周围神经源性良性肿瘤的超声特性

目的通过分析周围神经源性良性肿瘤的超声特性,评价超声在周围神经源性良性肿瘤中的诊断作用。方法采用回顾性调查方法收集2000—2011年我院收治的有完整临床资料的良性周围神经肿瘤65例患者的术前超声检查、手术图片及病理检查结果,其中58例肿瘤患者同时包含彩色多普勒超声检查结果,由2位有丰富临床经验的超声影像医师对患者的术前超声图像进行回顾分析,评估肿瘤超声特性包括肿瘤的形状、大小、边界、包膜、内部回声特性、后方回声情况与周围神经的关系以及血流情况。结果本组65例良性周围神经源性肿瘤70处病变的超声检查结果显示42处病变(60%)为内部回声均匀的实质性低回声结构;28处病变(40%)为回声不均的低回声结构,其中18处(26%)病变为低回声结构内部可见高回声区,10处(14%)病变为低回声结构内部可见液性暗区;36处病变与知名周围神经相连。58例肿瘤彩色多普勒超声检查显示24例肿瘤(41%)有丰富血流信号,22例肿瘤(38%)有少量血流信号,12例(21%)肿瘤无血流信号。65例患者70处病变均行手术切除,术中见54处病变来源于知名的周围神经,16处病变位于肌肉内,无知名神经纤维连结。超声检查显示病变与神经相连的阳性率为67%(36/54)。65例肿瘤手术切除后病理检查结果显示,62例肿瘤为神经鞘膜瘤,2例为神经纤维瘤,1例为神经纤维瘤病。结论超声检查能提供良性神经源性肿瘤较详细的形态、内部结构、边界、包膜以及肿瘤与周围组织的关系的信息,还能显示肿瘤与周围神经的联系以及血流情况等,检查方便易行,检查费用低廉,患者易于接受。     

A clinical study assessing the tolerability and biological effects of infliximab, a TNF-alpha inhibitor, in patients with advanced cancer

BACKGROUND: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is an important regulator of the chronic inflammation contributing to tumour progression. Infliximab, an anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody was investigated in this trial of patients with advanced cancer. The primary objectives were to determine the safety profile and biological response of infliximab in a cancer population. Clinical response was a secondary objective. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients received infliximab at 5 mg/kg (n = 21) or 10 mg/kg (n = 20) i.v. at 0 and 2 weeks and then every 4 weeks. Post-treatment samples were measured for changes in plasma and serum TNF-alpha, CCL2, IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP). RESULTS: Infliximab was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxic effects. At both doses of infliximab, neutralisation of serum TNF-alpha was observed after 1 h while plasma CCL2, IL-6 and serum CRP were decreased 24 and 48 h following infliximab administration. Seven patients experienced disease stablisation (range 10-50+ weeks). There was no evidence of disease acceleration in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Infliximab treatment was safe and well tolerated in patients with advanced cancer. There was evidence of biological activity with baseline TNF-alpha and CCL2 being correlated with infliximab response.     

Acute renal failure in a neonate due to pelviureteric candidal bezoars successfully treated with long-term systemic fluconazole

Systemic candidiasis with renal involvement is a rare but well-recognized complication during intensive care treatment in very-low-birth-weight infants. We report a term neonate who developed anuria associated with bilateral bezoar formation in the renal pelvis and candidemia. The treatment consisted of placement of a nephrostomy tube in the left kidney, short-term irrigation with amphotericin B and iv, and later, oral administration of fluconazole.     

Pelvic ultrasound findings in different forms of sexual precocity

Recently produced reference curves for various ultrasound dimensions were used to retrospectively assess 67 pelvic ultrasound scans carried out at the initial presentation in girls with sexual precocity. At presentation the group with precocious puberty had significantly increased uterine lengths and ovarian volumes compared with the normal population, and a significantly increased fundal–cervical ratio. Ovarian volume was also significantly increased in thelarche and thelarche variant. The fundal–cervical ratio was significantly increased in thelarche variant. There was considerable overlap between individuals with sexual precocity and normal subjects. The ultrasound findings that best discriminated early or precocious puberty from other forms of sexual precocity were the presence of a midline endometrial echo, and a uterine length above the 97th centile for age. An entirely normal pelvic ultrasound at presentation did not rule out the possibility of precocious puberty.     

Immunity to hepatitis B, poliomyelitis and measles in fully vaccinated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children

Objective: To determine the immunity to hepatitis B, poliomyelitis and measles in fully vaccinated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children in north Queensland.
Methodology: A cross-sectional survey of immunity in a sample of children; 101 fully vaccinated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children, with a median age of 24.5 months, from 10 communities in North Queensland participated in this study. The main outcome measures were the prevalence of adequate antibody levels against hepatitis B, poliomyelitis and measles.
Results: Only 54% (95% Cl 44–63%) of the children had adequate immunity (10 m iu/mL) to hepatitis B, and one child had been infected despite vaccination. Although all the children (95% Cl 96–100%) had adequate immunity (i.e. neutralizing antibodies at a dilution of 1:8) to poliovirus 2, only 93% (95% Cl 86–96%) and 60% (95% Cl 50–69%) had adequate immunity to polioviruses 1 and 3, respectively. Nearly all (96%; 95% Cl 90–98%) of the children had adequate immunity (i.e. detectable IgG antibody) to measles.
Conclusions: Although a relatively low proportion of the children had adequate antibody levels against hepatitis B the clinical significance of this observation is uncertain. Further studies are needed to determine whether fully vaccinated Torres Strait Island children have been adequately protected and whether they require a booster dose of hepatitis B vaccine. A substantial proportion of fully vaccinated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children are inadequately protected against poliomyelitis, and therefore any such child with acute flaccid paralysis should be investigated fully for poliomyelitis. Vaccinated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children are well protected against measles, as are other Australian children.     

Effect of spectral distribution on isomerization of bilirubin in vivo

The purpose of our study was to compare the effects of narrow-spectrum blue light and broad-spectrum white light on the production of bilirubin photo-isomers in human infants with jaundice. Twelve preterm infants were studied under both white and blue light. Irradiance at 450 nm was controlled at 12 microW/cm2/nm for both light sources. Each light condition (white or blue) was administered for 12 hours. Bilirubin isomers (4Z,15E-bilirubin and lumirubin) were measured before therapy and after 12 hours of each sequential light condition. The percentage of 4Z,15E-bilirubin was greater under blue light than under white light (P less than 0.01) phototherapy. There was no significant difference in percentage lumirubin under white or blue light therapy. Our data indicate that blue light is more effective than white light in producing 4Z,15E-bilirubin in vivo. Our study demonstrates that when irradiance in the bilirubin absorbance spectrum is constant, the color of light (spectral distribution) will determine the relative concentrations of photo-isomers produced.