Metastatic seeding of bile duct carcinoma in the transhepatic catheter tract: Report of a case

We describe herein the case of a 51-year-old woman in whom metastatic tumor seeding of the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tract occurred following a pancreatoduodenectomy for carcinoma of the distal common bile, duct. An abdominal computed tomography scan done 6 months after the initial operation detected a hepatic lesion located at the site of the previous percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tract. Implantation of bile duct carcinoma in the drainage tract was diagnosed, and the recurrent tumor was successfully resected by performing a subsegmentectomy of segment 3 and removal of the adjacent abdominal wall. At present, 5 years and 4 months after the second resection, the patient is in good health without any signs of recurrence. This case report demonstrates that an aggressive surgical approach should be performed for tumor seeding of a transhepatic biliary catheter tract.     

Gastrostomy feeding in advanced Huntington's disease

This case study reports the progress of a 41-year-old man with advanced Huntington's disease (HD) during a 12-week period when he was fed a high-energy regimen via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). The regimen consisted of a low-protein, low-mineral, energy-dense (2 kcal mL^?1) carbohydrate polymer. Achieving weight gain with a 1.5 kcal mL^?1 feed and carbohydrate polymer had produced steady but slow results (52–56 kg – a rise of 4 kg in 15 months). It was concluded that a more energy-dense regimen would facilitate faster weight gain.     

经皮穿刺输精管精囊造影在CT介入诊断(PVSVG-CT)中的应用研究

目的：分析经皮穿刺输精管注药精囊显影后的ＣＴ图像资料,探讨ＰＶＳＶＧ－ＣＴ对精囊及周围脏器疾病的诊断及鉴别诊断作用。方法：行ＣＴ扫描和ＰＶＳＶＧ－ＣＴ检查,同时对有相应症状和ＣＴ表现（未作ＰＶＳＶＧ－ＣＴ）的６０例病人的图像及临床资料作为对照组进行回顾性分析。结果：对照组诊断前列腺肿瘤１５例,实验组诊断９例,经统计学处理（Ｐ＞０．０５）,无显著性差异。对照组诊断精囊炎１１例,实验组诊断２３例,经统计学处理（Ｐ＜０．０５）,有显著性差异。结论：ＣＴ虽然作为膀胱、前列腺和精囊等疾病诊断的重要手段,但是对前列腺肥大或肿瘤早期诊断有一定限制,特别是当前列腺与精囊及膀胱底融合为软组织块状影,界线不清时,与肿瘤外侵不易鉴别。用ＰＶＳＶＧ－ＣＴ法后,可使精囊显影,从不同的断面上区别精囊与周围器官的关系,对前列腺增生、前列腺癌、膀胱后壁肿瘤、直肠前壁的肿瘤侵犯精囊、精囊肿瘤、精囊的炎性病变,具有重要的诊断价值。     

Use of ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy in the diagnosis of mediastinal tumors

We herein report the usefulness of ultrasoundguided percutaneous needle biopsy for histological diagnosis in 18 patients with mediastinal tumors. Computed tomography revealed these tumors to be in contact with the chest wall. The preoperative diagnosis was thymoma in 7 patients, germinoma in 5, neurogenic tumor in 3, and other in 3. The most commonly encountered indication for an ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy was an anterior mediastinal lesion (78%; 14 of 18 patients). In 16 (89%) of the 18 patients, the biopsy diagnosis corresponded to the post-operative diagnosis. No complications were encountered in any of the patients. This new technique of ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy is both relatively simple and highly accurate and may thus be useful for outpatients. Preoperative ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy is thus considered to be a safe and reliable method for the histological diagnosis of mediastinal tumors, and a good alternative to traditional biopsy techniques such as mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy.Presented at the 11th Biennial Asian Congress on Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November, 21–25, 1993.     

lontophoretic Delivery of a Series of Tripeptides Across the Skin in Vitro

The iontophoresis of eight tripeptides, of the general structure alanine–X–alanine, has been measured across hairless mouse skin in vitro. The peptides were blocked (a) at the carboxyl terminus using the mixed anhydride reaction with t-butylamine and (b) at the amino terminus by acetylation with ¹⁴C-acetic anhydride. The nature of the central residue (X) was varied by selecting one of five neutral amino acids, two negatively chargeable moieties (aspartic and glutamic acids), and a positively chargeable species (histidine). Constant current iontophoresis at 0.36 mA/cm², using Ag/AgCl electrodes, was performed for 24 hr in diffusion cells, which allowed both anode and cathode to be situated on the same (epidermal) side of a single piece of skin. Due to a combination of osmotic and electroosmotic forces, the anodal iontophoretic flux of neutral peptides was significantly greater than passive transport. Steady-state fluxes were not achieved, however, suggesting that time-dependent changes in the properties of the skin barrier may be occurring. Limited, further experiments confirmed that, on a 24-hr time scale, these changes were not fully reversible. The cathodal delivery of anionic permeants was well controlled at a steady and highly enhanced rate by the current flow. This behavior closely paralleled earlier work using simple negatively charged amino acids and N-acetylated amino acid derivatives. It appears that the normalized iontophoretic flux of these anionic species is independent of lipophilicity but may be inversely related to molecular weight. The positively charged peptide, Ac–Ala–His–Ala–NH(Bu^t), showed greater anodal iontophoretic enhancement when delivered from a donor solution at pH 4.0 than from a solution at pH 7.4. This was consistent with (a) the corresponding behavior of histidine alone and (b) the existence of a pK _a for these compounds at 6. Steady-state delivery was not achieved, although the levels of enhancement, especially at pH 4, were the largest observed. A preliminary investigation of tripeptide stability to either (i) electrolysis in the donor compartment or (ii) cutaneous metabolism revealed very little degradation under the conditions of the experiment. Overall, this research supports the principle of enhanced peptide delivery across the skin by iontophoresis and indicates a number of areas (e.g., mechanism and extent of current-induced changes in skin barrier function, molecular size dependence, pathways of current flow) on which further work should be focused.     

Percutaneous Penetration Kinetics of Nitroglycerin and Its Dinitrate Metabolites Across Hairless Mouse Skin in Vitro

The percutaneous penetration kinetics of the antianginal, nitroglycerin (GTN), and its primary metabolites, 1,2- and 1,3-glyceryl dinitrate (1,2- and 1,3-GDN), were evaluated in vitro, using full-thickness hairless mouse skin. GTN and the 1,2- and 1,3-GDNs were applied (a) in aqueous solution as pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and (b) incorporated into lipophilic ointment formulations. The cutaneous transformation of GTN to its dinitrate metabolites was detected, but no interconversion between 1,2-GDN and 1,3-GDN was observed. Following application of the nitrates in PBS solution, all three compounds exhibited steady-state transport kinetics. The steady-state flux of GTN (8.9 ± 1.5 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than those of 1,2-GDN (0.81 ± 0.54 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1) and 1,3-GDN (0.72 ± 0.20 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1). The corresponding permeability coefficient () for GTN (20 ± 3 × 10^–3 cm hr^–1) was significantly larger than the corresponding values for 1,2-GDN (1.4 ± 0.9 × 10^–3 cm hr^–1) and 1,3-GDN (1.2 ± 0.4 × 10^–3 cm hr^–1), which were statistically indistinguishable (P > 0.05). Further analysis of the transport data showed that the differences between GTN and the GDNs could be explained by the relative stratum corneum/water partition coefficient (K _s) values of the compounds. The apparent partition parameters, defined as = K _s · h [where h is the diffusion path length through stratum corneum (SC)] were 19.8 ± 2.5 × 10^–2 cm for GTN and 1.91 ± 1.07 × 10^–2 and 1.81 ± 0.91 × 10^–2 cm for 1,2- and 1,3-GDN, respectively. However, when the nitrates were administered in an ointment base, the apparent partition parameter (') and permeability coefficient (') of GTN markedly decreased, to 2.51 ± 0.75 × 10^–2 cm and 1.6 ± 0.3 × 10^–3 cm hr^–1, respectively. In contrast, the ' and ' results for 1,2- and 1,3-GDN were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the corresponding and values, which were measured following dosing as aqueous solutions. As a result, the steady-state fluxes of all three nitrates from the ointment formulation were comparable (GTN, 154 ± 28 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1; 1,2-GDN, 162 ± 22 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1; 1,3-GDN, 162 ± 34 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1). It follows that the dinitrates can be as efficiently delivered across the skin as GTN when a suitable formulation is employed. This finding may support transdermal therapy using 1,2- or 1,3-GDN if, indeed, they are found to be pharmacologically effective.     

中药透皮吸收促进剂的研究与发展

中药以其自身独特的优势倍受药学界的关注，中药透皮吸收促进剂已成为经皮给药研究的热点之一。研究较多的中药透皮吸收促进剂有薄荷醇、冰片、精油类等多种中药提取物，应用中可单独作用，也可与化学透皮吸收促进剂联合使用。对中药促透机制的研究也是当前药学界的热点之一。在概述这些研究成果的基础上，就中药透皮吸收促进剂的开发提出一些思路。     

三黄软膏皮肤用药毒性实验研究

为观察三黄软膏药物外用的安全性 ,进行了动物完整皮肤及破损皮肤长期接触三黄软膏 ,经皮肤渗透对局部及全身产生的毒性和反应的恢复程度 ,用三黄软膏 2g·kg-1、10g·kg-1剂量 (分别相当于 6 0kg人临床用量的 10、5 0倍 )连续对家用兔外用给药4周及停药恢复性观察 2周。结果表明给药期动物的皮肤状况、全身症状、行为活动、摄食、粪便性状、体重增长、血液学均未见明显的毒性反应 ,而高剂量组动物血液生化指标AST、ALT明显增高 ,病理组织学检查时肝水肿明显 ,可见有一定的毒性反应 ;停药期动物的血液生化指标AST、ALT肝组织病理组织学检查恢复正常 ,其他各项指标均未见明显的毒性反应 ,可见该毒性反应是可逆恢复的。表明三黄软膏在临床用药范围内连续使用是比较安全的。     

溶栓及经皮冠状动脉介入术治疗急性心肌梗死的疗效分析

目的：对比直接冠状动脉介入术(PCI)及静脉尿激酶(UK)溶栓治疗急性心肌梗死(AMI)的疗效。方法：采用观察性队列研究的方法，对97例AMI患者采用UK溶栓(UK组)，60例AMI患者采用直接PCI治疗(PCI组)，比较两组住院期及随访期的超声心动图(UCG)和临床结果。结果：住院期UCG检查室壁运动正常率及LVEF在PCI组高于UK组，矛盾运动发生率则PCI组低于UK组。住院期心衰及随访期累计心衰的发生率UK组高于PCI组。住院期病死率两组间差别无统计学意义；随访期累计病死率UK组明显高于PCI组。60岁以上年龄组累计的病死率仍然是UK组高于PCI组。在随访3、6、12及24个月时PCI组的生活质量计分均高于同时期UK组的计分。结论：直接PCI治疗AMI患者与UK治疗相比能改善左室重构、减少心衰的发生率、降低病死率、提高患者的生活质量。对于有条件的病人和医院应提倡用直接PCI治疗AMI。     

Role of radiology in the treatment of malignant hilar biliary strictures 2: 10 years of single‐institution experience with percutaneous treatment

We reviewed the results of percutaneous intervention of hilar biliary malignancy over a 10‐year period at a single institution: the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Ninety‐nine patients (100 treated in total) were included. Information was retrieved by retrospective examination of patient notes and radiology, combined with interviews with family and relevant physicians. Sixty‐nine patients were treated with insertion of semipermanent stents, 19 had external drain tubes, and 25 received percutaneous access for Iridium brachytherapy. Adequate drainage was achieved in 87% of the patients stented, and percutaneous access was successful in 96% of patients planned for brachytherapy. Of those patients undergoing endoprosthesis insertion, early complications occurred in 39% and late complications in 23%. Average survival for the entire patient population was 227.3 days, with a median of 167 days. Longer survival times (213 vs 142 days) and lower complication rates (44 vs 64%) are observed with metal stents in comparison with plastic stents. Percutaneous intervention is an important treatment option in hilar biliary malignancy, particularly in patients unfit for surgery. Reasonable survival with good palliation is the most common outcome, and most patients do not require further intervention.