; 83 patients were treated medically. Primary endpoint occurred in eight patients, resulting in a cumulative rate of 10.6% (95% CI, 3.7-17.5). Previous history of stroke or transient ischemic attack was identified as an independent predictor for recurrence in the multivariate Cox regression analysis (HR, 4.37 [95% CI, 1.05-18.18]; p = 0.043), while the presence of full collapse was not associated with an increased risk (HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.17-3.92]; p = 0.793). The risk of recurrence was also not affected by the presence of significant stenosis or occlusion of the contralateral carotid artery, or by the collateral circulation. Conclusions Patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion seem to have an increased risk of early ipsilateral recurrent stroke. Our results contrast with the low risk of symptomatic carotid near-occlusion reported to date. Full collapse did not increase the risk of recurrent stroke in our study.

  19. Palliative radiotherapy in patients with a symptomatic pelvic mass of metastatic colorectal cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chun Ho Kyung

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate the palliative role of radiotherapy (RT and define the effectiveness of chemotherapy combined with palliative RT (CCRT in patients with a symptomatic pelvic mass of metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods From August 1995 to December 2007, 80 patients with a symptomatic pelvic mass of metastatic colorectal cancer were treated with palliative RT at Samsung Medical Center. Initial presenting symptoms were pain (68 cases, bleeding (18 cases, and obstruction (nine cases. The pelvic mass originated from rectal cancer in 58 patients (73% and from colon cancer in 22 patients (27%. Initially 72 patients (90% were treated with surgery, including 64 complete local excisions; 77% in colon cancer and 81% in rectal cancer. The total RT dose ranged 8-60 Gy (median: 36 Gy with 1.8-8 Gy per fraction. When the α/β for the tumor was assumed to be 10 Gy for the biologically equivalent dose (BED, the median RT dose was 46.8 Gy10 (14.4-78. Twenty one patients (26% were treated with CCRT. Symptom palliation was assessed one month after the completion of RT. Results Symptom palliation was achieved in 80% of the cases. During the median follow-up period of five months (1-44 months, 45% of the cases experienced reappearance of symptoms; the median symptom control duration was five months. Median survival after RT was six months. On univariate analysis, the only significant prognostic factor for symptom control duration was BED ≥40 Gy10 (p Conclusions RT was an effective palliation method in patients with a symptomatic pelvic mass of metastatic colorectal cancer. For improvement of symptom control rate and duration, a BED ≥ 40 Gy10 is recommended when possible. Considering the low morbidity and improved symptom palliation, CCRT might be considered in patients with good performance status.

  20. Anastomotic pseudoaneurysms after surgical reconstruction: Outcomes after endovascular repair of symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nolz, Richard; Gschwendtner, Manfred; Jülg, Gregor; Plank, Christina; Beitzke, Dietrich; Teufelsbauer, Harald; Wibmer, Andreas; Kretschmer, Georg; Lammer, Johannes

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To compare perioperative and follow-up outcomes of symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients following endovascular repair of anastomotic pseudoaneurysms (APAs) of the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 17 patients (two women), with a mean age of 66.2 years (range 30–83 years). Endovascular treatment was performed in ten symptomatic, and seven asymptomatic patients electively. Data included technical success, perioperative (within 30 days) mortality and morbidity, as well as stent graft-related complications, reinterventions, and survival in follow-up. Results: Bifurcated (n = 13), aortomonoiliac (n = 3) endoprosthesis and one aortic cuff were implanted with a primary technical success rate of 100%. The overall in-hospital mortality and morbidity rate was 11.8% and 35.3%. The mean survival was 36.5 (range 0–111) months. There was a clear trend toward a lower overall survival within hospital and at one and three years for symptomatic patients compared to asymptomatic patients. (47.7 (CI: 0–138.8) versus 52.6 (CI: 28.5–76.8) months (p = 0.274)). During follow-up, late stent graft related complications were observed in six patients (35.3%) necessitating eight endovascular reinterventions. Additional three patients with primary fistulas between the APA and the intestine were treated by late surgical revision. Conclusion: Endovascular therapy of APAs represents a considerable alternative to open surgical repair. Short proximal anchoring zones still pose a risk for endoleaks and unintentional overstenting of side branches with commercially available devices, but this might be overcome by use of fenestrated and branched stent grafts in elective cases.

  1. Extra colonic Findings on CT Colonography in Symptomatic Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drahovska, I.; Nigut, F.; Mach, P.; Lazurova, I.; Gombosova, L.

    2011-01-01

    The paper is an analysis of the consequences of the extra colonic findings identified on CT colonography examination of symptomatic patients and the validity of the intravenous application of contrast medium in this examination. The authors enrolled 252 patients, who underwent CT colonogprahy.128 extra colonic findings was identified in 80 patients (31.74%). The average age was 65.62 years (SD = 12.7, min. age was 29, max. age. 85 years). According the clinical significance the extra colonic findings have been divided into three groups – low, moderate and very important extra colonic findings. Low significant findings were 68 (53.12%), moderate 26 (20.31%) and very important extra colonic findings were 34 (26.56%), of which 30 were malignant nature. (author)

  2. Validation and Assessment of a Technology Familiarity Score in Patients Attending a Symptomatic Breast Clinic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, C; Kelly, J; Lehane, E A; Livingstone, V; Cotter, B; Butt, A; Kelly, L; Corrigan, M A

    2015-10-01

    New media technologies (computers, mobile phones and the internet) have the potential to transform the healthcare information needs of patients with breast disease (Ferlay et al. in Eur J Cancer 49:1374-1403, 2013). However, patients' current level of use and their willingness to accept new media for education and communication remain unknown. This was a single-centre clinic-based prospective cross-sectional study. A previously developed instrument was modified, validated and tested on patients attending a symptomatic breast clinic. The instrument was evaluated on 200 symptomatic breast patients. The commonest outlets for education were staff (95 %), leaflets (69 %) and websites (59 %). Websites are more likely to be consulted by younger patients (higher education were more likely to favour apps, websites and email (p technology use among breast patients is expanding as expected along generational trends. As such its' further integration into healthcare systems can potentially ameliorate patient education and communication.

  3. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Adherence In Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea & Symptomatic BPH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metta, Ramesh V V S; Zaka, Awais; Lee, Vincent C; Mador, M Jeffery

    2017-04-01

    Purpose To determine the short-term and long-term adherence rates with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in sleep apnea patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) compared to matched controls. Methods A case-control retrospective analysis was performed in a veterans affairs hospital. All symptomatic patients with BPH (n = 107) ever started on CPAP therapy between 2006 and 2012 were compared with controls matched for severity of sleep apnea (AHI). Adherence measures were obtained at the third and twelfth month visits. The cases included symptomatic BPH patients on active medical therapy. Diuretic use among cases and controls, and severity of nocturia among the cases were also analyzed. Results The mean AHI among cases and controls was 35.6 ± 27.3 and 35.5 ± 31 (p = 0.96). The population was male and predominantly Caucasian. There was no statistically significant difference in percent days CPAP device use ≥4 h. between symptomatic BPH patients and controls at 3-month (51.6 ± 38 vs. 47.2 ± 36; p = 0.43) and 1-year (64 ± 40.5 vs. 64.7 ± 31.3; p = 0.90) visits. The use of diuretics in the cases and controls, and the severity of nocturia in the cases did not influence adherence with CPAP therapy. Conclusions BPH or diuretic use did not affect adherence with CPAP therapy in obstructive sleep apnea. Severity of nocturia did not have any influence on adherence among the cases. BPH, regardless of the severity of nocturia, and diuretic use does not influence CPAP adherence in patients with OSA.

  4. Ovarian Artery Embolization in Patients With Collateral Supply to Symptomatic Uterine Leiomyomata

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scheurig-Muenkler, C.; Poellinger, A.; Wagner, M.; Hamm, B.; Kroencke, T. J.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the safety and outcome of ovarian artery embolization (OAE) in patients with collateral supply to symptomatic uterine leiomyomata. Materials and Methods: Thirteen patients with relevant leiomyoma perfusion by way of enlarged ovarian arteries underwent additional OAE during the same (N = 10) or a second procedure (N = 3). Uterine artery embolization (UAE) was performed bilaterally in 10 and unilaterally in 2 patients with a single artery. One patient had no typical uterine arteries but bilaterally enlarged ovarian arteries, prompting bilateral OAE. OAE was accomplished with coil embolization in one and particle embolization in 12 patients. Symptoms before therapy and clinical outcome were assessed using a standardized questionnaire. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after embolization was available in 11 of 13 patients and was used to determine the percentage of fibroid infarction. Results: UAE and OAE were technically successful in all patients. One patient experienced prolonged irritation at the puncture site. Median clinical follow-up time was 16 months (range 4–37). Ten of 13 patients showed improvement or complete resolution of clinical symptoms. One patient reported only slight improvement of her symptoms. These women presented with regular menses. Two patients (15%), 47 and 48 years, both with unilateral OAE, reported permanent amenorrhea directly after embolization. Their symptoms completely resolved. Seven patients showed complete and 4 showed >90% fibroid infarction after embolization therapy. Conclusions: OAE is technically safe and effective in patients with ovarian artery collateral supply to symptomatic uterine leiomyomata. The risk of permanent amenorrhea observed in this study is similar to the reported incidence after UAE.

  5. Patterns of bone tracer uptake on SPECT-CT in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with primary total hip arthroplasty

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schweizer, Thierry; Hirschmann, Michael T. [Kantonsspital Baselland (Bruderholz, Liestal, Laufen), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Bruderholz (Switzerland); University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Schiapparelli, Filippo-Franco; Rotigliano, Niccolo [Kantonsspital Baselland (Bruderholz, Liestal, Laufen), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Bruderholz (Switzerland); Rasch, Helmut [Kantonsspital Baselland, Institute of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Bruderholz (Switzerland); Amsler, Felix [Amsler Consulting, Basel (Switzerland)

    2018-02-15

    of group S with a BTU ≥ 3.1. With regards to the fixation technique, only the BTU at the level 6 in group S presented a significant difference between cemented and uncemented stems (p < 0.05). Higher BTU levels significantly correlated with symptoms, but a normal BTU could not exclude a specific pathology after THA. A threshold of BTU in SPECT/CT was identified to distinguish between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients after THA. (orig.)

  6. Palliative radiotherapy in patients with a symptomatic pelvic mass of metastatic colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bae, Sun Hyun; Yun, Seong Hyeon; Kim, Hee Cheol; Park, Won; Choi, Doo Ho; Nam, Heerim; Kang, Won Ki; Park, Young Suk; Park, Joon Oh; Chun, Ho Kyung; Lee, Woo Yong

    2011-01-01

    To evaluate the palliative role of radiotherapy (RT) and define the effectiveness of chemotherapy combined with palliative RT (CCRT) in patients with a symptomatic pelvic mass of metastatic colorectal cancer. From August 1995 to December 2007, 80 patients with a symptomatic pelvic mass of metastatic colorectal cancer were treated with palliative RT at Samsung Medical Center. Initial presenting symptoms were pain (68 cases), bleeding (18 cases), and obstruction (nine cases). The pelvic mass originated from rectal cancer in 58 patients (73%) and from colon cancer in 22 patients (27%). Initially 72 patients (90%) were treated with surgery, including 64 complete local excisions; 77% in colon cancer and 81% in rectal cancer. The total RT dose ranged 8-60 Gy (median: 36 Gy) with 1.8-8 Gy per fraction. When the α/β for the tumor was assumed to be 10 Gy for the biologically equivalent dose (BED), the median RT dose was 46.8 Gy 10 (14.4-78). Twenty one patients (26%) were treated with CCRT. Symptom palliation was assessed one month after the completion of RT. Symptom palliation was achieved in 80% of the cases. During the median follow-up period of five months (1-44 months), 45% of the cases experienced reappearance of symptoms; the median symptom control duration was five months. Median survival after RT was six months. On univariate analysis, the only significant prognostic factor for symptom control duration was BED ≥40 Gy 10 (p < 0.05), and CCRT was a marginally significant factor (p = 0.0644). On multivariate analysis, BED and CCRT were significant prognostic factors for symptom control duration (p < 0.05). RT was an effective palliation method in patients with a symptomatic pelvic mass of metastatic colorectal cancer. For improvement of symptom control rate and duration, a BED ≥ 40 Gy 10 is recommended when possible. Considering the low morbidity and improved symptom palliation, CCRT might be considered in patients with good performance status

  7. Posterior transpedicular approach with circumferential debridement and anterior reconstruction as a salvage procedure for symptomatic failed vertebroplasty

    OpenAIRE

    Chiu, Yen-Chun; Yang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Hung-Shu; Kao, Yu-Hsien; Tu, Yuan-Kun

    2015-01-01

    Background Complications and failure of vertebroplasty, such as cement dislodgement, cement leakage, or spinal infection, usually result in spinal instability and neural element compression. Combined anterior and posterior approaches are the most common salvage procedure for symptomatic failed vertebroplasty. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a single posterior approach technique for the treatment of patients with symptomatic failed vertebroplasty. Metho...

  8. Alternative treatment of symptomatic pancreatic fistula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiltberger, Georg; Schmelzle, Moritz; Tautenhahn, Hans-Michael; Krenzien, Felix; Atanasov, Georgi; Hau, Hans-Michael; Moche, Michael; Jonas, Sven

    2015-06-01

    The management of symptomatic pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy is complex and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We here report continuous irrigation and drainage of the pancreatic remnant to be a feasible and safe alternative to total pancreatectomy. Between 2005 and 2011, patients were analyzed, in which pancreaticojejunal anastomosis was disconnected because of grade C fistula, and catheters for continuous irrigation and drainage were placed close to the pancreatic remnant. Clinical data were monitored and quality of life was evaluated. A total of 13 of 202 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy required reoperation due to symptomatic pancreatic fistula. Ninety-day mortality of these patients was 15.3%. Median length of stay on the intensive care unit and total length of stay was 18 d (range 3-45) and 46 d (range 33-96), respectively. Patients with early reoperation (<10 d) had significantly decreased length of stay on the intensive care unit and operation time (P < 0.05). Global health status after a median time of 22 mo (range 6-66) was nearly identical, when compared with that of a healthy control group. Mean follow-up was 44.4 mo (±27.2). Four patients (36.6 %) died during the follow-up period; two patients from tumor recurrence, one patient from pneumonia, and one patient for unknown reasons. Treatment of pancreatic fistula by continuous irrigation and drainage of the preserved pancreatic remnant is a simple and feasible alternative to total pancreatectomy. This technique maintains a sufficient endocrine function and is associated with low mortality and reasonable quality of life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Posterior transpedicular approach with circumferential debridement and anterior reconstruction as a salvage procedure for symptomatic failed vertebroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Yen-Chun; Yang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Hung-Shu; Kao, Yu-Hsien; Tu, Yuan-Kun

    2015-02-10

    Complications and failure of vertebroplasty, such as cement dislodgement, cement leakage, or spinal infection, usually result in spinal instability and neural element compression. Combined anterior and posterior approaches are the most common salvage procedure for symptomatic failed vertebroplasty. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a single posterior approach technique for the treatment of patients with symptomatic failed vertebroplasty. Ten patients with symptomatic failed vertebroplasty underwent circumferential debridement and anterior reconstruction surgery through a single-stage posterior transpedicular approach (PTA) from January 2009 to December 2011 at our institution. The differences of visual analog scale (VAS), neurologic status, and vertebral body reconstruction before and after surgery were recorded. The clinical outcomes of patients were categorized as excellent, good, fair, or poor based on modified Brodsky's criteria. The symptomatic failed vertebroplasty occurred between the T11 and L3 vertebrae with one- or two-level involvement. The average VAS score was 8.3 (range, 7 to 9) before surgery, significantly decreased to 3.2 (range, 2 to 4) after surgery (p surgery was 17.3° (range, 4° to 35°) (p surgery was 1 mm (range, 0 to 2). The neurologic status of Frankel's scale significantly improved after surgery (p = 0.014) and at 1 year after surgery (p = 0.046). No one experienced severe complications such as deep wound infection or neurologic deterioration. All patients achieved good or excellent outcomes after surgery based on modified Brodsky's criteria (p surgery with circumferential debridement and anterior reconstruction technique provides good clinical outcomes and low complication rate, which can be considered as an alternative method to combined anterior and posterior approaches for patients with symptomatic failed vertebroplasty.

  10. Selective uterine artery embolization: its application in treating symptomatic uterine leiomyomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Guofu; Han Zhigang; Hu Pei'an; Wang Shijia; Tian Xiaomei; Zhou Yan; He Beiyi; Wang Jing

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To discuss the feasibility and safety of uterine artery embolization(UAE) for the treatment of symptomatic uterine leiomyomas. Methods: During the period of Jan. 2005-June 2009, UAE was performed in 85 patients with uterine leiomyomas in the authors' hospital. The main symptoms included hypermenorrhea, delayed menstruation and pelvic pressure symptoms. The bilateral uterine arteries were embolized with polyvinyl alcohol particles (diameter 500-710 μm) and Gelfoam. The technical success rate and the clinical results were observed. The patients were followed up for 6-36 months. Results: The technical success rate of bilateral uterine artery embolization was 100%. No serious complications occurred. During the follow-up period, menses returned to regular cycle in all patients and the hemoglobin concentration rose up to normal level in patients with anemia. The sizes of uterine leiomyomas were decreased by 57.5% after 6 months of the procedure. Conclusion: UAE is an effective and less-invasive treatment for symptomatic uterine leiomyomas with reliable results and fewer complications. This technique can greatly avoid unnecessary uterectomy and, thus, preserve the fertility of the female patients.(authors)

  11. Mid-term Clinical Results and Patient Satisfaction After Uterine Artery Embolization in Women with Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smeets, Albert J.; Lohle, Paul N. M.; Vervest, Harry A. M.; Boekkooi, P. Focco; Lampmann, Leo E.H.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose. To evaluate the mid-term clinical results and patient satisfaction following uterine artery embolization (UAE) in women with symptomatic fibroids. Methods. Between August 1998 and December 2002, 135 patients had UAE for symptomatic uterine fibroids. All patients were asked to fill in a questionnaire. Questions were aimed at changes in bleeding, pain, and bulk-related symptoms. Symptoms after UAE were scored as disappeared, improved, unchanged or worsened. Adverse events were noted, such as vaginal dryness and discharge, menopausal complaints or fibroid expulsion. Patient satisfaction after UAE was assessed. Patient satisfaction of women embolized with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles was compared with satisfaction of women embolized with calibrated microspheres. Results. The questionnaire was returned by 110 of 135 women (81%) at a median time interval of 14 months following UAE. In 10 women additional embolization or hysterectomy had been performed. Of the 110 responders, 86 (78%) were satisfied with the result of UAE. The proportion of satisfied women was higher in the group embolized with calibrated microspheres than in women embolized with PVA, although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.053). Conclusion. UAE in women with symptomatic uterine fibroids leads to improvement of symptoms and patient satisfaction is good in the vast majority after a median follow-up period of 14 months

  12. Comparison of different methods of helicobacter pylori detection in symptomatic gastroduodenal patients of Karachi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanif, M.; Zaidi, P.; Hameed, A.; Rasool, A.

    2009-01-01

    Helicobacter pylori is a principal cause of chronic gastritis (CG), gastric and duodenal ulcers and a major risk factor for gastric cancer in humans. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the prevalence of H. pylori by different detection methods in symptomatic patients of Karachi. A total of 227 biopsy samples were collected from patients having complaints of peptic ulcer disease (PUD), chronic gastritis and/or abdominal discomfort (AD) from three different health providing institutions of Karachi during 2004- 2006 and analyzed for the presence of H. pylori. Comparative evaluation of three different conventional diagnostic techniques with that of a highly specific PCR amplification of ureC gene were carried out and found H. pylori in 62.5%, 64.7%. 68.7% and 59% by PCR, histology, rapid urease test and culture respectively. Out of 227 biopsy samples collected, 120 (52.8%) were H. pylori positive by all methods comprising 62 male patients and 58 female patients. A significant association between H. pylori infection and gastro duodenal diseases was observed. Among 120 H. pylori infected patients 56 were comprised of PUD, 37 with CG, 19 with AD and 8 with Gastric cancer (GCa). The epidemiology of H. p)1/ori infection is also discussed. (author)

  13. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and symptomatic cerebral infarction in patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muramatsu Chie

    2003-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently a new automatic device that measures brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity using an oscillometric method has been developed. However, the practical significance of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity measurement remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and symptomatic cerebral infarction in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods One thousand sixty six patients with type 2 diabetes were studied cross-sectionally. Measurements of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity were made using the automatic device. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio for cerebral infarction. Results The presence of symptomatic cerebral infarction was confirmed in 86 patients. In these patients brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity was found to be significantly higher than in patients without cerebral infarction (18.94 ± 4.95 versus 16.46 ± 3.62 m/s, p Conclusion Overall, we conclude that an increase in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity is associated with symptomatic cerebral infarction in patients with type 2 diabetes.

  14. Mobile kidney pain provocation ultrasonography before surgery for symptomatic mobile kidney: A prospective study of 43 consecutive patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnerlöv, Conny; Söderström, Minette; Öhberg, Lars

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate whether mobile kidney pain provocation ultrasonography together with intravenous pyelography in supine and standing positions and a full medical history can confirm the diagnosis of the clinical condition of symptomatic mobile kidney and aid the selection of patients for surgical treatment. In a consecutive study, 43 patients with the clinical picture of symptomatic mobile kidney, a positive mobile kidney pain provocation ultrasonography and a renal descent of at least 2 lumbar vertebral heights on intravenous pyelography in the standing position, were operated on with nephropexy. Patients' pain relief after nephropexy was evaluated by clinical follow-up, a questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS) scoring. Reduction of pain after nephropexy was associated with a significant decrease in VAS scoring from a median of 8 (range 4-10) preoperatively to a median of 0 (range 0-7) postoperatively (p mobile kidney pain provocation ultrasonography and intravenous pyelography in supine and standing positions can verify the diagnosis of symptomatic mobile kidney and aid the selection of patients who will benefit from nephropexy.

  15. Cost-utility of ranolazine for the symptomatic treatment of patients with chronic angina pectoris in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hidalgo-Vega, Alvaro; Ramos-Goñi, Juan Manuel; Villoro, Renata

    2014-12-01

    Ranolazine is an antianginal agent that was approved in the EU in 2008 as an add-on therapy for symptomatic chronic angina pectoris treatment in patients who are inadequately controlled by, or are intolerant to, first-line antianginal therapies. These patients' quality of life is significantly affected by more frequent angina events, which increase the risk of revascularization. To assess the cost-utility of ranolazine versus placebo as an add-on therapy for the symptomatic treatment of patients with chronic angina pectoris in Spain. A decision tree model with 1-year time horizon was designed. Transition probabilities and utility values for different angina frequencies were obtained from the literature. Costs were obtained from Spanish official DRGs for patients with chronic angina pectoris. We calculated the incremental cost-utility ratio of using ranolazine compared with a placebo. Sensitivity analyses, by means of Monte Carlo simulations, were performed. Acceptability curves and expected value of perfect information were calculated. The incremental cost-utility ratio was €8,455 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) per patient in Spain. Sensitivity analyses showed that if the decision makers' willingness to pay is €15,000 per QALY, the treatment with ranolazine will be cost effective at a 95 % level of confidence. The incremental cost-utility ratio is particularly sensitive to changes in utility values of those non-hospitalized patients with mild or moderate angina frequency. Ranolazine is a highly efficient add-on therapy for the symptomatic treatment of chronic angina pectoris in patients who are inadequately controlled by, or intolerant to, first-line antianginal therapies in Spain.

  16. Differences in muscle activities during shoulder elevation in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic rotator cuff tears: analysis by positron emission tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinozaki, Nobuhisa; Sano, Hirotaka; Omi, Rei; Kishimoto, Koshi N; Yamamoto, Nobuyuki; Tashiro, Manabu; Itoi, Eiji

    2014-03-01

    Differences in muscle activity patterns between patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears have not yet been fully clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the muscle activity pattern by use of positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic rotator cuff tears. Ten shoulders of 9 patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears were divided into 2 groups by a numerical pain rating scale (0-10), symptomatic (≥2) and asymptomatic (0 or 1), with 5 shoulders each. Scaption exercise of bilateral arms (200 repetitions in 10 minutes) with a weight of 0.25 kg each was performed before and after injection of fluorodeoxyglucose. After PET examination, the standardized uptake value of each muscle was calculated to quantify its activity and compared between the two groups. The activity of the anterior and middle deltoid was significantly decreased in the symptomatic group compared with the asymptomatic group (anterior deltoid, P = .02; middle deltoid, P = .03). In contrast, the activity of the superior trapezius was significantly increased in the symptomatic group compared with the asymptomatic group (P = .02). In patients with a symptomatic tear, the deltoid activity was decreased and the trapezius activity was increased. It is likely that they might have moved the painful glenohumeral joint less and instead moved the painless scapulothoracic joint more during the prescribed exercise. We conclude that patients with painful rotator cuff tears use the parascapular muscles more than those without pain do during arm elevation. Copyright © 2014 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Gender and age effects on risk factor-based prediction of coronary artery calcium in symptomatic patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nicoll, R; Wiklund, U; Zhao, Y

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The influence of gender and age on risk factor prediction of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in symptomatic patients is unclear. METHODS: From the European Calcific Coronary Artery Disease (EURO-CCAD) cohort, we retrospectively investigated 6309 symptomatic patients, 62......, diabetes and smoking were independently predictive of CAC presence in both genders. In addition to a progressive increase in CAC with age, the most important predictors of CAC presence were dyslipidaemia and diabetes (β = 0.64 and 0.63, respectively) in males and diabetes (β = 1.08) followed by smoking (β...... = 0.68) in females; these same risk factors were also important in predicting increasing CAC scores. There was no difference in the predictive ability of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia in either gender for CAC presence in patients aged 70, only...

  18. Symptomatic Avascular Necrosis: An Understudied Risk Factor for Acute Care Utilization by Patients with SCD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Tiffany; Campbell, Timothy; Ciuffetelli, Isabella; Haywood, Carlton; Carroll, C. Patrick; Resar, Linda M.S.; Strouse, John J.; Lanzkron, Sophie

    2016-01-01

    Objectives Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with high healthcare utilization rates and poor outcomes in a subset of patients, although the underlying factors that predict this phenotype are poorly understood. Prior studies suggest that comorbid avascular necrosis (AVN) contributes to high healthcare utilization. We sought to clarify whether AVN independently predicts acute care utilization in adults with SCD and to identify characteristics of those with AVN that predict higher utilization. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 87 patients with SCD with symptomatic AVN and compared acute care utilization and clinical characteristics with 87 sex- and age-matched patients with SCD without symptomatic AVN. Patients with ≥2 years of follow-up were included. Outcomes were compared using bivariate analysis and multivariate regression. Results Our study included 1381 follow-up years, with a median of 7 years per patient. The AVN cohort had greater median rates of urgent care visits (3.2/year vs 1.3/year; P = 0.0155), admissions (1.3/year vs 0.4/year; P = 0.0002), and admission days (5.1 days/year vs 1.8 days/year; P = 0.0007). History of high utilization (odds ratio [OR] 4.28; P = 0.001), acute chest syndrome (OR 3.12; P = 0.005), pneumonia (OR 3.20; P = 0.023), hydroxyurea therapy (OR 2.23; P = 0.0136), and long-term transfusion (OR 2.33; P = 0.014) were associated with AVN. In a median regression model, AVN, acute chest syndrome, and pneumonia were independently associated with greater urgent care visits and admissions. Conclusions Symptomatic AVN was found to be an independent risk factor for acute care utilization in patients with SCD. Because this is a potentially modifiable factor, further studies are urgently needed to determine whether AVN prevention/early treatment interventions will alter utilization and improve outcomes for patients with SCD. PMID:27598353

  19. Urinary Prothrombin Fragment 1+2 in relation to Development of Non-Symptomatic and Symptomatic Venous Thromboembolic Events following Total Knee Replacement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borris, Lars Carl; Breindahl, Morten; Rud-Lassen, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Prothrombin fragment 1+2 is excreted in urine (uF1+2) as a result of in vivo thrombin generation and can be a marker of coagulation status after an operative procedure. This study compared uF1+2 levels in patients with symptomatic and non-symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) after total knee...... replacement (TKR) and in event-free sex- and age-matched controls. Significantly higher median uF1+2 levels were seen in the VTE patients on days 1, 3, and the day of venography (mostly day 7) after TKR compared with controls. The uF1+2 levels tended to be high in some patients with symptomatic VTE; however...

  20. Predictive factors of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis in primary and metastatic lung tumors treated with stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Kang Pyo; Lee, Jeong Shim; Cho, Yeona; Chung, Seung Yeun; Lee, Jason Joon Bock; Lee, Chang Geol; Cho, Jae Ho [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    Although stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is widely used therapeutic technique, predictive factors of radiation pneumonitis (RP) after SABR remain undefined. We aimed to investigate the predictive factors affecting RP in patients with primary or metastatic lung tumors who received SABR. From 2012 to 2015, we reviewed 59 patients with 72 primary or metastatic lung tumors treated with SABR, and performed analyses of clinical and dosimetric variables related to symptomatic RP. SABR was delivered as 45–60 Gy in 3–4 fractions, which were over 100 Gy in BED when the α/β value was assumed to be 10. Tumor volume and other various dose volume factors were analyzed using median value as a cutoff value. RP was graded per the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.03. At the median follow-up period of 11 months, symptomatic RP was observed in 13 lesions (12 patients, 18.1%), including grade 2 RP in 11 lesions and grade 3 in 2 lesions. Patients with planning target volume (PTV) of ≤14.35 mL had significantly lower rates of symptomatic RP when compared to others (8.6% vs. 27%; p = 0.048). Rates of symptomatic RP in patients with internal gross tumor volume (iGTV) >4.21 mL were higher than with ≤4.21 mL (29.7% vs. 6.1%; p = 0.017). The incidence of symptomatic RP following treatment with SABR was acceptable with grade 2 RP being observed in most patients. iGTV over 4.21 mL and PTV of over 14.35 mL were significant predictive factors related to symptomatic RP.

  1. Incidence of Symptomatic Vertebral Fractures in Patients After Percutaneous Vertebroplasty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hierholzer, Johannes; Fuchs, Heiko; Westphalen, Kerstin; Baumann, Clemens; Slotosch, Christine; Schulz, Rudolf

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of secondary symptomatic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) in patients previously treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty (VTP). Three hundred sixteen patients with 486 treated VCFs were included in the study according to the inclusion criteria. Patients were kept in regular follow-up using a standardized questionairre before, 1 day, 7 days, 6 months, and 1 year after, and, further on, on a yearly basis after VTP. The incidence of secondary symptomatic VCF was calculated, and anatomical distribution with respect to previous fractures characterized. Mean follow-up was 8 months (6-56 months) after VTP. Fifty-two of 316 (16.4 %) patients (45 female, 7 male) returned for treatment of 69 secondary VCFs adjacent to (35/69; 51%) or distant from (34/69; 49%) previously treated levels. Adjacent secondary VCF occurred significantly more often compared to distant secondary VCF. Of the total 69 secondary VCFs, 35 of 69 occurred below and 27 of 69 above pretreated VCFs. Of the 65 sandwich levels generated, in 7 of 65 (11%) secondary VCFs were observed. Secondary VCF below pretreated VCF occurred significantly earlier in time compared to VCF above and compared to sandwich body fractures. No major complication occurred during initial or follow-up intervention. We conclude that secondary VCFs do occur in individuals after VTP but the rate found in our study remains below the level expected from epidemiologic studies. Adjacent fractures occur more often and follow the cluster distribution of VCF as expected from the natural history of the underlying osteoporosis. No increased rate of secondary VCF after VTP was observed in this retrospective analysis. In accordance with the pertinent literature, short-term and also midterm clinical results are encouraging and provide further support for the usefulness and the low complication rate of this procedure as an adjunct to the spectrum of pain management in patients with severe

  2. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) in the Treatment of Venous Symptomatic Chronic Portal Thrombosis in Non-cirrhotic Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bilbao, Jose I.; Elorz, Mariana; Vivas, Isabel; Martinez-Cuesta, Antonio; Bastarrika, Gorka; Benito, Alberto

    2004-01-01

    Purpose: To present a series of cases of non-cirrhotic patients with symptomatic massive portal thrombosis treated by percutaneous techniques. All patients underwent a TIPS procedure in order to maintain the patency of the portal vein by facilitating the outflow. Methods: A total of six patients were treated for thrombosis of the main portal vein (6/6); the main right and left branches (3/6) and the splenic vein (5/6) and superior mesenteric vein (6/6). Two patients had a pancreatic malignancy; one patient with an orthotopic liver transplant had been surgically treated for a pancreatic carcinoma. Two patients had idiopathic thrombocytosis, and in the remaining patient no cause for the portal thrombosis was identified. During the initial procedure in each patient one or more approaches were tried: transhepatic (5/6), transileocolic (1/6), trans-splenic (1/6) or transjugular (1/6). In all cases the procedure was completed with a TIPS with either ultrasound guidance (3/6), 'gun-shot' technique (2/6) or fluoroscopic guidance (1/6).Results: No complications were observed during the procedures. One patient had a repeat episode of variceal bleeding at 30 months, one patient remained asymptomatic and was lost to follow-up at 24 months, two patients were successfully treated surgically (cephalic duodenopancreatectomy) and are alive at 4 and 36 months. One patient remains asymptomatic (without new episodes of abdominal pain) at 16 months of follow-up. One patient died because of tumor progression at 10 months. Conclusion: Percutaneous techniques for portal recanalization are an interesting alternative even in non-acute thrombosis. Once flow has been restored in the portal vein TIPS may be necessary to obtain an adequate outflow, hence facilitating and maintaining the portal flow

  3. Arthroscopic treatment of symptomatic type D medial plica

    OpenAIRE

    Uysal, Mustafa; Asik, Mehmet; Akpinar, Sercan; Ciftci, Feyyaz; Cesur, Necip; Tandogan, Reha N.

    2007-01-01

    We aimed to review the results of subtotal arthroscopic resection of symptomatic type D medial plica. We retrospectively evaluated 23 knees with symptomatic type D medial plica in 22 patients without other intra-articular pathology. All patients complained of chronic knee pain that had not been alleviated by medical treatment or physical therapy. In only three (13%) of the patients studied was the plica diagnosed pre-operatively with magnetic resonance imaging. The type D medial plicae in our...

  4. Wingspan stent for symptomatic M1 stenosis of middle cerebral artery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Xinbin; Ma Nan; Hu Xiaobo; Guan Sheng; Fan Yimu

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Stent placement for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis has become an alternative treatment technique; however, stent placement for middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis remains a technical and clinical challenge. Our purpose was to assess the safety and feasibility of Wingspan stent for patients with symptomatic M1 stenosis, and its initial effect on prevention of ischemic events. Methods: Fifty-three cases with recurrent symptomatic MCA stenosis resistant to medical therapy treated by self-expanding stent were reviewed retrospectively (average 58 ± 18.5 years old, 19 women). All patients underwent angioplasty and stenting with the Gateway balloon–Wingspan stent system, and advised follow-up with DSA or TCD at 6th month. Results: Patients had an average stenosis ratio of 76.5 ± 15.4% prior to the treatment. Of the 53 patients, the technical success rate was 98.1% as a whole (52/53). The mean degree of stenosis reduced from (76.5 ± 15.4)% to (18.2 ± 11.3)%. Complications associated with the procedure include subarachnoid hemorrhage (1.89%) and occlusion (3.78%) occurred. During a follow-up of 6 months, there was no recurrence of transient ischemic attack or stroke in 52 cases with successful stenting. Cerebral hemodynamics of MCA using transcranial Doppler monitoring were at normal level (<120 cm/s) in 41 follow-up patients. The follow up angiography at 6 month post-procedure was conducted in 32 patients and showed good patency in stented vessels. Conclusions: Wingspan stent for symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery is a safe and feasible procedure. It improves clinical outcome in the intermediate follow up, but its long-term effect remains to be further evaluated.

  5. Executive functioning during full and partial remission (positive and negative symptomatic remission) of schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braw, Yoram; Benozio, Avi; Levkovitz, Yechiel

    2012-12-01

    Despite the upsurge of research regarding cognitive impairment in schizophrenia we still lack adequate understanding of the executive functioning of patients in symptomatic remission. Moreover, the cognitive functioning of patients in partial remission has not been studied previously although they comprise a significant proportion of schizophrenia patients. The current study therefore examined the executive functioning of patients in full symptomatic remission and for the first time assessed two sub-groups of patients in partial remission. Executive functioning of five groups was compared; symptomatic patients, patients in positive symptomatic remission, negative symptomatic remission, full symptomatic remission (SP, PSR, NSR, and FSR; N=101) and healthy controls (N=37). A graded cognitive profile was evident between the groups. SP patients exhibited widespread executive dysfunction while the performance of FSR patients was comparable to that of the healthy controls. Both PSR and NSR patients had working memory deficits, with PSR patients showing additional deficits in cognitive planning. The findings are encouraging, tentatively suggesting intact executive functioning among patients in full symptomatic remission. The graded cognitive profile of the patient groups strengthens earlier findings indicating the significant role of negative symptoms in determining executive dysfunction in schizophrenia. The findings point toward potential targets for therapeutic efforts and emphasize the need for further research of sub-groups of schizophrenia patients in partial remission. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Percutaneous Facet Screw Fixation in the Treatment of Symptomatic Recurrent Lumbar Facet Joint Cyst: A New Technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amoretti, Nicolas, E-mail: amorettinicolas@yahoo.fr; Gallo, Giacomo, E-mail: giacomo.gallo83@gmail.com; Bertrand, Anne-Sophie, E-mail: asbertrand3@hotmail.com [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (France); Bard, Robert L., E-mail: rbard@cancerscan.com [New York Medical College (United States); Kelekis, Alexis, E-mail: akelekis@med.uoa.gr [University General Hospital “ATTIKON” (Greece)

    2016-01-15

    We present a case of percutaneous treatment of symptomatic recurrent lumbar facet joint cyst resistant to all medical treatments including facet joint steroid injection. Percutaneous transfacet fixation was then performed at L4–L5 level with a cannulated screw using CT and fluoroscopy guidance. The procedure time was 30 min. Using the visual analog scale (VAS), pain decreased from 9.5, preoperatively, to 0 after the procedure. At 6-month follow-up, an asymptomatic cystic recurrence was observed, which further reduced at the 1-year follow-up. Pain remained stable (VAS at 0) during all follow-ups. CT- and fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous cyst rupture associated with facet screw fixation could be an alternative to surgery in patients suffering from a symptomatic recurrent lumbar facet joint cyst.

  7. Symptomatic thoracic spinal cord herniation: case series and technical report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawasli, Ammar H; Ray, Wilson Z; Wright, Neill M

    2014-09-01

    Idiopathic spinal cord herniation (ISCH) is an uncommon condition located predominantly in the thoracic spine and often associated with a remote history of a major traumatic injury. ISCH has an incompletely described presentation and unknown etiology. There is no consensus on the treatment algorithm and surgical technique, and there are few data on clinical outcomes. In this case series and technical report, we describe the atypical myelopathy presentation, remote history of traumatic injury, radiographic progression, treatment, and outcomes of 5 patients treated at Washington University for symptomatic ISCH. A video showing surgical repair is presented. In contrast to classic compressive myelopathy symptomatology, ISCH patients presented with an atypical myelopathy, characterized by asymmetric motor and sensory deficits and early-onset urinary incontinence. Clinical deterioration correlated with progressive spinal cord displacement and herniation observed on yearly spinal imaging in a patient imaged serially because of multiple sclerosis. Finally, compared with compressive myelopathy in the thoracic spine, surgical treatment of ISCH led to rapid improvement despite a long duration of symptoms. Symptomatic ISCH presents with atypical myelopathy and slow temporal progression and can be successfully managed with surgical repair.

  8. Isolated subacromial bursal fluid on MRI of the shoulder in symptomatic patients: correlation with arthroscopic findings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Monu, J.U.V. [Dept. of Radiology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Pruett, S. [Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Vanarthos, W.J. [Dept. of Radiology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Pope, T.L. Jr. [Dept. of Radiology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, NC (United States)

    1994-10-01

    Fluid in the subacromial bursa (SAB) is a common finding on magnetic resonance (MR) images of the shoulder, and the implications of this finding have not been clarified. We retrospectively reviewed and correlated the MR features with arthroscopic findings in 21 symptomatic patients who had fluid in the SAB on MR imaging without demonstrable rotator cuff tear. Rotator cuff impingement was the most frequent surgical finding (42.9%). Other frequent surgical observations were glenbid labrum abnormality (28.6%), bursitis (19%), and supraspinatus tendinitis (14.3%). Distribution of acromial types was similar to that reported by Bigliani et al., and impingement was evenly distributed among acromial types in our study population. We conclude that in our patient population group the MR finding of isolated SAB fluid in symptomatic patients is highly likely to be associated with the finding of other abnormalities in the shoulder joint at surgery. (orig.)

  9. Isolated subacromial bursal fluid on MRI of the shoulder in symptomatic patients: correlation with arthroscopic findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monu, J.U.V.; Pruett, S.; Vanarthos, W.J.; Pope, T.L. Jr.

    1994-01-01

    Fluid in the subacromial bursa (SAB) is a common finding on magnetic resonance (MR) images of the shoulder, and the implications of this finding have not been clarified. We retrospectively reviewed and correlated the MR features with arthroscopic findings in 21 symptomatic patients who had fluid in the SAB on MR imaging without demonstrable rotator cuff tear. Rotator cuff impingement was the most frequent surgical finding (42.9%). Other frequent surgical observations were glenbid labrum abnormality (28.6%), bursitis (19%), and supraspinatus tendinitis (14.3%). Distribution of acromial types was similar to that reported by Bigliani et al., and impingement was evenly distributed among acromial types in our study population. We conclude that in our patient population group the MR finding of isolated SAB fluid in symptomatic patients is highly likely to be associated with the finding of other abnormalities in the shoulder joint at surgery. (orig.)

  10. Symptomatic cardiac toxicity is predicted by dosimetric and patient factors rather than changes in 18F-FDG PET determination of myocardial activity after chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konski, Andre; Li Tianyu; Christensen, Michael; Cheng, Jonathan D.; Yu, Jian Q.; Crawford, Kevin; Haluszka, Oleh; Tokar, Jeffrey; Scott, Walter; Meropol, Neal J.; Cohen, Steven J.; Maurer, Alan; Freedman, Gary M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To determine factors associated with symptomatic cardiac toxicity in patients with esophageal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy. Material and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 102 patients treated with chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Our primary endpoint was symptomatic cardiac toxicity. Radiation dosimetry, patient demographic factors, and myocardial changes seen on 18 F-FDG PET were correlated with subsequent cardiac toxicity. Cardiac toxicity measured by RTOG and CTCAE v3.0 criteria was identified by chart review. Results: During the follow up period, 12 patients were identified with treatment related cardiac toxicity, 6 of which were symptomatic. The mean heart V20 (79.7% vs. 67.2%, p = 0.05), V30 (75.8% vs. 61.9%, p = 0.04), and V40 (69.2% vs. 53.8%, p = 0.03) were significantly higher in patients with symptomatic cardiac toxicity than those without. We found the threshold for symptomatic cardiac toxicity to be a V20, V30 and V40 above 70%, 65% and 60%, respectively. There was no correlation between change myocardial SUV on PET and cardiac toxicity, however, a greater proportion of women suffered symptomatic cardiac toxicity compared to men (p = 0.005). Conclusions: A correlation did not exist between percent change in myocardial SUV and cardiac toxicity. Patients with symptomatic cardiac toxicity received significantly greater mean V20, 30 and 40 values to the heart compared to asymptomatic patients. These data need validation in a larger independent data set.

  11. Treatment of symptomatic pelvic varices by ovarian vein embolization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Capasso, Patrizio; Simons, Christine; Trotteur, Genevieve; Dondelinger, Robert F.; Henroteaux, Denis; Gaspard, Ulysse

    1997-01-01

    Purpose. Pelvic congestion syndrome is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain in women and its association with venous congestion has been described in the literature. We evaluated the potential benefits of lumboovarian vein embolization in the treatment of lower abdominal pain in patients presenting with pelvic varicosities. Methods. Nineteen patients were treated. There were 13 unilateral embolizations, 6 initial bilateral treatments and 5 treated recurrences (a total of 30 procedures). All embolizations were performed with either enbucrilate and/or macrocoils, and there was an average clinical and Doppler duplex follow-up of 15.4 months. Results. The initial technical success rate was 96.7%. There were no immediate or long-term complications. Variable symptomatic relief was observed in 73.7% of cases with complete responses in 57.9%. All 8 patients who had partial or no pain relief complained of dyspareunia. The direct relationship between varices and chronic pelvic pain was difficult to ascertain in a significant number of clinical failures. Conclusion. Transcatheter embolization of lumboovarian varices is a safe technique offering symptomatic relief of pelvic pain in the majority of cases. The presence of dyspareunia seemed to be a poor prognostic factor, indicating that other causes of pelvic pain may coexist with pelvic varicosities

  12. Bronchoscopic management of patients with symptomatic airway stenosis and prognostic factors for survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okiror, Lawrence; Jiang, Li; Oswald, Nicola; Bille, Andrea; Rajesh, Pala; Bishay, Ehab; Steyn, Richard; Naidu, Babu; Kalkat, Maninder

    2015-05-01

    Interventional bronchoscopy is effective in the management of patients with symptomatic airway obstruction for both malignant and benign conditions. The main aim of this study is to report our experience with emergency interventional bronchoscopy in patients with symptomatic airway obstruction and identify prognostic factors for survival. This is a retrospective observational study of patients undergoing emergency interventional bronchoscopy over a 4-year period. Survival times were analyzed separately for patients with benign and malignant airway obstruction by the Kaplan-Meier method. Between June 2009 and July 2013, 168 emergency interventional bronchoscopies were performed in 112 patients for airway obstruction. The median age was 63 years (range, 20 to 86), and 91 patients (54%) patients were female. Seventy-two cases (43%) had airway obstruction due to malignant disease. There were 3 in-hospital deaths (2.7%). Median survival of the study population was 5.6 months (range, 0 to 51) with a median follow-up of 7.3 months (range, 0 to 51). Median survival for patients with malignant airway obstruction was 3.5 months (range, 0 to 21), and 9.8 months (range, 0.1 to 51) for those with benign disease. Airway intervention facilitated palliative chemotherapy in 32 patients (44%) of those with malignant airway obstruction. At multivariate analysis in patients with malignant airway obstruction, presence of stridor (hazard ratio 1.919, 95% confidence interval: 1.082 to 3.404, p = 0.026) and not receiving postprocedure chemotherapy (hazard ratio 2.05, 95% confidence interval: 1.156 to 3.636, p = 0.014) were independent prognostic factors for death. Emergency interventional bronchoscopy for airway obstruction is safe, relieved symptoms, and facilitated palliative chemotherapy, which improved survival. Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Factors Associated with Tuberculosis and Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis amongst Symptomatic Patients in India: A Retrospective Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sreenivas Achuthan Nair

    Full Text Available Tuberculosis remains a major public health challenge for India. Various studies have documented different levels of TB and multi-drug resistant (MDR TB among diverse groups of the population. In view of renewed targets set under the End TB strategy by 2035, there is an urgent need for TB diagnosis to be strengthened. Drawing on data from a recent, multisite study, we address key questions for TB diagnosis amongst symptomatics presenting for care: are there subgroups of patients that are more likely than others, to be positive for TB? In turn, amongst these positive cases, are there factors-apart from treatment history-that may be predictive for multi-drug resistance?We used data from a multi-centric prospective demonstration study, conducted from March 2012 to December 2013 in 18 sub-district level TB programme units (TUs in India and covering a population of 8.8 million. In place of standard diagnostic tests, upfront Xpert MTB/RIF testing was offered to all presumptive TB symptomatics. Here, using data from this study, we used logistic regression to identify association between risk factors and TB and Rifampicin-Resistant TB among symptomatics enrolled in the study.We find that male gender; history of TB treatment; and adult age compared with either children or the elderly are risk factors associated with high TB detection amongst symptomatics, across the TUs. While treatment history is found be a significant risk factor for rifampicin-resistant TB, elderly (65+ yrs people have significantly lower risk than other age groups. However, pediatric TB cases have no less risk of rifampicin resistance as compared with adults (OR 1.23 (95% C.I. 0.85-1.76. Similarly, risk of rifampicin resistance among both the genders was the same. These patterns applied across the study sites involved. Notably in Mumbai, amongst those patients with microbiological confirmation of TB, female patients showed a higher risk of having MDR-TB than male patients.Our results

  14. Symptomatic burden of COPD for patients receiving dual or triple therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen S

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Stephanie Chen,1 Mark Small,2 Leandro Lindner,3 Xiao Xu1,4 1Health Economics and Payer Analytics, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA; 2Respiratory, Adelphi Real World, Bollington, UK; 3Global Payer Evidence and Pricing, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK; 4Global Payer Evidence and Pricing, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA Background: COPD is associated with a large disease burden. The use of dual (two maintenance treatments and triple (combination of any three treatments therapy has shown efficacy for symptom relief; however, some patients with COPD remain symptomatic despite these therapies. This study assessed the scope and magnitude of the symptomatic burden for patients with COPD receiving dual or triple therapy. Patients and methods: Cross-sectional data from three Adelphi COPD surveys (2013–2016 conducted in the USA, Europe, Japan, and China were analyzed for patients with COPD and forced expiratory volume in 1 second ≤65% receiving dual or triple therapy for ≥3 months. Physicians completed clinical and disease characteristic forms for identified patients. Corresponding patients completed questionnaires that included validated survey instruments to assess adherence and symptom impact. Descriptive statistics are reported. Results: Our analysis included 690 patients (mean age 68.2 years; 73.3% male; 41.4% and 58.6% were receiving dual and triple therapy, respectively. Most patients had dyspnea with substantial disability (modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale rating ≥2, 56.3%; large health status impairment from symptoms, COPD Assessment Test score >20, 64.4%. A large symptom burden was observed, even for patients highly adherent to treatment (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale 8, 30.3% [185/612], of whom 62.1% still had a COPD Assessment Test score >20. Sensitivity analyses of patients regardless of their forced expiratory volume in 1 second status and of those receiving treatment for >6 months both reported similar results

  15. Prevalence of exercise-induced left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in symptomatic patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Shah, J S

    2008-10-01

    Resting left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) occurs in 25% of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and is an important cause of symptoms and disease progression. The prevalence and clinical significance of exercise induced LVOTO in patients with symptomatic non-obstructive HCM is uncertain.

  16. Pleurodesis Using Mistletoe Extract Delivered via a Spray Catheter during Semirigid Pleuroscopy for Managing Symptomatic Malignant Pleural Effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eom, Jung Seop; Ahn, Hyo Yeong; Mok, Jeong Ha; Lee, Geewon; Jo, Eun-Jung; Kim, Mi-Hyun; Lee, Kwangha; Kim, Ki Uk; Park, Hye-Kyung; Lee, Min Ki

    Talc poudrage during thoracoscopy is considered the standard procedure for patients with symptomatic malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Until now, no alternative technique other than talc poudrage for pleurodesis during medical thoracoscopy has been proposed. Liquid sclerosants, such as mistletoe extract, have been sprayed evenly into the pleural cavity during semirigid pleuroscopy for chemical pleurodesis. We conducted a retrospective study using the database of semirigid pleuroscopy to identify the usefulness of pleurodesis using a mistletoe extract delivered via a spray catheter during semirigid pleuroscopy for symptomatic MPE. All consecutive patients with symptomatic MPE who underwent semirigid pleuroscopy from October 2015 to September 2016 were registered. The responses were evaluated using chest X- ray or computed tomography 4 weeks after pleurodesis. The study included 43 patients who underwent pleurodesis with mistletoe extract via a spray catheter during semirigid pleuroscopy. Complete and partial responses were seen in 21 (49%) and 19 (44%) patients, respectively. The median duration of chest tube placement after pleurod-esis was 7 days (range 6-8 days) in the 40 patients with complete or partial responses. No cases of severe hemorrhage, empyema formation, respiratory failure, or procedure-related mortality were observed in the subjects at 4 weeks after semirigid pleuroscopy. Pleurodesis with mistletoe extract delivered via a spray catheter during semirigid pleuroscopy is a safe and effective procedure for managing symptomatic MPE. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Cost-effectiveness analysis of 3-D computerized tomography colonography versus optical colonoscopy for imaging symptomatic gastroenterology patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Manuel; Aldridge, Robert W; Wylie, Peter; Bell, James; Epstein, Owen

    2013-04-01

    When symptomatic gastroenterology patients have an indication for colonic imaging, clinicians have a choice between optical colonoscopy (OC) and computerized tomography colonography with three-dimensional reconstruction (3-D CTC). 3-D CTC provides a minimally invasive and rapid evaluation of the entire colon, and it can be an efficient modality for diagnosing symptoms. It allows for a more targeted use of OC, which is associated with a higher risk of major adverse events and higher procedural costs. A case can be made for 3-D CTC as a primary test for colonic imaging followed if necessary by targeted therapeutic OC; however, the relative long-term costs and benefits of introducing 3-D CTC as a first-line investigation are unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the cost effectiveness of 3-D CTC versus OC for colonic imaging of symptomatic gastroenterology patients in the UK NHS. We used a Markov model to follow a cohort of 100,000 symptomatic gastroenterology patients, aged 50 years or older, and estimate the expected lifetime outcomes, life years (LYs) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and costs (£, 2010-2011) associated with 3-D CTC and OC. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the base-case cost-effectiveness results to variation in input parameters and methodological assumptions. 3D-CTC provided a similar number of LYs (7.737 vs 7.739) and QALYs (7.013 vs 7.018) per individual compared with OC, and it was associated with substantially lower mean costs per patient (£467 vs £583), leading to a positive incremental net benefit. After accounting for the overall uncertainty, the probability of 3-D CTC being cost effective was around 60 %, at typical willingness-to-pay values of £20,000-£30,000 per QALY gained. 3-D CTC is a cost-saving and cost-effective option for colonic imaging of symptomatic gastroenterology patients compared with OC.

  18. Appearances of screen-detected versus symptomatic colorectal cancers at CT colonography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plumb, Andrew A.; Pathiraja, Fiona; Taylor, Stuart A.; Halligan, Steve; Nickerson, Claire; Wooldrage, Katherine; Atkin, Wendy S.; Burling, David

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the morphology, radiological stage, conspicuity, and computer-assisted detection (CAD) characteristics of colorectal cancers (CRC) detected by computed tomographic colonography (CTC) in screening and symptomatic populations. Two radiologists independently analyzed CTC images from 133 patients diagnosed with CRC in (a) two randomized trials of symptomatic patients (35 patients with 36 tumours) and (b) a screening program using fecal occult blood testing (FOBt; 98 patients with 100 tumours), measuring tumour length, volume, morphology, radiological stage, and subjective conspicuity. A commercial CAD package was applied to both datasets. We compared CTC characteristics between screening and symptomatic populations with multivariable regression. Screen-detected CRC were significantly smaller (mean 3.0 vs 4.3 cm, p < 0.001), of lower volume (median 9.1 vs 23.2 cm 3 , p < 0.001) and more frequently polypoid (34/100, 34 % vs. 5/36, 13.9 %, p = 0.02) than symptomatic CRC. They were of earlier stage than symptomatic tumours (OR = 0.17, 95 %CI 0.07-0.41, p < 0.001), and were judged as significantly less conspicuous (mean conspicuity 54.1/100 vs. 72.8/100, p < 0.001). CAD detection was significantly lower for screen-detected (77.4 %; 95 %CI 67.9-84.7 %) than symptomatic CRC (96.9 %; 95 %CI 83.8-99.4 %, p = 0.02). Screen-detected CRC are significantly smaller, more frequently polypoid, subjectively less conspicuous, and less likely to be identified by CAD than those in symptomatic patients. (orig.)

  19. Appearances of screen-detected versus symptomatic colorectal cancers at CT colonography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plumb, Andrew A.; Pathiraja, Fiona; Taylor, Stuart A.; Halligan, Steve [University College London, Centre for Medical Imaging, London (United Kingdom); Nickerson, Claire [Fulwood House, Public Health England, Sheffield (United Kingdom); Wooldrage, Katherine; Atkin, Wendy S. [Imperial College London, Department of Surgery and Cancer, London (United Kingdom); Burling, David [St Mark' s Hospital, Intestinal Imaging Centre, Harrow (United Kingdom)

    2016-12-15

    The aim of this study was to compare the morphology, radiological stage, conspicuity, and computer-assisted detection (CAD) characteristics of colorectal cancers (CRC) detected by computed tomographic colonography (CTC) in screening and symptomatic populations. Two radiologists independently analyzed CTC images from 133 patients diagnosed with CRC in (a) two randomized trials of symptomatic patients (35 patients with 36 tumours) and (b) a screening program using fecal occult blood testing (FOBt; 98 patients with 100 tumours), measuring tumour length, volume, morphology, radiological stage, and subjective conspicuity. A commercial CAD package was applied to both datasets. We compared CTC characteristics between screening and symptomatic populations with multivariable regression. Screen-detected CRC were significantly smaller (mean 3.0 vs 4.3 cm, p < 0.001), of lower volume (median 9.1 vs 23.2 cm{sup 3}, p < 0.001) and more frequently polypoid (34/100, 34 % vs. 5/36, 13.9 %, p = 0.02) than symptomatic CRC. They were of earlier stage than symptomatic tumours (OR = 0.17, 95 %CI 0.07-0.41, p < 0.001), and were judged as significantly less conspicuous (mean conspicuity 54.1/100 vs. 72.8/100, p < 0.001). CAD detection was significantly lower for screen-detected (77.4 %; 95 %CI 67.9-84.7 %) than symptomatic CRC (96.9 %; 95 %CI 83.8-99.4 %, p = 0.02). Screen-detected CRC are significantly smaller, more frequently polypoid, subjectively less conspicuous, and less likely to be identified by CAD than those in symptomatic patients. (orig.)

  20. Risk stratification of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients with asymptomatic or symptomatic lacunar infarcts by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiraishi, Makoto; Watanabe, Hirofumi; Sakurai, Kenzo; Kato, Bunta; Hasegawa, Yasuhiro

    2012-01-01

    Our goal was to investigate the utility of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for the risk stratification of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients with asymptomatic or symptomatic lacunar infarcts. A total of 175 hypertensive patients with MRI evidence of asymptomatic or symptomatic lacunar infarcts (92 men, mean age of 69±11 years old) were studied. Patients with symptomatic infarctions were included whose events occurred more than 6 months after the onset. ABPM was performed in all patients in the outpatient clinic. Parameters obtained from ABPM were related to the composite outcome which consisted of all death and fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events by using the Cox proportional hazard model. Mean follow-up period was 4.8 years and the composite outcome was recorded in 38 patients. 34 of them (89%) had recurrence of lacunar infarcts. Significant association between sleep-time lowest systolic blood pressure and composite outcome was demonstrated by multivariate Cox hazard analyses (heart rate (HR) 1.025, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.011-1.039, p<0.001). The risk for composite outcome in patients with the highest tertile of sleep-time lowest systolic blood pressure (≥133 mmHg) was significantly elevated when compared to the lowest tertile (<132 mmHg, HR 3.93, 95% CI 1.57-9.86, p=0.004). Sleep-time lowest systolic blood pressure in ABPM may be a useful parameter for the risk stratification of future cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients with asymptomatic or symptomatic lacunar infarcts, especially for the recurrence of these events. (author)

  1. Efficacy and Tolerability of Tamsulosin 0.4 mg in Patients with Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

    OpenAIRE

    Chung, Jae-Wook; Choi, Seock Hwan; Kim, Bum Soo; Kim, Tae-Hwan; Yoo, Eun Sang; Kim, Chun Il; Lee, Kyung Seop; Kwon, Tae Gyun

    2011-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of tamsulosin 0.4 mg once daily in Korean patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and investigate whether tamsulosin 0.4 mg can improve symptoms in patients with refractory lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) who were previously receiving tamsulosin 0.2 mg once daily. Materials and Methods A total of 116 patients from 3 urology centers participated. All study subjects entered a nonblind phase consisting of 8 weeks of tamsu...

  2. THE CLINICAL, FUNCTIONAL AND BIOMECHANICAL PRESENTATION OF PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC HIP ABDUCTOR TENDON TEARS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebert, Jay R; Retheesh, Theertha; Mutreja, Rinky; Janes, Gregory C

    2016-10-01

    Hip abductor tendon (HAT) tearing is commonly implicated in greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), though limited information exists on the disability associated with this condition and specific presentation of these patients. To describe the clinical, functional and biomechanical presentation of patients with symptomatic HAT tears. Secondary purposes were to investigate the association between these clinical and functional measures, and to compare the pain and disability reported by HAT tear patients to those with end-stage hip osteoarthritis (OA). Prospective case series. One hundred forty-nine consecutive patients with symptomatic HAT tears were evaluated using the Harris (HHS) and Oxford (OHS) Hip Scores, SF-12, an additional series of 10 questions more pertinent to those with lateral hip pain, active hip range of motion (ROM), maximal isometric hip abduction strength, six-minute walk capacity and 30-second single limb stance (SLS) test. The presence of a Trendelenburg sign and pelvis-on-femur (POF) angle were determined via 2D video analysis. An age matched comparative sample of patients with end-stage hip OA was recruited for comparison of all patient-reported outcome scores. Independent t-tests investigated group and limb differences, while analysis of variance evaluated pain changes during the functional tests. Pearson's correlation coefficients investigated the correlation between clinical measures in the HAT tear group. No differences existed in patient demographics and patient-reported outcome scores between HAT tear and hip OA cohorts, apart from significantly worse SF-12 mental subscale scores (p = 0.032) in the HAT tear group. Patients with HAT tears demonstrated significantly lower (p presentation of these patients. Level 3 case-controlled study, with matched comparison.

  3. Symptomatic Tarlov Cysts: Surgical Treatment by Subcutaneous Infusion Port.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ying; Zhu, Tong; Lin, Hongyi; Li, Jing; Zeng, Tao; Lin, Jian

    2018-05-01

    The treatment of Tarlov cysts is challenging and difficult. The objective of our study was to describe the security and efficacy of the subcutaneous infusion port for drainage of symptomatic Tarlov cysts. The authors executed a retrospective review of data from 5 symptomatic Tarlov cysts patients who were treated using a subcutaneous infusion port from June 2014 to July 2017. Numerical Rating Scale scores and the Japanese Orthopedic Association scores of back pain were analyzed. Complications and adverse effects on postoperative days 1, 7, 14, and 28 were also analyzed. The mean follow-up was 12.6 months. Five adults (3 females and 2 males) who had been symptomatic received a subcutaneous infusion port. After treatment, all patients experienced pain relief and pain alleviation lasted from 1 day to 3 years without complications and adverse effects. A subcutaneous infusion port is a useful treatment option for symptomatic Tarlov cysts. When the patients' symptoms returned and the cysts repressurized, we quickly and simply drained the cysts by using the infusion port. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Referrals for complications following hysteroscopic sterilisation: characteristics associated with symptomatic patients after the Essure procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sills, E Scott; Dalton, Marie M

    2016-06-01

    This report summarises recent experience with a series of symptomatic Essure® patients with an emphasis on clinical presentation, preoperative imaging, surgical intervention, and outcome. This case series presents Essure® patients (n = 7) who sought medical consultation for various complications. This retrospective analysis is based on consultations during a six-month interval beginning in April 2015. In this sample, mean (± SD) patient age was 35.9 ± 3.4 yrs. The gravida/parity status was 3.6 ± 1.1 and 2.4 ± 1.4, respectively. Average duration of exposure to Essure® coils among these patients was 25.6 ± 24.5 (range 5-67) months. Except for one woman, these patients had hysteroscopic sterilisation (HS) either with heavy sedation or under general anaesthesia. More than two Essure® devices were implanted in two women. Complications reported after HS included device migration, coil fragmentation, tissue perforation, and vaginal expulsion of Essure® fragment. Three of seven women have required hysterectomy. The current series offers evidence of migration of contraceptive coils as well as Essure® inserts perforating tissue and being spontaneously expelled. Evaluation of symptomatic HS patients should include determining how many devices have been implanted, as some women have more than two.

  5. Morphological findings in dynamic swallowing studies of symptomatic patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scharitzer, Martina; Pokieser, Peter; Schober, Ewald; Schima, Wolfgang; Eisenhuber, Edith; Stadler, Alfred; Memarsadeghi, Mazda; Partik, Bernhard; Lechner, Gerhard [Department of Radiology, University of Vienna (Austria); Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Radiologic Tumor Diagnosis, Vienna (Austria); Ekberg, Olle [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Malmoe University Hospital (Sweden)

    2002-05-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the role of videofluoroscopy in the detection of structural abnormalities of the pharynx and esophagus in patients with different symptoms of impaired deglutition. Dynamic radiographic recording of deglutition was performed in 3193 consecutive patients (1578 men, 1615 women; mean age 54 years) suffering from dysphagia, suspicion of aspiration, globus sensation, and non-cardiac chest pain. We assessed different structural lesions from the oral cavity to the esophagus and classified them into eight categories. Their frequency and association with the different clinical symptoms were evaluated. Videofluoroscopy revealed 1040 structural abnormalities in 833 patients (26%) including mass lesions from the oral cavity to hyoid/larynx (n=66), pharyngeal diverticula (n=181), pharyngeal masses (n=78), other pharyngeal narrowings (n=71), webs (n=98), masses (n=39), and other narrowings (n=73) of the upper esophageal sphincter, esophageal diverticula (n=80), esophageal webs, rings and strictures (n=194), and intrinsic and extrinsic esophageal lesions (n=160). There was a considerable variance of findings for different symptoms. In a large proportion of symptomatic patients videofluoroscopy detects morphological abnormalities along pharynx and esophagus often combined with functional disorders. This fact underlines the role of videofluoroscopy as a diagnostic test for function as well as morphology. (orig.)

  6. Morphological findings in dynamic swallowing studies of symptomatic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scharitzer, Martina; Pokieser, Peter; Schober, Ewald; Schima, Wolfgang; Eisenhuber, Edith; Stadler, Alfred; Memarsadeghi, Mazda; Partik, Bernhard; Lechner, Gerhard; Ekberg, Olle

    2002-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the role of videofluoroscopy in the detection of structural abnormalities of the pharynx and esophagus in patients with different symptoms of impaired deglutition. Dynamic radiographic recording of deglutition was performed in 3193 consecutive patients (1578 men, 1615 women; mean age 54 years) suffering from dysphagia, suspicion of aspiration, globus sensation, and non-cardiac chest pain. We assessed different structural lesions from the oral cavity to the esophagus and classified them into eight categories. Their frequency and association with the different clinical symptoms were evaluated. Videofluoroscopy revealed 1040 structural abnormalities in 833 patients (26%) including mass lesions from the oral cavity to hyoid/larynx (n=66), pharyngeal diverticula (n=181), pharyngeal masses (n=78), other pharyngeal narrowings (n=71), webs (n=98), masses (n=39), and other narrowings (n=73) of the upper esophageal sphincter, esophageal diverticula (n=80), esophageal webs, rings and strictures (n=194), and intrinsic and extrinsic esophageal lesions (n=160). There was a considerable variance of findings for different symptoms. In a large proportion of symptomatic patients videofluoroscopy detects morphological abnormalities along pharynx and esophagus often combined with functional disorders. This fact underlines the role of videofluoroscopy as a diagnostic test for function as well as morphology. (orig.)

  7. Clinical and imaging features associated with an increased risk of early and late stroke in patients with symptomatic carotid disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naylor, A R; Sillesen, H; Schroeder, T V

    2015-01-01

    of acute cerebral injury on CT/MRI; (iii) Gray Scale Median (GSM) predictive algorithms (based......-99% stenoses will suffer a stroke within 72 hours of their index symptom. Currently, there are insufficient validated data to identify highest-risk patients for emergency carotid endarterectomy (CEA), but an increased risk of stroke appears to be predicted by (i) an ABCD(2) score of 4-7; (ii) the presence...... on accessible imaging strategies) for identifying acutely symptomatic patients with highly unstable plaques for emergency CEA. MEDIUM TO LONG TERM: In the randomised trials, about 70% of patients with symptomatic 70-99% stenoses were stroke-free on "best medical therapy" at 5 years. Clinical predictors...

  8. Endovascular Revascularization of Symptomatic Infrapopliteal Arteriosclerotic Occlusive Disease: Comparison of Atherectomy and Angioplasty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Tze-Woei; Semaan, Elie; Nasr, Wael; Eberhardt, Robert T.; Hamburg, Naomi; Doros, Gheorghe; Rybin, Denis; Shaw, Palma M.; Farber, Alik

    2011-01-01

    The preferred method for revascularization of symptomatic infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease (IPAD) has traditionally been open vascular bypass. Endovascular techniques have been increasingly applied to treat tibial disease with mixed results. We evaluated the short-term outcome of percutaneous infrapopliteal intervention and compared the different techniques used. A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients undergoing endovascular treatment for infrapopliteal arterial occlusive lesions between 2003 and 2007 in a tertiary teaching hospital was performed. Patient demographic data, indication for intervention, and periprocedural complications were recorded. Periprocedural and short-term outcomes were measured and compared. Forty-nine infrapopliteal arteries in 35 patients were treated. Twenty vessels (15 patients) underwent angioplasty and 29 vessels (20 patients) were treated with atherectomy. Demographic and angiographic characteristics were similar between the groups. Twenty-six patients had concurrent femoral and/or popliteal artery interventions. Overall, technical success was 90% and similar between angioplasty and atherectomy groups (85% versus 93%, p = NS). The vessel-specific complication rate was 10% and was similar between both groups (angioplasty 5% versus atherectomy 14%, p = NS). One dissection occurred in the angioplasty group; one perforation and three thromboembolic events occurred in the atherectomy group. Limb salvage and freedom from reintervention at 6 months were 81% and 68%, respectively, and were not significantly different between the angioplasty and atherectomy groups. Endovascular intervention for IPAD had acceptable periprocedural and short-term success rates in our high-risk patient population. Both atherectomy and angioplasty can be used successfully to treat symptomatic IPAD. PMID:22532766

  9. Technique and Patient Selection Criteria of Right Anterior Mini-Thoracotomy for Minimal Access Aortic Valve Replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tavakoli, Reza; Leprince, Pascal; Gassmann, Max; Jamshidi, Peiman; Yamani, Nassrin; Amour, Julien; Lebreton, Guillaume

    2018-03-26

    Aortic valve stenosis has become the most prevalent valvular heart disease in developed countries, and is due to the aging of these populations. The incidence of the pathology increases with growing age after 65 years. Conventional surgical aortic valve replacement through median sternotomy has been the gold standard of patient care for symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. However, as the risk profile of patients worsens, other therapeutic strategies have been introduced in an attempt to maintain the excellent results obtained by the established surgical treatment. One of these approaches is represented by transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Although the outcomes of high-risk patients undergoing treatment for symptomatic aortic valve stenosis have improved with transcatheter aortic valve replacement, many patients with this condition remain candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement. In order to reduce the surgical trauma in patients who are candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement, minimally invasive approaches have garnered interest during the past decade. Since the introduction of right anterior thoracotomy for aortic valve replacement in 1993, right anterior mini-thoracotomy and upper hemi-sternotomy have become the predominant incisional approaches among cardiac surgeons performing minimal access aortic valve replacement. Beside the location of the incision, the arterial cannulation site represents the second major landmark of minimal access techniques for aortic valve replacement. The two most frequently used arterial cannulation sites include central aortic and peripheral femoral approaches. With the purpose of reducing surgical trauma in these patients, we have opted for a right anterior mini-thoracotomy approach with a central aortic cannulation site. This protocol describes in detail a technique for minimally invasive aortic valve replacement and provides recommendations for patient selection criteria, including cardiac computer

  10. Virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography) in the identification of colorectal cancer. A prospective study in symptomatic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Regge, D.; Martincich, L.; Gallo, T.; Pollone, M.; Galatola, G.; Secreto, P.; Pera, A.; Rivolta, A.

    2000-01-01

    Aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography) in the identification of colorectal cancer and to define the limitations and the advantages of this imaging modality, as well as indications to the examination. It was examined prospectively 62 symptomatic patients aged 36 to 82 years (28 women and 34 men). All patients underwent both conventional and virtual colonoscopy on the same day; the conventional examination allowed exploration of the entire colon. Conventional colonoscopy identified 89 lesions 3-50 mm in diameter, namely 84 benign and 5 malignant lesions. No lesions were identified in 12 patients. CT colonography identified 52 of the 89 lesions, with 57.1% diagnostic accuracy. They were 11 false positives (82.5% positive predictive value and 52.2% specificity) and 37 false negatives (24.5% negative predictive value and 58.4% sensitivity). Sensitivity was significantly higher (85.7%) for polyps ≥ 1 cm. Virtual colonoscopy is an imaging modality with good diagnostic yield, well tolerated by patients and with great potentials for further development. It was suggested that the examination be performed in symptomatic patients who cannot undergo total colonoscopy or refuse the other imaging modalities. Further studies are waranted in larger series of patients, possibly introducing it in screening programs [it

  11. A meta-analysis of the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on functional capacity in patients with symptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abdulla, Jawdat; Abildstrøm, Steen Zabell; Køber, Lars Valeur

    2004-01-01

    AIM: To determine by meta-analysis whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors improve exercise tolerance in patients with symptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). METHODS AND RESULTS: After literature search 13 multi-centre double blind parallel group trials that eval......% compared with placebo. CONCLUSION: In addition to the pronounced effect on mortality and morbidity in patients with symptomatic LVSD, ACE inhibitors have improving effect on functional capacity measured as exercise tolerance time....

  12. C-reactive protein gene C1444T polymorphism and risk of recurrent ischemic events in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherostenoses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arenillas, Juan F; Massot, Andreu; Alvarez-Sabín, Jose; Fernandez-Cadenas, Israel; del Rio-Espinola, Albert; Chacon, Pilar; Quintana, Manuel; Molina, Carlos A; Rovira, Alex; Montaner, Joan

    2009-01-01

    High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with an increased risk of further ischemic events in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). It remains unknown to which extent this increased risk might be genetically predetermined. We aimed to investigate the relationship between a common genetic polymorphism of the CRP gene and the risk of recurrent ischemic events in symptomatic ICAD patients. We studied 75 consecutive patients with a first-ever cerebral ischemic event attributable to symptomatic ICAD. Blood samples were drawn 3 months after the qualifying event. Genomic DNA was isolated and the C1444T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the CRP gene was determined. The blood concentration of CRP was also measured. Patients underwent long-term clinical follow-up to detect the occurrence of further major ischemic events. During a median follow-up time of 23 months, 18 patients (24%) suffered a major ischemic event (10 ischemic strokes, 3 transient ischemic attacks and 5 myocardial infarctions). Raised CRP levels at baseline (p = 0.02) and the presence of the T allele within the CRP C1444T SNP were associated with a higher risk of recurrent ischemic events (p = 0.02). Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, vascular risk factors and CRP level identified that the presence of the T allele in the studied polymorphism predicted the occurrence of further ischemic events (hazard ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2-11.1; p = 0.025). The presence of the T allele within the CRP gene C1444T polymorphism may be associated with a higher risk of further ischemic events in symptomatic ICAD patients. (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. Symptomatic small non-obstructing lower ureteric calculi: comparison of ureteroscopy and extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andankar M

    2001-07-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To compare the success, efficacy and complications of ureteroscopy (URS and extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL for the treatment of symptomatic small non obstructing lower ureteric calculi. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This prospective non-randomised study was conducted simultaneously at two urological referral centres, included 280 patients with symptomatic small (4-10 mm lower ureteric calculi (situated below the sacroiliac joint, with good renal function on intravenous urography. Patients were offered both the treatment options. One hundred and sixty patients chose ureteroscopy, whereas 120 patients were treated by ESWL. Standard techniques of ureteroscopy and ESWL were employed. Patients were followed-up to assess the success rates and complications of the two procedures. RESULTS: Ureteroscopy achieved complete stone clearance in one session in 95% of patients. In six patients ureteroscopy had failed initially and was later accomplished in second session improving the success rate to 98.7%. Two patients had a proximal migration of calculus that needed ESWL. Of the 120 patients treated by ESWL, 90% achieved stone free status at three months. Ureteroscopy was needed for twelve patients (10% where ESWL failed to achieve stone clearance. There were no significant ESWL related complications. ESWL was administered on outpatient basis, while patients needed hospitalisation and anaesthesia for ureteroscopy. CONCLUSION: ESWL can be the primary mode of treatment for symptomatic small non-obstructing lower ureteric calculi as it is minimally invasive and safe. Ureteroscopy can be offered to patients who demand immediate relief or when ESWL fails.

  14. Symptomatic hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients following radiation therapy: a retrospective study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lam, K.S.; Ho, J.H.; Lee, A.W.; Tse, V.K.; Chan, P.K.; Wang, C.; Ma, J.T.; Yeung, R.T.

    1987-01-01

    Endocrine assessment was performed in 32 relapse-free southern Chinese patients 5-17 years following radiation therapy (RT) alone for early nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Initial screening was done using questionnaires emphasizing impaired sexual function and menstrual disturbance plus measurement of serum levels of thyroxine, free thyroxine index, thyrotropic hormone, prolactin, and additionally testosterone for males only. Those showing abnormalities were subjected to detailed pituitary function tests. Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction was found in 7 female patients and only 1 male patient. A delayed TSH response to thyrotropin releasing hormone suggesting a hypothalamic disorder was seen in 6 of the affected female patients, and hyperprolactinaemia in also 6. None of the patients had evidence of diabetes insipidus. Hypopituitarism became symptomatic 2-5 years after RT with a mean latent interval of 3.8 years. A practical protocol for regular endocrine assessment for NPC patients after RT has been proposed. Multiple linear regression analysis of the radiotherapeutic data from the 11 female patients indicates that the likelihood of late occurrence of symptomatic hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction following RT is dependent on the TDF of the target dose to the nasopharyngeal region and the height of the upper margin of the opposed lateral facial fields above the diaphragma sellae (coefficient of multiple correlation = 0.9025). Except when the sphenoid sinus or the middle cranial fossa is involved, it is advisable to set the height of the upper margin of the lateral facial field at a level no higher than the diaphragma sellae. The hypothalamus and possibly the pituitary stalk as well may sustain permanent damage by doses of radiation within the conventional radiotherapeutic range for carcinomas

  15. Widespread hypermetabolism in symptomatic and asymptomatic episodes in Kleine-Levin syndrome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yves Dauvilliers

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: No reliable biomarkers are identified in KLS. However, few functional neuroimaging studies suggested hypoactivity in thalamic and hypothalamic regions during symptomatic episodes. Here, we investigated relative changes in regional brain metabolism in Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS during symptomatic episodes and asymptomatic periods, as compared to healthy controls. METHODS: Four drug-free male patients with typical KLS and 15 healthy controls were included. 18-F-fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography (PET was obtained in baseline condition in all participants, and during symptomatic episodes in KLS patients. All participants were asked to remain fully awake during the whole PET procedure. RESULTS: Between state-comparisons in KLS disclosed higher metabolism in paracentral, precentral, and postcentral areas, supplementary motor area, medial frontal gyrus, thalamus and putamen during symptomatic episodes, and decreased metabolism in occipital and temporal gyri. As compared to healthy control subjects, KLS patients in the asymptomatic phase consistently exhibited significant hypermetabolism in a wide cortical network including frontal and temporal cortices, posterior cingulate and precuneus, with no detected hypometabolism. In symptomatic KLS episodes, hypermetabolism was additionally found in orbital frontal and supplementary motor areas, insula and inferior parietal areas, and right caudate nucleus, and hypometabolism in the middle occipital gyrus and inferior parietal areas. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated significant hypermetabolism and few hypometabolism in specific but widespread brain regions in drug-free KLS patients at baseline and during symptomatic episodes, highlighting the behavioral state-dependent nature of changes in regional brain activity in KLS.

  16. Risk of symptomatic heterotopic ossification following plate osteosynthesis in multiple trauma patients: an analysis in a level-1 trauma centre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pape Hans-Christoph

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Symptomatic heterotopic ossification (HO in multiple trauma patients may lead to follow up surgery, furthermore the long-term outcome can be restricted. Knowledge of the effect of surgical treatment on formation of symptomatic heterotopic ossification in polytrauma is sparse. Therefore, we test the effects of surgical treatment (plate osteosynthesis or intramedullary nailing on the formation of heterotopic ossification in the multiple trauma patient. Methods We retrospectively analysed prospectively documented data of blunt multiple trauma patients with long bone fractures which were treated at our level-1 trauma centre between 1997 and 2005. Patients were distributed to 2 groups: Patients treated by intramedullary nails (group IMN or plate osteosynthesis (group PLATE were compared. The expression and extension of symptomatic heterotopic ossifications on 3-6 months follow-up x-rays in antero-posterior (ap and lateral views were classified radiologically and the maximum expansion was measured in millimeter (mm. Additionally, ventilation time, prophylactic medication like indomethacine and incidence and correlation of head injuries were analysed. Results 101 patients were included in our study, 79 men and 22 women. The fractures were treated by intramedullary nails (group IMN n = 50 or plate osteosynthesis (group PLATE n = 51. Significantly higher radiologic ossification classes were detected in group PLATE (2.9 ± 1.3 as compared to IMN (2.2 ± 1.1; p = 0.013. HO size in mm ap and lateral showed a tendency towards larger HOs in the PLATE group. Additionally PLATE group showed a higher rate of articular fractures (63% vs. 28% in IMN while IMN demonstrated a higher rate of diaphyseal fractures (72% vs. 37% in PLATE; p = 0.003. Ventilation time, indomethacine and incidence of head injuries showed no significant difference between groups. Conclusion Fracture care with plate osteosynthesis in polytrauma patients is associated with

  17. Symptomatic unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Features and surgical outcome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Date, Isao

    2010-01-01

    Development of less invasive imaging studies, such as magnetic resonance angiography, has increased the chances that unruptured cerebral aneurysms are found. The rupture risk of 'symptomatic' aneurysms is higher than for 'asymptomatic' aneurysms; so 'symptomatic' aneurysms are more often surgically treated. Many reviews examine 'asymptomatic' unruptured cerebral aneurysms, but few evaluate 'symptomatic' aneurysms. The author has treated many patients with symptomatic unruptured cerebral aneurysms and found that improved cranial nerve signs can be expected if the surgical treatment is performed before the symptoms become irreversible; the critical period is approximately 3 months. It is important to suppress the pulsation of the aneurysms compressing the cranial nerves; both a clipping procedure and endovascular coiling are effective. Cranial nerve signs are more commonly the symptoms of unruptured cerebral aneurysms, but large to giant aneurysms can also be the causes of hemiparesis, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, or even cerebral infarction. This review summarizes the features and surgical outcome of symptomatic unruptured cerebral aneurysms. (author)

  18. Utility of plain radiographs and MRI in cervical spine clearance in symptomatic non-obtunded pediatric patients without high-impact trauma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Justin M; Hall, Jonathan; Ditchfield, Michael; Xenos, Christopher; Danks, Andrew

    2017-02-01

    The optimal imaging modality for evaluating cervical spine trauma and optimizing management in the pediatric population is controversial. In pediatric populations, there are no well-established guidelines for cervical spine trauma evaluation and treatment. Currently, there is virtually no literature regarding imaging and management of symptomatic pediatric patients who present with cervical spine trauma without high-impact mechanism. This study aims to establish an optimal imaging strategy for this subgroup of trauma patients. We performed a retrospective review of pediatric patients (aged below 18 years) who were admitted to Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia between July 2011 and June 2015, who did not suffer a high-impact trauma but were symptomatic for cervical spine injury following cervical trauma. Imaging and management strategies were reviewed and results compared. Forty-seven pediatric patients were identified who met the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 46 underwent cervical spine series (CSS) plain radiograph imaging. Thirty-four cases underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 9 patients underwent CT. MRI was able to detect 4 cases of ligamentous injury, which were not seen in CSS imaging and was able to facilitate cervical spine clearance in a further two patients whose CSS radiographs were abnormal. In this study, MRI has a greater sensitivity and specificity when compared to CSS radiography in a symptomatic pediatric low-impact trauma population. Our data call in to question the routine use of CSS radiographs in children.

  19. Effect of nitrous oxide on the efficacy of the inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanley, William; Drum, Melissa; Nusstein, John; Reader, Al; Beck, Mike

    2012-05-01

    The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block does not always result in successful pulpal anesthesia. Anesthetic success rates might be affected by increased anxiety. Nitrous oxide has been shown to have both anxiolytic and analgesic properties. Therefore, the purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to determine the effect of nitrous oxide on the anesthetic success of the IAN block in patients experiencing symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. One hundred emergency patients diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of a mandibular posterior tooth were enrolled in this study. Each patient was randomly assigned to receive an inhalation regimen of nitrous oxide/oxygen mix or room air/oxygen mix (placebo) 5 minutes before the administration of the IAN block. Endodontic access was begun 15 minutes after completion of the IAN block, and all patients had profound lip numbness. Success was defined as no or mild pain (visual analog scale recordings) on access or instrumentation. The success rate for the IAN block was 50% for the nitrous oxide group and 28% for the placebo group. There was a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .024). For mandibular teeth diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, administration of 30%-50% nitrous oxide resulted in a statistically significant increase in the success of the IAN block compared with room air/oxygen. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Enterprise stent for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis: an initial experience of 44 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Zhengzhe; Duan, Guoli; Zhang, Ping; Chen, Lei; Xu, Yi; Hong, Bo; Zhao, Wenyuan; Liu, Jianmin; Huang, Qinghai

    2015-10-08

    Wingspan stenting for the treatment of complex intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS), i.e., that involving tortuous vascular pathways, long (>15 mm) lesions or arterial bifurcations, has a relatively high risk of complications. This retrospective study assessed the safety and efficacy of undersized balloon angioplasty followed by deployment of the more flexible Enterprise stent for the treatment of complex symptomatic ICAS. Forty-four patients on combined antiplatelet therapy and intensive risk factor management and a symptomatic 70-99% stenosis of a major intracranial artery in complex settings that was treated with balloon angioplasty and Enterprise stent deployment between July 2009 and August 2013 were enrolled. Primary outcome was occurrence of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or death within 30 days after intervention. Secondary outcomes included procedural success (defined as achievement of 50% in-stent restenosis after mean 22 months follow-up. In this retrospective, single-center experience, undersized balloon angioplasty followed by Enterprise stent deployment appears technically feasible with a relatively low rate of complications for the treatment of complex symptomatic ICAS. Prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trials against optimal medical management are warranted.

  1. Fractionated half body irradiation for palliation of multiple symptomatic bone metastases from solid tumors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sekiguchi, Kenji; Hayashi, Shinya; Sunagawa, Yoshimitsu; Sougawa, Mitsuharu; Nakazawa, Masanori; Yamashita, Takashi (Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo (Japan). Hospital)

    1992-06-01

    This was a phase I-II nonrandomized study that explored the toxicity and response of fractionated half-body irradiation (F-HBI) in patients with multiple symptomatic osseous metastases. The patients had no premedication and received 10 Gy in 5 fractions with a dose rate of 15 cGy/min. At the Cancer Institute Hospital, 9 patients were treated by this technique (1 upper and lower F-HBI, 6 upper F-HBI, 2 lower F-HBI). All patients were female and had adenocarcinomas (8 breast and 1 lung). Adverse effects were myelosuppression, vomiting and partial alopecia. But hematologic toxicity was treated with blood transfusion or G-CSF. All toxicity was transient, and no pneumonitis nor radiation-related deaths occurred. When given as palliation, F-HBI was found to relieve pain in 80% of the patients. In 10% of the patients the pain relief was complete. The mean time to achieve pain relief in responders after F-HBI was 9 days. The pain relief was long-lasting and continued without need of reirradiation for 40% of the remaining patient's life. This treatment modality appears to be well tolerated and effective in patients with multiple symptomatic osseous metastases. The optimal indications, dose and fractionation for F-HBI should be further explored in randomized trials. (author).

  2. Symptomatic intraspinal synovial cysts: Opacification and treatment by percutaneous injection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjorkengren, A.G.; Resnick, D.; Kurz, L.T.; Garfin, S.R.; Sartoris, D.J.

    1986-01-01

    Synovial cysts in an intraspinal location, associated with facet joint osteoarthritis, have been diagnosed using CT. Surgical removal of the cyst, when believed to be the cause of radiculopathy, has resulted in symptomatic relief. The authors have applied a nonoperative treatment method consisting of CT-guided needle placement in the facet joint adjacent to the cyst, followed by injection of contrast material and corticosteroids. Three patients were treated without complications and with complete relief of symptoms in two cases and partial relief in one, although no decrease in the size of the cysts was demonstrated on follow-up CT scans. The preliminary results indicate a possible role for this treatment technique in patients with intraspinal synovial cysts

  3. Multinuclide digital subtraction imaging in symptomatic prostnetic joints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chafetz, N.; Hattner, R.S.; Ruarke, W.C.; Helms, C.A.; Genant, H.K.; Murray, W.R.

    1985-01-01

    One hundred eleven patients with symptomatic prosthetic joints (86 hips, 23 knees, and two shoulders) were evaluated for prosthetic loosening and infection by combined technetium-99m-MDP/gallium-67 digital subtraction imaging. Clinical correlation was based on the assessment of loosening and bacterial cultures obtained at the time of surgery in 54 patients, joint aspiration cultures obtained in 37 patients, and long-term clinical follow-up for greater than 1.5 years in an additional 15 patients. Results revealed an 80-90% predictive value of a positive test for loosening, and a 95% predictive value of a negative test for infection. However, because of the low sensitivities and specificities observed, this approach to the evaluation of symptomatic prosthetic joints does not seem cost effective

  4. Pediatric intracerebral hemorrhage: acute symptomatic seizures and epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beslow, Lauren A; Abend, Nicholas S; Gindville, Melissa C; Bastian, Rachel A; Licht, Daniel J; Smith, Sabrina E; Hillis, Argye E; Ichord, Rebecca N; Jordan, Lori C

    2013-04-01

    electroencephalography may detect electrographic seizures in some subjects. Single remote symptomatic seizures occur in many, and development of epilepsy is estimated to occur in 13% of patients at 2 years. Elevated intracranial pressure requiring acute intervention is a risk factor for acute seizures after presentation, remote symptomatic seizures, and epilepsy.

  5. Increased platelet count and reticulated platelets in recently symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and in cerebral microembolic signal-negative patient subgroups: results from the HaEmostasis In carotid STenosis (HEIST) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, S J X; Lim, S T; Kinsella, J A; Murphy, D; Enright, H M; McCabe, Dominick J H

    2018-02-23

    The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the disparity in stroke risk between asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis patients are not fully understood. The functionally important reticulated platelet fraction and reticulocytes could play a role. We performed a prospective, multi-centre, observational analytical study comparing full blood count parameters and platelet production/turnover/activation markers in patients with asymptomatic versus recently symptomatic moderate (≥ 50-69%) or severe (≥ 70-99%) carotid stenosis. Data from 34 asymptomatic patients were compared with 43 symptomatic patients in the 'early phase' (≤ 4 weeks) and 37 of these patients in the 'late phase' (≥ 3 months) after TIA/ischaemic stroke. Reticulated platelets were quantified by whole blood flow cytometry and reticulated platelets and red cell reticulocytes by 'automated assays' (Sysmex XE-2100™). Bilateral simultaneous transcranial Doppler ultrasound monitoring classified patients as micro-embolic signal (MES)+ve or MES-ve. Mean platelet count was higher in early (216 × 10 9 /L; P = 0.04) and late symptomatic (219 × 10 9 /L; P = 0.044) than asymptomatic patients (194 × 10 9 /L). Mean platelet volume was higher in early symptomatic than asymptomatic patients (10.8 vs. 10.45 fl; P = 0.045). Automated assays revealed higher % reticulated platelet fractions in early (5.78%; P < 0.001) and late symptomatic (5.11%; P = 0.01) than asymptomatic patients (3.48%). Red cell reticulocyte counts were lower in early (0.92%; P = 0.035) and late symptomatic (0.93%; P = 0.036) than asymptomatic patients (1.07%). The automated % reticulated platelet fraction was also higher in early symptomatic than asymptomatic MES-ve patients (5.7 vs. 3.55%; P = 0.001). The combination of increased platelet counts and a shift towards production of an increased population of larger, young, reticulated platelets could contribute to a higher risk of first or recurrent

  6. Selection of symptomatic patients with Crohn's disease for abdominopelvic computed tomography: role of serum C-reactive protein.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Desmond, Alan N

    2012-11-01

    Results of previous studies have shown that repeated abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) examinations can lead to substantial cumulative diagnostic radiation exposure in patients with Crohn\\'s disease (CD). Improved selection of patients referred for CT will reduce unnecessary radiation exposure. This study examines if serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration predicts which symptomatic patients with CD are likely to have significant disease activity or disease complications (such as abscess) detected on abdominopelvic CT.

  7. Platelet-Derived MRP-14 Induces Monocyte Activation in Patients With Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dann, Rebecca; Hadi, Tarik; Montenont, Emilie; Boytard, Ludovic; Alebrahim, Dornaszadat; Feinstein, Jordyn; Allen, Nicole; Simon, Russell; Barone, Krista; Uryu, Kunihiro; Guo, Yu; Rockman, Caron; Ramkhelawon, Bhama; Berger, Jeffrey S

    2018-01-02

    Peripheral artery disease (PAD), a diffuse manifestation of atherothrombosis, is a major cardiovascular threat. Although platelets are primary mediators of atherothrombosis, their role in the pathogenesis of PAD remains unclear. The authors sought to investigate the role of platelets in a cohort of symptomatic PAD. The authors profiled platelet activity, mRNA, and effector roles in patients with symptomatic PAD and in healthy controls. Patients with PAD and carotid artery stenosis were recruited into ongoing studies (NCT02106429 and NCT01897103) investigating platelet activity, platelet RNA, and cardiovascular disease. Platelet RNA sequence profiling mapped a robust up-regulation of myeloid-related protein (MRP)-14 mRNA, a potent calcium binding protein heterodimer, in PAD. Circulating activated platelets were enriched with MRP-14 protein, which augmented the expression of the adhesion mediator, P-selectin, thereby promoting monocyte-platelet aggregates. Electron microscopy confirmed the firm interaction of platelets with monocytes in vitro and colocalization of macrophages with MRP-14 confirmed their cross talk in atherosclerotic manifestations of PAD in vivo. Platelet-derived MRP-14 was channeled to monocytes, thereby fueling their expression of key PAD lesional hallmarks and increasing their directed locomotion, which were both suppressed in the presence of antibody-mediated blockade. Circulating MRP-14 was heightened in the setting of PAD, significantly correlated with PAD severity, and was associated with incident limb events. The authors identified a heightened platelet activity profile and unraveled a novel immunomodulatory effector role of platelet-derived MRP-14 in reprograming monocyte activation in symptomatic PAD. (Platelet Activity in Vascular Surgery and Cardiovascular Events [PACE]; NCT02106429; and Platelet Activity in Vascular Surgery for Thrombosis and Bleeding [PIVOTAL]; NCT01897103). Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation

  8. Endoscopic Urinary Diversion As Initial Management of Symptomatic Obstructive Ectopic Ureter in Infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruben Ortiz

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available AimDefinitive surgery of ectopic ureter in infants is challenging. We propose an endoscopic urinary diversion (EUD as a novel surgical technique in the initial management of symptomatic obstructive ectopic ureter.Patients and methodsSixteen obstructive ectopic ureters (14 patients were initially treated by EUD between 2006 and 2015. All patients had urinary tract dilatation worsening at preoperative US scans and at least two febrile urinary tract infection (UTI or urinary sepsis despite antibiotic prophylaxis. Ectopic ureter was confirmed by cystoscopy. When ectopic meatus was not found, EUD consisted in the creation of a transurethral neo-orifice (TUNO performed by needle puncturing of the ureterovesical wall, under fluoroscopic and ultrasound control. If ectopic meatus was identified in the posterior urethra, “intravesicalization procedure” was done opening the urethral–ureteral wall to create a new ureteral outlet into the bladder.ResultsEUD was done at a median age of 3.5 months (0.5–7 with median follow-up of 48 months (24–136. TUNO was performed in six patients and “intravesicalization” in eight patients. Significant differences were observed in ureteral diameter and anteroposterior pelvis diameter before and after endoscopic treatment (p < 0.005. Initial renal function was preserved in all cases. Postoperative complications were UTI in four patients and TUNO stenosis in one patient, treated by endoscopic balloon dilation. Definitive treatment was further individualized in each patient after 1 year of life.ConclusionEUD is a feasible and safe less-invasive technique in the initial management of symptomatic obstructive ectopic ureter. It allows an adequate ureteral drainage preserving renal function until definitive repair if necessary and does not invalidate other surgical options in case of failure or future definitive treatments.

  9. Endoscopic surgery for young athletes with symptomatic unicameral bone cyst of the calcaneus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Innami, Ken; Takao, Masato; Miyamoto, Wataru; Abe, Satoshi; Nishi, Hideaki; Matsushita, Takashi

    2011-03-01

    Open curettage with bone graft has been the traditional surgical treatment for symptomatic unicameral calcaneal bone cyst. Endoscopic procedures have recently provided less invasive techniques with shorter postoperative morbidity. The authors' endoscopic procedure is effective for young athletes with symptomatic calcaneal bone cyst. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Of 16 young athletes with symptomatic calcaneal bone cyst, 13 underwent endoscopic curettage and percutaneous injection of bone substitute under the new method. Three patients were excluded because of short-term follow-up, less than 24 months. For the remaining 10 patients, with a mean preoperative 3-dimensional size of 23 × 31 × 35 mm as calculated by computed tomography, clinical evaluation was made with the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale just before surgery and at the most recent follow-up (mean, 36.2 months; range, 24-51 months), and radiologic assessment was performed at the most recent follow-up, to discover any recurrence or pathologic fracture. Furthermore, the 10 patients-all of whom returned to sports activities-were asked how long it took to return to initial sports activity level after surgery. Mean ankle-hindfoot scale score improved from preoperative 78.7 ± 4.7 points (range, 74-87) to postoperative 98.0 ± 4.2 points (range, 90-100) (P < .001). Pain and functional scores significantly improved after surgery (P < .01 and P < .05, respectively). Radiologic assessment at most recent follow-up revealed no recurrence or pathologic fracture, with retention of injected calcium phosphate cement in all cases. All patients could return to their initial levels of sports activities within 8 weeks after surgery (mean period, 7.1 weeks; range, 4-8 weeks), which was quite early as compared with past reports. Endoscopic curettage and injection of bone substitute appears to be an excellent option for young athletes with symptomatic calcaneal bone cyst for early return

  10. Selective arterial embolization in the management of symptomatic renal angiomyolipomas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mourikis, Dimitrios; Chatziioannou, Achilles; Antoniou, Aristidis; Kehagias, Dimitrios; Gikas, Dimitrios; Vlahos, Lambros

    1999-12-01

    Current management of renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs) include observation, transcatheter embolization and partial or total nephrectomy. Patients symptoms and size of the lesion are the determinants for the choice of the treatment. In general symptomatic or greater than 8 cm masses require intervention. A retrospective study of five patients presented with symptomatic lesions and treated with selective transcatheter embolization, over a 3 year period was performed in our hospital. A total of eight embolizations were performed, all on an emergency basis due to retroperitoneal bleeding or significant hematuria. Surgical intervention was necessary in one case, due to massive rebleeding on the fourth post-procedural day. Two patients rebled within 6 months and 2 years respectively, and were managed successfully with additional embolization. The remaining two patients are still asymptomatic 26 and 18 months after the successful initial result. Experience with this procedure is reported on with emphasis to the clinical outcome. It is believed that selective arterial embolization should be the standard initial therapy for symptomatic renal AMLs.

  11. Selective arterial embolization in the management of symptomatic renal angiomyolipomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mourikis, Dimitrios; Chatziioannou, Achilles; Antoniou, Aristidis; Kehagias, Dimitrios; Gikas, Dimitrios; Vlahos, Lambros

    1999-01-01

    Current management of renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs) include observation, transcatheter embolization and partial or total nephrectomy. Patients symptoms and size of the lesion are the determinants for the choice of the treatment. In general symptomatic or greater than 8 cm masses require intervention. A retrospective study of five patients presented with symptomatic lesions and treated with selective transcatheter embolization, over a 3 year period was performed in our hospital. A total of eight embolizations were performed, all on an emergency basis due to retroperitoneal bleeding or significant hematuria. Surgical intervention was necessary in one case, due to massive rebleeding on the fourth post-procedural day. Two patients rebled within 6 months and 2 years respectively, and were managed successfully with additional embolization. The remaining two patients are still asymptomatic 26 and 18 months after the successful initial result. Experience with this procedure is reported on with emphasis to the clinical outcome. It is believed that selective arterial embolization should be the standard initial therapy for symptomatic renal AMLs

  12. Anesthetic efficacy of articaine for inferior alveolar nerve blocks in patients with symptomatic versus asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Argueta-Figueroa, Liliana; Arzate-Sosa, Gabriel; Mendieta-Zeron, Hugo

    2012-01-01

    This study sought to determine the anesthetic efficacy of 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis in mandibular posterior teeth and if individual patient factors, pulpal disease characteristics, and previous medication are correlated to local anesthetic success. A second objective was to determine the specificity and sensibility of a cold test for prediction of anesthetic success prior to endodontic treatment. Seventy patients diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis in mandibular posterior teeth received 1.6 mL of 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine for an inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) using a metal guide. The anesthetic solution was injected with a computer-preprogrammed delivery system for local anesthesia. Endodontic access was begun 15 minutes after solution deposition; later, patients rated their discomfort using the visual analog scale (VAS). The success rate for the IA NB using articaine was 64.2% in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis and 86.9% in patients with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Cold test prior to root canal treatment had a specificity and sensibility of 12.5% and 87.1%, respectively. The anesthetic efficacy of articaine in irreversible pulpitis is moderately acceptable, and anesthetic success increases when the patient has been premedicated with NSAIDs. The cold test appears to be a favorable indicator for predicting anesthetic success.

  13. The optimal injection technique for the osteoarthritic ankle: A randomized, cross-over trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Witteveen, Angelique G. H.; Kok, Aimee; Sierevelt, Inger N.; Kerkhoffs, Gino M. M. J.; van Dijk, C. Niek

    2013-01-01

    Background: To optimize the injection technique for the osteoarthritic ankle in order to enhance the effect of intra-articular injections and minimize adverse events. Methods: Randomized cross-over trial. Comparing two injection techniques in patients with symptomatic ankle osteoarthritis. Patients

  14. MR imaging of the Achilles tendon: overlap of findings in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haims, A.H.; Schweitzer, M.E.; Patel, R.S.

    2000-01-01

    Objective: To differentiate MR imaging characteristics of symptomatic as compared with asymptomatic Achilles tendons.Design: 1.5 T MR images of 94 feet (88 patients) with ''abnormal'' MR examinations were retrospectively evaluated and clinically correlated. Two masked, independent observers systematically evaluated for intratendon T2 signal, tendon thickness, presence of peritendonitis, retrocalcaneal bursal fluid volume, pre-Achilles edema, bone marrow edema at the Achilles insertion, and tears (interstitial, partial, complete). These findings were correlated with symptoms (onset and duration) and physical examination results (tenderness, palpable defects, increased angle of resting dorsiflexion).Results: Of the 94 ankles, 64 ankles (32 females, 29 males) were clinically symptomatic. No relationship between Achilles tendon disorders and age or gender was identified. Asymptomatic Achilles tendons frequently demonstrated mild increased intratendon signal (21/30), 0.747 cm average tendon thickness, peritendonitis (11/30), pre-Achilles edema (12/30), and 0.104 ml average retrocalcaneal bursal fluid volume. Symptomatic patients had thicker tendons (0.877 cm), greater retrocalcaneal fluid volume (0.278 ml), more frequent tears (23/64), a similar frequency of peritendonitis (22/64) but less frequent pre-Achilles edema (18/64). Sixty-four percent of the Achilles tendon tears were interstitial. Except for two interstitial tears in control patients, the majority of Achilles tears were in symptomatic patients (14/16). Only symptomatic tendons demonstrated partial or complete tendon tears. In addition, calcaneal edema was found almost exclusively in actively symptomatic patients. Thicker tendons were associated more often with chronic symptoms and with tears. When present in symptomatic patients, peritendonitis was usually associated with acute symptoms. The presence of pre-Achilles edema, however, did not distinguish acute from chronic disorders.Conclusion: There is

  15. Optimal Treatment of Symptomatic Hemorrhoids

    OpenAIRE

    Song, Seok-Gyu; Kim, Soung-Ho

    2011-01-01

    Hemorrhoids are the most common anorectal complaint, and approximately 10 to 20 percent of patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids require surgery. Symptoms of hemorrhoids, such as painless rectal bleeding, tissue protrusion and mucous discharge, vary. The traditional therapeutic strategies of medicine include surgical, as well as non-surgical, treatment. To alleviate symptoms caused by hemorrhoids, oral treatments, such as fiber, suppositories and Sitz baths have been applied to patients. Othe...

  16. Gender and age effects on risk factor-based prediction of coronary artery calcium in symptomatic patients: A Euro-CCAD study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicoll, R; Wiklund, U; Zhao, Y; Diederichsen, A; Mickley, H; Ovrehus, K; Zamorano, J; Gueret, P; Schmermund, A; Maffei, E; Cademartiri, F; Budoff, M; Henein, M

    2016-09-01

    The influence of gender and age on risk factor prediction of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in symptomatic patients is unclear. From the European Calcific Coronary Artery Disease (EURO-CCAD) cohort, we retrospectively investigated 6309 symptomatic patients, 62% male, from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and USA. All of them underwent risk factor assessment and CT scanning for CAC scoring. The prevalence of CAC among females was lower than among males in all age groups. Using multivariate logistic regression, age, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, diabetes and smoking were independently predictive of CAC presence in both genders. In addition to a progressive increase in CAC with age, the most important predictors of CAC presence were dyslipidaemia and diabetes (β = 0.64 and 0.63, respectively) in males and diabetes (β = 1.08) followed by smoking (β = 0.68) in females; these same risk factors were also important in predicting increasing CAC scores. There was no difference in the predictive ability of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia in either gender for CAC presence in patients aged 70, only dyslipidaemia predicted CAC presence in males and only smoking and diabetes were predictive in females. In symptomatic patients, there are significant differences in the ability of conventional risk factors to predict CAC presence between genders and between patients aged role of age in predicting CAC presence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Nontraumatic bifid mandibular condyles in asymptomatic and symptomatic temporomandibular joint subjects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Bong Hae; Jung, Yun Hoa

    2013-01-01

    This study was performed to determine the prevalence of bifid mandibular condyles (BMCs) in asymptomatic and symptomatic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) subjects with no traumatic history, and to assess their impact on clinical and radiographic manifestations of TMJ. A total of 3,046 asymptomatic and 4,378 symptomatic patients were included in the study. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were reviewed for bifid condyles. T-tests were used to compare the frequency of BMCs when stratified by symptom, gender, and side. In BMC patients, the clinical features of pain and noise, osseous changes, and parasagittal positioning of the condyles were compared between the normally shaped condyle side and the BMC side using chi-squared tests. Fifteen (0.49%) asymptomatic and 22 (0.50%) symptomatic patients were found to have BMCs. Among the bilateral cases, the number of condyles were 19 (0.31%) and 25 (0.29%), respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, between female and male patients, or between the right and left sides (p>0.05). Compared with the normally shaped condyle side, the BMC side showed no statistically significant differences in the distribution of pain and noise, parasagittal condylar position, or condylar osseous changes, with the exception of osteophytes. In the symptomatic group, osteophytes were found more frequently on the normally shaped condyle side than the BMC side (p<0.05). BMCs tended to be identified as an incidental finding. The presence of BMC would not lead to any TMJ symptoms or cause osseous changes.

  18. Nontraumatic bifid mandibular condyles in asymptomatic and symptomatic temporomandibular joint subjects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Bong Hae; Jung, Yun Hoa [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-03-15

    This study was performed to determine the prevalence of bifid mandibular condyles (BMCs) in asymptomatic and symptomatic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) subjects with no traumatic history, and to assess their impact on clinical and radiographic manifestations of TMJ. A total of 3,046 asymptomatic and 4,378 symptomatic patients were included in the study. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were reviewed for bifid condyles. T-tests were used to compare the frequency of BMCs when stratified by symptom, gender, and side. In BMC patients, the clinical features of pain and noise, osseous changes, and parasagittal positioning of the condyles were compared between the normally shaped condyle side and the BMC side using chi-squared tests. Fifteen (0.49%) asymptomatic and 22 (0.50%) symptomatic patients were found to have BMCs. Among the bilateral cases, the number of condyles were 19 (0.31%) and 25 (0.29%), respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, between female and male patients, or between the right and left sides (p>0.05). Compared with the normally shaped condyle side, the BMC side showed no statistically significant differences in the distribution of pain and noise, parasagittal condylar position, or condylar osseous changes, with the exception of osteophytes. In the symptomatic group, osteophytes were found more frequently on the normally shaped condyle side than the BMC side (p<0.05). BMCs tended to be identified as an incidental finding. The presence of BMC would not lead to any TMJ symptoms or cause osseous changes.

  19. Prevalence and associations of symptomatic renal papillary necrosis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aim: To assess the prevalence and associations of symptomatic renal papillary necrosis (RPN) in sickle cell anemia patients. Patients and Methods: The case notes of homozygous hemoglobin (Hb) S patients diagnosed with RPN were retrospectively assessed. Diagnosis was based on microscopic hematuria and positive ...

  20. Assessment of 'on-treatment platelet reactivity' and relationship with cerebral micro-embolic signals in asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinsella, Justin A; Oliver Tobin, W; Tierney, Sean; Feeley, Timothy M; Egan, Bridget; Coughlan, Tara; Ronan Collins, D; O'Neill, Desmond; Harbison, Joseph A; Doherty, Colin P; Madhavan, Prakash; Moore, Dermot J; O'Neill, Sean M; Colgan, Mary-Paula; Saqqur, Maher; Murphy, Raymond P; Moran, Niamh; Hamilton, George; McCabe, Dominick J H

    2017-05-15

    The relationship between on-treatment platelet reactivity and cerebral micro-embolic signals (MES) is unknown, and has not been previously simultaneously assessed in asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis patients. Consecutive eligible patients with ≥50% asymptomatic or recently symptomatic carotid stenosis (≤4weeks following TIA/ischaemic stroke) were recruited to this pilot study. Symptomatic patients were followed up to the 'late' phase (≥3months) following symptom onset or carotid intervention; longitudinal data were analysed from symptomatic patients with data available at both time-points. Platelet function/reactivity was assessed with the PFA-100® to measure collagen-ADP (C-ADP) and collagen-epinephrine (C-EPI) closure times in citrate-anticoagulated whole blood. Bilateral simultaneous 1-hour transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) monitoring of the middle cerebral arteries was performed to classify patients as MES +ve or MES -ve. 31 patients with ≥50% asymptomatic and 46 with early symptomatic carotid stenosis or occlusion were included. 35 symptomatic patients were followed up to the late phase (23 following carotid intervention). Prevalence of 'high on-treatment platelet reactivity' (HTPR) on the C-EPI cartridge did not differ between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients overall, but was lower in 'symptomatic post-intervention' than asymptomatic patients on aspirin monotherapy (10% vs. 50%; p=0.03). The prevalence of HTPR on the C-EPI cartridge decreased between the early and late phases in symptomatic patients (63% vs. 34%; p=0.017), including those on aspirin monotherapy (p=0.016). There were no significant differences in HTPR status between asymptomatic vs. early or late symptomatic MES +ve or MES -ve patients. Carotid interventional treatment, presumably in combination with resolution of the acute phase response, may decrease the prevalence of HTPR in patients with recently symptomatic carotid stenosis over time. Preliminary subgroup

  1. MR Imaging in symptomatic osteochondromas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Soo Young; Kim, Jee Young; Kim, Sang Heum; Chun, Kyung Ah; Park, Young Ha

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to assess the MR findings of symptomatic osteochondromas. We evaluated 31 patients who between July, 1994 and May, 1997 underwent MR imaging for symptomatic osteochondroma. Fourteen were males and 17 were females, and their ages ranged from 8 to 49 (mean, 23) years. Using T1WI, T2WI and gadolinium-DTPA-enhanced T1WI, images were analysed according to signal intensity in the osseous component of the osteochondroma, thickness of the cartilage cap, and associated change in surrounding soft tissue. Clinical manifestation included a palpable mass or tendency to grow (n=22) and pain on movement (n=9). Complications were of three types : that which followed change in the osseous component of the tumor, associated change in surrounding soft tissue, and malignant transformation. In the osseous component, bone marrow edema or contusion was seen in 21 cases (67.7%), and in two (65%), fracture was observed. In surrounding soft tissue, muscle impingement was seen in 21 cases (67.7%), bursitis was in 7 cases (22.6 %), tenosynovitis in seven (22.6 %), and vascular compression in five (16.1 %). In three cases (9.7%), transformation to chondrosarcoma had occurred; two of these were derived from osteochondromatosis and one from a single osteochondroma. The thickness of the cartilage cap was as follow : 10 mm (n=3). In patients with symptomatic osteochondroma, MR imaging is useful for detecting both complications and malignant transformation. (author). 21 refs., 1 tab., 6 figs

  2. Correlation between aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium of symptomatic patients and the presence of endometriosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maia Jr H

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Hugo Maia Jr1,2, Clarice Haddad1,2, Julio Casoy11CEPARH, 2Itaigara Memorial Day Hospital, Salvador, Bahia, BrazilObjective: To investigate whether aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium correlates with the presence and severity of endometriosis in patients with infertility and/or dysmenorrhea undergoing laparoscopy and hysteroscopy.Patients: The study involved 106 patients of reproductive age with symptoms of dysmenorrhea and infertility. Sixteen endometriosis-free asymptomatic patients were used as a control group.Methods: Concomitant laparoscopy and hysteroscopy was carried out in all cases. An endometrial biopsy was taken to determine aromatase p450 expression by immunohistochemistry. Endometriosis was staged according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine classification.Results: Endometriosis was diagnosed by laparoscopy in 92/106 symptomatic patients. In this group, aromatase expression was detected in the eutopic endometrium of 66/92 patients with endometriosis (72% and in 13/14 (95% patients in the symptomatic, endometriosis-free group (P = 0.09. Aromatase expression was not detected in any patients from the control group. In the endometriosis group, aromatase expression was detected in the eutopic endometrium of 28/45 patients (62% with American Society of Reproductive Medicine classification stage 1 of the disease, in 11/14 patients (78% with stage II, 14/20 patients (70% with stage III, and in 12/13 patients (92% with stage IV; however, the difference was only statistically significant between stages I and IV (P = 0.04.Conclusion: Aromatase expression in the endometrium was associated with the presence of dysmenorrhea and infertility irrespective of the presence of endometriosis. When endometriosis was present, however, there was a tendency for aromatase expression to be positively correlated with dysmenorrhea severity.Keywords: aromatase, endometrium, endometriosis, Cox-2, dysmenorrhea

  3. Self-critical perfectionism, dependency, and symptomatic distress in patients with personality disorder during hospitalization-based psychodynamic treatment: A parallel process growth modeling approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowyck, Benedicte; Luyten, Patrick; Vermote, Rudi; Verhaest, Yannic; Vansteelandt, Kristof

    2017-07-01

    There is growing evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy in patients with personality disorder (PD), but very little is known about the factors underlying these effects. Two-polarities models of personality development provide an empirically supported approach to studying therapeutic change. Briefly, these models argue that personality pathology is characterized by an imbalance between development of the capacity for self-definition and for relatedness, with an exaggerated emphasis on issues regarding self-definition and relatedness being expressed in high levels of self-critical perfectionism (SCP) and dependency, respectively. This study used data from a study of 111 patients with PD who received long-term hospitalization-based psychodynamic treatment to investigate whether (a) treatment was related to changes in SCP, dependency, and symptomatic distress; (b) these changes could be explained by pretreatment levels of SCP, dependency, and/or symptomatic distress; and (c) changes in these personality dimensions over time were associated with symptomatic improvement. SCP, dependency, and symptomatic distress were assessed at admission (baseline), at 12 and 24 weeks into treatment, and at discharge. Parallel process multilevel growth modeling showed that (a) treatment was associated with a significant decrease in levels of SCP, dependency, and symptomatic distress, whereas (b) pretreatment levels of each of these three factors did not predict the decreases observed, and (c) changes in SCP, but not dependency, were associated with the rate of decrease in symptomatic distress over time. Implications of these findings for our understanding of therapeutic change in the treatment of PD are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. The Effect of Haemodialysis Access Types on Cardiac Performance and Morbidities in Patients with Symptomatic Heart Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, Min-Kai; Chang, Chin-Hao; Chan, Chih-Yang

    2016-01-01

    Little is known about whether the arteriovenous type haemodialysis access affects cardiac function and whether it is still advantageous to the uremic patient with symptomatic heart disease. We conducted a retrospective comparative study. Patients with heart disease and end-stage renal disease that had a new chronic access created between January 2007 and December 2008 and met the inclusion criteria were assessed. The endpoint was major adverse event (MAE)-free survivals of arteriovenous access (AVA) and tunneled cuffed double-lumen central venous catheter (CVC) groups. Whether accesses worsened heart failure was also evaluated. There were 43 CVC patients and 60 AVA patients. The median follow-up time from access creation was 27.6 months (IQR 34.7, 10.9~45.6). Although CVC patients were older than AVA patients (median age 78.0, IQR 14.0 vs. 67.5, IQR 16.0, respectively, p = .009), they manifested non-inferior MAE-free survival (mean 17.1, 95% CI 10.3~24.0 vs. 12.9, 95% CI 8.5~17.4 months in CVC and AVA patients, respectively, p = .290). During follow-up, more patients in the AVA group than in the CVC group deteriorated in heart failure status (35 of 57 vs. 10 of 42, respectively, odds ratio 5.1, p heart disease and end stage renal disease (ESRD), CVC patients showed non-inferior MAE-free survival in comparison to those in the AVA group. AV type access could deteriorate heart failure. Accordingly, uremic patients with symptomatic heart disease are not ideal candidates for AV type access creation.

  5. Risk Factors for Recurrence of Symptomatic Common Bile Duct Stones after Cholecystectomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ju Hyun Oak

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The recurrence of CBD stone is still observed in a considerable number of patients. The study was to evaluate the risk factors for recurrence of symptomatic CBD stone in patients who underwent cholecystectomy after the removal of CBD stone. Methods. The medical records of patients who underwent removal of CBD stone with subsequent cholecystectomy were reviewed. The risk factors for the recurrence of symptomatic CBD stone were compared between the recurrence and the nonrecurrence group. Results. The mean follow-up period was 40.6 months. The recurrence of symptomatic CBD stones was defined as the detection of bile duct stones no sooner than 6 months after complete clearance of CBD stones, based on symptoms or signs of biliary complication. 144 patients (68 males, 47.2% were finally enrolled and their mean age was 59.8 (range: 26~86 years. The recurrence of CBD stone occurred in 15 patients (10.4%. The mean period until first recurrence was 25.9 months. The presence of type 1 or 2 periampullary diverticulum and multiple CBD stones were the independent risk factors. Conclusion. For the patients with type 1 or 2 periampullary diverticulum or multiple CBD stones, careful followup is needed for the risk in recurrence of symptomatic CBD stone.

  6. Combining Breast Reduction Techniques to Treat Gigantomastia in Ghana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melody F. Scheefer, MD

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Summary:. In this presentation of 2 consecutive cases of symptomatic juvenile breast hypertrophy in Ghana, we review the patient presentation, workup, and discuss outcomes following a combined technique of inferior pedicle stump with free nipple graft reduction mammoplasty. Surgical goals for treatment of gigantomastia were 2-fold: to resect adequate tissue to obtain symptomatic relief with improved quality of life, while avoiding a flat, boxy-appearing breast shape.

  7. Risk Factors for Symptomatic Avascular Necrosis in Childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yelin; Kumar, Sathish; Lim, Lily Siok Hoon; Silverman, Earl D; Levy, Deborah M

    2015-12-01

    To examine the frequency and risk factors for symptomatic avascular necrosis (AVN) in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). A single-center, nested, matched, case-control design was used. There were 617 patients with cSLE followed at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Lupus Clinic between July 1982 and June 2013 included in the study. The AVN cohort consisted of 37 patients identified with clinical findings of symptomatic AVN and diagnosis was confirmed by 1 or more imaging modalities. Three controls were matched to each patient with AVN by date and age at diagnosis. Baseline clinical, laboratory, and treatment characteristics were compared between patients with AVN and controls by univariable analyses and if statistically significant, were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. A total of 37/617 patients (6%) developed symptomatic AVN in 91 joints during followup at SickKids. The mean duration to disease was 2.3 years. The hip was the most commonly involved joint (26/37, 70%). Compared with the matched non-AVN cohort, patients with AVN had a higher incidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement and nephritis, required greater cumulative prednisone (PRED) from cSLE diagnosis to AVN, received a greater maximal daily PRED dose, and had more frequent use of pulse methylprednisolone therapy. Multivariable regression analysis confirmed major organ involvement (CNS disease and/or nephritis) and maximal daily PRED dose as significant predictors of symptomatic AVN development. Patients with cSLE with severe organ involvement including nephritis and CNS disease and higher maximal daily dose of PRED are more likely to develop symptomatic AVN.

  8. Effect of intraosseous injection versus inferior alveolar nerve block as primary pulpal anaesthesia of mandibular posterior teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farhad, Alireza; Razavian, Hamid; Shafiee, Maryam

    2018-01-27

    This study sought to assess the success rate, effect on blood pressure, and pain of intraosseous injection (IO) and inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) for pulpal anaesthesia of mandibular posterior teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis as the primary anaesthetic technique. This randomized clinical trial (IRCT2013022712634N1) was conducted on 60 patients between 18 and 65 years suffering from symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of a mandibular posterior tooth. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group one received IO while group two received IANB with 3% mepivacaine. After anaesthetic injection, success rate of pulpal anaesthesia was assessed by pulp testing in the two groups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures of patients were compared before and after the anaesthetic injections. Level of pain during injection was scored using a visual analogue scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20, t-test and chi square test at p = .05 level of significance. Success rate of IO (56.7%) was significantly higher than that of IANB (23.3%) (p = .008). There was no significant difference in pain during anaesthetic injection (p = .304) or change in systolic (p = .80) and diastolic (p = .28) blood pressures following injection between the two techniques. IO had a higher success rate than IANB for pulpal anaesthesia of mandibular posterior teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Neither technique provided profound pulpal anaesthesia.

  9. Factors that influence therapeutic outcomes in symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Quigley, Eamonn M M

    2012-02-03

    The term "symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease" (GERD) refers to those patients who present with the typical GERD symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation, yet do not have endoscopic evidence of esophagitis. The primary goals of managing symptomatic GERD are to control symptoms and improve quality of life. A clinical assessment of the GERD patient can identify important clinical features, such as atypical and extraesophageal symptoms for which acid-suppressive agents tend to be less effective. Performing an endoscopy can further identify the patient as having nonerosive reflux disease, erosive esophagitis, or Barrett\\'s esophagus-diagnoses which can help determine treatment but may not prove predictive of therapeutic response. Determining acid exposure through pH testing can predict therapeutic response, with those revealing an abnormal acid exposure time being more responsive to acid-suppressive therapy. However, the performance of an endoscopy and pH testing on each patient is clearly not practical. Whereas the natural history of symptomatic GERD is still largely undefined, acid-suppressive therapy appears to be the best approach available for both the short-term and long-term management of this disease.

  10. Diagnosis, gB genotype distribution and viral load of symptomatic congenitally infected CMV patients in Cuba.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correa, C; Kourí, V; Pérez, L; Soto, Y; Limia, C

    2016-10-01

    Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading cause of viral congenital infection. Some viral factors have been proposed to be CMV pathogenicity markers. The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency of congenital CMV infection in symptomatic patients and the possible association with the CMV glycoprotein B (gB) genotype and viral load. A total of 361 newborns (NB) and 158 pregnant women (PW) with clinically suspected CMV infection were enrolled. Studied samples included urine, saliva, serum, vaginal swabs and amniotic fluid. CMV infection was diagnosed by multiplex nested PCR. CMV gB genotyping was performed on infected samples, followed by viral load determination. Overall, 18.7% of the tested patients were positive for CMV infection, 19.7% of NB were congenitally infected and 16.5% of PW showed active CMV infection. gB-2 was the most prevalent genotype detected (39/97 patients). gB CMV mixed infections were detected in 12 patients. gB-2 was associated with mono-infections (PCMV load was statistically significant among patients presenting different clinical signs (P=0.04). This study showed that CMV is a frequent cause of congenital infection in symptomatic Cuban patients. Despite gB2 being the most frequently detected, gB-4 was the only genotype associated with clinical features (sepsis-like syndrome in NB). No other associations among specific genotypes and clinical characteristics were found. Further studies are needed to clarify the role that viral load and genotype play in the outcome of congenital infection.

  11. Quality of Life in Patients With Untreated and Symptomatic Hallux Valgus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Yohei; Yamaguchi, Satoshi; Muramatsu, Yuta; Terakado, Atsushi; Sasho, Takahisa; Akagi, Ryuichiro; Endo, Jun; Sato, Yasunori; Takahashi, Kazuhisa

    2016-11-01

    The purposes of this study were to compare the quality of life (QOL) of subjects who had untreated symptomatic hallux valgus with the QOL of the general population and to investigate factors associated with the QOL of the subjects. One hundred sixteen subjects with previously untreated and symptomatic hallux valgus were surveyed. QOL was assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Additionally, clinical evaluations (the visual analog scale for pain, Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot Scale, lesser toe pain, and pain in other parts of the body) and radiographic evaluations (hallux valgus angle, intermetatarsal angle between the first and second metatarsals, and dislocation of the second metatarsophalangeal joint) were performed. Differences in the SF-36 between the subjects and the general population were tested using independent t tests. Correlations between the QOL measurements, clinical evaluations, and radiographic evaluations were assessed using Spearman rank correlation coefficient. All SF-36 subscales and physical component summary scores for the subjects were significantly lower than those of the general population. Notably, the standardized physical function subscale (38.2 ± 15.8, P hallux valgus subjects was lower than that of the general population. All QOL and clinical evaluation parameters were not significantly or negligibly correlated with the severity of toe deformities. Surgical decision making should not be based on the severity of the deformity alone, but rather patient QOL should also be carefully assessed. Level III, comparative series. © The Author(s) 2016.

  12. Use of the Crawford tube for symptomatic epiphora without nasolacrimal obstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nyu-Xia Tong

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Crawford tube in treating symptomatic epiphora without nasolacrimal obstruction. METHODS: A protocol was adopted for the management of symptomatic epiphora without nasolacrimal obstruction. Patients who suffered symptomatic epiphora without nasolacrimal obstruction in both eyes were included in the study. One eye was treated with Crawford tube intubation and the other eye was treated with medication therapy. Degree of watering, patient satisfaction, and symptomatic improvement were carefully evaluated by one of the authors at the end of the follow-up period, after Crawford tube removal, to ascertain functional results. RESULTS: Thirty-seven adult patients (37 eyes underwent Crawford tube intubation for functional epiphora. The mean follow-up time after removal of the tube was 14.8±4.8mo. The procedure was an overall success in 28 eyes (75.7%, with symptoms improving significantly. Two eyes (5.4% were relieved of indoor epiphora, two (5.4% had minimal epiphora outdoors, but only with wind or cold, and five (13.5% continued to experience tearing both indoors and outdoors. Thirty of the patients (81% expressed satisfaction with the procedure. CONCLUSION: Crawford tube insertion is an effective, safe, simple, and relatively noninvasive treatment strategy for functional lacrimal system obstruction.

  13. Symptomatic isolated middle cerebral artery dissection: High resolution MR findings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Byon, Jung Hee; Kwak, Hyo Sung; Chung, Gyung Ho; Hwang, Seung Bae [Dept. of Radiology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-11-15

    To perform high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) and determine clinical features of patients with acute symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) dissection. Thirteen patients with acute symptomatic MCA dissection underwent HRMRI within 3 days after initial clinical onset. They also underwent routine brain MR imaging. HRMRI examinations included time-of-flight MR angiography (MRA), T2-weighted, T1-weighted, proton-density-weighted, and three-dimensional magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE) sequences. Conventional angiography and MRA were used as reference standard to establish the diagnosis of MCA dissection. The angiographic findings and HRMRI findings such as intimal flap, double lumen, and intramural hematoma were analyzed in this study. All patients presented cerebral ischemia (median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score = 4, range = 0-18). String sign was seen on MRA in seven patients. However, double lumen was seen in all patients on HRMRI by intimal flap. High signal lesion on MPRAGE sequences around the dissection lumen due to intramural hematoma was seen in three patients. HRMRI can be used to easily detect the wall structure of MCA such as the intimal flap and double lumen in patients with acute symptomatic MCA dissection. MPRAGE can detect hemorrhage in false lumen of MCA dissection.

  14. Ultrasound -a useful complementary tool to mammography in assessment of symptomatic breast diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fatima, S.T.; Zahur, Z.; Jeilani, A.; Hussain, S.J.A.

    2015-01-01

    Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy worldwide. Pakistan has the highest incidence rate of breast cancer than any other Asian population. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the worth of sono-mammography in diagnosis of symptomatic breast diseases by comparing it with mammogram. Methods: In this cross-sectional validation study, 45 subjects with mean age of 45+-12.07 were included. Majority of the patients presented with complaint of breast lump. After complete history and clinical examination, all the patients had high resolution ultrasound of bilateral breasts and axilla followed by bilateral mammography. Histopathology was taken as gold standard in this study. The exclusion criteria were pregnancy and patients having direct clinical signs of breast malignancy. Results: Based on histopathology, out of 45 patients with breast symptoms, 12 patients had benign lesions, whereas 32 patients were diagnosed as the cases of breast cancers. Finally one patient did not have biopsy proven final diagnosis. Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound were calculated to be 100% and 67% as compared to sensitivity and specificity of 90.6% and 91.7% for that of mammography. Conclusions: Ultrasound is a useful complementary tool to mammography in assessment of symptomatic breast diseases since it helps in characterization and localization of breast lesions seen on mammogram and it is not limited by dense breasts. Also it should be the considered as initial imaging technique for assessment of palpable breast lumps. (author)

  15. Clinical analysis of 34 cases symptomatic epilepsy secondary to cerebrovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng Mingyu; Liu Chunfeng

    2000-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the relation between cerebrovascular disease and symptomatic epilepsy. Method: 786 patients suffered cerebrovascular disease were retrospectively analyzed. Result: The occurrence rate of Secondary to Cerebrovascular Disease symptomatic epilepsy Secondary to Cerebrovascular Disease was 4.3%. Those older than 60 are prone to develop Acrodynia symptomatic epilepsy. Generalized epileptic seizure were often seen. Secondary to Cerebrovascular Disease epilepsy die to cortical lesion are more easily seem than subcortical lesion. Early epilepsy is more than late epilepsy. Conclusion: The cause of symptomatic epilepsy after cerebrovascular disease is not same in different types and course of CVD. Those who developed epilepsy particularly epilepsy continua would have bad prognosis

  16. Microbiology of bile in symptomatic uncomplicated gallstone disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, M.; Akhtar, M.R.; Akhtar, M.R.

    2015-01-01

    To determine the microbiology of the bile culture and antimicrobial susceptibility in patients with symptomatic gallstone disease in our setup. Study Design: A descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Surgical Department Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Kharian from Oct, 2010 to Jun, 2011. Patients and Methods: A total of 106 patients underwent cholecystectomy due to symptomatic gallstones and their bile was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and culture sensitivity was performed. Data was analysed by using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 13. Results: Bile culture was negative in 81 patients (76.4%) and was positive in only 25 patients (23.6%). Escheria Coli was the most common cultured organism in 10 (40%) patients, Klebsiella in 5 (20%) patients, Pseudomonas in 5 (20%) patients, Proteus in 2 (8%) patients, Staphlococcus aureus in 2 (8%) patients and mixed organisms were cultured in 1 patient (4%). Cefoperazone with sulbactum and Amikacin were the most effective prophylactic antibiotics. Conclusion: Bile in majority of patients with symtomatic uncomplicated gallstone disease is sterile. E. coli is the most commonly cultured organism and cefoperazone with sulbactum and amikacin are the most appropriate antibiotics in our setup. (author)

  17. Dural diverticulum with a symptomatic cerebrospinal fluid leak

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholas Armstrong, MD

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available A case report of a 63-year-old female patient with a cervical spinal dural diverticulum and intracranial hypotension secondary to a symptomatic CSF leak after minor trauma. The patient responded well after the cervical approach epidural blood patch procedure.

  18. Demographic And Histopathological Characteristics Of Colorectal Polyps: A Descriptive Study Based On Samples Obtained From Symptomatic Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cekodhima Genta

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Colorectal polyps (CP are common among individuals older than 50 years. Some polyp types can precede colorectal cancer (CRC. This study aimed at describing histopathological characteristics of colorectal polyps in relation to age and gender among symptomatic patients referred for a colonoscopy examination during 2011-2014 in Tirana, Albania.

  19. Does acetaminophen/hydrocodone affect cold pulpal testing in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis? A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, Sara; Fullmer, Spencer; Drum, Melissa; Reader, Al

    2014-12-01

    The purpose of this prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to determine the effects of a combination dose of 1000 mg acetaminophen/10 mg hydrocodone on cold pulpal testing in patients experiencing symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. One hundred emergency patients in moderate to severe pain diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of a mandibular posterior tooth randomly received, in a double-blind manner, identical capsules of either a combination of 1000 mg acetaminophen/10 hydrocodone or placebo. Cold testing with Endo-Ice (1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane; Hygenic Corp, Akron, OH) was performed at baseline and every 10 minutes for 60 minutes. Pain to cold testing was recorded by the patient using a Heft-Parker visual analog scale. Patients' reaction to the cold application was also rated. Cold testing at baseline and at 10 minutes resulted in severe pain for both the acetaminophen/hydrocodone and placebo groups. Although pain ratings decreased from 20-60 minutes, the ratings still resulted in moderate pain. Patient reaction to cold testing showed that 56%-62% had a severe reaction. Although the reactions decreased in severity over the 60 minutes, 20%-34% still had severe reactions at 60 minutes. Regarding pain and patients' reactions to cold testing, there were no significant differences between the combination acetaminophen/hydrocodone and placebo groups at any time period. A combination dose of 1000 mg of acetaminophen/10 mg of hydrocodone did not statistically affect cold pulpal testing in patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Patients experienced moderate to severe pain and reactions to cold testing. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Does delay in diagnosing colorectal cancer in symptomatic patients affect tumor stage and survival? A population-based observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Visser Otto

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Diagnosing colorectal cancer (CRC at an early stage improves survival. To what extent any delay affects outcome once patients are symptomatic is still unclear. Our objectives were to evaluate the association between diagnostic delay and survival in symptomatic patients with early stage CRC and late stage CRC. Methods Prospective population-based observational study evaluating daily clinical practice in Northern Holland. Diagnostic delay was determined through questionnaire-interviews. Dukes' stage was classified into two groups: early stage (Dukes A or B and late stage (Dukes C or D cancer. Patients were followed up for 3.5 years after diagnosis. Results In total, 272 patients were available for analysis. Early stage CRC was present in 136 patients while 136 patients had late stage CRC. The mean total diagnostic delay (SE was 31 (1.5 weeks in all CRC patients. No significant difference was observed in the mean total diagnostic delay in early versus late stage CRC (p = 0.27. In early stage CRC, no difference in survival was observed between patients with total diagnostic delay shorter and longer than the median (Kaplan-Meier, log-rank p = 0.93. In late stage CRC, patients with a diagnostic delay shorter than the median had a shorter survival than patients with a diagnostic delay longer than the median (log-rank p = 0.01. In the multivariate Cox regression model with survival as dependent variable and median delay, age, open access endoscopy, number and type of symptoms as independent variables, the odd's ratio for survival in patients with long delay (>median versus short delay (≤median was 1.8 (95% confidence interval (CI 1.1 to 3.0; p = 0.01. Tumor-site was not associated with patient survival. When separating late stage CRC in Dukes C and Dukes D tumors, a shorter delay was associated with a shorter survival in Dukes D tumors only and not in Dukes C tumors. Conclusion In symptomatic CRC patients, a longer diagnostic and

  1. Prevalence of significant bacteriuria among symptomatic and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2013-06-10

    Jun 10, 2013 ... bacteriuria in symptomatic and asymptomatic sickle cell patients in Lagos. Materials and Methods: .... over 65 years, treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, the presence of .... toxemia of pregnancy.[7,13] A positive urine ...

  2. MR Imaging in symptomatic osteochondromas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Soo Young; Kim, Jee Young; Kim, Sang Heum; Chun, Kyung Ah; Park, Young Ha [Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-06-01

    The purpose of this study is to assess the MR findings of symptomatic osteochondromas. We evaluated 31 patients who between July, 1994 and May, 1997 underwent MR imaging for symptomatic osteochondroma. Fourteen were males and 17 were females, and their ages ranged from 8 to 49 (mean, 23) years. Using T1WI, T2WI and gadolinium-DTPA-enhanced T1WI, images were analysed according to signal intensity in the osseous component of the osteochondroma, thickness of the cartilage cap, and associated change in surrounding soft tissue. Clinical manifestation included a palpable mass or tendency to grow (n=22) and pain on movement (n=9). Complications were of three types : that which followed change in the osseous component of the tumor, associated change in surrounding soft tissue, and malignant transformation. In the osseous component, bone marrow edema or contusion was seen in 21 cases (67.7%), and in two (65%), fracture was observed. In surrounding soft tissue, muscle impingement was seen in 21 cases (67.7%), bursitis was in 7 cases (22.6 %), tenosynovitis in seven (22.6 %), and vascular compression in five (16.1 %). In three cases (9.7%), transformation to chondrosarcoma had occurred; two of these were derived from osteochondromatosis and one from a single osteochondroma. The thickness of the cartilage cap was as follow : < 5 mm (n=16), 5-10 mm (n=12), and > 10 mm (n=3). In patients with symptomatic osteochondroma, MR imaging is useful for detecting both complications and malignant transformation. (author). 21 refs., 1 tab., 6 figs.

  3. Efficacy and safety of Mobi-C cervical artificial disc versus anterior discectomy and fusion in patients with symptomatic degenerative disc disease: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Hui; Peng, Lihua

    2017-12-01

    Total disc replacement (TDR) using Mobi-C cervical artificial disc might be promising to treat symptomatic degenerative disc disease. However, the results remained controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of Mobi-C cervical artificial disc and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in patients with symptomatic degenerative disc disease. PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of Mobi-C versus ACDF on the treatment of symptomatic degenerative disc disease were included. Two investigators independently searched articles, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. The primary outcomes were neck disability index (NDI) score, patient satisfaction, and subsequent surgical intervention. Meta-analysis was performed using the random-effect model. Four RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with ACDF surgery for symptomatic degenerative disc disease, TDR using Mobi-C was associated with a significantly increased NDI score (Std. mean difference = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.10-0.53; P = .004), patient satisfaction (odds risk [OR] = 2.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.43-5.27; P = .002), and reduced subsequent surgical intervention (OR = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.11-0.37; P degenerative disc disease, TDR using Mobi-C cervical artificial disc resulted in a significantly improved NDI score, patient satisfaction, and reduced subsequent surgical intervention. There was no significant difference of neurological deterioration, radiographic success, and overall success between TDR using Mobi-C cervical artificial disc versus ACDF surgery. TDR using Mobi-C cervical artificial disc should be recommended for the treatment of symptomatic degenerative disc disease.

  4. Intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis in patients with symptomatic epilepsy and epilepsy of unknown etiology ('cryptogenic').

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fauser, S; Soellner, C; Bien, C G; Tumani, H

    2017-09-01

    To compare the frequency of intrathecal immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis in patients with symptomatic epilepsy and epilepsy of unknown etiology ('cryptogenic'). Patients with epileptic (n = 301) and non-epileptic (n = 10) seizures were retrospectively screened for autochthonous intrathecal Ig synthesis and oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in the cerebrospinal fluid. Intrathecal IgG/OCBs were detected in 8% of patients with epilepsies of unknown etiology, 5% of patients with first seizures of unknown cause and 0-4% of patients with epilepsy due to brain tumors, cerebrovascular disease or other etiologies. Intrathecal IgG/OCBs were not seen in patients with psychogenic seizures. Identical OCBs in serum and cerebrospinal fluid were more common in all patient groups (10-40% depending on underlying etiology). Intrathecal IgG synthesis/OCBs were observed slightly more frequently in patients with 'cryptogenic' epilepsy and with first seizures of unknown etiology than in other patient groups. However, this remained an infrequent finding and thus we could not confirm humoral immunity as a leading disease mechanism in patients with epilepsy in general or with unknown etiology in particular. © 2017 EAN.

  5. Short-term outcome after stenting versus endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis: a preplanned meta-analysis of individual patient data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonati, Leo H; Dobson, Joanna; Algra, Ale; Branchereau, Alain; Chatellier, Gilles; Fraedrich, Gustav; Mali, Willem P; Zeumer, Hermann; Brown, Martin M; Mas, Jean-Louis; Ringleb, Peter A

    2010-09-25

    Results from randomised controlled trials have shown a higher short-term risk of stroke associated with carotid stenting than with carotid endarterectomy for the treatment of symptomatic carotid stenosis. However, these trials were underpowered for investigation of whether carotid artery stenting might be a safe alternative to endarterectomy in specific patient subgroups. We therefore did a preplanned meta-analysis of individual patient data from three randomised controlled trials. Data from all 3433 patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis who were randomly assigned and analysed in the Endarterectomy versus Angioplasty in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis (EVA-3S) trial, the Stent-Protected Angioplasty versus Carotid Endarterectomy (SPACE) trial, and the International Carotid Stenting Study (ICSS) were pooled and analysed with fixed-effect binomial regression models adjusted for source trial. The primary outcome event was any stroke or death. The intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis included all patients and outcome events occurring between randomisation and 120 days thereafter. The per-protocol (PP) analysis was restricted to patients receiving the allocated treatment and events occurring within 30 days after treatment. In the first 120 days after randomisation (ITT analysis), any stroke or death occurred significantly more often in the carotid stenting group (153 [8·9%] of 1725) than in the carotid endarterectomy group (99 [5·8%] of 1708, risk ratio [RR] 1·53, [95% CI 1·20-1·95], p=0·0006; absolute risk difference 3·2 [1·4-4·9]). Of all subgroup variables assessed, only age significantly modified the treatment effect: in patients younger than 70 years (median age), the estimated 120-day risk of stroke or death was 50 (5·8%) of 869 patients in the carotid stenting group and 48 (5·7%) of 843 in the carotid endarterectomy group (RR 1·00 [0·68-1·47]); in patients 70 years or older, the estimated risk with carotid stenting was twice that

  6. Efficacy of preoperative ibuprofen on the success of inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noguera-Gonzalez, D; Cerda-Cristerna, B I; Chavarria-Bolaños, D; Flores-Reyes, H; Pozos-Guillen, A

    2013-11-01

    To evaluate the effect of preoperative oral ibuprofen (IBU) on the success of inferior alveolar nerve blocks (IANBs) with mepivacaine containing 1 : 100 000 epinephrine for patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP). The present study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The study included two study groups each consisting of 25 patients who exhibited symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of a mandibular posterior tooth. The patients presented prolonged moderate or severe pain (>10 s) after cold testing and indicated their pain scores on a Heft-Parker visual analogue scale. The patients received identically appearing capsules containing either 600 mg IBU (IBUg) or gelatin (placebo, PLAg) 1 h before administration of IANB with 2% mepivacaine containing 1 : 100 000 epinephrine. After 15 min, the anaesthetic blockade was assessed by a three-step examination (lip numbness, positive/negative response to cold testing and clinical discomfort during endodontic access). IANB success was defined as the absence of pain during any of these evaluations. The data were analysed using the chi-squared test. All of the patients reported moderate or severe pain before the preoperative procedure. Statistically significant differences were observed between the IBUg and PLAg (P < 0.05); the success rates for the IANB were 72% (IBUg) and 36% (PLAg). Preoperative oral administration of IBU significantly improved the efficacy of IANB in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. © 2013 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. A Novel Decision Aid to Support Informed Decision-Making Process in Patients with a Symptomatic Nonlower Pole Renal Stone <20 mm in Diameter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gökce, Mehmet İlker; Esen, Barış; Sancı, Adem; Akpınar, Cağrı; Süer, Evren; Gülpınar, Ömer

    2017-07-01

    Stone disease is an important health problem, and patients have different treatment choices. Shared decision making is recommended for deciding the treatment type, but patient education is necessary. Decision aids (DAs) are used for this aim, and herein, we developed a novel DA for patients with symptomatic nonlower pole renal stones group assessment resulted in a total score of 50/54. Patient evaluation of the DA resulted in favorable outcomes, and patients generally recommended its use by other patients. This novel DA for patients with a symptomatic nonlower pole renal stone <20 mm showed promising results and was well accepted by the patients. We believe that this DA will have a positive impact on patients' level of knowledge. Increased level of knowledge will also improve the patients' contribution to the shared decision-making process. A further prospective randomized trial to compare with the standard patient informing process is also planned.

  8. Radiofrequency sensory ablation as a treatment for symptomatic unilateral lumbosacral junction pseudarticulation (Bertolotti's syndrome): a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burnham, Robert

    2010-06-01

    Describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and successful treatment of a case of symptomatic unilateral lumbosacral junction pseudarticulation using a novel radiofrequency nerve ablation technique. A 56-year-old female patient who had suffered with low back and right upper buttock pain for 16 years experienced incomplete relief with L4/5 facet joint radiofrequency ablation. She was found to have an elongated right L5 transverse process that articulated with the sacral ala (Bertolotti's syndrome). Fluoroscopically guided local anesthetic/corticosteroid injection into the pseudarthrosis eliminated her residual right buttock pain for the duration of the local anesthetic only. Complete pain relief was achieved by injecting local anesthetic circumferentially around the posterior pseudarthrosis articular margin. Accordingly, bipolar radiofrequency strip thermal lesions were created at the same locations. Complete pain relief and full restoration of function was achieved for 16 months postprocedure. This case report describes a novel radiofrequency technique for treating symptomatic lumbosacral junction pseudarticulation that warrants further evaluation.

  9. Long-term results after endoscopic drainage and necrosectomy of symptomatic pancreatic fluid collections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seewald, Stefan; Ang, Tiing Leong; Richter, Hugo; Teng, Karl Yu Kim; Zhong, Yan; Groth, Stefan; Omar, Salem; Soehendra, Nib

    2012-01-01

    To determine the immediate and long-term results of endoscopic drainage and necrosectomy for symptomatic pancreatic fluid collections. The data of 80 patients with symptomatic pancreatic fluid collections (mean diameter: 11.7 cm, range 3-20; pseudocysts: 24/80, abscess: 20/80, infected walled-off necrosis: 36/80) referred for endoscopic management from October 1997 to March 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. Endoscopic drainage techniques included endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided aspiration (2/80), EUS-guided transenteric drainage (70/80) and non-EUS-guided drainage across a spontaneous transenteric fistula (8/80). Endoscopic necrosectomy was carried out in 49/80 (abscesses: 14/20; infected necrosis: 35/36). Procedural complications were bleeding (12/80), perforation (7/80), portal air embolism (1/80) and Ogilvie Syndrome (1/80). Initial technical success was achieved in 78/80 (97.5%) and clinical resolution of the collections was achieved endoscopically in 67/80 (83.8%), with surgery required in 13/80 (perforation: four; endoscopically inaccessible areas: two; inadequate drainage: seven). Within 6 months five patients required surgery due to recurrent fluid collections; over a mean follow up of 31 months, surgery was required in four more patients due to recurrent collections as a consequence of underlying pancreatic duct abnormalities that could not be treated endoscopically. The long-term success of endoscopic treatment was 58/80 (72.5%). Endoscopic drainage of symptomatic pancreatic fluid collections is safe and effective, with excellent immediate and long-term results. Endoscopic necrosectomy has a risk of serious complications. The underlying pancreatic duct abnormalities must be addressed to prevent recurrence of fluid collections. © 2011 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2011 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

  10. MRI of symptomatic shoulders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikukawa, Kenshi; Segata, Tateki; Kunitake, Katsuhiko; Morisawa, Keizo; Harada, Masataka; Hirano, Mako

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cuff tear and acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) osteoarthrosis by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation in symptomatic shoulders. MRI was performed on 124 shoulders in 115 patients whose age ranged from 16 to 83 years (average: 58.0 years). There were 74 men (79 shoulders) and 41 women (45 shoulders). The patients were divided into three groups according to age; A group (10 shoulders: 16-29 years), B group (43 shoulders: 30-59 years), and C group (71 shoulders: 60-83 years). Rotator cuff tears and ACJ osteoarthrosis were graded on scales 0 to 3 (normal, increased signal intensity, incomplete, complete), and 1 to 4 (none, mild, moderate, severe), respectively. There was a significant difference in the severity of the cuff tears and the ACJ osteoarthrosis with respect to age. Twenty percent of the shoulders were graded incomplete or complete cuff tears in group A, 88% in group B, and 93% in group C. No shoulders were graded moderate or severe ACJ changes in group A, 63% in group B, and 93% in group C. There was a definite correlation between the cuff tears and ACJ osteoarthrosis. MRI of the symptomatic shoulders indicated well correlation between the rotator cuff tears and ACJ osteoarthrosis. (author)

  11. Neovascularization in Vertebral Artery Atheroma-A Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Comparative Study in Patients with Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usman, Ammara; Yuan, Jianmin; Patterson, Andrew J; Graves, Martin J; Varty, Kevin; Sadat, Umar; Gillard, Jonathan H

    2018-05-24

    Atherosclerosis is a systemic inflammatory disease intertwined with neovascularization. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) enables the assessment of plaque neovascularization. This study aimed to explore the systemic nature of atherosclerosis by assessing difference in severity of neovascularization as quantified by DCE-MRI of vertebral arteries (VAs) between patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery disease. Ten consecutive patients with asymptomatic VA stenosis and concomitant symptomatic carotid artery disease (group 1) and 10 consecutive patients with asymptomatic VA stenosis and concomitant asymptomatic carotid artery disease (group 2) underwent 3-dimensional DCE-MRI of their cervical segment of VAs. A previously validated pharmacokinetic modeling approach was used for DCE-MRI analysis. K trans was calculated in the adventitia and plaque as a measure of neovessel permeability. Both patient groups were comparable for demographics and comorbidities. Mean luminal stenosis was comparable for both groups (54.4% versus 52.27%, P = .32). Group 1 had higher adventitial K trans and plaque K trans (.08 ± .01 min -1 , .07 ± .01 min -1 ) compared with Group 2 (.06 ± .01 min -1 , .06 ± .01 min -1 ) (P = .004 and .03, respectively). Good correlation was present among the two image analysts (intraclass correlation coefficient = .78). Vertebral Artery atheroma of patients with symptomatic carotid artery disease had increased neovessel permeability compared with the patients with asymptomatic carotid artery disease. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that atherosclerosis is a systemic inflammatory disease. The VA atherosclerosis is likely to have increased severity of neovascularization if another arterial territory is symptomatic in the same patient cohort. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Comparison of anesthetic efficacy between lidocaine with and without magnesium sulfate USP 50% for inferior alveolar nerve blocks in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shetty, Krishna Prasad; Satish, Sarvepalli Venkata; Kilaru, Krishna Rao; Sardar, Poonam; Luke, Alexander M

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to compare the anesthetic efficacy between lidocaine with and without magnesium sulfate USP 50% for inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) blocks in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. One hundred patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of mandibular posterior teeth were selected for the study. The patients received 1 mL magnesium sulfate USP 50% or distilled water (placebo) 1 hour before administration of conventional IAN block. Endodontic access cavity preparation was initiated 15 minutes after the IAN block injection. Lip numbness was recorded for all the patients. Success of IAN block was defined as no or mild pain on the visual analogue scale during access cavity preparation and initial instrumentation. The success rate for the IAN block was 58% for magnesium sulfate group and 32% for the placebo group, with statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .016). In mandibular posterior teeth diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, preoperative administration of 1 mL magnesium sulfate USP 50% resulted in statistically significant increase in success of IAN block compared with placebo. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Sub-Symptomatic Aerobic Exercise for Patients with Post-Concussion Syndrome: A Critically Appraised Topic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritter, Katrina G; Hussey, Matthew J; Valovich McLeod, Tamara C

    2017-09-27

    Clinical Scenario: Patients who experience prolonged concussion symptoms can be diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) when those symptoms persist past 4 weeks. Aerobic exercise protocols have been shown to be effective in improving physical and mental aspects of health. Emerging research suggests that aerobic exercise maybe useful as a treatment for PCS, where exercise allows patients to feel less isolated and more active during the recovery process. Is aerobic exercise more beneficial in reducing symptoms than current standard care in patients with prolonged symptoms or PCS lasting longer than 4 weeks? Summary of Key Findings: After a thorough literature search, 4 studies were selected relevant to the clinical question. Of the 4 studies, 1 was a randomized control trial and 3 were case series. All 4 studies investigate aerobic exercise protocol as treatment for PCS. 1-4 Three articles demonstrated a greater rate of symptom improvement from baseline assessment to follow-up after a controlled sub-symptomatic aerobic exercise program. 2-4 One study showed a decrease in symptoms in the aerobic exercise group compared to the full body stretching group. 1 Clinical Bottom Line: There is moderate evidence to support sub-symptomatic aerobic exercise as a treatment of PCS, therefore it should be considered as a clinical option for reducing PCS and prolonged concussion symptoms. A previously validated protocol, such as the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test, Balke Protocol, or Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) as mentioned in this critically appraised topic should be used to measure baseline values and treatment progression. Strength of Recommendation: Level C evidence exists that aerobic exercise protocol is more effective than the current standard of care in treating PCS.

  14. Characteristics of Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage in Patients Receiving Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Therapy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hisanao Akiyama

    Full Text Available The first non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC introduced to the market in Japan was dabigatran in March 2011, and three more NOACs, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, have since become available. Randomized controlled trials of NOACs have revealed that intracranial hemorrhage (ICH occurs less frequently with NOACs compared with warfarin. However, the absolute incidence of ICH associated with NOACs has increased with greater use of these anticoagulants, and we wanted to explore the incidence, clinical characteristics, and treatment course of patients with NOACs-associated ICH.We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of symptomatic ICH patients receiving NOACs between March 2011 and September 2014.ICH occurred in 6 patients (5 men, 1 woman; mean ± SD age, 72.8 ± 3.2 years. Mean time to onset was 146.2 ± 111.5 days after starting NOACs. Five patients received rivaroxaban and 1 patient received apixaban. None received dabigatran or edoxaban. Notably, no hematoma expansion was observed within 24 h of onset in the absence of infusion of fresh frozen plasma, activated prothrombin complex concentrate, recombinant activated factor VIIa or hemodialysis. When NOAC therapy was initiated, mean HAS-BLED and PANWARDS scores were 1.5 ± 0.5 and 39.5 ± 7.7, respectively. Mean systolic blood pressure was 137.8 ± 15.9 mmHg within 1 month before spontaneous ICH onset.Six symptomatic ICHs occurred early in NOAC therapy but hematoma volume was small and did not expand in the absence of infusion of reversal agents or hemodialysis. The occurrence of ICH during NOAC therapy is possible even when there is acceptable mean systolic blood pressure control (137.8 ± 15.9 mmHg and HAS-BLED score ≤ 2. Even stricter blood pressure lowering and control within the acceptable range may be advisable to prevent ICH during NOAC therapy.

  15. Genetic and cytokine changes associated with symptomatic stages of CLL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Amit; Cooke, Lawrence; Riley, Christopher; Qi, Wenqing; Mount, David; Mahadevan, Daruka

    2014-09-01

    The pathogenesis and drug resistance of symptomatic CLL patients involves genetic changes associated with the CLL clone as well as changes within the microenvironment. To further understand these processes, we compared early stage CLL to symptomatic late stage using gene expression and serum cytokine profiling to gain insight of the genetic and microenvironment changes associated with the most severe form of the disease. Patients were classified into low stage (Rai stage 0/I/II) and high stage (Rai stage III/IV). Gene expression profiles were obtained on pretreatment samples using the HG-U133A 2.0 Affymetrix platform. A comparison of low versus high stage CLL revealed a set of 21 genes differentially expressed genes. 15 genes were up regulated in the high stage compared to low stage while 6 genes were down regulated. Analysis of GO molecular function revealed 9 of 21 genes were involved in transcription factor activity. Serum cytokine profiles showed six cytokines to be significantly different in high stage patients. Two chemokines, SDF-1/CXCL12 and uPAR known to be involved in stem cell mobilization and homing were increased in serum of high stage patients. This study has identified therapeutic targets for symptomatic CLL patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The role of autologous chondrocyte implantation in the treatment of symptomatic chondromalacia patellae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macmull, Simon; Jaiswal, Parag K; Bentley, George; Skinner, John A; Carrington, Richard W J; Briggs, Tim W R

    2012-07-01

    Chondromalacia patella is a distinct clinical entity of abnormal softening of the articular cartilage of the patella, which results in chronic retropatellar pain. Its aetiology is still unclear but the process is thought to be a due to trauma to superficial chondrocytes resulting in a proteolytic enzymic breakdown of the matrix. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of autologous chondrocyte implantation on patients with a proven symptomatic retropatellar lesion who had at least one failed conventional marrow-stimulating therapy. We performed chondrocyte implantation on 48 patients: 25 received autologous chondrocyte implantation with a type I/III membrane (ACI-C) method (Geistlich Biomaterials, Wolhusen, Switzerland), and 23 received the Matrix-assisted Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI) technique (Genzyme, Kastrup, Denmark). Over a mean follow-up period of 40.3 months, there was a statistically significant improvement in subjective pain scoring using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and objective functional scores using the Modified Cincinnati Rating System (MCS) in both groups. Chondromalacia patellae lesions responded well to chondrocyte implantation. Better results occurred with MACI than with ACI-C. Excellent and good results were achieved in 40% of ACI-C patients and 57% of MACI patients, but success of chondrocyte implantation was greater with medial/odd-facet lesions. Given that the MACI procedure is technically easier and less time consuming, we consider it to be useful for treating patients with symptomatic chondral defects secondary to chondromalacia patellae.

  17. Efficacy and safety of omalizumab in patients with chronic idiopathic/spontaneous urticaria who remain symptomatic on H1 antihistamines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saini, Sarbjit S; Bindslev-Jensen, Carsten; Maurer, Marcus

    2015-01-01

    ASTERIA I was a 40-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous omalizumab as add-on therapy for 24 weeks in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria/spontaneous urticaria (CIU/CSU) who remained symptomatic despite H1 antihistamine...

  18. Common iliac vein stenosis and risk of symptomatic pulmonary embolism: an inverse correlation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Keith T; Popat, Rita A; Sze, Daniel Y; Kuo, William T; Kothary, Nishita; Louie, John D; Hovsepian, David M; Hwang, Gloria L; Hofmann, Lawrence V

    2011-02-01

    To test the hypothesis that a common iliac vein (CIV) stenosis may impair embolization of a large deep venous thrombosis (DVT) to the lungs, decreasing the incidence of a symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE). Between January 2002 and August 2007, 75 patients diagnosed with unilateral DVT were included in a single-institution case-control study. Minimum CIV diameters were measured 1 cm below the inferior vena cava (IVC) bifurcation on computed tomography (CT) images. A significant stenosis in the CIV ipsilateral to the DVT was defined as having either a diameter 4 mm or less or a greater than 70% reduction in lumen diameter. A symptomatic PE was defined as having symptoms and imaging findings consistent with a PE. The odds of symptomatic PE versus CIV stenosis were assessed using logistic regression models. The associations between thrombus location, stenosis, and symptomatic PE were assessed using a stratified analysis. Of 75 subjects, 49 (65%) presented with symptomatic PE. There were 17 (23%) subjects with a venous lumen 4 mm or less and 12 (16%) subjects with a greater than 70% stenosis. CIV stenosis of 4 mm or less resulted in a decreased odds of a symptomatic PE compared with a lumen greater than 4 mm (odds ratio [OR] 0.17, P = .011), whereas a greater than 70% stenosis increased the odds of DVT involving the CIV (OR 7.1, P = .047). Among patients with unilateral DVT, those with an ipsilateral CIV lumen of 4 mm or less have an 83% lower risk of developing symptomatic PE compared with patients with a CIV lumen greater than 4 mm. Copyright © 2011 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. A neural network to predict symptomatic lung injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Munley, M.T.; Lo, J.Y.

    1999-01-01

    A nonlinear neural network that simultaneously uses pre-radiotherapy (RT) biological and physical data was developed to predict symptomatic lung injury. The input data were pre-RT pulmonary function, three-dimensional treatment plan doses and demographics. The output was a single value between 0 (asymptomatic) and 1 (symptomatic) to predict the likelihood that a particular patient would become symptomatic. The network was trained on data from 97 patients for 400 iterations with the goal to minimize the mean-squared error. Statistical analysis was performed on the resulting network to determine the model's accuracy. Results from the neural network were compared with those given by traditional linear discriminate analysis and the dose-volume histogram reduction (DVHR) scheme of Kutcher. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed on the resulting network which had Az=0.833±0.04. (Az is the area under the ROC curve.) Linear discriminate multivariate analysis yielded an Az=0.813±0.06. The DVHR method had Az=0.521±0.08. The network was also used to rank the significance of the input variables. Future studies will be conducted to improve network accuracy and to include functional imaging data. (author)

  20. Recurrence Risk after a First Remote Symptomatic Unprovoked Seizure in Childhood: A Prospective Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos-Lizana, J.; Aguirre-Rodriguez, J.; Aguilera-Lopez, P.; Cassinello-Garcia, E.

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess recurrence risk after a first remote symptomatic unprovoked seizure in childhood. All consecutive patients younger than 14 years with a first remote symptomatic unprovoked seizure who were seen at our hospital between 1994 and 2006 were included in the study and prospectively followed. Only two patients received…

  1. Increased platelet activation in early symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid stenosis and relationship with microembolic status: Results from the Platelets And Carotid Stenosis (PACS) Study.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Kinsella, Ja

    2013-04-26

    BACKGROUND: Cerebral microembolic signals (MES) may predict increased stroke risk in carotid stenosis. However, the relationship between platelet counts or platelet activation status and MES in symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid stenosis has not been comprehensively assessed. SETTING: University teaching hospitals. METHODS: This prospective, pilot observational study assessed platelet counts and platelet activation status, and the relationship between platelet activation and MES in asymptomatic versus early (≤4 weeks after TIA\\/stroke) and late phase (≥3 months) symptomatic moderate or severe (≥50%) carotid stenosis patients. Full blood count measurements were performed, and whole blood flow cytometry was used to quantify platelet surface activation marker expression (CD62P and CD63) and circulating leucocyte-platelet complexes. Bilateral simultaneous transcranial Doppler ultrasound monitoring of the middle cerebral arteries was performed for 1 hour to classify patients as MES-positive or MES-negative. RESULTS: Data from 31 asymptomatic patients were compared with 46 symptomatic patients in the early phase, and 35 of these patients followed up to the late phase after symptom onset. The median platelet count (211 vs. 200 x 10(9) \\/L; p=0.03) and the median% lymphocyte-platelet complexes were higher in early symptomatic than asymptomatic patients (2.8 vs. 2.4%, p=0.001). The% lymphocyte-platelet complexes was higher in early symptomatic than asymptomatic patients with ≥70% carotid stenosis (p=0.0005), and in symptomatic patients recruited within 7 days of symptom onset (p=0.028). Complete TCD data were available in 25 asymptomatic and 31 early phase symptomatic, and 27 late phase symptomatic patients. 12% of asymptomatic versus 32% of early phase symptomatic (p=0.02) and 19% of late phase symptomatic patients (p=0.2) were MES-positive. Early symptomatic MES-negative patients had a higher% lymphocyte-platelet complexes than asymptomatic MES

  2. Plasma thrombin-cleaved osteopontin elevation after carotid artery stenting in symptomatic ischemic stroke patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurata, Mie; Okura, Takafumi; Kumon, Yoshiaki; Tagawa, Masahiko; Watanabe, Hideaki; Miyazaki, Tatsuhiko; Higaki, Jitsuo; Nose, Masato; Nakahara, Toshinori

    2012-01-01

    Atherothrombosis is the primary pathophysiology that underlies ischemic cerebral infarction. Osteopontin (OPN) is produced in atherosclerotic lesions and is cleaved by activated thrombin. We hypothesized that the rupture or damage of an unstable atherosclerotic plaque increases plasma levels of thrombin-cleaved OPN (trOPN). This study included 90 patients who received carotid angioplasty with stenting (CAS), 23 patients with essential hypertension (EHT) and 10 patients who were treated with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The CAS patient group included 36 patients that had pre- and post-operative blood tests, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) using cerebral MRIs and estimated thrombus debris within the protection device. Immunohistochemistry of CEA specimens revealed that trOPN was detected around intra-plaque vessels. The highest tertile of plasma trOPN levels in CAS patients was higher than trOPN levels in EHT patients. Post-operative trOPN levels were significantly higher in symptomatic compared with asymptomatic patients (P=0.003). New ipsilateral DWI-positive patients revealed higher post-operative trOPN levels (P=0.003) and a higher grade of thrombi (P<0.001) than DWI-negative patients. TrOPN may be a novel biomarker that reflects the atherothrombotic status in ischemic stroke. (author)

  3. Association of lower extremity arterial calcification with amputation and mortality in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi-Lun Huang

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The clinical implication of the coronary artery calcium score (CS is well demonstrated. However, little is known about the association between lower extremity arterial calcification and clinical outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-two patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (age 61.0±12.4 years were followed for 21±11 months. CSs, ranging from the common iliac artery bifurcation to the ankle area, were analyzed through noncontrast multidetector computed tomography images retrospectively. The primary endpoints of this study were amputation and mortality. Old age, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and end-stage renal disease were associated with higher CSs. Patients with more advanced Fontaine stages also tended to have significantly higher CSs (p = 0.03. During the follow-up period (21±11 months, 29 (35% patients underwent amputation, and 24 (29% patients died. Among the patients who underwent amputation, there were no significant differences in CSs between the amputated legs and the non-amputated legs. In the Cox proportional hazard model with CS divided into quartiles, patients with CS in the highest quartile had a 2.88-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-12.72, p = 0.03 and a 5.16-fold (95% CI 1.13-21.61, p = 0.04 higher risk for amputation and all-cause mortality, respectively, than those with CS in the lowest quartile. These predictive effects remained after conventional risk factor adjustment. CONCLUSION: Lower extremity arterial CSs are associated with disease severity and outcomes, including amputation and all-cause mortality, in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease. However, the independent predictive value needs further investigation in large scale, prospective studies.

  4. Symptomatic management in multiple sclerosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pushkar Shah

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Multiple sclerosis (MS is the commonest cause of disability in young adults. While there is increasing choice and better treatments available for delaying disease progression, there are still, very few, effective symptomatic treatments. For many patients such as those with primary progressive MS (PPMS and those that inevitably become secondary progressive, symptom management is the only treatment available. MS related symptoms are complex, interrelated, and can be interdependent. It requires good understanding of the condition, a holistic multidisciplinary approach, and above all, patient education and empowerment.

  5. Comparison of SPECT/CT and MRI in diagnosing symptomatic lesions in ankle and foot pain patients: diagnostic performance and relation to lesion type.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Seunggyun; Hong, Sung Hwan; Paeng, Jin Chul; Lee, Dong Yeon; Cheon, Gi Jeong; Arya, Amitabh; Chung, June-Key; Lee, Dong Soo; Kang, Keon Wook

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of SPECT/CT and MRI in patients with ankle and foot pain, with regard to the lesion types. Fifty consecutive patients with ankle and foot pain, who underwent 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT and MRI, were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Symptomatic lesions were determined based on clinical examination and response to treatment. On MRI and SPECT/CT, detected lesions were classified as bone, ligament/tendon, and joint lesions. Uptake on SPECT/CT was assessed using a 4-grade system. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of SPECT/CT and MRI were evaluated in all detected lesions and each lesion type. Diagnostic value of uptake grade was analyzed using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis, and diagnostic performance was compared using Chi-square or McNemar tests. In overall lesions, the sensitivity, PPV and NPV of SPECT/CT for symptomatic lesions were 93%, 56%, 91%, and they were 98%, 48%, 95% for MRI. There was no significant difference between SPECT/CT and MRI. However, the specificity of SPECT/CT was significantly higher than that of MRI (48% versus 24%, P = 0.016). Uptake grade on SPECT/CT was significantly higher in symptomatic lesions (P diagnostic performance for symptomatic lesions in ankle and foot pain patients. SPECT/CT and MRI exhibit different diagnostic specificity in different lesion types. SPECT/CT may be used as a complementary imaging method to MRI for enhancing diagnostic specificity.

  6. Effect of CPAP on Cardiac Function in Minimally Symptomatic Patients with OSA: Results from a Subset of the MOSAIC Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, Sonya; Kylintireas, Ilias; Kohler, Malcolm; Nicoll, Debby; Bratton, Daniel J; Nunn, Andrew J; Leeson, Paul; Neubauer, Stefan; Stradling, John R

    2015-09-15

    Minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent, and the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on myocardial function in these patients are unknown. The MOSAIC randomized, controlled trial of CPAP for minimally symptomatic OSA assessed the effect of CPAP on myocardial function in a subset of patients. Two centers taking part in the MOSAIC trial randomized 238 patients in parallel to 6 months of CPAP (120) or standard care (118). Of these, 168 patients had echocardiograms, and 68 patients had a cardiac magnetic resonance scan (CMR). A larger group (314) from 4 centers had brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) measured. Mean (SD) baseline oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and Epworth sleepiness score (ESS) were 13.5 (13.2), and 8.4 (4.0), respectively. CPAP significantly reduced ESS and ODI. Baseline LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was well preserved (60.4%). CPAP had no significant effect on echo-derived left atrial (LA) area (-1.0 cm2, 95% CI -2.6 to +0.6, p = 0.23) or early to late left ventricular filling velocity (E/A) ratio (-0.01, 95% CI -0.07 to +0.05, p = 0.79). There was a small change in echo-derived LV end diastolic volume (EDV) with CPAP (-5.9 mL, 95% CI -10.6 to -1.2, p = 0.015). No significant changes were detected by CMR on LV mass index (+1.1 g/m(2), 95% CI -5.9 to +8.0, p = 0.76) or LVEF (+0.8%, 95% CI -1.2 to +2.8, p = 0.41). CPAP did not affect BNP levels (p = 0.16). Six months of CPAP therapy does not change cardiac functional or structural parameters measured by echocardiogram or CMR in patients with minimally symptomatic mild-to-moderate OSA. ISRCTN 34164388 (http://isrctn.org). © 2015 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

  7. Repair of symptomatic paraesophageal hernias in elderly (>70 years) patients results in sustained quality of life at 5 years and beyond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merzlikin, Oleg V; Louie, Brian E; Farivar, Alexander S; Shultz, Dale; Aye, Ralph W

    2017-10-01

    Paraesophageal hernias (PEHs) involve herniation of stomach and/or other viscera into the mediastinum. These commonly occur in the elderly and can severely limit quality of life. Short term outcomes of repaired PEH demonstrated low morbidity and significant improvement in quality of life, but long-term data for all patients, especially the elderly, are lacking. Retrospective chart review of a prospectively collected database of patients aged 70 or greater with a symptomatic PEH repaired 5+ years ago. Quality of life data were assessed preoperatively, at 12-24 months, and at 5+ years using QOLRAD, GERD-HRQL, and DSS. We identified 137 patients who met the age criteria, with 69 patients undergoing surgery 5+ years ago. With ten patients were lost to follow-up, 59 patients were analyzed, including 24 males and 35 females. Median age at repair was 77 years. There were two 90-day mortalities, with one occurring within 30 days of surgery. Patients alive at evaluation had a median age of 74 years and were followed a median 7.4 years. From baseline, QOLRAD improved from 4 to 6.5, GERD-HRQL improved from 11 to 5, and swallowing improved from 11 to 38. During follow-up, 21 patients died. Deceased patients lived a median of 4 years after repair, with a median age at repair of 80 years. At a median time follow-up of 2 years, this group's QOLRAD improved from 5.1 to 7, GERD-HRQL improved from 16 to 4, and swallowing improved from 14.5 to 35. In elderly patients with symptomatic PEH undergoing surgical repair more than 5 years ago, there was sustained improvement in quality of life. This justifies surgical repair of symptomatic PEH in elderly patients.

  8. Palliative radiotherapy for symptomatic osseous metastases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shigematsu, Naoyuki; Ito, Hisao; Toya, Kazuhito; Ko, Weijey; Kutsuki, Shouji; Tsukamoto, Nobuhiro; Kubo, Atsushi; Dokiya, Takushi; Yorozu, Atsunori.

    1995-01-01

    Bone matastases are one of the most common and serious conditions requiring radiotherapy, but there is still a considerable lack of agreement on optimal radiation schedule. We analyzed patients with symptomatic osseous matastases from lung (72 patients) and breast (63 patients) carcinoma treated by palliative radiotherapy between 1983 and 1992. In this series, the incidences of symptomatic bone metastases appearing within 2 years after the first diagnosis of the primary lesion were 96% and 36% for lung and breast carcinomas, respectively. Thirty percent of bone metastases from breast carcinoma were diagnosed more than 5 years after the first diagnosis. Thus careful follow-up must be carried out for a prolonged period. Pain relief was achieved at almost the same rate for bone metastases from lung and breast carcinomas (81% and 85%, respectively), an the rapid onset of pain relief (15 Gy or less) was obtained in about half the patients for both diseases. The rapid onset of pain relief and the lack of association between the onset of pain relief and primary tumor argued against the conventional theory that tumor shrinkage is a component of the initial response. In contrast to the fact that almost all lung carcinoma patients had very poor prognoses, one third of the breast carcinoma patients were alive more than 2 years after palliative radiotherapy. Thust, the late effects of radiation, such as radiation myelopathy, must be always considered especially in breast carcinoma patients even when it is 'just' palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases. (author)

  9. Symptomatic oral lesions may be associated with contact allergy to substances in oral hygiene products

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Kristine Røn; Johansen, J D; Reibel, J

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Dental materials and oral hygiene products may be responsible for oral contact allergic reactions. We aimed to determine the occurrence of allergies in patients with symptomatic oral lichen planus (OLP), oral lichenoid lesions (OLLs) and stomatitis and investigate if patch testing could...... identify contact allergies to dental materials and oral hygiene products in these patients. METHODS: Forty-nine patients (7 men, 42 women) aged 31 to 77 years (61 ± 10.3 years) with symptomatic OLP, OLL or stomatitis and 29 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects were included. They underwent.......01). Avoidance cleared symptoms in all cases. CONCLUSION/CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Allergic reactions to aroma substances in oral hygiene products are common in patients with symptomatic OLP, OLL and stomatitis....

  10. Clinical outcomes of modified minimally invasive approach and de-rotation of symptomatic chronic gastric volvulus – A tertiary centre experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Chet Toh

    Full Text Available Introduction: Gastric volvulus is a surgical condition that should be recognised promptly to prevent life-threatening gastric ischaemia and perforation in acute setting. There are two peak age group of incidence with children less than one year old and at fifth decade.1 The mortality rates for acute gastric volvulus remain high with reported range from 30% to 50% signifying the need of early diagnosis and treatment.2 These case series reported modified minimal invasive approach for symptomatic chronic gastric volvulus in a tertiary upper gastrointestinal unit in Singapore. Methods: Retrospective case series reviewed in single centre from 1st May 2016 to 1st May 2017 of clinical outcomes of modified minimally invasive approach and de-rotation of symptomatic chronic gastric volvulus. Results: Three symptomatic patients with evidence of gastric volvulus on CT-scan underwent minimally invasive repair with the aids of GastriSail™ Gastric positioning system. GastriSail™ was used for gastric volvulus de-rotation prior to repair definitely. Two patients had fundoplication done and one patient had gastropexy performed successfully. All patients started on blended diet post-operative day 1 and discharged well. Patient remained asymptomatic and nil recurrence at 3 months follow-up post-operation. Conclusion: Based on our experience, we advocate modified minimally invasive repair of chronic gastric volvulus as an alternative to traditional open surgical technique with acceptable good clinical outcomes. Keywords: Chronic gastric volvulus, Minimal invasive surgery, Upper gastrointestinal tract

  11. Uterine artery embolisation as an effective choice for symptomatic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-03-31

    Mar 31, 2016 ... Symptomatic uterine leiomyomas can cause pain, heavy bleeding, pressure effects and reduced fertility. ... percent of patients reported being satisfied, 12% partially satisfied and 7% not satisfied. No .... Ten (12.2%) patients reported being partially .... 6-month follow-up, they were referred back to primary.

  12. The relationship between the level of salivary alpha amylase activity and pain severity in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Ahmadi-Motamayel

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Objectives Assessment of dental pain severity is very challenging in dentistry. Previous studies have suggested that elevated salivary alpha amylase may contribute to increased physical stresses. There is a close association between salivary alpha amylase and plasma norepinephrine under stressful physical conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pain severity and salivary alpha amylase levels in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Materials and Methods Thirty-six patients (20 females and 16 males with severe tooth pain due to symptomatic irreversible pulpitis were selected. The visual analogue scale (VAS score was used to assess the pain severity in each patient. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected, and the level of alpha amylase activity was assessed by the spectrophotometric method. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13. Results The level of alpha amylase was significantly increased in the saliva in association with pain severity assessed by VAS. The salivary alpha amylase was also elevated with increased age and in males. Conclusions There was a significant correlation between the VAS pain scale and salivary alpha amylase level, which indicates this biomarker may be a good index for the objective assessment of pain intensity.

  13. [Symptomatic extramedullary haematopoiesis in β-thalassemia: A retrospective single centre study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maazoun, F; Gellen Dautremer, J; Boutekadjirt, A; Pissard, S; Habibi, A; Bachir, D; Rahmouni, A; Bartolucci, P; Debbache, K; Lagrange, J-L; Michel, M; Galacteros, F

    2016-01-01

    Symptomatic extramedullary hematopoiesis (EH) is a rare but potentially severe phenomenon which occurs in β-thalassemia. There are no treatment guidelines. Retrospective single centre study including the cases of symptomatic EH encountered between 1997 and 2014 in a unit specialised in red blood cell genetic disorders. Description of clinical, biological and radiological characteristics of the patients, treatments received, and outcomes. Among 182 β-thalassemia patients followed during the study period, 7 cases of symptomatic EH were diagnosed. They were 5 men and 2 women, and their mean age was 37 years. Four patients were splenectomised, two patients were regularly transfused, and four patients had already received erythropoietin. EH was localised in intravertebral areas and responsible for dorsal spinal cord compression in 5 patients, in paravertebral dorsal area in 1 patient, and in presacral area in 1 patient. The mean hemoglobin level at diagnosis was 7.9 g/dL. Treatment administered included: red cell transfusion in 6 cases, associated with hydroxyurea in 5 cases and/or radiotherapy in 3 patients. One patient was treated with surgery and HU. After a median follow-up of 41 months, clinical recovery was complete in 2 patients and partial in 5 patients. EH must be suspected in β-thalassemia in patients presenting clinical signs of organ compression, and a typical radiological aspect. The functional prognosis depends on the rapidity of treatment, which includes red blood cell transfusion, hydroxyurea, radiotherapy, and rarely surgery. Long-term outcome is uncertain. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  14. Laparoscopic decortication of symptomatic renal cysts. Experience from a referral center in Iran

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbaszadeh, S.; Taheri, S.; Nourbala, M.H.

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this study was to present our experience with laparoscopic management of symptomatic simple renal cysts. From April 2004 to November 2006, 21 patients (10 men; 11 women) underwent laparoscopic decortication for simple renal cysts at our department and were included in the analysis. All procedures were carried out by one surgeon using a transperitoneal approach. Patients underwent radiological follow-up with computerized tomography and/or ultrasonography. Procedural success was defined as no recurrence of the cyst and complete pain relief. Symptomatic success was defined as a significant pain decrease. All 21 procedures were completed laparoscopically, without major complications or conversion to open surgery. Estimated mean blood loss during surgery was about 50 mL. Patients were hospitalized for a mean of 1.9±1.1 (range: 1-5) days. Age of the patients and size and location of the cysts, had no relationship with the duration of operation as well as the length of hospital stay (P>0.05). Patients who experienced complete pain relief had significantly larger cyst sizes compared with patients with a partial pain decrease (7.3±1.1 vs 9.1±2.0, respectively; P=0.023, F=0.606). All patients had negative cytological and pathological findings for malignancy or any other abnormalities. At 16.6 months of mean follow up, none of the patients reported symptomatic and/or radiologic failure. Laparoscopic transperitoneal decortication represents an effective and safe treatment option in the management of symptomatic renal cysts. (author)

  15. Serum protein profiles predict coronary artery disease in symptomatic patients referred for coronary angiography

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    LaFramboise William A

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background More than a million diagnostic cardiac catheterizations are performed annually in the US for evaluation of coronary artery anatomy and the presence of atherosclerosis. Nearly half of these patients have no significant coronary lesions or do not require mechanical or surgical revascularization. Consequently, the ability to rule out clinically significant coronary artery disease (CAD using low cost, low risk tests of serum biomarkers in even a small percentage of patients with normal coronary arteries could be highly beneficial. Methods Serum from 359 symptomatic subjects referred for catheterization was interrogated for proteins involved in atherogenesis, atherosclerosis, and plaque vulnerability. Coronary angiography classified 150 patients without flow-limiting CAD who did not require percutaneous intervention (PCI while 209 required coronary revascularization (stents, angioplasty, or coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Continuous variables were compared across the two patient groups for each analyte including calculation of false discovery rate (FDR ≤ 1% and Q value (P value for statistical significance adjusted to ≤ 0.01. Results Significant differences were detected in circulating proteins from patients requiring revascularization including increased apolipoprotein B100 (APO-B100, C-reactive protein (CRP, fibrinogen, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1, myeloperoxidase (MPO, resistin, osteopontin, interleukin (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and N-terminal fragment protein precursor brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pBNP and decreased apolipoprotein A1 (APO-A1. Biomarker classification signatures comprising up to 5 analytes were identified using a tunable scoring function trained against 239 samples and validated with 120 additional samples. A total of 14 overlapping signatures classified patients without significant coronary disease (38% to 59% specificity while maintaining 95% sensitivity for patients requiring

  16. Analysis of multi-factors affecting symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in intraarterial thrombolysis with urokinase for acute ischemic stroke

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiao Qianlin; Zhou Shi; Wang Xuejian; Wu Qinghua; Song Jie

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To explore the causes and preventive measures of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in 217 patients with acute cerebral ischemic stroke treated with local intra-arterial urokinase. Methods: From February 1999 to June 2004, 217 patients were treated for acute ischemic stroke with local intra-arterial urokinase in our hospital. Factors associated with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage of intra-arterial thrombolysis were analyzed by Stepwise logistic regression to identify some factors relating the prediction symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Results: Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 8 cases (3.7%). Predictors of the symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage were the elevated systolic blood pressure before therapy (odds ratio, 1.096; 95% CI, 1.006 to 1.194) and urokinase (UK) treatment (odds ratio, 1.068 ; 95% CL, 1.053 to 1.247). Risk of secondary symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was increased with elevated systolic blood pressure. Other factors like age, initial treating time, NIHSS, diabetes and collateral circulation did not predict the symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage respectively. Conclusions: Predictors of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after local intra-arterial infusion of urokinase for acute ischemic stroke were the elevated systolic blood pressure before therapy and urokinase (UK) treatment. (authors)

  17. Randomized controlled trial of foot reflexology for patients with symptomatic idiopathic detrusor overactivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mak, Ho-Leung Jimmy; Cheon, Willy Cecilia; Wong, To; Liu, Yu Sun John; Tong, Wai Mei Anny

    2007-06-01

    The aim of this study was to examine whether foot reflexology has beneficial effects on patients with idiopathic detrusor overactivity. One hundred and nine women with symptomatic idiopathic detrusor overactivity were randomized into either foot reflexology treatment group or nonspecific foot massage control group. The primary outcome measure was the change in the diurnal micturition frequency. There was significant change in the number of daytime frequency in the reflexology group when compared with the massage group (-1.90 vs -0.55, p = 0.029). There was also a decrease in the 24-h micturition frequency in both groups, but the change was not statistically significant (-2.80 vs -1.04 p = 0.055). In the reflexology group, more patients believed to have received "true" reflexology (88.9 vs 67.4%, p = 0.012). This reflects the difficulty of blinding in trials of reflexology. Larger scale studies with a better-designed control group and an improved blinding are required to examine if reflexology is effective in improving patients' overall outcome.

  18. Electrocardiographically and symptomatically silent myocardial ischemia during exercise testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurata, Chinori; Tawarahara, Kei; Sakata, Kazuyuki; Taguchi, Takahisa; Fukumoto, Yoshihiro; Kobayashi, Akira; Yamazaki, Noboru; Tanaka, Hiroshi

    1991-01-01

    Certain patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) may have neither ST depression nor chest pain during exercise despite the presence of myocardial ischemia. The frequency and characteristics of such electrocardiographically and symptomatically silent ischemia were studied in 171 patients with both angiographically documented CAD and scintigraphically documented ischemia. Fifty-six (33%) of 171 patients had neither ST depression nor chest pain (Group N), and 115 (67%) had ST depression and/or chest pain (Group P). The two groups were similar with respect to age, gender, the prevalence of prior infarction, and peak systolic blood pressure. Group N patients, however, had a higher mean peak heart rate and rate-pressure product, less severe scintigraphic ischemia, a lower lung thallium-201 uptake, and a smaller number of diseased vessels. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed a history of effort angina, lung thallium-201 uptake, and scintigraphic severity of ischemia to be significant discriminators between Groups N and P. In conclusion, electrocardiographically and symptomatically silent ischemia may be common during exercise in patients with CAD, and less severe ischemia may be one of important determinants. (author)

  19. Uterine artery embolisation for symptomatic adenomyosis-Mid-term results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bratby, M.J.; Walker, W.J.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the role of uterine artery embolisation (UAE) in the treatment of adenomyosis. Materials and methods: 27 women with symptomatic adenomyosis diagnosed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) underwent UAE between 1998 and 2004. Clinical evaluation using a standardised questionnaire was made at regular intervals after embolisation to assess patient outcome. Results: The diagnosis of adenomyosis was confirmed histologically by transvaginal biopsy in 5 women. There were 14 women with associated uterine fibroids. Diffuse adenomyosis was identified in 18 women. A focal adenomyoma was present in another 8 women. In 1 patient adenomyosis was not classified. All patients except one underwent bilateral uterine artery embolisation. There was an initial favourable clinical response, with improvement of menorrhagia in 79% (13/16) of patients at 12 months. Follow-up data was available on a total of 14 patients at 2 and 3 years after embolisation. 45.5% (5/11) reported a deterioration in menorrhagia symptoms at 2 years. Conclusion: UAE for symptomatic adenomyosis is effective in the short-term but there is a high rate of recurrence of clinical symptoms 2 year following treatment.

  20. Uterine artery embolisation for symptomatic adenomyosis-Mid-term results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bratby, M.J. [Radiology Department, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XX (United Kingdom); Walker, W.J. [Radiology Department, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XX (United Kingdom)], E-mail: wjwalker@doctors.org.uk

    2009-04-15

    Purpose: To evaluate the role of uterine artery embolisation (UAE) in the treatment of adenomyosis. Materials and methods: 27 women with symptomatic adenomyosis diagnosed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) underwent UAE between 1998 and 2004. Clinical evaluation using a standardised questionnaire was made at regular intervals after embolisation to assess patient outcome. Results: The diagnosis of adenomyosis was confirmed histologically by transvaginal biopsy in 5 women. There were 14 women with associated uterine fibroids. Diffuse adenomyosis was identified in 18 women. A focal adenomyoma was present in another 8 women. In 1 patient adenomyosis was not classified. All patients except one underwent bilateral uterine artery embolisation. There was an initial favourable clinical response, with improvement of menorrhagia in 79% (13/16) of patients at 12 months. Follow-up data was available on a total of 14 patients at 2 and 3 years after embolisation. 45.5% (5/11) reported a deterioration in menorrhagia symptoms at 2 years. Conclusion: UAE for symptomatic adenomyosis is effective in the short-term but there is a high rate of recurrence of clinical symptoms 2 year following treatment.

  1. Symptomatic heterotopic suprarenal splenic tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heider, J.; Kreft, B.; Winter, P.

    1998-01-01

    We report on a 33-year-old man with symptomatic heterotopic suprarenal splenic tissue. Heterotopic splenic tissue can often be found after posttraumatic splenectomy. It is a result of autotransplantation induced by trauma (splenosis). Additionally it can grow during embryogenic development. Such an accessory spleen is found in 10-44% of all autopsies. In this case report the patient was treated by resection due to increasing flank pain and suspected neoplasm. (orig.) [de

  2. Evaluation of the serum free light chain (sFLC) analysis in prediction of response in symptomatic multiple myeloma patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toftmann Hansen, Charlotte; Pedersen, Per T; Nielsen, Lars C

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Observational data from clinical studies indicate that the goal of first-line therapy in newly diagnosed patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) should be very good partial response (VGPR) or better, preferably before high-dose treatment. We evaluated the value of early...... patients with no response to treatment. The mean per cent reduction in iFLC 3 d after start of treatment was 52.3% and 23.6% (P = 0.021) in patients achieving ≥VGPR and PR, respectively. The mean per cent reduction in M-protein in patients achieving ≥VGPR and PR was not significantly different in the 6-wk...

  3. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1 levels unaltered in symptomatic atherosclerotic carotid plaque patients from North India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dheeraj eKhurana

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available We aimed to identify the role of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF and monocyte chemoattractant protein(MCP-1 as a serum biomarker of symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic plaque in North Indian population. Individuals with symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic plaque have high risk of ischemic stroke. Previous studies from western countries have shown an association between VEGF and MCP-1 levels and the incidence of ischemic stroke. In this study, venous blood from 110 human subjects was collected, 57 blood samples of which were obtained from patients with carotid plaques, 38 neurological controls without carotid plaques and another 15 healthy controls who had no history of serious illness. Serum VEGF and MCP-1 levels were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA. We also correlated the data clinically and carried out risk factor analysis based on the detailed questionnaire obtained from each patient. For risk factor analysis, a total of 70 symptomatic carotid plaque cases and equal number of age and sex matched healthy controls were analyzed. We found that serum VEGF levels in carotid plaque patients did not show any significant change when compared to either of the controls. Similarly, there was no significant upregulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in the serum of these patients. The risk factor analysis revealed that hypertension, diabetes, and physical inactivity were the main correlates of carotid atherosclerosis(p<0.05. Prevalence of patients was higher residing in urban areas as compared to rural region. We also found that patients coming from mountaineer region were relatively less vulnerable to cerebral atherosclerosis as compared to the ones residing at plain region. We conclude that the pathogenesis of carotid plaques may progress independent of these inflammatory molecules. In parallel, risk factor analysis indicates hypertension, diabetes and sedentary lifestyle as the most

  4. Symptomatic intracranial vertebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis (≥70%) with concurrent contralateral vertebral atherosclerotic diseases in 88 patients treated with the intracranial stenting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Zi-Liang [Stroke Center, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University (China); Gao, Bu-Lang [Department of Medical Research Shijiazhuang First Hospital, Hebei Medical University (China); Li, Tian-Xiao, E-mail: litianxiaod@163.com [Stroke Center, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University (China); Cai, Dong-Yang; Zhu, Liang-Fu; Bai, Wei-Xing; Xue, Jiang-Yu; Li, Zhao-Shuo [Stroke Center, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University (China)

    2015-09-15

    Highlights: • Symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis can be treated with intracranial stenting. • Stenting for intracranial vertebral artery stenosis is safe and effective. • Stenting for intracranial vertebral artery stenosis can prevent long-term stroke. - Abstract: Purpose: To investigate the safety, effect and instent restenosis rate of Wingspan stenting in treating patients with intracranial vertebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis (70–99%) concurrent with contralateral vertebral artery atherosclerotic diseases. Materials and methods: Eighty-eight patients with severe symptomatic intracranial vertebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis (≥70%) combined with contralateral vertebral artery atherosclerotic diseases were treated with the Wingpsan stent. All the baseline, cerebral angiography, success rate, perioperative complications, clinical and imaging follow-up data were prospectively analyzed. Results: The success rate of stenting was 100%, and the mean stenotic rate was reduced from prestenting (84.9 ± 6.8)% to poststenting (17.2 ± 5.9)%. The perioperative stroke rate was 1.1%. Among eighty patients (90.9%) with clinical follow-up 8-62 months (mean 29.3 ± 17.2) poststenting, five (6.3%) had posterior circulation TIA only, three (3.8%) had mild stroke in the posterior circulation but recovered completely, and another five patients greater than 70 years old died of non-ischemic stroke. Imaging follow-up in 46 patients (52.3%) 5–54 months (mean 9.9 ± 9.9) following stenting revealed instent restenosis in 12 patients (26.1%) including 7 (58.3%) symptomatic restenosis. Age and residual stenosis were the two factors to significantly (P < 0.05) affect instent restenosis. Conclusion: Wingspan stenting in the intracranial vertebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis combined with contralateral vertebral artery atherosclerotic diseases has a low perioperative stroke rate and a good preventive effect on long-term ischemic stroke, but the instent restenosis

  5. Removal of symptomatic craniofacial titanium hardware following craniotomy: Case series and review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheri K. Palejwala

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Titanium craniofacial hardware has become commonplace for reconstruction and bone flap fixation following craniotomy. Complications of titanium hardware include palpability, visibility, infection, exposure, pain, and hardware malfunction, which can necessitate hardware removal. We describe three patients who underwent craniofacial reconstruction following craniotomies for trauma with post-operative courses complicated by medically intractable facial pain. All three patients subsequently underwent removal of the symptomatic craniofacial titanium hardware and experienced rapid resolution of their painful parasthesias. Symptomatic plates were found in the region of the frontozygomatic suture or MacCarty keyhole, or in close proximity with the supraorbital nerve. Titanium plates, though relatively safe and low profile, can cause local nerve irritation or neuropathy. Surgeons should be cognizant of the potential complications of titanium craniofacial hardware and locations that are at higher risk for becoming symptomatic necessitating a second surgery for removal.

  6. Indacaterol/glycopyrronium in symptomatic patients with COPD (GOLD B and GOLD D versus salmeterol/fluticasone: ILLUMINATE/LANTERN pooled analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vogelmeier C

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Claus Vogelmeier,1 Nanshan Zhong,2 Michael J Humphries,3 Karen Mezzi,4 Robert Fogel,5 Giovanni Bader,4 Francesco Patalano,4 Donald Banerji5 1Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL, Marburg, Germany; 2State Key Laboratory, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 3Beijing Novartis Pharma Co. Ltd., Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland; 5Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USA Background: Indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY is approved for maintenance treatment of adult patients with COPD. This post hoc analysis explored the efficacy and safety of IND/GLY versus salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC in symptomatic (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] B and GOLD D patients with moderate-to-severe COPD.Patients and methods: Data from LANTERN and ILLUMINATE studies were pooled and analyzed. In both studies, symptomatic COPD patients were randomized to once-daily IND/GLY 110 µg/50 µg or twice-daily SFC 50 µg/500 µg. End points were pre-dose trough forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1, standardized area under the curve for FEV1 from 0 to 12 hours (FEV1 AUC0–12 hours, peak FEV1, peak forced vital capacity (FVC, pre-dose trough FVC, Transition Dyspnea Index (TDI total score, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score, rescue medication use and safety.Results: A total of 1,263 patients were classified as either GOLD B (n=809 or GOLD D (n=454. At week 26, IND/GLY demonstrated statistically significant improvement in all lung function parameters versus SFC in patients in both the GOLD B and GOLD D subgroups. TDI total score and rescue medication use were significantly improved with IND/GLY versus SFC in the overall population and in the

  7. Diagnostic Accuracy of Dual-Source Computerized Tomography Coronary Angiography in Symptomatic Patients Presenting to a Referral Cardiovascular Center During Daily Clinical Practice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahdavi, Arash; Mohammadzadeh, Ali; Joodi, Golsa; Tabatabaei, Mohammad Reza; Sheikholeslami, Farhad; Motevalli, Marzieh

    2016-01-01

    There are numerous studies that address the diagnostic value of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) as an alternative to conventional coronary angiography (CCA). However, the benefit of application of DSCT in a real world clinical setting should be evaluated. To determine the diagnostic accuracy of DSCT technique compared with CCA as the gold standard method in detection of coronary artery stenosis among symptomatic patients who are presented to a referral cardiovascular center during daily clinical practice. Evaluating the medical records of a tertiary care referral cardiovascular center, 47 patients who had undergone DSCT and CCA, and also met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study were selected. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and likelihood ratios (LRs) of the DSCT imaging technique were calculated. In total, 97.8% of the segments (628/642) could be visualized with diagnostic image quality via DSCT coronary angiography. The mean heart rate during DSCT was 69.2 ± 12.2 bpm (range: 39 - 83 bpm), and the mean Agatston score was 507.7 ± 590.5 (range: 0 - 2328). Per segment analysis of the findings revealed that the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, positive LR (PLR) and negative LR (NLR) of DSCT technique for evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease were 93.7%, 96.8%, 92.7%, 97.2%, 29.4, and 0.066, respectively. Also per vessel, analysis of the findings showed a sensitivity of 97.1%, a specificity of 94.0%, PPV of 95.3%, NPV of 96.3%, PLR of 16.1, and NLR of 0.030. Our results indicate that DSCT coronary angiography provides high diagnostic accuracy for the evaluation of CAD patients during daily routine practice of a referral cardiovascular setting

  8. Rivaroxaban for the treatment of symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in Chinese patients: a subgroup analysis of the EINSTEIN DVT and PE studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yuqi; Wang, Chen; Chen, Zhong; Zhang, Jiwei; Liu, Zhihong; Jin, Bi; Ying, Kejing; Liu, Changwei; Shao, Yuxia; Jing, Zhicheng; Meng, Isabelle Ling; Prins, Martin H; Pap, Akos F; Müller, Katharina; Lensing, Anthonie Wa

    2013-12-16

    The worldwide EINSTEIN DVT and EINSTEIN PE studies randomized 8282 patients with acute symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE) and, for the first time in trials in this setting, included patients in China. This analysis evaluates the results of these studies in this subgroup of patients. A total of 439 Chinese patients who had acute symptomatic DVT (n=211), or PE with or without DVT (n=228), were randomized to receive rivaroxaban (15 mg twice daily for 21 days, followed by 20 mg once daily) or standard therapy of enoxaparin overlapping with and followed by an adjusted-dose vitamin K antagonist, for 3, 6, or 12 months. The primary efficacy outcome was symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism. The principal safety outcome was major or non-major clinically relevant bleeding. The primary efficacy outcome occurred in seven (3.2%) of the 220 patients in the rivaroxaban group and in seven (3.2%) of the 219 patients in the standard-therapy group (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval 0.36-3.0; p=0.94). The principal safety outcome occurred in 13 (5.9%) patients in the rivaroxaban group and in 20 (9.2%) patients in the standard-therapy group (hazard ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval 0.31-1.26; p=0.19). Major bleeding was observed in no patients in the rivaroxaban group and in five (2.3%) patients in the standard-therapy group. In fragile patients (defined as age >75 years, creatinine clearance EINSTEIN PE, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00439777; EINSTEIN DVT, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00440193.

  9. Symptomatic relief precedes improvement of myocardial blood flow in patients under spinal cord stimulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koulousakis Athanassios

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Spinal cord electrical stimulation (SCS has shown to be a treatment option for patients suffering from angina pectoris CCS III-IV although being on optimal medication and not suitable for conventional treatment strategies, e.g. CABG or PTCA. Although many studies demonstrated a clear symptomatic relief under SCS therapy, there are only a few short-term studies that investigated alterations in cardiac ischemia. Therefore doubts remain whether SCS has a direct effect on myocardial perfusion. Methods A prospective study to investigate the short- and long-term effect of spinal cord stimulation (SCS on myocardial ischemia in patients with refractory angina pectoris and coronary multivessel disease was designed. Myocardial ischemia was measured by MIBI-SPECT scintigraphy 3 months and 12 months after the beginning of neurostimulation. To further examine the relation between cardiac perfusion and functional status of the patients we measured exercise capacity (bicycle ergometry and 6-minute walk test, symptoms and quality of life (Seattle Angina Questionnaire [SAQ], as well. Results 31 patients (65 ± 11 SEM years; 25 male, 6 female were included into the study. The average consumption of short acting nitrates (SAN decreased rapidly from 12 ± 1.6 times to 3 ± 1 times per week. The walking distance and the maximum workload increased from 143 ± 22 to 225 ± 24 meters and 68 ± 7 to 96 ± 12 watt after 3 months. Quality of life increased (SAQ significantly after 3 month compared to baseline, as well. No further improvement was observed after one year of treament. Despite the symptomatic relief and the improvement in maximal workload computer based analysis (Emory Cardiac Toolbox of the MIBI-SPECT studies after 3 months of treatment did not show significant alterations of myocardial ischemia compared to baseline (16 patients idem, 7 with increase and 6 with decrease of ischemia, 2 patients dropped out during initial test phase

  10. Relationship between human cytomegalovirus transcription and symptomatic apical periodontitis in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazdi, K A; Sabeti, M; Jabalameli, F; Eman eini, M; Kolahdouzan, S A; Slots, J

    2008-12-01

    Apical periodontitis of endodontic origin may develop as a result of cooperative interactions among herpesviruses, specific pathogenic bacteria and tissue-destructive inflammatory mediators. This study sought to identify the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) transcripts in symptomatic and asymptomatic periapical lesions of individuals living in Iran. Fifty endodontic patients (28 with symptomatic periapical lesions and 22 with asymptomatic periapical lesions) were included in the study. In each study subject, a microbiological periapical sample was collected using a curette in conjunction with periapical surgery. A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay was used to identify transcripts of EBV and HCMV. Human cytomegalovirus transcript was detected in 15 of the 28 (53.6%) symptomatic and in six of the 22 (27.3%) asymptomatic periapical study lesions (significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions; P = 0.03, chi-square test). Epstein-Barr virus transcript was identified in one symptomatic and in two asymptomatic periapical lesions. This study establishes that HCMV transcription is common in apical periodontitis and is most frequent in symptomatic lesions. The high frequency of active herpesvirus infections in severe apical periodontitis changes the pathogenic paradigm of the disease and may also have preventive and therapeutic implications.

  11. Intraoperative endoscopic ultrasound guidance for laparoscopic excision of invisible symptomatic deep intramural myomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urman, Bulent; Boza, Aysen; Ata, Baris; Aksu, Sertan; Arslan, Tonguc; Taskiran, Cagatay

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of intraoperative endoscopic ultrasound guidance for excision of symptomatic deep intramural myomas that are not otherwise visible at laparoscopy. Seventeen patients with symptomatic deep intramural myomas who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy with intraoperative endoscopic ultrasound guidance were followed up and reported. All myomas were removed successfully. The endometrium was breached in one patient. All patients were relieved of their symptoms and three patients presenting with infertility conceived. There were no short- or long-term complications associated with the procedure. One patient who had multiple myomas necessitated intravenous iron treatment prior to discharge. Laparoscopic removal of small symptomatic deep intramural myomas is facilitated by the use of intraoperative endoscopic ultrasound that enables exact localisation and correct placement of the serosal incision. Impact statement What is already known on this subject: When the myoma is symptomatic, compressing the endometrium, does not show serosal protrusion and is not amenable to hysteroscopic resection, laparoscopic surgery may become challenging. What do the results of this study add: The use of intraoperative endoscopic ultrasound under these circumstances may facilitate the procedure by accurate identification of the myoma and correct placement of the serosal incision. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: Intraoperative ultrasound should be more oftenly used to accurately locate deep intramural myomas to the end of making laparoscopy feasible and possibly decreasing recurrence by facilitating removal of otherwise unidentifiable disease.

  12. The acute salivary ghrelin response to a psychosocial stress is enhanced in symptomatic patients with bulimia nervosa: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteleone, Palmiero; Tortorella, Alfonso; Scognamiglio, Pasquale; Serino, Ismene; Monteleone, Alessio Maria; Maj, Mario

    2012-01-01

    Stress is a precipitating factor for both binge eating and bulimia nervosa (BN); however, the biological mechanisms through which it may trigger binge eating are poorly understood. There is evidence that the adrenal hormone cortisol and the gastric peptide ghrelin might be involved in stress-induced food ingestion. We hypothesized that symptomatic patients with BN might disclose deranged responses of ghrelin and/or cortisol to stressors and that this could be related to their binge-eating behaviour. Here we investigated salivary cortisol and ghrelin responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in 10 women with acute BN and 10 age-matched healthy females. Eating-related psychopathology and behaviours were assessed by self-report measures. No significant differences emerged between bulimic patients and healthy controls in the pre-stress salivary levels of both cortisol and ghrelin. The BN patients displayed normal cortisol but enhanced ghrelin responses to TSST. No significant correlations emerged between stress-induced salivary hormone changes and self-report measures of binge eating. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing deranged salivary ghrelin reactivity to a psychosocial stressor in symptomatic patients with BN. The extent to which this could contribute to the binge-eating behaviour of BN subjects awaits clarification. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. Glenohumeral joint translation and muscle activity in patients with symptomatic rotator cuff pathology: An ultrasonographic and electromyographic study with age-matched controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathi, Sangeeta; Taylor, Nicholas F; Soo, Brendan; Green, Rodney A

    2018-03-02

    To determine whether patients with symptomatic rotator cuff pathology had more glenohumeral joint translation and different patterns of rotator cuff muscle activity compared to controls. Repeated measurements of glenohumeral translation and muscle activity in two positions and six testing conditions in two groups. Twenty participants with a symptomatic and diagnosed rotator cuff tear and 20 age, and gender matched controls were included. Neuromuscular activity was tested by inserting intramuscular electrodes in the rotator cuff muscles. Anterior and posterior glenohumeral translations were measured using real time ultrasound in testing conditions (with and without translation force, with and without isometric internal and external rotation), in two positions (shoulder neutral, 90° of abduction) and two force directions (anterior, posterior). Symptomatic pathology group demonstrated increased passive glenohumeral translation with posterior translation force (protator cuff muscle contraction in the pathology group limited joint translation in a similar manner to the control group, but they did not show the normal direction specific pattern in the neutral posterior position (protator cuff still controlled glenohumeral translation. These results highlight the need to consider joint translation in the assessment and management of patients with rotator cuff injury. Copyright © 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Symptomatic Patients After Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy for Torn Discoid Lateral Meniscus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chang-Rack; Bin, Seong-Il; Kim, Jong-Min; Kim, Nam-Ki

    2016-11-01

    To evaluate the change in the thickness and width of the residual meniscus using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients who underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for discoid lateral meniscus (DLM), to assess whether the degeneration of the articular cartilage in the lateral compartment of the knee progressed, and to evaluate clinical results. Among the patients who underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for DLM between January 1997 and December 2011, those who were aged 40 or below at surgery were followed up for at least 3 years, and received at least 2 follow-up MRIs that were retrospectively reviewed. MRIs were done in symptomatic knees. Using MRI, the relative thickness and width were measured in the anterior horn, midportion, and posterior horn. To determine whether the degeneration of the lateral compartment would progress, the articular cartilage was graded based on the Outerbridge classification in MRIs. The clinical results were evaluated using the Lysholm score. A total of 20 patients (21 knees) were included. The average follow-up period was 6.8 years. In residual meniscus, the relative thickness of the midportion decreased from 9.0% ± 2.4% to 7.3% ± 2.3% (P meniscus. A progression of degeneration in the lateral compartment was observed. However, the clinical results did not present significant changes. In symptomatic patients after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for DLM, the thickness and width of the residual meniscus decreases over time. The arthritic change of the lateral compartment of the knee progressed. However, the change in the size of the residual meniscus was of unknown clinical significance. Level IV, therapeutic case series. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Analytical validation of a novel multiplex test for detection of advanced adenoma and colorectal cancer in symptomatic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillon, Roslyn; Croner, Lisa J; Bucci, John; Kairs, Stefanie N; You, Jia; Beasley, Sharon; Blimline, Mark; Carino, Rochele B; Chan, Vicky C; Cuevas, Danissa; Diggs, Jeff; Jennings, Megan; Levy, Jacob; Mina, Ginger; Yee, Alvin; Wilcox, Bruce

    2018-05-30

    Early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) is key to reducing associated mortality. Despite the importance of early detection, approximately 40% of individuals in the United States between the ages of 50-75 have never been screened for CRC. The low compliance with colonoscopy and fecal-based screening may be addressed with a non-invasive alternative such as a blood-based test. We describe here the analytical validation of a multiplexed blood-based assay that measures the plasma concentrations of 15 proteins to assess advanced adenoma (AA) and CRC risk in symptomatic patients. The test was developed on an electrochemiluminescent immunoassay platform employing four multi-marker panels, to be implemented in the clinic as a laboratory developed test (LDT). Under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and College of American Pathologists (CAP) regulations, a United States-based clinical laboratory utilizing an LDT must establish performance characteristics relating to analytical validity prior to releasing patient test results. This report describes a series of studies demonstrating the precision, accuracy, analytical sensitivity, and analytical specificity for each of the 15 assays, as required by CLIA/CAP. In addition, the report describes studies characterizing each of the assays' dynamic range, parallelism, tolerance to common interfering substances, spike recovery, and stability to sample freeze-thaw cycles. Upon completion of the analytical characterization, a clinical accuracy study was performed to evaluate concordance of AA and CRC classifier model calls using the analytical method intended for use in the clinic. Of 434 symptomatic patient samples tested, the percent agreement with original CRC and AA calls was 87% and 92% respectively. All studies followed CLSI guidelines and met the regulatory requirements for implementation of a new LDT. The results provide the analytical evidence to support the implementation of the novel multi-marker test as

  16. Mammographic profiles of women with symptomatic breast diseases ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Methods: This was a prospective descriptive analytical study of women with symptomatic breast diseases who had mammography between January 2012 and December 2016 at our health facilities. Data sheet was developed to record the patients' biodata, indication for referral, and mammographic findings. Results: During ...

  17. Incidence of missed inferior alveolar nerve blocks in vital asymptomatic subjects and in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, Sara; Reader, Al; Beck, Mike

    2015-05-01

    The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence of missed inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) blocks by using a 1- or 2-cartridge volume of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine in vital asymptomatic teeth and in emergency patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. As part of 37 studies, 3169 subjects/patients were evaluated for missed IAN blocks. The study included 2450 asymptomatic subjects and 719 emergency patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Each subject or patient received either a 1- or 2-cartridge volume of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine. A missed block was defined as no lip numbness at 15-20 minutes after the IAN block. The effect of anesthetic volume on the incidence of missed blocks was assessed by using mixed models logistic regression with individual studies as a random effect. The incidence of missed blocks for asymptomatic subjects was 6.3% for the 1-cartridge volume and 3.8% for the 2-cartridge volume. For patients presenting with irreversible pulpitis, the incidence of missed blocks was 7.7% for the 1-cartridge volume and 2.3% for the 2-cartridge volume. In both asymptomatic subjects and patients with irreversible pulpitis, the 2-cartridge volume was significantly (P = .0395) better than the 1-cartridge volume. There were no significant effects for pulpal diagnosis (P = .7523) or the pulpal diagnosis and anesthetic volume interaction (P = .3973). Concerning missed IAN blocks, we concluded that administration of a 2-cartridge volume was significantly better (P = .0395) than a 1-cartridge volume in both asymptomatic subjects and emergency patients presenting with irreversible pulpitis. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in a patient with unilateral pulmonary vein atresia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharmila Sehli

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A 52-year-old man with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was offered an atrial fibrillation (AF ablation procedure. His echocardiogram indicated that he had no structural heart disease. A cardiac computed tomographic (CT scan showed enlargement of the right pulmonary veins, absence of the left pulmonary veins, a prominent left atrial appendage, and a hypoplastic left lung. Cardiac CT with an electroanatomic mapping system confirmed a prominent left atrial appendage and the absence of the left pulmonary veins. Due to the limited number of patients with this condition, information about ablation remains very limited, and his ablation was deferred. Unilateral pulmonary vein atresia is a rare condition in adults which results from failure of incorporation of the common pulmonary vein into the left atrium. This case demonstrates the clinical importance of preprocedural imaging prior to AF ablation.

  19. Perinatal Outcomes with Tamsulosin Therapy for Symptomatic Urolithiasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, George; Vaughan, Lisa; Rose, Carl; Krambeck, Amy

    2016-01-01

    Medical expulsive therapy represents an effective adjunctive treatment for nonpregnant patients with symptomatic urolithiasis. Tamsulosin is classified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as a category B medication. However, to our knowledge no published data exist for human pregnancy. We explored the safety and efficacy of tamsulosin therapy for symptomatic urolithiasis occurring during pregnancy. We retrospectively identified patients treated with tamsulosin for stone disease during pregnancy at the Mayo Clinic during 2000 to 2014. This medical expulsive therapy cohort was matched 2:1 to pregnant women with symptomatic urolithiasis during pregnancy who did not receive medical expulsive therapy. Groups were compared using linear mixed models for continuous variables and exact conditional logistic regression models for nominal variables to take into account correlation due to matching. A total of 27 patients receiving medical expulsive therapy comprised the study cohort. Median duration of antepartum tamsulosin exposure was 3 days (range 1 to 110), occurring during the first, second and third trimester in 3 (11%), 11 (40.7%) and 18 (67%) patients, respectively. Mean gestational age at delivery was 38.1 weeks (SD 2.4) and 6 (22%) infants were born preterm. All infant birthweights were considered appropriate for gestational age, and no cases of spontaneous abortion, intrauterine demise or neonatal congenital anomalies were encountered. Comparison between the medical expulsive therapy and control groups demonstrated no significant differences in maternal or infant outcomes for any of the examined variables. Tamsulosin medical expulsive therapy does not appear to be associated with adverse maternal or fetal outcomes and may be considered as adjunctive therapy for urolithiasis during pregnancy. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Impact of symptomatic hypoglycemia on medication adherence, patient satisfaction with treatment, and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walz L

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Lotta Walz,1,3 Billie Pettersson,2,3 Ulf Rosenqvist,4 Anna Deleskog,3,5 Gunilla Journath,6 Per Wändell7 1Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 2Center for Medical Technology Assessment, Linköping University, Linköping, 3Merck Sharp and Dohme (Sweden AB, Sollentuna, 4Department of Internal Medicine, Motala Hospital, Motala, 5Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, 6Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 7Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Centre for Family Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of symptomatic hypoglycemia on medication adherence, satisfaction with treatment, and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes based on the treatment goals stated in the Swedish national guidelines. Methods: This cross-sectional, multicenter study was carried out between January and August 2009 in 430 consecutive primary health care patients on stable doses of metformin and sulfonylureas for at least 6 months. The patients completed questionnaires covering their experiences of low blood glucose and adherence, as well as barriers to and satisfaction with drug treatment (using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication. Physicians collected the data from medical records. Results: Patients who experienced moderate or worse symptoms of hypoglycemia reported poorer adherence to medication (46% versus 67%; P<0.01 and were more likely to perceive barriers such as “bothered by medication side effects” (36% versus 14%; P<0.001 compared with patients with no or mild symptoms. Patients with moderate or worse symptoms of hypoglycemia were less satisfied with their treatment than those with no or mild symptoms as determined by the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication-Global satisfaction (67.0 versus 71.2; P<0.05. Overall, achievement of target glycated hemoglobin

  1. Anesthetic Success of an Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block and Supplemental Articaine Buccal Infiltration for Molars and Premolars in Patients with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, Sara; Drum, Melissa; Reader, Al; Beck, Mike

    2016-03-01

    The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the anesthetic success of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block, and supplemental articaine buccal infiltration after a failed IAN block, in first and second molars and premolars in patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. As part of 6 studies, 375 emergency patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis received 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine via an IAN block. After profound lip numbness, endodontic access and instrumentation were initiated. If the patient felt moderate to severe pain, a supplemental buccal infiltration of a cartridge of 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine was administered (204 patients), and endodontic treatment continued. Success was defined as the ability to access and instrument the tooth without pain (visual analogue scale rating of 0) or mild pain (visual analogue scale rating less than or equal to 54 mm). IAN block success was 28% for the first molars, 25% for the second molars, and 39% for the premolars. There were no significant differences when comparing molars with premolars. For the supplemental articaine buccal infiltration, success was 42% for the first molars, 48% for the second molars, and 73% for the premolars. There were no significant differences when comparing the molars, but there was a significant difference when comparing the premolars with the molars. For patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, the success rates for the IAN block and supplemental buccal infiltration of articaine of the molars and premolars would not be high enough to ensure profound pulpal anesthesia. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. A comparative study of the incidence of aseptic meningitis in symptomatic natural mumps patients and monovalent mumps vaccine recipients in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagai, Takao; Okafuji, Teruo; Miyazaki, Chiaki; Ito, Yuhei; Kamada, Makoto; Kumagai, Takuji; Yuri, Kenji; Sakiyama, Hiroshi; Miyata, Akiko; Ihara, Toshiaki; Ochiai, Hitoshi; Shimomura, Kunihisa; Suzuki, Eitaro; Torigoe, Sadayoshi; Igarashi, Masahiro; Kase, Tetsuo; Okuno, Yoshinobu; Nakayama, Tetsuo

    2007-03-30

    To compare the incidence of aseptic meningitis associated with symptomatic natural mumps infection and in mumps vaccine recipients, we conducted a prospective comparative study. Consecutive samples of 1051 children with mumps were enrolled by 10 pediatricians and 21,465 vaccine recipients by 143 pediatric primary care practitioners, from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2003. Parents used a daily diary to record symptoms during the period of illness (15 days) or 30-day period following immunization. Mumps infection was confirmed by virus isolation and/or detection of mumps virus genome in salivary and CSF samples. The incidence of aseptic meningitis was 13/1051 (1.24%) in patients with symptomatic natural mumps infection and was estimated to be 0.7-1.1% of overall infection in considering asymptomatic infection, and 10/21,465 (0.05%) in vaccine recipients. Although aseptic meningitis is a clear side effect of the mumps vaccine, the incidence is considerably lower than among those with symptomatic natural infection. Our results provide an informative data for consideration to resume mumps vaccine as a part of routine immunization schedule for Japanese children.

  3. Factors Predicting a Good Symptomatic Outcome After Prostate Artery Embolisation (PAE).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maclean, D; Harris, M; Drake, T; Maher, B; Modi, S; Dyer, J; Somani, B; Hacking, N; Bryant, T

    2018-02-26

    As prostate artery embolisation (PAE) becomes an established treatment for benign prostatic obstruction, factors predicting good symptomatic outcome remain unclear. Pre-embolisation prostate size as a predictor is controversial with a handful of papers coming to conflicting conclusions. We aimed to investigate if an association existed in our patient cohort between prostate size and clinical benefit, in addition to evaluating percentage volume reduction as a predictor of symptomatic outcome following PAE. Prospective follow-up of 86 PAE patients at a single institution between June 2012 and January 2016 was conducted (mean age 64.9 years, range 54-80 years). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess strength of association between clinical improvement (change in IPSS) and other variables, of any statistical correlation, through Pearson's bivariate analysis. No major procedural complications were identified and clinical success was achieved in 72.1% (n = 62) at 12 months. Initial prostate size and percentage reduction were found to have a significant association with clinical improvement. Multiple linear regression analysis (r 2  = 0.48) demonstrated that percentage volume reduction at 3 months (r = 0.68, p < 0.001) had the strongest correlation with good symptomatic improvement at 12 months after adjusting for confounding factors. Both the initial prostate size and percentage volume reduction at 3 months predict good symptomatic outcome at 12 months. These findings therefore aid patient selection and counselling to achieve optimal outcomes for men undergoing prostate artery embolisation.

  4. Six psychotropics for pre-symptomatic & early Alzheimer's (MCI, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease modification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edward C Lauterbach

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The quest for neuroprotective drugs to slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs, including Alzheimer's disease (AD, Parkinson's disease (PD, and Huntington's disease (HD, has been largely unrewarding. Preclinical evidence suggests that repurposing quetiapine, lithium, valproate, fluoxetine, donepezil, and memantine for early and pre-symptomatic disease-modification in NDDs may be promising and can spare regulatory barriers. The literature of these psychotropics in early stage and pre-symptomatic AD, PD, and HD is reviewed and propitious findings follow. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI phase of AD: salutary human randomized controlled trial findings for low-dose lithium and, in selected patients, donepezil await replication. Pre-symptomatic AD: human epidemiological data indicate that lithium reduces AD risk. Animal model studies (AMS reveal encouraging results for quetiapine, lithium, donepezil, and memantine. Early PD: valproate AMS findings show promise. Pre-symptomatic PD: lithium and valproate AMS findings are encouraging. Early HD: uncontrolled clinical data indicate non-progression with lithium, fluoxetine, donepezil, and memantine. Pre-symptomatic HD: lithium and valproate are auspicious in AMS. Many other promising findings awaiting replication (valproate in MCI; lithium, valproate, fluoxetine in pre-symptomatic AD; lithium in early PD; lithium, valproate, fluoxetine in pre-symptomatic PD; donepezil in early HD; lithium, fluoxetine, memantine in pre-symptomatic HD are reviewed. Dose- and stage-dependent effects are considered. Suggestions for signal-enhancement in human trials are provided for each NDD stage.

  5. Outcome of endovascular treatment in symptomatic intracranial vascular stenosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suh, Dae Chul; Kim, Sang Joon; Lee, Duk Hee; Kim, Won; Choi, Choong Gon; Lee, Jeong Hyun; Kwon, Sun Uck; Kim, Jong Sung [Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyun Jeong [Daejeon Catholic Hospital, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2005-03-15

    The outcome evaluation for the revascularization of intracranial vascular stenoses has not been fully described due to the highly technical nature of the procedure. We report here on the early and late clinical outcome of angioplasty and/or stenting of symptomatic severe intracranial vascular stenoses at a single institute. Since 1995, we have treated 35 patients with symptomatic intracranial vascular stenosis (more than 70% stenosis, mean stenosis: 78.6% {+-} 6.2%). Angioplasty (n = 19) was performed for the horizontal segment of the middle cerebral artery (M1) (n = 16) and the basilar artery (BA) (n = 1), the intradural vertebral artery (VA) (n = 1), and the cavernous internal carotid artery (ICA) (n = 1). Stenting (n = 16) was performed for the cavernous or petrous ICAs (n = 9), the intradural VA (n = 3), BA (n = 2), and M1 (n = 2) artery. We assessed the angiographic success (defined as residual stenosis < 50%) rate, the periprocedural complications during the 30-day periprocedural period, the symptomatic recurrence and restenosis during a mean 22-month follow-up (FU) period. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the cumulative even-free rate of the major cerebrovascular events, i.e. death, stroke or restenosis, was also done. Angiographic success was achieved in 97% of our patients (34/35). There were four procedure-related complications (11%) including a death and a minor stroke. During the mean 22-month FU, the asymptomatic restenosis rate was 9% and the symptomatic restenosis rate was 6% in the target lesion and 9% in all the vascular territories. The Kaplan-Meier estimate was 70.6% (95% confidence interval = 46.5-94.7) after 33 month of FU. In addition to a high angiographic success rate and an acceptable periprocedural complication rate, intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting revealed a relatively low symptomatic recurrence rate. Hemorrhage is a rare, but the physician must aware that potentially fatal periprocedural complications can occur.

  6. Symptomatic unilateral vocal fold paralysis following cardiothoracic surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puccinelli, Cassandra; Modzeski, Mara C; Orbelo, Diana; Ekbom, Dale C

    Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is a complication associated with cardiothoracic procedures that presents clinically as dysphonia and/or dysphagia with or without aspiration. The literature lacks both data on recovery of mobility and consensus on best management. Herein, our goals are to 1) Identify cardiothoracic procedures associated with symptomatic UVFP at our institution; 2) Review timing and nature of laryngology diagnosis and management; 3) Report spontaneous recovery rate of vocal fold mobility. Retrospective case series at single tertiary referral center between 2002 and 2015. 141 patients were included who underwent laryngology interventions (micronized acellular dermis injection laryngoplasty and/or type 1 thyroplasty) to treat symptomatic UVFP diagnosed subsequent to cardiothoracic surgery. Pulmonary procedures were most often associated with UVFP (n=50/141; 35.5%). 87.2% had left-sided paralysis (n=123/141). Median time to diagnosis was 42days (x¯=114±348). Over time, UVFP was diagnosed progressively earlier after cardiothoracic surgery. 63.4% of patients (n=95/141) underwent injection laryngoplasty as their initial intervention with median time from diagnosis to injection of 11days (x¯=29.6±54). 41.1% (n=58/141) ultimately underwent type 1 thyroplasty at a median of 232.5days (x¯=367±510.2) after cardiothoracic surgery. 10.2% (n=9/88) of those with adequate follow-up recovered full vocal fold mobility. Many cardiothoracic procedures are associated with symptomatic UVFP, predominantly left-sided. Our data showed poor recovery of vocal fold mobility relative to other studies. Early diagnosis and potential surgical medialization is important in the care of these patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Laparoscopic treatment of symptomatic simple renal cysts in children: single-center experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Marte

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Simple renal cysts, although common in adults, are rare in children. They are usually discovered incidentally in the course of the study of other urinary tract symptoms, although they are not always asymptomatic. Renal cysts can be classified as being either simple or complex. The purpose of this review is to present our case series of simple symptomatic renal cysts treated with laparoscopy. Nineteen patients with symptomatic renal cysts (6 to 13.5 cm were referred to our institution between January 2006 and January 2017. They comprised 12 (40.5% females and seven (59.5% males, aged 8 to 15, with a mean age of 12.2 years. Of these patients, nine had previously been treated unsuccessfully by ultrasound-guided aspiration/alcoholization with 95%-ethanol, between 9 and 13 months prior to the laparoscopy. Five patients had undergone one treatment and four had undergone two treatments. All of the patients were treated by laparoscopic threetrocar deroofing. The cysts were opened and the wall excised using scissors and a monopolar hook. In most cases, to better handle the edges of the cyst and obtain a better grip, a needle was used to aspirate a small amount of fluid (used for cytological examination. The wall of the cyst was excised, the cyst edges were sealed, and the perirenal fat was placed on the bottom of the cyst (wadding technique. The mean operating time was 95 minutes (range 50- 150. The postoperative course was uneventful for all of the patients. The hospital stay ranged from one to three days. All of the patients were asymptomatic following the treatment. At a mean follow-up time of 3.6 years, none of the patients had experienced a recurrence. Renal function, as assessed by a MAG3 renal scintigraphy scan, was well-preserved in all of the patients, and all of them undergo an annual ultrasound scan.

  8. Predictors of acute symptomatic seizures after intracranial hemorrhage in infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bansal, Seema; Kebede, Tewodros; Dean, Nathan P; Carpenter, Jessica L

    2014-10-01

    To determine the prevalence of acute symptomatic seizures in infants with supratentorial intracranial hemorrhage, to identify potential risk factors, and to determine the effect of acute seizures on long-term morbidity and mortality. Children less than 24 months with intracranial hemorrhage were identified from a neurocritical care database. All patients who received seizure prophylaxis beginning at admission were included in the study. Risk factors studied were gender, etiology, location of hemorrhage, seizure(s) on presentation, and the presence of parenchymal injury. Acute clinical and electrographic seizures were identified from hospital medical records. Subsequent development of late seizures was determined based on clinical information from patients' latest follow-up. Patients with idiopathic neonatal intracranial hemorrhage, premature infants, and those with prior history of seizures were excluded from analysis. Seventy-two infants met inclusion criteria. None. Forty percent of infants had acute symptomatic seizures. The prevalence was similar regardless of whether etiology of hemorrhage was traumatic or nontraumatic. Seizures on presentation and parenchymal injury were independent risk factors of acute seizures (p = 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). Younger children and women were also at higher risk (p Acute seizures were not predictive of mortality, but nearly twice as many patients with acute seizures developed late seizures when compared with those without. Electrographic seizures and parenchymal injury were also predictive of development of late seizures (p hemorrhage are at high risk for acute symptomatic seizures. This is regardless of the etiology of hemorrhage. Younger patients, women, patients with parenchymal injury, and patients presenting with seizure are most likely to develop acute seizures. Although the benefits of seizure prophylaxis have not been studied in this specific population, these results suggest that it is an important component

  9. A novel diagnostic parameter, foraminal stenotic ratio using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging, as a discriminator for surgery in symptomatic lumbar foraminal stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Kentaro; Abe, Yuichiro; Satoh, Shigenobu; Yanagibashi, Yasushi; Hyakumachi, Takahiko; Masuda, Takeshi

    2017-08-01

    No previous studies have reported the radiological features of patients requiring surgery in symptomatic lumbar foraminal stenosis (LFS). This study aims to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of a novel technique, foraminal stenotic ratio (FSR), using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging for LFS at L5-S by comparing patients requiring surgery, patients with successful conservative treatment, and asymptomatic patients. This is a retrospective radiological comparative study. We assessed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results of 84 patients (168 L5-S foramina) aged ≥40 years without L4-L5 lumbar spinal stenosis. The foramina were divided into three groups following standardized treatment: stenosis requiring surgery (20 foramina), stenosis with successful conservative treatment (26 foramina), and asymptomatic stenotic foramen (122 foramina). Foraminal stenotic ratio was defined as the ratio of the length of the stenosis to the length of the foramen on the reconstructed oblique coronal image, referring to perineural fat obliterations in whole oblique sagittal images. We also evaluated the foraminal nerve angle and the minimum nerve diameter on reconstructed images, and the Lee classification on conventional T1 images. The differences in each MRI parameter between the groups were investigated. To predict which patients require surgery, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted after calculating the area under the ROC curve. The FSR showed a stepwise increase when comparing asymptomatic, conservative, and surgical groups (mean, 8.6%, 38.5%, 54.9%, respectively). Only FSR was significantly different between the surgical and conservative groups (p=.002), whereas all parameters were significantly different comparing the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve for FSR was 0.742, and the optimal cutoff value for FSR for predicting a surgical requirement in symptomatic patients was 50

  10. Dual-energy CTA in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Study of diagnostic accuracy and impeding factors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klink, Thorsten [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology; Bern Univ. (Switzerland). Univ. Inst. of Diagnostic, Interventional, and Pediatric Radiology; Wilhelm, Theresa; Roth, Christine [Univ. Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Marburg (Germany). Dept. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology; Heverhagen, Johannes T. [Bern Univ. (Switzerland). Univ. Inst. of Diagnostic, Interventional, and Pediatric Radiology

    2017-05-15

    The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of dual-energy CT angiography (DE-CTA) in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) and to identify factors that impede its diagnostic accuracy. Dual-source DE-CTA scans of the lower extremities of 94 patients were retrospectively compared to the diagnostic reference standard, digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Two independent observers assessed PAOD incidence, image quality, artifacts, and diagnostic accuracy of DE-CTA in 1014 arterial segments on axial, combined 80/140 kVp reconstructions and on 3 D maximum intensity projections (MIP) after automated bone and plaque removal. The impact of calcifications, image quality, and image artifacts on the diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using Fisher's exact test. Furthermore, interobserver agreement was analyzed. Two observers achieved sensitivities of 98.0% and 93.9%, respectively, and specificities of 75.0% and 66.7%, respectively, for detecting stenoses of >50% of the lower extremity arteries. Calcifications impeded specificity, e.g. from 81.2% to 46.2% for reader 1 (p<0.001). Specificity increased with higher image quality, e.g. from 70.0% to 76.4% for reader 1 (p<0.001). Artifacts decreased the specificity of reader 2 (p<0.001). The overall interobserver agreement ranged between moderate and substantial for stenosis detection and calcified plaques. Conclusion DE-CTA is accurate in the detection of arterial stenoses of >50% in symptomatic PAOD patients. Calcified atherosclerotic plaques, image quality, and artifacts may impede specificity.

  11. Optimal Treatment of Symptomatic Hemorrhoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Soung-Ho

    2011-01-01

    Hemorrhoids are the most common anorectal complaint, and approximately 10 to 20 percent of patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids require surgery. Symptoms of hemorrhoids, such as painless rectal bleeding, tissue protrusion and mucous discharge, vary. The traditional therapeutic strategies of medicine include surgical, as well as non-surgical, treatment. To alleviate symptoms caused by hemorrhoids, oral treatments, such as fiber, suppositories and Sitz baths have been applied to patients. Other non-surgical treatments, such as infrared photocoagulation, injection sclerotherapy and rubber band ligation have been used to fixate the hemorrhoid's cushion. If non-surgical treatment has no effect, surgical treatments, such as a hemorrhoidectomy, procedure for prolapsed hemorrhoids, and transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization are used. PMID:22259741

  12. Symptomatic improvement in uterine myomas after MRgFUS: 4 year follow up

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funaki, Kaoru; Fukunishi, Hidenobu

    2011-09-01

    Objective: To assess the long-term improvement in symptoms after magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) for uterine myomas. Methods: Japanese women with symptomatic myomas underwent MRgFUS using the ExAblate 2000 system. The symptom severity score (SSS) was examined before and after the treatment at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 months. Simultaneously, we asked the patients' satisfaction level regarding the overall change of subjective symptoms: symptom free, improved a great deal, improved to some extent, no change, or worsened. The myoma volumes were measured at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months after MRgFUS. Results: No severe adverse event occurred with any of the patients. The mean SSS value before treatment was 38.3±21.5 (n = 106), which diminished significantly during follow-up for 3-48 months after treatment. Patients' satisfaction level was favorable, although the response rate was low. Over 80% of the patients replied that their symptoms were improved to at least some extent, and over 50% of the patients replied that their symptoms were improved a great deal. This trend continued throughout this follow up period. The mean myoma volume was also decreased from the pretreatment volume in this follow up period. Conclusion: MRgFUS is an effective and safe method for treating symptomatic uterine myomas. Long-term symptomatic improvement is promising.

  13. Safety and tolerability of once-daily tiotropium Respimat(®) as add-on to at least inhaled corticosteroids in adult patients with symptomatic asthma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Ronald; Engel, Michael; Dusser, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Tiotropium, a long-acting anticholinergic bronchodilator, has demonstrated efficacy and safety as add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), with or without other maintenance therapies, in patients with symptomatic asthma. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate safety and tolerability of tiotro...

  14. Coronary Plaque Characteristics Assessed by 256-Slice Coronary CT Angiography and Association with High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Symptomatic Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinling Zhang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Little is known regarding plaque distribution, composition, and the association with inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2. This study aimed to assess the relationship between coronary plaque subtypes and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. Coronary CTA were performed in 98 symptomatic DM2 patients and 107 non-DM2 patients using a 256-slice CT. The extent and types of plaque as well as luminal narrowing were evaluated. Patients with DM2 were more likely to have significant stenosis (>50% with calcified plaques in at least one coronary segment (p<0.01; the prevalence rates of diffuse calcified plaques in the DM2 and non-DM2 groups were 31.6% and 4.7%, respectively (p<0.01. Plasma hs-CRP levels in DM2 with calcified plaques were higher compared with values obtained for the non-DM2 group (p<0.01. In conclusion, combination of coronary CTA and hs-CRP might improve risk stratification in symptomatic DM2 patients.

  15. Bone resorptive activity in symptomatic and asymptomatic apical lesions of endodontic origin

    OpenAIRE

    Salinas-Muñoz, M.; Garrido-Flores, M.; Baeza, M.; Huamán-Chipana, P.; García-Sesnich, J.; Bologna, R.; Vernal, R.; Hernández, M.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives The aim of this study is to assess the levels and diagnostic accuracy of a set of bone resorption biomarkers, including TRAP-5, RANKL, and OPG in symptomatic and asymptomatic apical lesions and controls. Materials and methods Apical tissues from symptomatic and asymptomatic apical periodontitis patients and periodontal ligaments from healthy teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons were processed for tissue homogenization and the levels of TRAP-5, RANKL, and OPG were determined by m...

  16. Comparison of management out comes of open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the treatment of symptomatic cholelithiasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dian, A.; Azam, U.F.; Malik, N.A.; Khan, J.S.; Khan, M.

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Open cholecystectomy (OC) has gradually been superseded by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for the treatment of cholelithiasis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with fewer complications than open cholecystectomy when performed in experienced hands. The study was conducted to compare the two techniques for management of symptomatic gall stones. Objective: Our objective was to compare the management outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy with those of open holecystectomy in the treatment of symptomatic cholelithiasis. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Settings: It was carried out at Surgical Unit - I of Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi. Subjects and Methods: Eighty consecutive patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis confirmed on ultrasonography from September 2007 to March 2008 were included in the study. They were randomly allocated to LC or OC and were eventually operated. Results: Mean operating time of LC was 64 minutes (30-90) (SD=13.4) where as in OC it was 37.12 minutes (25-70) (SD-9.6). Return of bowel sounds postoperatively was within 12 hours (9-18) (SD=3.25) in LC while it was 16 hours (9-30) in OC group (SD=4.75). Postoperative hospital stay was 1.5 days mean (1-4 days) (SD=0.71). In LC while it was 2.9 days (2-5) in OC group (SD=0.84). The duration of injectable analgesia requirement was 1.3 days (1-3) (SD=0.51) and 1.8 days (1-3) (SD=0.7) in LC and OC patients respectively. The gall bladder perforation was 22.5% in OC and 15% in LC. The common bile duct injury occurred in 2% of patients with LC while none with OC. The conversion rate was 5%. Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe treatment of cholelithiasis with short duration of postoperative hospital stay, lesser post operative pain, early return of normal bowel activity as compared to the open cholecystectomy. (author)

  17. Quantifying sociodemographic and income disparities in medical therapy and lifestyle among symptomatic patients with suspected coronary artery disease: a cross-sectional study in North America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ladapo, Joseph A; Coles, Adrian; Dolor, Rowena J; Mark, Daniel B; Cooper, Lawton; Lee, Kerry L; Goldberg, Jonathan; Shapiro, Michael D; Hoffmann, Udo; Douglas, Pamela S

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To evaluate potential gaps in preventive medical therapy and healthy lifestyle practices among symptomatic patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) seeing primary care physicians and cardiologists and how gaps vary by sociodemographic characteristics and baseline cardiovascular risk. Design Cross-sectional study assessing potential preventive gaps. Participants 10 003 symptomatic outpatients evaluated by primary care physicians, cardiologists or other specialists for suspected CAD. Setting PROspective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Painfrom 2010 to 2014. Measures Primary measures were absence of an antihypertensive, statin or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker for renal protection in patients with hypertension, dyslipidaemia or diabetes, respectively, and being sedentary, smoking or being obese. Results Preventive treatment gaps affected 14% of patients with hypertension, 36% of patients with dyslipidaemia and 32% of patients with diabetes. Overall, 49% of patients were sedentary, 18% currently smoked and 48% were obese. Women were significantly more likely to not take a statin for dyslipidaemia and to be sedentary. Patients with lower socioeconomic status were also significantly more likely to not take a statin. Compared with Whites, Blacks were significantly more likely to be obese, while Asians were less likely to smoke or be obese. High-risk patients sometimes experienced larger preventive care gaps than low-risk patients. For patients with dyslipidaemia, the presence of a treatment gap was associated with a higher risk of an adverse event (HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.82). Conclusions Among contemporary, symptomatic patients with suspected CAD, significant gaps exist in preventive care and lifestyle practices, and high-risk patients sometimes had larger gaps. Differences by sex, age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and geography are modest but contribute to disparities and have

  18. Predictors of early stable symptomatic remission after an exacerbation of schizophrenia: the significance of symptoms, neuropsychological performance and cognitive biases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreou, Christina; Roesch-Ely, Daniela; Veckenstedt, Ruth; Bohn, Francesca; Aghotor, Julia; Köther, Ulf; Pfueller, Ute; Moritz, Steffen

    2013-12-30

    Neuropsychological deficits and severity of initial psychopathology have been repeatedly associated with poor symptomatic outcomes in schizophrenia. The role of higher-order cognitive biases on symptomatic outcomes of the disorder has not yet been investigated. The present study aimed to assess the contribution of cognitive biases, psychopathology and neuropsychological deficits on the probability of achieving early symptomatic remission after a psychotic episode in patients with schizophrenia. Participants were 79 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder undergoing an acute psychotic episode, and 25 healthy controls. According to psychopathology assessments, patients were split into those who had achieved remission after an average follow-up interval of 7 months, and those who had not (NR). Patients who achieved remission exhibited higher premorbid IQ and better performance on the TMT-B, as well as lower baseline positive, disorganized and distress symptoms than NR patients. TMT-B performance and positive symptoms at baseline were the best predictors of remission. Cognitive biases and negative symptoms were not associated with later remission. The findings highlight the significance of initial symptom severity for at least short-term symptomatic outcomes and, thus, the importance of adequate symptomatic treatment and prevention of psychotic outbreaks in patients. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Sonographically determined clues to the symptomatic or silent cholelithiasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saba, S.; Iqbal, Z.

    2007-01-01

    To determine an association between sonographically determined contractility with the symptomatic or silent nature of gallstone. Adult gallstone patients without (group I) and with biliary symptoms (group II) were compared with age and gender-matched controls. Demographic data, body mass index, risk factors, size, number and mobility of gallstone, gallbladder wall thickness (GBWT), volume and Ejection Fraction (EF) were determined on ultrasound before and after a standardized fatty meal (BFM and AFM). Demographic data, risk factors and gallstone characteristics were analyzed by Pearson Chi-square test and the gallbladder characteristics were analyzed by One-way ANOVA and Post Hoc tests by multiple comparisons on SPSS 11 with significance p=0.05. The gallbladder contractility as measured by changes in wall thickness and volume changes BFM and AFM, and ejection fraction was similar in controls and asymptomatic cholelithiasis groups and significantly reduced in symptomatic patients (p<.001). Multiparity (p=0.002), female gender (p=0.018), age less than 50 years (0.05), impacted calculi (p=0.001), multiple calculi (<.001) and calculi 5 mm (p<0.001) were associated with pain. A sluggishly emptying gallbladder was more significantly associated with symptomatic cholelithiasis compared to controls and asymptomatic cholelithiasis state in this series. Consideration of age, gender, impaction of calculi, number and size of calculi is important in causing symptom state and management options. (author)

  20. Efficacy of Elaeagnus angustifolia Topical Gel in the Treatment of Symptomatic Oral Lichen Planus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamileh Beigom Taheri

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Background and aims. The purpose of this study was to determine efficacy of 19% Elaeagnus angustifolia (EA topical gel in the treatment of symptomatic oral lichen planus. Materials and methods. Patients with symptomatic oral lichen planus referring to the Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were asked to participate in the study. Twenty-eight patients who were histopathologically diagnosed with lichen planus were divided into two groups (15 in the case and 13 in the control groups. The subjects were randomly assigned to either topical gel of EA or placebo in a double-blind manner. They were then instructed to apply the medication on dried lesions three times daily. Pain and size of the lesions were evaluated after 2 weeks. Data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0 software, using t-test, paired t-test, Fisher’s exact test and chi-square test. Results. Twenty-eight patients (m/f: 7/21 with symptomatic oral lichen planus participated in the study. Fifteen patients (m/f: 4/11 received E A gel and 13 patients (m/f: 3/10 received placebo. There was a 75% decrease in pain (33.3% in the case and 7.7% in the control groups, and a decrease of 50% in size (33.3% in the case group and 75% only in 7.6% of the case group. Conclusion. The results suggest that 19% EA gel is efficient in the treatment of symptomatic oral lichen planus, with antiinflammatory and analgesic effects, as well.

  1. Can symptomatic acromioclavicular joints be differentiated from asymptomatic acromioclavicular joints on 3-T MR imaging?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choo, Hye Jung; Lee, Sun Joo; Kim, Jung Han; Cha, Seong Sook; Park, Young Mi; Park, Ji Sung; Lee, Jun Woo; Oh, Minkyung

    2013-04-01

    To evaluate retrospectively whether symptomatic acromioclavicular joints can be differentiated from asymptomatic acromioclavicular joints on 3-T MR imaging. This study included 146 patients who underwent physical examination of acromioclavicular joints and 3-T MR imaging of the shoulder. Among them, 67 patients showing positive results on physical examination were assigned to the symptomatic group, whereas 79 showing negative results were assigned to the asymptomatic group. The following MR findings were compared between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups: presence of osteophytes, articular surface irregularity, subchondral cysts, acromioclavicular joint fluid, subacromial fluid, subacromial bony spurs, joint capsular distension, bone edema, intraarticular enhancement, periarticular enhancement, superior and inferior joint capsular distension degree, and joint capsular thickness. The patients were subsequently divided into groups based on age (younger, older) and the method of MR arthrography (direct MR arthrography, indirect MR arthrography), and all the MR findings in each subgroup were reanalyzed. The meaningful cutoff value of each significant continuous variable was calculated using receiver operating characteristic analysis. The degree of superior capsular distension was the only significant MR finding of symptomatic acromioclavicular joints and its meaningful cutoff value was 2.1mm. After subgroup analyses, this variable was significant in the older age group and indirect MR arthrography group. On 3-T MR imaging, the degree of superior joint capsular distension might be a predictable MR finding in the diagnosis of symptomatic acromioclavicular joints. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Feasibility of Patient Reporting of Symptomatic Adverse Events via the Patient-Reported Outcomes Version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) in a Chemoradiotherapy Cooperative Group Multicenter Clinical Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Basch, Ethan, E-mail: ebasch@med.unc.edu [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (United States); Pugh, Stephanie L. [NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Dueck, Amylou C. [Alliance Statistics and Data Center, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona (United States); Mitchell, Sandra A. [Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Outcomes Research Branch, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland (United States); Berk, Lawrence [Radiation Oncology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida (United States); Fogh, Shannon [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (United States); Rogak, Lauren J. [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Gatewood, Marcha [Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Reeve, Bryce B. [Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (United States); Mendoza, Tito R. [Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); O' Mara, Ann M.; Denicoff, Andrea M.; Minasian, Lori M. [Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Outcomes Research Branch, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland (United States); Bennett, Antonia V. [Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (United States); Setser, Ann [Setser Health Consulting, LLC, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Schrag, Deborah [Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); and others

    2017-06-01

    Purpose: To assess the feasibility of measuring symptomatic adverse events (AEs) in a multicenter clinical trial using the National Cancer Institute's Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE). Methods and Materials: Patients enrolled in NRG Oncology's RTOG 1012 (Prophylactic Manuka Honey for Reduction of Chemoradiation Induced Esophagitis-Related Pain during Treatment of Lung Cancer) were asked to self-report 53 PRO-CTCAE items representing 30 symptomatic AEs at 6 time points (baseline; weekly ×4 during treatment; 12 weeks after treatment). Reporting was conducted via wireless tablet computers in clinic waiting areas. Compliance was defined as the proportion of visits when an expected PRO-CTCAE assessment was completed. Results: Among 226 study sites participating in RTOG 1012, 100% completed 35-minute PRO-CTCAE training for clinical research associates (CRAs); 80 sites enrolled patients, of which 34 (43%) required tablet computers to be provided. All 152 patients in RTOG 1012 agreed to self-report using the PRO-CTCAE (median age 66 years; 47% female; 84% white). Median time for CRAs to learn the system was 60 minutes (range, 30-240 minutes), and median time for CRAs to teach a patient to self-report was 10 minutes (range, 2-60 minutes). Compliance was high, particularly during active treatment, when patients self-reported at 86% of expected time points, although compliance was lower after treatment (72%). Common reasons for noncompliance were institutional errors, such as forgetting to provide computers to participants; patients missing clinic visits; Internet connectivity; and patients feeling “too sick.” Conclusions: Most patients enrolled in a multicenter chemoradiotherapy trial were willing and able to self-report symptomatic AEs at visits using tablet computers. Minimal effort was required by local site staff to support this system. The observed causes of missing data may be

  3. Feasibility of Patient Reporting of Symptomatic Adverse Events via the Patient-Reported Outcomes Version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) in a Chemoradiotherapy Cooperative Group Multicenter Clinical Trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basch, Ethan; Pugh, Stephanie L.; Dueck, Amylou C.; Mitchell, Sandra A.; Berk, Lawrence; Fogh, Shannon; Rogak, Lauren J.; Gatewood, Marcha; Reeve, Bryce B.; Mendoza, Tito R.; O'Mara, Ann M.; Denicoff, Andrea M.; Minasian, Lori M.; Bennett, Antonia V.; Setser, Ann; Schrag, Deborah

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the feasibility of measuring symptomatic adverse events (AEs) in a multicenter clinical trial using the National Cancer Institute's Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE). Methods and Materials: Patients enrolled in NRG Oncology's RTOG 1012 (Prophylactic Manuka Honey for Reduction of Chemoradiation Induced Esophagitis-Related Pain during Treatment of Lung Cancer) were asked to self-report 53 PRO-CTCAE items representing 30 symptomatic AEs at 6 time points (baseline; weekly ×4 during treatment; 12 weeks after treatment). Reporting was conducted via wireless tablet computers in clinic waiting areas. Compliance was defined as the proportion of visits when an expected PRO-CTCAE assessment was completed. Results: Among 226 study sites participating in RTOG 1012, 100% completed 35-minute PRO-CTCAE training for clinical research associates (CRAs); 80 sites enrolled patients, of which 34 (43%) required tablet computers to be provided. All 152 patients in RTOG 1012 agreed to self-report using the PRO-CTCAE (median age 66 years; 47% female; 84% white). Median time for CRAs to learn the system was 60 minutes (range, 30-240 minutes), and median time for CRAs to teach a patient to self-report was 10 minutes (range, 2-60 minutes). Compliance was high, particularly during active treatment, when patients self-reported at 86% of expected time points, although compliance was lower after treatment (72%). Common reasons for noncompliance were institutional errors, such as forgetting to provide computers to participants; patients missing clinic visits; Internet connectivity; and patients feeling “too sick.” Conclusions: Most patients enrolled in a multicenter chemoradiotherapy trial were willing and able to self-report symptomatic AEs at visits using tablet computers. Minimal effort was required by local site staff to support this system. The observed causes of missing data may be obviated by

  4. Symptomatic versus asymptomatic knees after bilateral total knee arthroplasty: what is the difference in SPECT/CT?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Awengen, R.; Hirschmann, M.T. [Kantonsspital Baselland (Bruderholz, Liestal, Laufen), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Bruderholz (Switzerland); Rasch, H. [Kantonsspital Baselland (Bruderholz, Liestal, Laufen), Institute of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Bruderholz (Switzerland); Amsler, F. [Amsler Consulting, Basel (Switzerland)

    2016-04-15

    The primary purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the differences of bone tracer uptake (BTU) in symptomatic and asymptomatic knees after bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and identify typical BTU patterns with regards to TKA component position and alignment. A consecutive number of 37 patients after bilateral TKA were retrospectively included. The knees were grouped into symptomatic (group A) and asymptomatic (group B) knees. All patients underwent 99m-Tc-HDP-SPECT/CT. Coronal, rotational, and sagittal TKA component position was analysed in 3D reconstructed CT. BTU was anatomically localised and quantified using a validated standardized localization scheme. Maximum BTU values for each area were recorded and normalized values calculated. Signed log-rank test, chi-square test, paired t-tests, and Pearson correlations were used (p <0.05). Symptomatic TKAs were significantly more flexed and had a tendency to be more internally rotated when compared to asymptomatic ones (p < 0.05). In all regions, the mean BTU in asymptomatic knees was lower than in symptomatic knees. In both groups the highest mean BTU was found around the tibial stem (symptomatic 7.30; asymptomatic 6.30, p = 0.061) and at the tip of the tibial stem (symptomatic 5.49; asymptomatic 4.74, p = 0.062). Superior patellar regions showed higher BTU than inferior regions. The highest patellar BTU was found in the superior medial patella (symptomatic 4.99; asymptomatic 3.98, p = 0.048). The lowest BTU was found in the posterior femoral regions (flatsp, flatip, fmedsp, fmedip) (Table 3). Tibial and patellar areas showed twice as high mean BTUs than femoral areas (Fig. 3). A significant correlation of TKA component position and BTU was demonstrated. Distribution and intensity of BTU in SPECT/CT depends on TKA component position and alignment. In addition, typical BTU patterns in symptomatic and asymptomatic knees were identified. A profound knowledge of BTU pattern, TKA component position

  5. Prostate-specific antigen density values among patients with symptomatic prostatic enlargement in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Udeh, Emeka I; Nnabugwu, Ikenna I; Ozoemena, Francis O; Ugwumba, Fred O; Aderibigbe, Adesina S O; Ohayi, Samuel R; Echetabu, Kevin N

    2016-06-29

    This study aims to estimate the prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) cutoff level for detecting prostate cancer (CAP) in Nigerian men with "grey zone PSA" (4-10 ng/ml) and normal digital rectal examination findings. We addressed this research question: Is the international PSAD cutoff of 0.15 ideal for detecting CAP in our symptomatic patients with "grey zone PSA?" To estimate the prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) cutoff level for detecting CAP in Nigerian men with "grey zone PSA" (4-10 ng/ml) and normal digital rectal examination findings. Prospective. A tertiary medical center in Enugu, Nigeria. Two hundred and fifty-four men with either benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or CAP were recruited. Patients with PSA above 4 ng/ml or abnormal digital rectal examination or hypoechoic lesion in the prostate were biopsied. PSAD and histology report of BPH or CAP. Ninety-seven patients had CAP while 157 had benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Seventy-two patients had their serum PSA value within the range of 4.0 and 10 ng/ml. PSAD cutoff level to detect CAP was 0.04 (sensitivity 95.88 %; specificity 28.7 %). The PSAD cutoff level generated for Nigerian men in this study is 0.04 which is relatively different from international consensus. This PSAD cutoff level has a positive correlation with histology and could detect patients with CAP who have "grey zone PSA."

  6. Long-term psychological consequences of symptomatic pulmonary embolism: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noble, Simon; Lewis, Rhian; Whithers, Jodie; Lewis, Sarah; Bennett, Paul

    2014-04-02

    To explore the psychological consequences of experiencing symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE). Qualitative interview-based study using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Outpatients who attended an anticoagulation clinic in a district general hospital. Patients attending an anticoagulation clinic following hospital admission for symptomatic PE were approached to participate. A total of 9 (4 women, 5 men) of 11 patients approached agreed to be interviewed. Participants were aged between 26 and 72 years and had previously experienced a PE between 9 and 60 months (median=26 months, mean=24 months). Audiotaped semistructured qualitative interviews were undertaken to explore participants experiences of having a PE and how it had affected their lives since. Data were transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify emergent themes. Three major themes with associated subthemes were identified. Participants described having a PE as a life-changing experience comprising initial shock, followed by feeling of loss of self, life-changing decisions and behaviour modification. Features of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were described with flashbacks, hypervigilance and intrusive thoughts being most prevalent. Participants identified several areas of support needed for such patients including easier access to support through information giving and emotional support. Long-term consequences of venous thromboembolism go beyond the physical alone. Patients describe experiencing symptomatic PE to be a life-changing distressing event leading to behaviour modification and in some PTSD. It is likely that earlier psychological intervention may reduce such long-term sequelae.

  7. Whole body cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to stratify symptomatic and asymptomatic atherosclerotic burden in patients with isolated cardiovascular disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weir-McCall, Jonathan R.; Duce, Suzanne L.; Gandy, Stephen J.; Matthew, Shona Z.; Martin, Patricia; Cassidy, Deirdre B.; McCormick, Lynne; Belch, Jill J. F.; Struthers, Allan D.; Colhoun, Helen M.; Houston, J. Graeme

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to use whole body cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (WB CVMR) to assess the heart and arterial network in a single examination, so as to describe the burden of atherosclerosis and subclinical disease in participants with symptomatic single site vascular disease. 64 patients with a history of symptomatic single site vascular disease (38 coronary artery disease (CAD), 9 cerebrovascular disease, 17 peripheral arterial disease (PAD)) underwent whole body angiogram and cardiac MR in a 3 T scanner. The arterial tree was subdivided into 31 segments and each scored according to the degree of stenosis. From this a standardised atheroma score (SAS) was calculated. Cine and late gadolinium enhancement images of the left ventricle were obtained. Asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease with greater than 50 % stenosis in arteries other than that responsible for their presenting complain was detected in 37 % of CAD, 33 % of cerebrovascular and 47 % of PAD patients. Unrecognised myocardial infarcts were observed in 29 % of PAD patients. SAS was significantly higher in PAD patients 24 (17.5-30.5) compared to CAD 4 (2–11.25) or cerebrovascular disease patients 6 (2-10) (ANCOVA p < 0.001). Standardised atheroma score positively correlated with age (β 0.36 p = 0.002), smoking status (β 0.34 p = 0.002), and LV mass (β -0.61 p = 0.001) on multiple linear regression. WB CVMR is an effective method for the stratification of cardiovascular disease. The high prevalence of asymptomatic arterial disease, and silent myocardial infarctions, particularly in the peripheral arterial disease group, demonstrates the importance of a systematic approach to the assessment of cardiovascular disease

  8. Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III Trial of Ipilimumab Versus Placebo in Asymptomatic or Minimally Symptomatic Patients With Metastatic Chemotherapy-Naive Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beer, Tomasz M; Kwon, Eugene D; Drake, Charles G

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Ipilimumab increases antitumor T-cell responses by binding to cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4. We evaluated treatment with ipilimumab in asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic patients with chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer without visceral metastases. Pat...

  9. Outcomes after operative management of symptomatic rib nonunion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gauger, Erich M; Hill, Brian W; Lafferty, Paul M; Cole, Peter A

    2015-06-01

    To report the outcomes of rib reconstruction after painful nonunion. Retrospective case series. Level I trauma center. Between November 2007 and May 2013, 10 patients who presented with 16 rib nonunions and disabling pain were treated with reconstruction of their nonunited rib fractures. Rib nonunion reconstruction predominately with iliac crest bone graft and a tension band plate with a locked precontoured plating system for ribs. Demographic data, mechanism of injury, and number of rib nonunions were recorded. Operative procedure, length of follow-up, complications, Short Form Survey 36, and a patient questionnaire were also captured and documented. Eight of the 10 patients sustained their original fractures from a fall. Outcomes were available for the 10 patients at a mean follow-up of up of 18.6 months (range, 3-46 months). All 16 ribs went on to union with a mean time from reconstruction to union of 14.7 weeks (range, 12-24 weeks). At final follow-up, the mean mental and physical component Short Form Survey 36 scores were 54.4 and 43.5, respectively. Eight of the 10 patients were able to return to work and/or previous activities without limitations. Complications included 1 wound infection that resolved after irrigation and debridement with adjunctive antibiotics. One symptomatic implant was removed. Ten patients with 16 symptomatic rib nonunions were reconstructed using autologous bone graft and implant/mesh fixation manifesting in successful union with improved patient function and a low rate of complications. Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

  10. Analysis of symptomatic and asymptomatic primary root canal infections in adult Norwegian patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rôças, Isabela N; Siqueira, José F; Debelian, Gilberto J

    2011-09-01

    This molecular study analyzed the microbiota of primary root canal infections from adult Norwegian patients. Samples were taken from the necrotic root canals of teeth with symptomatic (n = 13) or asymptomatic (n = 21) apical periodontitis and chronic apical abscesses (n = 9). DNA was extracted from samples, and bacterial identifications were performed by a closed-ended reverse-capture checkerboard approach targeting 50 candidate endodontic pathogens. Bacterial DNA was detected in all cases. In teeth with asymptomatic apical periodontitis, the most frequent taxa were Dialister invisus (71%), Fusobacterium nucleatum (62%), and Porphyromonas endodontalis (62%). In chronic apical abscesses, the most prevalent taxa were P. endodontalis (100%), D. invisus (89%), Parvimonas micra (78%), and Solobacterium moorei (78%). In teeth with symptomatic apical periodontitis, the most prevalent taxa were D. invisus, P. endodontalis, S. moorei, Propionibacterium acnes, and Streptococcus species (all in 69%). None of the targeted taxa were significantly associated with either sinus tract or pain (P > .05), except for Selenomonas sputigena, which was more frequently found in painful cases (P = .04). No taxa were found in significantly higher levels in any conditions (P > .05). Cluster analyses revealed bacterial groupings that differed between cases with and without pain. Although basically the same species were highly prevalent in the different conditions examined and none of the most prevalent taxa were positively associated with symptoms, results revealed that species formed different partnerships and associations in samples from teeth with or without pain. Therefore, it is possible that more virulent multispecies communities can form as a result of overall bacterial combinations and give rise to acute inflammation. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A randomized trial comparing primary angioplasty versus stent placement for symptomatic intracranial stenosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureshi, Adnan I; Chaudhry, Saqib A; Siddiq, Farhan; Majidi, Shahram; Rodriguez, Gustavo J; Suri, M Fareed K

    2013-01-01

    Background: Both primary angioplasty alone and angioplasty with a self-expanding stent have been compared in non-randomized concurrent clinical studies that suggest equivalent results. However, there is no randomized trial that has compared the two procedures in patients with symptomatic high grade intracranial stenosis. Objective: The primary aim of the randomized trial was to compare the clinical and angiographic efficacy of primary angioplasty and angioplasty followed by stent placement in preventing restenosis, stroke, requirement for second treatment, and death in patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis. Methods: The study prospectively evaluated efficacy and safety of the two existing neurointerventional techniques for treatment of moderate intracranial stenosis (stenosis ≥ 50%) with documented failure of medical treatment or severe stenosis (≥70%) with or without failure of medical treatment. Results: A total of 18 patients were recruited in the study (mean age [±SD] was 64.7 ± 15.1 years); out of these, 12 were men. Of these 18, 10 were treated with primary angioplasty and 8 were treated with angioplasty followed by self-expanding stent. The technical success rates of intracranial angioplasty and stent placements defined as ability to achieve <30% residual stenosis when assessed by immediate post-procedure angiography was 5 of 10 and 5 of 8 patients, respectively. The total fluoroscopic time (mean [±SD]) was lower in patients undergoing primary angioplasty 37 [±11] min versus those undergoing angioplasty followed by self-expanding stent 42 [±15] min, P = 0.4321. The stroke and death rate within 1 month was very low in both patient groups (1 of 10 versus 0 of 8 patients). One patient randomized to stent placement continued to have recurrent ischemic symptoms requiring another angioplasty in the vertebral artery on post-procedure Day 2. Conclusions: The trial suggests that a randomized trial comparing primary angioplasty to angioplasty

  12. Stenting for symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis associated with bilateral carotid rate mirabile: The long-term clinical and angiographic outcome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baek, Jang Hyun; Kim, Byung Moon [Dept. of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-06-15

    Symptomatic vertebral artery (VA) stenosis associated with bilateral carotid rate mirabile (CRM) has not been reported. We report the long-term clinical and angiographic outcome after stenting for symptomatic VA stenosis in the patient with bilateral CRM. This report is the first case that symptomatic VA stenosis associated with bilateral CRM was treated with stenting.

  13. Stenting for symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis associated with bilateral carotid rate mirabile: The long-term clinical and angiographic outcome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baek, Jang Hyun; Kim, Byung Moon

    2015-01-01

    Symptomatic vertebral artery (VA) stenosis associated with bilateral carotid rate mirabile (CRM) has not been reported. We report the long-term clinical and angiographic outcome after stenting for symptomatic VA stenosis in the patient with bilateral CRM. This report is the first case that symptomatic VA stenosis associated with bilateral CRM was treated with stenting.

  14. Severe acute abdomen caused by symptomatic Meckel's diverticulum in three children with trisomy 18.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Anri; Kumada, Tomohiro; Furukawa, Oki; Nozaki, Fumihito; Hiejima, Ikuko; Shibata, Minoru; Kusunoki, Takashi; Fujii, Tatsuya

    2015-10-01

    Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is the most prevalent congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract and often presents a diagnostic challenge. Patients with trisomy 18 frequently have MD, but the poor prognosis and lack of consensus regarding management for neonates has meant that precise information on the clinical manifestations in infants and children with MD is lacking. We describe the cases of three children with trisomy 18 who developed symptomatic MD. Intussusception was diagnosed in Patient 1, intestinal volvulus in Patient 2, and gastrointestinal bleeding in Patient 3. All three patients underwent surgical treatment and only the Patient 1 died due to pulmonary hypertensive crisis. The other two patients experienced no further episodes of abdominal symptoms. In patients with trisomy 18, although consideration of postoperative complications and prognosis after surgical treatment is necessary, symptomatic MD should carry a high index of suspicion in patients presenting with acute abdomen. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. CT colonography: Techniques, indications, findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mang, Thomas; Graser, Anno; Schima, Wolfgang; Maier, Andrea

    2007-01-01

    Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) is a minimally invasive technique for imaging the entire colon. Based on a helical thin-section CT of the cleansed and air-distended colon, two-dimensional and three-dimensional projections are used for image interpretation. Several clinical improvements in patient preparation, technical advances in CT, and new developments in evaluation software have allowed CTC to develop into a powerful diagnostic tool. It is already well established as a reliable diagnostic tool in symptomatic patients. Many experts currently consider CTC a comparable alternative to conventional colonoscopy, although there is still debate about its sensitivity for the detection of colonic polyps in a screening population. This article summarizes the main indications, the current techniques in patient preparation, data acquisition and data analysis as well as imaging features for common benign and malignant colorectal lesions

  16. Radiation therapy for symptomatic hepatomegaly in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tefferi, A.; Jimenez, T.; Gray, L.A.; Mesa, R.A. [Division of Hematology and Internal Medicine, Rochester, MN (United States); Chen, M.G. [Division of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, MN (United States)

    2001-07-01

    Objective: To describe the experience with liver irradiation in advanced cases of myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM). Methods: Over a 20-yr period, 14 patients with MMM were treated with a total of 25 courses of liver, abdominal, or abdominal and pelvic irradiation for symptomatic hepatomegaly with (5 patients) or without (9 patients) ascites. All 14 patients had advanced disease and 11 (79%) had previous splenectomy. The median radiation therapy (RT) dose per course was 150 cGy (range 50-1000) administered at a median of six fractions. Four patients received two to six courses. Results. Twelve of the 14 patients (86%) had a transient (median 3 months) subjective response from RT. However, in only 35% of these was there a transient (median 3 months) decrease in palpable liver size. Four of the five patients with ascites experienced a short-term response from RT. Eight of the 13 patients suitable for evaluation (62%) had treatment-associated cytopenia, often in the form of anemia and/or thrombocytopenia. At last follow-up, 10 patients (71%) had died after a median of 7 months (range 0.1-23) and 4 were alive at 3, 20, 33, and 57 months after RT. Conclusions: Low-dose abdominal RT for symptomatic hepatomegaly or ascites associated with advanced-stage MMM is myelosuppressive and provides only temporary and mainly subjective and short-lived relief. (au)

  17. Gait Analysis of Symptomatic Flatfoot in Children: An Observational Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ha Yong; Shin, Hyuck Soo; Ko, Jun Hyuck; Cha, Yong Han; Ahn, Jae Hoon; Hwang, Jae Yeon

    2017-09-01

    Flatfoot deformity is a lever arm disease that incurs kinetic inefficiency during gait. The purpose of this study was to measure the degree of kinetic inefficiency by comparing the gait analysis data of a flatfoot group with a normal control group. The patient group consisted of 26 children (21 males and 5 females) with symptomatic flatfoot. They were examined with gait analysis between May 2005 and February 2014. Exclusion criteria were patients with secondary flatfoot caused by neuromuscular disorders, tarsal coalition, vertical talus, or others. Patients' mean age was 9.5 years (range, 7 to 13 years). The gait analysis data of the study group and the normal control group were compared. The mean vertical ground reaction force (GRF) in the push-off phase was 0.99 for the patient group and 1.15 for the control group ( p push-off phase was 0.89 for the patient group and 1.27 for the control group ( p push-off phase was 1.38 for the patient group and 2.52 for the control group ( p push-off phase during gait. Symptomatic flatfeet had a moment inefficiency of 30% and power inefficiency of 45% during gait compared to feet with preserved medial longitudinal arches.

  18. Living with a symptomatic rotator cuff tear 'bad days, bad nights': a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minns Lowe, Catherine J; Moser, Jane; Barker, Karen

    2014-07-09

    Rotator cuff tears are a common cause of shoulder pain. There is an absence of information about symptomatic rotator cuffs from the patients' perspective; this limits the information clinicians can share with patients and the information that patients can access via sources such as the internet. This study describes the experiences of people with a symptomatic rotator cuff, their symptoms, the impact upon their daily lives and the coping strategies utilised by study participants. An interpretive phenomenological analysis approach was used. 20 participants of the UKUFF trial (The United Kingdom Rotator Cuff Surgery Trial) agreed to participate in in-depth semi-structured interviews about their experiences about living with a symptomatic rotator cuff tear. Interviews were digitally recorded and fully transcribed. Field notes, memos and a reflexive diary were used. Data was coded in accordance with interpretive phenomenological analysis. Peer review, code-recode audits and constant comparison of data, codes and categories occurred throughout. The majority of patients described intense pain and severely disturbed sleep. Limited movement and reduced muscle strength were described by some participants. The predominantly adverse impact that a symptomatic rotator cuff tear had upon activities of daily living, leisure activities and occupation was described. The emotional and financial impact and impact upon caring roles were detailed. Coping strategies included attempting to carry on as normally as possible, accepting their condition, using their other arm, using analgesics, aids and adaptions. Clinicians need to appreciate and understand the intensity and shocking nature of pain that may be experienced by participants with known rotator cuff tears and understand the detrimental impact tears can have upon all areas of patient's lives. Clinicians also need to be aware of the potential emotional impact caused by cuff tears and to ensure that patients needing help for

  19. Relation between ABO blood groups and Helicobacter pylori infection in symptomatic patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaff MS

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Mohamad Salih Jaff Pathology Department, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University (formerly Salahuddin University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq Abstract: Epidemiological studies have demonstrated higher frequencies of the O blood group and the nonsecretor phenotype of ABH antigens among patients suffering from peptic ulcers. Since Helicobacter pylori has been established as the main etiological factor in this disease, controversies about the associations of the ABO and Lewis blood group phenotypes and secretor and nonsecretor phenotypes in relation to susceptibility towards infection by this bacillus have been presented. The aim of this study was to verify the frequencies of ABO and Rhesus (Rh blood groups in H. pylori seropositive symptomatic patients. The study included (n = 1108 patients with dyspepsia symptoms referred from an outpatient clinic in Erbil city for investigation. Age, sex, and residency were recorded as a routine laboratory framework. Patients underwent SD Bioline (Standard Diagnostics Inc, Kyonggi-do, South Korea and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serologic tests for H. pylori. ABO blood group phenotypes were determined by a standard hemagglutination test. Results showed that 64.8% of patients (n = 718/1108 were seropositive for H. pylori infection, and (35.2% (n = 390/1108 were seronegative. Of the seropositive patients, 40.8% (n = 293/718 were male and 59.2% (n = 425/718 were female; while of the seronegative patients, 46.7% (n = 182/390 were male and 53.3% (n = 208/390 were female. The mean age for seropositives and seronegatives was (38.0 ± 14.6 years and (37.6 ± 15.7 years respectively. The frequency of the ABO and Rh-positive (Rh+ blood groups among seropositive patients was (A = 32.0%, B = 19.5%, AB = 6.7%, O = 41.8%, and Rh+ = 92.5% and was (A = 32.3%, B = 28.2%, AB = 8.0%, O = 31.5%, and Rh+ = 92.5% in seronegatives. The results of this study suggest that ABO blood groups, age, and gender influence

  20. Bone resorptive activity in symptomatic and asymptomatic apical lesions of endodontic origin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salinas-Muñoz, M; Garrido-Flores, M; Baeza, M; Huamán-Chipana, P; García-Sesnich, J; Bologna, R; Vernal, R; Hernández, M

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this study is to assess the levels and diagnostic accuracy of a set of bone resorption biomarkers, including TRAP-5, RANKL, and OPG in symptomatic and asymptomatic apical lesions and controls. Apical tissues from symptomatic and asymptomatic apical periodontitis patients and periodontal ligaments from healthy teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons were processed for tissue homogenization and the levels of TRAP-5, RANKL, and OPG were determined by multiplex assay. Marker levels were analyzed by Kruskal Wallis test, and diagnostic accuracy was analyzed with ROC curves. Higher levels of RANKL, OPG, and RANKL/OPG ratio were determined in both types of apical lesions compared to healthy periodontal ligament, whereas higher TRAP-5 levels were found only in symptomatic apical lesions (p apical lesions versus healthy controls (AUC = 0.69, p asymptomatic apical periodontitis (AUC = 0.71, p Apical lesions showed higher RANKL and OPG levels than healthy tissues. TRAP-5 levels were the highest in symptomatic apical lesions, suggesting that these represent a progressive state, and showed diagnostic potential. Clinically symptomatic apical periodontitis might represent biologically progressive apical lesions based on TRAP5 levels. TRAP5 has diagnostic potential to identify these lesions, representing a candidate prognostic biomarker.

  1. Uterine artery embolization for the treatment of symptomatic fibroids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Kyung Ah; Kim, Man Deuk; Kim, Hee Jin; Lee, Mee Hwa; Cho, Jin Ho; Cha, Sun Hee; Yoon, Sang Wook; Ahn, Eun Hee [Bundang CHA General Hospital Pochon CHA University, Sungnam (Korea, Republic of)

    2005-07-15

    The aim of this study was to determine the potential usefulness of uterine artery embolization (UAE) for the management of uterine leiomyoma. Sixty nine patients (mean age; 40.3 years, age range; 31-52 years) who underwent UAE for symptomatic fibroids (with menorrhagia, dysmenorrhoea and bulk-related symptoms) from January 2000 to December 2000 were retrospectively analyzed. The mean follow-up period was 3.5 months (range: 1-8 months). The fibroids ranged in size from 2.0 cm to 13.2 cm with a mean size of 5.8 cm. We performed embolization using polyvinyl alcohol particles (250-710 {mu} m). The improvement of the clinical symptoms was analyzed. Reduction of the uterine and predominant fibroid volumes was assessed using MRI. Symptom improvement for the menorrhagia (87.5%), dysmenorrhoea (83.3%) and the bulk-related symptoms (79.2%) was reported. Complications includes ovarian failure in four patients (5.8% of the total patients, mean age: 43.3 yrs) and infection in three patients (4.3% of the total patients) who underwent conservative management with intravenous antibiotics and analgesics. The volume reduction rate of the uterus and the predominant fibroids after uterine artery embolization were 36.3% and 56.6%, respectively. UAE is a promising new treatment for symptomatic fibroids and may be a valuable alternative to hysterectomy.

  2. Symptomatic Autism in Childhood and Adolescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Easson, William M.

    1971-01-01

    The frequency of symptomatic autism in children with severe perceptual or intellectual handicaps is noted and early diagnosis and treatment urged to permit healthy child development. Highlighted are some common causes leading to symptomatic autism. (KW)

  3. Incidence and risk factors for severe and symptomatic hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes. Results of the HYPOS-1 study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giorda, Carlo B; Ozzello, Alessandro; Gentile, Sandro; Aglialoro, Alberto; Chiambretti, Anna; Baccetti, Fabio; Gentile, Francesco M; Lucisano, Giuseppe; Nicolucci, Antonio; Rossi, Maria Chiara

    2015-10-01

    Hypoglycemia is common in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We aimed to update the incidence of severe and symptomatic hypoglycemia and investigate several correlated factors. In this multicenter, observational retrospective study, the data of 206 T1DM patients from a sample of 2,229 consecutive patients seen at 18 diabetes clinics were analyzed. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, severe hypoglycemia in the past 12 months, and symptomatic hypoglycemia in the past 4 weeks were recorded with a self-report questionnaire and a clinical form during a routine visit. Poisson multivariate models were applied. A minority of patients accounted for the majority of both severe and symptomatic episodes. The incidence rate (IR) of severe hypoglycemia was 0.49 (0.40-0.60) events/person-years. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was higher in patients with previous severe hypoglycemia (3.71; 2.28-6.04), neuropathy (4.16; 2.14-8.05), long duration (>20 years, 2.96; 1.60-5.45), and on polypharmacy (1.24; 1.13-1.36), but it was lower when a complication was present. The IR of symptomatic hypoglycemia was 53.3 events/person-years, with an IRR significantly higher among women or patients with better education, or shorter duration or on pumps. The IRR was lower in patients with higher BMI or neuropathy or aged more than 50 years. Fewer than 20 % of T1DM patients are free from hypoglycemia, with one in six having experienced at least one severe episode in the last year. The distribution is uneven, with a tendency of episodes to cluster in some patients. Severe and symptomatic episodes have different correlates and reflect different conditions.

  4. T2 map signal variation predicts symptomatic osteoarthritis progression: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhong, Haoti; Miller, David J. [The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Electrical Engineering, University Park, PA (United States); Urish, Kenneth L. [Magee Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, The Bone and Joint Center, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2016-07-15

    The aim of this work is to use quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify patients at risk for symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) progression. We hypothesized that classification of signal variation on T2 maps might predict symptomatic OA progression. Patients were selected from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), a prospective cohort. Two groups were identified: a symptomatic OA progression group and a control group. At baseline, both groups were asymptomatic (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis [WOMAC] pain score total <10) with no radiographic evidence of OA (Kellgren-Lawrence [KL] score ≤ 1). The OA progression group (n = 103) had a change in total WOMAC score greater than 10 by the 3-year follow-up. The control group (n = 79) remained asymptomatic, with a change in total WOMAC score less than 10 at the 3-year follow-up. A classifier was designed to predict OA progression in an independent population based on T2 map cartilage signal variation. The classifier was designed using a nearest neighbor classification based on a Gaussian Mixture Model log-likelihood fit of T2 map cartilage voxel intensities. The use of T2 map signal variation to predict symptomatic OA progression in asymptomatic individuals achieved a specificity of 89.3 %, a sensitivity of 77.2 %, and an overall accuracy rate of 84.2 %. T2 map signal variation can predict symptomatic knee OA progression in asymptomatic individuals, serving as a possible early OA imaging biomarker. (orig.)

  5. A pancreas-preserving technique for the management of symptomatic pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency refractory to conservative treatment after pancreas head resection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Königsrainer, Ingmar; Zieker, Derek; Beckert, Stefan; Glatzle, Jörg; Schroeder, Torsten H; Heininger, Alexandra; Nadalin, Silvio; Königsrainer, Alfred

    2010-08-01

    Management of symptomatic pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency after pancreas head resection remains controversial. Completion pancreatectomy as one frequently performed option is associated with poor prognosis. During a 4-year period, a two-step strategy was applied in four consecutive patients suffering from pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency refractory to conservative management after a pancreas head resection. In the first step, sepsis was overbridged by meticulous debridement and resection of the pancreaticojejunostomy, leaving the biliary anastomosis untouched, and selective drainage of the pancreatic duct as well as the peripancreatic area. In the second step, after recovery, the procedure was completed with a novel pancreaticojejunostomy. The surgical procedure was completed in three patients after a mean of 164 (range: 112-213) days. One patient died from cardiac arrest 54 days after the reoperation with resolved abdominal sepsis. No pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency occurred after the new pancreaticojejunostomy had been performed. Three patients are alive and tumor-free with normal exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function after a mean follow-up of 20.3 (3-38) months following the definitive reconstruction. The two-step pancreas-preserving strategy can be used as an alternative to completion pancreatectomy for patients suffering from severe pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency.

  6. Buffered Lidocaine With Sodium Bicarbonate did not Increase Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block Success Rate in Patients Having Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parirokh, Masoud

    2016-03-01

    Effect of buffered 4% lidocaine on the success of the inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Schellenberg J, Drum M, Reader A, Nusstein J, Fowler S, Beck M. J Endod 2015;41(6):791-6. The study was supported by Meyers/Reader Graduate Endodontic Support Fund Double blinded randomized controlled trial. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Effect of preoperative acetaminophen/hydrocodone on the efficacy of the inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fullmer, Spencer; Drum, Melissa; Reader, Al; Nusstein, John; Beck, Mike

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to determine the effect of the administration of the combination acetaminophen/hydrocodone on the anesthetic success of mandibular posterior teeth in patients experiencing symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. One hundred emergency patients in moderate to severe pain diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of a mandibular posterior tooth randomly received, in a double-blind manner, identical capsules of either a combination dose of 1000 mg acetaminophen/10 mg hydrocodone or placebo 60 minutes before the administration of a conventional inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block. Endodontic access was begun 15 minutes after completion of the block, and all patients used for data analysis had profound lip numbness. Success was defined as no or mild pain (visual analog scale recordings) on pulpal access or instrumentation. The success rate for the IAN block was 32% for the combination dose of 1000 mg acetaminophen/10 hydrocodone and 28% for the placebo dose, with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .662). A combination dose of 1000 mg acetaminophen/10 mg hydrocodone given 60 minutes before the administration of the IAN block did not result in a statistically significant increase in anesthetic success for mandibular posterior teeth in patients experiencing symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Use of renal resistive index and semi-rigid ureteroscopy for managing symptomatic persistent hydronephrosis during pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atar, Murat; Bozkurt, Yasar; Soylemez, Haluk; Penbegul, Necmettin; Sancaktutar, Ahmet Ali; Bodakci, Mehmet Nuri; Hatipoglu, Namik Kemal; Hamidi, Cihad; Ozler, Ali

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) and semi-rigid ureteroscopy (URS) for managing symptomatic persistent hydronephrosis during pregnancy. The study included 19 pregnant patients with unilateral symptomatic persistent hydronephrosis. All pregnant patients were assessed with conventional ultrasonography (US) followed by DUS for both kidneys. The mean patient age was 26 years (range 19-40), and the gestational period was 24 weeks (range 16-33). There was a significantly higher mean resistive index in the kidneys with ureteral obstruction than in the contralateral normal kidneys. Spinal anesthesia was performed on 18 patients, while general anesthesia was performed on 1 patient. Endoscopically stones were found in 17 patients (89.5%), while no stone was found in 2 patients (10.5%). The stones were fragmented by holmium laser and retracted with forceps. After lithotripsy, a ureteral JJ stent was inserted in 8 of 17 (47%) patients with ureteral stones. Intraoperatively, there were no obstetric complications, while ureteral perforation was seen in one patient. Two patients are still pregnant at the time of this writing, and 17 babies were born normally. Both RI and ΔRI increase in unilateral symptomatic persistent hydronephrosis during pregnancy. Semi-rigid URS can be used successfully for diagnosis and treatment in these patients. Copyright © 2012 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Stent angioplasty for the treatment of symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Huisheng; Niu Huiming; Chao Yuanxiang; Li Xiaoning; Wu Dingfeng; Zhang Chenhong; Yang Jie; Zhang Liang

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of endovascular stent angioplasty in treating symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery. Methods: Endovascular angioplasty with coronary stents was performed in 27 patients with symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery. The clinical results were reviewed and analyzed. Results: Of the total 27 patients, successful placement of the coronary stents was achieved in 24. Angiography immediately after the procedure showed that the stenotic degree of the diseased artery was markedly decreased from preoperative (80 ± 19)% to postoperative (8 ±4)%, the improvement was very obvious. Percutaneous transcatheter angioplasty had to be employed in two cases because of the failure of stent placement. A mean follow-up period of 18 months was carried out. During the following up period no transient cerebral ischemia attack occurred in 25 patients and no newly-developed cerebral infarction in region fed by the responsible vessels occurred either.Re-irrigation cerebral hemorrhage was seen in one patient, which occurred three hours after the placement of the stent. In one case the placed stent fell off and immigrated into the siphon of internal carotid artery, and the displaced stent was took out later with a catching apparatus. In another case re-stenosis occurred six months after the stenting. Conclusion: Percutaneous endovascular stent angioplasty is a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery, although its long-term results need to be further evaluated. (authors)

  10. The inconsistent nature of symptomatic pancreatico-jejunostomy anastomotic strictures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demirjian, Aram N; Kent, Tara S; Callery, Mark P; Vollmer, Charles M

    2010-01-01

    Background Pancreatico-jejunostomy strictures (PJS) after pancreatiocoduodenectomy (PD) are poorly understood. Methods Patients treated for PJS were identified from all PDs (n =357) performed for all indications in our practice (2002 to 2009). Technical aspects of the original operation, as well as the presentation, management and outcomes of the resultant stricture were assessed. Results Seven patients developed a symptomatic PJS for an incidence of 2%. ‘Soft’ glands and small ducts (≤3 mm) were each present in 3/7 of the original anastomoses. Pancreatic fistula occurred in 6/7. The latency period to stricture presentation averaged 41 months. Diagnosis of PJS was confirmed by secretin magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography (MRCP). Therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was attempted – each unsuccessfully – in four patients. All patients required operative correction of their PJS by takedown/revision of the original pancreatico-jejunal anastomoses (PJA) (n =4) ± a modified Puestow (n =2). One patient's PJS was completely inaccessible due to dense adhesions. Another patient's stricture recurred and was successfully revised with a stricturoplasty. At a mean follow-up of 25 months, all are alive, but only 4/7 are pain free. Conclusion A symptomatic PJS appears to be independent of original pathological, glandular or technical features but pancreatic fistulae may contribute. Secretin MRCP is diagnostically useful, whereas ERCP has been proven to be therapeutically ineffective. Durable resolution of symptoms after surgical revision is unpredictable. PMID:20815857

  11. Do Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors Reduce the Risk of Symptomatic Radiation Pneumonitis in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Definitive Radiation Therapy? Analysis of a Single-Institution Database

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Hongmei [Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P.R. of China (China); Liao, Zhongxing, E-mail: zliao@mdanderson.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Zhuang, Yan; Xu, Ting; Nguyen, Quynh-Nhu; Levy, Lawrence B.; O' Reilly, Michael [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Gold, Kathryn A. [Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Gomez, Daniel R. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States)

    2013-12-01

    Purpose: Preclinical studies have suggested that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) can mitigate radiation-induced lung injury. We sought here to investigate possible associations between ACEI use and the risk of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP) among patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT) for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: We retrospectively identified patients who received definitive radiation therapy for stages I to III NSCLC between 2004 and 2010 at a single tertiary cancer center. Patients must have received a radiation dose of at least 60 Gy for a single primary lung tumor and have had imaging and dosimetric data available for analysis. RP was quantified according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess potential associations between ACEI use and risk of symptomatic RP. Results: Of 413 patients analyzed, 65 were using ACEIs during RT. In univariate analysis, the rate of RP grade ≥2 seemed lower in ACEI users than in nonusers (34% vs 46%), but this apparent difference was not statistically significant (P=.06). In multivariate analysis of all patients, ACEI use was not associated with the risk of symptomatic RP (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.66; P=.07) after adjustment for sex, smoking status, mean lung dose (MLD), and concurrent carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy. Subgroup analysis showed that ACEI use did have a protective effect from RP grade ≥2 among patients who received a low (≤20-Gy) MLD (P<.01) or were male (P=.04). Conclusions: A trend toward reduction in symptomatic RP among patients taking ACEIs during RT for NSCLC was not statistically significant on univariate or multivariate analyses, although certain subgroups may benefit from use (ie, male patients and those receiving low MLD). The evidence at this point is insufficient to establish whether the use of ACEIs does or does not reduce the risk of RP.

  12. Clinical meaning of hot uptake on bone scan in symptomatic accessory navicular bones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chong, Ari; Ha, Jung Min; Lee, Jun Young

    2016-01-01

    We analyzed clinical factors related to uptake on a Tc-99 m HDP bone scan of the accessory navicular (AN). We retrospectively reviewed patients who had been examined by an orthopedic surgeon and underwent bone scan due to suspected symptomatic AN. A three-point grading system was used to evaluate uptake on bone scan. Relationships between grade, symptoms, age, gender, symptom duration, and bone size were analyzed. In total, 73 ANs (30 asymptomatic, 43 symptomatic) were enrolled. The majority of asymptomatic ANs had no uptake but some had grade 1 (n = 8) or 2 (n = 2) uptake. All asymptomatic ANs with uptake remained asymptomatic during follow-up. For the asymptomatic ANs, larger bones showed a higher grade. With a cut-off value of size ≤6.8 mm, there is no chance of uptake. All symptomatic ANs showed uptake on bone scan. For symptomatic ANs, larger size and shorter pain duration were related to a higher grade. Age, gender, and left-/right-sideness were not related to grade. Multiple regressions revealed that only uptake grade, not size or symptom duration, was the significant risk factor for a symptomatic AN. With a cut-off value of grade <1, a symptomatic AN could be ruled out with a negative predictive value of 100 %. Bone scanning is useful for symptomatic ANs with a high negative predictive value. Higher grade is related to larger size and shorter pain duration. For asymptomatic ANs, grade was related to size but did not predict symptom development

  13. Clinical meaning of hot uptake on bone scan in symptomatic accessory navicular bones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chong, Ari; Ha, Jung Min; Lee, Jun Young [Chosun University Hospital, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-12-15

    We analyzed clinical factors related to uptake on a Tc-99 m HDP bone scan of the accessory navicular (AN). We retrospectively reviewed patients who had been examined by an orthopedic surgeon and underwent bone scan due to suspected symptomatic AN. A three-point grading system was used to evaluate uptake on bone scan. Relationships between grade, symptoms, age, gender, symptom duration, and bone size were analyzed. In total, 73 ANs (30 asymptomatic, 43 symptomatic) were enrolled. The majority of asymptomatic ANs had no uptake but some had grade 1 (n = 8) or 2 (n = 2) uptake. All asymptomatic ANs with uptake remained asymptomatic during follow-up. For the asymptomatic ANs, larger bones showed a higher grade. With a cut-off value of size ≤6.8 mm, there is no chance of uptake. All symptomatic ANs showed uptake on bone scan. For symptomatic ANs, larger size and shorter pain duration were related to a higher grade. Age, gender, and left-/right-sideness were not related to grade. Multiple regressions revealed that only uptake grade, not size or symptom duration, was the significant risk factor for a symptomatic AN. With a cut-off value of grade <1, a symptomatic AN could be ruled out with a negative predictive value of 100 %. Bone scanning is useful for symptomatic ANs with a high negative predictive value. Higher grade is related to larger size and shorter pain duration. For asymptomatic ANs, grade was related to size but did not predict symptom development.

  14. Pediatric symptomatic Rathke cleft cyst compared with cystic craniopharyngioma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Yasuhiko; Kita, Daisuke; Fukui, Issei; Sasagawa, Yasuo; Oishi, Masahiro; Okajima, Michiko; Tachibana, Osamu; Nakada, Mitsutoshi

    2016-09-01

    Symptomatic Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) are rarely detected in neuroradiological screening and are less commonly found in children than in adults. However, when RCCs are observed in children, it is important to carefully distinguish a RCC from a cystic craniopharyngioma (CP) even if surgically treated or conservatively followed up. We conducted a retrospective review of clinical data from 11 patients with symptomatic RCCs whose ages were under 18 years and compared the data with data from 15 age- and sex-matched patients with cystic CP who were treated at our institute. The mean age of the patients with RCCs was 12.2 years (range, 6-18). There were six males and five females. As initial symptoms, nine patients presented with headache, while two each had impaired visual function, diabetes insipidus, and activity loss. The 14 patients with CP suffered from impaired visual function. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mainly showed hyperintensity on T1-weighted images (WIs) and hypointensity on T2-WI in patients with RCC. However, patients with CP had characteristic hyperintensity on T2-WI. The average maximum diameter of the RCCs was 19.0 mm on average (range, 8-33 mm). The RCCs were thus significantly smaller than CPs (34.9 mm; range, 21-54 mm). The RCCs were usually oval or dumbbell-shaped and regular in appearance, while the larger CPs were lobular and irregular. A preoperative endocrinological evaluation revealed insufficiencies in four axes in five patients with RCC. Postoperative endocrinological status improved in three patients, remained unchanged in three, and worsened in one. The gonadotropin axis was damaged in a majority (nine) of the patients with CP preoperatively. Postoperative evaluation revealed deficits in five axes in 14 patients with CP, which is a significantly different trend than observed in patients with RCC. Eight patients underwent surgical procedures (transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) in four, craniotomy in four). Two of these patients

  15. Indications for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy or Oral Dissolution Therapy with Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Symptomatic Gallstone Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Cariati

    2014-06-01

    A large Danish study has shown that high bilirubin plasma levels and the genetic variant rs6742078 TT of the enzyme bilirubin glucuronidase UGT1A1 are associated with an increased risk of developing symptomatic gallstone disease. Recent reports regarding the significant association between bilirubin levels and symptomatic gallstone disease open a new chapter about the indication and exclusion criteria for oral dissolution therapy of symptomatic gallstone disease. A highly select subgroup of patients with small, single, radiolucent cholesterol gallstones who received oral dissolution therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA had a reported recurrence of symptomatic gallstone disease of 50% over five years. This is probably related to the persistence of other causal risk factors for gallstones in addition to that of cholesterol suprasaturation. A subgroup of patients with high plasma bilirubin levels and the UGT1A1 genetic variant rs6742078 have a greater risk of recurrence. In conclusion, oral dissolution therapy with UDCA might still be appropriate for patients that refuse laparoscopic cholecystectomy provided they have small (< 0.5 cm, radiolucent cholesterol gallstones and a functioning gallbladder, and have mean plasma bilirubin levels below 1.33 mg/dL and are not homozygous for the UGT1A1 rs6742078 TT genotype. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2014; 3(3.000: 161-165

  16. Prevalence of pes anserine bursitis in symptomatic osteoarthritis patients: an ultrasonographic prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uysal, Fatma; Akbal, Ayla; Gökmen, Ferhat; Adam, Gürhan; Reşorlu, Mustafa

    2015-03-01

    The aim of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of pes anserine bursitis (PAB) in patients with osteoarthritis. A total of 85 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were included in the study. The patients were divided into four groups using the Kellgren-Lawrence staging system. The knee X-rays evaluated according to this system indicated that 15.6% of patients were grade 1, 34.1% grade 2, 37.1% grade 3, and 13.5% grade 4. Ultrasonography (USG) was performed on both knees by a radiologist experienced in musculoskeletal system ultrasonography and unaware of the patients' physical examination or direct X-ray findings. The presence of PAB, longest diameter of bursitis, and area of bursitis were recorded. The average age of the 11 male and 74 female patients included in the study was 58.9 ± 9.0 years. A total of 170 knees of 85 patients were examined. The incidence of bursitis was significantly higher in females (p = 0.026). The incidence of bursitis on ultrasound was 20% (34/170). There was a statistical difference between the grades for bursitis incidence (p = 0.004). There was a significant positive correlation between both the longest length (p = 0.015, r = 0.187) and area (p = 0.003, r = 0.231) of PAB with osteoarthritis grade. The mean age of bursitis patients was higher than that of those without the condition (p = 0.038). In addition, the osteoarthritis (OA) grade and bursitis prevalence increased as the patients' age increased, and these increases were statistically significant (p bursitis was observed in one out of every five symptomatic OA patients and was more common in female patients and with advanced age. A positive correlation was found between OA grade and PAB size and area.

  17. Endoscopic Surgery for Symptomatic Unicameral Bone Cyst of the Proximal Femur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyamoto, Wataru; Takao, Masato; Yasui, Youichi; Miki, Shinya; Matsushita, Takashi

    2013-11-01

    Recently, surgical treatment of a symptomatic unicameral cyst of the proximal femur has been achieved with less invasive procedures than traditional open curettage with an autologous bone graft. In this article we introduce endoscopic surgery for a symptomatic unicameral cyst of the proximal femur. The presented technique, which includes minimally invasive endoscopic curettage of the cyst and injection of a bone substitute, not only minimizes muscle damage around the femur but also enables sufficient curettage of the fibrous membrane in the cyst wall and the bony septum through direct detailed visualization by an endoscope. Furthermore, sufficient initial strength after curettage can be obtained by injecting calcium phosphate cement as a bone substitute.

  18. [Nootropics and antioxidants in the complex therapy of symptomatic posttraumatic epilepsy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savenkov, A A; Badalian, O L; Avakian, G N

    2013-01-01

    To study the possibility of application of nootropics and antioxidants in the complex antiepileptic therapy, we examined 75 patients with symptomatic focal posttraumatic epilepsy. A statistically significant reduction in the number of epileptic seizures, improvement of cognitive function and quality of life of the patients as well as a decrease in the severity of depression and epileptic changes in the EEG were identified. The potentiation of antiepileptic activity of basic drugs, normalization of brain's electrical activity and reduction in EEG epileptiform activity, in particular coherent indicators of slow-wave activity, were noted after treatment with the antioxidant mexidol. A trend towards the improvement of neuropsychological performance and quality of life was observed. There was a lack of seizure aggravation typical of many nootropic drugs. Thus, phenotropil and mexidol can be recommended for complex treatment of symptomatic posttraumatic epilepsy.

  19. Acute kidney injury in symptomatic primary Epstein-Barr virus infectious mononucleosis: Systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moretti, Milena; Lava, Sebastiano A G; Zgraggen, Lorenzo; Simonetti, Giacomo D; Kottanattu, Lisa; Bianchetti, Mario G; Milani, Gregorio P

    2017-06-01

    Textbooks and reviews do not mention the association of symptomatic primary Epstein-Barr virus infectious mononucleosis with acute kidney injury in subjects without immunodeficiency or autoimmunity. Stimulated by our experience with two cases, we performed a review of the literature. The literature documents 38 cases (26 male and 12 female individuals ranging in age from 0.3 to 51, median 18 years) of symptomatic primary Epstein-Barr virus infectious mononucleosis complicated by acute kidney injury: 27 acute interstitial nephritides, 1 jaundice-associated nephropathy, 7 myositides and 3 hemolytic uremic syndromes. Acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy was observed in 18 (47%) cases. Acute kidney injury did not resolve in one patient with acute interstitial nephritis. Two patients died because of systemic complications. The remaining 35 cases fully recovered. In individuals with acute symptomatic Epstein-Barr virus infectious mononucleosis, a relevant kidney injury is rare but the outcome potentially fatal. It results from interstitial nephritis, myositis-associated acute kidney injury, hemolytic uremic syndrome or jaundice-associated nephropathy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. [CHRONIC PERIODONTITIS WITH SYMPTOMATIC HYPERTROPHIC GINGIVITIS: CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinkevich, V; Udaltsova, K; Pisarenko, E; Kolomiets, S; Khmil, T

    2015-12-01

    Gingivitis in traditional national dentistry referred to independent diseases or symptomatic condition in periodontitis and classified morphologically. The diagnostic features of the diseases are characteristic, but the clinical presentation of symptomatic gingivitis and patterns of bone destructions may vary between patients. Successful treatment of the disease depends from proper diagnosis and advanced disease stages, but for symptomatic gingivitis that accompanying chronic periodontitis, protocols include surgical excision. Despite of the high prevalence of chronic generalized periodontitis, its active treatment often start in severe destruction and bone loss (2-3 stage severity). Today etiotropic antimicrobial therapy is real way to control microbial biofilm and has solid evidence base. Applying of etiotropic antimicrobial therapy as systemic azithromycin with timely treatment of mild to moderate periodontal and bone destruction may reduce severe periodontitis incidence of and treatment-related complications in the future. This paper attempts to describe the clinical diagnostic features and the current treatment options along with a suggested protocol for comprehensive management of chronic generalized periodontitis and hypertrophic gingivitis patient with case reports and a brief review.

  1. Functional Compensation of Motor Function in Pre-Symptomatic Huntington's Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kloppel, Stefan; Draganski, Bogdan; Siebner, Hartwig R.; Tabrizi, Sarah J.; Weiller, Cornelius; Frackowiak, Richard S. J.

    2009-01-01

    Involuntary choreiform movements are a clinical hallmark of Huntington's disease. Studies in clinically affected patients suggest a shift of motor activations to parietal cortices in response to progressive neurodegeneration. Here, we studied pre-symptomatic gene carriers to examine the compensatory mechanisms that underlie the phenomenon of…

  2. Long term prognosis of symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy secondary to neonatal hypoglycemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montassir, Hesham; Maegaki, Yoshihiro; Ohno, Kousaku; Ogura, Kaeko

    2010-02-01

    To report on long-term clinical course in patients with symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy secondary to neonatal hypoglycemia. Six patients with neonatal hypoglycemia and symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy were studied in our hospital through reviewing their medical records retrospectively. The median onset age of epilepsy was 2 years 8 months and median follow-up period was 12 years and 4 months. Initial seizure types were generalized convulsions in 4 patients, hemiconvulsion in 1, and infantile spasms in 1. Ictal manifestations of main seizures were identical to occipital lobe seizures, such as eye deviation, eye blinking, ictal vomiting, and visual hallucination. Seizure frequency was maximum during infancy and early childhood and decreased thereafter with no seizure in 2 patients, a few seizures a year in 3, and once a month in 1. All patients had status epilepticus in the early course of epilepsy. EEGs showed parieto-occipital spikes in all patients. MRI revealed cortical atrophy and T2 prolongation parieto-occipitally in 4 patients, hippocampal atrophy in 1, and unremarkable in 1. This study indicates that epilepsy secondary to neonatal hypoglycemia is intractable during infancy and early childhood with frequent status epilepticus but tends to decrease in older age.

  3. Electromyographic Activity of Shoulder Girdle Muscles in Patients With Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Rotator Cuff Tears: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spall, Peter; Ribeiro, Daniel Cury; Sole, Gisela

    2016-09-01

    To compare electromyographic activity in patients with symptomatic rotator cuff tears with healthy controls or to those with asymptomatic cuff tears. TYPE: Systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed, Scopus, Ovid Medline, and Web of Science were searched from inception to August 1, 2014, and a search update was performed on June 8, 2015. Case-control studies or intervention studies that had baseline comparisons for symptomatic versus healthy shoulders or those with asymptomatic rotator cuff tear were searched. Methodological quality was assessed with a modified Critical Appraisal Skills Programme score and meta-analyses were performed when 2 or more studies explored the same outcome measures. Nine studies were included, with the quality ranging from 1 to 3 (maximum 6). Electromyographic outcomes included amplitudes and ratios thereof, activity duration, and median frequency of shoulder girdle muscles during isometric contractions (4 studies) and functional tasks (5 studies). Longer activity duration was found for upper trapezius during glenohumeral movements, and greater fatigability of anterior and middle deltoids during isometric hand gripping for patients with rotator cuff tears compared to controls. The meta-analysis (3 studies) showed that patients with rotator cuff tears had lower activation ratios for latissimus dorsi during isometric abduction contraction compared to controls (P muscle activity differences between the rotator cuff tear group and controls is thus limited. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Beta-blocker use and risk of symptomatic bradyarrhythmias: a hospital-based case-control study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Hou Tee; Kam, Jiyen; Nordin, Rusli Bin; Khelae, Surinder Kaur; Wang, Jing Mein; Choy, Chun Ngok; Lee, Chuey Yan

    2016-01-01

    Objective To investigate the risk factors of symptomatic bradyarrhythmias in relation to β-blockers use. Methods A hospital-based case-control study [228 patients: 108 with symptomatic bradyarrhythmias (cases) and 120 controls] was conducted in Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Malaysia between January 2011 and January 2014. Results The mean age was 61.1 ± 13.3 years with a majority of men (68.9%). Cases were likely than control to be older, hypertensive, lower body mass index and concomitant use of rate-controlling drugs (such as digoxin, verapamil, diltiazem, ivabradine or amiodarone). Significantly higher level of serum potassium, urea, creatinine and lower level of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were observed among cases as compared to controls. On univariate analysis among patients on β-blockers, older age (crude OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03–1.11, P = 0.000), hypertension (crude OR: 5.6; 95% CI: 1.51–20.72, P = 0.010), lower sodium (crude OR: 0.04; 95% CI: 0.81–0.99, P = 0.036), higher potassium (crude OR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.31–4.26, P = 0.004) and higher urea (crude OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.11–1.38, P = 0.000) were associated with increased risk of symptomatic bradyarrhythmias; eGFR was inversely and significantly associated with symptomatic bradyarrhythmias in both ‘β-blockers’ (crude OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.96–0.98, P = 0.000) and ‘non-β-blockers’ (crude OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.97–0.99, P = 0.023) arms. However, eGFR was not significantly associated with symptomatic bradyarrhythmias in the final model of both ‘β-blockers’ (adjusted OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96–0.98, P = 0.103) and ‘non-β-blockers’ (adjusted OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.97–1.01, P = 0.328) arms. Importantly, older age was a significant predictor of symptomatic bradyarrhythmias in the ‘β-blockers’ as compared to the ‘non-β-blockers’ arms (adjusted OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.03–1.15, P = 0.003 vs. adjusted OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.98–1.09, P = 0.232, respectively). Conclusion Older

  5. In patients with minimally symptomatic OSA can baseline characteristics and early patterns of CPAP usage predict those who are likely to be longer-term users of CPAP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turnbull, Christopher D; Bratton, Daniel J; Craig, Sonya E; Kohler, Malcolm; Stradling, John R

    2016-02-01

    Long-term continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) usage varies between individuals. It would be of value to be able to identify those who are likely to benefit from CPAP (and use it long term), versus those who would not, and might therefore benefit from additional help early on. First, we explored whether baseline characteristics predicted CPAP usage in minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients, a group who would be expected to have low usage. Second, we explored if early CPAP usage was predictive of longer-term usage, as has been shown in more symptomatic OSA patients. The MOSAIC trial was a multi-centre randomised controlled trial where minimally symptomatic OSA patients were randomised to CPAP, or standard care, for 6 months. Here we have studied only those patients randomised to CPAP treatment. Baseline characteristics including symptoms, questionnaires [including the Epworth sleepiness score (ESS)] and sleep study parameters were recorded. CPAP usage was recorded at 2-4 weeks after initiation and after 6 months. The correlation and association between baseline characteristics and 6 months CPAP usage was assessed, as was the correlation between 2 and 4 weeks CPAP usage and 6 months CPAP usage. One hundred and ninety-five patients randomised to CPAP therapy had median [interquartile range (IQR)] CPAP usage of 2:49 (0:44, 5:13) h:min/night (h/n) at the 2-4 weeks visit, and 2:17 (0:08, 4:54) h/n at the 6 months follow-up visit. Only male gender was associated with increased long-term CPAP use (male usage 2:56 h/n, female 1:57 h/n; P=0.02). There was a moderate correlation between the usage of CPAP at 2-4 weeks and 6 months, with about 50% of the variability in long-term use being predicted by the short-term use. In patients with minimally symptomatic OSA, our study has shown that male gender (and not OSA severity or symptom burden) is associated with increased long-term use of CPAP at 6 months. Although, in general, early patterns of CPAP

  6. Gadolinium-DTPA enhancement of symptomatic nerve roots in MRI of the lumbar spine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tyrrell, P.N.M.; Cassar-Pullicino, V.N.; McCall, I.W. [Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Institute of Orthopaedics, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 7AG (United Kingdom)

    1998-02-01

    Disc prolapse presenting with sciatica may be associated with enhancement of the symptomatic nerve root following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with intravenous gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA. Previous studies have shown, however, that this does not occur in all cases. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of nerve root enhancement in patients with sciatica and disc prolapse and to try to identify any specific features that might be associated with the phenomenon. A total of 227 patients presenting with low back pain and/or sciatica underwent a MRI study of the lumbar spine with intravenous contrast enhancement. Nineteen of 81 (23.5 %) patients with disc prolapse demonstrated nerve root enhancement. Nerve root enhancement had a highly significant association with sequestrated disc lesions (13/19, 68 %; P < 0.0005), and was primarily seen in the symptomatic ipsilateral nerve root (16/19, 84 %). The sensitivity of nerve root enhancement associated with disc prolapse was 23.5 % with a specificity of 95.9 %, a positive predictive value of 76 % and a negative predictive value of 69.3 %. Nerve root enhancement may be indicative of the symptomatic level but its poor sensitivity negates the routine use of Gd-DTPA in MRI for sciatica. (orig.) With 4 figs., 1 tab., 37 refs.

  7. Gadolinium-DTPA enhancement of symptomatic nerve roots in MRI of the lumbar spine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tyrrell, P.N.M.; Cassar-Pullicino, V.N.; McCall, I.W.

    1998-01-01

    Disc prolapse presenting with sciatica may be associated with enhancement of the symptomatic nerve root following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with intravenous gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA. Previous studies have shown, however, that this does not occur in all cases. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of nerve root enhancement in patients with sciatica and disc prolapse and to try to identify any specific features that might be associated with the phenomenon. A total of 227 patients presenting with low back pain and/or sciatica underwent a MRI study of the lumbar spine with intravenous contrast enhancement. Nineteen of 81 (23.5 %) patients with disc prolapse demonstrated nerve root enhancement. Nerve root enhancement had a highly significant association with sequestrated disc lesions (13/19, 68 %; P < 0.0005), and was primarily seen in the symptomatic ipsilateral nerve root (16/19, 84 %). The sensitivity of nerve root enhancement associated with disc prolapse was 23.5 % with a specificity of 95.9 %, a positive predictive value of 76 % and a negative predictive value of 69.3 %. Nerve root enhancement may be indicative of the symptomatic level but its poor sensitivity negates the routine use of Gd-DTPA in MRI for sciatica. (orig.)

  8. Stent placement with the monorail technique for treatment of mesenteric artery stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaefer, Philipp J; Schaefer, Fritz K W; Hinrichsen, Holger; Jahnke, Thomas; Charalambous, Nikolas; Heller, Martin; Mueller-Huelsbeck, Stefan

    2006-04-01

    To analyze the immediate and midterm success of stenting of mesenteric arteries by a monorail technique in patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia. In this prospective case series, 19 patients (11 male, 8 female; mean age, 62.9 +/- 10.4 y; range, 36-82 y) with 23 symptomatic stenoses of mesenteric arteries were treated with stent placement by a monorail technique in a radiologic intervention center over a period of 4.5 years. Clinical examinations and duplex sonography were used to evaluate the stents' patency and clinical success. Kaplan-Meier graphs were calculated to analyze the patency and freedom-from-symptom rate. Initial technical success rate was 22/23 (96%). Mean follow-up was 17 months (range, 1-58 mo). Primary patency and primary clinical success rates were 82% and 78%, respectively. According to Kaplan-Meier tables, the patency rates were 96%, 87%, 76%, and 61% at 0, 1, 15, and 24 months, respectively, and the freedom-from-symptom rates were 95%, 90%, 72%, and 54% at 0, 1, 24, and 30 months, respectively. No peri-interventional complications occurred. Two patients died of cardiac failure in the hospital within 30 days after intervention; deaths were not related to the intervention. Stent placement by a monorail technique in mesenteric arteries is an effective and safe treatment for symptomatic stenoses in patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia after a mean follow-up of 17 months.

  9. Evaluation of clinical efficacy of a combined analgetic drug "Fanigan" for symptomatic treatment of patients with pain syndrome of various genesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mamchur V.Y.

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The authors studied the efficacy of combined drug Fanigan (paracetamol 500 mg and diclofenac sodium 50 mg (production of "Kusum Pharm" (Ukraine or "Kusum Heltker PVT. LTD" (India in tablets for symptomatic treatment of patients with pain syndrome. A pronounced clinical efficiency of its application in patients with pain syndrome of various genesis in a daily dose from 2 to 3 tablets for 3 to 7 days was established. The obtained data on the clinical efficacy of the drug. Fanigan in the treatment of patients with pain syndrome of various genesis allow to recommend it for application in wide clinical practice.

  10. Phenotypic Characteristics of PD-1 and CTLA-4 Expression in Symptomatic Acute Hepatitis A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Hyosun; Kang, Hyojeung; Kim, Chang Wook; Kim, Hee Yeon; Jang, Jeong Won; Yoon, Seung Kew; Lee, Chang Don

    2016-03-01

    The immunoregulatory molecules programmed death 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) are associated with the dysfunction of antiviral effector T-cells, which leads to T-cell exhaustion and persistent viral infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C and chronic hepatitis B. Little is known about the role of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in patients with symptomatic acute hepatitis A (AHA). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from seven patients with AHA and from six patients with nonviral acute toxic hepatitis (ATH) during the symptomatic and convalescent phases of the respective diseases; five healthy subjects acted as controls. The expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 on T-cells was measured by flow cytometry. PD-1 and CTLA-4 expression during the symptomatic phase was significantly higher in the T-cells of AHA patients than in those of ATH patients or healthy controls (PD-1 18.3% vs 3.7% vs 1.6%, respectively, p<0.05; CTLA-4 23.5% vs 6.1% vs 5.9%, respectively, p<0.05). The levels of both molecules decreased dramatically during the convalescent phase of AHA, whereas a similar pattern was not seen in ATH. Our findings are consistent with a viral-protective effect of PD-1 and CTLA-4 as inhibitory molecules that suppress cytotoxic T-cells and thereby prevent the destruction of virus-infected hepatocytes in AHA.

  11. Developmental venous anomalies with capillary stain: a subgroup of symptomatic DVAs?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roccatagliata, Luca; Berg, Rene van den; Soderman, Michael; Boulin, Anne; Condette-Auliac, Stephanie; Rodesch, Georges

    2012-01-01

    Intracranial developmental venous anomalies (DVAs) are considered benign vascular dispositions; they are asymptomatic in the vast majority of cases. They represent extreme variations of the venous drainage and may rarely be responsible for focal venous ischemia leading to neurological dysfunction. The aim of the study is to analyze a group of patients with symptomatic DVAs with capillary stain at angiography. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological features of patients in which a DVA was considered the cause of a neurological event. In all the patients, the DVA was suspected by angio-CT or MRI and conventional angiography was performed to detail the angioarchitecture of the DVA. A total of 7 patients and 11 DVAs were identified; three patients had multiple DVAs. Three DVAs were frontal, two were parietal, two were thalamic, one was in the midbrain, and three were cerebellar. Patients presented with progressive neurological deficits, seizures, or cerebral hemorrhage. All these DVAs were associated with a peculiar capillary stain at angiography. Although being normal anatomical variations, DVAs may create, because of hemodynamic unbalance, venous ischemia that induces angiogenic phenomena. MRI shows the suffering of the brain and angiography witnesses this angiogenesis under the form of capillary stain. Conventional angiography can thus provide useful information to recognize ''atypical'' symptomatic DVAs. (orig.)

  12. Wingspan stent system in the treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Tianxiao; Li Zhaoshuo; Wang Ziliang; Xue Jiangyu; Bai Weixing; Li Li; Zhai Shuiting; Feng Yingpu

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To assess the safety, feasibility, short- and mid-term efficacy of wingspan stent for treating patients with symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. Methods: A total of 113 patients with severe symptomatic intracranial stenosis were enrolled and Gateway-wingspan stenting were performed on all patients. The technical success, the pre- and post-stenting stenosis, perioperative complications, clinical outcome and restenosis rates were recorded, and chi-square test was used for analysis of complication rate by comparing our results with the results of Warfarin-Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID) study and NIH multi-center Wingspan stenting trial. Results: The technical success rate was 99.1% (112/ 113). The mean pre and post-stent stenoses were (80.7±9.3)% and (27.7±9.7)% (χ 2 =9.397, P<0.05). The total complication rate was 4.4% (5/113) during the follow-up (mean 14.5 months, range 1-28 months), and the frequency of' restenosis was 12.5% (5/40) at 6 months. The primary endpoint events, ischemic stroke, and lesion-related ischemic stroke were lower in our study (4.5%, 3.5%, 3.5%) compared with the results of WASID trial (21.1%, 20.4%, 15.0%, P<0.05). For those with poor outcome in the three high-risk sub-groups which were with more than 70% stenosis, or last event from the treatment was less than 17 days, or NIHSS was above 1, a better outcome was observed in our group (4.5%, 4.7% and 2.0% in our study, 19.0%, 17.0% and 19.6% in previous study, P<0.05). The medium-term efficacy in this group (4.5%) significantly improved compared with NIH study (14.0%, P< 0.05). Conclusions: Wingspan stenting for symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis is with good safety, feasibility and low perioperative stroke rate and mortality. The incidence of primary endpoint events and the ischemic events are lower than those of medication group, and the efficacy of stenting is significantly better than medication even in high-risk population. (authors)

  13. Prevalence and risk factor for symptomatic avascular necrosis development in Thai systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunyakham, Wichak; Foocharoen, Chingching; Mahakkanukrauh, Ajanee; Suwannaroj, Siraphop; Nanagara, Ratanavadee

    2012-06-01

    Avascular necrosis (AVN) has been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and most SLE patients suffer from this problem. To study the prevalence of AVN in Thai SLE patients and to determine the risk factors for developing AVN. A retrospective study was performed, between January 1, 1995 and August 31, 2005, on patients over 15 years of age in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The medical records of 736 SLE patients were reviewed. The female to male ratio was 15.4:1. The prevalence of AVN was 8.8%. The average age at the time of AVN detection was 27 years (range, 18-54) and the average duration of disease 69 months (range, 12-112). All cases were AVN of the hip joint. The factors correlated with AVN included: long duration of disease, history of previous septic arthritis in the ipsilateral hip to the AVN development, hematological involvement, gastrointestinal involvement, arthritis and cutaneous vasculitis. After regression analysis, hematological involvement and long duration of disease were associated with AVN with a respective odds ratio of 3.13 (95% CI 1.13-8.54) and 1.01 (95% CI 1.00-1.02). Neither high-dose steroid nor antimalarial treatment were correlated with AVN in our study and 4.6% (n = 3) of patients had never received steroid therapy during the follow-up period. Prevalence of symptomatic AVN was 8.8% in our SLE patients. A longer duration of disease and hematological involvement were associated with AVN development.

  14. Role of symptomatic treatment in comparison to antibiotics in uncomplicated urinary tract infections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jamil, M.N.; Khan, R.M.; Sultan, B.; Farooq, U.

    2017-01-01

    Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common bacterial infections among women presenting to primary care causing rapidly increasing strains of resistant bacteria to the growing antibiotic industry. Restricting antibiotics to necessary indications is the only solution. The objectives of the study were to compare the efficacy of symptomatic treatment vs antibiotic in patients with uncomplicated UTI, in terms of individual symptom score, i.e., frequency, urgency, dysuria, supra pubic pain scores and total symptoms scores. Methods: A randomized control trial (RCT) in 100 women (15-50 years) with symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, dysuria and pain supra pubic region, associated with uncomplicated UTI, at Urology department, AMI, Abbottabad. Two treatment strategies were compared in uncomplicated UTI patient). Patients were randomized to antibiotic or symptomatic treatment groups on consecutive non-probability basis (50 in each group) given for 05 days. Efficacy of medications was assessed by comparing pre and post treatment symptom scores along with the post treatment scores of both groups compared to see statistical significance of difference by independent samples t-test. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in symptoms improvement in both treatment arms of all scores, i.e., p-value=0.000. Whereas only dysuria score was able to show a statistically significance of difference in post Rx scores comparison of both groups, p-value=0.004. Conclusions: Symptomatic treatment is not inferior to antibiotic treatment when proper patient selection is undertaken, resulting in decreased need for unnecessary antibiotics use. (author)

  15. Hepatic artery embolization for treatment of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and symptomatic hepatic vascular malformations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chavan, Ajay [Hannover Medical School, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Hannover (Germany); Klinikum Oldenburg, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oldenburg (Germany); Caselitz, Martin; Wagner, Siegfried; Manns, Michael [Hannover Medical School, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hannover (Germany); Gratz, Karl-Friedrich [Hannover Medical School, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover (Germany); Lotz, Joachim; Kirchhoff, Timm; Galanski, Michael [Hannover Medical School, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Hannover (Germany); Piso, Plinio [Hannover Medical School, Department of Abdominal and Transplantation Surgery, Hannover (Germany)

    2004-11-01

    At present there is no established therapy for treating patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and symptomatic hepatic involvement. We present the results of a prospective study with 15 consecutive patients who were treated with staged hepatic artery embolization (HAE). Branches of the hepatic artery were selectively catheterized and embolized in stages using polyvinyl alcohol particles (PVA) and platinum microcoils or steel macrocoils. Prophylactic antibiotics, analgesics and anti-emetics were administered after every embolization. Clinical symptomatology and cardiac output were assessed before and after therapy as well as at the end of follow-up (median 28 months; range 10-136 months). Five patients had abdominal pain and four patients had symptoms of portal hypertension. The cardiac output was raised in all patients, with cardiac failure being present in 11 patients. After treatment, pain resolved in all five patients, and portal hypertension improved in two of the four patients. The mean cardiac output decreased significantly (P<0.001) from 12.57{+-}3.27 l/min pre-treatment to 8.36{+-}2.60 l/min at the end of follow-up. Symptoms arising from cardiac failure resolved or improved markedly in all but one patient. Cholangitis and/or cholecystitis occurred in three patients of whom two required a cholecystectomy. One patient with pre-existent hepatic cirrhosis died as a complication of the procedure. Staged HAE yields long-term relief of clinical symptoms in patients with HHT and hepatic involvement. Patients with pre-existing hepatic cirrhosis may be poor candidates for HAE. (orig.)

  16. Failed back surgery syndrome: the role of symptomatic segmental single-level instability after lumbar microdiscectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaller, B

    2004-05-01

    Segmental instability represents one of several different factors that may cause or contribute to the failed back surgery syndrome after lumbar microdiscectomy. As segmental lumbar instability poses diagnostic problems by lack of clear radiological and clinical criteria, only little is known about the occurrence of this phenomenon following primary microdiscectomy. Retrospectively, the records of 2,353 patients were reviewed according to postoperative symptomatic segmental single-level instability after lumbar microdiscectomy between 1989 and 1997. Progressive neurological deficits increased (mean of 24 months; SD: 12, range 1-70) after the initial surgical procedure in 12 patients. The mean age of the four men and eight women was 43 years (SD: 6, range 40-77). The main symptoms and signs of secondary neurological deterioration were radicular pain in 9 of 12 patients, increased motor weakness in 6 of 12 patients and sensory deficits in 4 of 12 patients. All 12 symptomatic patients had radiological evidence of segmental changes correlating with the clinical symptoms and signs. All but one patient showed a decrease in the disc height greater than 30% at the time of posterior spondylodesis compared with the preoperative images before lumbar microdiscectomy. All patients underwent secondary laminectomy and posterior lumbar sponylodesis. Postoperatively, pain improved in 8 of 9 patients, motor weakness in 3 of 6 patients, and sensory deficits in 2 of 4 patients. During the follow-up period of 72+/-7 months, one patient required a third operation to alleviate spinal stenosis at the upper end of the laminectomy. Patients with secondary segmental instability following microdiscectomy were mainly in their 40s. Postoperative narrowing of the intervertebral space following lumbar microdiscectomy is correlated to the degree of intervertebral disc resection. It can therefore be concluded that (1) patients in their 40s are prone to postoperative narrowing of the intervertebral

  17. An iPTH based protocol for the prevention and treatment of symptomatic hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Yvette; Chen, Herbert; Sippel, Rebecca S.

    2013-01-01

    Background Symptomatic hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy is a barrier to same day surgery, and the cause of ER visits. A standard protocol of calcium and vitamin D supplementation, dependent on intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels, can address this issue. How effective is it? When does it fail? Methods We performed a retrospective review of the prospective Thyroid Database from January 2006 to December 2010. 620 patients underwent completion (CT) or total thyroidectomy (TT), and followed our post-operative protocol of calcium carbonate administration for iPTH levels ≥10pg/ml and calcium carbonate and 0.25μg calcitriol BID for iPTH hypocalcemia. The symptomatic (SX) and asymptomatic (ASX) groups were similar with regard to gender, cancer diagnosis, and pre-operative calcium and iPTH. The symptomatic group was significantly younger (39.6 ± 2.8 vs. 49 ± 0.6 years, p=0.01), with lower post-operative iPTH levels. 33% (n=8) of SX patients had an iPTH ≤5 pg/ml vs. only 6% (n=37) of ASX patients. While the majority of patients with a PTH hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy. An iPTH ≤ 5pg/ml may warrant higher initial doses of calcitriol in order to prevent symptoms. PMID:24144426

  18. Symptomatic carotid stenosis and stroke risk in patients with transient ischemic attack according to the tissue-based definition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Khaled, Mohamed; Scheef, Björn

    2016-10-01

    Symptomatic carotid stenosis (sCS), a common cause of transient ischemic attack (TIA), is correlated with higher stroke risk. We investigated the frequency and associated factors of sCS in patients with TIA and the association between sCS and stroke risk following TIA. Over a three-year period (2011-2013), 861 consecutive patients with TIA, who were admitted to the Department of Neurology at the University of Lübeck, Germany, were included in a monocenter study and prospectively evaluated. Diagnosis of TIA was in accordance with the tissue-based definition (transient neurological symptoms without evidence of infarction by brain imaging). Of 827 patients (mean age, 70 ± 13.2 years; 49.7% women), 64 patients (7.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.9%-9.7%) exhibited sCS and 3 patients (0.3%) showed an occlusion of the corresponding internal carotid artery. Logistic regression revealed that sCS was associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-3.6; p = 0.012), amaurosis fugax (OR, 8.1; 95% CI, 3.4-19-4; p definition.

  19. Carotid angioplasty and stenting for symptomatic carotid kinking combined with stenosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JIANG Xue-li

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Background Carotid endarterectomy (CEA is currently the preferred treatment for severe carotid kinking and stenosis. Kinking is generally believed to be a relative contraindication for endovascular stent placement. This article aims to study the necessity, feasibility and security of carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS for symptomatic carotid kinking combined with stenosis, and summarize clinical experience of this disease according to therapeutic results. Methods Twenty-two cases with symptomatic carotid kinking and high-grade stenosis demonstrated by digital subtraction angiography (DSA were performed CAS. Their clinical manifestations, imaging features, procedure safety and follow-up data were collected and retrospectively analyzed. All patients understood CEA and voluntarily received CAS. Results Twenty-two cases with carotid kinking and stenosis were all successfully performed CAS (the success rate was 100% without stent-related disability or mortality. Twenty-four self-expandable stents were implanted. The mean degree of stenosis was reduced from 85.63%before stenting to 11.25% after stenting and the angles of kinking were improved from 120° (Metz' category. During the period of hospitalization, no transient ischemic attack (TIA or cerebral infarction occurred, and the clinical symptoms and signs of ischemia, such as dizziness and headache, were improved or disappeared. Besides, no permenant complications or deaths happened. All cases were followed up from 6 to 72 months, among whom 1 patient experienced contralateral carotid TIA, and 2 patients experienced ipsilateral carotid TIA (one indicated aspirin resistance in platelet aggregation test and the other showed restenosis in DSA. Computed tomography angiography (CTA of 10 patients and Duplex scan of 7 patients during the follow-up demonstrated carotid in good morphology and fluent blood flow, without kinking or restenosis. Conclusion CAS is a feasible and safe therapeutic method and

  20. Combination of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with fractionated external beam radiotherapy for treatment of advanced symptomatic meningioma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kreissl, Michael C; Flentje, Michael; Sweeney, Reinhart A; Hänscheid, Heribert; Löhr, Mario; Verburg, Frederik A; Schiller, Markus; Lassmann, Michael; Reiners, Christoph; Samnick, Samuel S; Buck, Andreas K

    2012-01-01

    External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is the treatment of choice for irresectable meningioma. Due to the strong expression of somatostatin receptors, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has been used in advanced cases. We assessed the feasibility and tolerability of a combination of both treatment modalities in advanced symptomatic meningioma. 10 patients with irresectable meningioma were treated with PRRT ( 177 Lu-DOTA0,Tyr3 octreotate or - DOTA0,Tyr3 octreotide) followed by external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). EBRT performed after PRRT was continued over 5–6 weeks in IMRT technique (median dose: 53.0 Gy). All patients were assessed morphologically and by positron emission tomography (PET) before therapy and were restaged after 3–6 months. Side effects were evaluated according to CTCAE 4.0. Median tumor dose achieved by PRRT was 7.2 Gy. During PRRT and EBRT, no side effects > CTCAE grade 2 were noted. All patients reported stabilization or improvement of tumor-associated symptoms, no morphologic tumor progression was observed in MR-imaging (median follow-up: 13.4 months). The median pre-therapeutic SUV max in the meningiomas was 14.2 (range: 4.3–68.7). All patients with a second PET after combined PRRT + EBRT showed an increase in SUV max (median: 37%; range: 15%–46%) to a median value of 23.7 (range: 8.0–119.0; 7 patients) while PET-estimated volume generally decreased to 81 ± 21% of the initial volume. The combination of PRRT and EBRT is feasible and well tolerated. This approach represents an attractive strategy for the treatment of recurring or progressive symptomatic meningioma, which should be further evaluated

  1. Subsyndromal symptomatic depression: a new concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadek, N; Bona, J

    2000-01-01

    Although DSM-IV acknowledged the clinical significance of some subthreshold forms of unipolar depression, such as minor depression (MinD) and recurrent brief depression (RBD), clinicians continued to struggle with the concept of "subthreshold" depression. A substantial number of patients continued to present with depressive symptoms that still did not satisfy any DSM-IV diagnosis. Generally, these patients failed to complain of anhedonia and depressed mood, a criterion that DSM-IV mandates for any diagnosis of depression. Therefore, researchers reexamined the question of whether this cluster of depressive symptoms, in the absence of anhedonia and depressed mood, was clinically significant. Some researchers labeled this cluster of symptoms, "subsyndromal symptomatic depression" (SSD). Specifically, SSD is defined as a depressive state having two or more symptoms of depression of the same quality as in major depression (MD), excluding depressed mood and anhedonia. The symptoms must be present for more than 2 weeks and be associated with social dysfunction. Using Medline Search, the authors reviewed the literature on the epidemiology, demographics, clinical characteristics, and psychosocial impairment of SSD. SSD is found to be comparable in demographics and clinical characteristics to MD, MinD, and dysthymia. SSD is also associated with significant psychosocial dysfunction as compared with healthy subjects. Further; it has significant risk for suicide and future MD. Few studies have been conducted on the treatment of SSD. The high prevalence of SSD, the significant psychosocial impairment associated with it, and the chronicity of its course make subsyndromal symptomatic depression a matter for serious consideration by clinicians and researchers.

  2. Acute symptomatic calcific discitis in adults: a case report and review of literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shah, A.; Botchu, R.; Davies, A.M.; James, S.L.; Grainger, M.F.

    2015-01-01

    Symptomatic calcific discitis has been reported in the paediatric population but is a rare entity in adults with only eight cases reported in the English literature. We present a case of adult calcific discitis presenting with acute onset back pain. Radiographs and CT demonstrated central T11-T12 disc calcification with diffuse marrow oedema on subsequent MRI. The patient was referred to our spinal oncology unit due to the extensive marrow oedema as a possible underlying primary bone tumour. Review of the CT confirmed an end-plate defect with herniated calcific nucleus pulposus with no underlying bone lesion. Features were in keeping with acute calcific discitis. The patient was treated symptomatically and made an uneventful recovery. We discuss the characteristic imaging features seen on radiograph, CT and MRI and review the current literature. Calcific discitis is a self-limiting pathology requiring symptomatic management only. Radiologists need to be aware of this rare entity as it can occur in adults and may be mistaken for a more sinister pathology such as infective discitis or a bone tumour and lead to further unnecessary imaging or invasive procedures. (orig.)

  3. Acute symptomatic calcific discitis in adults: a case report and review of literature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shah, A.; Botchu, R.; Davies, A.M.; James, S.L. [Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Department of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Birmingham (United Kingdom); Grainger, M.F. [Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Department of Spinal Oncology, Birmingham (United Kingdom)

    2015-12-15

    Symptomatic calcific discitis has been reported in the paediatric population but is a rare entity in adults with only eight cases reported in the English literature. We present a case of adult calcific discitis presenting with acute onset back pain. Radiographs and CT demonstrated central T11-T12 disc calcification with diffuse marrow oedema on subsequent MRI. The patient was referred to our spinal oncology unit due to the extensive marrow oedema as a possible underlying primary bone tumour. Review of the CT confirmed an end-plate defect with herniated calcific nucleus pulposus with no underlying bone lesion. Features were in keeping with acute calcific discitis. The patient was treated symptomatically and made an uneventful recovery. We discuss the characteristic imaging features seen on radiograph, CT and MRI and review the current literature. Calcific discitis is a self-limiting pathology requiring symptomatic management only. Radiologists need to be aware of this rare entity as it can occur in adults and may be mistaken for a more sinister pathology such as infective discitis or a bone tumour and lead to further unnecessary imaging or invasive procedures. (orig.)

  4. Treatment of subclinical fluid retention in patients with symptomatic heart failure: effect on exercise performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chomsky, D B; Lang, C C; Rayos, G; Wilson, J R

    1997-08-01

    Patients with heart failure frequently have elevated intracardiac diastolic pressures but no clinical evidence of excess fluid retention. We speculated that such pressure elevations may indicate subclinical fluid retention and that removal of this fluid could improve exercise intolerance. To test this hypothesis, we studied 10 patients with right atrial pressure > or = 8 mm Hg but without rales, edema, or apparent jugular venous distension. Right-sided heart catheterization was performed, after which patients underwent maximal treadmill cardiopulmonary testing. Patients were then hospitalized and underwent maximal diuresis, after which exercise was repeated. Before diuresis, right atrial pressure averaged 16 +/- 5 mm Hg (+/-standard deviation), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure 30 +/- 6 mm Hg, and peak exercise Vo2 11.2 +/- 2.3 ml/min/ kg. Patients underwent diuresis of 4.5 +/- 2.2 kg over 4 +/- 2 days to a resting right atrial pressure of 6 +/- 4 and wedge pressure of 19 +/- 7 mm Hg. After diuresis, all patients reported overall symptomatic improvement. Maximal exercise duration increased significantly from 9.2 +/- 4.2 to 12.5 +/- 4.7 minutes. At matched peak workloads, significant improvements were also seen in minute ventilation (45 +/- 12 to 35 +/- 9 L/min), lactate levels (42 +/- 16 to 29 +/- 9 mg/dl), and Borg dyspnea scores (15 +/- 3 to 12 +/- 4) (all p < 0.05). Invasive hemodynamic monitoring allows the identification of excess fluid retention in patients with heart failure when there are no clinical signs of fluid overload. Removal of this subclinical excess fluid improves exercise performance and exertional dyspnea.

  5. Coronary heart disease risk assessment and characterization of coronary artery disease using coronary CT angiography: comparison of asymptomatic and symptomatic groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Y.; Kim, Y.; Chung, I.-M.; Ryu, J.; Park, H.

    2010-01-01

    Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in relation to risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and assess plaque characteristics from coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Materials and methods: Three hundred and ninety consecutive patients [asymptomatic group, n = 138; symptomatic group (atypical or non-anginal chest pain), n = 252] were retrospectively enrolled. They were subsequently classified into three CHD risk categories, based on the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines, and 10 year risks of coronary events were calculated using Framingham risk score. CT was evaluated for stenosis, plaque composition, and coronary calcium scores. Results: CAD was observed in 42% of the asymptomatic group and 62% of the symptomatic group. In the former, the prevalence of CAD in low-, moderate- and high-risk subgroups was 21.4, 47.4 and 65%, respectively, and was 33.3, 74.4, and 72.4% in the symptomatic group. Framingham 10-year risks of coronary events were significantly higher in patients with CAD than in normal participants, and receiver operating characteristics curves showed that discriminatory power was poor in the asymptomatic group and symptomatic men, and good in symptomatic women. Of the participants in the asymptomatic group, 12% exhibited only non-calcified plaques and of the symptomatic group, 7% exhibited only non-calcified plaques. The coronary calcium score was significantly higher for significant stenosis than for non-significant stenosis in both groups. Conclusions: The prevalence of CAD was not negligible even in subgroups with low-to-moderate CHD risk. Additionally, the Framingham risk score was effective for predicting CAD only in symptomatic women. Coronary calcium scores correlated with significant stenosis; however, a sizeable percentage of both groups had only non-calcified plaques.

  6. Microscopy outperformed in a comparison of five methods for detecting Trichomonas vaginalis in symptomatic women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nathan, B; Appiah, J; Saunders, P; Heron, D; Nichols, T; Brum, R; Alexander, S; Baraitser, P; Ison, C

    2015-03-01

    In the UK, despite its low sensitivity, wet mount microscopy is often the only method of detecting Trichomonas vaginalis infection. A study was conducted in symptomatic women to compare the performance of five methods for detecting T. vaginalis: an in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR); Aptima T. vaginalis kit; OSOM ®Trichomonas Rapid Test; culture and microscopy. Symptomatic women underwent routine testing; microscopy and further swabs were taken for molecular testing, OSOM and culture. A true positive was defined as a sample that was positive for T. vaginalis by two or more different methods. Two hundred and forty-six women were recruited: 24 patients were positive for T. vaginalis by two or more different methods. Of these 24 patients, 21 patients were detected by real-time PCR (sensitivity 88%); 22 patients were detected by the Aptima T. vaginalis kit (sensitivity 92%); 22 patients were detected by OSOM (sensitivity 92%); nine were detected by wet mount microscopy (sensitivity 38%); and 21 were detected by culture (sensitivity 88%). Two patients were positive by just one method and were not considered true positives. All the other detection methods had a sensitivity to detect T. vaginalis that was significantly greater than wet mount microscopy, highlighting the number of cases that are routinely missed even in symptomatic women if microscopy is the only diagnostic method available. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  7. Cognitive bias in symptomatic and recovered agoraphobics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoler, L S; McNally, R J

    1991-01-01

    Symptomatic agoraphobics, recovered agoraphobics, and normal control subjects completed a series of sentence stems that had either ambiguous or unambiguous meanings, and had either a potentially threatening or a nonthreatening connotation. The written completions made by subjects to these stems were classified as indicating either a biased (i.e. threat-related) or unbiased interpretation of the meaning of the stem, and if a biased interpretation was made, whether the subject indicated efforts at adaptive coping with the perceived threat. Results indicated that symptomatic agoraphobics exhibited strong biases for interpreting information as threatening, relative to normal control subjects. Moreover, recovered agoraphobics resembled symptomatic agoraphobics more than normal control subjects, thus indicating that cognitive biases may persist following cessation of panic attacks and reductions in avoidance behavior. However, recovered agoraphobics also exhibited tendencies to cope adaptively with perceived threats whereas symptomatic agoraphobics did not.

  8. Developmental venous anomalies with capillary stain: a subgroup of symptomatic DVAs?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roccatagliata, Luca [Hopital Foch, Service de Neuroradiologie Diagnostique et Therapeutique, Suresnes (France); University of Genoa, Department of Neurosciences, Ophthalmology and Genetics, Genoa (Italy); Berg, Rene van den [AMC, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Soderman, Michael [Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Neuroradiology, Stockholm (Sweden); Boulin, Anne; Condette-Auliac, Stephanie; Rodesch, Georges [Hopital Foch, Service de Neuroradiologie Diagnostique et Therapeutique, Suresnes (France)

    2012-05-15

    Intracranial developmental venous anomalies (DVAs) are considered benign vascular dispositions; they are asymptomatic in the vast majority of cases. They represent extreme variations of the venous drainage and may rarely be responsible for focal venous ischemia leading to neurological dysfunction. The aim of the study is to analyze a group of patients with symptomatic DVAs with capillary stain at angiography. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological features of patients in which a DVA was considered the cause of a neurological event. In all the patients, the DVA was suspected by angio-CT or MRI and conventional angiography was performed to detail the angioarchitecture of the DVA. A total of 7 patients and 11 DVAs were identified; three patients had multiple DVAs. Three DVAs were frontal, two were parietal, two were thalamic, one was in the midbrain, and three were cerebellar. Patients presented with progressive neurological deficits, seizures, or cerebral hemorrhage. All these DVAs were associated with a peculiar capillary stain at angiography. Although being normal anatomical variations, DVAs may create, because of hemodynamic unbalance, venous ischemia that induces angiogenic phenomena. MRI shows the suffering of the brain and angiography witnesses this angiogenesis under the form of capillary stain. Conventional angiography can thus provide useful information to recognize ''atypical'' symptomatic DVAs. (orig.)

  9. Does breast screening offer a survival benefit? A retrospective comparative study of oncological outcomes of screen-detected and symptomatic early stage breast cancer cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Újhelyi, M; Pukancsik, D; Kelemen, P; Kovács, E; Kenessey, I; Udvarhelyi, N; Bak, M; Kovács, T; Mátrai, Z

    2016-12-01

    Mammography screening reduces breast cancer mortality by up to 32%. However, some recent studies have questioned the impact of non-palpable breast cancer detection on mortality reduction. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinicopathological and long-term follow-up data of early stage screened and symptomatic breast cancer patients. The institutional prospectively led database was systematically analysed for breast cancer cases diagnosed via the mammography screening program from 2002 to 2009. As a control group, symptomatic early stage breast cancer patients were collected randomly from the same database and matched for age and follow-up period. All medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Data from 298 breast cancer patients were collected from 47,718 mammography screenings. In addition, 331 symptomatic breast cancer patients were randomly selected. The screened group presented a significantly lower median tumour size (P screened group (P screened group did not exhibit better overall (P = 0.717) or disease-free survival (P = 0.081) compared to the symptomatic group. Our results do not suggest that mammography screening does not reduce breast cancer mortality but the mammography screening did not bring any significant improvement in patient overall or disease-free survival for the early stage breast cancer patients compared to the symptomatic group. The drawback of symptomatic early stage tumours compared to non-palpable tumours could be equalized by modern multimodality oncology treatments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ the Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

  10. Symptomatic cycling Cushing disease managed by simultaneous bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy in a 11-year-old boy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalid M Al-Otaibi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We report symptomatic cycling Cushing disease in a 11-year-old boy that was managed with simultaneous bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Positioning and the surgical technique have been fully described. Excellent results were achieved. Recent application of laparoscopic adrenalectomy for various adrenal pathology is highly effective and offers better results than open surgery. Post-operative recovery after laparoscopic technique is significantly shorter than the open technique.

  11. Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Neurological Complications of Infective Endocarditis: Impact on Surgical Management and Prognosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delahaye, François; Tattevin, Pierre; Federspiel, Claire; Le Moing, Vincent; Chirouze, Catherine; Nazeyrollas, Pierre; Vernet-Garnier, Véronique; Bernard, Yvette; Chocron, Sidney; Obadia, Jean-François; Alla, François; Hoen, Bruno; Duval, Xavier

    2016-01-01

    Objectives Symptomatic neurological complications (NC) are a major cause of mortality in infective endocarditis (IE) but the impact of asymptomatic complications is unknown. We aimed to assess the impact of asymptomatic NC (AsNC) on the management and prognosis of IE. Methods From the database of cases collected for a population-based study on IE, we selected 283 patients with definite left-sided IE who had undergone at least one neuroimaging procedure (cerebral CT scan and/or MRI) performed as part of initial evaluation. Results Among those 283 patients, 100 had symptomatic neurological complications (SNC) prior to the investigation, 35 had an asymptomatic neurological complications (AsNC), and 148 had a normal cerebral imaging (NoNC). The rate of valve surgery was 43% in the 100 patients with SNC, 77% in the 35 with AsNC, and 54% in the 148 with NoNC (p<0.001). In-hospital mortality was 42% in patients with SNC, 8.6% in patients with AsNC, and 16.9% in patients with NoNC (p<0.001). Among the 135 patients with NC, 95 had an indication for valve surgery (71%), which was performed in 70 of them (mortality 20%) and not performed in 25 (mortality 68%). In a multivariate adjusted analysis of the 135 patients with NC, age, renal failure, septic shock, and IE caused by S. aureus were independently associated with in-hospital and 1-year mortality. In addition SNC was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality. Conclusions The presence of NC was associated with a poorer prognosis when symptomatic. Patients with AsNC had the highest rate of valve surgery and the lowest mortality rate, which suggests a protective role of surgery guided by systematic neuroimaging results. PMID:27400273

  12. Magnetic Resonance Enhancement Patterns at the Different Ages of Symptomatic Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    You, Ja Yeon; Lee, Joon Woo; Kim, Jung Eun; Kang, Heung Sik [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-06-15

    To investigate the magnetic resonance (MR) enhancement patterns of symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCF) according to the fracture age, based on the successful single-level percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) cases. The study included 135 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced MR imaging and successful PVP from 2005 to 2010 due to a single- level osteoporotic VCF. Two radiologists blinded to the fracture age evaluated the MR enhancement patterns in consensus. The MR enhancement patterns were classified according to the enhancing proportion to the vertebral height and the presence or extent of a non-enhancing cleft within the enhancing area on sagittal plane. The Fisher' exact test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were performed to assess the differences in the MR enhancement patterns according to the fracture age. Symptomatic VCFs show variable MR enhancement patterns in all fracture ages. A diffuse enhancing area can be seen in not only the hyperacute and acute VCFs but also the chronic symptomatic VCFs. Symptomatic VCFs having a segmental enhancing area were all included in the hyperacute or acute stage. Most symptomatic osteoporotic VCFs had a non-enhancing cleft in the enhanced vertebral body (128/135, 94.8%). There was no statistical difference of the enhancement pattern according to the fracture age. Symptomatic VCFs show variable MR enhancement patterns in all fracture ages. The most common pattern is a non-enhancing cleft within a diffuse enhanced vertebra.

  13. Magnetic Resonance Enhancement Patterns at the Different Ages of Symptomatic Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    You, Ja Yeon; Lee, Joon Woo; Kim, Jung Eun; Kang, Heung Sik

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the magnetic resonance (MR) enhancement patterns of symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCF) according to the fracture age, based on the successful single-level percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) cases. The study included 135 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced MR imaging and successful PVP from 2005 to 2010 due to a single- level osteoporotic VCF. Two radiologists blinded to the fracture age evaluated the MR enhancement patterns in consensus. The MR enhancement patterns were classified according to the enhancing proportion to the vertebral height and the presence or extent of a non-enhancing cleft within the enhancing area on sagittal plane. The Fisher' exact test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were performed to assess the differences in the MR enhancement patterns according to the fracture age. Symptomatic VCFs show variable MR enhancement patterns in all fracture ages. A diffuse enhancing area can be seen in not only the hyperacute and acute VCFs but also the chronic symptomatic VCFs. Symptomatic VCFs having a segmental enhancing area were all included in the hyperacute or acute stage. Most symptomatic osteoporotic VCFs had a non-enhancing cleft in the enhanced vertebral body (128/135, 94.8%). There was no statistical difference of the enhancement pattern according to the fracture age. Symptomatic VCFs show variable MR enhancement patterns in all fracture ages. The most common pattern is a non-enhancing cleft within a diffuse enhanced vertebra.

  14. [More than 10 years of follow up of the stop screw technique].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvo Calvo, S; Marti Ciruelos, R; Rasero Ponferrada, M; González de Orbe, G; Viña Fernández, R

    2016-01-01

    Infantile flexible flatfoot does not require treatment in most cases. Symptomatic flexible flat feet are treated orthopaedically and surgery is only indicated when orthosis fails. Cases who underwent surgical treatment with the stop screw technique at the 12 de Octubre Hospital between 1995 and 2002 are reported. Patient progress is also analysed. Six angles are measured on the x-ray prior to surgery and those same x-ray angles are measured again before material extraction. They are then compared to see if the correction achieved is statistically significant. A more reduced sample is currently being assessed with the same radiological measurements and two clinical assessment scales: Lickert, and Smith and Millar. The latest x-rays are analysed by two radiologists to determine if there is subtalar arthrosis. In the short term, statistically significant differences are observed in all angles. The comparison between the post-surgery angles and the current angles does not show differences, except for the Giannestras angle, which has statistically significantly worsened. Clinical results and patient satisfaction is good. Incipient subtalar arthrosis is present in 68.5% of current patient x-rays. Stop screw method is a cheap, simple and effective technique to correct symptomatic flexible flatfoot that has not improved with conservative treatment. This technique provides short-term foot correction which can be maintained over time. Copyright © 2015 SECOT. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  15. Muscle-tendon-related abnormalities detected by ultrasonography are common in symptomatic hip dysplasia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Julie Sandell; Bolvig, Lars; Hölmich, Per

    2018-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Hip dysplasia is characterized by reduced acetabular coverage of the femoral head leading to an increased mechanical load on the hip joint and the acting hip muscles. Potentially, the muscles and tendons functioning close to the hip joint may present with overuse......-related ultrasonography findings. The primary aim was to report the prevalence of muscle-tendon-related abnormalities detected by ultrasonography in 100 patients with symptomatic hip dysplasia. The secondary aim was to investigate correlations between muscle-tendon-related abnormalities detected by ultrasonography......-tendon-related abnormalities detected by ultrasonography in the hip and groin region are common in patients with symptomatic hip dysplasia, and the ultrasonography findings of the iliopsoas and gluteus medius/minimus tendons are weakly to moderately correlated to pain related to muscles and tendons in these structures. Both...

  16. T cell subtypes and reciprocal inflammatory mediator expression differentiate P. falciparum memory recall responses in asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria patients in southeastern Haiti.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason S Lehmann

    Full Text Available Asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection is responsible for maintaining malarial disease within human populations in low transmission countries such as Haiti. Investigating differential host immune responses to the parasite as a potential underlying mechanism could help provide insight into this highly complex phenomenon and possibly identify asymptomatic individuals. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of individuals who were diagnosed with malaria in Sud-Est, Haiti by comparing the cellular and humoral responses of both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. Plasma samples were analyzed with a P. falciparum protein microarray, which demonstrated serologic reactivity to 3,877 P. falciparum proteins of known serologic reactivity; however, no antigen-antibody reactions delineating asymptomatics from symptomatics were identified. In contrast, differences in cellular responses were observed. Flow cytometric analysis of patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells co-cultured with P. falciparum infected erythrocytes demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the proportion of T regulatory cells (CD4+ CD25+ CD127-, and increases in unique populations of both NKT-like cells (CD3+ CD8+ CD56+ and CD8mid T cells in asymptomatics compared to symptomatics. Also, CD38+/HLA-DR+ expression on γδ T cells, CD8mid (CD56- T cells, and CD8mid CD56+ NKT-like cells decreased upon exposure to infected erythrocytes in both groups. Cytometric bead analysis of the co-culture supernatants demonstrated an upregulation of monocyte-activating chemokines/cytokines in asymptomatics, while immunomodulatory soluble factors were elevated in symptomatics. Principal component analysis of these expression values revealed a distinct clustering of individual responses within their respective phenotypic groups. This is the first comprehensive investigation of immune responses to P. falciparum in Haiti, and describes unique cell-mediated immune repertoires that

  17. The responsible region and the symptomatic threshold of cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism for Broca's aphasia using positron emission tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Toshiaki; Ujike, Takashi; Kitamura, Shin; Soeda, Toshiyuki; Terashi, Akiro

    1987-01-01

    This study was designed to investigate the responsible region and the symptomatic flow and metabolism threshold for Broca's aphasia. Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen metabolism (CMRO 2 ) were measured by positron emission tomography (PET) using 15 O steady state method in eight patients with Broca's aphasia due to cerebral infarction and thirty patients without aphasia. During scanning, patients closed their eyes and were kept free from any stimuration. X-CT scan revealed abnormal low density in Broca's area which includes cortex and subcortex in the anterior region to Sylvian fissure in three patients with aphasia. In the other five patients with aphasia X-CT scan showed no abnormal low density in Broca's area, showed it in basal ganglionic region and subcortex. PET study revealed reduction of CBF and CMRO 2 in Broca's area in all cases with Broca's aphasia. CBF and CMRO 2 of Broca's area of aphasic patients were compared to those of non aphasic patients to obtain the symptomatic threshold in CBF and CMRO 2 . The values of symptomatic threshold were 20 - 27 ml/100 g/min in CBF and 2.0 ml/100 g/min in CMRO 2 . The symptomatic threshold differed from the threshold for development of abnormal low density on X-CT, therefore the measurement of CBF and CMRO 2 were useful in studying the responsible region for aphasia. (author)

  18. Efficacy and Safety of Omalizumab in Patients with Chronic Idiopathic/Spontaneous Urticaria Who Remain Symptomatic on H1 Antihistamines: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saini, Sarbjit S; Bindslev-Jensen, Carsten; Maurer, Marcus; Grob, Jean-Jacques; Bülbül Baskan, Emel; Bradley, Mary S; Canvin, Janice; Rahmaoui, Abdelkader; Georgiou, Panayiotis; Alpan, Oral; Spector, Sheldon; Rosén, Karin

    2015-01-01

    ASTERIA I was a 40-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous omalizumab as add-on therapy for 24 weeks in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria/spontaneous urticaria (CIU/CSU) who remained symptomatic despite H1 antihistamine treatment at licensed doses. Patients aged 12–75 years with CIU/CSU who remained symptomatic despite treatment with approved doses of H1 antihistamines were randomized (1:1:1:1) in a double-blind manner to subcutaneous omalizumab 75 mg, 150 mg, or 300 mg or placebo every 4 weeks for 24 weeks followed by 16 weeks of follow-up. The primary end point was change from baseline in weekly itch severity score (ISS) at week 12. Among randomized patients (N=319: placebo n=80, omalizumab 75 mg n=78, 150 mg n=80, 300 mg n=81), 262 (82.1%) completed the study. Compared with placebo (n=80), mean weekly ISS was reduced from baseline to week 12 by an additional 2.96 points (95% confidence interval (CI): −4.71 to −1.21; P=0.0010), 2.95 points (95% CI: −4.72 to −1.18; P=0.0012), and 5.80 points (95% CI: −7.49 to −4.10; Pomalizumab 75-mg (n=77), 150-mg (n=80), and 300-mg groups (n=81), respectively. The omalizumab 300-mg group met all nine secondary end points, including a significant decrease in the duration of time to reach minimally important difference response (⩾5-point decrease) in weekly ISS (Pomalizumab 75-mg, 150-mg, 300-mg, and placebo groups, respectively, experienced a serious adverse event. Omalizumab 300 mg administered subcutaneously every 4 weeks reduced weekly ISS and other symptom scores versus placebo in CIU/CSU patients who remained symptomatic despite treatment with approved doses of H1 antihistamines. PMID:25046337

  19. Management of symptomatic thrombocytopenia associated with dengue haemorrhagic fever

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jameel, T.; Saleem, I.U.; Mehmood, K.; Tanvir, I.; Saadia, A.

    2010-01-01

    Introduction: Immune - mediated destruction of platelets is thought to be the mechanism of thrombocytopenia seen after the viraemic phase of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). Immuno - suppressants such as steroids, immune globulin and Anti D immune globulin are effective in the treatment of this type of immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of oral Prednisolone in the rate of resolution of thrombocytopenia and monitoring of complications in patients recovering from Dengue haemorrhagic fever. Method: A controlled study was carried out on diagnosed cases Dengue haemorrhagic patients presenting with sever thrombocytopenia and symptoms like confluent ecchymosis, epistaxis and purpuric rashes. In study was conducted in Ittefaq hospital (trust) Lahore, during the period of October to December 2008. Treatment group received steroids in two forms i.e. first line therapy prednisolone (1 mg / kg) orally or as second line therapy of initial I/V high dose (prednisolone) in pulse doses i.e. 40 mg / bd for four days and later oral prednisolone as in first line therapy with omeprazole 20 mg / bd in addition to standard treatment. Control group received standard supportive care only. Results: A total of 341 suspected patients were admitted in hospital. Serological diagnosis was confirmed in 166 patients. CBC revealed platelet count . 100 x 109 / l in 106 patients. A group of symptomatic febrile patients have platelet count < 20 x 109 / l was selected for therapeutic intervention. first line therapy (oral prednisolone was stated in 43 patients. In Fourteen patients second line therapy (high dose dexamethasone pulse) therapy was instituted. Seven of them attained complete response whereas two patients achieved partial response. Four patients were shifted to Anti D therapy. Three deaths occurred during our study. Rest of all the patients improved and were discharged in due course of time. Conclusion: This small scale preliminary study shows promising

  20. Endoscopic treatment of multilocular walled-off pancreatic necrosis with the multiple transluminal gateway technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jagielski, Mateusz; Smoczyński, Marian; Adrych, Krystian

    2017-06-01

    The development of minimally invasive techniques allowed access to the necrotic cavity through transperitoneal, retroperitoneal, transmural and transpapillary routes. The choice of access to walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) should depend not only on the spread of necrosis, but also on the experience of the clinical center. Herein we describe treatment of a patient with multilocular symptomatic walled-off pancreatic necrosis using minimally invasive techniques. The single transmural access (single transluminal gateway technique - SGT) to the necrotic collection of the patient was ineffective. The second gastrocystostomy was performed using the same minimally invasive technique as an extra way of access to the necrosis (multiple transluminal gateway technique - MTGT). In the described case the performance of the new technique consisting in endoscopic multiplexing transmural access (MTGT) was effective enough and led to complete recovery of the patient.

  1. Fine needle aspiration cytology in symptomatic breast lesions: still an important diagnostic modality?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Smith, Myles J

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this study was to make an assessment of the utility of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), in a "one-stop" symptomatic breast triple assessment clinic. Controversy surrounds the optimal tissue biopsy methodology in the diagnosis of symptomatic breast cancer and the identification of benign disease. FNAC in the context of a Rapid Assessment Breast Clinic (RABC) allows the same day diagnosis and early treatment of breast cancer, with the immediate reassurance and discharge of those with benign disease. We analyzed prospective data accrued at a RABC, over a 4-year period from 2004 to 2007. All patients were triple assessed, with FNACs performed on site by two consultant cytopathologists. Investigations were reported immediately, and clinical data were captured via a database using compulsory data field entry. There were 4487 attendances at our RABC, with 1572 FNACs were performed. The positive predictive value of FNAC with a C5 cancer diagnosis was 100%, 95.6% for a C4 report, with a complete sensitivity of 94%. The full specificity of correctly identified benign lesions was 77.4%, with a false negative rate of 3.85%. This enabled 66% of patients attending the RABC to receive a same day diagnosis of benign disease and discharge. FNAC is highly accurate in the diagnosis of symptomatic breast cancer in an RABC. FNAC allows accurate diagnosis of benign disease and immediate discharge of the majority of patients. In this era, when a large majority of patients have benign disease, we believe that FNAC provides an equivalent, if not better, method of evaluation of patients in a triple assessment RABC.

  2. Review of acute symptomatic urolithiasis in Auckland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loeff, Stephanie; Saluja, Manmeet; Rice, Michael

    2018-02-02

    To evaluate the incidence of acute symptomatic urolithiasis in the Auckland region. Associated epidemiological factors and stone characteristics were also studied and compared to previous research conducted in order to analyse trends. All patients that presented acutely with symptomatic urolithiasis to the Auckland District Health Board (AHDB) between July 2014 and June 2015 were studied. Clinical data was obtained from medical records and population data was based on estimates provided by the Ministry of Health. Two-tailed tests and the Pearson Chi-Square tests were used for analysis. Overall, 1,125 patients (1,328 events) presented with an incidence of 85 per 100,000 per year, which was lower than that reported in 2006. The highest incidence was found among the Middle Eastern ethnic subgroup (0.130 %), followed by Māori (0.102%), Asian (0.087%), European (0.084%) and Pacific (0.041%) ethnicity. Males were more likely to be affected than females. Urolithiasis was most common in the fifth decade of life (25%). Forty-seven percent of the study population presented with multiple stones and 64% had recurrent urolithiasis or were 'high risk' stone formers. Distal ureteric stones Auckland. This deviation could be attributed to the large influx of Asian immigrants observed in this period of time. A caucasian male, between 40-49 years, with a calculus <5mm in the distal ureter with a history of a previous urolithiasis has the highest chance to present with renal colic.

  3. Recurrent symptomatic intraocular pressure spikes during hemodialysis in a patient with unilateral anterior uveitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lim Su-Ho

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP changes and hemodialysis has been evaluated for several decades. However, no report on an IOP rise in uveitis patients during hemodialysis has been previously documented. This report describes the case of an uveitis patient with repetitive IOP spikes associated with severe ocular pain during hemodialysis sessions, which resolved after glaucoma filtering surgery. Case presentation A 47-year-old male with diabetes and hypertension had complained of recurrent ocular pain in the left eye during hemodialysis sessions. A slit-lamp examination showed diffuse corneal epithelial edema with several white keratic precipitates and inflammatory cells (Grade 3+ in the anterior chamber of the left eye. No visible neovascularization or synechiae were visible on the iris or angle. Topical glaucoma eye-drops and intravenous mannitol before hemodialysis did not prevent subsequent painful IOP spikes in the left eye. At the end of hemodialysis, IOP averaged ~40 mmHg. After trabeculectomy with mitomycin C in the left eye, his IOP stabilized in the low-teens (range, 10–14 mmHg and no painful IOP spikes occurred during hemodialysis over the first postoperative year. Conclusion We present a case of recurrent painful IOP spikes during hemodialysis in a patient with unilateral anterior uveitis unresponsive to conventional medical treatment prior to hemodialysis. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of repetitive symptomatic IOP rise during hemodialysis in an uveitic glaucoma patient. This case highlights the importance of the awareness of the possibility that IOP may rise intolerably during hemodialysis in uveitis patients with a compromised outflow facility.

  4. Cholesterol metabolism as a prognostic marker in patients with mildly symptomatic nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawamura, Akinori; Okumura, Takahiro; Hiraiwa, Hiroaki; Aoki, Soichiro; Kondo, Toru; Ichii, Takeo; Furusawa, Kenji; Watanabe, Naoki; Kano, Naoaki; Fukaya, Kenji; Morimoto, Ryota; Bando, Yasuko K; Murohara, Toyoaki

    2017-06-01

    Little is known about whether the alteration of cholesterol metabolism reflects abdominal organ impairments due to heart failure. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic value of cholesterol metabolism by evaluating serum campesterol and lathosterol levels in patients with early-stage nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). We enrolled 64 patients with NIDCM (median age 57.5 years, 31% female) with New York Heart Association functional class I/II. Serum campesterol and lathosterol levels were measured in all patients. The patients were then divided into four subsets based on the median non-cholesterol sterol levels (campesterol 3.6μg/mL, lathosterol 1.4μg/mL): reference (R-subset), high-campesterol/high-lathosterol; absorption-reduced (A-subset), low-campesterol/high-lathosterol; synthesis-reduced (S-subset), high-campesterol/low-lathosterol; double-reduced (D-subset), low-campesterol/low-lathosterol. Endpoint was a composite of cardiac events, including cardiac-related death, hospitalization for worsening heart failure, and lethal arrhythmia. Median brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level was 114pg/mL. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 31.4%. D-subset had the lowest total cholesterol level and cardiac index and the highest BNP level and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. D-subset also had the highest cardiac event rate during the mean 3.8 years of follow-up (log-rank p=0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that D-subset was an independent determinant of cardiac events. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that total cholesterol cholesterol absorption and liver synthesis predicts future cardiac events in patients with mildly symptomatic NIDCM. Copyright © 2016 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effect of intra arterial nimodipine infusion for the treatment of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm following an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jin Young; Shin, Hwa Seon; Choi, Hye Young; Chung, Sung Hoon; You, Jin Jong; Choi, Dae Seob; Son, Seung Nam; Ryu, Jae Wook

    2012-01-01

    Symptomatic cerebral vasospasm following an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is one of the major factors which cause morbidity and mortality of patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intra-arterial nimodipine (IAN) infusion therapy in patients with symptomatic cerebral vasospasm. Between February 2005 and April 2011, fifty patients with symptomatic cerebral vasospasm following an aneurysmal SAH were treated with IAN infusion. After selective arterial catheterization, nimodipine was infused at a rate of 0.1 mg/min and a total of 2-3 mg per vessel was infused. We retrospectively reviewed the immediate angiographic results and clinical outcome at discharge. A grade of 5 and 4 in the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) were considered favorable outcomes. In 50 patients, 117 procedures of IAN infusion (1-7; mean, 2.3)were done. After the treatment, immediate angiographic improvement was achieved in 113 (96.6%) of 117 procedures. No major complications occurred. At discharge, 38 (76%) patients showed a favorable clinical outcome in the GOS. IAN infusion therapy is safe and effective for the treatment of cerebral vasospasm following an aneurysmal SAH. However, the limitation is that repeated treatment is needed

  6. [Diagnosis and treatment of symptomatic hydronephrosis in pregnancy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simonsen, Jane Angel; Graumann, Ole; Toft, Anja; Henriques, Carsten Ulrik; Walter, Steen

    2015-09-14

    Hydronephrosis in pregnancy is common in the second and third trimester. Only a few cases are symptomatic, caused by a ureteric stone or by the pregnancy itself. The clinical dilemma is when to treat and when not to treat. We propose a multidisciplinary management based on renal ultrasonography to verify hydronephrosis and renography to diagnose obstructive hydronephrosis. Obstruction with a high intra-renal pressure must be treated to avoid kidney dysfunction. Patients with pyonephrosis need immediate treatment.

  7. Prevalence and distribution of ossification of the supra/interspinous ligaments in symptomatic patients with cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine: a CT-based multicenter cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mori, Kanji; Yoshii, Toshitaka; Hirai, Takashi; Iwanami, Akio; Takeuchi, Kazuhiro; Yamada, Tsuyoshi; Seki, Shoji; Tsuji, Takashi; Fujiyoshi, Kanehiro; Furukawa, Mitsuru; Nishimura, Soraya; Wada, Kanichiro; Koda, Masao; Furuya, Takeo; Matsuyama, Yukihiro; Hasegawa, Tomohiko; Takeshita, Katsushi; Kimura, Atsushi; Abematsu, Masahiko; Haro, Hirotaka; Ohba, Tetsuro; Watanabe, Masahiko; Katoh, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Kei; Ozawa, Hiroshi; Kanno, Haruo; Imagama, Shiro; Ito, Zenya; Fujibayashi, Shunsuke; Yamazaki, Masashi; Matsumoto, Morio; Nakamura, Masaya; Okawa, Atsushi; Kawaguchi, Yoshiharu

    2016-12-01

    Supra/interspinous ligaments connect adjacent spinous processes and act as a stabilizer of the spine. As with other spinal ligaments, it can become ossified. However, few report have discussed ossification supra/interspinous ligaments (OSIL), so its epidemiology remains unknown. We therefore aimed to investigate the prevalence and distribution of OSIL in symptomatic patients with cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). The participants of our study were symptomatic patients with cervical OPLL who were diagnosed by standard radiographs of the cervical spine. The whole spine CT data as well as clinical parameters such as age and sex were obtained from 20 institutions belong to the Japanese Multicenter Research Organization for Ossification of the Spinal Ligament (JOSL). The prevalence and distribution of OSIL and the association between OSIL and clinical parameters were reviewed. The sum of the levels involved by OPLL (OP-index) and OSIL (OSI-index) as well as the prevalence of ossification of the nuchal ligament (ONL) were also investigated. A total of 234 patients with a mean age of 65 years was recruited. The CT-based evidence of OSIL was noted in 68 (54 males and 14 females) patients (29%). The distribution of OSIL showed a significant thoracic preponderance. In OSIL-positive patients, single-level involvement was noted in 19 cases (28%), whereas 49 cases (72%) presented multi-level involvement. We found a significant positive correlation between the OP-index grade and OSI-index. ONL was noted at a significantly higher rate in OSIL-positive patients compared to negative patients. The prevalence of OSIL in symptomatic patients with cervical OPLL was 29%. The distribution of OSIL showed a significant thoracic preponderance.

  8. Initial Results of Image-Guided Percutaneous Ablation as Second-Line Treatment for Symptomatic Vascular Anomalies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, Scott M.; Callstrom, Matthew R.; McKusick, Michael A.; Woodrum, David A.

    2015-01-01

    PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, safety, and early effectiveness of percutaneous image-guided ablation as second-line treatment for symptomatic soft-tissue vascular anomalies (VA).Materials and MethodsAn IRB-approved retrospective review was undertaken of all patients who underwent percutaneous image-guided ablation as second-line therapy for treatment of symptomatic soft-tissue VA during the period from 1/1/2008 to 5/20/2014. US/CT- or MRI-guided and monitored cryoablation or MRI-guided and monitored laser ablation was performed. Clinical follow-up began at one-month post-ablation.ResultsEight patients with nine torso or lower extremity VA were treated with US/CT (N = 4) or MRI-guided (N = 2) cryoablation or MRI-guided laser ablation (N = 5) for moderate to severe pain (N = 7) or diffuse bleeding secondary to hemangioma–thrombocytopenia syndrome (N = 1). The median maximal diameter was 9.0 cm (6.5–11.1 cm) and 2.5 cm (2.3–5.3 cm) for VA undergoing cryoablation and laser ablation, respectively. Seven VA were ablated in one session, one VA initially treated with MRI-guided cryoablation for severe pain was re-treated with MRI-guided laser ablation due to persistent moderate pain, and one VA was treated in a planned two-stage session due to large VA size. At an average follow-up of 19.8 months (range 2–62 months), 7 of 7 patients with painful VA reported symptomatic pain relief. There was no recurrence of bleeding at five-year post-ablation in the patient with hemangioma–thrombocytopenia syndrome. There were two minor complications and no major complications.ConclusionImage-guided percutaneous ablation is a feasible, safe, and effective second-line treatment option for symptomatic VA

  9. Initial Results of Image-Guided Percutaneous Ablation as Second-Line Treatment for Symptomatic Vascular Anomalies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thompson, Scott M., E-mail: Thompson.scott@mayo.edu [Mayo Clinic, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Medical School and the Mayo Clinic Medical Scientist Training Program, College of Medicine (United States); Callstrom, Matthew R., E-mail: callstrom.matthew@mayo.edu; McKusick, Michael A., E-mail: mckusick.michael@mayo.edu; Woodrum, David A., E-mail: woodrum.david@mayo.edu [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiology, College of Medicine (United States)

    2015-10-15

    PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, safety, and early effectiveness of percutaneous image-guided ablation as second-line treatment for symptomatic soft-tissue vascular anomalies (VA).Materials and MethodsAn IRB-approved retrospective review was undertaken of all patients who underwent percutaneous image-guided ablation as second-line therapy for treatment of symptomatic soft-tissue VA during the period from 1/1/2008 to 5/20/2014. US/CT- or MRI-guided and monitored cryoablation or MRI-guided and monitored laser ablation was performed. Clinical follow-up began at one-month post-ablation.ResultsEight patients with nine torso or lower extremity VA were treated with US/CT (N = 4) or MRI-guided (N = 2) cryoablation or MRI-guided laser ablation (N = 5) for moderate to severe pain (N = 7) or diffuse bleeding secondary to hemangioma–thrombocytopenia syndrome (N = 1). The median maximal diameter was 9.0 cm (6.5–11.1 cm) and 2.5 cm (2.3–5.3 cm) for VA undergoing cryoablation and laser ablation, respectively. Seven VA were ablated in one session, one VA initially treated with MRI-guided cryoablation for severe pain was re-treated with MRI-guided laser ablation due to persistent moderate pain, and one VA was treated in a planned two-stage session due to large VA size. At an average follow-up of 19.8 months (range 2–62 months), 7 of 7 patients with painful VA reported symptomatic pain relief. There was no recurrence of bleeding at five-year post-ablation in the patient with hemangioma–thrombocytopenia syndrome. There were two minor complications and no major complications.ConclusionImage-guided percutaneous ablation is a feasible, safe, and effective second-line treatment option for symptomatic VA.

  10. Symptomatic Hypocalcemia Associated with Zoledronic Acid Treatment for Osteoporosis: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdulmohsen H. Al Elq

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Intravenous bisphosphonates are widely used in the management of solid tumors, metastatic bone disease, metabolic bone diseases and hypercalcemia of malignancies. Recently, yearly intravenous injections of zoledronic acid, one of the potent nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates, have also been approved for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Although infrequently observed, asymptomatic hypocalcemia mainly due to intravenous bisphosphonates has been documented. Here we report a female patient who exhibited profound symptomatic hypocalcemia after receiving intravenous zoledronic acid as treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The patient was not assessed for calcium status prior to the intravenous bisphosphonate therapy, and she was later found to have severe vitamin D deficiency. To our knowledge, this is the first patient with symptomatic hypocalcemia to be reported after zoledronic acid was approved for the management of osteoporosis. We highlight the importance of evaluating calcium and vitamin D levels before initiating intravenous bisphosphonate treatment, particularly in the presence of widespread vitamin D deficiency and the likelihood of future increases in the prescription of intravenous bisphosphonates.

  11. Down-regulation of PRKCB1 expression in Han Chinese patients with subsyndromal symptomatic depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xiaoyun; Li, Zezhi; Zhang, Chen; Yi, Zhenghui; Li, Haozhe; Cao, Lan; Yuan, Chengmei; Hong, Wu; Wu, Zhiguo; Peng, Daihui; Chen, Jun; Xia, Weiping; Zhao, Guoqing; Wang, Fan; Yu, Shunying; Cui, Donghong; Xu, Yifeng; Golam, Chowdhury M I; Smith, Alicia K; Wang, Tong; Fang, Yiru

    2015-10-01

    Subsyndromal symptomatic depression (SSD) is a common disease with significant social dysfunction. However, SSD is still not well understood and the pathophysiology of it remains unclear. We classified 48 candidate genes for SSD according to our previous study into clusters and pathways using DAVID Bioinformatics Functional Annotation Tool. We further replicated the result by using real-time Quantitative PCR (qPCR) studies to examine the expression of identified genes (i.e., STAT5b, PKCB1, ABL1 and NRAS) in another group of Han Chinese patients with SSD (n = 50). We further validated the result by examining PRKCB1 expression collected from MDD patients (n = 20). To test whether a deficit in PRKCB1 expression leads to dysregulation in PRKCB1 dependent transcript networks, we tested mRNA expression levels for the remaining 44 genes out of 48 genes in SSD patients. Finally, the power of discovery was improved by incorporating information from Quantitative Trait (eQTL) analysis. The results showed that the PRCKB1 gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was 33.3% down-regulated in SSD patients (n = 48, t = 3.202, p = 0.002), and a more dramatic (n = 17, 49%) down-regulation in MDD patients than control (n = 49, t = 2.114, p = 0.001). We also identified 37 genes that displayed a strong correlation with PRKCB1 mRNA expression levels in SSD patients. The expression of PRKCB1 was regulated by multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) both at the transcript level and exon level. In conclusion, we first found a significant decrease of PRCKB1 mRNA expression in SSD, suggesting PRKCB1 might be the candidate gene and biomarker for SSD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Implant experience with an implantable hemodynamic monitor for the management of symptomatic heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinhaus, David; Reynolds, Dwight W; Gadler, Fredrik; Kay, G Neal; Hess, Mike F; Bennett, Tom

    2005-08-01

    Management of congestive heart failure is a serious public health problem. The use of implantable hemodynamic monitors (IHMs) may assist in this management by providing continuous ambulatory filling pressure status for optimal volume management. The Chronicle system includes an implanted monitor, a pressure sensor lead with passive fixation, an external pressure reference (EPR), and data retrieval and viewing components. The tip of the lead is placed near the right ventricular outflow tract to minimize risk of sensor tissue encapsulation. Implant technique and lead placement is similar to that of a permanent pacemaker. After the system had been successfully implanted in 148 patients, the type and frequency of implant-related adverse events were similar to a single-chamber pacemaker implant. R-wave amplitude was 15.2 +/- 6.7 mV and the pressure waveform signal was acceptable in all but two patients in whom presence of artifacts required lead repositioning. Implant procedure time was not influenced by experience, remaining constant throughout the study. Based on this evaluation, permanent placement of an IHM in symptomatic heart failure patients is technically feasible. Further investigation is warranted to evaluate the use of the continuous hemodynamic data in management of heart failure patients.

  13. Vertebral metastases with high risk of symptomatic malignant spinal cord compression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamamoto, Yasushi; Kataoka, Masaaki; Senba, Takatoshi

    2009-01-01

    To find vertebral metastases with high risk of symptomatic malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC), features of vertebral metastases caused motor deficits of the lower extremities were examined. From 2004 through 2006, 78 patients with metastases of the thoracic and/or the cervical spine were treated with radiation therapy (RT). Of these, 86 irradiated lesions in 73 patients were evaluable by magnetic resonance imaging and/or computed tomography at the initiation of RT and were reviewed retrospectively in this study. Twenty-eight patients (38%) had motor deficits at the initiation of RT. Assessed factors were age, sex, primary disease (lung, breast, digestive system and other cancer), lamina involvement, main level of tumor location and vertebral-body involvement. Incidence of motor deficits at the initiation of RT was 55% for lesions with lamina involvement and 5% for lesions without lamina involvement (P 0.9999, P=0.7798, P=0.1702 and P=0.366, respectively). Vertebral metastases with lamina involvement tended to cause symptomatic MSCC. Latent development of MSCC occurred more frequently in the MTS compared with other levels of the thoracic and the cervical spine. (author)

  14. Symptomatic Overlap and Therapeutic Opportunities in Primary Headache.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, Roger; Garas, Sandy Yacoub; Patel, Ketu; Peterson, Andrew; Wenzel, Richard

    2015-08-01

    Headache, a nearly universal experience, remains costly, disabling, and often suboptimally managed. The most common presentations in the United States are migraine, tension-type headache (TTH) and "sinus" headache, but their extensive symptomatic overlap suggests that these conditions can be approached as variations in the same underlying pathology and managed accordingly. We use case studies of patients with varying prior diagnoses (none, migraine, TTH, and sinus headache), as well as a 4-question diagnostic screening tool, to illustrate how pharmacists can use this conceptual framework to simplify identification, management, and referral of patients with primary headache conditions of uncertain etiology. © The Author(s) 2014.

  15. Symptomatic Perihepatic Fluid Collections After Hepatic Resection in the Modern Era.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konstantinidis, Ioannis T; Mastrodomenico, Pedro; Sofocleous, Constantinos T; Brown, Karen T; Getrajdman, George I; Gönen, Mithat; Allen, Peter J; Kingham, T Peter; DeMatteo, Ronald P; Fong, Yuman; Jarnagin, William R; D'Angelica, Michael I

    2016-04-01

    Improvements in liver surgery have led to decreased mortality rates. Symptomatic perihepatic collections (SPHCs) requiring percutaneous drainage remain a significant source of morbidity. A single institution's prospectively maintained hepatic resection database was reviewed to identify patients who underwent hepatectomy between January 2004 and February 2012. Data from 2173 hepatectomies performed in 2040 patients were reviewed. Overall, 200 (9%) patients developed an SPHC, the majority non-bilious (75.5%) and infected (54%). Major hepatic resections, larger than median blood loss (≥360 ml), use of surgical drains, and simultaneous performance of a colorectal procedure were associated with an SPHC on multivariate analysis. Non-bilious, non-infected (NBNI) collections were associated with lower white blood cell (WBC) counts, absence of a bilio-enteric anastomosis, use of hepatic arterial infusion pump (HAIP), and presence of metastatic disease, and resolved more frequently with a single interventional radiology (IR) procedure (85 vs. 46.5%, p < 0.001) more quickly (15 vs. 30 days, p = 0.001). SPHCs developed in 9% of patients in a modern series of hepatic resections, and in one third were non-bilious and non-infected. In the era of modern interventional radiology, the need for re-operation for SPHC is exceedingly rare. A significant proportion of minimally symptomatic SPHC patients may not require drainage, and strategies to avoid unnecessary drainage are warranted.

  16. Symptomatic treatment in multiple sclerosis-interim analysis of a nationwide registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skierlo, S; Rommer, P S; Zettl, U K

    2017-04-01

    To analyze symptomatic treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, with accumulating disability symptoms like spasticity, voiding disorders, depression, and pain might occur. The nationwide German MS registry was initiated 2001 under guidance of the German MS society (Deutsche MS Gesellschaft). This study was performed as an interim analysis to lay foundation for future work on this topic. A subcohort of 5113 patients was assessed for this interim analysis. The mean age of the patients was 45.3 years; mean EDSS was 4.2. More than two-third of the enrolled patients were females (70.9%). Most frequent symptoms were fatigue (60%), followed by spasticity (52.5%) and voiding disorders (51.7%). The likelihood of treatment was highest for epileptic disorders (68.8%), spasticity (68.5%), pain (60.7%), and depression (58.9%). Multivariate regression analysis showed that retirement was the strongest factor predictive for antispastic treatment (β=.061, P=.005). Almost all patients in this analysis suffer from symptoms due to advanced MS. Treatment for the various symptoms differed tremendously. The likelihood of treatment correlated with the availability of effective therapeutic agents. Clinicians should put more awareness on MS symptoms. Symptomatic treatment may improve quality of life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Alternative technique in atypical spinal decompression: the use of the ultrasonic scalpel in paediatric achondroplasia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodacre, Timothy; Sewell, Matthew; Clarke, Andrew J; Hutton, Mike

    2016-01-01

    Spinal stenosis can be a very disabling condition. Surgical decompression carries a risk of dural tear and neural injury, which is increased in patients with severe stenosis or an atypical anatomy. We present an unusual case of symptomatic stenosis secondary to achondroplasia presenting in a paediatric patient, and highlight a new surgical technique used to minimise the risk of dural and neural injury during decompression. PMID:27288205

  18. Long-term outcome and efficacy of endoscopic hemorrhoid ligation for symptomatic internal hemorrhoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Ming-Yao; Chiu, Cheng-Tang; Lin, Wei-Pin; Hsu, Chen-Ming; Chen, Pang-Chi

    2011-01-01

    AIM: To assess the long-term outcome of endoscopic hemorrhoid ligation (EHL) for the treatment of symptomatic internal hemorrhoids. METHODS: A total of 759 consecutive patients (415 males and 344 females) were enrolled. Clinical presentations were rectal bleeding (593 patients) and mucosal prolapse (166 patients). All patients received EHL at outpatient clinics. Hemorrhoid severity was classified by Goligher’s grading. The mean follow-up period was 55.4 mo (range, 45-92 mo). RESULTS: The number of band ligations averaged 2.35 in the first session for bleeding and 2.69 for prolapsed patients. Bleeding was controlled in 587 (98.0%) patients, while prolapse was reduced in 137 (82.5%) patients. After treatment, 93 patients experienced anal pain and 48 patients had mild bleeding. Patient subjective satisfaction was 93.6%. Repeat treatment or surgery was performed if symptoms were not relieved in the first session. In the bleeding group, the recurrence rate was 3.7% (22 patients) at 1 year, and 6.6% and 13.0% at 2 and 5 years. In the prolapsed group, the recurrence rate was 3.0%, 9.6% and 16.9% at 1, 2 and 5 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: EHL is an easy and well-tolerated procedure for the treatment of symptomatic internal hemorrhoids, with good long-term results. PMID:21633644

  19. Factors associated with symptomatic vulvovaginal candidiasis: a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Symptomatic vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is one of the most common problems leading women to seek advice in primary healthcare facilities. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe the associations between some hypothesized factors and the presence of symptomatic VVC. Subjects and Methods: An ...

  20. CT determination of tibial tubercle lateralization in patients presenting with anterior knee pain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jones, R.B. [Dept. of Physiology, School of Medicine, East Carolina Univ., Greenville, NC (United States); Bartlett, E.C. [Dept. of Surgery, School of Medicine, East Carolina Univ., Greenville, NC (United States); Vainright, J.R. [Dept. of Radiology, School of Medicine, East Carolina Univ., Greenville, NC (United States); Carrol, R.G. [Dept. of Physiology, School of Medicine, East Carolina Univ., Greenville, NC (United States)

    1995-10-01

    Using CT imaging with computerized technique to measure anatomic relationships, we evaluated patients (n = 50) with anterior knee pain for excessive lateralization of the tibial tubercle. The symptomatic knee of each patient was compared with their asymptomatic knee as well as with the knees of patients with other causes of anterior knee pain (n = 10) and with the knees of asymptomatic controls (n = 10). The symptomatic knee of patients with suspected patellofemoral malalignment demonstrated significantly greater lateralization of the tibial tubercle (12.2 {+-} 0.5 mm) than did the asymptomatic knee (9.0 {+-} 0.7 mm). The symptomatic knees of patients with patellofemoral malalignment also demonstrated significantly greater lateralization of the tibial tubercle than did the knees of patients with other causes of anterior knee pain (5.9 {+-} 0.9 mm). When a control population was added to the analysis, the patients with symptomatic patellofemoral malalignment demonstrated significantly greater lateralization of the tibial tubercle than did the controls (6.4 {+-} 0.4 mm). Using a critical value of 9 mm lateralization, the CT diagnosis of patellofemoral malalignment had a specificity of 95% and a sensitivity of 85%. We conclude that CT determination of tibial tubercle position assists the diagnosis of patellofemoral malalignment. (orig./MG)

  1. CT determination of tibial tubercle lateralization in patients presenting with anterior knee pain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, R.B.; Bartlett, E.C.; Vainright, J.R.; Carrol, R.G.

    1995-01-01

    Using CT imaging with computerized technique to measure anatomic relationships, we evaluated patients (n = 50) with anterior knee pain for excessive lateralization of the tibial tubercle. The symptomatic knee of each patient was compared with their asymptomatic knee as well as with the knees of patients with other causes of anterior knee pain (n = 10) and with the knees of asymptomatic controls (n = 10). The symptomatic knee of patients with suspected patellofemoral malalignment demonstrated significantly greater lateralization of the tibial tubercle (12.2 ± 0.5 mm) than did the asymptomatic knee (9.0 ± 0.7 mm). The symptomatic knees of patients with patellofemoral malalignment also demonstrated significantly greater lateralization of the tibial tubercle than did the knees of patients with other causes of anterior knee pain (5.9 ± 0.9 mm). When a control population was added to the analysis, the patients with symptomatic patellofemoral malalignment demonstrated significantly greater lateralization of the tibial tubercle than did the controls (6.4 ± 0.4 mm). Using a critical value of 9 mm lateralization, the CT diagnosis of patellofemoral malalignment had a specificity of 95% and a sensitivity of 85%. We conclude that CT determination of tibial tubercle position assists the diagnosis of patellofemoral malalignment. (orig./MG)

  2. Endoscopic minor papilla balloon dilation for the treatment of symptomatic pancreas divisum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Natsuyo; Isayama, Hiroyuki; Sasahira, Naoki; Tsujino, Takeshi; Nakai, Yousuke; Miyabayashi, Koji; Mizuno, Suguru; Kogure, Hirofumi; Sasaki, Takashi; Hirano, Kenji; Tada, Minoru; Koike, Kazuhiko

    2014-08-01

    A subpopulation of patients with pancreas divisum experience symptomatic events such as recurrent acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis. Minor papilla sphincterotomy has been reported as being an effective treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic balloon dilation for the minor papilla. Between 2000 and 2012, 16 patients were retrospectively included in this study. After endoscopic balloon dilation for the minor papilla was received, a pancreatic stent or a nasal pancreatic drainage catheter was placed for 1 week. If a stricture or obstruction was evident, it was treated with balloon dilation followed by long-term stent placement (1 year). When an outflow of pancreatic juice was disturbed by a pancreatic stone, endoscopic stone extraction was performed. Balloon dilation and stent placement were achieved and were successful in all the cases (16/16; 100%). Clinical improvement was achieved in 7 (84.7%) of the 9 patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis and in 6 (85.7%) of the 7 patients with chronic pancreatitis. Early complications were observed in 1 (6.3%) patient. Pancreatitis or bleeding related to balloon dilation was not observed. Endoscopic balloon dilation for the minor papilla is feasible for the management of symptomatic pancreas divisum.

  3. Effect of Buffered 4% Lidocaine on the Success of the Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block in Patients with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schellenberg, Jared; Drum, Melissa; Reader, Al; Nusstein, John; Fowler, Sara; Beck, Mike

    2015-06-01

    Medical studies have suggested that buffering local anesthetic may increase the ability to achieve anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of 4% buffered lidocaine on the anesthetic success of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block in patients experiencing symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. One hundred emergency patients diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of a mandibular posterior tooth randomly received a conventional IAN block using either 2.8 mL 4% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine or 2.8 mL 4% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine buffered with sodium bicarbonate in a double-blind manner. For the buffered solution, each cartridge was buffered with 8.4% sodium bicarbonate using the OnPharma (Los Gatos, CA) system to produce a final concentration of 0.18 mEq/mL sodium bicarbonate. Fifteen minutes after administration of the IAN block, profound lip numbness was confirmed, and endodontic access was initiated. Success was defined as no or mild pain (≤54 mm on a 170-mm visual analog scale) on access or instrumentation of the root canal. The success rate for the IAN block was 32% for the buffered group and 40% for the nonbuffered group, with no significant difference (P = .4047) between the groups. Injection pain ratings for the IAN block were not significantly (P = .9080) different between the 2 formulations. For mandibular posterior teeth, a 4% buffered lidocaine formulation did not result in a statistically significant increase in the success rate or a decrease in injection pain of the IAN block in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Quality of life in uncomplicated symptomatic diverticular disease: is it another good reason for treatment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comparato, Giuseppe; Fanigliulo, Libera; Aragona, Giovanni; Cavestro, Giulia M; Cavallaro, Lucas G; Leandro, Gioacchino; Pilotto, Alberto; Nervi, Giorgio; Soliani, Paolo; Sianesi, Mario; Franzé, Angelo; Di Mario, Francesco

    2007-01-01

    Quality of life (QoL) is becoming a major issue in the evaluation of any therapeutic intervention. To assess the QoL in patients with uncomplicated symptomatic diverticular disease (DD) and to elucidate the influence of two different treatments either on symptoms or QoL. 58 outpatients affected by uncomplicated symptomatic DD, admitted in our Gastroenterological Unit from October 2003 to March 2004, were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to two different treatments consisting of rifaximin or mesalazine for 10 days every month for a period of 6 months. QoL was evaluated by means of an SF-36 questionnaire and clinical evaluation was registered by means of a global symptomatic score (GSS) at baseline and after 6 months. At baseline, lower values in all SF-36 domains were confirmed in patients with DD. Both rifaximin and mesalazine groups showed a significant reduction of their mean GSS (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) and improvement of SF-36 mean scores after therapy, even though treatment with mesalazine showed better results. DD has a negative impact on QoL. Cyclic treatment with poorly absorbable antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs relieves symptoms and improves QoL. 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  5. Is going into stable symptomatic remission associated with a more positive development of life satisfaction?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gardsjord, Erlend Strand; Romm, Kristin Lie; Røssberg, Jan Ivar

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Quality of life is an important outcome measure for patients with psychosis. We investigated whether going into stable symptomatic remission is associated with a more positive development of subjective quality of life (S-QoL) and if different patient characteristics are associated wit...

  6. The role of palliative radiation therapy in symptomatic locally advanced gastric cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tey, Jeremy; Back, Michael F.; Shakespeare, Thomas P.; Mukherjee, Rahul K.; Lu, Jiade J.; Lee, Khai Mun; Wong, Lea Choung; Leong, Cheng Nang; Zhu Ming

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To review the outcome of palliative radiotherapy (RT) alone in patients with symptomatic locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer. Methods and Materials: Patients with symptomatic locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer who were managed palliatively with RT at Cancer Institute, Singapore were retrospectively reviewed. Study end points included symptom response, median survival, and treatment toxicity (retrospectively scored using the Common Toxicity Criteria v3.0 [CTC]). Results: Between November 1999 and December 2004, 33 patients with locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer were managed with palliative intent using RT alone. Median age was 76 years (range, 38-90 years). Twenty-one (64%) patients had known distant metastatic disease at time of treatment. Key index symptoms were bleeding (24 patients), obstruction (8 patients), and pain (8 patients). The majority of patients received 30 Gy/10 fractions (17 patients). Dose fractionation regimen ranged from an 8-Gy single fraction to 40 Gy in 16 fractions. Median survival was 145 days, actuarial 12-month survival 8%. A total of 54.3% of patients (13/24) with bleeding responded (median duration of response of 140 days), 25% of patients (2/8) with obstruction responded (median duration of response of 102 days), and 25% of patients (2/8) with pain responded (median duration of response of 105 days). No obvious dose-response was evident. One Grade 3 CTC equivalent toxicity was recorded. Conclusion: External beam RT alone is an effective and well tolerated modality in the local palliation of gastric cancer, with palliation lasting the majority of patients' lives

  7. The effect of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' infection on the proteomic profiles and nutritional status of pre-symptomatic and symptomatic grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nwugo, Chika C; Lin, Hong; Duan, Yongping; Civerolo, Edwin L

    2013-04-11

    Huanglongbing (HLB) is a highly destructive citrus disease which threatens citrus production worldwide and 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las), a non-culturable phloem-limited bacterium, is an associated causal agent of the disease. To better understand the physiological and molecular processes involved in host responses to Las, 2-DE and mass spectrometry analyses, as well as ICP spectroscopy analysis were employed to elucidate the global protein expression profiles and nutrient concentrations in leaves of Las-infected grapefruit plants at pre-symptomatic or symptomatic stages for HLB. This study identified 123 protein spots out of 191 spots that showed significant changes in the leaves of grapefruit plants in response to Las infection and all identified spots matched to 69 unique proteins/peptides. A down-regulation of 56 proteins including those associated with photosynthesis, protein synthesis, and metabolism was correlated with significant reductions in the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu in leaves of grapefruit plants in response to Las infection, particularly in symptomatic plants. Oxygen-evolving enhancer (OEE) proteins, a PSI 9 kDa protein, and a Btf3-like protein were among a small group of proteins that were down-regulated in both pre-symptomatic and symptomatic plants in response to Las infection. Furthermore, a Las-mediated up-regulation of 13 grapefruit proteins was detected, which included Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, chitinases, lectin-related proteins, miraculin-like proteins, peroxiredoxins and a CAP 160 protein. Interestingly, a Las-mediated up-regulation of granule-bound starch synthase was correlated with an increase in the K concentrations of pre-symptomatic and symptomatic plants. This study constitutes the first attempt to characterize the interrelationships between protein expression and nutritional status of Las-infected pre-symptomatic or symptomatic grapefruit plants and sheds light on the physiological and molecular

  8. Use of the Trauma Embolic Scoring System (TESS) to predict symptomatic deep vein thrombosis and fatal and non-fatal pulmonary embolism in severely injured patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, K M; Rao, S; Rittenhouse, K J; Rogers, F B

    2014-11-01

    Fatal pulmonary embolism is the third most common cause of death after major trauma. We hypothesised that the Trauma Embolic Scoring System (TESS) would have adequate calibration and discrimination in a group of severely injured trauma patients in predicting venous thromboembolism (VTE), and could be used to predict fatal and non-fatal symptomatic pulmonary embolism. Calibration and discrimination of the TESS were assessed by the slope and intercept of the calibration curve and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, respectively. Of the 357 patients included in the study, 74 patients (21%) developed symptomatic VTE after a median period of 14 days following injury. The TESS predicted risks of VTE were higher among patients who developed VTE than those who did not (14 versus 9%, P=0.001) and had a moderate ability to discriminate between patients who developed VTE and those who did not (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.65 to 0.77). The slope and intercept of the calibration curve were 2.76 and 0.34, respectively, suggesting that the predicted risks of VTE were not sufficiently extreme and overall, underestimated the observed risks of VTE. Using 5% predicted risk of VTE as an arbitrary cut-point, TESS had a high sensitivity and negative predictive value (both ≥0.97) in excluding fatal and non-fatal pulmonary embolism. The TESS had a reasonable ability to discriminate between patients who developed VTE and those who did not and may be useful to select different strategies to prevent VTE in severely injured patients.

  9. A pilot study on the use of andrographolide to treat symptomatic adenomyosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xishi Liu

    2014-11-01

    Conclusion: Andrographolide is effective in some patients with symptomatic adenomyosis, who have a higher endometrial expression of the activated form of the NF-κB p65 subunit. Future independent validation studies or randomized clinical trials may be needed to more precisely evaluate the efficacy of andrographolide.

  10. Diagnostic accuracies of MR enterography and CT enterography in symptomatic Crohn's disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Michael Dam; Kjeldsen, Jens; Rafaelsen, Søren Rafael

    2011-01-01

    diagnostic accuracies for detection of small bowel CD and stenosis. In symptomatic patients with CD and high disease prevalence, positive predictive values are favorable but negative predictive values are low. Consequently, MRE and CTE can be relied upon, if a positive result is obtained whereas a negative...

  11. Hemoglobin levels and quality of life in patients with symptomatic chemotherapy-induced anemia: the eAQUA study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mouysset JL

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Jean-Loup Mouysset,1 Beata Freier,2 Joan van den Bosch,3 Charles Briac Levaché,4 Alain Bols,5 Hans Werner Tessen,6 Laura Belton,7 G Chet Bohac,8 Jan-Henrik Terwey,9 Giuseppe Tonini101Department of Medical Oncology, Clinique Rambot Provencale, Aix en Provence, France; 2Clinical Oncology, Wojewodzki Szpital Specjalistyczny, Wroclaw, Poland; 3Department of Internal Medicine/Oncology, Albert Schweitzer Ziekenhuis locatie Dordwijk, Dordrecht, the Netherlands; 4Radiotherapy Service, Medical Oncology, Polyclinique Francheville, Périgueux, France; 5Central Pharmacy, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV, Brugge, Belgium; 6Private Oncology Practice. Goslar, Germany; 7LB Biostatistics, London, UK; 8Clinical Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; 9Medical Development – Oncology, Amgen (Europe GmbH, Zug, Switzerland; 10Department of Medical Oncology, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Roma, ItalyPurpose: To assess hemoglobin (Hb outcomes and fatigue-related quality-of-life (QoL (electronic assessment in patients with solid tumors and symptomatic chemotherapy-induced anemia receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy and darbepoetin alfa (DA or another erythropoiesis-stimulating agent according to European indication.Methods: eAQUA was a Phase IV prospective observational study. The primary outcome (assessed in the primary analysis set [PAS]: patients receiving one or more DA dose who had baseline and week 9 assessments for Hb and QoL was the proportion of patients receiving DA having both Hb increases ≥1 g/dL and improved QoL between baseline and week 9. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F subscale scores were anchored to fatigue visual analog scale scores to determine the minimally important difference for improved QoL. Overall data/data over time are reported for the full analysis set (patients receiving one or more erythropoiesis-stimulating agent dose, n=1,158; week 9 data (ie, data relating to the primary and secondary outcomes are reported

  12. Symptomatic Non-parasitic benign hepatic cyst: Evaluation of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    HussamHassan

    Rarely, however, the cysts become symptomatic and are then best treated surgically. The optimal surgical treatment is debatable. ... the liver, including multiple cysts arising in the ..... aspiration and ethanol sclerosis of a large, symptomatic,.

  13. Symptomatic splenomegaly and palliative radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yaneva, M.; Vlaikova, M.

    2005-01-01

    We analysed the effect of irradiation of an enlarged spleen in some hematologic diseases: chronic myelaemia, osteomyelophybrosis and chronic lymphadenosis, where splenectomy had been contraindicated and where pain has been a leading symptom and also the discomfort because of an enlarged spleen. For 20 years in the Clinic of Radiotherapy have been treated 23 patients with the above mentioned diseases. We have irradiated all patients using X-ray and later- Co-60. To reach a palliative effect we have irradiated patients with single doses from 50 cGy to 100 cGy with an interval of 2-3 days between each fraction, but the total doses have been different- from 400 cGy to 1500 cGy. The enlarged spleen has reached the pelvis in 3 cm to 17 cm below the costal margin, and in some patients has crossed the median line of the body going in some centimetres on the other side. The reduction of splenic size and volume is as follows: full reduction in 6 patients (26.1%) and partial in 17 (73.9%). All patients resulted in decreases in pain and tension in abdomen and the total discomfort. No serious side haematologic effects were encountered. Our experience indicates that cautious splenic irradiation can be a safe and useful therapeutic alternative. The symptomatic palliation in patients, where splenectomy is not an option, is effective and is an additional alternative for an improvement of their general condition

  14. Efficacy of stent angioplasty for symptomatic stenoses of the proximal vertebral artery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, W. [Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Alfried Krupp Hospital, Essen (Germany); Mayer, T.E. [Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich (Germany); Henkes, H. [Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Alfried Krupp Hospital, Essen (Germany); Kis, B. [Department of Neurology, Alfried Krupp Hospital, Essen (Germany) and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchow Street 174, D-45147 Essen (Germany)]. E-mail: bernhard.kis@uni-duisburg-essen.de; Hamann, G.F. [Department of Neurology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich (Germany); Holtmannspoetter, M. [Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich (Germany); Brueckmann, H. [Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich (Germany); Kuehne, D. [Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Alfried Krupp Hospital, Essen (Germany)

    2005-11-01

    Background: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stent angioplasty in the treatment of symptomatic arteriosclerotic stenoses of the proximal vertebral artery (VA). Methods: Thirty-eight symptomatic stenoses of the vertebral origin were treated with flexible balloon-expandable coronary stents. Angiographic and clinical follow-up examinations were obtained in 26 patients at a mean of 11 months. Results: The immediate post-procedural angiographic results showed no residual stenosis in 33 vessels and mild residual stenoses in five vessels. Periprocedurally, there were two asymptomatic technical complications and one TIA. During follow-up re-stenosis could be detected in 10 cases (36%), and vessel occlusions in two patients. Two stents were broken. One of the restenosis caused a TIA within the follow-up period. Conclusions: Flexible balloon-expandable coronary stents proved to be save and effective in preventing vertebrobasilar stroke but were incapable to preserve the proximal vertebral artery lumen. For the VA origine an adequate stent, self-expanding, bioresorbable, or drug-eluting has to be found.

  15. Efficacy of stent angioplasty for symptomatic stenoses of the proximal vertebral artery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, W.; Mayer, T.E.; Henkes, H.; Kis, B.; Hamann, G.F.; Holtmannspoetter, M.; Brueckmann, H.; Kuehne, D.

    2005-01-01

    Background: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stent angioplasty in the treatment of symptomatic arteriosclerotic stenoses of the proximal vertebral artery (VA). Methods: Thirty-eight symptomatic stenoses of the vertebral origin were treated with flexible balloon-expandable coronary stents. Angiographic and clinical follow-up examinations were obtained in 26 patients at a mean of 11 months. Results: The immediate post-procedural angiographic results showed no residual stenosis in 33 vessels and mild residual stenoses in five vessels. Periprocedurally, there were two asymptomatic technical complications and one TIA. During follow-up re-stenosis could be detected in 10 cases (36%), and vessel occlusions in two patients. Two stents were broken. One of the restenosis caused a TIA within the follow-up period. Conclusions: Flexible balloon-expandable coronary stents proved to be save and effective in preventing vertebrobasilar stroke but were incapable to preserve the proximal vertebral artery lumen. For the VA origine an adequate stent, self-expanding, bioresorbable, or drug-eluting has to be found

  16. [From symptomatic stability to functional recovery in the pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia and unipolar depression].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wikinski, Silvia

    2009-01-01

    This work summarizes the efficacy of pharmacotherapy in the chronic course of schizophrenia and unipolar depresion. It is aimed to answer three questions: does it cure these diseases? Does it exert any significant effect on the symptomatic presentation of the disorders? Which is its action on the social dysfunction provoked by schizophrenia or depression? A conceptual analysis of available bibliography was performed. It could be concluded that antypsychotics improve the symptomatic course of schizophrenia, although their efficacy is limited, and that these drugs does not act on the social dysfunction provoked by the disease. With respect to depression, it could be concluded that a significant proportion of patients remain symptomatic despite receiveng adequate treatments. No data about efficacy of pharmacotherapy on the dysfunction resultant from unipolar depression is available.

  17. Advantages and limits of hemorrhoidal dearterialization in the treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giamundo, Paolo

    2016-01-27

    In the last two decades, hemorrhoidal dearterialization has become universally accepted as a treatment option for symptomatic hemorrhoids. The rationale for this procedure is based on the assumption that arterial blood overflow is mainly responsible for dilatation of the hemorrhoidal plexus due to the absence of capillary interposition between the arterial and venous systems within the anal canal. Dearterialization, with either suture ligation (Doppler-guided hemorrhoid artery ligation/transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization) or laser (hemorrhoidal laser procedure), may be successfully performed alone or with mucopexy. Although the added value of Doppler-guidance in association with dearterialization has recently been challenged, this imaging method still plays an important role in localizing hemorrhoidal arteries and, therefore, minimizing the effect of anatomic variation among patients. However, it is important to employ the correct Doppler transducer. Some Doppler transducers may not easily detect superficial arteries due to inadequate frequency settings. All techniques of dearterialization have the advantage of preserving the anatomy and physiology of the anal canal, when compared to other surgical treatments for hemorrhoids. This advantage cannot be underestimated as impaired anal function, including fecal incontinence and other defecation disorders, may occur following surgical treatment for hemorrhoids. Furthermore, this potentially devastating problem can occur in patients of all ages, including younger patients.

  18. MECP2 duplication phenotype in symptomatic females: report of three further cases

    OpenAIRE

    Novara, Francesca; Simonati, Alessandro; Sicca, Federico; Battini, Roberta; Fiori, Simona; Contaldo, Annarita; Criscuolo, Lucia; Zuffardi, Orsetta; Ciccone, Roberto

    2014-01-01

    Background Xq28 duplications, including MECP2 (methyl CpG-binding protein 2; OMIM 300005), have been identified in approximately 140 male patients presenting with hypotonia, severe developmental delay/intellectual disability, limited or absent speech and ambulation, and recurrent respiratory infections. Female patients with Xq28 duplication have been rarely reported and are usually asymptomatic. Altogether, only fifteen symptomatic females with Xq28 duplications including MECP2 have been repo...

  19. Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients with Asymptomatic or Equivocal Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis: Feasibility, Reproducibility, Safety and Information Obtained on Exercise Physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Le, Douet; Jensen, Gunnar Vagn Hagemann; Carstensen, Steen; Kjøller-Hansen, Lars

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility, reproducibility, safety and information obtained on exercise physiology from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) in patients with aortic stenosis. Patients with an aortic valve area (AVA) exercise, lower peak heart rate and FEV1, and higher VE/VCO2, but not by AVA index. Equivocal symptomatic status and a low gradient but high valvulo-arterial impedance were associated with a lower pVO2, but not with an inability to increase stroke volume. In total, 18 patients were referred for valve replacement. At 1 year, no cardiovascular deaths had occurred. CPX was feasible and reproducible and provided comprehensive data on exercise physiology. A CPX-guided treatment strategy was safe up to 1 year. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. The interaction between aggrecan gene VNTR polymorphism and obesity in predicting incident symptomatic lumbar disc herniation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Lin; Zhu, Yue; Pang, Hao; Guanjun, T U

    2014-01-01

    An association between aggrecan gene variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism (VNTR) and symptomatic lumbar disc herniation (LDH) has been reported in Chinese Han of Northern China, and obesity had previously been suspected of causing severe LDH. However, the interaction between aggrecan VNTR and obesity in symptomatic LDH has not been well studied. To examine the interaction between aggrecan VNTR and obesity in the susceptibility of symptomatic LDH, 259 participants participated in this study and donated a blood sample. The disease group comprised 61 patients already diagnosed with symptomatic LDH. The control group consisted of 198 healthy blood donors without symptoms of LDH who were not diagnosed with LDH. The aggrecan gene VNTR region was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction. The data indicated that between the two groups, participants carrying one or two alleles ≤25 repeats who were non-obese people showed a 1.057-fold increase in risk for symptomatic LDH (p = 0.895, changing the number of repeat alleles to 25 repeats who were obese people showed an 1.061-fold higher risk (p = 0.885, adding obesity to the mix alone did not demonstrably increase the risk of LDH), while participants carrying one or two alleles ≤25 repeats who were obese people showed a 4.667-fold increase in risk for symptomatic LDH (p = 0.0003, adding obesity plus changing the repeat allele number significantly increased the risk of LDH by 4.667). Overall, the findings suggest an underlying interaction between aggrecan VNTR and obesity in symptomatic LDH.

  1. Endoscopic needle-knife treatment for symptomatic esophageal Zenker's diverticulum: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lian Yong; Yang, Yong Tao; Qu, Chang Min; Liang, Shu Wen; Zhong, Chang Qing; Wang, Xiao Ying; Chen, Yan; Spandorfer, Robert M; Christofaro, Sarah; Cai, Qiang

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety following endoscopic management of Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) using a needle-knife technique. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases was performed. All original studies reporting efficacy and safety of needle-knife technique for treatment of ZD were included. Pooled event rates across studies were expressed with summative statistics. Main outcomes, such as rates of immediate symptomatic response (ISR), adverse events and recurrence, were extracted, pooled and analyzed. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the R statistic. The random effects model was used and results were expressed with forest plots and summative statistics. Thirteen studies included 589 patients were enrolled. Pooled event rates for ISR, overall complication, bleeding and perforation were 88% (95% confidence interval [CI] 79-94%), 13% (95% CI 8-22%), 5% (95% CI 3-10%) and 7% (95% CI 4-12%), respectively. The pooled data demonstrated an overall recurrence rate of 14% (95% CI 9-21%). Diverticulum size of at least 4 cm and less than 4 cm demonstrated pooled adverse event rates of 17% (95% CI 10-27%) and 7% (95% CI 2-18%), respectively. When using diverticuloscope as an accessory, pooled ISR and adverse events rates were 84% (95% CI 58-95%) and 10% (95% CI 3-26%), respectively. Flexible endoscopic procedures using needle-knife offers a relatively safe and effective treatment of symptomatic ZD, especially for ZD of <4 cm in diameter. © 2018 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  2. A comparison of mean glandular dose diagnostic reference levels within the all-digital irish national breast screening programme and the Irish symptomatic breast services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Leary, D.; Rainford, L.

    2013-01-01

    Data on image quality, compression and radiation dose were collected from symptomatic breast units within the Republic of Ireland. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using SPSS. Recommendations of mean glandular dose (MGD) diagnostic reference levels were made at various levels for film-screen and full field digital mammography units to match levels published worldwide. MGDs received by symptomatic breast patients within Ireland are higher than those received in the all-digital Irish Breast Screening service; 55-65 mm breast: 1.75 mGy (screening) vs. 2.4 mGy (symptomatic) at the 95. percentile; various reasons are proposed for the differences. MGDs achieved in the screening service may be lower because of the exacting requirements for radiographer training, characteristics of the patients and equipment quality assurance levels. More precise imaging guidelines, standards and training of symptomatic radiographers performing mammography are suggested to remediate MGDs delivered to the breasts of Irish women attending the symptomatic breast services. (authors)

  3. Transesophageal echocardiography for cardiac thromboembolic risk assessment in patients with severe, symptomatic aortic valve stenosis referred for potential transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenders, Guy D; Paelinck, Bernard P; Wouters, Kristien; Claeys, Marc J; Rodrigus, Inez E; Van Herck, Paul L; Vrints, Christiaan J; Bosmans, Johan M

    2013-05-15

    Stroke is a devastating complication after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and might partially be related to cardiac embolization. The aim of this single-center prospective study was to determine the incidence of intracardiac thrombi and left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (SEC), both known predictors of cardiac embolic stroke, in patients referred for potential TAVI. One hundred four consecutive patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis and at high or very high risk for surgery were included and underwent transesophageal echocardiography. In 11 patients (10.6%), intracardiac thrombi were detected, and 25 patients (24%) showed dense grade 2 SEC. Atrial fibrillation (p risk patients with severe aortic valve stenosis referred for potential TAVI is high and can accurately be detected using transesophageal echocardiography. Systematic thromboembolic evaluation using transesophageal echocardiography is thus recommended in patients referred for TAVI. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Preference for different relaxation techniques by COPD patients: comparison between six techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyl

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Michael E Hyland,1 David MG Halpin,2 Sue Blake,3 Clare Seamark,3 Margaret Pinnuck,3 David Ward,3 Ben Whalley,1 Colin J Greaves,4 Adam L Hawkins,5 Dave Seamark3 1School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, 3Honiton Group Practice, Honiton, 4University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, 5GSK House, Brentford, UK Background: A review of the effectiveness of relaxation techniques for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients has shown inconsistent results, but studies have varied in terms of technique and outcome measures. Aim: To determine patient preference for different relaxation techniques. Methods: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients were presented with six techniques via a DVD and asked to rate the techniques in terms of effectiveness, rank in order of likely use, and comment. Results: Patients differed in the technique preferred and reason for that preference, but the most commonly preferred technique both for effectiveness and ease of use was “thinking of a nice place” followed by progressive relaxation and counting. Familiarity and ease of activity were commonly given reasons for preference. Conclusion: Rather than providing patients with a single technique that they might find difficult to implement, these results suggest that it would be better to give a choice. “Thinking of a nice place” is a popular but under-investigated technique. Keywords: COPD exacerbation, anxiety, relaxation techniques

  5. Utility of USPIO-enhanced MR imaging to identify inflammation and the fibrous cap: A comparison of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howarth, S.P.S.; Tang, T.Y.; Trivedi, R.; Weerakkody, R.; U-King-Im, J.; Gaunt, M.E.; Boyle, J.R.; Li, Z.Y.; Miller, S.R.; Graves, M.J.; Gillard, J.H.

    2009-01-01

    Background and purpose: Inflammation is a risk factor the vulnerable atheromatous plaque. This can be detected in vivo on high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using a contrast agent, Sinerem TM , an ultra-small super-paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO). The aim of this study was to explore whether there is a difference in the degree of MR defined inflammation using USPIO particles, between symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid plaques. We report further on its T 1 effect of enhancing the fibrous cap, which may allow dual contrast resolution of carotid atheroma. Methods: Twenty patients with carotid stenosis (10 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic) underwent multi-sequence MR imaging before and 36 h post-USPIO infusion. Images were manually segmented into quadrants and signal change in each quadrant was calculated following USPIO administration. Mean signal change across all quadrants were compared between the two groups. Results: Symptomatic patients had significantly more quadrants with a signal drop than asymptomatic individuals (75% vs. 32%, p < 0.01). Asymptomatic plaques had more quadrants with signal enhancement than symptomatic ones (68% vs. 25%, p < 0.05); their mean signal change was also higher (46% vs. 15%, p < 0.01) and this appeared to correlate with a thicker fibrous cap on histology. Conclusions: Symptomatic patients had more quadrants with signal drop suggesting larger inflammatory infiltrates. Asymptomatic individuals showed significantly more enhancement possibly suggesting greater stability as a result of thicker fibrous caps. However, some asymptomatic plaques also had focal areas of signal drop, suggesting an occult macrophage burden. If validated by larger studies, USPIO may be a useful dual contrast agent able to improve risk stratification of patients with carotid stenosis and inform selection for intervention.

  6. Body mass index and outcome after revascularization for symptomatic carotid artery stenosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greving, Jacoba P.; Hendrikse, Jeroen; Algra, Ale; Kappelle, L. Jaap; Becquemin, Jean-Pierre; Bonati, Leo H.; Brott, Thomas G.; Bulbulia, Richard; Calvet, David; Eckstein, Hans-Henning; Fraedrich, Gustav; Gregson, John; Halliday, Alison; Howard, George; Jansen, Olav; Roubin, Gary S.; Brown, Martin M.; Mas, Jean-Louis; Ringleb, Peter A.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To determine whether the obesity paradox exists in patients who undergo carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Methods: We combined individual patient data from 2 randomized trials (Endarterectomy vs Angioplasty in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis and Stent-Protected Angioplasty vs Carotid Endarterectomy) and 3 centers in a third trial (International Carotid Stenting Study). Baseline body mass index (BMI) was available for 1,969 patients and classified into 4 groups: 120 days after randomization). This outcome was compared between different BMI strata in CAS and CEA patients separately, and in the total group. We performed intention-to-treat multivariable Cox regression analyses. Results: Median follow-up was 2.0 years. Stroke or death occurred in 159 patients in the periprocedural (cumulative risk 8.1%) and in 270 patients in the postprocedural period (rate 4.8/100 person-years). BMI did not affect periprocedural risk of stroke or death for patients assigned to CAS (ptrend = 0.39) or CEA (ptrend = 0.77) or for the total group (ptrend = 0.48). Within the total group, patients with BMI 25–<30 had lower postprocedural risk of stroke or death than patients with BMI 20–<25 (BMI 25–<30 vs BMI 20–<25; hazard ratio 0.72; 95% confidence interval 0.55–0.94). Conclusions: BMI is not associated with periprocedural risk of stroke or death; however, BMI 25–<30 is associated with lower postprocedural risk than BMI 20–<25. These observations were similar for CAS and CEA. PMID:28446644

  7. Concordance of opinions between patients and physicians and their relationship with symptomatic control and future risk in patients with moderate-severe asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crespo-Lessmann, Astrid; Plaza, Vicente; González-Barcala, Francisco-Javier; Fernández-Sánchez, Toni; Sastre, Joaquín

    2017-01-01

    Differences between the opinions of patients and physicians on the impact of asthma are common. We hypothesised that patient-physician discordance may negatively affect asthma outcome. A total of 2902 patients (61% women, mean age 47 years) with moderate-severe asthma and 231 physicians participated in a prospective study. At the baseline visit, data on demographics, clinical variables, degree of asthma control according to the Asthma Control Test (ACT), basic spirometry and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were collected and an ad hoc questionnaire was completed that allowed the degree of concordance between doctors and patients to be assessed. A scheduled telephone call after 3 months was used to elicit the ACT score and the future risk of asthma. At the final visit at 6 months, the following data were recorded: ACT score, spirometry, HADS score and an ad hoc questionnaire to assess the agreement between the doctor and the patient. Changes in study variables according to patient-physician concordance or discordance were analysed. The rate of patient-physician discordance was 27.2%, with overestimation of disease impact by the physician in 12.3% and underestimation in 14.9%. Patient-physician opinion discordance, particularly in the case of physicians underestimating the impact of asthma, showed worse results with statistically significant differences in ACT score, a higher percentage of patients with poor asthma control and lower HADS scores. The need for hospital and emergency department admissions was also higher. Patient-physician opinion discordance may be contributing to lower symptomatic control and increased future risk, with a higher impact when physicians underestimate the impact of asthma on their patients.

  8. Continuous EEG-fMRI in Pre-Surgical Evaluation of a Patient with Symptomatic Seizures: Bold Activation Linked to Interictal Epileptic Discharges Caused by Cavernoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avesani, M; Formaggio, E; Milanese, F; Baraldo, A; Gasparini, A; Cerini, R; Bongiovanni, L G; Pozzi Mucelli, R; Fiaschi, A; Manganotti, P

    2008-04-07

    We used continuous electroencephalography-functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG-fMRI) to identify the linkage between the "epileptogenic" and the "irritative" area in a patient with symptomatic epilepsy (cavernoma, previously diagnosed and surgically treated), i.e. a patient with a well known "epileptogenic area", and to increase the possibility of a non invasive pre-surgical evaluation of drug-resistant epilepsies. A compatible MRI system was used (EEG with 29 scalp electrodes and two electrodes for ECG and EMG) and signals were recorded with a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner. After the recording session and MRI artifact removal, EEG data were analyzed offline and used as paradigms in fMRI study. Activation (EEG sequences with interictal slow-spiked-wave activity) and rest (sequences of normal EEG) conditions were compared to identify the potential resulting focal increase in BOLD signal and to consider if this is spatially linked to the interictal focus used as a paradigm and to the lesion. We noted an increase in the BOLD signal in the left neocortical temporal region, laterally and posteriorly to the poro-encephalic cavity (residual of cavernoma previously removed), that is around the "epileptogenic area". In our study "epileptogenic" and "irritative" areas were connected with each other. Combined EEG-fMRI may become routine in clinical practice for a better identification of an irritative and lesional focus in patients with symptomatic drug-resistant epilepsy.

  9. Effect of Dexamethasone Intraligamentary Injection on Post-Endodontic Pain in Patients with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehrvarzfar, Payman; Esnashari, Ehsan; Salmanzadeh, Reyhaneh; Fazlyab, Mahta; Fazlyab, Mahyar

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: The aim of this randomized-controlled clinical trial was to assess the effect of intraligamentary (PDL) injection of dexamethasone on onset and severity of post-treatment pain in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Methods and Materials: A total number of 60 volunteers were included according to the inclusion criteria and were assigned to three groups (n=20). After administration of local anesthesia and before treatment, group 1 (control) PDL injection was done with syringe containing empty cartridge, while in groups 2 and 3 the PDL injection was done with 0.2 mL of 2% lidocaine or dexamethasone (8 mg/2 mL), respectively. Immediately after endodontic treatment patients were requested to mark their level of pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS) during the next 48 h (on 6, 12, 24 and 48-h intervals). They were also asked to mention whether analgesics were taken and its dosage. Considering the 0-170 markings on the VAS ruler, the level of pain was scored as follows: score 0 (mild pain; 0-56), score 1 (moderate pain; 57-113) and score 3 (severe pain; 114-170). The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and the Chi-square tests and the level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: After 6 and 12 h, group 1 and group 3 had the highest and lowest pain values, respectively (P<0.01 and P<0.001 for 6 and 12 h, respectively). However, after 24 and 48 h the difference in the pain was not significant between groups 1 and 2 (P<0.6) but group 3 had lower pain levels (P<0.01 and P<0.8 for 24 and 48 h, respectively). Conclusion: Pretreatment PDL injection of dexamethasone can significantly reduce the post-treatment endodontic pain in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. PMID:27790253

  10. Preoperative KOOS and SF-36 Scores Are Associated With the Development of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis at 7 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ware, J Kristopher; Owens, Brett D; Akelman, Matthew R; Karamchedu, Naga Padmini; Fadale, Paul D; Hulstyn, Michael J; Shalvoy, Robert M; Badger, Gary J; Fleming, Braden C

    2018-03-01

    Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are associated with the development of knee osteoarthritis despite ACL reconstruction surgery. However, little evidence is available to determine which patients will develop symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. To determine if preoperative outcome measures-KOOS (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) and SF-36 (36-item Short Form Health Survey)-were associated with the development of a symptomatic knee 7 years after ACL reconstruction. A secondary goal was to examine the relationship between imaging evidence of knee osteoarthritis and development of knee pain. Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Prospectively collected data from 72 patients were reviewed with 7-year follow-up after unilateral ACL reconstruction. Patients were divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic groups based on the previously defined KOOS pain ≤72. Demographic variables and preoperative KOOS and SF-36 scores were compared between groups. Radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging data were used to evaluate differences in joint space width, Osteoarthritis Research Society International radiographic score, and the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score between groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify potential predictors of pain at 7-year follow-up. Wilcoxon sum rank and t tests were used to compare imaging findings between the symptomatic and asymptomatic patients at 7 years. According to KOOS pain, 7 of the 72 patients available at 7-year follow-up formed the symptomatic group. No differences were found between groups in regard to demographic variables or intraoperative findings. In multivariate analysis, lower preoperative scores for KOOS sports/recreation ( P = .005) and SF-36 mental health ( P = .025) were associated with a painful knee at 7 years, with increased odds of 82% and 68% per 10-unit decrease, respectively. The Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score at 7 years showed evidence of

  11. Increased platelet count and leucocyte-platelet complex formation in acute symptomatic compared with asymptomatic severe carotid stenosis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McCabe, D J H

    2005-09-01

    The risk of stroke in patients with recently symptomatic carotid stenosis is considerably higher than in patients with asymptomatic stenosis. In the present study it was hypothesised that excessive platelet activation might partly contribute to this difference.

  12. Angiographic and functional comparison of patients with silent and symptomatic treadmill ischemia early after myocardial infarction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ouyang, P.; Shapiro, E.P.; Chandra, N.C.; Gottlieb, S.H.; Chew, P.H.; Gottlieb, S.O.

    1987-01-01

    Sixty consecutive patients were studied who had positive responses to Naughton exercise treadmill testing (at least 1.5 mm of ST-segment shift in at least 2 leads or thallium reperfusion abnormalities) with or without symptoms of angina 11 +/- 1 days after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). All patients had undergone coronary angiography 24 +/- 4 days after infarction. Thirty-eight patients (63%) had no treadmill angina (silent ischemia, group I) and 22 patients had typical treadmill angina (symptomatic ischemia, group II). Use of beta-blocking drugs, calcium antagonists and nitrates at the time of exercise testing did not differ in the 2 groups. All 9 patients with diabetes mellitus were in the asymptomatic group (p less than 0.40) and group I had a greater proportion of inferior wall AMI (30 of 38) than group II (11 of 22, p = 0.02). Total exercise treadmill test duration (group I 422 +/- 31 seconds, group II 400 +/- 46 seconds) and rate-pressure product were not different in the 2 groups. The number of patients unable to exercise 5 minutes (12 in group I and 7 in group II), the number with diffuse electrocardiographic changes (9 in group I and 7 in group II), and the number with inadequate blood pressure response (8 in group I and 4 in group II) were also similar. At coronary arteriography the mean number of arteries with at least 70% diameter stenosis was 2.0 +/- 0.2 in group I and 2.2 +/- 0.2 in group II (difference not significant)

  13. A Review of Symptomatic Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebrae: Bertolotti's Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jancuska, Jeffrey M; Spivak, Jeffrey M; Bendo, John A

    2015-01-01

    Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) are increasingly recognized as a common anatomical variant associated with altered patterns of degenerative spine changes. This review will focus on the clinical significance of LSTV, disruptions in normal spine biomechanics, imaging techniques, diagnosis, and treatment. A Pubmed search using the specific key words "LSTV," "lumbosacral transitional vertebrae," and "Bertolotti's Syndrome" was performed. The resulting group of manuscripts from our search was evaluated. LSTV are associated with alterations in biomechanics and anatomy of spinal and paraspinal structures, which have important implications on surgical approaches and techniques. LSTV are often inaccurately detected and classified on standard AP radiographs and MRI. The use of whole-spine images as well as geometric relationships between the sacrum and lumbar vertebra increase accuracy. Uncertainty regarding the cause, clinical significance, and treatment of LSTV persists. Some authors suggest an association between LSTV types II and IV and low back pain. Pseudoarticulation between the transverse process and the sacrum creates a "false joint" susceptible to arthritic changes and osteophyte formation potentially leading to nerve root entrapment. The diagnosis of symptomatic LSTV is considered with appropriate patient history, imaging studies, and diagnostic injections. A positive radionuclide study along with a positive effect from a local injection helps distinguish the transitional vertebra as a significant pain source. Surgical resection is reserved for a subgroup of LSTV patients who fail conservative treatment and whose pain is definitively attributed to the anomalous pseudoarticulation. Due to the common finding of low back pain and the wide prevalence of LSTV in the general population, it is essential to differentiate between symptoms originating from an anomalous psuedoarticulation from other potential sources of low back pain. Further studies with larger

  14. Incidence and Risk Factor Analysis of Symptomatic Venous Thromboembolism After Knee Arthroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krych, Aaron J; Sousa, Paul L; Morgan, Joseph A; Levy, Bruce A; Stuart, Michael J; Dahm, Diane L

    2015-11-01

    To (1) determine the incidence of symptomatic venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) after knee arthroscopy and arthroscopy-assisted procedures at a single institution and (2) determine associated risk factors for VTEs in these patients. The records of patients who underwent knee arthroscopy at a single institution between 1988 and 2008 were reviewed. Chemoprophylaxis was not routinely used. Confirmed VTEs occurring within 4 weeks after the index arthroscopy procedure were included. A 2:1 matched control group was generated to include patients in whom knee arthroscopy was performed by the same surgeon either on the same day or immediately before each case resulting in a VTE. Preoperative and perioperative data were collected with respect to demographic data, medical history, medications, and surgical and anesthesia data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. During the study period, 12,595 patients underwent knee arthroscopy. Among these patients, 43 cases of VTEs (35 deep venous thromboses [DVTs], 5 pulmonary embolisms [PEs], and 3 DVTs that progressed to PEs) occurred, resulting in an incidence of 0.30% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22% to 0.41%) for DVT, 0.06% (95% CI, 0.03% to 0.12%) for PE, and 0.34% (95% CI, 0.25% to 0.46%) for VTEs overall. Factors associated with an elevated risk of symptomatic postoperative VTEs included a history of malignancy (P = .01; odds ratio [OR], 6.3), a history of VTEs (P = .02; OR, 5.2), or the presence of more than 2 classic risk factors for VTEs (P = .01; OR, 13.6). In this study, symptomatic VTEs were rare and occurred infrequently, with an incidence of 0.34% (95% CI, 0.25% to 0.46%), after knee arthroscopy and arthroscopy-assisted cases in the absence of routine chemoprophylaxis. Patients with a history of VTEs, a history of malignancy, or 2 or more classic risk factors are at increased risk of VTEs after knee arthroscopy, and chemoprophylaxis should be considered in these select patients. Level III, case

  15. Does highly symptomatic class membership in the acute phase predict highly symptomatic classification in victims 6 months after traumatic exposure?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Maj; Hyland, Philip; Armour, Cherie

    2016-05-01

    Recently studies have indicated the existence of both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) subtypes but no studies have investigated their mutual association. Although ASD may not be a precursor of PTSD per se, there are potential benefits associated with early identification of victims at risk of developing PTSD subtypes. The present study investigates ASD and PTSD subtypes using latent class analysis (LCA) following bank robbery (N=371). Moreover, we assessed if highly symptomatic ASD and selected risk factors increased the probability of highly symptomatic PTSD. The results of LCA revealed a three class solution for ASD and a two class solution for PTSD. Negative cognitions about self (OR=1.08), neuroticism (OR=1.09) and membership of the 'High symptomatic ASD' class (OR=20.41) significantly increased the probability of 'symptomatic PTSD' class membership. Future studies are needed to investigate the existence of ASD and PTSD subtypes and their mutual relationship. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Prevention of disease progression by cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic left ventricular dysfunction: insights from the European cohort of the REVERSE (Resynchronization Reverses Remodeling in Systolic Left Ventricular Dysfunction) trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daubert, Claude; Gold, Michael R; Abraham, William T

    2009-01-01

    were decreased in this patient population in New York Heart Association functional classes I or II. These observations suggest that CRT prevents the progression of disease in patients with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic LV dysfunction. (REsynchronization reVErses Remodeling in Systolic Left v......OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the long-term effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in the European cohort of patients enrolled in the REVERSE (Resynchronization Reverses Remodeling in Systolic Left Ventricular Dysfunction) trial. BACKGROUND: Previous data suggest...... that CRT slows disease progression and improves the outcomes of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and a wide QRS complex. METHODS: We randomly assigned 262 recipients of CRT pacemakers or defibrillators, with QRS > or =120 ms and LV ejection fraction...

  17. Exhaled Nitric Oxide Is Useful in Symptomatic Radioactive Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiancheng Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim was to defect the exhaled nitric oxide (eNO prediction value of symptomatic radioactive pneumonia (SRP. 64 cases of lung cancer or esophagus cancer, who had the primary radiotherapy (intensity-modulated radiation therapy, were included from 2015 June to 2016 January. During the following, the patients were divided: the symptomatic radiation pneumonia group (SRP, with the CTCAE v4.0 score > 2 and the asymptomatic radiation pneumonia group (ASRP, with CTCAE v4.0 score ≤ 1. All the patients were measured eNO before and at the end of thoracic radiotherapy and gain the posttherapy eNO value and the eNO ratio (posttherapy eNO value/pretherapy eNO value, then the predictive values of eNO toward SRP were measured using the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC. 17 cases were included in the SRP group and the other 47 were included in the ASRP group. The posttherapy eNO was 29.35 (19~60 bbp versus 20.646 (11~37 (P<0.001, and the ratio was 1.669 (0.61~3.5 versus 0.920 (0.35~1.5 (P<0.01 (symptomatic versus asymptomatic. ROC showed that the cutoff value of SRP was 19.5 bbp (posttherapy eNO, area under concentration-time curve (AUC = 0.879 and 1.305 (eNO ratio, AUC = 0.774, which meant that posttherapy eNO and eNO ratio were useful in finding SRP.

  18. Diagnostic value of 99mTc-pertechnetate salivary gland scintigraphy (SGS) in Sjoegren's syndrome (SS). Comparative study with symptomatic non Sjoegren patients and healthy controls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lobo, G.; Ladron de Guevara, D.; Zerboni, A.; Aguilera, S.

    2002-01-01

    The aim of this study was to describe SGS findings in patients with SS, and to compare them with non Sjoegren symptomatic and healthy control individual, estimating performance of SGS in SS diagnosis. Materials and Method: Fifty three control individual (average age: 53.7 yr, range: 27-83 yr) and 169 patients with subjective xerostomia underwent 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy. The symptomatic group consisted of: 112 patients with Sjoegren's syndrome (average age: 53.7 yr, range:16-81 yr) according to modifying European Classification Criteria, 42 patients with fibromyalgia (FM)(average age:48.2 yr, range:19-76 yr) who presented non-specific chronic sialadenitis or normal labial biopsy, and 15 patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KS) (average age: 40.9 yr, range:23-57 yr). SGS was performed following i.v. injection of 10 mCi 99mTc-pertechnetate, in dynamic acquisition of 60 15-sec frames, and giving lemon juice orally at 20 min. Irregular regions of interest (ROI) over salivary glands and brain for background assessment were drawn, building time-activity curves. SGS was classified according to visual intensity of gland tracer uptake and excretion before and after lemon and curve evaluation, in: normal (intensity of gland uptake fourfold background activity, ascending curve with fast and profound fall after lemon) , mild alteration (light decrease in gland uptake or excretion, with a normal curve shape), moderate alteration (evident uptake and excretion decrease with a median Mita curve) and severe alteration (very low or absent uptake, flat or slope curve). Scintigraphic findings were compared with diagnosis, calculating positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for SS. Results: The results of SGS according to diagnosis are presented. SS group had higher incidence of severe alterations (p<0.001) than each of other clinics groups and lower proportion of mild alterations (p:0.008) and normal scans (p:0.005) than both control and KS patients. The KS

  19. Plasma Interleukin-8 and Endothelin-1 in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radwan, Z.; El-Abiad, N.; Soliman, M. S.; Ali, A.I.; Ali, G.S.

    2004-01-01

    This study was designed to evaluate the extent to which IL-8 and endothelin-1 are involved in the development of acute exacerbation of atopic asthma. Two asthmatic groups, each of 20 patients were studied, the asymptomatic group where patients were free of symptoms and the symptomatic group where patients were suffering from acute exacerbation of their asthma. Both of asthmatic groups were subclassified into mild and moderate subgroups, each of 10 patients according to the asthma severity. All subjects were subjected to chest X-ray and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) recording for sub-classification of patients, skin prick testing using common allergens (patients only) for the identification of atopic asthmatic patients and laboratory investigations including complete blood count (CBC), absolute eosi-nophil count (AEC), urine and stool exam-ination, total serum 1 gE level, plasma inter-leukin-8 (IL-8) level and plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) level. The data obtained revealed non-significant differences between the studied groups as regards AEC, while serum total 1 gE of the asthmatic groups showed highly significant elevations in comparison to control group. Also, There were highly significant elevations in plasma endothelin-1 and plasma IL-8 levels of the symptomatic asthmatic subgroups in comparison to control group and asymptomatic asthmatic subgroups in comparison to control group and asymptomatic asthmatic subgroups. In conclusion: although it is clear now that IL-8 and ET-1 are involved in acute exacerbation of atopic asthmatic patients, a causal link between those mediators and development of the exacerbation has not been definitively established. Surely, those mediators, their receptors, synthesis and degradation pathways offer potentially important therapeutic targets

  20. Comparison of Direct Pars Repair Techniques of Spondylolysis in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients: Pars Compression Screw Versus Pedicle Screw-Rod-Hook.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karatas, Ali F; Dede, Ozgur; Atanda, Alfred A; Holmes, Larry; Rogers, Kenneth; Gabos, Peter; Shah, Suken A

    2016-08-01

    Retrospective clinical cohort study. To compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients who were treated with intrasegmental pars fixation by either laminar compression screw (LS) or a pedicle screw, rod, and laminar hook (PSRH) construct. Spondylolysis is a nonunion defect of the pars interarticularis. In symptomatic spondylolysis, direct repair of the pars interarticularis defect can preserve motion and prevent abnormal stresses at the adjacent levels. Sixteen patients who failed nonoperative treatment and underwent direct pars repair by using LS (n=9) or PSRH (n=7) constructs were included in the study. Clinical outcome was assessed by using the MacNab criteria. Radiologic fusion and complications were evaluated using plain radiographs or computed tomography images and patient charts. The healing rate was 100% after 6 months. The healing time was similar in both the groups: LS, 6.5 months; PSRH, 6.2 months. Patients with PSRH (5.9 mo) were more likely to return to sports earlier relative to patients with LS (7.7 mo). There were no complications in the LS group; in the PSRH group, 1 patient had mild sensory deficit and 2 had superficial wound infections. The MacNab criteria for pain assessment showed an excellent or good outcome in 8 of 9 patients in LS group and 6 of 7 patients in PSRH group. Relative to LS patients, there was a significant increase in surgical time and estimated blood loss among PSRH patients. Either of the mentioned 2 techniques appears to produce acceptable results. Biplanar fluoroscopy and navigation systems could minimize the risk of screw misplacement with LS construct. Familiarity with the various fixation techniques will allow the surgeon to select the most appropriate surgical technique.

  1. The effect of dexlansoprazole MR on nocturnal heartburn and GERD-related sleep disturbances in patients with symptomatic GERD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fass, Ronnie; Johnson, David A; Orr, William C; Han, Cong; Mody, Reema; Stern, Kathleen N; Pilmer, Betsy L; Perez, M Claudia

    2011-03-01

    Nocturnal heartburn and related sleep disturbances are common among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This study evaluated the efficacy of dexlansoprazole MR 30 mg in relieving nocturnal heartburn and GERD-related sleep disturbances, improving work productivity, and decreasing nocturnal symptom severity in patients with symptomatic GERD. Patients (N=305) with frequent, moderate-to-very severe nocturnal heartburn and associated sleep disturbances were randomized 1:1 in a double-blind fashion to receive dexlansoprazole MR or placebo once daily for 4 weeks. The primary end point was the percentage of nights without heartburn. Secondary end points were the percentage of patients with relief of nocturnal heartburn and of GERD-related sleep disturbances over the last 7 days of treatment. At baseline and week 4/final visit, patients completed questionnaires that assessed sleep quality, work productivity, and the severity and impact of nocturnal GERD symptoms. Dexlansoprazole MR 30 mg (n=152) was superior to placebo (n=153) in median percentage of nights without heartburn (73.1 vs. 35.7%, respectively; Pheartburn and GERD-related sleep disturbances (47.5 vs. 19.6%, 69.7 vs. 47.9%, respectively; Pheartburn, in reducing GERD-related sleep disturbances and the consequent impairments in work productivity, and in improving sleep quality/quality of life.

  2. Blood group A and Rh(D)-negativity are associated with symptomatic West Nile virus infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaidarova, Zhanna; Bravo, Marjorie D.; Kamel, Hany T.; Custer, Brian S; Busch, Michael P.; Lanteri, Marion C.

    2016-01-01

    Background West Nile virus (WNV) infection is mostly asymptomatic but 20% of subjects report WNV fever and 1% of patients experience neurological diseases with higher rates in elderly and immunosuppressed persons. With no treatment and no vaccine to prevent the development of symptomatic infections, it is essential to understand prognostic factors influencing symptomatic disease outcome. Host genetic background has been linked to the development of WNV neuroinvasive disease. The present study investigates the association between the ABO and Rh(D) blood group status and WNV disease outcome. Study Design and Methods The distribution of blood groups was investigated within a cohort of 374 WNV+ blood donors including 244 asymptomatic (AS) and 130 symptomatic (S) WNV+ blood donors. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between A, B, O and Rh(D) blood groups and WNV clinical disease outcome. Results Symptomatic WNV+ donors exhibited increased frequencies of blood group A (S 47.6% AS 36.8%, P=0.04, OR [95%CI] 1.56 [1.01–2.40]) and Rh(D)-negative individuals (S 21.5% AS 13.1%, P=0.03, OR [95%CI] 1.82 [1.04–3.18]). Conclusion The findings suggest a genetic susceptibility placing blood group A and Rh(D)-negative individuals at risk for the development of symptomatic disease outcome after WNV infection. PMID:27189860

  3. Modified PAIR Technique for Percutaneous Treatment of High-Risk Hydatid Cysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gabal, Abdelwahab M., E-mail: gabalrad@yahoo.com [King Fahad Hospital, Department of Radiology (Saudi Arabia); Khawaja, Fazal I. [King Fahad Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (Saudi Arabia); Mohammad, Ghanem A. [Al-azhar University Medical Center, Department of Chest Diseases (Egypt)

    2005-04-15

    Purpose: This paper presents a modification of the known method for percutaneous treatment of hydatid cyst, the PAIR technique. It aimed to achieve safe aspiration of large symptomatic cysts and cysts with a danger of impending rupture. Methods: We designed a coaxial catheter system to achieve concomitant evacuation of cyst contents while infusing scolicidal agent. Hypertonic saline is used to wash out cyst contents and to kill protoscolices. This was followed by injection of a sclerosant (ethyl alcohol 95%) into the residual cyst cavity to prevent formation of a cyst collection after the procedure. Seventeen cysts in 14 patients were successfully aspirated. Follow-up plain radiographs, ultrasonography and CT were performed weekly in the first 4 weeks and then at 3, 6 and 12 months for all patients. Seven patients (9 drained cysts) were followed up for 2 years and 1 patient for 3 years. Results: All cysts were successfully aspirated. The following morphologic changes were noticed: a gradual decrease in cyst size (17 cysts, 100%), thickening and irregularity of the cyst wall due to separation of endocyst from pericyst (7 cysts, 41%), development of a heterogeneous appearance of the cyst components (8 cysts, 47%) and development of pseudotumor (2 cysts, 12%). None of the treated cysts disappeared completely. No significant procedure-related complications were encountered. Conclusion: This modified PAIR technique is a reliable method for percutaneous treatment of risky and symptomatic hydatid cysts.

  4. Modified PAIR Technique for Percutaneous Treatment of High-Risk Hydatid Cysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gabal, Abdelwahab M.; Khawaja, Fazal I.; Mohammad, Ghanem A.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose. This paper presents a modification of the known method for percutaneous treatment of hydatid cyst, the PAIR technique. It aimed to achieve safe aspiration of large symptomatic cysts and cysts with a danger of impending rupture. Methods. We designed a coaxial catheter system to achieve concomitant evacuation of cyst contents while infusing scolicidal agent. Hypertonic saline is used to wash out cyst contents and to kill protoscolices. This was followed by injection of a sclerosant (ethyl alcohol 95%) into the residual cyst cavity to prevent formation of a cyst collection after the procedure. Seventeen cysts in 14 patients were successfully aspirated. Follow-up plain radiographs, ultrasonography and CT were performed weekly in the first 4 weeks and then at 3, 6 and 12 months for all patients. Seven patients (9 drained cysts) were followed up for 2 years and 1 patient for 3 years. Results. All cysts were successfully aspirated. The following morphologic changes were noticed: a gradual decrease in cyst size (17 cysts, 100%), thickening and irregularity of the cyst wall due to separation of endocyst from pericyst (7 cysts, 41%), development of a heterogeneous appearance of the cyst components (8 cysts, 47%) and development of pseudotumor (2 cysts, 12%). None of the treated cysts disappeared completely. No significant procedure-related complications were encountered. Conclusion. This modified PAIR technique is a reliable method for percutaneous treatment of risky and symptomatic hydatid cysts

  5. Effect of manual therapy techniques on headache disability in patients with tension-type headache. Randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espí-López, G V; Rodríguez-Blanco, C; Oliva-Pascual-Vaca, A; Benítez-Martínez, J C; Lluch, E; Falla, D

    2014-12-01

    Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common type of primary headache however there is no clear evidence as to which specific treatment is most effective or whether combined treatment is more effective than individual treatments. To assess the effectiveness of manual therapy techniques, applied to the suboccipital region, on aspects of disability in a sample of patients with tension-type headache. Randomized Controlled Trial. Specialized centre for headache treatment. Seventy-six (62 women) patients (age: 39.9 ± 10.9 years) with episodic chronic TTH. Patients were randomly divided into four treatment groups: 1) suboccipital soft tissue inhibition; 2) occiput-atlas-axis manipulation; 3) combined treatment of both techniques; 4) control. Four sessions were applied over 4 weeks and disability was assessed before and after treatment using the Headache Disability Inventory (HDI). Headache frequency, severity and the functional and emotional subscales of the questionnaire were assessed. Photophobia, phonophobia and pericranial tenderness were also monitored. Headache frequency was significantly reduced with the manipulative and combined treatment (Ptreatment groups (Ptreatment also reduced the score on the emotional subscale of the HDI (Ptreatments were combined, effectiveness was noted for all aspects of disability and other symptoms including photophobia, phonophobia and pericranial tenderness. Although individual manual therapy treatments showed a positive change in headache features, measures of photophobia, photophobia and pericranial tenderness only improved in the group that received the combined treatment suggesting that combined treatment is the most appropriate for symptomatic relief of TTH.

  6. Successful aspiration and ethanol sclerosis of a large, symptomatic, simple liver cyst: Case presentation and review of the literature

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Wojciech C Blonski; Mical S Campbell; Thomas Faust; David C Metz

    2006-01-01

    Simple liver cysts are congenital with a prevalence of 2.5%-4.25%. Imaging, whether by US, CT or MRI,is accurate in distinguishing simple cysts from other etiologies, including parasitic, neoplastic, duct-related,and traumatic cysts. Symptomatic simple liver cysts are rare, and the true frequency of symptoms is not known.Symptomatic simple liver cysts are predominantly large (> 4 cm), right-sided, and more common in women and older patients. The vast majority of simple hepatic cysts require no treatment or follow-up, though large cysts (> 4 cm) may be followed initially with serial imaging to ensure stability. Attribution of symptoms to a large simple cyst should be undertaken with caution, after alternative diagnoses have been excluded. Aspiration may be performed to test whether symptoms are due to the cyst; however, cyst recurrence should be expected.Limited experience with both laparoscopic deroofing and aspiration, followed by instillation of a sclerosing agent has demonstrated promising results for the treatment of symptomatic cysts. Here, we describe a patient with a large, symptomatic, simple liver cyst who experienced complete resolution of symptoms following cyst drainage and alcohol ablation, and we present a comprehensive review of the literature.

  7. Supraorbital Keyhole Microsurgical Fenestration of Symptomatic Temporal Arachnoid Cysts in Children: Advantages and Limitations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elkheshin, Sherif; Soliman, Ahmed

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the impact of endoscope-assisted microsurgical fenestration on temporal arachnoid cysts, and to determine the advantages and limitations of the technique. Twenty-five children with symptomatic temporal arachnoid cysts were operated via eyebrow supraorbital keyhole microsurgical fenestration targeting the medial cyst wall. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was done for all patients. Preoperative clinical presentation of the patients included headache (80%), nausea & vomiting (64%), drug resistant epilepsy (52%), macrocephaly (12%) papilledema (28%), motor weakness in the form of right-sided hemiparesis (12%) and cranial nerve palsy. Postoperative complete subsidence of headache was noted in 50%, while 20% remained unchanged. Drug resistant epilepsy improved in 69% of the patients. Postoperative MRI showed initial decrease in cyst volume as early as 3 months, only in a range of 5-12% volume reduction, and the late follow-up done at 6 and 18 months continued to show further reduction reported to be significant (p CSF) collection was the most common complication (20%). Only 1 patient experienced CSF leak mandating cysto-peritoneal shunting. Conclusıon: Eyebrow supraorbital keyhole microsurgical fenestration for temporal arachnoid cysts can be performed with a fairly low risk of complications and yields a favorable improvement in clinical and neuroimaging outcomes.

  8. Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery for Symptomatic Renal Sinus Cysts: Long-Term Results and Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancini, Vito; Cormio, Luigi; d'Altilia, Nicola; Benedetto, Giuseppe; Ferrarese, Paolo; Balzarro, Matteo; Defidio, Lorenzo; Carrieri, Giuseppe

    2018-05-02

    To report the long-term multicenter experience with retrograde intrarenal holmium-laser incision (RIR-HoLI) in the management of symptomatic renal sinus cysts (RSCs). In the literature, RIR-HoLI has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment, but there are only a few reports regarding long-term results and reproducibility of this procedure. From June 2010 to June 2015, 14 patients with symptomatic RSCs underwent RIR-HoLI. The mean age was 52.1 ± 11.28 years (range 28-77) and the mean cyst size was 53.2 ± 14.23 mm (range 35-90). In all cases, contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CT) showed compression of the renal pelvis by the cyst (no malignancy). Surgical outcome was assessed in terms of symptoms improvement (measured by Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] for pain) and renal ultrasound findings at 3-6-12 months postoperatively and then yearly. CT scan was carried out at 12 months follow-up. RIR-HoLI was successful in all patients. The mean operative time was 47.8 ± 13.54 min (range 30-80) and mean hospital stay was 3.5 days (range 2-5). There were 2 Clavien grade II complications (flank pain and urgency delaying discharge). After surgery, all patients -became asymptomatic (VAS score change, p = 0.0001). One patient had persistence of a small cyst (10 mm). Mean follow-up is 44 ± 17.24 months (range 24-84); all patients remained asymptomatic, with no signs of recurrence. RIR-HoLI proved to be a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic RSCs. In our experience, it provided excellent long-term results and was reproducible at 4 different -institutions. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  9. Is a volume of 3.6 mL better than 1.8 mL for inferior alveolar nerve blocks in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, Sara; Reader, Al

    2013-08-01

    The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the success of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block using either 3.6 mL or 1.8 mL 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine in patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. As part of 7 previously published studies, 319 emergency patients presenting with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis received either a 1.8-mL volume or 3.6-mL volume of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine in an IAN block. One hundred ninety patients received a 1.8-mL volume, and 129 received a 3.6-mL volume. Endodontic emergency treatment was completed on each subject. Success was defined as the ability to access and instrument the tooth without pain (visual analog scale score of 0) or mild pain (VAS rating ≤54 mm). Success of the 1.8-mL volume was 28%, and for the 3.6-mL volume it was 39%. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 volumes. In conclusion, for patients presenting with irreversible pulpitis, success was not significantly different between a 3.6-mL volume and a 1.8-mL volume of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine. The success rates (28%-39%) with either volume were not high enough to ensure complete pulpal anesthesia. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Symptomatic relapse of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives. Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common cause of adult meningitis in southern Africa. Much of this disease burden is thought to be due to symptomatic relapse of previously treated infection. We studied the contribution of inadequate secondary fluconazole prophylaxis to symptomatic relapses of cryptococcal ...

  11. Utility of USPIO-enhanced MR imaging to identify inflammation and the fibrous cap: A comparison of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Howarth, S.P.S. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Tang, T.Y. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Cambridge Vascular Unit, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Trivedi, R.; Weerakkody, R.; U-King-Im, J. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Gaunt, M.E.; Boyle, J.R. [Cambridge Vascular Unit, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Li, Z.Y. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Miller, S.R. [Biostatistics and Data Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Harlow (United Kingdom); Graves, M.J. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Gillard, J.H. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: jhg21@cam.ac.uk

    2009-06-15

    Background and purpose: Inflammation is a risk factor the vulnerable atheromatous plaque. This can be detected in vivo on high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using a contrast agent, Sinerem{sup TM}, an ultra-small super-paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO). The aim of this study was to explore whether there is a difference in the degree of MR defined inflammation using USPIO particles, between symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid plaques. We report further on its T{sub 1} effect of enhancing the fibrous cap, which may allow dual contrast resolution of carotid atheroma. Methods: Twenty patients with carotid stenosis (10 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic) underwent multi-sequence MR imaging before and 36 h post-USPIO infusion. Images were manually segmented into quadrants and signal change in each quadrant was calculated following USPIO administration. Mean signal change across all quadrants were compared between the two groups. Results: Symptomatic patients had significantly more quadrants with a signal drop than asymptomatic individuals (75% vs. 32%, p < 0.01). Asymptomatic plaques had more quadrants with signal enhancement than symptomatic ones (68% vs. 25%, p < 0.05); their mean signal change was also higher (46% vs. 15%, p < 0.01) and this appeared to correlate with a thicker fibrous cap on histology. Conclusions: Symptomatic patients had more quadrants with signal drop suggesting larger inflammatory infiltrates. Asymptomatic individuals showed significantly more enhancement possibly suggesting greater stability as a result of thicker fibrous caps. However, some asymptomatic plaques also had focal areas of signal drop, suggesting an occult macrophage burden. If validated by larger studies, USPIO may be a useful dual contrast agent able to improve risk stratification of patients with carotid stenosis and inform selection for intervention.

  12. Uterine artery embolization with Pingyangmycin lipiodol emulsion for treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Yanhao; Liu Biao; Zeng Qingle; Jiang Zhongpu; Chen Yong; Huang Weilang; Shen Qi; Zhao Zhongqing

    2000-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and side effects of uterine arterial embolization with Pingyangmycin(a homogenous bleomycin) lipiodol emulsion(PLE) for symptomatic uterine fibroids. Methods: Uterine arterial embolization with PLE was performed in 25 patients. The improvement of symptoms and uterine size changes were followed up in 3-18 months(mean 6 months) after the procedure. Results: All but 2 cases were successfully treated bilaterally. Super-selective angiography showed enlargement of uterine artery, accompanied by tortuous branches. The uterine size was increased. The uterus itself was significantly stained and emptied slowly. Coagulation necrosis was found in resected fibroids after embolization in 3 patients. One month after the procedure, a mean 40% reduction of uterine volume was obtained in 18 followed-up cases. The clinical symptoms were relieved significantly. The main side effects were hypogastric pain(13/25),which was intense in 6 cases. Conclusion: Uterine arterial embolization with PLE is a good non-surgical therapy in symptomatic uterine fibroids with mild side effects

  13. Perception of discomfort during injection and the need for supplemental anesthesia in the intraosseous technique using 4% articaine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez Martínez, Adel; Lujan Pardo, María Del Pilar; Harris Ricardo, Jonathan

    2016-12-01

    The authors conducted an experimental study to determine patient perception of discomfort during injection and the need for supplemental anesthesia using the intraosseous technique with 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine in patients with symptomatic pulpitis in mandibular molars. At different clinical sessions, researchers used 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine to apply intraosseous injection (Group 1) or inferior alveolar nerve block (Group 2). Each technique was applied in 35 patients. In each group, the need for additional anesthesia was determined and patient discomfort during injection was assessed with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) test. In the intraosseous group, no supplemental technique was needed in 22 patients (62.85 %), and results were similar for the inferior alveolar technique (n: 23 65.71%). The intraosseous technique proved to be more comfortable than the mandibular technique (18 patients - 25.7%). This study found that the use of intraosseous technique with 4% articaine shows promising results regarding patient comfort and reducing the need for additional anesthesia. Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Odontológica.

  14. Acute symptomatic neonatal seizures in preterm neonates: etiologies and treatments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pisani, Francesco; Spagnoli, Carlotta

    2017-12-15

    Acute symptomatic neonatal seizures in preterm newborns are a relevant clinical challenge due to the presence of many knowledge gaps. Etiology-wise, acute symptomatic seizures have an age-specific epidemiology, with intraventricular hemorrhage and its complications representing the first cause in extremely and very preterm neonates, whereas other etiologies have similar occurrence rates as in full-term infants. Specific treatment strategies for the premature neonates are not yet available. Studies suggest a similarly low response rate with even more unfavorable prognosis than in full-term infants. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic changes are likely under way during the preterm period, with the potential to affect both effectiveness and safety of antiepileptic drugs in these patients. However, due to the lack of clear evidence to guide prioritization of second-line drugs, off-label medications are frequently indicated by review papers and flow-charts, and are prescribed in clinical practice. We therefore conclude by exploring potential future lines of research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. First-line nitrosourea-based chemotherapy in symptomatic non-resectable supratentorial pure low-grade astrocytomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frenay, M P; Fontaine, D; Vandenbos, F; Lebrun, C

    2005-09-01

    At the present time, there are no proven beneficial effects of chemotherapy (CT) for the treatment of pure low-grade astrocytomas. Brain radiotherapy (RT) still remains the standard treatment in order to reduce or delay tumor progression or symptoms, despite possible long-term neurologic complications. We report 10 patients, with histologically proven pure low-grade fibrillary astrocytomas, to which we administered a first-line nitrosourea-based CT. All patients were symptomatic with pharmaco-resistant epilepsy or neurologic symptoms, and had been rejected for neurosurgical resection. All patients with epilepsy had a clinical improvement with reduction in seizure frequency and 60% became seizure-free. CT was well tolerated; all patients developed myelosuppression with 40% of grade III/IV hematotoxicity. Seven were alive at the time of writing with a mean follow-up of 6.5 years (3.5-12) from first recorded symptoms. The three deceased patients died 7.5, 7.5, and 8.5 years from first symptoms. These results demonstrate that some patients with symptomatic non-resectable fibrillary low-grade astrocytomas can be treated with up-front CT to improve their neurologic status. This report suggests that benefits of CT on symptoms, survival, and quality of life should be prospectively compared with RT.

  16. Clinical and economic benefit of general practitioner integration to a symptomatic breast service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beecher, S M; Donlan, C; O'Leary, D P; Kerin, M J; McLaughlin, R

    2016-11-01

    Integration of general practitioners (GPs) into a tertiary care team is a model used internationally to assist with provision of patient care. Symptomatic breast clinics have seen significant increases in attendances and consequential staffing issues. We wished to analyze the integration of GPs into a tertiary breast care team and establish whether their inclusion is a cost-effective approach. A prospectively maintained database was used to identify 1614 new and 1453 review patients seen in the clinic between September and December 2013. The triple assessment clinical, radiological, and biopsy scores of patients assessed by GPs were compared to those assessed by registrars and to the overall number of patients seen. A cost analysis was performed based on the hourly rates of GPs and registrars. 1614 new patients seen over the 4-month period. GPs reviewed a mean of 153.6 new patients and registrars reviewed a mean of 97.8. Registrars reviewed patients who were allocated higher 'S' scores, with 46 % of patients allocated an S4 and 21 % of patients allocated an S5 score. GPs reviewed a mean of 115.6 return patients and registrars reviewed a mean of 110.1 return patients. The weekly cost of employing 3 GPs for 15 h was €835. This compares favorably to the cost of employing a full-time registrar. This study demonstrates that GPs can play a substantial role in the provision of a symptomatic breast service. In addition, the incorporation of GPs in this setting can prove cost-effective.

  17. Our ultrasonographic experience in the management of symptomatic hydronephrosis during pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dell'Atti, Lucio

    2016-03-01

    The aim of the present study was to document the role of ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of symptomatic hydronephrosis during pregnancy. In this study, we reviewed 36 consecutive cases of pregnant women whose pregnancy was complicated by symptomatic hydronephrosis. In all patients, management was initially conservative (analgesics and fluids) after hospitalization. The following criteria were used to indicate double-J stent placement under US guidance rather than a conservative treatment: persistent pain with no improvement after conservative treatment, progressive hydronephrosis (>2 cm dilatation of the renal pelvis) or presence of uterine contractions. The mean patient's age was 25 years (17-35) and gestational age at clinical presentation was 24 weeks (13-37). 81 % of cases had a renal pelvis dilatation >2 cm, while in only 19 % of cases there was a hydronephrosis between 1 and 2 cm in diameter; however, calculi were confirmed only in 25 patients. 28 patients required an invasive management with double-J stent insertion under US guidance. The sensitivity and specificity of US in the etiological diagnosis of hydronephrosis during pregnancy was 83 and 91 %, respectively. Conservative management with medical therapy and observation should be the first-line treatment approach. In our opinion a rapid ureteral decompression with the insertion of a ureteral double-J stent, under US visualization, is the safest method in the treatment of pregnant women with obstructed renal systems.

  18. Wingspan stent-assisted coiling of intracranial aneurysms with symptomatic parent artery stenosis: Experience in 35 patients with mid-term follow-up results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Xu; Liang Guobiao; Li Zhiqing; Wei Xuezhong; Wang Xiaogang; Zhang Haifeng; Feng Sizhe; Lin Jun

    2012-01-01

    Background: There is a potential risk of aneurysm rupture after parent artery revascularization because of increased blood flow. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of Wingspan stent-assisted coil embolization in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms with symptomatic parent artery stenosis. Methods: Thirty-five consecutive patients (19 men, 16 women; age range, 48–79 years; mean age, 60.4 years) harboring 35 unruptured wide-necked or fusiform intracranial aneurysms (mean size 6.8 mm; range 2.5–18 mm.) with symptomatic parent artery stenosis (mean degree 71.1%; range 50–92%) were treated with the Wingspan stent-assisted coiling. Twenty-four lesions were located in the anterior circulation and eleven in the posterior circulation. Patients were premedicated with antiplatelet therapy consisting of aspirin 300 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg for at least 3 days before the procedure. Following pre-dilatation and stent placement, a coiling microcatheter entered the aneurysm through the interstices of the stent, and then coiling was performed. After the procedure, clopidogrel 75 mg daily was recommended for an additional 30 days, and aspirin 100 mg was recommended throughout follow-up. For all patients, clinical follow-up was conducted by clinic visitation, or telephone interview. Angiographic follow-up with DSA was recommended at 6 months and 1 year after the procedure. Angiography follow-up (mean time 10.6 months) was obtained in 31 cases (88.6%). The technical feasibility of the procedure, procedure-related complications, angiographic results, clinical outcome and follow-up angiography were evaluated. Results: In every case, technical success was achieved. The degree of stenosis was reduced from 71.1% to 17.4% after balloon angioplasty and stenting. Immediate angiography demonstrated complete occlusion in 25 cases (71.4%), neck remnant in 7 cases (20.0%), and incomplete occlusion in 3 cases (8.6%). Procedure-related morbidity occurred in two

  19. Evaluating inhaler use technique in COPD patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pothirat C

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Chaicharn Pothirat, Warawut Chaiwong, Nittaya Phetsuk, Sangnual Pisalthanapuna, Nonglak Chetsadaphan, Woranoot Choomuang Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand Background: Poor inhalation techniques are associated with decreased medication delivery and poor disease control in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate techniques for using inhaler devices in COPD patients.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted to assess patient compliance with correct techniques for using inhaler devices across four regimens, ie, the pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI, the pMDI with a spacer, the Accuhaler®, and the Handihaler®. The percentage of compliance with essential steps of correct device usage for each regimen was recorded without prior notification when COPD patients presented for a routine visit, and 1 month after receiving face-to-face training. We compared the percentage of compliance between the devices and risk factors related to incorrect techniques using logistic regression analysis. Percentage of patient compliance with correct techniques was compared between the two visits using the chi-square test. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.Results: A total of 103 COPD patients (mean age 71.2±9.2 years, males 64.1%, low education level 82.5%, and percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second 51.9±22.5 were evaluated. Seventy-seven patients (74.8% performed at least one step incorrectly. Patients using the Handihaler had the lowest compliance failure (42.5%, and the odds ratio for failure with the other devices compared with the Handihaler were 4.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8–11.8 for the pMDI, 3.1 (95% CI 1.2–8.2 for the pMDI with a spacer, and 2.4 (95% CI 1.1–5.2 for the Accuhaler. Low education level was the single most important factor related

  20. Improvement in 24-hour bronchodilation and symptom control with aclidinium bromide versus tiotropium and placebo in symptomatic patients with COPD: post hoc analysis of a Phase IIIb study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beier J

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Jutta Beier,1 Robert Mroz,2,3 Anne-Marie Kirsten,4 Ferran Chuecos,5 Esther Garcia Gil5 1insaf Respiratory Research Institute, Wiesbaden, Germany; 2Centrum Medycyny Oddechowej, 3Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland; 4Pulmonary Research Institute at LungenClinic Grosshansdorf, Airway Research Center North, German Center for Lung Research, Grosshansdorf, Germany; 5AstraZeneca PLC, Barcelona, Spain Background: A previous Phase IIIb study (NCT01462929 in patients with moderate to severe COPD demonstrated that 6 weeks of treatment with aclidinium led to improvements in 24-hour bronchodilation comparable to those with tiotropium, and improvement of symptoms versus placebo. This post hoc analysis was performed to assess the effect of treatment in the symptomatic patient group participating in the study. Methods: Symptomatic patients (defined as those with Evaluating Respiratory Symptoms [E-RS™] in COPD baseline score ≥10 units received aclidinium bromide 400 µg twice daily (BID, tiotropium 18 µg once daily (QD, or placebo, for 6 weeks. Lung function, COPD respiratory symptoms, and incidence of adverse events (AEs were assessed. Results: In all, 277 symptomatic patients were included in this post hoc analysis. Aclidinium and tiotropium treatment improved forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 from baseline to week 6 at all time points over 24 hours versus placebo. In addition, improvements in FEV1 from baseline during the nighttime period were observed for aclidinium versus tiotropium on day 1 (aclidinium 157 mL, tiotropium 67 mL; P<0.001 and week 6 (aclidinium 153 mL, tiotropium 90 mL; P<0.05. Aclidinium improved trough FEV1 from baseline versus placebo and tiotropium at day 1 (aclidinium 136 mL, tiotropium 68 mL; P<0.05 and week 6 (aclidinium 137 mL, tiotropium 71 mL; P<0.05. Aclidinium also improved early-morning and nighttime symptom severity, limitation of early-morning activities, and E-RS Total and domain scores versus

  1. Changes seen on computed tomography of the chest in mildly symptomatic adult patients with sickle cell disease

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    Alves, Ursula David; Lopes, Agnaldo Jose; Maioli, Maria Christina Paixao; Soares, Andrea Ribeiro; Melo, Pedro Lopes de; Mogami, Roberto, E-mail: agnaldolopes.uerj@gmail.com [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2016-07-15

    Objective: To describe and quantify the main changes seen on computed tomography of the chest in mildly symptomatic adult patients with sickle cell disease, as well as to evaluate the radiologist accuracy in determining the type of haemoglobinopathy. Materials and Methods: A prospective study involving 44 adult patients with sickle cell disease who underwent inspiration and expiration computed tomography of the chest. The frequency of tomography findings and the extent of involvement are reported. We also calculated radiologist accuracy in determining the type of haemoglobinopathy by analyzing the pulmonary alterations and morphology of the spleen. Results: The changes found on computed tomography scans, in descending order of frequency, were as follows: fibrotic opacities (81.8%); mosaic attenuation (56.8%); architectural distortion (31.8%); cardiomegaly (25.0%); lobar volume reduction (18.2%); and increased caliber of peripheral pulmonary arteries (9.1%). For most of the findings, the involvement was considered mild, five or fewer lung segments being affected. The accuracy in determining the type of haemoglobinopathy (HbSS group versus not HbSS group) was 72.7%. Conclusion: In adult patients with sickle cell disease, the main tomography findings reflect fibrotic changes. In addition, computed tomography can be helpful in differentiating among haemoglobinopathies. (author)

  2. Changes seen on computed tomography of the chest in mildly symptomatic adult patients with sickle cell disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alves, Ursula David; Lopes, Agnaldo Jose; Maioli, Maria Christina Paixao; Soares, Andrea Ribeiro; Melo, Pedro Lopes de; Mogami, Roberto

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To describe and quantify the main changes seen on computed tomography of the chest in mildly symptomatic adult patients with sickle cell disease, as well as to evaluate the radiologist accuracy in determining the type of haemoglobinopathy. Materials and Methods: A prospective study involving 44 adult patients with sickle cell disease who underwent inspiration and expiration computed tomography of the chest. The frequency of tomography findings and the extent of involvement are reported. We also calculated radiologist accuracy in determining the type of haemoglobinopathy by analyzing the pulmonary alterations and morphology of the spleen. Results: The changes found on computed tomography scans, in descending order of frequency, were as follows: fibrotic opacities (81.8%); mosaic attenuation (56.8%); architectural distortion (31.8%); cardiomegaly (25.0%); lobar volume reduction (18.2%); and increased caliber of peripheral pulmonary arteries (9.1%). For most of the findings, the involvement was considered mild, five or fewer lung segments being affected. The accuracy in determining the type of haemoglobinopathy (HbSS group versus not HbSS group) was 72.7%. Conclusion: In adult patients with sickle cell disease, the main tomography findings reflect fibrotic changes. In addition, computed tomography can be helpful in differentiating among haemoglobinopathies. (author)

  3. Factors Predictive of Symptomatic Radiation Injury After Linear Accelerator-Based Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Intracerebral Arteriovenous Malformations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbert, Christopher; Moiseenko, Vitali; McKenzie, Michael; Redekop, Gary; Hsu, Fred; Gete, Ermias; Gill, Brad; Lee, Richard; Luchka, Kurt; Haw, Charles; Lee, Andrew; Toyota, Brian; Martin, Montgomery

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate predictive factors in the development of symptomatic radiation injury after treatment with linear accelerator–based stereotactic radiosurgery for intracerebral arteriovenous malformations and relate the findings to the conclusions drawn by Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC). Methods and Materials: Archived plans for 73 patients who were treated at the British Columbia Cancer Agency were studied. Actuarial estimates of freedom from radiation injury were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used for analysis of incidence of radiation injury. Log–rank test was used to search for dosimetric parameters associated with freedom from radiation injury. Results: Symptomatic radiation injury was exhibited by 14 of 73 patients (19.2%). Actuarial rate of symptomatic radiation injury was 23.0% at 4 years. Most patients (78.5%) had mild to moderate deficits according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. On univariate analysis, lesion volume and diameter, dose to isocenter, and a V x for doses ≥8 Gy showed statistical significance. Only lesion diameter showed statistical significance (p 5 cm 3 and diameters >30 mm were significantly associated with the risk of radiation injury (p 12 also showed strong association with the incidence of radiation injury. Actuarial incidence of radiation injury was 16.8% if V 12 was 3 and 53.2% if >28 cm 3 (log–rank test, p = 0.001). Conclusions: This study confirms that the risk of developing symptomatic radiation injury after radiosurgery is related to lesion diameter and volume and irradiated volume. Results suggest a higher tolerance than proposed by QUANTEC. The widely differing findings reported in the literature, however, raise considerable uncertainties.

  4. Factors Predictive of Symptomatic Radiation Injury After Linear Accelerator-Based Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Intracerebral Arteriovenous Malformations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herbert, Christopher, E-mail: cherbert@bccancer.bc.ca [Department of Radiation Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Moiseenko, Vitali [Department of Medical Physics, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC (Canada); McKenzie, Michael [Department of Radiation Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Redekop, Gary [Division of Neurosurgery, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Hsu, Fred [Department of Radiation Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Abbotsford, BC (Canada); Gete, Ermias; Gill, Brad; Lee, Richard; Luchka, Kurt [Department of Medical Physics, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Haw, Charles [Division of Neurosurgery, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Lee, Andrew [Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, BC (Canada); Toyota, Brian [Division of Neurosurgery, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Martin, Montgomery [Department of Medical Imaging, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

    2012-07-01

    Purpose: To investigate predictive factors in the development of symptomatic radiation injury after treatment with linear accelerator-based stereotactic radiosurgery for intracerebral arteriovenous malformations and relate the findings to the conclusions drawn by Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC). Methods and Materials: Archived plans for 73 patients who were treated at the British Columbia Cancer Agency were studied. Actuarial estimates of freedom from radiation injury were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used for analysis of incidence of radiation injury. Log-rank test was used to search for dosimetric parameters associated with freedom from radiation injury. Results: Symptomatic radiation injury was exhibited by 14 of 73 patients (19.2%). Actuarial rate of symptomatic radiation injury was 23.0% at 4 years. Most patients (78.5%) had mild to moderate deficits according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. On univariate analysis, lesion volume and diameter, dose to isocenter, and a V{sub x} for doses {>=}8 Gy showed statistical significance. Only lesion diameter showed statistical significance (p < 0.05) in a multivariate model. According to the log-rank test, AVM volumes >5 cm{sup 3} and diameters >30 mm were significantly associated with the risk of radiation injury (p < 0.01). The V{sub 12} also showed strong association with the incidence of radiation injury. Actuarial incidence of radiation injury was 16.8% if V{sub 12} was <28 cm{sup 3} and 53.2% if >28 cm{sup 3} (log-rank test, p = 0.001). Conclusions: This study confirms that the risk of developing symptomatic radiation injury after radiosurgery is related to lesion diameter and volume and irradiated volume. Results suggest a higher tolerance than proposed by QUANTEC. The widely differing findings reported in the literature, however, raise considerable uncertainties.

  5. Vegetarian diet as a risk factor for symptomatic gallstone disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McConnell, T J; Appleby, P N; Key, T J

    2017-06-01

    Previous small studies have shown either no difference or a lower risk of symptomatic gallstone disease in vegetarians than in non-vegetarians. This study examined the incidence of symptomatic gallstone disease in a cohort of British vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and investigated the associations between nutrient intake and risk of symptomatic gallstone disease. The data were analysed from 49 652 adults enroled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Oxford study, one-third of whom were vegetarian. The linked databases of hospital records were used to identify incident cases. Risk by diet group was estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Further analysis quantified risk by intakes of selected macronutrients. There were 1182 cases of symptomatic gallstone disease during 687 822 person-years of follow-up (mean=13.85 years). There was a large significant association between increasing body mass index (BMI) and risk of developing symptomatic gallstone disease (overall trend Pvegetarians had a moderately increased risk compared with non-vegetarians (HR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.06-1.41; P=0.006). Although starch consumption was positively associated with gallstones risk (P=0.002 for trend), it did not explain the increased risk in vegetarians. There is a highly significant association of increased BMI with risk of symptomatic gallstone disease. After adjusting for BMI, there is a small but statistically significant positive association between vegetarian diet and symptomatic gallstone disease.

  6. [The role of the symptomatic and asymptomatic sexual partners in the recurrent vulvovaginitis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boatto, Humberto Fabio; Girão, Manoel João Batista Castello; de Moraes, Maria Sayonara; Francisco, Elaine Cristina; Gompertz, Olga Fischman

    2015-07-01

    To identify the predominant species and the role of sexual partners in the maintenance of recurrent vulvovaginitis by Candida spp. A prospective study of 830 patients aged 18 to 65 years with yeast vaginitis was performed between August 2007 and March 2012. Patients with diabetes mellitus, AIDS or taking corticosteroids, antibiotics or hormone therapy and immunosuppressed patients, patients using vaginal douches, spermicides or intrauterine devices were excluded from the study. Candida species were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods. The chi-square test was used to correlate the presence of Candida spp. in male partners with the recurrence of vaginitis. The fungal agent was isolated from a total of 40 women, 24 with recurrent vaginitis and from 15 of their sexual partners, 10 of whom were asymptomatic while 5 were symptomatic. There was agreement of the species found in the couple in 100% of recurrences. C. albicans (62.4 and 60%), C. glabrata (29.1 and 33.3%) and C. guilliermondii species were identified. Candida tropicalis (4.1%) was isolated from only one patient. Candida albicans was isolated from the remaining 16 women who had uncomplicated vaginitis. C. glabrata was isolated from only two of the asymptomatic partners. There was a predominance of C. albicans and symptomatic or asymptomatic partners can play an important role as a reservoir and source of transmission of yeast, especially in cases of recurrent vulvovaginitis.

  7. Studies on intracranial collateral circulation with multi-slice CT angiography in patients with symptomatic cerebral artery stenosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shu-qing ZHOU

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective To explore the features of intracranial collateral circulation in patients with symptomatic cerebral artery stenosis.Method Ninety-four patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease admitted from Apr.2004 to Jun.2009 were involved in present study.All the patients were examined with cerebral multi-slice CT angiography,and the features of cerebral artery stenosis and intracranial collateral circulation were evaluated using maximum intensity projection(MIP and volume rendering(VR images of CT angiography.Result Of the 94 patients involved,48 were diagnosed as cerebral artery stenosis,including 29 cases of cerebral infarction,18 of transient ischemic attack(TIA and 1 of moyamoya disease(MMD.Among the 14 cases of severe cerebral artery stenosis or occlusion,cerebral infarction was found in 6 cases with lesser intracranial collateral vessels(including massive cerebral infarction in 4 cases and watershed infarction in 2 cases,and focal infarction of central semi-ovale in 1 case and TIA in 7 cases were found with abundant intracranial collateral vessels.Multiple lacunar infarction was found in 22 cases of mild or moderate cerebral artery stenosis,but there was no significant correlation between the stenosed arteries and infarction sites.Abundant intracranial collateral vessels were found in one patient with Moyamoya disease but no infarction was observed.Conclusions Intracranial collateral circulation plays an important role of compensation in patients with severe cerebral artery stenosis or occlusion.Cerebral angiography with multi-slice CT is of great significance in evaluation of cerebral artery stenosis and intracranial collateral circulation.

  8. Stenting of the SFA - indications, techniques,

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rieger, J.; Treitl, M.; Reiser, M.; Ruppert, V.

    2006-01-01

    Aggressive risk factor modification, change of eating habits, exercise programs, and forceful antiplatelet therapy are the most important tools for the treatment of PAOD in symptomatic patients suffering from intermittent claudication. There are however no guidelines for revascularization at this stage. Endovascular treatment has been increasingly utilized over the last decade and increasingly displaced vascular surgery. Amongst numerous endovascular techniques beside PTA, stents meanwhile play the most important role due to constant technical progress. Results regarding the rate of restenosis or patency rates still remain worse compared to other vascular beds. This paper gives a review over recent results, currently available stent techniques, and possible indications for the endovascular therapy of an artery, which has turned out to be the biggest ordeal for material and construction of stents. (orig.) [de

  9. Surgical management of symptomatic low back pain and monoradicular leg pain in adolescent and young adult patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalevski Svetoslav

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of the present retrospective study is to draw attention to symptomatic low back pain in adolescent patients, in order to encourage earlier diagnosis and surgical treatment. The study assessed the radiological, clinical features and surgical outcomes of 13of this kind of patient. Materials and Methods: Out of a series of 983 consecutive cases (1999-2011 of lumbar disc excisions from our neurosurgical institution, 13-1,32% of the patients were between the ages of 15 and 20 mean 17,84. Fifteen operations, including two reoperations, were performed on this patient group, by a conventional microsurgical procedure. The indications for surgery were failure of conservative treatment, intractable pain and/or progressive neurological impairment. Results: Low back pain and monoradicular sciatica were the main complaints in 77%, but findings of neurological deficits were rare - 1 case. The surgical findings revealed a protruding disc in eleven cases, one lateral recess stenosis and one lumbar synovial cyst. Initially, all patients were treated conservatively by their physicians more than 3 months without success. On the day of discharge, Kirkaldy-Willis criteria results were excellent or good in 92% of patients. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 2 years with an average of 1 year and 2 months. The results were excellent in 10 patients and good in 3 patients. Discussion: We demonstrate that the cause of low back pain and monoradicular leg pain in adolescent patients may not only be a cause of herniated lumbar disc or lateral recess narrowing. Very rarely these symptoms may be caused by lumbar synovial cysts. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of adolescent patients is able to relieve the clinical symptoms quickly. Clinical symptoms such as low back pain and leg pain and the neurologic deficit disappear within 3 months after surgery.

  10. SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF SYMPTOMATIC LOW BACK PAIN AND MONORADICULAR LEG PAIN IN ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT PATIENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalevski Svetoslav

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of the present retrospective study is to draw attention to symptomatic low back pain in adolescent patients, in order to encourage earlier diagnosis and surgical treatment. The study assessed the radiological, clinical features and surgical outcomes of 13 of this kind of patient. Materials and Methods: Out of a series of 983 consecutive cases (1999–2011 of lumbar disc excisions from our neurosurgical institution, 13–1,32% of the patients were between the ages of 15 and 20 mean 17,84. Fifteen operations, including two reoperations,were performed on this patient group, by a conventional microsurgical procedure. The indications for surgery were failure of conservative treatment, in tractable pain and/or progressive neurological impairment. Results: Low back pain and monoradicular sciatica were the main complaints in 77%, but findings of neurological deficits were rare — 1 case. The surgical findings revealed a protruding disc in eleven cases, one lateral recess stenosis and one lumbar synovial cyst. Initially, all patients were treated conservatively by their physicians more than 3 months without success. On the day of discharge, Kirkaldy-Willis criteria results were excellent or good in 92% of patients. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 2 years with an average of 1 year and 2 months. The results were excellent in 10 patients and good in 3 patients. Discussion: We demonstrate that the cause of low back pain and monoradicular leg pain in adolescent patients may not only be a cause of herniated lumbar disc or lateral recess narrowing. Very rarely these symptoms may be caused by lumbar synovial cysts. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of adolescent patients is able to relieve the clinical symptoms quickly. Clinical symptoms such as low back pain and leg pain and the neurologic deficit disappear within 3 months after surgery.

  11. Percutaneous Treatment of Simple Hepatic Cysts: The Long-Term Results of PAIR and Catheterization Techniques as Single-Session Procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akhan, Okan; Islim, Filiz; Balci, Sinan; Erbahceci, Aysun; Akpınar, Burcu; Ciftci, Turkmen; Akinci, Devrim

    2016-01-01

    PurposeThe purpose of our study is to evaluate results of percutaneous aspiration with alcohol sclerotherapy in symptomatic patients with simple hepatic cysts by employing single-session techniques either by a needle or a catheter.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively included 39 simple hepatic cysts in 35 patients treated via percutaneous aspiration and single-session alcohol sclerotherapy between years 1993 and 2012. Indications were pain (n = 28) or ruling out cystic echinococcus (CE) disease (n = 7). 29 cysts in 26 patients were treated by needle technique (Group A) and ten cysts in nine patients were treated by single-session catheter technique (Group B). Patients were followed for 4–173 months (median: 38 months).ResultsAll patients were successfully treated. Before procedure, cyst volumes were 21–676 cc (median: 94 cc). Post-procedure cyst volumes at last follow-up were 0-40 cc (median: 1 cc). The mean decrease in cyst volume was 95.92 ± 2.86 % in all patients (95.96 ± 3.26 % in Group A and 95.80 ± 6.20 % in Group B). There was no statistically significant difference between the volume reduction rates of Group A and Group B. Only one patient, in Group B, developed a major complication, an abscess. Hospitalization period was 1 day for all patients.ConclusionsFor patients with symptomatic simple hepatic cysts smaller than 500 cc in volume by using puncture, aspiration, injection, and reaspiration (PAIR) technique with only needle, single-session alcohol sclerotherapy of 10 min is a safe and effective procedure with high success rate.

  12. Percutaneous Treatment of Simple Hepatic Cysts: The Long-Term Results of PAIR and Catheterization Techniques as Single-Session Procedures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akhan, Okan, E-mail: akhano@tr.net [Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology (Turkey); Islim, Filiz, E-mail: fislim@yahoo.com [Istanbul Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Radiology (Turkey); Balci, Sinan, E-mail: snnbalci@gmail.com [Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology (Turkey); Erbahceci, Aysun, E-mail: aysunerbahceci@yahoo.com [Istanbul Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Radiology (Turkey); Akpınar, Burcu, E-mail: burcu-akpinar@yahoo.com; Ciftci, Turkmen, E-mail: turkmenciftci@yahoo.com; Akinci, Devrim, E-mail: akincid@hotmail.com [Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology (Turkey)

    2016-06-15

    PurposeThe purpose of our study is to evaluate results of percutaneous aspiration with alcohol sclerotherapy in symptomatic patients with simple hepatic cysts by employing single-session techniques either by a needle or a catheter.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively included 39 simple hepatic cysts in 35 patients treated via percutaneous aspiration and single-session alcohol sclerotherapy between years 1993 and 2012. Indications were pain (n = 28) or ruling out cystic echinococcus (CE) disease (n = 7). 29 cysts in 26 patients were treated by needle technique (Group A) and ten cysts in nine patients were treated by single-session catheter technique (Group B). Patients were followed for 4–173 months (median: 38 months).ResultsAll patients were successfully treated. Before procedure, cyst volumes were 21–676 cc (median: 94 cc). Post-procedure cyst volumes at last follow-up were 0-40 cc (median: 1 cc). The mean decrease in cyst volume was 95.92 ± 2.86 % in all patients (95.96 ± 3.26 % in Group A and 95.80 ± 6.20 % in Group B). There was no statistically significant difference between the volume reduction rates of Group A and Group B. Only one patient, in Group B, developed a major complication, an abscess. Hospitalization period was 1 day for all patients.ConclusionsFor patients with symptomatic simple hepatic cysts smaller than 500 cc in volume by using puncture, aspiration, injection, and reaspiration (PAIR) technique with only needle, single-session alcohol sclerotherapy of 10 min is a safe and effective procedure with high success rate.

  13. Symptomatic middle cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion. Comparison of three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography with conventional angiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sawada, Motoshi; Yano, Hirohito; Shinoda, Jun; Funakoshi, Takashi [Daiyukai General Hospital, Ichinomiya, Aichi (Japan); Kumagai, Morio

    1994-10-01

    The usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) angiography using the three-dimensional time-of-flight method for the characterization of symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusive lesions was evaluated in 10 patients with MCA occlusion and 10 with MCA stenosis. All lesions were symptomatic and documented by conventional angiography. There was no false-negative MR angiogram that failed to demonstrate the MCA occlusive lesion. MR angiography correctly evaluated the location of lesions and the difference between stenosis and occlusion. Stenosis appeared as a focal signal loss (<1.0cm) of the MCA at the site of stenosis, and occlusion as a complete signal loss of the MCA distal to the site of occlusion. However, MR angiography could not distinguish diffuse stenosis and one point stenosis demonstrated by conventional angiography. MR angiography is a useful noninvasive diagnostic method for evaluating occlusive lesions of the MCA in symptomatic patients. (author).

  14. Symptomatic Dry Eye and Its Associated Factors: A Study of University Undergraduate Students in Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asiedu, Kofi; Kyei, Samuel; Boampong, Frank; Ocansey, Stephen

    2017-07-01

    To estimate the prevalence and risk factors of symptomatic dry eye disease (DED) among undergraduate students in a Ghanaian university. This cross-sectional study included 700 undergraduate students of the University of Cape Coast, aged 18 to 34 years. Participants completed questionnaires delivered directly to randomly and systematically selected subjects to detect symptomatic dry eye and its predictive factors. Symptomatic dry eye was defined as any reported symptom on the Standard Patient Evaluation Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire reported as often or constant or if any symptom on the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) was reported as most of the time or all of the time. Furthermore, OSDI ≥13 and SPEED ≥6 were used to defined symptomatic dry eye and prevalence were also estimated with these criteria as secondary measures. Current symptoms of dry eye and possible risk factors such as age, gender, current alcohol drinking, use of oral contraceptives, use of computer more than an hour daily, environmental conditions, allergies, and self-medication with over-the-counter eye drops were the main outcome measures. We used logistic regression analysis to examine the associations between dry eye and its predictive factors. Of the 700 participants, 650 completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of symptomatic dry eye was 44.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 40.6%-48.2%). There was a significant association between symptomatic dry eye and discomfort with eyes in windy conditions (χ=110.1; df=4; Peye drops (OR 4.20; 95% CI, 2.61-6.74; Pdry eye. Sex was predictive in univariate analysis but was not significantly associated in multivariate analysis. The prevalence of symptomatic dry eye among undergraduate students in Ghana is high and it is associated with self-medication with over-the-counter eye drops, allergies, use of oral contraceptive, windy conditions, very low humid areas, air-conditioned rooms, and sex. Relevant input directed against modifiable risks

  15. Racial and Ethnic Disparity in Symptomatic Breast Cancer Awareness despite a Recent Screen: The Role of Tumor Biology and Mammography Facility Characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortel, Mylove; Rauscher, Garth H; Murphy, Anne Marie; Hoskins, Kent; Warnecke, Richard B

    2015-10-01

    In a racially and ethnically diverse sample of recently diagnosed urban patients with breast cancer, we examined associations of patient, tumor biology, and mammography facility characteristics on the probability of symptomatic discovery of their breast cancer despite a recent prior screening mammogram. In the Breast Cancer Care in Chicago study, self-reports at interview were used to define patients as having a screen-detected breast cancer or having symptomatic awareness despite a recent screening mammogram (SADRS), in the past 1 or 2 years. Patients with symptomatic breast cancer who did not report a recent prior screen were excluded from these analyses. Characteristics associated with more aggressive disease [estrogen receptor (ER)- and progesterone receptor (PR)-negative status and higher tumor grade] were abstracted from medical records. Mammogram facility characteristics that might indicate aspects of screening quality were defined and controlled for in some analyses. SADRS was more common among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic than among non-Hispanic white patients (36% and 42% vs. 25%, respectively, P = 0.0004). SADRS was associated with ER/PR-negative and higher-grade disease. Patients screened at sites that relied on dedicated radiologists and sites that were breast imaging centers of excellence were less likely to report SADRS. Tumor and facility factors together accounted for two thirds of the disparity in SADRS (proportion mediated = 70%, P = 0.02). Facility resources and tumor aggressiveness explain much of the racial/ethnic disparity in symptomatic breast cancer among recently screened patients. A more equitable distribution of high-quality screening would ameliorate but not eliminate this disparity. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  16. Symptomatic Primary (AL Amyloidosis of the Stomach and Duodenum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reidar Fossmark

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Primary (AL amyloidosis of the gastrointestinal tract is relatively rare, and symptomatic amyloidosis of the stomach is even more seldom. We present the case of a patient who was referred to upper endoscopy because of weight loss, nausea, and vomiting. Large areas of intramucosal hemorrhages were seen, and biopsies resulted in profuse bleeding stopped with endoscopic clips. The biopsies showed amyloid depositions and further workup revealed that the patient also had cardiac and neuropathic involvements. The patient started treatment with dexamethasone, melphalan and bortezomib. After treatment was started the nausea and epigastric discomfort improved, and a reduction in the biochemical markers troponin T, NT-proBNP, and M-component was observed. Gastric amyloidosis is rarely seen at upper endoscopy in patients without a previously established diagnosis, but the unusual endoscopic findings and bleeding tendency after biopsy should be kept in mind by gastroenterologists.

  17. A Comparative Study between Universal Eclectic Septoplasty Technique and Cottle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaral Neto, Odim Ferreira do; Mizoguchi, Flavio Massao; Freitas, Renato da Silva; Maniglia, João Jairney; Maniglia, Fábio Fabrício; Maniglia, Ricardo Fabrício

    2017-01-01

    Introduction  Since the last century surgical correction of nasal septum deviation has been improved. The Universal Eclectic Technique was recently reported and there are still few studies dedicated to address this surgical approach. Objective  The objective of this study is to compare the results of septal deviation correction achieved using the Universal Eclectic Technique (UET) with those obtained through Cottle's Technique. Methods  This is a prospective study with two consecutive case series totaling 90 patients (40 women and 50 men), aged between 18 and 55 years. We divided patients into two groups according to the surgical approach. Fifty-three patients underwent septoplasty through Universal Eclectic Technique (UET) and thirty-seven patients were submitted to classical Cottle's septoplasty technique. All patients have answered the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation Scale (NOSE) questionnaire to assess pre and postoperative nasal obstruction. Results  Statistical analysis showed a significantly shorter operating time for the UET group. Nasal edema assessment performed seven days after the surgery showed a prevalence of mild edema in UET group and moderate edema in Cottle's technique group. In regard to complication rates, UET presented a single case of septal hematoma while in Cottle's technique group we observed: 02 cases of severe edemas, 01 case of incapacitating headache, and 01 complaint of nasal pain. Conclusion  The Universal Eclectic Technique (UET) has proven to be a safe and effective surgical technique with faster symptomatic improvement, low complication rates, and reduced surgical time when compared with classical Cottle's technique. PMID:28680499

  18. Brain Oscillatory Correlates of Altered Executive Functioning in Positive and Negative Symptomatic Schizophrenia Patients and Healthy Controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, Barbara; Minarik, Tamas; Griesmayr, Birgit; Stelzig-Schoeler, Renate; Aichhorn, Wolfgang; Sauseng, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Working Memory and executive functioning deficits are core characteristics of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Electrophysiological research indicates that altered patterns of neural oscillatory mechanisms underpinning executive functioning are associated with the psychiatric disorder. Such brain oscillatory changes have been found in local amplitude differences at gamma and theta frequencies in task-specific cortical areas. Moreover, interregional interactions are also disrupted as signified by decreased phase coherence of fronto-posterior theta activity in schizophrenia patients. However, schizophrenia is not a one-dimensional psychiatric disorder but has various forms and expressions. A common distinction is between positive and negative symptomatology but most patients have both negative and positive symptoms to some extent. Here, we examined three groups-healthy controls, predominantly negative, and predominantly positive symptomatic schizophrenia patients-when performing a working memory task with increasing cognitive demand and increasing need for executive control. We analyzed brain oscillatory activity in the three groups separately and investigated how predominant symptomatology might explain differences in brain oscillatory patterns. Our results indicate that differences in task specific fronto-posterior network activity (i.e., executive control network) expressed by interregional phase synchronization are able to account for working memory dysfunctions between groups. Local changes in the theta and gamma frequency range also show differences between patients and healthy controls, and more importantly, between the two patient groups. We conclude that differences in oscillatory brain activation patterns related to executive processing can be an indicator for positive and negative symptomatology in schizophrenia. Furthermore, changes in cognitive and especially executive functioning in patients are expressed by alterations in a task-specific fronto

  19. Predictors of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage in patients with an ischaemic stroke with neurological deterioration after intravenous thrombolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Brandon; Chang, Andrew D; McTaggart, Ryan A; Hemendinger, Morgan; Mac Grory, Brian; Cutting, Shawna M; Burton, Tina M; Reznik, Michael E; Thompson, Bradford; Wendell, Linda; Mahta, Ali; Siket, Matthew; Madsen, Tracy E; Sheth, Kevin N; Nouh, Amre; Furie, Karen L; Jayaraman, Mahesh V; Khatri, Pooja; Yaghi, Shadi

    2018-02-27

    Early neurological deterioration prompting urgent brain imaging occurs in nearly 15% of patients with ischaemic stroke receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We aim to determine risk factors associated with symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) in patients with ischaemic stroke undergoing emergent brain imaging for early neurological deterioration after receiving tPA. We abstracted data from our prospective stroke database and included all patients receiving tPA for ischaemic stroke between 1 March 2015 and 1 March 2017. We then identified patients with neurological deterioration who underwent urgent brain imaging prior to their per-protocol surveillance imaging and divided patients into two groups: those with and without sICH. We compared baseline demographics, clinical variables, in-hospital treatments and functional outcomes at 90 days between the two groups. We identified 511 patients who received tPA, of whom 108 (21.1%) had an emergent brain CT. Of these patients, 17.5% (19/108) had sICH; 21.3% (23/108) of emergent scans occurred while tPA was infusing, though only 4.3% of these scans (1/23) revealed sICH. On multivariable analyses, the only predictor of sICH was a change in level of consciousness (OR 6.62, 95% CI 1.64 to 26.70, P=0.008). Change in level of consciousness is associated with sICH among patients undergoing emergent brain imaging after receiving tPA. In this group of patients, preparation of tPA reversal agents while awaiting brain imaging may reduce reversal times. Future studies are needed to study the cost-effectiveness of this approach. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. The effect of albendazole treatment on seizure outcomes in patients with symptomatic neurocysticercosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romo, Matthew L; Wyka, Katarzyna; Carpio, Arturo; Leslie, Denise; Andrews, Howard; Bagiella, Emilia; Hauser, W Allen; Kelvin, Elizabeth A

    2015-11-01

    Randomized controlled trials have found an inconsistent effect of anthelmintic treatment on long-term seizure outcomes in neurocysticercosis. The objective of this study was to further explore the effect of albendazole treatment on long-term seizure outcomes and to determine if there is evidence for a differential effect by seizure type. In this trial, 178 patients with active or transitional neurocysticercosis cysts and new-onset symptoms were randomized to 8 days of treatment with albendazole (n=88) or placebo (n=90), both with prednisone, and followed for 24 months. We used negative binomial regression and logistic regression models to determine the effect of albendazole on the number of seizures and probability of recurrent or new-onset seizures, respectively, over follow-up. Treatment with albendazole was associated with a reduction in the number of seizures during 24 months of follow-up, but this was only significant for generalized seizures during months 1-12 (unadjusted rate ratio [RR] 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04-0.91) and months 1-24 (unadjusted RR 0.06; 95% CI: 0.01-0.57). We did not detect a significant effect of albendazole on reducing the number of focal seizures or on the probability of having a seizure, regardless of seizure type or time period. Albendazole treatment may be associated with some symptomatic improvement; however, this association seems to be specific to generalized seizures. Future research is needed to identify strategies to better reduce long-term seizure burden in patients with neurocysticercosis. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Direct repair of lumbar spondylolysis by Buck′s technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Rajasekaran

    2011-01-01

    encountered in the perioperative or postoperative period. Conclusions: In carefully selected patients, direct repair of the pars defect by the Buck′s technique of internal fixation and bone grafting was a safe and effective alternative to fusion in younger patients with symptomatic spondylolysis, without associated spondylolisthesis, who failed conservative management.

  2. MDCT assessment of tracheomalacia in symptomatic infants with mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies: preliminary technical experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Edward Y.; Mason, Keira P.; Zurakowski, David; Waltz, David A.; Ralph, Amy; Riaz, Farhana; Boiselle, Phillip M.

    2008-01-01

    Mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies are relatively common causes of extrinsic central airway narrowing in infants with respiratory symptoms. Surgical correction of mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies alone might not adequately treat airway symptoms if extrinsic narrowing is accompanied by intrinsic tracheomalacia (TM), a condition that escapes detection on routine end-inspiratory imaging. Paired inspiratory-expiratory multidetector CT (MDCT) has the potential to facilitate early diagnosis and timely management of TM in symptomatic infants with mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies. To assess the technical feasibility of paired inspiratory-expiratory MDCT for evaluating TM among symptomatic infants with mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies. The study group consisted of five consecutive symptomatic infants (four male, one female; mean age 4.1 months, age range 2 weeks to 6 months) with mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies who were referred for paired inspiratory-expiratory MDCT during a 22-month period. CT angiography was concurrently performed during the end-inspiration phase of the study. Two pediatric radiologists in consensus reviewed all CT images in a randomized and blinded fashion. The end-inspiration and end-expiration CT images were reviewed for the presence and severity of tracheal narrowing. TM was defined as ≥50% reduction in tracheal cross-sectional luminal area between end-inspiration and end-expiration. The presence of TM was compared to the bronchoscopy results when available (n = 4). Paired inspiratory-expiratory MDCT was technically successful in all five patients. Mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies included a right aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery (n = 2), innominate artery compression (n = 2), and a left aortic arch with an aberrant right subclavian artery (n 1). Three (60%) of the five patients demonstrated focal TM at the level of mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies. The CT results were concordant with the results

  3. Angioplasty of symptomatic high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis with intraluminal thrombus: therapeutic approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonzalez, A.; Mayol, A. [Seccion de Neurorradiologia Intervencionista, Servicio de Radiologia, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Sevilla (Spain); Gil-Peralta, A.; Gonzalez-Marcos, J.R. [Servicio de Neurologia, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Sevilla (Spain); Boza, F. [Servicio de Neurofisiologia, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Sevilla (Spain); Ruano, J. [Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Sevilla (Spain)

    2004-04-01

    Intraluminal thrombus in the internal carotid artery (ICA) is usually found in patients with severe atheromatous stenosis. Having reviewed 300 carotid angioplasties for symptomatic >70% ICA stenosis, we found three patients (1%) with intraluminal thrombus. Conservative treatment with anticoagulants and double antiplatelet coverage can result in lysis of the thrombus without severe risks. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting, preferably with distal protection, can be an excellent alternative to carotid endarterectomy. (orig.)

  4. Hemodynamic changes in systolic and diastolic function during isoproterenol challenge predicts symptomatic response to myectomy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with labile obstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad, Megha; Geske, Jeffrey B; Sorajja, Paul; Ommen, Steve R; Schaff, Hartzell V; Gersh, Bernard J; Nishimura, Rick A

    2016-11-15

    We aimed to assess the utility of changes in systolic and diastolic function by isoproterenol challenge in predicting symptom resolution post-myectomy in selected patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and labile obstruction. In a subset of symptomatic HCM patients without resting/provocable obstruction on noninvasive assessment, isoproterenol challenge during hemodynamic catheterization may elicit labile left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, and demonstrate the effect of obstruction on diastolic function. These changes may determine whether patients achieve complete symptom resolution post-myectomy. Between February 2003 and April 2009, 18 symptomatic HCM patients without LVOT obstruction on noninvasive testing underwent isoproterenol provocation and septal myectomy due to presence of provocable gradient and were followed for 4 (IQR 3-7) years. Thirteen (72.2%) had complete symptom resolution, while 5 (27.8%) had improved, but persistent symptoms. Those with provoked gradient >100 mm Hg or increase in left atrial pressure (LAP) with isoproterenol had symptom resolution. Symptomatic HCM patients without LVOT gradient on noninvasive testing may demonstrate labile obstruction with isoproterenol. With isoproterenol, patients with high LVOT gradient or increase in LAP concomitant with an increase in gradient achieved complete symptom resolution post-myectomy. Thus, improved diastolic filling as well as outflow gradient production in patients with HCM may predict symptom response to myectomy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. The Influence of Pelvic Incidence and Lumbar Lordosis Mismatch on Development of Symptomatic Adjacent Level Disease Following Single-Level Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tempel, Zachary J; Gandhoke, Gurpreet S; Bolinger, Bryan D; Khattar, Nicolas K; Parry, Philip V; Chang, Yue-Fang; Okonkwo, David O; Kanter, Adam S

    2017-06-01

    Annual incidence of symptomatic adjacent level disease (ALD) following lumbar fusion surgery ranges from 0.6% to 3.9% per year. Sagittal malalignment may contribute to the development of ALD. To describe the relationship between pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis (PI-LL) mismatch and the development of symptomatic ALD requiring revision surgery following single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for degenerative lumbar spondylosis and/or low-grade spondylolisthesis. All patients who underwent a single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion at either L4/5 or L5/S1 between July 2006 and December 2012 were analyzed for pre- and postoperative spinopelvic parameters. Using univariate and logistic regression analysis, we compared the spinopelvic parameters of those patients who required revision surgery against those patients who did not develop symptomatic ALD. We calculated the predictive value of PI-LL mismatch. One hundred fifty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. The results noted that, for a 1° increase in PI-LL mismatch (preop and postop), the odds of developing ALD requiring surgery increased by 1.3 and 1.4 fold, respectively, which were statistically significant increases. Based on our analysis, a PI-LL mismatch of >11° had a positive predictive value of 75% for the development of symptomatic ALD requiring revision surgery. A high PI-LL mismatch is strongly associated with the development of symptomatic ALD requiring revision lumbar spine surgery. The development of ALD may represent a global disease process as opposed to a focal condition. Spine surgeons may wish to consider assessment of spinopelvic parameters in the evaluation of degenerative lumbar spine pathology. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

  6. Optimizing research in symptomatic uterine fibroids with development of a computable phenotype for use with electronic health records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Sarah R; Vines, Anissa I; Halladay, Jacqueline R; Pfaff, Emily; Schiff, Lauren; Westreich, Daniel; Sundaresan, Aditi; Johnson, La-Shell; Nicholson, Wanda K

    2018-06-01

    Women with symptomatic uterine fibroids can report a myriad of symptoms, including pain, bleeding, infertility, and psychosocial sequelae. Optimizing fibroid research requires the ability to enroll populations of women with image-confirmed symptomatic uterine fibroids. Our objective was to develop an electronic health record-based algorithm to identify women with symptomatic uterine fibroids for a comparative effectiveness study of medical or surgical treatments on quality-of-life measures. Using an iterative process and text-mining techniques, an effective computable phenotype algorithm, composed of demographics, and clinical and laboratory characteristics, was developed with reasonable performance. Such algorithms provide a feasible, efficient way to identify populations of women with symptomatic uterine fibroids for the conduct of large traditional or pragmatic trials and observational comparative effectiveness studies. Symptomatic uterine fibroids, due to menorrhagia, pelvic pain, bulk symptoms, or infertility, are a source of substantial morbidity for reproductive-age women. Comparing Treatment Options for Uterine Fibroids is a multisite registry study to compare the effectiveness of hormonal or surgical fibroid treatments on women's perceptions of their quality of life. Electronic health record-based algorithms are able to identify large numbers of women with fibroids, but additional work is needed to develop electronic health record algorithms that can identify women with symptomatic fibroids to optimize fibroid research. We sought to develop an efficient electronic health record-based algorithm that can identify women with symptomatic uterine fibroids in a large health care system for recruitment into large-scale observational and interventional research in fibroid management. We developed and assessed the accuracy of 3 algorithms to identify patients with symptomatic fibroids using an iterative approach. The data source was the Carolina Data Warehouse for

  7. Quality of life in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: The impact of symptomatic remission and resilience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofer, A; Mizuno, Y; Wartelsteiner, F; Wolfgang Fleischhacker, W; Frajo-Apor, B; Kemmler, G; Mimura, M; Pardeller, S; Sondermann, C; Suzuki, T; Welte, A; Uchida, H

    2017-10-01

    Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is significantly affected in individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder (BD-I). The current study investigated whether symptomatic remission and resilience might differently impact HRQOL in these patients. Fifty-two patients with schizophrenia and 60 patients suffering from BD-I from outpatient mental health services as well as 77 healthy control subjects from the general community were included into a cross-sectional study. HRQOL and resilience were assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF and the Resilience Scale. In patients, psychopathology was quantified by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale or the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Young Mania Rating Scale, respectively. Notably, both patient groups showed lower HRQOL and resilience compared to control subjects, non-remitted patients indicated lower HRQOL than remitted ones. The effect of remission on HRQOL was significantly larger in patients with BD-I than in those with schizophrenia but did not explain the difference in HRQOL between groups. Resilience predicted HRQOL in all three groups. When accounting for the effect of resilience among remitted patients, only the difference in HRQOL between schizophrenia patients and control subjects was significant. These findings demonstrate the impact of symptomatic remission and resilience on HRQOL of both patients suffering from schizophrenia and BD-I and indicate that these factors are especially relevant for HRQOL of patients with BD-I. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. Acromioclavicular joint reconstruction with coracoacromial ligament transfer using the docking technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gobezie Reuben

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Symptomatic Acromioclavicular (AC dislocations have historically been surgically treated with Coracoclavicular (CC ligament reconstruction with transfer of the Coracoacromial (CA ligament. Tensioning the CA ligament is the key to success. Methods Seventeen patients with chronic, symptomatic Type III AC joint or acute Type IV and V injuries were treated surgically. The distal clavicle was resected and stabilized with CC ligament reconstruction using the CA ligament. The CA ligament was passed into the medullary canal and tensioned, using a modified 'docking' technique. Average follow-up was 29 months (range 12–57. Results Postoperative ASES and pain significantly improved in all patients (p = 0.001. Radiographically, 16 (94% maintained reduction, and only 1 (6% had a recurrent dislocation when he returned to karate 3 months postoperatively. His ultimate clinical outcome was excellent. Conclusion The docking procedure allows for tensioning of the transferred CA ligament and healing of the ligament in an intramedullary bone tunnel. Excellent clinical results were achieved, decreasing the risk of recurrent distal clavicle instability.

  9. Prevalence of and risk factors for symptomatic urinary tract infection after endoscopic incision for the treatment of ureterocele in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moriya, Kimihiko; Nakamura, Michiko; Nishimura, Yoko; Kanno, Yukiko; Kitta, Takeya; Kon, Masafumi; Shinohara, Nobuo

    2017-09-01

    To clarify the impact of endoscopic incision (EI) for ureterocele as an initial procedure, by performing a retrospective chart review, focusing on the prevalence of and risk factors for symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) after EI. In the present study we included children with ureterocele, managed between September 1994 and April 2016, who were observed conservatively without additional surgical management after EI. Ureterocele was categorized as intravesical or ectopic. Symptomatic UTI was defined as either recurrent non-febrile or febrile UTI. The prevalence of and risk factors for symptomatic UTI were analysed using Cox proportional hazard models or Kaplan-Meier curves, and the log-rank test. A total of 36 children met the inclusion criteria. The median age of the participants at EI was 8.9 months. Eleven children had symptomatic UTIs (febrile, n = 9; recurrent non-febrile, n = 2) during the median follow-up of 75.5 months. Initial symptomatic UTI in each child occurred UTI-free rate after EI was 65.6%. The risk factors for symptomatic UTI were female gender, duplex system, ectopic ureterocele, and unchanged hydronephrosis after EI. The present study determined the critical period and risk factors for symptomatic UTI after EI for the treatment of ureterocele. The results suggest that when conservative management is indicated after EI, patients, especially those with risk factors, should be followed carefully at least for 25 months after EI for symptomatic UTI. © 2017 The Authors BJU International © 2017 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Smoking and the Risk of Hospitalization for Symptomatic Diverticular Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study from Sweden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humes, David J; Ludvigsson, Jonas F; Jarvholm, Bengt

    2016-02-01

    Current studies reporting on the risk of smoking and development of symptomatic diverticular disease have reported conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between smoking and symptomatic diverticular disease. This is a cohort study : Information was derived from the Swedish Construction Workers Cohort 1971-1993. Patients were selected from construction workers in Sweden. The primary outcome measured was the development of symptomatic diverticular disease and complicated diverticular disease (abscess and perforation) as identified in the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register. Adjusted relative risks of symptomatic diverticular disease according to smoking status were estimated by using negative binomial regression analysis. In total, the study included 232,685 men and 14,592 women. During follow-up, 3891 men and 318 women had a diagnosis of later symptomatic diverticular disease. In men, heavy smokers (≥15 cigarettes a day) had a 1.6-fold increased risk of developing symptomatic diverticular disease compared with nonsmokers (adjusted relative risk, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.42-1.72). There was evidence of a dose-response relationship, because moderate and ex-smokers had a 1.4- and 1.2-fold increased risk compared with nonsmokers (adjusted relative risk, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.27-1.52 and adjusted relative risk, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.04-1.27). These relationships were similar in women, but the risk estimates were less precise owing to smaller numbers. Male ever-smokers had a 2.7-fold increased risk of developing complicated diverticular disease (perforation/abscess) compared with nonsmokers (adjusted relative risks, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.69-4.41). We were unable to account for other confounding variables such as comorbidity, prescription medication, or lifestyle factors. Smoking is associated with symptomatic diverticular disease in both men and women and with an increased risk of developing complicated diverticular disease.

  11. Investigating the loss of work productivity due to symptomatic leiomyoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasselrot, Klara; Lindeberg, Mia; Konings, Peter; Kopp Kallner, Helena

    2018-01-01

    Leiomyoma affects up to 50% of fertile women, leading to morbidity such as bleeding or pain. The effect of symptomatic leiomyoma on the productivity of employed women is understudied. The present study investigates productivity loss in a Swedish setting in women with symptomatic leiomyoma compared to healthy women. Women seeking care for leiomyoma and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) were recruited at nine Swedish sites. Healthy controls with self-perceived mild to normal menstruation were recruited at routine visits. Cases and controls were employed without option to work from home. After recruitment, all women reported the work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) questionnaire, the pictorial blood assessment chart (PBAC) and pain on the visual analog scale (VAS). Women with symptomatic leiomyoma (n = 88) missed more working time during menses compared to asymptomatic controls (n = 34): 7.6 vs 0.2% p = 0.003. The proportion of impairment while working was also significantly higher in women with symptomatic leiomyoma (43.8 vs 12.1% p100). Symptomatic leiomyoma leads to loss of working hours as well as loss of productivity during working hours, and affects women in other daily activities. Increased awareness of the impact of leiomyomas on women's lives is needed, and timely and appropriate management of the symptomatic leiomyomas could improve work productivity and quality of life.

  12. Electrogastrography associated with symptomatic changes after prokinetic drug treatment for functional dyspepsia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Hyun Chul; Lee, Sang In; Chen, Jiande D Z; Park, Hyojin

    2012-11-07

    To evaluate the effect of prokinetic drugs on electrogastrography (EGG) parameters according to symptomatic changes in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). Seventy-four patients with FD were prospectively enrolled in this study between December 2006 and December 2010. We surveyed the patients using a questionnaire on dyspeptic symptoms before and after an 8-wk course of prokinetic drug treatment. We also measured cutaneous pre-prandial and post-prandial EGG recordings including percentage of gastric waves (normogastria, bradygastria, tachygastria), dominant frequency (DF), dominant power (DP), dominant frequency instability coefficient (DFIC), dominant power instability coefficient (DPIC), and the ratio of post-prandial to fasting in DP before and after the 8-wk course of prokinetic drug treatment. Fifty-two patients (70%) achieved symptomatic improvement after prokinetic drug treatment. Patients who had normal gastric slow waves showed symptom improvement group after treatment. Post-prandial DF showed a downward trend in the symptom improvement group, especially in the itopride group. Post-prandial DP was increased regardless of symptom improvement, especially in the itopride group and mosapride group. Post-prandial DFIC and DPIC in the symptom improvement group were significantly increased after the treatment. The EGG power ratio was increased after treatment in the symptom improvement group (0.50 ± 0.70 vs 0.93 ± 1.77, P = 0.002), especially in the itopride and levosulpiride groups. Prokinetics could improve the symptoms of FD by regulating gastric myoelectrical activity, and EGG could be a useful tool in evaluating the effects of various prokinetics.

  13. Symptomatic ventricular tachyarrhythmia is associated with delayed gadolinium enhancement in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and with elevated plasma brain natriuretic peptide level in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oka, Katsumi; Tsujino, Takeshi; Nakao, Shinji; Lee-Kawabata, Masaaki; Ezumi, Akira; Masai, Miho; Ohyanagi, Mitsumasa; Masuyama, Tohru

    2008-01-01

    Delayed gadolinium enhancement (DGE) in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging indicates the areas with myocardial fibrosis, which are suggested to be arrhythmogenic substrate in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Elevated brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is associated with cardiovascular events in HCM. We investigated the grade of DGE in CMR and plasma BNP levels in HCM patients with or without symptomatic ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF). We recruited 26 consecutive untreated HCM patients without any symptoms of heart failure. They were divided into 2 groups: patients with symptomatic VT/VF [VT/VF (+) group, n=6]; patients without symptomatic VT/VF [VT/VF (-) group, n=20]. CMR was performed to evaluate left ventricular geometry and the grade of DGE. Plasma BNP levels, left ventricular mass index, and the number of segments with positive DGE were greater in the VT/VF (+) group than in the VT/VF (-) group (698.1±387.6 vs. 226.9±256.8 pg/ml, p=0.006; 152.3±49.5 vs. 89.5±24.1 g/m 2 , p=0.003; 9.7±5.7 vs. 3.5±3.3, p=0.013). On logistic regression, adjusted odds ratio for symptomatic VT/VF was 214 for log BNP (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-37,043, p=0.04) and 1.54 for DGE score (95% CI 1.01-2.34, p=0.04). High plasma BNP levels and the enlarged area of DGE in CMR were associated with symptomatic ventricular tachyarrhythmia. These factors may be useful markers for detecting high-risk patients of sudden cardiac death in HCM. (author)

  14. Effect of sports modification on clinical outcome in children and adolescent athletes with symptomatic lumbar spondylolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Rassi, Georges; Takemitsu, Masakazu; Glutting, Joseph; Shah, Suken A

    2013-12-01

    This cohort study aimed to report the compliance of young athletes with nonoperative treatment and to clarify the role of sports modification on clinical outcome of symptomatic spondylolysis. This study included patients with a chief complaint of low back pain participating in regular sports activity, having spondylolysis, and being treated and followed up between 1990 and 2002 in the authors' hospital. One hundred thirty-two athletes were included in this study: 78 males and 54 females. The mean age of the patients was 13 yrs (range, 7-18 yrs). Only 56 patients (42.4%) were compliant to nonoperative treatment. Eighty-six patients (65%) stopped all sports activities for at least 3 mos, and 46 patients (35%) stopped exercising for a variable period of less than 3 mos. The grading of clinical outcome after nonoperative treatment was as follows: excellent in 48 patients (36.4%), good in 74 patients (56.1), fair in 6 patients (4.5%), and poor in 4 patients (3%). The patients who stopped sports for at least 3 mos were 16.39 times more likely to have an excellent result than those who did not stop sports. Bony healing on radiographs did not correlate with clinical outcome. Timely cessation of sports activity for 3 mos is considered an effective method of nonoperative treatment for young athletes with symptomatic lumbar spondylolysis.

  15. Treatment of symptomatic vertebral hemangioma by radiotherapy - case report and review of the literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castro, Douglas Guedes de; Lima, Renato Pierre; Maia, Maria Aparecida Conte; Pellizzon, Antonio Cassio Assis; Fogaroli, Ricardo Cesar; Ferrigno, Robson

    2002-01-01

    We report the clinical and imaging findings of a patient with a symptomatic vertebral hemangioma treated with radiotherapy alone. There was partial relief of the pain 3 months after radiotherapy. We recommend a total dose of 40 Gy at 2 Gy per fraction. A review of literature is also presented. (author)

  16. ACUTE NEUROINFECTIONS AND SYMPTOMATIC EPILEPSY IN CHILDREN: CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP (review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Yu. Gorelik

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Convulsions in case of acute neuroinfections can both complicate the disease course and transfer to symptomatic epilepsy which is one of the most important medical and social problems. The review article presents the data on epidemiology of convulsive disorder and symptomatic epilepsy in case of neuroinfections in children. There are considered the current immune and biochemical aspects of epileptogenesis in case of infectious pathology. There is given the information on neurophysiological and radial features of symptomatic epilepsy developed in case of neuroinfections of different etiology. There is underlined the practical significance of timely complex etio-pathogenetic therapy for neuroinfections complicated by convulsion that allows to reduce the frequency of symptomatic epilepsy development. There are presented the data on the results of transcranial magnetic stimulation in case of refractory epilepsy.

  17. [Effects of midodrine on symptomatic hypotension during hemodialysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotera, Alejandro; Alvo, Miriam; Sanhueza, María Eugenia; Elgueta, Leticia; Gormaz, Juan Pablo; Ibáñez, Carlos; Cuadra, Cristián

    2002-09-01

    Hypotension occurs in 20% of hemodialysis procedures. To study the effects of midodrine on hypotension during hemodialysis. Ten patients on chronic hemodialysis and with a history of hypotension during the procedure, were studied. They received midodrine 10 mg per os or placebo during 5 dialytic procedures each, in a double blind cross over design. Blood pressure levels prior to dialysis were similar during the midodrine or placebo administration periods. During dialysis, systolic blood pressure fell 19.3 +/- 28 mmHg with midodrine and 23.4 +/- 28 mmHg with placebo. Diastolic blood pressure fell 7.3 +/- 11.5 mmHg with midodrine and 11.1 +/- 12 mmHg with placebo. The reduction in median arterial pressure was also less pronounced with midodrine. Midodrine lessens the fall in arterial pressure during hemodialysis, in patients with symptomatic hypotension.

  18. Detection of human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus in symptomatic and asymptomatic apical periodontitis lesions by real-time PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozbek, Selcuk-M; Ozbek, Ahmet; Yavuz, Muhammed-Selim

    2013-09-01

    Recent studies have investigated the occurrence of human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus in samples from apical periodontitis lesions and a role in the pathogenesis of this disease has been suggested. Because genotype distribution and seroprevalence of EBV and HCMV differ among populations, it is important to determine the presence of these viruses in endodontic periapical lesions of different populations. The aims of this study were to determine the presence of HCMV and EBV DNAs in samples from Turkish patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic apical periodontitis lesions using real-time polymerase chain reaction method and to evaluate their presence in both symptomatic and asymptomatic apical periodontitis lesions. Periapical samples were collected from 12 asymptomatic and 16 symptomatic periapical lesions in conjunction with apicectomy. HCMV and EBV DNAs were identified in the samples by real-time PCR. The chi-squared test with Yates's correction or the Fisher's exact test was used to analyse the significance of differences. HCMV DNA was detected in 10 of the 16 (62.5%) symptomatic and in five of the 12 (41.7 %) asymptomatic periapical study lesions. The EBV DNA was identified in seven of the 16 (43.7 %) symptomatic and three of the 12 (25 %) asymptomatic periapical lesions. The difference in occurrence of HCMV and EBV DNA between symptomatic and asymptomatic periapical lesions was not statistically significant. (All comparisons have p > 0.05). Our findings suggest that HCMV and EBV is a frequent inhabitant of both symptomatic and asymptomatic apical periodontitis lesions of endodontic origin in Turkish population.

  19. Anesthetic efficacy of combinations of 0.5 mol/L mannitol and lidocaine with epinephrine for inferior alveolar nerve blocks in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreimer, Timothy; Kiser, Russell; Reader, Al; Nusstein, John; Drum, Melissa; Beck, Mike

    2012-05-01

    The purpose of these 2 prospective, randomized, single-blind studies was to determine the anesthetic efficacy of lidocaine with epinephrine compared with a combination lidocaine with epinephrine plus 0.5 mol/L mannitol for inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) blocks in patients experiencing symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. In study one, 55 emergency patients randomly received IAN blocks by using a 3.18-mL formulation containing 63.6 mg of lidocaine with 31.8 μg epinephrine or a 5-mL formulation containing 63.6 mg of lidocaine with 31.8 μg epinephrine (3.18 mL) plus 1.82 mL of 0.5 mol/L mannitol. In study two, 51 emergency patients randomly received IAN blocks by using a 1.9-mL formulation containing 76.4 mg of lidocaine with 36 μg epinephrine or a 3-mL formulation containing 76.4 mg of lidocaine with 36 μg epinephrine (1.9 mL) plus 1.1 mL of 0.5 mol/L mannitol. Endodontic access was begun 15 minutes after the IAN block, and all patients had profound lip numbness. Success was defined as no or mild pain (visual analogue scale recordings) on endodontic access or instrumentation. The 1.9 mL of lidocaine (76.4 mg) with epinephrine plus 0.5 mol/L mannitol had a significantly (P = .04) better success rate of 39% when compared with the lidocaine formulation without mannitol (13% success rate). For mandibular posterior teeth in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, the addition of 0.5 mol/L mannitol to 1.9 mL of lidocaine (76.4 mg) with epinephrine resulted in a statistically higher success rate. However, the combination lidocaine/mannitol formulation would not result in predictable pulpal anesthesia. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Utility of microbiological profile of symptomatic vaginal discharge in rural women of reproductive age group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masand, Deepa Lokwani; Patel, Jaya; Gupta, Sweta

    2015-03-01

    Symptomatic vaginal discharge is the most frequent symptom in women of reproductive age group. Owing to social stigma majority of affected women hesitate to seek medical consultation. Therefore the actual incidence of vaginal discharge is much more than what is reported. The aim of the study is to determine the microbiological profile of symptomatic vaginal discharge in rural area and its utility in the management of genital tract infection. This was a descriptive type of observational study, conducted in sexually active women of reproductive age group (18-45 years) attending the OPD/IPD of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of National Institute of Medical Sciences, Shobhanagar, Jaipur (Rajasthan), over a period of 18 months from June 2012 to December 2013. Hundred sexually active non pregnant women of reproductive age group (18-45 years) were included in the study. After taking consent general physical examination along with pelvic examination was performed. Two high vaginal swabs and blood sample were collected for various tests. Hanging drop preparation was immediately made. This was followed by gram staining and culture. Chlamydia trachomatis IgM antibody was detected by ELISA method. Out of 100 women with symptomatic vaginal discharge, specific diagnosis was obtained in 89% of cases whereas no specific aetiology was found in 11% cases. Mean age was 32.60 years. Fifty-three percent patient had Bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis was found in 14% cases, 16% had Chlamydia trachomatis infection while Trichomonas vaginalis infection was detected in 6% cases. Homogenous discharge was most prevalent (52%), followed by mucopurulant discharge in 23% of women. Patient with symptomatic vaginal discharge need to be actively managed with appropriate antimicrobial agents. Judicious management may be helpful in prevention of HIV, HPV, CIN and post infection sequelae.

  1. The incidence of symptomatic malrotation post gastroschisis repair.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Abdelhafeez, A

    2011-12-01

    Gastroschisis is known to be associated with abnormal bowel rotation. Currently, the broadly accepted practice is not to perform Ladd\\'s procedure routinely at the time of closure of gastroschisis defects. However the incidence of symptomatic malrotation and volvulus post gastroschisis repair is unknown; this incidence is important in view of the current practice of bedside gastroschisis closure. This study examined the incidence of symptomatic malrotation and volvulus following gastroschisis repair.

  2. Expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and gram-negative bacteria in symptomatic and asymptomatic periapical lesions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Geraldine M; El-Baz, Alaa A; Hashem, Ahmed Abdel Rahman; Shalaan, Abeer K

    2013-04-01

    The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 is significantly elevated in patients with symptomatic apical periodontitis and to correlate this with the detected amount of gram-negative bacteria. Twenty-six patients with periapical lesions involving at least 2 teeth were included in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups: the symptomatic (SYM) group included 13 patients expressing pain with periapical lesions, and the asymptomatic (ASYM) group included 13 patients expressing no pain. Root canal treatment was performed followed by endodontic surgery and periapical lesion collection. Periapical lesions were serially cut into 4-μ sections. Some sections were processed for histologic examination using hematoxylin-eosin stain. Other sections were processed for immunohistochemical examination. For MMP-9, the area fraction of the positive cells was measured, and the percentage of the MMP-9-immunopositive area to the total area of the microscopic field was calculated. For gram-negative stain cells, the number of cells showing the pink-red color was counted per microscopic field. The Student's t test was used to compare the SYM and ASYM groups. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine a significant correlation between the number of cells and the MMP-9 level. The significance level was set at P ≤ .05. The SYM group showed a statistically significantly higher mean number of gram-negative cells (P = .001) and MMP-9 area percent (P < .001) than the ASYM group. There was a statistically significant positive (r = .927) correlation between the number of gram-negative cells and the MMP-9 area percent (P< .001). There is good evidence to suspect a significant role of gram-negative bacteria and MMP-9 in symptomatic periapical lesions. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. A Comparison of Stent Implant versus Medical Treatment for Severe Symptomatic Intracranial Stenosis: A Controlled Clinical Trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rezao Mohammadian

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Atherosclerotic stenosis of the major intracranial arteries is the most common cause of ischemic stroke. There are limited treatments for severe intracranial stenosis, and stent placement versus medical treatment remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare functional outcomes of these two modalities in patients with severe symptomatic intracranial stenosis. Methods: At a single center, between 2008 and 2011, patients with angiographically demonstrated severe (70–90% symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis were divided into two groups: group A, which received only medical treatment, and group B, which underwent endovascular stent implant treatment. The severity and location of the stenosis was determined by digital subtraction angiography and the Warfarin-Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID trial criteria in all patients. The exclusion criteria were: specific causes other than atherosclerosis, such as artery dissection, fibromuscular dysplasia, vasculitis, radiation and intracranial hemorrhage, focal neurological deficit that did not correlate to internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery stenosis. All procedures were done under light anesthesia. Technical success was defined as the reduction of stenosis to Results: Overall, 63 patients (29 in group A and 34 in group B were evaluated and followed for a mean period of 15.22 months (range 6–25. The technical success rate was 97% in a total of 34 stents in 34 patients. There was no difference between the early (within 30 days adverse event rates of the two groups. The median follow-up duration for the stent implant patients was 15 months (range 6–25, and for the medically treated cohort it was 14 months (range 8–25. The re-stenosis rate was 5.8% and the total number of late (>30 days adverse events, including stroke, myocardial infarction and death, was 1 (2.9% and 6 (20.7% in the stent implant and medical groups, respectively (p = 0.042. The

  4. An unfavorable dietary pattern is associated with symptomatic ischemic stroke and carotid atherosclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahe, Guillaume; Ronziere, Thomas; Laviolle, Bruno; Golfier, Véronique; Cochery, Thomas; De Bray, Jean-Michel; Paillard, François

    2010-07-01

    Ischemic strokes represent more than 80% of total strokes in Western countries. The influence of dietary factors on ischemic stroke risk is debated mainly because available data are limited. Our objective was to compare the dietary pattern of symptomatic ischemic stroke patients under 65 years old with control subjects using a validated 14-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We also compared symptomatic ischemic stroke patients with carotid atherosclerosis with those without according to the presence or the absence of carotid plaque defined by duplex scanning. This was a case-control multi-center study that took place in one University hospital and two general hospitals in France. One hundred twenty-four symptomatic ischemic stroke patients (confirmation by a neurologist and imaging; 66% smokers) and 50 controls (34% smokers) without any known cardiovascular disease or previous nutritional advice were included. The main outcome measure(s) were intake scores for saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), Omega-3 polyunsaturated (Omega-3 PUFA), and Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-6PUFA). Fruit and vegetables and an overall cardiovascular dietary score were evaluated with the FFQ. The overall cardiovascular score is calculated as (MUFA + Omega-3 PUFA + fruits and vegetables) - (SFA) scores. Compared with controls, ischemic stroke patients had a higher SFA score (6.6 +/- 3.0 vs 4.9 +/- 2.7; P vs 1.5 +/- 1.2; P vs 2.2 +/- 1.5; P = .013), Omega-6PUFA (2.6 +/- 2.5 vs 3.9 +/- 2.7; P = .002), fruit and vegetables (2.9 +/- 1.7 vs 3.8 +/- 1.6; P = .005), and a lower overall dietary score (-1.2 +/- 5.0 vs 2.5 +/- 4.4; P stroke patients with carotid atherosclerosis (n = 54) had a worse overall cardiovascular dietary score than those without (n = 68): -2.2 +/- 4.4 vs -0.2 +/- 5.2; P = .024. Compared with controls, ischemic stroke patients, especially those with carotid atherosclerosis, have an unfavorable dietary pattern (high SFA, low fruit and vegetables, and

  5. Divergent clinical outcomes of alpha-glucosidase enzyme replacement therapy in two siblings with infantile-onset Pompe disease treated in the symptomatic or pre-symptomatic state.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuoka, Takashi; Miwa, Yoshiyuki; Tajika, Makiko; Sawada, Madoka; Fujimaki, Koichiro; Soga, Takashi; Tomita, Hideshi; Uemura, Shigeru; Nishino, Ichizo; Fukuda, Tokiko; Sugie, Hideo; Kosuga, Motomichi; Okuyama, Torayuki; Umeda, Yoh

    2016-12-01

    Pompe disease is an autosomal recessive, lysosomal glycogen storage disease caused by acid α-glucosidase deficiency. Infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) is the most severe form and is characterized by cardiomyopathy, respiratory distress, hepatomegaly, and skeletal muscle weakness. Untreated, IOPD generally results in death within the first year of life. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant human acid alpha glucosidase (rhGAA) has been shown to markedly improve the life expectancy of patients with IOPD. However, the efficacy of ERT in patients with IOPD is affected by the presence of symptoms and cross-reactive immunologic material (CRIM) status. We have treated two siblings with IOPD with ERT at different ages: the first was symptomatic and the second was asymptomatic. The female proband (Patient 1) was diagnosed with IOPD and initiated ERT at 4 months of age. Her younger sister (Patient 2) was diagnosed with IOPD at 10 days of age and initiated ERT at Day 12. Patient 1, now 6 years old, is alive but bedridden, and requires 24-hour invasive ventilation due to gradually progressive muscle weakness. In Patient 2, typical symptoms of IOPD, including cardiac failure, respiratory distress, progressive muscle weakness, hepatomegaly and myopathic facial features were largely absent during the first 12 months of ERT. Her cardiac function and mobility were well-maintained for the first 3 years, and she had normal motor development. However, she developed progressive hearing impairment and muscle weakness after 3 years of ERT. Both siblings have had low anti-rhGAA immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers during ERT and have tolerated the treatment well. These results suggest that initiation of ERT during the pre-symptomatic period can prevent and/or attenuate the progression of IOPD, including cardiomyopathy, respiratory distress, and muscle weakness for first several years of ERT. However, to improve the long-term efficacy of ERT for IOPD, new strategies

  6. Panayiotopoulos syndrome and symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy of childhood: a clinical and EEG study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tata, Gulten; Guveli, Betul Tekin; Dortcan, Nimet; Cokar, Ozlem; Kurucu, Hatice; Demirbilek, Veysi; Dervent, Aysin

    2014-06-01

    Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS) is an age-related seizure susceptibility syndrome that affects the central autonomic system. Although the majority of the few ictal recordings obtained so far suggest an occipital origin, semiological and interictal EEG data appear to favour more extensive involvement. In this study, the characteristics (including those based on semiology and EEG) of children with Panayiotopoulos syndrome (n=24) and those with lesion-related, symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy (SOLE) (n=23) were compared. Detailed semiological information and EEG parameters including the localisation, distribution, density (n/sec), reactivity, and morphological characteristics of spike-wave foci and their relationship with different states of vigilance were compared between the two groups. The age at seizure onset was significantly younger in patients with symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy than in those with PS (mean age at onset: 3.4 versus 5.6 years, respectively; p=0.044). Autonomic seizures (p=0.001) and ictal syncope (p=0.055) were more frequent in PS than in symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy (87.5% and 37.5% versus 43.5% and 13%, respectively). The interictal spike-wave activity increased significantly during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep in both groups. The spike waves in non-REM seen in PS tended to spread mainly to central and centro-temporal regions. The results indicate that although common features do exist, Panayiotopoulos syndrome differs from symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy and has a unique low epileptogenic threshold related to particular brain circuits.

  7. Percutaneous endovascular therapy for symptomatic chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akif Cakar, Mehmet; Tatli, Ersun; Tokatli, Alptug; Kilic, Harun; Gunduz, Huseyin; Akdemir, Ramazan

    2018-03-16

    Percutaneous endovascular therapy is an accepted and preferred procedure for symptomatic subclavian artery disease. However, the technical feasibility and effectiveness of treating chronic total occlusion of the subclavian artery with this approach is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the initial and mid-term results of endovascular therapy for patients with symptomatic chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery. Consecutive patients who underwent balloon angioplasty and stenting for chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery between January 2010 and February 2014 were included. Overall, 16 patients (10 male, 6 female; mean age 56 ± 13 years) underwent balloon angioplasty and stenting for chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery - 6 (37.5%) had arm claudication, 8 (50.0%) had vertebrobasilar insufficiency and 2 (12.5%) had coronary steal. 18 balloon-expandable stents were implanted to 15 patients. The central luminal passage was not achieved in one patient because of the subintimal position of guidewire (procedural success rate 93.8%). There were no procedure-related complications. Mean preprocedural and postprocedural systolic blood pressure differences between the upper extremities were 37 ± 13 (range 25-60) mmHg and 11 ± 9 (range 5-38) mmHg, respectively; the improvement was statistically significant. Outpatient follow-up revealed one asymptomatic restenosis at two years. Patency rate at two years was 93.3%. Balloon angioplasty and stenting for chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery is safe and effective, with good acute success rate and mid-term patency. Prospective randomised studies on larger patient populations would provide more precise results.

  8. Family history of atrial fibrillation is associated with earlier-onset and more symptomatic atrial fibrillation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gundlund, Anna; Fosbøl, Emil Loldrup; Kim, Sunghee

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: We addressed whether patients with a family history of atrial fibrillation (AF) were diagnosed as having AF earlier in life, were more symptomatic, and had worse outcomes compared with those without a family history of AF. METHODS: Using the ORBIT-AF, we compared symptoms and disease...

  9. Primary balloon angioplasty for symptomatic, high-grade intracranial stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomycz, Luke; Bansal, Neil K; Lockney, Tim; Strothers, Megan; Connors, John J; Shay, Scott; Singer, Robert J

    2013-01-01

    In light of recent controversy about the safety and efficacy of intracranial stenting, we sought to evaluate our experience with primary balloon angioplasty for symptomatic, high-grade intracranial stenosis. All intracranial angioplasty cases performed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from 2006 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed for degree of stenosis pre- and post-procedure. Immediate peri-procedural complications were evaluated as well as one-month and long-term outcomes. A total of 26 patients were included in the study with a mean age of 63.0 years and a mean follow-up of 350.2 days. The average pre-procedure stenosis was 71.2%. The immediate, average post-procedure stenosis was 46.6%, and the average post-procedure stenosis at last angiographic follow-up was 44.5%. Retreatment was required in only 3.8% of patients. The primary end-point of major stroke or death at 30 days was observed in 11.5%, and the overall intra-procedural complication rate was 7.7%. The incidence of stroke or death at last follow-up was 15.4%, which is comparable to the one-year stroke or death rate in the medical arm of the SAMPRISS trial. In this retrospective series, primary balloon angioplasty was found to be effective as a treatment option for symptomatic intracranial stenosis with the risk of stroke or death at 30 days higher than the medical arm of SAMPRIS but lower than the stenting arm. The one-year risk of stroke was comparable to that reported for the one-year outcomes in the SAMPRISS medical arm.

  10. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of symptomatic nerve root of patients with lumbar disk herniation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eguchi, Yawara; Ohtori, Seiji; Yamashita, Masaomi; Yamauchi, Kazuyo; Suzuki, Munetaka; Orita, Sumihisa; Kamoda, Hiroto; Arai, Gen; Ishikawa, Tetsuhiro; Miyagi, Masayuki; Ochiai, Nobuyasu; Kishida, Shunji; Inoue, Gen; Takahashi, Kazuhisa [Chiba University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba (Japan); Masuda, Yoshitada; Ochi, Shigehiro; Kikawa, Takashi [Chiba University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Chiba (Japan); Toyone, Tomoaki [Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chiba (Japan); Takaso, Masashi [Kitasato University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa (Japan); Aoki, Yasuchika [Chiba Rosai Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Ichihara, Chiba (Japan)

    2011-09-15

    Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can provide valuable structural information that may be useful for evaluating pathological changes of the lumbar nerve root. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) neurography has recently been introduced as an alternative way to visualize nerves, but to date, quantitative DWI and MR neurography have not been applied to evaluate the pathology of lumbar nerve roots. Our purpose was to visualize lumbar nerve roots and to analyze their morphology by MR neurography, and to measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of lumbar nerve roots compressed by herniated disks using 1.5-T MR imaging. Ten consecutive patients (median age, 48.0 and range, 20-72 years) with monoradicular symptoms caused by a lumbar herniated disk and 14 healthy volunteers were studied. Regions of interests were placed on the lumbar roots at dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and distal spinal nerves on DWI to quantify mean ADC values. The spinal nerve roots were also visualized by MR neurography. In the patients, mean ADC values were significantly greater in the compressed DRG and distal spinal nerves than in intact nerves. MR neurography also showed abnormalities such as nerve swelling at and below the compression in the symptomatic nerve root. Increased ADC values were considered to be because of edema and Wallerian degeneration of compressed nerve roots. DWI is a potential tool for analysis of the pathophysiology of lumbar nerve roots compressed by herniated disks. (orig.)

  11. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of symptomatic nerve root of patients with lumbar disk herniation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eguchi, Yawara; Ohtori, Seiji; Yamashita, Masaomi; Yamauchi, Kazuyo; Suzuki, Munetaka; Orita, Sumihisa; Kamoda, Hiroto; Arai, Gen; Ishikawa, Tetsuhiro; Miyagi, Masayuki; Ochiai, Nobuyasu; Kishida, Shunji; Inoue, Gen; Takahashi, Kazuhisa; Masuda, Yoshitada; Ochi, Shigehiro; Kikawa, Takashi; Toyone, Tomoaki; Takaso, Masashi; Aoki, Yasuchika

    2011-01-01

    Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can provide valuable structural information that may be useful for evaluating pathological changes of the lumbar nerve root. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) neurography has recently been introduced as an alternative way to visualize nerves, but to date, quantitative DWI and MR neurography have not been applied to evaluate the pathology of lumbar nerve roots. Our purpose was to visualize lumbar nerve roots and to analyze their morphology by MR neurography, and to measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of lumbar nerve roots compressed by herniated disks using 1.5-T MR imaging. Ten consecutive patients (median age, 48.0 and range, 20-72 years) with monoradicular symptoms caused by a lumbar herniated disk and 14 healthy volunteers were studied. Regions of interests were placed on the lumbar roots at dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and distal spinal nerves on DWI to quantify mean ADC values. The spinal nerve roots were also visualized by MR neurography. In the patients, mean ADC values were significantly greater in the compressed DRG and distal spinal nerves than in intact nerves. MR neurography also showed abnormalities such as nerve swelling at and below the compression in the symptomatic nerve root. Increased ADC values were considered to be because of edema and Wallerian degeneration of compressed nerve roots. DWI is a potential tool for analysis of the pathophysiology of lumbar nerve roots compressed by herniated disks. (orig.)

  12. A Fast Placement Technique for Covered Tracheobronchial Stents in Patients with Complicated Esophagorespiratory Fistulas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishi, Kazushi; Nakao, Taisei; Goto, Hironobu; Kimura, Masashi; Sonomura, Tetsuo; Yamanaka, Noboru; Nanjo, Kishio; Sato, Morio

    2005-01-01

    Purpose. To test an endotracheal placement procedure for malignant esophagorespiratory fistula when endoesophageal placement is inapplicable. Methods. We report on patients with malignant esophagorespiratory fistula to which endoesophageal approaches were complicated with a complete obstruction of the hypopharynx, a collapsible tracheobronchus, or a previously placed endoesophageal stents. Gore-Tex membrane-covered Z-stents were deployed in the trachea using a coaxial introducer system in three patients. A Dumon tube was deployed in the bronchus over the bronchofiberscope in one patient. Results. All fistula were completely sealed by the endotracheal or endobronchial stenting. Symptomatic and clinical improvements were immediate obtained. Conclusion. Endotracheal or endobronchial covered stent placement is thought to be an effective alternative method for sealing esophagorespiratory fistula

  13. Treatment with α-Lipoic Acid over 16 Weeks in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Symptomatic Polyneuropathy Who Responded to Initial 4-Week High-Dose Loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hector Garcia-Alcala

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Effective treatment of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy remains a challenge. To assess the efficacy and safety of α-lipoic acid (ALA over 20 weeks, we conducted a multicenter randomized withdrawal open-label study, in which 45 patients with type 2 diabetes and symptomatic polyneuropathy were initially treated with ALA (600 mg tid for 4 weeks (phase 1. Subsequently, responders were randomized to receive ALA (600 mg qd; n=16 or to ALA withdrawal (n=17 for 16 weeks (phase 2. During phase 1, the Total Symptom Score (TSS decreased from 8.9 ± 1.8 points to 3.46 ± 2.0 points. During phase 2, TSS improved from 3.7 ± 1.9 points to 2.5 ± 2.5 points in the ALA treated group (p<0.05 and remained unchanged in the ALA withdrawal group. The use of analgesic rescue medication was higher in the ALA withdrawal group than ALA treated group (p<0.05. In conclusion, in type 2 diabetic patients with symptomatic polyneuropathy who responded to initial 4-week high-dose (600 mg tid administration of ALA, subsequent treatment with ALA (600 mg qd over 16 weeks improved neuropathic symptoms, whereas ALA withdrawal was associated with a higher use of rescue analgesic drugs. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02439879.

  14. Ranolazine for the symptomatic treatment of patients with chronic angina pectoris in Greece: a cost-utility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kourlaba, Georgia; Vlachopoulos, Charalambos; Parissis, John; Kanakakis, John; Gourzoulidis, George; Maniadakis, Nikos

    2015-12-18

    To conduct an economic evaluation comparing ranolazine as add-on therapy to standard-of-care (SoC) with SoC alone in patients with stable angina who did not respond adequately to first line therapy, in Greece. A decision tree model was locally adapted in the Greek setting to evaluate the cost-utility of ranolazine during a 6-month period. The analysis was conducted from a third-party payer perspective. The clinical inputs were extracted from the published literature. The cost inputs considered in the model reflect drug acquisition, hospitalizations, vascular interventions and monitoring of patients. The resource utilization data were obtained from 3 local experts. All costs refer to the year 2014. Cost-effectiveness was assessed by means of the incremental cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained with the ranolazine as add-on therapy relative to SoC alone (ICER). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) was performed. Ranolazine as add-on therapy was more costly compared to SoC alone, as the 6-month total cost per patient was €1170 and € 984, respectively. Patients received ranolazine plus SoC and SoC alone gained 0.3155 QALYs and 0.2752 QALYs, respectively. Ranolazine plus SoC resulted in an ICER equal to €4620 per QALY gained, well below the threshold of €34,000 per QALY gained. The PSA showed that the likelihood of ranolazine plus SoC being cost-effective at the threshold of €34,000 per QALY gained was 100 %. Τhe results suggest that ranolazine as add-on treatment may be a cost-effective alternative for the symptomatic treatment of patients with chronic stable angina in Greece.

  15. Impact of Symptomatic Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression on Survival of Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Gustavo Telles; Bergmann, Anke; Thuler, Luiz Claudio Santos

    2017-12-01

    Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common primary tumor sites among patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC). This disorder is related to neurologic dysfunction and can reduce the quality of life, but the association between MSCC and death is unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the occurrence of symptomatic MSCC on overall survival of patients with NSCLC. A cohort study was carried out involving 1112 patients with NSCLC who were enrolled between 2006 and 2014 in a single cancer center. Clinical and sociodemographic data were extracted from the physical and electronic records. Survival analysis of patients with NSCLC was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method. A log-rank test was used to assess differences between survival curves. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were carried out to quantify the relationship between the independent variable (MSCC) and the outcome (overall survival). During the study period, the incidence of MSCC was 4.1%. Patients who presented with MSCC were 1.43 times more likely to die than were those with no history of MSCC (hazard ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.00; P = 0.031). The median survival time was 8.04 months (95% CI, 6.13-9.96) for those who presented MSCC and 11.95 months (95% CI, 10.80-13.11) for those who did not presented MSCC during the course of disease (P = 0.002). MSCC is an important and independent predictor of NSCLC worse survival. This effect was not influenced by sociodemographic and clinical factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Abdominal compression during endoscopy (the Bolster technique) demonstrates hidden Schatzki rings (with videos).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jouhourian, Caroline; Bonis, Peter A; Guelrud, Moises

    2016-05-01

    Schatzki rings are found in the distal esophagus, are associated with hiatal hernias, and present with intermittent dysphagia to solid foods. They can be identified by radiology (GI series or barium swallow studies) or endoscopy. Rings are not always visualized during endoscopy in patients in whom they are suspected clinically. The Bolster technique involves application of epigastric abdominal pressure, which offers the potential to reveal a Schatzki ring that is otherwise obscured within a reduced hiatal hernia. The aim of this study was to determine whether the Bolster technique improves endoscopic detection of Schatzki rings. We reviewed 30 symptomatic patients with a history of a Schatzki ring in a tertiary care center. The Bolster technique was applied to patients in whom the ring was not visible during standard endoscopy. The main outcome measurement was identification of the Schatzki ring after the Bolster technique. A Schatzki ring was visible during standard endoscopy in 26 of the 30 patients. In the remaining 4, the ring was visible only after the application of the Bolster technique. The Bolster technique is a simple maneuver that can increase detection rates of Schatzki rings during endoscopy. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Vital pulp therapy in symptomatic immature permanent molars: Report of 3 cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SheikhRezaie MS.

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available "nEndodontic treatment of immature permanent teeth accompanies with several issues. The primary goal when treating such teeth is to maintain pulp vitality so that root development can occur normally. Indications and requirements for vital pulp therapy include asymptomatic and reversible pulpitis. Also there are controversial opinions regarding the ultimate clinical treatment of the vital pulp therapy techniques. In this manuscript we report 3 cases of immature symptomatic permanent molars with irreversible pulpitis caused by caries exposure of the pulp that have been undergone vital pulp therapy successfully.

  18. Effect of longer health service provider delays on stage at diagnosis and mortality in symptomatic breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murchie, P; Raja, E A; Lee, A J; Brewster, D H; Campbell, N C; Gray, N M; Ritchie, L D; Robertson, R; Samuel, L

    2015-06-01

    This study explored whether longer provider delays (between first presentation and treatment) were associated with later stage and poorer survival in women with symptomatic breast cancer. Data from 850 women with symptomatic breast cancer were linked with the Scottish Cancer Registry; Death Registry; and hospital discharge dataset. Logistic regression and Cox survival analyses with restricted cubic splines explored relationships between provider delays, stage and survival, with sequential adjustment for patient and tumour factors. Although confidence intervals were wide in both adjusted analyses, those with the shortest provider delays had more advanced breast cancer at diagnosis. Beyond approximately 20 weeks, the trend suggests longer delays are associated with more advanced stage, but is not statistically significant. Those with symptomatic breast cancer and the shortest presentation to treatment time (within 4 weeks) had the poorest survival. Longer time to treatment was not significantly associated with worsening mortality. Poor prognosis patients with breast cancer are being triaged for rapid treatment with limited effect on outcome. Prolonged time to treatment does not appear to be strongly associated with poorer outcomes for patients with breast cancer, but the power of this study to assess the effect of very long delays (>25 weeks) was limited. Efforts to reduce waiting times are important from a quality of life perspective, but tumour biology may often be a more important determinant of stage at diagnosis and survival outcome. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided pancreatic duct access: techniques and literature review of pancreatography, transmural drainage and rendezvous techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itoi, Takao; Kasuya, Kazuhiko; Sofuni, Atsushi; Itokawa, Fumihide; Kurihara, Toshio; Yasuda, Ichiro; Nakai, Yousuke; Isayama, Hiroyuki; Moriyasu, Fuminori

    2013-05-01

    Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided (EUS)-guided pancreatic interventions have gained increasing attention. Here we review EUS-guided pancreatic duct (PD) access techniques and outcomes. EUS-guided PD intervention is divided into two types, antegrade and rendezvous techniques, following EUS-guided pancreatography. In the antegrade technique, pancreaticoenterostomy is carried out by stent placement between the PD and the stomach, duodenum, or jejunum. Transenteric antegrade PD stenting is conducted by stent placement, advancing anteriorly into the PD through the pancreatic tract. The rendezvous technique is carried out by using a guidewire through the papilla or anastomotic site for retrograde stent insertion. In terms of EUS-guided PD stenting, 11 case reports totaling 75 patients (35 normal anatomy, 40 altered anatomy) have been published. The technical success rate was greater than 70%. Early adverse events, including severe hematoma and severe pancreatitis,occurred in seven (63.6%) of 11 reports. Regarding the rendezvous technique, 12 case reports totaling 52 patients (22 normal anatomy, 30 altered anatomy) have been published. The technical success rate ranged from 25% to 100%. It was 48% in one report that involved more than 20 cases. Once stents were placed, all patients became free of symptoms. Early mild adverse events occurred in four (36.4%) of 11 reports. In conclusion, although it can be risky because of possible serious or even fatal adverse events, including pancreatic juice leakage, perforation and severe acute pancreatitis, EUS-PD access seems to be promising for treating symptomatic pancreatic diseases caused by PD stricture and pancreaticoenterostomy stricture. © 2013 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2013 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

  20. Progression of symptomatic intracranial large artery atherosclerosis is associated with a proinflammatory state and impaired fibrinolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arenillas, Juan F; Alvarez-Sabín, José; Molina, Carlos A; Chacón, Pilar; Fernández-Cadenas, Israel; Ribó, Marc; Delgado, Pilar; Rubiera, Marta; Penalba, Anna; Rovira, Alex; Montaner, Joan

    2008-05-01

    The molecular pathways involved in the progression of intracranial large artery atherosclerosis (ILA) are largely unknown. Our objective was to prospectively study the relationship between circulating levels of inflammatory markers and fibrinolysis inhibitors, and the risk of progression of symptomatic ILA. Seventy-five consecutive patients with first-ever symptomatic intracranial atherostenosis were studied. Blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), E-selectin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, matrix metalloproteinases 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, and 13, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and lipoprotein(a) were measured 3 months after the qualifying stroke or transient ischemic attack. Thereafter, patients underwent long-term transcranial Doppler follow-up to detect progression of ILA. During a median follow-up time of 23 months, 25 (33%) patients showed ILA progression. Multivariable adjusted Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier curves showed that high baseline level of CRP, E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, matrix metalloproteinase 9, PAI-1, and lipoprotein(a) predicted ILA progression independently of vascular risk factors. Of them, only CRP (CRP>5.5 mg/L; HR, 5.4 [2.3 to 12.7]; P=0.0001) and PAI-1 (PAI-1>23.1 ng/mL; HR, 2.4 [1.0 to 5.8]; P=0.05) predicted ILA progression also independently of the other studied molecules. Progression of symptomatic ILA is associated with a proinflammatory state, as reflected by high levels of inflammatory markers, and with defective fibrinolysis, as indicated by raised concentrations of endogenous fibrinolysis inhibitors.

  1. Advances in the understanding of early Huntington's disease using the functional imaging techniques of PET and SPET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrews, T.C.; Brooks, D.J.

    1998-01-01

    The functional imaging techniques of positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPET) have been used to study regional brain function in Huntington's disease (HD) in vivo. Reduced striatal glucose metabolism and dopamine receptor binding are evident in all symptomatic HD patients and in ∼50% of asymptomatic adult mutation carriers. These characteristics correlate with clinical measures of disease severity. Reduced cortical glucose metabolism and dopamine receptor binding, together with reduced striatal and cortical opioid receptor binding, have also been demonstrated in symptomatic patients with HD. Repeat PET measures of striatal function have been used to monitor the progression of this disease objectively. In the future, functional imaging will provide a valuable way of assessing the efficacy of both fetal striatal cell implants and putative neuroprotective agents, such as nerve growth factors. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  2. Symptomatic Outcomes in Relation to Tumor Expansion After Fractionated Stereotactic Radiation Therapy for Vestibular Schwannomas: Single-Institutional Long-Term Experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aoyama, Hidefumi, E-mail: h-aoyama@med.niigata-u.ac.jp [Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Department of Radiology, Division of Radiation Oncology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata (Japan); Onodera, Shunsuke [Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Takeichi, Norihito [Department of Otolaryngology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Onimaru, Rikiya [Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Terasaka, Shunsuke; Sawamura, Yutaka [Department of Neurosurgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Shirato, Hiroki [Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan)

    2013-02-01

    Purpose: The effect of transient tumor expansion after conventionally fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) on the symptomatic outcomes is not well-known. Methods and Materials: This study enrolled 201 consecutive patients who received SRT for vestibular schwannoma. A conventional fractionation schedule was applied in 194 patients (97%), and 142 (71%) received a total dose of 50 Gy. The median follow-up time was 72 months. Results: The maximum diameter was 9 mm or less in 13 patients, 10-19 mm in 79 patients, 20-29 mm in 87 patients, and 30 mm or greater in 22 patients. At presentation, tumor size of 20 mm or greater was significantly associated with loss of serviceable hearing and trigeminal neuropathy. After SRT, tumor expansion was observed in 42 patients (21%). By tumor size, tumor expansion was observed in 0%, 11.4%, 25.6%, and 50% of patients with tumors of 9 mm or less, 10-19 mm, 20-29 mm, and 30 mm or greater, respectively, in diameter. The tumor expansion was significantly associated with an increased risk of hydrocephalus requiring shunt placement (P=.004), loss of serviceable hearing (P=.0064), and worsening of facial (P<.0001) and trigeminal nerve (P<.0001) functions. Spontaneous tumor shrinkage was observed in 29 of those 42 patients, mostly within 2 years after the expansion, and the majority of the worsened symptoms except for hearing resolved once the tumor had shrunk. As a result, salvage surgical resection for symptomatic relief was required in only 5% of patients. Conclusions: Fractionated SRT could be safely applied even for medium- to large-sized ({>=}20 mm) tumors. However, greater knowledge of the risks and consequences, including transient symptomatic worsening, and the time span of expansion will be required for the follow-up of patients after SRT to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention.

  3. Impact of metabolic syndrome on the prognosis of ischemic stroke secondary to symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis in Chinese patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donghua Mi

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS on prognosis of ischemic stroke secondary to intracranial stenosis in Chinese patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort of 701 patients with ischemic stroke, caused by intracranial stenosis, were followed at 3-month intervals for 1 year to monitor development of recurrent stroke or death. Imaging was performed using magnetic resonance angiography. MetS was defined using International Diabetes Federation (IDF criteria. RESULTS: MetS was identified in 26.0% of the cohort of stroke patients. Patients with MetS were more likely to be female, nonsmokers, and more likely to have a prior history of diabetes mellitus, high blood glucose and a family history of stroke than patients without MetS. During 1-year follow-up, patients with MetS had a non-significantly higher rate of stroke recurrence (7.1% than patients without MetS (3.9%; P = 0.07. There was no difference in mortality (3.3% versus 3.5%, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis (adjusting for gender, BMI, smoking, diabetes, and LDL-C identified an association between that 1-year stroke recurrence and the presence of MetS (hazard ratio 2.30; 95% CI: 1.01-5.22 and large waist circumference (hazard ratio: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.05-5.42. However, multivariable analysis adjusting for the individual components of MetS found no significant associations between MetS and stroke recurrence. There were no associations between these parameters and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis who have MetS, are at higher risk of recurrent stroke than those without MetS. However, MetS was not predictive of stroke recurrence beyond its individual components and one-year mortality.

  4. Atherosclerotic plaque volume and composition in symptomatic carotid arteries assessed with multidetector CT angiography; relationship with severity of stenosis and cardiovascular risk factors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rozie, S.; Weert, T.T. de; Monye, C. de; Homburg, P.J.; Tanghe, H.L.J.; Lugt, A. van der; Dippel, D.W.J.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the volume and the composition of atherosclerotic plaque in symptomatic carotid arteries and to investigate the relationship between these plaque features and the severity of stenosis and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. One hundred patients with cerebrovascular symptoms underwent CT angiography. We measured plaque volume (PV) and the relative contribution of plaque components (calcifications, fibrous tissue, and lipid) in the symptomatic artery. The contribution of different components was measured as the number of voxels within defined ranges of HU values (calcification >130 HU, fibrous tissue 60-130 HU, lipid core <60 HU). Fifty-seven patients had atherosclerotic plaque in the symptomatic carotid artery. The severity of stenosis and PV were moderately correlated. Age and smoking were independently related to PV. Patients with hypercholesterolemia had significantly less lipid and more calcium in their plaques than patients without hypercholesterolemia. Other cardiovascular risk factors were not significantly related to PV or plaque composition. Luminal stenosis of the carotid artery partly reflects the amount of atherosclerotic carotid disease. Plaque volume and plaque composition are associated with cardiovascular risk factors. (orig.)

  5. Atherosclerotic plaque volume and composition in symptomatic carotid arteries assessed with multidetector CT angiography; relationship with severity of stenosis and cardiovascular risk factors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rozie, S.; Weert, T.T. de; Monye, C. de; Homburg, P.J.; Tanghe, H.L.J.; Lugt, A. van der [Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Departments of Radiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Dippel, D.W.J. [Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Neurology, PO Box 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

    2009-09-15

    The purpose of this study was to examine the volume and the composition of atherosclerotic plaque in symptomatic carotid arteries and to investigate the relationship between these plaque features and the severity of stenosis and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. One hundred patients with cerebrovascular symptoms underwent CT angiography. We measured plaque volume (PV) and the relative contribution of plaque components (calcifications, fibrous tissue, and lipid) in the symptomatic artery. The contribution of different components was measured as the number of voxels within defined ranges of HU values (calcification >130 HU, fibrous tissue 60-130 HU, lipid core <60 HU). Fifty-seven patients had atherosclerotic plaque in the symptomatic carotid artery. The severity of stenosis and PV were moderately correlated. Age and smoking were independently related to PV. Patients with hypercholesterolemia had significantly less lipid and more calcium in their plaques than patients without hypercholesterolemia. Other cardiovascular risk factors were not significantly related to PV or plaque composition. Luminal stenosis of the carotid artery partly reflects the amount of atherosclerotic carotid disease. Plaque volume and plaque composition are associated with cardiovascular risk factors. (orig.)

  6. Revascularization of the internal carotid artery for isolated, stenotic, and symptomatic kinking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illuminati, Giulio; Calió, Francesco G; Papaspyropoulos, Vassilios; Montesano, Giuseppe; D'Urso, Antonio

    2003-02-01

    The operation for isolated, stenotic, and symptomatic kinking of the internal carotid artery is safe and effective in preventing stroke and relieving the symptoms of cerebral ischemia. A consecutive sample clinical study with a mean follow-up of 44 months. The surgical department of an academic tertiary care center and an affiliated secondary care center. Fifty-four patients with a mean age of 67 years underwent 55 revascularizations of the internal carotid artery. The surgical procedures consisted of the following: shortening and reimplantation in the common carotid artery in 36 cases, bypass grafting in 15 cases, and transposition into the external carotid artery in 4 cases. Cumulative survival, primary patency, and stroke-free and neurologic symptom-free rates expressed by standard life-table analysis. No patients died in the postoperative period. The postoperative stroke rate was 1.8%. The cumulative rates (SEs) at 5 years were as follows: survival, 70% (10.2%); primary patency, 89% (7.8%); overall stroke free, 92% (6.8%); ipsilateral stroke free, 96% (5.3%); neurologic symptom free, 90% (7.5%); and ipsilateral symptom free, 93% (6.5%). Revascularization of the internal carotid artery for the treatment of isolated, stenotic, and symptomatic kinking is safe and effective in preventing stroke and relieving symptoms of cerebrovascular insufficiency.

  7. Patient radiation exposure during different kyphoplasty techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panizza, Denis; Barbieri, Massimo; Parisoli, Francesco; Moro, Luca

    2014-01-01

    The scope of this study was to quantify patient radiation exposure during two different techniques of kyphoplasty (KP), which differ by a cement delivery method, in order to assess whether or not one of the two used methods can reduce the patient dose. Twenty patients were examined for this investigation. One X-ray fluoroscopy unit was used for localization, navigation and monitoring of cement delivery. The patient biometric data, the setting of the fluoroscope, the exposure time and the kerma-area product (KAP) were monitored in all the procedures for anteroposterior (AP) and lateral (LL) fluoroscopic projections in order to assess the range of radiation doses imparted to the patient. Theoretical entrance skin dose (ESD) and effective dose (E) were calculated from intraoperatively measured KAP. An average ET per procedure was 1.5±0.5 min for the manual injection technique (study A) and 1.4±0.4 min for the distance delivery technique (study B) in the AP plane, while 3.2±0.7 and 5.1±0.6 min in the lateral plane, respectively. ESD was estimated as an average of 0.10±0.06 Gy for study A and 0.13±0.13 Gy for study B in the AP or/and 0.59±0.46 and 1.05±0.36 Gy in the lateral view, respectively. The cumulative mean E was 1.9±1.0 mSv procedure(-1) for study A and 3.6±0.9 mSv procedure(-1) for study B. Patient radiation exposure and associated effective dose from KP may be considerable. The technique of distance cement delivery appears to be slower than the manual injection technique and it requires a more protracted fluoroscopic control in the lateral projection, so that this system entails a higher amount of dose to the patient.

  8. Osteosynthesis for symptomatic ulnar styloid nonunion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kajiwara, Ryoji; Kimori, Kenji; Kawagoe, Hiroyuki; Tsuge, Kenya; Ikuta, Yosikazu

    2008-01-01

    We reviewed cases of osteosynthesis for symptomatic ulnar styloid nonunion. Since 1998, 13 cases of ulnar styloid nonunion have been treated by osteosynthesis. The patients were 10 men and 3 women, with a mean age of 27 years (range 11-65). The nonunion site was located in the middle in one case, in the base in 8 cases, and in the epiphyseal region in 4 cases. Osteosynthesis was performed with tension band wiring in all cases, and cancellous bone graft was performed in 12 of 13 cases. Distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instability was found by radiograph or CT in four cases; in two of these, osteosynthesis alone did not improve DRUJ instability and additional DRUJ stabilization was performed. One patient whose treatment failed to correct nonunion did not seek further treatment. In another case, an additional surgery was performed 1 week after the initial surgery to correct displacement of the fragment. The mean follow-up period was 15 months (range 8-45 months). According to Hauck's criteria, final pain was evaluated as excellent in nine cases, good in three cases, including the case resulting in nonunion, and fair in one case. (author)

  9. Overdiagnosing of femoroacetabular impingement: correlation between clinical presentation and computed tomography in symptomatic patients☆

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canella, Richard Prazeres; Adam, Guilherme Pradi; de Castillo, Roberto André Ulhôa; Codonho, Daniel; Ganev, Gerson Gandhi; de Vicenzi, Luiz Fernando

    2016-01-01

    Objective To correlate the angles between the acetabulum and the proximal femur in symptomatic patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), using computed tomography (CT). Methods We retrospectively evaluated 103 hips from 103 patients, using multislice CT to measure the acetabular age, acetabular version (in its supraequatorial portion and in its middle third), femoral neck version, cervical-diaphyseal and alpha angles and the acetabular depth. For the statistical analysis, we used the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results There were inverse correlations between the following angles: (1) acetabular coverage versus alpha angle (p = 0.019); (2) acetabular version (supraequatorial) versus alpha angle (p = 0.049). For patients with femoral anteversion lower than 15 degrees: (1) acetabular version (supraequatorial) versus alpha angle (p = 0.026); (2) acetabular version (middle third) versus alpha angle (p = 0.02). For patients with acetabular version (supraequatorial) lower than 10 degrees: (1) acetabular version (supraequatorial) versus alpha angle (p = 0.004); (2) acetabular version (middle third) versus alpha angle (p = 0.009). Conclusion There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between the acetabular version and alpha angles (the smaller the acetabular anteversion angle was, the larger the alpha angle was) in symptomatic patients, thus supporting the hypothesis that FAI occurs when cam and pincer findings due to acetabular retroversion are seen simultaneously, and that the latter alone does not cause FAI, which leads to overdiagnosis in these cases. PMID:27069890

  10. At least one in three people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus referred to a diabetes centre has symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Storgaard, H; Mortensen, B; Almdal, T

    2014-01-01

    , diabetic complications or medication use. In multiple regression analyses, age, BMI and HDL cholesterol levels were all significant, independent predictors of obstructive sleep apnoea. CONCLUSIONS: At least one third of people with Type 2 diabetes referred to a diabetes clinic in Denmark has symptomatic......AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea in unselected patients with Type 2 diabetes referred to a tertiary diabetes clinic. METHODS: In a cross-sectional design, all newly referred patients were offered a stepwise screening for obstructive sleep apnoea with: (1...... obstructive sleep apnoea. Our data suggest higher age, a compromised plasma lipid profile and a more obese phenotype in patients with Type 2 diabetes who have obstructive sleep apnoea, highlighting the need to focus on screening and treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in these patients....

  11. Hip Arthroscopy Outcomes With Respect to Patient Acceptable Symptomatic State and Minimal Clinically Important Difference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy, David M; Kuhns, Benjamin D; Chahal, Jaskarndip; Philippon, Marc J; Kelly, Bryan T; Nho, Shane J

    2016-09-01

    To determine whether the hip arthroscopy literature to date has shown outcomes consistent with published patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) estimates. All clinical investigations of hip arthroscopy using modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and/or Hip Outcome Score (HOS) outcomes with at least 1 year of follow-up were reviewed. Ninety-one studies (9,746 hips) were included for review. Eighty-one studies (9,317 hips) contained only primary hip arthroscopies and were the primary focus of this review. The remaining studies (429 hips) did not exclude patients with prior surgical history and were thus considered separately. Mean mHHS, HOS-ADL (Activities of Daily Living) and HOS-SS (Sports-Specific) scores were compared with previously published PASS and MCID values. After 31 ± 20 months, 5.8% of study populations required revision arthroscopy and 5.5% total hip arthroplasty. A total of 88%, 25%, and 30% of study populations met PASS for mHHS, HOS-ADL, and HOS-SS, respectively, and 97%, 90%, and 93% met MCID. On bivariate analysis, increasing age was associated with significantly worse postoperative mHHS (P arthroscopy, we have found that more than 90% of study populations meet MCID standards for the most commonly used patient-reported outcomes measures in hip arthroscopy literature, mHHS and HOS. Eighty-eight percent meet PASS standards for the mHHS, but PASS standards are far more difficult to achieve for HOS-ADL (25%) and HOS-SS (30%) subscales. Differences in psychometric properties of the mHHS and HOS likely account for the discrepancies in PASS. Level IV, systematic review of Level I to IV studies. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Differential gene expression in patients with subsyndromal symptomatic depression and major depressive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chengqing; Hu, Guoqin; Li, Zezhi; Wang, Qingzhong; Wang, Xuemei; Yuan, Chengmei; Wang, Zuowei; Hong, Wu; Lu, Weihong; Cao, Lan; Chen, Jun; Wang, Yong; Yu, Shunying; Zhou, Yimin; Yi, Zhenghui; Fang, Yiru

    2017-01-01

    Subsyndromal symptomatic depression (SSD) is a subtype of subthreshold depressive and can lead to significant psychosocial functional impairment. Although the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and SSD still remains poorly understood, a set of studies have found that many same genetic factors play important roles in the etiology of these two disorders. Nowadays, the differential gene expression between MDD and SSD is still unknown. In our previous study, we compared the expression profile and made the classification with the leukocytes by using whole-genome cRNA microarrays among drug-free first-episode subjects with SSD, MDD and matched healthy controls (8 subjects in each group), and finally determined 48 gene expression signatures. Based on these findings, we further clarify whether these genes mRNA was different expressed in peripheral blood in patients with SSD, MDD and healthy controls (60 subjects respectively). With the help of the quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), we gained gene relative expression levels among the three groups. We found that there are three of the forty eight co-regulated genes had differential expression in peripheral blood among the three groups, which are CD84, STRN, CTNS gene (F = 3.528, p = 0.034; F = 3.382, p = 0.039; F = 3.801, p = 0.026, respectively) while there were no significant differences for other genes. CD84, STRN, CTNS gene may have significant value for performing diagnostic functions and classifying SSD, MDD and healthy controls.

  13. Altered processing of rewarding and aversive basic taste stimuli in symptomatic women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: An fMRI study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteleone, Alessio Maria; Monteleone, Palmiero; Esposito, Fabrizio; Prinster, Anna; Volpe, Umberto; Cantone, Elena; Pellegrino, Francesca; Canna, Antonietta; Milano, Walter; Aiello, Marco; Di Salle, Francesco; Maj, Mario

    2017-07-01

    Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have displayed a dysregulation in the way in which the brain processes pleasant taste stimuli in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). However, exactly how the brain processes disgusting basic taste stimuli has never been investigated, even though disgust plays a role in food intake modulation and AN and BN patients exhibit high disgust sensitivity. Therefore, we investigated the activation of brain areas following the administration of pleasant and aversive basic taste stimuli in symptomatic AN and BN patients compared to healthy subjects. Twenty underweight AN women, 20 symptomatic BN women and 20 healthy women underwent fMRI while tasting 0.292 M sucrose solution (sweet taste), 0.5 mM quinine hydrochloride solution (bitter taste) and water as a reference taste. In symptomatic AN and BN patients the pleasant sweet stimulus induced a higher activation in several brain areas than that induced by the aversive bitter taste. The opposite occurred in healthy controls. Moreover, compared to healthy controls, AN patients showed a decreased response to the bitter stimulus in the right amygdala and left anterior cingulate cortex, while BN patients showed a decreased response to the bitter stimulus in the right amygdala and left insula. These results show an altered processing of rewarding and aversive taste stimuli in ED patients, which may be relevant for understanding the pathophysiology of AN and BN. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Interleukin-1β and tumour necrosis factor-α levels in conjunctiva of diabetic patients with symptomatic moderate dry eye: case–control study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chen; Xi, Lei; Zhao, Shaozhen; Wei, Ruihua; Huang, Yue; Yang, Ruibo; Su, Long; Liu, Xun

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To compare expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the conjunctiva of diabetic and non-diabetic patients with symptomatic moderate dry eye. Setting and participants Nineteen diabetic patients with dry eye, 15 non-diabetic patients with dry eye and 14 diabetic patients without dry eye were recruited. The relative expression of IL-1β and TNF-α in conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) specimens was evaluated using immunofluorescent staining and in conjunctival biopsy specimens using immunohistochemical staining. Results The diabetic dry eye group showed significantly higher grades of metaplasia than the non-diabetic dry eye and diabetic without dry eye groups (both pdry eye group was significantly increased compared with the non-diabetic dry eye and diabetic without dry eye groups (p=0.002, pdry eye, while levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in apical conjunctival epithelium were similar in the CIC specimens. These findings suggest that the inflammatory response is not limited to the surface of conjunctival epithelial cells, and is more serious in the basal layer of the epithelium, which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of dry eye in diabetic patients. PMID:27489152

  15. Current management of symptomatic intracranial stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Robert A; Weigele, John B; Kasner, Scott E

    2011-08-01

    Intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS) is the cause of about 10% of all ischemic strokes in the United States, but may account for about 40% of strokes in some populations. After a stroke or transient ischemic attack due to IAS, patients face a 12% annual risk of recurrent stroke on medical therapy, with most strokes occurring in the first year. Warfarin is no better than aspirin in preventing recurrent strokes but poses a higher risk of serious bleeding and death. Groups with the highest risk of recurrent stroke are those with high-grade (≥ 70%) stenosis, those with recent symptom onset, those with symptoms precipitated by hemodynamic maneuvers, and women. Endovascular treatment of IAS is a rapidly evolving therapeutic option. Antiplatelet agents are currently recommended as the primary treatment for symptomatic IAS, with endovascular therapy reserved for appropriate high-risk cases refractory to medical therapy.

  16. CURRENT PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: SPECIFIC FEATURES OF SYMPTOMATIC AND DISEASE MODIFYING EFFECTS. COMMUNICATION 1. SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE SYMPTOMATIC EFFECTS OF CURRENT DRUGS TO TREAT KNEE OSTHEOARTHRITIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. S. Tsvetkova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to study the specific features of the symptomatic effect and tolerability of acetaminophen, glucosamine sulfate (GS, chondroitin sulfate (CS, and meloxicam in patents with knee osteoarthritis (OA. Subjects and methods. An 18-month open-label randomized prospective parallel-group trial enrolled 80 patients with knee OA who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria and signed the informed consent. They had Kellgren and Lawrence grades O-III OA with visual analogue scale pain intensity of ≥ 40 mm in the target knee, a body mass index of ≤ 35 kg/m2, and no clinical dysfunctions of vital organs and systems. The patients were randomized into 4 groups: 1 acetaminophen 2 g daily; 2 a standard GS regimen; 3 a standard CS regimen; 4 meloxicam 15 mg daily. The patients were followed up for 18 months. The effectiveness was evaluated by the WOMAC questionnaire, Leguesne index, and OMERACT-OARSI (D scenario during 8 visits. Laboratory and clinical examination as well as electrocardiography were performed. Adverse events were recorded during each visit.Results. After 4 weeks of treatment, symptomatic improvement was noted in all groups; however, the best effect was achieved by the use of meloxicam that ensured an obvious improvement in all patients. According to the OMERACT-OARSI criteria and changes in the WOMAC and Leguesne indices, the total efficacy of meloxicam was also highest. 20, 10, and 15% of the patients failed to respond to treatment in the acetaminophen, GS, and CS groups, respectively. Conclusion. The results of this trial suggest that it is expedient to use GS, CS, and meloxicam long, support the recent guidelines of the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and OA (ESCEO, and can give proofs of the efficiency and safety of GS, CS, and meloxicam used in the treatment of knee OA.

  17. Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Salvage Surgery for Symptomatic Residual Cystic Craniopharyngioma after Radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emanuelli, Enzo; Frasson, Giuliana; Cazzador, Diego; Borsetto, Daniele; Denaro, Luca

    2018-04-01

    Objectives  Ideal treatment of craniopharyngiomas is still controversial. Radiotherapy (RT) is considered effective for recurrences or after subtotal tumor removal (STR). About 40 to 50% of patients may experience tumor cyst expansion soon after RT; in these cases, the role of salvage surgery is debated. Design  Operative video. Setting  Tertiary care center. Participants  An 11-year-old boy diagnosed with persistent craniopharyngioma. In 2015, the patient underwent right frontotemporal craniotomy for STR at another center, complicated by panhypopituitarism. Two years later, fractionated 54-Gy RT was performed on growing residual tumor. After 3 months, he was admitted to our hospital due to persistent malaise, vomiting, pulsating headache, and epistaxis. Ophthalmologic evaluation evidenced left homonymous hemianopsia. Results  A contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 27-mm cystic component enlarging from the cranial end of the persistent craniopharyngioma lesion, extending into the third ventricle. Biventricular hydrocephalus and brain midline shift to the right were present. Compared with the early post-RT MRI, the cystic component of the tumor demonstrated growth. The patient underwent external ventricular drainage placement for emergent treatment of hydrocephalus and endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. After cystic content drainage, the lesion was completely removed with its capsule. A "gasket seal" technique was performed for skull base reconstruction, with autologous fascia lata, septal bone, and mucoperiosteum from inferior turbinate. Histologic examination confirmed the craniopharyngioma diagnosis. Postoperative MRI showed resolution of the hydrocephalus and complete tumor removal. Conclusion  Although shrinkage of cystic components of craniopharyngioma residuals may occur within 5 to 6 months after RT, salvage surgery is indicated in symptomatic patients. The link to the video can be found at https://youtu.be/4x6Qe76bf60 .

  18. The use of ultrasonography and digital mammography in women under 40 years with symptomatic breast cancer: a 7-year Irish experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redmond, C E; Healy, G M; Murphy, C F; O'Doherty, A; Foster, A

    2017-02-01

    Breast cancer in women under 40 years of age is rare and typically presents symptomatically. The optimal imaging modality for this patient group is controversial. Most women undergo ultrasonography with/without mammography. Young women typically have dense breasts, which can obscure the features of malignancy on film mammography, however, initial studies have suggested that digital mammography may have a more accurate diagnostic performance in younger women. Ultrasound generally performs well in this age group, although it is poor at detecting carcinoma in situ (DCIS). To evaluate the comparative diagnostic performance of ultrasonography and digital mammography in the initial diagnostic evaluation of women under 40 years of age with symptomatic breast cancer. Retrospective review of all women under the age of 40 years managed at our symptomatic breast cancer unit from January 2009 to December 2015. There were 120 patients that met the inclusion criteria for this study. The sensitivity of ultrasonography and digital mammography for breast cancer in this patient group was 95.8 and 87.5 %, respectively. The patients with a false negative mammographic examination were more likely to have dense breasts (p breast cancer in women under the age of 40 years, however, the results show that digital mammography has an important complimentary role in the comprehensive assessment of these patients, particularly in the diagnosis of DCIS.

  19. Efficacy of mepivacaine-tramadol combination on the success of inferior alveolar nerve blocks in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-Wong, L; Pozos-Guillen, A; Silva-Herzog, D; Chavarría-Bolaños, D

    2016-04-01

    To compare the success of an inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) after injecting a combination of mepivacaine and tramadol or mepivacaine alone in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP) in mandibular permanent molars. This study was a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Two study groups were selected, each consisting of 28 patients who exhibited SIP on the first or second mandibular molars. All included patients presented with moderate-to-severe preoperative pain according to the modified Heft-Parker visual analogue scale (VAS). Patients were anaesthetized using the IANB technique employing identical cartridges that contained either 1.3 mL of 2% mepivacaine with epinephrine 1 : 100 000 plus 0.5 mL of tramadol 50 mg mL(-1) (experimental group) or 1.8 mL of 2% mepivacaine with epinephrine 1 : 100 000 (control group). After 15 min, anaesthesia was evaluated by a progressive four-test examination, that is numbness of the lip, positive or negative cold test, asymptomatic management of dental hard tissues and access to dental pulp. Success of the IANB was defined as the absence of pain during any of these evaluations. The data were analysed with a chi-square, Fisher's or Mann-Whitney U test. A total of 74 patients were initially assessed, with 56 patients eventually included and 18 excluded. No significant differences in age (P = 0.384) or gender (P = 1) were found between the two groups. The success rates of anaesthesia with the IANB for the experimental and control groups were 57.1 and 46.4%, respectively. The success rate of anaesthesia in the experimental group was not significantly different (P ˃ 0.05) from that of the control group. The duration of the anaesthetic effect was significantly longer for the experimental group (P = 0.026). The combination of mepivacaine-tramadol achieved similar success rates for IANB when compared to mepivacaine 2% epinephrine 1 : 100 000. There was no significant difference in the anaesthetic efficacy

  20. Risk factors for pericardial effusion after chemoradiotherapy for thoracic esophageal cancer-comparison of four-field technique and traditional two opposed fields technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takata, Noriko; Kataoka, Masaaki; Hamamoto, Yasushi; Tsuruoka, Shintaro; Kanzaki, Hiromitsu; Uwatsu, Kotaro; Nagasaki, Kei; Mochizuki, Teruhito

    2018-04-11

    Pericardial effusion is an important late toxicity after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locally advanced esophageal cancer. We investigated the clinical and dosimetric factors that were related to pericardial effusion among patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who were treated with definitive CCRT using the two opposed fields technique (TFT) or the four-field technique (FFT), as well as the effectiveness of FFT. During 2007-2015, 169 patients with middle and/or lower thoracic esophageal cancer received definitive CCRT, and 94 patients were evaluable (51 FFT cases and 43 TFT cases). Pericardial effusion was observed in 74 patients (79%) and appeared at 1-18.5 months (median: 5.25 months) after CCRT. The 1-year incidences of pericardial effusions were 73.2% and 76.7% in the FFT and TFT groups, respectively (P = 0.6395). The mean doses to the pericardium were 28.6 Gy and 31.8 Gy in the FFT and TFT groups, respectively (P = 0.0259), and the V40 Gy proportions were 33.5% and 48.2% in the FFT and TFT groups, respectively (P effusion was not observed in patients with a pericardial V40 Gy of effusion after CCRT were similar in both groups. As symptomatic pericardial effusion was not observed in patients with a pericardial V40 Gy of effusion.

  1. Sex differences in the characteristics and short-term prognosis of patients presenting with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deisy Barrios

    Full Text Available We sought to examine sex-related differences in the characteristics and outcome in patients presenting with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE.We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 2,096 patients diagnosed with acute PE. The characteristics were recorded at presentation. Treatment was at the discretion of patients' physicians. The primary study outcome, all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes of PE-specific mortality, recurrent venous thromboembolism, and major bleeding were assessed during the first month of follow-up after PE diagnosis.Overall, the women were older than the men and had significantly higher rates of immobilization. They had significantly lower rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. Women had a higher prevalence of syncope and elevated brain natriuretic peptide levels. Thirty-day all-cause mortality was similar between women and men (7.1% versus 6.2%; P = 0.38. Male gender was not independently significantly associated with PE-related death (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.02; 95% CI, 0.50 to 2.07; P = 0.96. Restricting the analyses to haemodynamically stable patients (n = 2,021, female gender was an independent predictor of all-cause (adjusted OR 1.56; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.28; P = 0.02 and PE-specific mortality (adjusted OR 1.85; 95% CI, 1.02 to 3.33; P = 0.04. Compared with men, women were 2.05 times more likely to experience a major bleed.Women and men with PE had different clinical characteristics, presentation, and outcomes. Women receiving anticoagulation have a significantly higher risk of major bleeding, suggesting the need for careful monitoring of anticoagulant intensity in women.

  2. Concentration of plasma haptoglobin and symptomatic cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FAN Yi-mu

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The relation of plasma haptoglobin concentration to symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (SCVS after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH was investigated. The plasma concentration of haptoglobin was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. SCVS was determined by aggravated headache, deteriorated conscious state a few days after ictus or by new neurologic impairment and new ischemic injuries on repeated CT scans. The mean concentration of plasma haptoglobin in 19 patients with SCVS was (0.29 ± 0.14 g/L, whereas it was (0.78 ± 0.48 g/L in 24 patients without SCVS. These findings may suggest that plasma haptoglobin concentration seems to be associated with the development of SCVS after SAH.

  3. Pes anserine bursitis: incidence in symptomatic knees and clinical presentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rennie, W.J. [Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Department of Radiology, Stanmore, Middlesex (United Kingdom); Saifuddin, A. [Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Department of Radiology, Stanmore, Middlesex (United Kingdom); University College London, Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Sciences (United Kingdom)

    2005-07-01

    To determine the prevalence and associated clinical symptoms of pes anserine bursitis in symptomatic adult knees. A retrospective review was performed of the reports of 509 knee MRI studies obtained from July 1998 to June 2004 on 488 patients presenting to an orthopaedic clinic with knee pain suspected to be due to internal derangement. The MRI studies and case histories of all patients reported to have pes anserine bursitis were reviewed. The management of these patients was also noted. The prevalence of pes anserine bursitis as detected on MRI is 2.5%. The commonest clinical presentation was pain along the medial joint line mimicking a medial meniscal tear. We suggest that an accurate diagnosis of pes anserine bursitis on MRI will help prevent unnecessary arthroscopy and possibly initiate early treatment of the condition. Axial imaging is important in these cases to differentiate the bursa from other medial fluid collections. (orig.)

  4. Pes anserine bursitis: incidence in symptomatic knees and clinical presentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rennie, W.J.; Saifuddin, A.

    2005-01-01

    To determine the prevalence and associated clinical symptoms of pes anserine bursitis in symptomatic adult knees. A retrospective review was performed of the reports of 509 knee MRI studies obtained from July 1998 to June 2004 on 488 patients presenting to an orthopaedic clinic with knee pain suspected to be due to internal derangement. The MRI studies and case histories of all patients reported to have pes anserine bursitis were reviewed. The management of these patients was also noted. The prevalence of pes anserine bursitis as detected on MRI is 2.5%. The commonest clinical presentation was pain along the medial joint line mimicking a medial meniscal tear. We suggest that an accurate diagnosis of pes anserine bursitis on MRI will help prevent unnecessary arthroscopy and possibly initiate early treatment of the condition. Axial imaging is important in these cases to differentiate the bursa from other medial fluid collections. (orig.)

  5. Management of symptomatic vertebral haemangioma in a resource challenged environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adeolu, Augustine A; Balogun, James A; Adeleye, Amos O; Adeoye, Peter O; Okolo, Clement A; Ogbole, Godwin I

    2010-07-01

    Vertebral haemangiomas are benign lesions and often asymptomatic. They are more common in the thoracic spine where they may become symptomatic with varying presentations. We present two teenage girls who presented with progressive, nontraumatic paraparesis with no background history of chronic cough or underlying medical illness. The radiologic investigations were suggestive of vertebral haemangiomas of the thoracic spine. They had surgery: transthoracic approach with corpectomy and fusion with iliac crest autograft. The posterior stabilisation in the first patient was with Rush nails and circlage wire and only circlage wire in the second patient. The first patient's post-operative recovery was complicated by graft extrusion necessitating re-opening thoracotomy and graft replacement. They are, however, both ambulant at discharge and have remained so 13 and 15 months post-surgery. We have presented two cases with rewarding outcomes in the face of 'adaptive' instrumentation due to limited resources.

  6. Patient radiation exposure during different kyphoplasty techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panizza, D.; Barbieri, M.; Parisoli, F.; Moro, L.

    2014-01-01

    The scope of this study was to quantify patient radiation exposure during two different techniques of kyphoplasty (KP), which differ by a cement delivery method, in order to assess whether or not one of the two used methods can reduce the patient dose. Twenty patients were examined for this investigation. One X-ray fluoroscopy unit was used for localization, navigation and monitoring of cement delivery. The patient bio-metric data, the setting of the fluoroscope, the exposure time and the kerma-area product (KAP) were monitored in all the procedures for anteroposterior (AP) and lateral (LL) fluoroscopic projections in order to assess the range of radiation doses imparted to the patient. Theoretical entrance skin dose (ESD) and effective dose (E) were calculated from intraoperatively measured KAP. An average ET per procedure was 1.5±0.5 min for the manual injection technique (study A) and 1.4±0.4 min for the distance delivery technique (study B) in the AP plane, while 3.2±0.7 and 5.1±0.6 min in the lateral plane, respectively. ESD was estimated as an average of 0.10±0.06 Gy for study A and 0.13±0.13 Gy for study B in the AP or/and 0.59±0.46 and 1.05±0.36 Gy in the lateral view, respectively. The cumulative mean E was 1.9±1.0 mSv procedure -1 for study A and 3.6±0.9 mSv procedure -1 for study B. Patient radiation exposure and associated effective dose from KP may be considerable. The technique of distance cement delivery appears to be slower than the manual injection technique and it requires a more protracted fluoroscopic control in the lateral projection, so that this system entails a higher amount of dose to the patient. (authors)

  7. Inhalative steroids as an individual treatment in symptomatic lung cancer patients with radiation pneumonitis grade II after radiotherapy – a single-centre experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henkenberens, C.; Janssen, S.; Lavae-Mokhtari, M.; Leni, K.; Meyer, A.; Christiansen, H.; Bremer, M.; Dickgreber, N.

    2016-01-01

    To assess efficacy of our single-centre experience with inhalative steroids (IS) in lung cancer patients with symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP) grade II. Between 05/09 and 07/10, 24 patients (female, n = 8; male, n = 16) with lung cancer (non-small cell lung carcinoma [NSCLC]: n = 19; small cell lung cancer [SCLC]: n = 3; unknown histology: n = 2) and good performance status (ECOG ≤1) received definitive radiotherapy to the primary tumour site and involved lymph nodes with concurrent chemotherapy (n = 18), sequential chemotherapy (n = 2) or radiation only (n = 4) and developed symptomatic RP grade II during follow-up. No patient presented with oxygen requiring RP grade III. The mean age at diagnosis was 66 years (range: 50–82 years). Nine patients suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) before treatment, and 18 patients had a smoking history (median pack years: 48). The mean lung dose was 15.5 Gy (range: 3.0–23.1 Gy). All patients were treated with IS. If a patient’s clinical symptoms did not significantly improve within two weeks of IS therapy initiation, their treatment was switched to oral prednisolone. All 24 patients were initially treated with a high dose IS (budesonide 800 μg 1-0-1) for 14 days. Of the patients, 18 showed a significant improvement of clinical symptoms and 6 patients did not show significant improvement of clinical symptoms and were classified as non-responders to IS. Their treatment was switched to oral steroids after two weeks (starting with oral prednisolone, 0.5 mg/kg bodyweight; at least 50 mg per day). All of these patients responded to the prednisolone. None of non-responders presented with increased symptoms of RP and required oxygen and / or hospitalization (RP grade III). The median follow-up after IS treatment initiation was 18 months (range: 4–66 months). The median duration of IS treatment and prednisolone treatment was 8.2 months (range: 3.0–48.3 months) and 11.4 months (range: 5.0–44

  8. Postoperative Reverse Remodeling and Symptomatic Improvement in Normal-Flow Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis After Aortic Valve Replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter-Storch, Rasmus; Møller, Jacob E; Christensen, Nicolaj L; Irmukhadenov, Akhmadjon; Rasmussen, Lars M; Pecini, Redi; Øvrehus, Kristian A; Søndergård, Eva V; Marcussen, Niels; Dahl, Jordi S

    2017-12-01

    Severe aortic stenosis (AS) most often presents with reduced aortic valve area (gradient (≥40 mm Hg; normal-flow high-gradient AS) or low mean gradient (normal-flow low-gradient [NFLG] AS). The benefit of aortic valve replacement (AVR) among NFLG patients is controversial. We compared the impact of NFLG condition on preoperative left ventricular (LV) remodeling and myocardial fibrosis and postoperative remodeling and symptomatic benefit. Eighty-seven consecutive patients with reduced aortic valve area and normal stroke volume index undergoing AVR underwent echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, a 6-minute walk test, and measurement of natriuretic peptides before and 1 year after AVR. Myocardial fibrosis was assessed from magnetic resonance imaging. Patients were stratified as NFLG or normal-flow high-gradient. In total, 33 patients (38%) had NFLG. Before AVR, they were characterized by similar symptom burden but less severe AS measured by aortic valve area index (0.50±0.09 versus 0.40±0.08 cm 2 /m 2 ; P gradient condition independently predicted change in LV mass index. Patients with NFLG had less severe AS and LV remodeling than patients with normal-flow high-gradient. Furthermore, NFLG patients experienced less reverse remodeling but the same symptomatic benefit. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02316587. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  9. Vitamin K antagonists or low-molecular-weight heparin for the long term treatment of symptomatic venous thromboembolism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Heijden, J. F.; Hutten, B. A.; Büller, H. R.; Prins, M. H.

    2000-01-01

    Patients who have had an episode of symptomatic venous thromboembolism are usually treated for at least five days with intravenous unfractionated heparin or subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin. Thereafter, they received a three month course of a vitamin K antagonist, with a dose adjusted to

  10. Global reduction of cerebral glucose metabolism in persons with symptomatic as well as asymptomatic lacunar infarction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Wakoh; Takagi, Shigeharu; Shinohara, Yukito; Ide, Michiru; Shohtsu, Akira

    2000-01-01

    To clarify the hemodynamic changes in lacunar infarction, we evaluated cerebral glucose metabolism by using positron emission tomography with 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) in patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic lacunar infarction and in persons without cerebral infarction on MRI. Subjects in this study were 27 patients with symptomatic lacunar infarction (SCI group), 73 subjects with asymptomatic lacunar infarction (ACI group), and 134 persons without infarction (NC group). CMRgI in the ACI group was significantly lower than that in the NC group in the cerebral cortex (P<0.05) and thalamus (P<0.05). CMRgI in the SCI group was significantly reduced from that in the NC group in the cerebral cortex (P<0.005), basal ganglia (P<0.001), thalamus (P<0.05) and white matter (P<0.005). The reduction in CMRgI in the SCI group was more severe than that in the ACI group in basal ganglia (P<0.05) and thalamus (P<0.05). Our results indicated that glucose metabolism in patients with asymptomatic lacunar infarction is reduced throughout the whole brain as compared with non-infarcted elderly persons. Follow-up and treatment of risk factors if present, may be necessary in such patients. (author)

  11. Endovascular management of pancreatitis-related pseudoaneurysms: A review of techniques.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bartosz Zabicki

    Full Text Available To present the various techniques used in the management of pancreatitis-related pseudoaneurysms of visceral vessels.The retrospective clinical study was carried out at the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at Poznan University of Medical Sciences from 2011 to 2016. The fifteen patients included in the study were diagnosed with pseudoaneurysms of visceral arteries, as a complication of chronic pancreatitis. The diagnosis was made using contrast-enhanced computed tomography, followed by angiography. On admission, all patients were symptomatic, with varying degrees of abdominal pain. One patient was haemodynamically unstable. Treatments with endovascular techniques were analysed, along with their efficacy and outcomes. Coil embolisation was performed in 5 patients. Stent graft was used in 1 patient. Liquid embolic agents were used in 7 cases, of which 5 patients were treated with thrombin injection and 2 with Squid. A combination of techniques was used in 2 patients.The most common artery affected by pseudoaneurysm formation was the splenic artery (7/15; 46.7%, and the size of the pseudoaneurysms ranged from 27 mm to 85 mm. Primary technical success was achieved in 14 out of 15 patients (93.3%. One patient required reintervention. Two patients required splenectomy after embolisation due to splenic ischemia. No recanalisation was present at the follow-up computed tomography performed after 1 to 3 weeks, and no mortality was observed within 30 days.Vascular complications of pancreatitis require accurate diagnosis and immediate treatment. Endovascular intervention is highly effective and is the preferred treatment option. The technique used is determined based on vascular anatomy and the patient's haemodynamic status.

  12. Resolving external pancreatic fistulas in patients with disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome: using rendezvous techniques to avoid surgery (with video).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irani, Shayan; Gluck, Michael; Ross, Andrew; Gan, S Ian; Crane, Robert; Brandabur, John J; Hauptmann, Ellen; Fotoohi, Mehran; Kozarek, Richard A

    2012-09-01

    endoprostheses placed into the lesser sac. A second technique was used in 3 patients where EUS was used to avoid large varices and create a fistula to the percutaneous drainage catheter. Wires were delivered transenterally then grasped by an interventional radiologist. The new fistula was dilated, and, again, two endoprostheses were placed. Two patients underwent a rendezvous technique that resulted in transpapillary stents and removal of percutaneous catheters. The median duration to EPF closure was 7 days (range 1-73 days) during a median follow-up of 25 months (range 6-113 months). No EPF has recurred in any patient, although 3 symptomatic fluid collections have occurred. These collections have been successfully treated with combined percutaneous and endoscopic treatment or endoscopic treatment alone. One patient had postprocedural fever. There were no associated deaths. Small, selected group of patients without a comparative group. The management of EPFs in the setting of DPDS is challenging but can be treated effectively by combined endoscopic and percutaneous rendezvous techniques. The rendezvous procedures were associated with minimal morbidity, no mortality, avoidance of surgery, and complete elimination of the EPFs. Copyright © 2012. Published by Mosby, Inc.

  13. Functional and quantitative magnetic resonance myelography of symptomatic stenoses of the lumbar spine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eberhardt, Knut [District Hospital Castle of Werneck, MRI Center of Excellence, Werneck (Germany); Ganslandt, Oliver [University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Neurosurgery, Erlangen (Germany); Stadlbauer, Andreas [University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Neurosurgery, Erlangen (Germany); Medical University Vienna, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Vienna (Austria)

    2014-12-15

    The objective of this study was to demonstrate that functional, quantitative magnetic resonance myelography (MRM) allows standardized diagnosis of symptomatic lumbar spinal stenoses which show at least equal detectability compared to functional myelography and postmyelographic CT (pmCT) based on intra- and postoperative findings. We investigated 43 volunteers and 47 patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenoses using MRM in normal position as well as in flexion and extension in a standard whole-body MR scanner. Twenty volunteers were additionally examined under axial loading. All patients were investigated by functional myelography and pmCT and 10 patients had a functional lumbar MRM postoperatively. Range of motion and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes in normal position, flexion, extension, and under axial loading (volunteers) were assessed for each segment. Detectability was determined by using intraoperative findings, and postoperative freedom of symptoms was correlated with CSF volume changes in MRM. The ranges of motion in a standard whole-body MR scanner provide adequate scope for investigations into function (flexion and extension) in both volunteers and patients. Axial loading was associated with a mechanism of extension, albeit to a far smaller extent. Detectability of lumbar stenoses was 100 % for MRM, 58 % for conventional myelography, and 68 % for pmCT. Postoperative changes in CSF volume of levels with stenoses in MRM strongly correlated with freedom of symptoms (R = 0.772). This MRM method allows for exact diagnosis and reproducible quantification of stenoses, motion-related changes, and spondylolistheses of the lumbar spine. It may be useful for early detection of alterations in order to avoid neuronal compression. (orig.)

  14. Combined anatomical and functional imaging using coronary CT angiography and myocardial perfusion SPECT in symptomatic adults with abnormal origin of a coronary artery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uebleis, C; Groebner, M; von Ziegler, F; Becker, A; Rischpler, C; Tegtmeyer, R; Becker, C; Lehner, S; Haug, A R; Cumming, P; Bartenstein, P; Franz, W M; Hacker, M

    2012-10-01

    There has been a lack of standardized workup guidelines for patients with congenital abnormal origin of a coronary artery from the opposite sinus (ACAOS). We aimed to evaluate the use of cardiac hybrid imaging using multi-detector row CT (MDCT) for coronary CT angiography (Coronary CTA) and stress-rest myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) for comprehensive diagnosis of symptomatic adult patients with ACAOS. Seventeen symptomatic patients (12 men; 54 ± 13 years) presenting with ACAOS underwent coronary CTA and MPS. Imaging data were analyzed by conventional means, and with additional use of 3D image fusion to allocate stress induced perfusion defects (PD) to their supplying coronary arteries. An anomalous RCA arose from the left anterior sinus in eight patients, an abnormal origin from the right sinus was detected in nine patients (5 left coronary arteries, LCA and 4 LCx). Five of the 17 patients (29%) demonstrated a reversible PD in MPS. There was no correlation between the anatomical variants of ACAOS and the presence of myocardial ischemia. Image fusion enabled the allocation of reversible PD to the anomalous vessel in three patients (two cases in the RCA and the other in the LCA territory); PD in two patients were allocated to the territory of artery giving rise to the anomalies, rather than the anomalies themselves. In a small cohort of adult symptomatic patients with ACAOS anomaly there was no relation found between the specific anatomical variant and the appearance of stress induced myocardial ischemia using cardiac hybrid imaging.

  15. First case report of M1 macrophage polarization in an untreated symptomatic patient with toxoplasmosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Luca, Graziano; Di Lisio, Chiara; Lattanzio, Giuseppe; D'Antuono, Tommaso; Liberatore, Marcella; Aiello, Francesca Bianca

    2018-03-27

    In immunocompetent patients, acute toxoplasmosis is usually asymptomatic. We identified M1 macrophages in a case of symptomatic acute Toxoplasma gondii infection that resolved without treatment. M1 macrophages have been demonstrated in animal models of toxoplasmosis, but not in humans. A 63-year-old woman presented with laterocervical and axillary bilateral lymphadenopathy. Her anamnesis defined an episode of high fever and prolonged asthenia 4 months previously, which suggested an infectious disease. Following laboratory, radiological, and pathological analyses, she was diagnosed with toxoplasmosis. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed on lymph node sections. More than 50% of the macrophages in the lymph node microgranulomas were M1 macrophages, defined by CD68 + /p-Stat1 + staining, and the presence of T helper 1 lymphocytes indicated an immune response known to induce M1 macrophage polarization. Activated endothelial cells were found only in inflamed areas. No therapy was administered before or after diagnosis, and the lymphadenopathy resolved after a follow-up of 5 months. This is the first report to demonstrate the presence of M1 macrophages in human toxoplasmosis. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis, and encourage further studies on the role of macrophage polarization in human toxoplasmosis.

  16. Fatty acid metabolism in symptomatic patients with mitral valve prolapse but without coronary artery disease - comparison with 201Tl myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voth, E.; Schicha, H.; Neumann, P.; Emrich, D.; Tebbe, U.

    1987-01-01

    Using 123 I-ω-heptadecanoic acid (HDA) and 201 Tl, respectively, myocardial fatty acid metabolism and perfusion were studied in 51 symptomatic patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) as diagnosed by ventriculography, and no evidence of coronary artery disease. Twelve subjects with normal coronary arteries and normal ventriculogram served as a control group for the evaluation of elimination kinetics of HDA. In the control group, the mean elimination half-life was 26.1±3.6 min, whereas the patients with MVP had a mean value of 25.0±6.4 min. In patients with MVP, a high incidence concerning abnormalities of accumulation and/or elimination of HDA occurred, namely accumulation defects in 31% and both prolonged and shortened elimination half-lives in 16% and 29%, respectively. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy using 201 Tl showed abnormalities in 76%. Correlations were found between decreased uptake of HDA and prolonged elimination half-life as well as defects by 201 Tl, presumably due to ischemia based on small-vessel disease or abnormalities of cellular metabolism. (orig.) [de

  17. Risk of malignant arrhythmias in initially symptomatic patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: results of a prospective long-term electrophysiological follow-up study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pappone, Carlo; Vicedomini, Gabriele; Manguso, Francesco; Baldi, Mario; Pappone, Alessia; Petretta, Andrea; Vitale, Raffaele; Saviano, Massimo; Ciaccio, Cristiano; Giannelli, Luigi; Calovic, Zarko; Tavazzi, Luigi; Santinelli, Vincenzo

    2012-02-07

    The available amount of detailed long-term data in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is limited, and no prospective electrophysiological studies looking at predictors of malignant arrhythmia are available. Among 8575 symptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White patients with atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia referred for electrophysiological test, 369 (mean age, 23±12.5 years) declined catheter ablation and were followed up. The primary end point of the study was to evaluate over a 5-year follow-up the predictors and characteristics of patients who develop malignant arrhythmias. After a mean follow-up of 42.1±10 months, malignant arrhythmias developed in 29 patients (mean age, 13.9±5.6 years; 26 male), resulting in presyncope/syncope (25 patients), hemodynamic collapse (3 patients), or cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation (1 patient). Of the remaining 340 patients, 168 (mean age, 34.2±9.0 years) remained asymptomatic up to 5 years, and 172 (mean age, 13.6±5.1 years) had benign recurrence, including sustained atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (132 patients) or atrial fibrillation (40 patients). Compared with the group with no malignant arrhythmias, the group with malignant arrhythmias showed shorter accessory-pathway effective refractory period (PWolff-Parkinson-White syndrome generally have a good outcome, and predictors of malignant arrhythmias are similar to those reported for asymptomatic patients with ventricular pre-excitation.

  18. Immediate versus delayed treatment for recently symptomatic carotid artery stenosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Vasconcelos

    the last symptomatic event. The overall quality of the evidence was very low, due to the small number of participants from only one trial, and missing outcome data. We found no statistically significant difference between the effects of very early or delayed surgery in reducing the combined risk of stroke and death within 30 days of surgery (risk ratio (RR 3.32; confidence interval (CI 0.38 to 29.23; very low-quality evidence, or the combined risk of perioperative death and stroke (RR 0.47; CI 0.14 to 1.58; very low-quality evidence. To date, no results are available to confirm the optimal timing for surgery. AUTHORS CONCLUSIONS: There is currently no high-quality evidence available to support either very early or delayed cerebral revascularization after a recent ischemic stroke. Hence, further randomized trials to identify which patients should undergo very urgent revascularization are needed. Future studies should stratify participants by age group, sex, grade of ischemia, and degree of stenosis. Currently, there is one ongoing RCT that is examining the timing of cerebral revascularization.

  19. Imaging mammary diagnostics. Diagnostic techniques, archetypical findings, differential diagnostcs and interventions. 2. rev. and enl. ed.

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heywang-Koebrunner, S.; Schreer, I.

    2008-01-01

    The book includes the following chapters: I. Methodology: anamnesis and interview; clinical evidence, mammography, sonography, magnetic resonance tomography, new imaging techniques (scintigraphy, PET), transcutaneous biopsy, pre-operative marking; II. phenotypes: normal mammary glands, mastopathics, cysts, benign tumors, inflammatory diseases, in-situ carcinomas, invasive carcinomas, lymphomas, other semi-malign and malign tumors, post-traumatic, post-surgical and post-therapeutic changes, skin changes, male mamma, screening, continuative diagnostics of screening evidence and problem solving for symptomatic patients

  20. Congenital midline cleft of the posterior arch of atlas: a rare cause of symptomatic cervical canal stenosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Connor, S.E.J.; Chandler, C.; Robinson, S.; Jarosz, J.M.

    2001-01-01

    Developmental symptomatic C1 canal stenosis is very rare. We describe the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances in a 8-year-old child who presented with progressive upper and lower limb neurological symptoms and in whom imaging revealed the medial posterior hemiarches of a bifid C1 to be inturned and compressing the cervical cord. This particular configuration of the posterior arch of atlas is frequently associated with other craniocervical bony anomalies and presents with neurological symptoms early in life. Early CT or MRI examination of patients with symptomatic posterior arch of C1 defects is necessary, in order to detect such an appearance, since surgical treatment may prevent neurological deterioration. (orig.)

  1. Sipuleucel-T: Autologous Cellular Immunotherapy for Men with Asymptomatic or Minimally Symptomatic Metastatic Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert B. Sims

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Sipuleucel T is an autologous cellular immunotherapy designed to stimulate an immune response in men diagnosed with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate resistant (hormone refractory prostate cancer. Sipuleucel T improves overall survival and provides an additional treatment option for this patient population.

  2. Comparison of early clinical outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve implantation versus surgical aortic valve replacement versus optimal medical therapy in patients older than 80 years with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Eui; Hong, Myeong-Ki; Ko, Young-Guk; Shin, Dong-Ho; Kim, Jung-Sun; Kim, Byeong-Keuk; Choi, Donghoon; Shim, Chi Young; Chang, Hyuk-Jae; Shim, Jae-Kwang; Kwak, Young-Lan; Lee, Sak; Chang, Byung-Chul; Jang, Yangsoo

    2013-05-01

    Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an attractive therapeutic strategy for severe aortic stenosis (AS) in elderly patients due to its minimally-invasive nature. Therefore, early results of its clinical outcomes in elderly Korean patients were evaluated. We compared early clinical outcomes of TAVI, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), and optimal medical therapy (OMT) in patients aged≥80 years with symptomatic severe AS. Treatment groups were allocated as follows: TAVI (n=10), SAVR (n=14), and OMT (n=42). Baseline clinical characteristics including predicted operative mortality were similar among the three groups. However, patients with New York Heart Association functional class III or IV symptoms and smaller aortic valve area were treated with TAVI or SAVR rather than OMT. In-hospital combined safety endpoints (all-cause mortality, major stroke, peri-procedural myocardial infarction, life-threatening bleeding, major vascular complication, and acute kidney injury) after TAVI or SAVR were significantly lower in the TAVI group than in the SAVR group (10.0% vs. 71.4%, respectively, p=0.005), along with an acceptable rate of symptom improvement and device success. During the follow-up period, the TAVI group showed the lowest rate of 3-month major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, major stroke, and re-hospitalization (TAVI 0.0% vs. SAVR 50.0% vs. OMT 42.9%, p=0.017). Treatment with TAVI was associated with lower event rates compared to SAVR or OMT. Therefore, TAVI may be considered as the first therapeutic strategy in selected patients aged≥80 years with symptomatic severe AS.

  3. A collagen-fibrin patch for the prevention of symptomatic lymphoceles after pelvic lymphadenectomy in women with gynecologic malignancies: A randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimm, Christoph; Polterauer, Stephan; Helmy-Bader, Samir; Zikan, Michal; Cibula, David; Heitz, Florian; Harter, Philipp; Giese, Arnd; Reinthaller, Alexander; Tempfer, Clemens

    2018-04-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of a collagen-fibrin patch for the prevention of symptomatic lymphoceles after pelvic lymphadenectomy in women with gynecologic malignancies. In a multicenter, randomized, clinical trial, 164 women with pelvic lymphadenectomy were allocated either to bilateral pelvic application of two collagen-fibrin patches or no intervention. Main outcome was efficacy, defined as reduction of symptomatic lymphocele rate diagnosed within four weeks after surgery. Secondary outcomes were asymptomatic lymphoceles and subsequent interventions. Sample size was based on the assumption that application of a collagen-fibrin patch reduces the prevalence of symptomatic lymphoceles by at least 66%. The study was single-blinded, i.e., patients and primary outcome assessors, but not surgeons, were blinded to the treatment allocation. A total of 75 women were randomized to the intervention and 89 to the control group. All women received the allocated intervention. In total, 42 (27.4%) lymphoceles and 8 (5.2%) symptomatic lymphoceles were observed. Symptomatic lymphoceles were observed in 5/68 (7.4%) women in the intervention group and 3/85 (3.5%) women in the control group (p = 0.47). Asymptomatic lymphoceles were observed in 16 (23.5%) women in the intervention group compared to 18 (21.2%) in the control group (p = 0.85). In a multivariate logistic regression model, no independent risk factor for the development of a symptomatic lymphocele was ascertained. Intraoperative application of collagen-fibrin patches to the pelvic side walls does not reduce the incidence of symptomatic lymphoceles in women with gynecologic malignancies undergoing pelvic lymphadenectomy. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Prognostic value of SPECT in newly diagnosed symptomatic west syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goto, Megumi; Suzuki, Yasuhiro; Kato, Tomomi; Futagi, Yasuyuki [Osaka Medical Center and Research Inst. for Maternal and Child Health, Izumi (Japan)

    1999-07-01

    In 19 cases with newly diagnosed symptomatic West syndrome, we assessed interictal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) before ACTH therapy with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Based on the SPECT findings, we divided these cases into 3 groups: normal rCBF (Group A, 7 cases), abnormal rCBF corresponding to cerebral lesions on MRI and CT (Group B, 6 cases), and abnormal rCBF in areas different from lesions on MRI and CT (Group C, 6 cases). We compared clinical features, response to initial treatment, and short-term outcome among these 3 groups. No significant differences were found in clinical characteristics (sex, age of onset, prior seizures before onset of spasms, EEG findings). Four cases in Group B (67%) and 5 in Group C (83%) showed complete cessation of spasms after initial treatment (high dose vitamin B{sub 6}{yields}zonisamide{yields}ACTH therapy), while in Group A only 2 patients (29%, p>0.05; compared to Group B or Group C) responded. Although not statistically significant, short-term prognosis (both seizures and development) after a mean follow-up of 2 years and 8 months was also worst in Group A. Our results suggest that normal SPECT findings may be predictive of unfavorable prognosis in infants with symptomatic West syndrome. (author)

  5. Should symptomatic menopausal women be offered hormone therapy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lobo, Rogerio A; Bélisle, Serge; Creasman, William T; Frankel, Nancy R; Goodman, Neil E; Hall, Janet E; Ivey, Susan Lee; Kingsberg, Sheryl; Langer, Robert; Lehman, Rebecca; McArthur, Donna Behler; Montgomery-Rice, Valerie; Notelovitz, Morris; Packin, Gary S; Rebar, Robert W; Rousseau, MaryEllen; Schenken, Robert S; Schneider, Diane L; Sherif, Katherine; Wysocki, Susan

    2006-01-01

    Many physicians remain uncertain about prescribing hormone therapy for symptomatic women at the onset of menopause. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) convened a multidisciplinary group of healthcare providers to discuss the efficacy and risks of hormone therapy for symptomatic women, and to determine whether it would be appropriate to treat women at the onset of menopause who were complaining of menopausal symptoms. Numerous controlled clinical trials consistently demonstrate that hormone therapy, administered via oral, transdermal, or vaginal routes, is the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms. Topical vaginal formulations of hormone therapy should be preferred when prescribing solely for the treatment of symptoms of vulvar and vaginal atrophy. Data from the Women's Health Initiative indicate that the overall attributable risk of invasive breast cancer in women receiving estrogen plus progestin was 8 more cases per 10,000 women-years. No increased risk for invasive breast cancer was detected for women who never used hormone therapy in the past or for those receiving estrogen only. Hormone therapy is not effective for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and that the risk of cardiovascular disease with hormone therapy is principally in older women who are considerably postmenopause. Healthy symptomatic women should be offered the option of hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms. Symptom relief with hormone therapy for many younger women (at the onset of menopause) with menopausal symptoms outweighs the risks and may provide an overall improvement in quality of life. Hormone therapy should be individualized for symptomatic women. This involves tailoring the regimen and dose to individual needs.

  6. fMRI Reveals Distinct CNS Processing during Symptomatic and Recovered Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebel, A.; Becerra, L.; Wallin, D.; Moulton, E. A.; Morris, S.; Pendse, G.; Jasciewicz, J.; Stein, M.; Aiello-Lammens, M.; Grant, E.; Berde, C.; Borsook, D.

    2008-01-01

    Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in paediatric patients is clinically distinct from the adult condition in which there is often complete resolution of its signs and symptoms within several months to a few years. The ability to compare the symptomatic and asymptomatic condition in the same individuals makes this population interesting for the…

  7. Laparoscopic resection versus myolysis in the management of symptomatic uterine adenomyosis: alternatives to conventional treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wachyu Hadisaputra

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Effective therapy preserving reproductive function in adenomyosis is warranted. From June 2003 to June 2004, patients diagnosed as having adenomyosis by transvaginal ultrasound and had symptoms of menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, and pelvic pain were randomly allocated to either receive laparoscopic resection or myolysis. GnRH analog was given for 3 cycles after surgery. Within 6 months, symptoms were evaluated using questionnaires and at the end of follow up, adenomyosis volume was assessed by transvaginal ultra-sound. There were 20 patients included, 10 patients had resection and the rest underwent myolysis. Both procedures did not yield sig-nificant complications. Subjective evaluation by questionnaires was done in all patients. Three patients could not be evaluated objec-tively by transvaginal ultrasound, 2 patients resigned and 1 was pregnant. There was no significant difference in menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea reduction score between the 2 groups (p=0.399 and 0.213, respectively. In both groups, dysmenorrhea was reduced significantly after treatment. No significant statistical difference was found in median adenomyosis volume increment (p=0.630 be-tween the resection (median=+15.35% (-100-159} and myolysis groups (median=+48.43% (-100-553. Five patients were pregnant, 3 from the resection group and 2 from the myolysis group. Uterine rupture was found in 1 patient (from the myolysis group at the age of 8 months of pregnancy. The effectiveness of laparoscopic adenomyosis resection was not significantly different compared with lapa-rascopic myolysis as an alternative conservative surgery in treating symptomatic adenomyosis. Myolysis was not recommended for women who wish to be pregnant. (Med J Indones 2006; 15:9-17Keywords: laparascopy, resection, myolysis, conservative surgery, symptomatic adenomyosis

  8. Subdural drainage versus subperiosteal drainage in burr-hole trepanation for symptomatic chronic subdural hematomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellut, David; Woernle, Christoph Michael; Burkhardt, Jan-Karl; Kockro, Ralf Alfons; Bertalanffy, Helmut; Krayenbühl, Niklaus

    2012-01-01

    Symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma (scSDH) is one of the most frequent diseases in neurosurgical practice, and its incidence is increasing. However, treatment modalities are still controversial. The aim of this retrospective single-center study is to compare for the first time two surgical methods in the treatment of subdural hematoma that have been proven to be efficient in previous studies in a direct comparison. We analyzed the data of 143 scSDHs in 113 patients undergoing surgery for subdural hematoma with placement of subperiosteal or subdural drainage after double burr-hole trepanation for hematoma evacuation. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences regarding general patient characteristics, preoperative and postoperative symptoms, postoperative hematoma remnant, rates of recurrences, mortality, complications, and outcome at discharge and at 3-month follow up between the groups. There was a close to significant tendency of lower mortality after placement of subperiosteal drainage system and a tendency towards lower rate of recurrent hematoma after placement of subdural drainage system. Our study shows for the first time a direct comparison of two mainly used surgical techniques in the treatment of scSDH. Both methods proved to be highly effective, and general patient data, complications, outcome and mortality of both groups are equal or superior compared with previously published series. Because there is a clear tendency to less mortality and fewer serious complications, treatment with double burr-hole trepanation, irrigation, and placement of subperiosteal drainage is our treatment of choice in patients with predictable high risk of complications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. A clinical study on perforator stroke resulting from Wingspan stent angioplasty for symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Ziliang; Xu Haowen; Li Tianxiao; Zhu Liangfu; Li Zhaoshuo; Xue Jiangyu; Bai Weixing; Li Li; Guan Sheng

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the incidence, potential hazards and effective countermeasure for perforator stroke (PS) resulting from stent angioplasty of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. Methods: Peri-operation PS complications of 258 patients receiving Gateway balloon-Wingspan stenting for severe symptomatic intracranial stenosis were analyzed. The incidence, clinical course, and prognosis of PS resulting from stenting were recorded. Special attention was given to the anatomical features, clinical manifestation and video materials of patients with PS. χ 2 test was used for statistics. Results: Two hundred and fifty-five patients received stent angioplasty successfully and 7 patients had PS (incidence rate 2.7%). The patients with basilar artery stenosis had a higher incidence of PS resulting from intracranial stenting (6.1%, 4/66) than patients with middle cerebral artery stenosis (2.5%, 3/118) (χ 2 =2.320, P= 0.025). The potential hazards for PS included preoperative perforator stroke adjacent to the stenotic segment and prominent dissection during operation. Six patients presented symptoms after awake from general anaesthesia and one had symptoms 3 hours after stenting. One deteriorated gradually and the others reached the maximum deficit almost at once. At the follow-up of 3 months, 3 patients were disabled and scored one, two, two by mRS respectively. Conclusion: The incidence of PS resulting from intracranial stenting was low and the prognosis was not disastrous. Stenosis at basilar artery and preoperative perforator stroke adjacent to the stenotic segment were potential risk factors for PS complication. Proper maneuver of angioplasty may decrease the incidence of PS and improve the prognosis. (authors)

  10. Spinal Subdural Abscess Following Laminectomy for Symptomatic Stenosis: A Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Alexander D; Rolston, John D; Gauger, Grant E; Larson, Paul S

    2016-07-12

    BACKGROUND Spinal subdural abscesses, also known as empyemas, are rare infectious lesions, the exact incidence of which is unknown. Presentation is typically dramatic, with back pain, fever, motor, and sensory deficits. Rapid identification and surgical intervention with laminectomy, durotomy, and washout provides the best outcomes. While hematogenous spread of an extra-spinal infection is the most common cause of this condition, a significant number of cases result from iatrogenic mechanisms, including lumbar punctures, epidural injections, and surgery. CASE REPORT Here we present 2 cases: 1) an 87-year-old man with type 2 diabetes, schizophrenia, mild cognitive impairment, and symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis and 2) a 62-year-old man with a prior L3-4 spinal fusion with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis. In both cases, patients underwent laminectomy for spinal stenosis and developed epidural abscess. Following successful drainage of the epidural abscess, they continued to be symptomatic, and repeat imaging revealed the presence of a subdural abscess that was subsequently evacuated. Case 1 had significant improvement with residual lower-extremity weakness, while Case 2 made a complete neurological recovery. CONCLUSIONS These cases illustrate patients at increased risk for developing this rare spinal infection, and demonstrate that rapid recognition and surgical treatment is key to cure and recovery. Review of the literature highlights pertinent risk factors and demonstrates nearly one-third of reported cases have an iatrogenic etiology. The cases presented here demonstrate that a subdural process should be suspected in any patient with intractable pain following treatment of an epidural abscess.

  11. The use of intraoperative monitoring and treatment of symptomatic microemboli in carotid artery stenting: case report and discussion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rangi, P.S.; Clifton, A. [St Georges Hospital, Department of Neuroradiology, Atkinson Morley Wing, Tooting, London (United Kingdom); Markus, H.S.; Punter, M.N.M. [St Georges University of London, Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Cranmer Terrace, London (United Kingdom)

    2007-03-15

    Carotid artery stenting is a recently introduced treatment in symptomatic atherosclerotic carotid artery disease with acceptable complication rates. The major risk is perioperative embolic stroke. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) can be used to identify embolic signals and guide therapy. We present a case of symptomatic embolization in a 72-year-old female following carotid stent deployment complicated by haemodynamic changes. Despite concurrent dual antiplatelet medication significant symptomatic embolization occurred even after restoration of the blood pressure, and modulation of the rate of embolization was achieved using dextran-40 guided by TCD monitoring. The patient recovered from an initially profound hemiparesis and dysphasia to minor sensory changes. Microemboli are common following carotid artery stenting and there appears to be a threshold phenomenon associated with prolonged embolization and progression to cerebral infarction. TCD can be used to detect particulate microemboli and therefore may be useful in guiding antithrombotic therapy in this setting. Dextran-40 has been shown to reduce the embolic load following carotid endarterectomy and was used to good effect in this patient in terms of both embolic load and clinical outcome. This is the first case of embolization following carotid stenting successfully treated with dextran-40, and offers a further option for therapeutic intervention in microembolism detected by TCD and stresses the importance of perioperative monitoring of embolic load for postoperative stroke risk. (orig.)

  12. Detection of colorectal cancer in symptomatic outpatients without visible rectal bleeding: Validity of the fecal occult blood test

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerregaard, Niels Christian; Tøttrup, Anders; Sørensen, Henrik Toft

    2009-01-01

    In 2002, a new diagnostic strategy in symptomatic outpatients without known established colorectal cancer risk factors aged 40 years or older was implemented in Denmark. Fecal occult blood test (Hemoccult Sensa®) was a part of that strategy in patients without visible rectal bleeding....

  13. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity to a sad film predicts depression symptom improvement and symptomatic trajectory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panaite, Vanessa; Hindash, Alexandra Cowden; Bylsma, Lauren M; Small, Brent J; Salomon, Kristen; Rottenberg, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity, an index of cardiac vagal tone, has been linked to self-regulation and the severity and course of depression (Rottenberg, 2007). Although initial data supports the proposition that RSA withdrawal during a sad film is a specific predictor of depression course (Fraguas, 2007; Rottenberg, 2005), the robustness and specificity of this finding are unclear. To provide a stronger test, RSA reactivity to three emotion films (happy, sad, fear) and to a more robust stressor, a speech task, were examined in currently depressed individuals (n=37), who were assessed for their degree of symptomatic improvement over 30weeks. Robust RSA reactivity to the sad film uniquely predicted overall symptom improvement over 30weeks. RSA reactivity to both sad and stressful stimuli predicted the speed and maintenance of symptomatic improvement. The current analyses provide the most robust support to date that RSA withdrawal to sad stimuli (but not stressful) has specificity in predicting the overall symptomatic improvement. In contrast, RSA reactivity to negative stimuli (both sad and stressful) predicted the trajectory of depression course. Patients' engagement with sad stimuli may be an important sign to attend to in therapeutic settings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Ghrelin receptor agonist (TZP-101) accelerates gastric emptying in adults with diabetes and symptomatic gastroparesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ejskjaer, N; Vestergaard, E T; Hellström, P M

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: TZP-101 is a synthetic, selective ghrelin agonist in development for gastroparesis. AIM: To assess safety and effects of TZP-101 in diabetes patients with symptomatic gastroparesis. METHODS: Adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus received placebo and TZP-101 (80, 160, 320 or 600...... between TZP-101 and placebo. CONCLUSIONS: This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that the ghrelin agonist TZP-101 is well-tolerated in diabetes patients with moderate-to-severe chronic gastroparesis and shows statistically significant improvements in gastric emptying....

  15. Bilateral hip arthroscopy under the same anesthetic for patients with symptomatic bilateral femoroacetabular impingement: 1-year outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei-Dan, Omer; McConkey, Mark O; Knudsen, Joshua S; Brick, Matthew J

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate whether, in patients with bilateral symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement, bilateral surgery under 1 anesthetic is safe and efficacious and allows a rapid return of function compared with staged procedures. Three groups were evaluated: in group 1 both hips were treated simultaneously, in group 2 both hips were treated in a staged fashion, and in group 3 a single hip was addressed. The outcome measures were anesthesia and surgical times; time in the hospital; visual analog scale score for pain on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, and 30; analgesic use; and time until the patient could bike, drive, perform office work, perform gym activities, run, and return to play. Midterm evaluation was performed with the Non-Arthritic Hip Score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. We enrolled 76 patients (122 hips) in this study. There were 42 male and 34 female patients. The mean age was 33 years (range, 14 to 50 years), and the mean body mass index was 24 (range, 18 to 35). Group 1 comprised 26 patients (52 hips, 16 male and 10 female patients). Group 2 comprised 20 patients (40 hips, 13 male and 7 female patients), with a mean time between surgeries of 14.56 weeks. Group 3 comprised 33 patients (30 hips, 13 male and 17 female patients). No preoperative differences were found between the groups. The surgical and anesthesia times in group 1 were significantly longer than those in groups 2 and 3. We found no significant differences in postoperative visual analog scale scores, analgesic use, or length of hospital stay. Group 1 required more time before patients were able to ride a stationary bicycle (14.7 days in group 1, 7.8 days in group 2, and 8.5 days in group 3; P returned to driving, performing office work, or reporting a normal gait. Each group had significant improvements in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index and Non

  16. A Standardized "Rescue" Exercise Program for Symptomatic Flare-up of Knee Osteoarthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bartholdy, Cecilie; Klokker, Louise; Bandak, Elisabeth

    2016-01-01

    the implementation of standardized rescue exercises for patients with pain exacerbations and to assess whether performing these benefit or further worsen symptoms in patients with exacerbated symptoms of knee OA. Methods The data from 2 randomized controlled studies of exercise in patients with knee OA were used......Study Design Secondary analysis of clinical trial data. Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) management has changed significantly over recent decades toward nonpharmacological treatments, particularly exercise. However, the optimal exercise program remains to be established. Objective To describe....... A supervised, standard exercise program that included standardized "rescue" exercises to be performed in the event of symptomatic exacerbation, defined as knee pain of greater than 5 on a 0-to-10 numeric pain-rating scale, was conducted for 12 weeks at 3 sessions per week. Pain ratings were obtained before...

  17. Is Revision Surgery Justified for Symptomatic Pancreatico-enteric Anastomotic Stenosis in Long-term Survivors Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Malignancy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagle, Prasad; Yadav, Kamal Sunder; Sali, Priyanka Akhilesh; Garg, Raman; Varty, Paresh

    2017-02-01

    Pancreatico-enteric anastomotic (PEA) stenosis is one of the late complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and reported for benign diseases. Literature for PEA stenosis following PD for malignancy is very limited due to low survival. Patients undergoing surgery for symptomatic, recurrent, obstructive pancreatitis due to PEA stenosis following PD for malignancy were retrospectively identified from the authors' prospective database between January 1997 and December 2014. Six patients with median age 56.5 years underwent revision surgery for PEA stenosis during this time period. At primary PD, all were node negative with T1/T2 disease. The primary PEA were pancreatico-jejunostomy (PJ) (n = 5) and pancreatico-gastrostomy (n = 1). Median time to develop symptoms was 62 months. At revision surgery, a Roux-en-Y longitudinal PJ (n = 5) and an end-to-side PJ (n = 1) were done. With a median follow-up of 36 months, pain relief was excellent (n = 5) to average (n = 1). With improving long-term survival in patients undergoing PD for malignancy more such patients will be identified in future. Patients with symptomatic PEA stenosis following PD for malignancy can be managed surgically, with excellent outcomes in centers of expertise in pancreatic surgery.

  18. Prognosis of asymptomatic and symptomatic, undiagnosed COPD in the general population in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Çolak, Yunus; Afzal, Shoaib; Nordestgaard, Børge G.

    2017-01-01

    Background: COPD can be diagnosed early using spirometry, but spirometry use is only recommended in symptomatic smokers, even though early stages of COPD can be asymptomatic. We investigated the prognosis of individuals with asymptomatic and symptomatic, undiagnosed COPD in the general population...... of COPD are needed. Funding:The Danish Lung Association, the Danish Cancer Society, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, and University of Copenhagen.......Background: COPD can be diagnosed early using spirometry, but spirometry use is only recommended in symptomatic smokers, even though early stages of COPD can be asymptomatic. We investigated the prognosis of individuals with asymptomatic and symptomatic, undiagnosed COPD in the general population......%) were at high risk of having COPD. 3699 (11%) of these participants met the COPD criteria and 2903 (78%) were undiagnosed, of whom 2052 (71%) were symptomatic. During a median follow-up of 6·1 years (IQR 4·9), we recorded 800 exacerbations, 2038 cases of pneumonia, and 2789 deaths in the 32 518...

  19. Limited Hiatal Dissection Without Fundoplication Results in Comparable Symptomatic Outcomes to Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy with Anterior Fundoplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeHaan, Reece K; Frelich, Matthew J; Gould, Jon C

    2016-07-01

    Previous randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that partial fundoplication following Heller myotomy results in less pathologic acid exposure to the esophagus when compared to myotomy without fundoplication. Recent studies have questioned the necessity of a fundoplication, especially when a limited hiatal dissection (LHD) is performed and the angle of His is preserved. This is a retrospective review of prospectively maintained data. All patients underwent primary Heller myotomy for achalasia over a 30-month period. In select patients, an LHD was performed anteriorly. Symptomatic outcomes were assessed up to 2 years postoperation using the Achalasia Severity Questionnaire (ASQ), Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health-Related Quality of Life (GERD-HRQL). A total of 31 patients underwent Heller myotomy during the study interval. The majority of patients underwent Heller myotomy with full hiatal dissection (FHD) (21, 68%). Intraoperative mucosal perforations occurred in 3 (14%) patients undergoing FHD. Patient demographics, surgery details, and baseline symptomatic outcomes did not differ significantly preoperatively. At greater than 1 year postoperation, there was no significant difference between the groups for ASQ, GERD-HRQL, and GIGLI (P = .76, .78, and .33, respectively). Heller myotomy with LHD and no fundoplication and Heller myotomy with FHD and partial fundoplication result in similar GERD-related quality of life outcomes. Further studies (including pH studies) are necessary to determine if fundoplication is a necessary step in selected patients in whom an LHD is possible.

  20. Inhaler technique maintenance: gaining an understanding from the patient's perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ovchinikova, Ludmila; Smith, Lorraine; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia

    2011-08-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the patient-, education-, and device-related factors that predict inhaler technique maintenance. Thirty-one community pharmacists were trained to deliver inhaler technique education to people with asthma. Pharmacists evaluated (based on published checklists), and where appropriate, delivered inhaler technique education to patients (participants) in the community pharmacy at baseline (Visit 1) and 1 month later (Visit 2). Data were collected on participant demographics, asthma history, current asthma control, history of inhaler technique education, and a range of psychosocial aspects of disease management (including adherence to medication, motivation for correct technique, beliefs regarding the importance of maintaining correct technique, and necessity and concern beliefs regarding preventer therapy). Stepwise backward logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of inhaler technique maintenance at 1 month. In total 145 and 127 participants completed Visits 1 and 2, respectively. At baseline, 17% of patients (n = 24) demonstrated correct technique (score 11/11) which increased to 100% (n = 139) after remedial education by pharmacists. At follow-up, 61% (n = 77) of patients demonstrated correct technique. The predictors of inhaler technique maintenance based on the logistic regression model (X(2) (3, N = 125) = 16.22, p = .001) were use of a dry powder inhaler over a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (OR 2.6), having better asthma control at baseline (OR 2.3), and being more motivated to practice correct inhaler technique (OR 1.2). Contrary to what is typically recommended in previous research, correct inhaler technique maintenance may involve more than repetition of instructions. This study found that past technique education factors had no bearing on technique maintenance, whereas patient psychosocial factors (motivation) did.