Radical resection of focal brainstem gliomas： is it worth doing？

OBJECTIVES： Despite revolutionary technical advancement in neuroimaging and operative neurosurgery, surgical extirpation of focal brainstem glioma （BSG） remains steeped in controversy. In this study, we evaluated our senior author＇s （CT） surgical experience in radically treating these turnouts in children to determine the safety and efficacy of such approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS： Thirty-four consecutive patients aged between 3 and 16 years who underwent endoscope-asslsted microsurgery for focal BSG with the intent of radial resection from 1999 to 2005 were evaluated.     

The use of income information of census enumeration area as a proxy for the household income in a household survey

Background  

Some of the Census Enumeration Areas' (CEA) information may help planning the sample of population studies but it can also be used for some analyses that require information that is more difficult to obtain at the individual or household level, such as income. This paper verifies if the income information of CEA can be used as a proxy for household income in a household survey.     

山莨菪碱对洗涤大鼠血小板代谢花生四烯酸的影响

作者建立了一个用大鼠洗涤血小板研究药物对外源性及内源性AA代谢影响的方法。采用HPLC测定血小板AA代谢物HHT及12-HETE,观察了底物(AA)浓度、孵育时间、A23187加量等对血小板代谢AA的影响。并用此法研究了654-2对洗涤血小板AA代谢的影响。654-2显著减少血小板从内源性AA形成HHT及12-HETE,且作用随剂量增加而增强,但不影响血小板对外源性AA的代谢。上述结果表明,654-2是通过抑制AA释放而减少AA代谢物的形成。     

Intravenous DSA examination of patients with suspected cerebral ischemia

We analyzed the role of intravenous digital subtraction angiography (DSA), with neck and intracranial views as a definitive pretherapy study, in patients who had symptomatic cerebral ischemia. Eighty-six patients, 25 of whom had subsequent carotid thromboendarterectomy, were examined. An adequate pretherapy intravenous DSA study allowed us to define each carotid bifurcation as either normal, having insignificant stenosis, or having significant stenosis, and the examination excluded significant tandem stenosis in the intracranial internal carotid arteries. Adequate pretherapy intravenous DSA studies were obtained in 73% of patients, including 50% of those in the presurgical group. Selective carotid arteriography was not required in these patients. Inadequate presurgical studies were predominantly due to plaque misregistration, inadequate projection, and superimposition that obscured the proximal internal carotid arteries. Selective carotid arteriography was performed in these patients prior to surgery. Inadequate studies prior to initiation of medical therapy were predominantly due to soft tissue misregistration artifact, and superimposition. Intravenous DSA is a valuable screening test and can be used to guide therapy in the majority of patients who have symptomatic cerebral ischemia.