Post-traumatic intra-osseous pseudomeningocele of the occipital bone

Clinical, radiographic, and operative findings in two children with intra-osseous pseudomeningocele of the occipital bone due to cranial trauma are presented here, along with a literature review of this uncommon radiologic entity.     

Risk analysis of severe myelotoxicity with temozolomide: The effects of clinical and genetic factors

A benefit of temozolomide (TMZ) is that myelotoxicity is uncommon. Recently, several small series have reported significant myelotoxicity resulting in treatment delays or death. The ability to predict risk of myelotoxicity may influence patient care. We retrospectively reviewed 680 malignant glioma patients and developed a clinical risk formula for myelotoxicity for each gender by logistic regression. The variables that remained were assigned a score of 1 and added together for a final risk score. Women experienced more myelotoxicity than did men (p = 0.015). For males, risk factors included body surface area (BSA) ≥ 2 m² (odds ratio [OR] = 2.712, p = 0.04), not on steroids (OR = 2.214, p = 0.06), and on bowel medication (OR = 3.955, p = 0.008). For females, final factors included no prior chemotherapy (OR = 3.727, p = 0.001), creatinine ≥ 1 mg/dl (OR = 6.08, p = 0.002), platelets < 270,000/mm³ (OR = 2.438, p = 0.03), BSA < 2 m² (OR = 4.178, p = 0.04), not on medication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (OR = 2.942, p = 0.01), and on analgesics (OR = 2.169, p = 0.05). Age was included because of observable trends. Risk of developing myelotoxicity ranged from 0% to 33% (male) and from 0% to 100% (females). Polymorphisms in NQO1 (NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, quinone 1), MGMT (O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase), and GSTP1 (glutathione S-transferase pi 1) were related to risk of developing myelotoxicity in a subset of patients. Myelotoxicity with TMZ is a significant clinical issue for those at risk. Use of a clinical model to predict risk and evaluation of identified genetic polymorphisms related to myelotoxicity may allow for individualized dosing, optimizing patient management.     

COLORECTAL INVOLVEMENT OF KAPOSI'S SARCOMA IN A HIV‐NEGATIVE CASE

A case of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in a 70‐year‐old man who was using corticosteroid for the treatment of asthma is presented. KS lesions occurred in the skin, colon, and rectum. Macroscopic appearances of the lesions varied from polypoid, hemorrhagic mucosal nodules and ulcers to red macules in the mucosal plane to plaque‐like indurations of the wall. As the case was HIV negative, it is believed that KS developed due to corticosteroid‐induced immunosuppression.     

Comparison of methods for transcatheter fragmentation of gallstones

Summary Alternative methods have been considered for treating cholelithiasis. Compared to extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), a percutaneous endoscopic approach would be more invasive, but would offer the advantage of immediate stone removal without the need for subsequent drug therapy. We performed an in vitro comparison of three methods of transcatheter cholecystolithotripsy with regard to effectiveness of stone fragmentation, damage to the gallbladder mucosa, and compatibility with percutaneous delivery systems. The three devices used for cholecystolithotripsy were the ultrasonic lithotriptor (UL), the electrohydraulic lithotriptor (EHL), and the thulium-holmium-chromium: YAG laser (THC:YAG). The UL effectively fragmented all types of stones studied, although it is necessary to hold the stone against the tip of the probe. The EHL quickly fragmented noncalcified and pigment stones simply by placing the tip in the vicinity of the stone, but calcified stones had to be held in position near the electrode. The THC:YAG was effective at fragmenting each type of stone, but the number of pulses required was quite large, corresponding to 7 min for some stones. The EHL had the most capacity for mucosal damage, followed by the THC:YAG laser. The UL produced no mucosal damage at the exposure times tested. The UL is not compatible with flexible endoscopes while the EHL and the THC:YAG are. Because of the specific advantages and disadvantages of each device, a combination of devices may be required for successful clinical cholecystolithotripsy.     

Effect of BMI on outcomes of surgical treatment for tibial plateau fractures: A comparative retrospective case series study

Purpose

Tibia plateau fracture (TPF) treatment aims at achieving a stable, aligned, mobile, painless knee and preventing post-traumatic osteoarthritis. To achieve this goal, surgeons consider criteria such as patients' characteristics, severity, risk of complications, fracture displacement/depression, degree of soft tissue injury. However, body mass index (BMI) is not considered as a risk factor in literature. Our study was conducted to find out any possible correlation between BMI and functional scores or radiological score separately.