Harold Francis Falls: Eye geneticist and pioneer American medical geneticist

We report on a 20-year-old male with a β-glucuronidase (GUSB) deficiency mucopoly-saccharidosis. He had pectus carinatum, gross thoracic kyphoscoliosis, and hip dysplasia, a picture which became conspicuous after age 4 years. Hepatosplenomegaly, herniae, corneal clouding, and neurological abnormalities were absent. Although he had Alder-type granulations in his polymorpho-nuclear leukocytes, the urine did not contain a significant excess of mucopolysaccharides. Electron microscopic examination of skin and gingival biopsies, leukocytes, and cultured skin fibroblasts showed numerous single membrane-limited vacuoles either empty or filled with fibrillogranular material; this last tissue did not contain metachromatic granules. Radiographs demonstrated a distinct spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia in which the most striking changes were confined to the thoracic spine (flattening and collapse in T7, T8 and T10 vertebral bodies) and to the femoral capital epiphyses (irregularities and fragmentation). The activity of GUSB in the patient's serum, leukocytes, and fibroblasts was severely decreased; the GUSB activity in the serum and leukocytes from the parents and 2 asymptomatic sibs was subnormal. Immunoblot analysis showed very low levels of cross-reactive material towards anti-GUSB antiserum in the patient's leukocyte and fibroblast extracts. This patient was more severely affected in his skeleton than other described patients with an oligosymptomatic chronic form. This case broadens the clinical and biochemical picture associated with GUSB deficiency and may represent a new variant of the disease. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

壳多糖对创伤愈合作用的形态学观察

通过大白兔背部的创伤实验，对比观察了壳多糖对伤口愈合的作用。肉眼、光镜、电镜及免疫组化观察表明：壳多糖具有明显的诱导局部巨噬细胞增多、巨噬细胞吞噬能力增强、促进伤口收缩及愈合的作用；与云南白药组和空白对照组相比有显著差异。探讨了壳多糖促进伤口愈合的机理。     

碱性成纤维细胞生长因子对大鼠真皮下血管网皮片愈合的影响

目的:探讨碱性成纤维细胞因子(bFGF)对大鼠真皮下血管网皮片愈合的影响。方法:Wistar大白鼠30只,每只背部切取2个真皮下血管网皮片并原位移植缝合,上部皮片下注入bFGF为实验组。下部皮片为对照组,术后大体肉眼观察皮片成后情况,并于2,4,6,8d取材镜下组织学观察CD34阳性细胞数、血管内皮细胞生长情况,微血管密度及肉芽组织生长情况。结果:实验组与对照组皮片成活率分别为93%及64%,经配对t检验差异显著(t=3.701,P<0.01)。其镜下观察CD34阳性细胞数、微血管数及肉芽组织厚度两组均有明显差异(P<0.01)。结论:bFGF具有广泛的细胞增殖效应,可通过多个环节促进小血管形成及肉芽组织增长,加速移植皮片与周围皮肤的愈合过程。     

Intraoral extraction of an ectopic mandibular third molar detected in the subcondylar region without a pathological cause: A case report and literature review

Purpose: To present a case report on the presence of an ectopic mandibular third molar (EMTM), the surgical treatment, and outcome.

Case report: A 63-year-old woman presented with right preauricular facial swelling, limited jaw function, and pain. Radiographic assessment demonstrated an EMTM positioned in the superoposterior aspect of the ramus. Radiographically, there was a bony tunnel extending from the third molar to distal of the second molar. The patient was treated by an intraoral approach on the medial aspect of the ramus for removal of the ectopic third molar, as well as the tissue in the bony tunnel.

Results: The patient healed uneventfully. The soft tissue in the bony canal was granulation tissue, and nerve function was preserved. A literature search of EMTMs was conducted identifying 17 reported cases.

Conclusion: Three-dimensional imaging in the management of EMTM can be beneficial in identifying position of the tooth, associated pathology, and identifying the position of neurovascular structures to aid in removal of the ectopic tooth.     

镍钛合金网状气道支架置入术的计算机数值模拟分析

气道狭窄已成为一种较为常见的呼吸系统疾病,临床上往往需要进行气道支架置入术以实现气道的快速扩张,缓解患者的呼吸困难。但支架置入后常会出现肉芽组织过度增生的现象,严重的会造成气道的再狭窄。基于"应力-生长"关系的理论,肉芽组织的过度增生可能与局部力学环境的改变相关,特别是支架对气道壁的应力刺激。为此,研究将针对镍钛合金网状气道支架置入术展开计算机数值模拟,以分析支架置入前后局部力学环境的改变。结果显示气道支架置入后,狭窄处壁面的局部应力环境发生了显著的改变,其壁面的扩张应力明显升高且应力集中的现象较为严重。我们认为显著改变的局部应力环境可能是造成气道肉芽组织过度增生的因素之一。     

Animal experiments concerning the disturbed wound-healing in diabetes mellitus

Summary A series of experiments with alloxan-diabetic and control rats was done in order to investigate growth of cotton-pellet granulomas and incorporation rate of³⁵S-sulphate into sulphated mucopolysaccharides of the granulation tissue. — It could be demonstrated that in the alloxan-diabetic animals there was not only markedly less formation of granulation tissue, but a pronounced blocking of synthesis of sulphated mucopolysaccharides in the granulation tissue as well. — These findings are assumed to be caused by the lack of insulin in alloxan diabetes, and to be related to the delayed wound-healing in patients with badly controlled diabetes mellitus.This work was supported by the Landesversiche-rungsanstalt Westfalen, the Bergbauberufsgenossenschaft Bochum and the Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Multiple occipital defects caused by arachnoid granulations: Emphasis on T2 mapping

A 56-year-old man presented with a 6-mo history of headache. Although neurological and laboratory examinations were normal, computed tomography (CT) scan was performed which revealed multiple occipital osteolytic lesions, which were suspected to be multiple myeloma. Subsequently nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that these lesions presented with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-like signal intensity, no diffusional restriction and intrinsic mass-like enhancement on conventional sequences were seen. T2 relaxation time was similar to that of CSF in the ventricles and adjacent subarachnoid space on T2-mapping. Single photon emission CT with 99m Tc-Methyl diphosphonate was performed which revealed no increased radiotracing accumulation. Finally, these lesions were diagnosed as mutiple arachnoid granulations (AGs). The headache was treated symptomatically with medical therapy. On follow up examination after 6 mo no evidence of tumor was detected. This report aimed to illustrate the appearance and differentiation of occipital defects caused by multiple AGs on CT and MRI, with emphasis on the findings from T2 mapping.     

Pyogenic granuloma-like lesions in a patient using topical tretinoin

A 16-year-old male developed numerous pyogenic granuloma like-lesions across his neck, chest and back after 6 weeks isotretinoin therapy for cystic acne. The isotretinoin was ceased and he was commenced on oral steroids. After 6 weeks, the lesions were almost completely healed. However, due to worsening comedonal acne, the patient was commenced on topical tretinoin cream 0.03% twice daily to his chest. He was reviewed 2 weeks later and, surprisingly, 2 new pyogenic granuloma-like lesions had developed on his chest. These lesions persisted until the topical tretinoin was ceased 3 months later.     

Effects of a Diluent on the Retarded–Release Property of Acrylate Methacrylate–Salicylic Acid Coacervates

Pharmaceutical Research -