Functional use of the Nucleus 22-channel cochlear implant in the elderly

A questionnaire was sent to 101 Nucleus 22-channel cochlear implant recipients aged 65 years and older to investigate the perceived impact of cochlear implantation on their quality of life. The questionnaire was designed to gain insight into the patient's daily use of the Nucleus implant. Sixty-seven questionnaires were returned over a 3-month period. The results of the survey showed that elderly cochlear implant patients obtained similar benefits to younger adult patients who were implanted with the same device. We believe that the results of this study will aid other centers when counseling elderly patients on the expected daily functional benefits of this device.     

Surgical Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma With Inferior Vena Cava Tumor Thrombus

Background. The optimal management of patients with renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus remains unresolved. Traditional approaches have included resection with or without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Chemotherapy has played a minor role except for biotherapeutic agents used for metastatic disease.

Methods. From January 1989 to January 1996, 37 patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus underwent surgical resection. The 27 men and 10 women had a median age of 57 years (range, 29 to 78 years). Thirty-six patients presented with symptoms; 21 had hematuria. Distant metastases were present in 12 patients. Tumor thrombi extended to the infrahepatic inferior vena cava (n = 16), the intrahepatic inferior vena cava (n = 16), the suprahepatic inferior vena cava (n = 3), and into the right atrium (n = 2). All tumors were resected by inferior vena cava isolation and, when necessary, extended hepatic mobilization and Pringle maneuver, with primary or patch closure of the vena cavotomy. Cardiopulmonary bypass was necessary in only 2 patients with intraatrial thrombus.

Results. Complications occurred in 11 patients, and 1 patient died 2 days postoperatively of a myocardial infarction (mortality, 2.7%). Twenty patients are alive; overall 2- and 5-year survival rates were 61.7% and 33.6%, respectively. For patients without lymph node or distant metastases (stage IIIa), 2- and 5-year survival rates were 74% and 45%, respectively. The presence of distant metastatic disease (stage IV) at the time of operation did not have a significant adverse effect on survival, as reflected by 2- and 5-year survival rates of 62.5% and 31.3%, respectively. Lymph node metastases (stage IIIc) adversely affected survival as there were no long-term survivors.

Conclusions. Resection of an intracaval tumor thrombus arising from renal cell carcinoma can be performed safely and can result in prolonged survival even in the presence of metastatic disease. In our experience, extracorporeal circulatory support was required only when the tumor thrombus extended into the heart.     

Breast Conservation Therapy in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer Who Have Undergone a Second Re-Excision of the Primary Tumor Bed: A Report of Four Cases

Abstract: For the women with early-stage breast cancer who are candidates for breast conservation therapy, re-excision of the primary tumor bed has commonly been used in patients for several indications. These indications include positive margin or uncertain margin status of the primary excision or residual microcalcifications on postbiopsy mammogram. If the pathology from the re-excision does not confirm negative margin status, mastectomy is generally recommended. This article examines patients who have undergone a second re-excision (i.e., a lumpectomy followed by two re-excisions) who have been treated with breast conservation therapy rather than a mastectomy.
From September 1977 to November 1995, 1,562 patients underwent breast conserving therapy at this institution. Seven hundred forty of these patients underwent a re-excisional biopsy because of positive or uncertain margin status or residual microcalcifications after the first excision. Four patients (0.5%) underwent a second re-excision because of positive or uncertain margin status or residual microcalcifications on mammogram after the first re-excision. The final margin status after the second re-excision of all four patients was negative. The radiation dose was 4,600–5,000 cGy to the whole breast followed by a conedown to bring the total dose to 6,400–6,800 cGy to the primary tumor bed.
Follow-up in the four patients was 13 years, 4 years, 14 months, and 8 months respectively. All four patients are clinically without disease and have not had a locoregional recurrence. Cosmesis was excellent in all four patients. One patient had an adriamycin-induced recall reaction causing a cellulitis, which resolved with antibiotics. There were no other complications.
Highly selected patients may undergo breast-conserving therapy after a second re-excision. Good outcome and cosmesis can be achieved for this small subset of patients with avoidance of a mastectomy.     

Limitations of the keyhole technique for quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI

The effect of keyhole data acquisition on quantitative analysis of dynamic MRI was examined. Experiments were performed retrospectively on raw data obtained from clinical dynamic contrast-enhanced breast imaging procedures. The effects of keyhole phase-encoding acquisition and type of reconstruction algorithm on the accuracy of derived quantitative parameters was assessed. Results indicate that the minimum keyhole size used should be restricted by the approximate minimum size of the expected lesions. Furthermore, reconstruction algorithms that offer improved image resolution do not circumvent this restriction.     

Regular ingestion of tea does not inhibit in vivo lipid peroxidation in humans.

Prospective studies suggest that tea may protect against cardiovascular disease. A potential mechanism for such an effect involves inhibition of lipid peroxidation by polyphenolic antioxidants derived from tea. Our objective was to determine whether regular ingestion of tea could inhibit in vivo lipid peroxidation. Two controlled intervention studies assessed the effects of regular ingestion of tea on lipid peroxidation determined by measurement of urinary F(2)-isoprostane excretion. Study 1: The effects of 1000 mL/d of green tea and black tea were compared with hot water containing caffeine in 13 subjects with elevated blood pressure using a randomized 3-period (7 d each) crossover design. Study 2: The effects of 1250 mL/d of black tea were compared with hot water in 22 subjects with mildly raised serum total cholesterol concentrations using a randomized 2-period (4 wk each) crossover design. F(2)-isoprostane excretion was not altered after regular ingestion of green tea (273 +/- 48 pmol/mmol creatinine) or black tea (274 +/- 39 pmol/mmol creatinine) in comparison with hot water (263 +/- 47 pmol/mmol creatinine; Study 1), or by regular ingestion of black tea (334 +/- 71 pmol/mmol creatinine) in comparison with hot water (355 +/- 75 pmol/mmol creatinine; Study 2). These results do not support the suggestion that polyphenolic antioxidants derived from tea inhibit in vivo lipid peroxidation.     

The HemoCue®, a point of care B-hemoglobin photometer, measures hemoglobin concentrations accurately when mixedin vitro with canine plasma and three hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC)

PURPOSE: Accuracy of measurement of low hemoglobin concentrations using the HemoCue, a B-hemoglobin photometer (HemoCue AB, Angelholm, Sweden) may exhibit significant variability. Infusion of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) results in low concentrations of plasma hemoglobin. Our study assessed B-hemoglobin photometer measurement accuracy of three HBOC: (hemoglobin glutamer-200 (bovine; Oxyglobin, Biopure Corp., Cambridge, MA, USA); hemoglobin glutamer-250 (bovine; Hemopure, Biopure Corp, Cambridge, MA, USA), and hemoglobin-raffimer, (human; Hemolink, Hemosol, Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada). METHODS: In the laboratory, 45 split canine plasma samples were mixed with hemoglobin glutamer-200 (8.13, 16.25, 32.5 g x L(-1) concentrations), 45 samples were mixed with hemoglobin glutamer-250 (8.13, 16.25, 32.5 g x L(-1) concentrations), 45 with hemoglobin-raffimer (12.5, 25.0, 50.0 g x L(-1) concentrations), and measured. Plasma samples without HBOC served as control. Hemoglobin concentration was determined by a laboratory analyzer (Coulter Corporation, Hiafeah, FL, USA) and B-hemoglobin photometer (HemoCue, Angelholm, Sweden). Two independent technicians performed blinded sample measurements and randomly tested each sample five times. Results were analyzed according to Bland and Altman analysis. RESULTS: B-hemoglobin photometer demonstrated high repeatability for all three HBOCs. Repeatability coefficients were 0.37 g x L(-1) and 0.48 g x L(-1) for hemoglobin glutamer-200, 0.39 g x L(-1) and 0.4 g x L(-1) for hemoglobin glutamer-250 and 1.07 g x L(-1) and 0.85 g x L(-1) for hemoglobin-raffimer. An acceptable agreement was found between the B-hemoglobin photometer and the laboratory analyzer for all three HBOCs tested. CONCLUSION: The B-hemoglobin photometer accurately determined the concentration of three HBOC solutions dissolved in canine plasma.     

Quantitative proton MR spectroscopic imaging of the human brain

Multislice proton MR spectroscopic images (SI) of the brain were quantitated, using the phantom replacement technique. In 16 normal volunteers, ranging in age from 5 to 74 years, average “whole brain” concentrations of choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) were found to be 2.4 ± 0.4, 7.9 ± 1.3, and 11.8 ± 1.0 (mM, mean ± SD), respectively. These values are in good general agreement with those previously determined by single-voxel localization techniques. Cortical gray matter was found to have lower Cho and NAA levels, compared to those of white matter, corpus callosum, and basal ganglia. Cho was also found to increase significantly with age in several locations. Quantitative multislice proton SI is feasible in the clinical environment, and regional and age-dependent variations occur that must be accounted for when evaluating spectra from pathological conditions.