In-111-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy in suspected orthopedic prosthesis infection: comparison with other imaging modalities

When infection of prosthetic orthopedic implants is suspected, optimal management requires accurate confirmation or exclusion of infection. The authors retrospectively studied 98 patients with possible infection who underwent scanning with indium-111-labeled white blood cells (WBCs) and subsequently underwent surgery within 14 days. At surgery, 50 patients had infections, as determined by means of culture or histologic results. The diagnostic accuracy of In-111 scanning was compared with that of plain radiography, arthrography, three-phase bone scanning, and various clinical and laboratory findings classically associated with infection. Positive findings on In-111 WBC scans and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates were found to be the most predictive variables in the diagnosis of septic prostheses (P less than or equal to .001 and P less than or equal to .002, respectively). Likelihood ratio analysis more clearly demonstrated the superiority of In-111 WBC scanning, with positive and negative scans yielding likelihood ratios of 5.0 and 0.16, respectively.     

原发性病原真菌和条件性真菌所致的甲真菌病

近40年间在易感或免疫受损个体中原发性和条件性真菌感染显著增多。其发病率的增加与艾滋病的流行和医疗技术的重大发展,尤其是器官移植、肿瘤及免疫性疾病新的治疗方法相关。在真菌性疾病中,尽管某些人群更易患甲真菌病,但每一个体均可能患该病。虽然甲真菌病呈慢性经过且并不威胁生命,但可严重影响患者的身心健康。甲真菌病的患病率在许多国家似乎呈上升趋势,范围在3%～15%。尽管临床表现可提示有真菌感染,但保证诊断正确和治疗合理仍依赖实验室检查。尽管酵母和霉菌也可成为单独或混合感染的病原菌,但大多数甲真菌病是由皮肤癣菌引起的。…     

Novel Z Scores to Correct Biases Due to Ventricular Volume Indexing to Body Surface Area in Adolescents and Young Adults

BackgroundReference values for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) in children and young adults are scarce. This leads to risk stratification of patients with congenital heart diseases being based on volumes indexed to body surface area (BSA). We aimed to produce cMRI Z score equations for ventricular volumes in children and young adults and to test whether indexing to BSA resulted in an incorrect assessment of ventricular dilation according to sex, body composition, and growth.MethodsWe retrospectively included 372 subjects aged < 26 years with either normal hearts or conditions with no impact on ventricular volumes (reference group), and 205 subjects with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) aged < 26 years. We generated Z score equations by means of multivariable regression modelling. Right ventricular dilation was assessed with the use of Z scores and compared with indexing to BSA in TOF subjects.ResultsVentricular volume Z scores were independent from age, sex, and anthropometric measurements, although volumes indexed to BSA showed significant residual association with sex and body size. In TOF subjects, indexing overestimated dilation in growing children and underestimated dilation in female compared with male subjects, and in overweight compared with lean subjects.ConclusionsIndexed ventricular volumes measured with cMRI did not completely adjust for body size and resulted in a differential error in the assessment of ventricular dilation according to sex and body size. Our proposed Z score equations solved this problem. Future studies should evaluate if ventricular volumes expressed as Z scores have a better prognostic value than volumes indexed to BSA.     

A randomized study comparing two guidewire strategies for angioplasty of chronic total coronary occlusion

Chronic total coronary occlusions were more frequently crossed using the Crosswire as a primary guidewire strategy than with the conventional strategy. This strategy resulted in a lower number of guidewires being used, a trend toward shorter procedural and fluoroscopy times, and decreased use of contrast media.     

Determination of polymorphonuclear neutrophil adhesion receptors. Effect of pre-analytic factors

Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) adherence receptors expression varies with leukocyte activation state. Their quantification need accurate and inter-laboratories reproducible methods, without artefactual activation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to study the influence of cell preparation on PMN adherence receptors expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was proposed to quantify, using immunolabeling standard (QIFIKIT(R), Dako), surface expression of the main adherence receptors (L-selectin and B(2) integrins), from different preparations of PMN: total blood collected with EDTA, isolated PMN by density gradient Polymorphprep(TM) 1,113 (Nycomed Pharma) and formaldehyde fixed PMN. RESULTS: A decrease of all receptors was noted after isolation and fixation of PMN, in comparison with whole blood PMN analysis. These results differed from data previously reported since, in these studies, activated phenotypes (increased of B(2) integrins) were observed after isolation and fixation methods. CONCLUSION: The present study provides strong evidence that pre-analytical conditions are sources of biological variations and thus extreme care must be taken in the interpretation of results. It underlines the interest of consensual practices for these pre-analytic and analytic parameters in order to compare results in multicenter and longitudinal studies.