Proliferative lesions of oviduct and uterus in CD-1 mice exposed prenatally to tamoxifen

Tamoxifen (TAM) is widely used as adjuvant breast cancer therapy after surgery and as a chemopreventive agent in women of child-bearing age. However, TAM therapy has been shown to result in an increased incidence of endometrial carcinoma in women. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of TAM (5 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg body wt) given i.g. to pregnant CD-1 mice (1x/day, days 12 through 18 of gestation) on their female offspring. Progressive proliferative hyperplasia of the oviduct was frequently seen in TAM-exposed offspring, reaching 100% incidence by 52 weeks in both treatment groups. These females also developed progressive proliferative uterine lesions, including moderate/severe cystic endometrial hyperplasia (34-50%) and polypoid adenomas (27-30%) between 53 and 78 weeks. Deciduomas (15%) occurred at young ages (12 and 24 weeks) while leiomyomas (14%), a malignant leiomyosarcoma, and ovarian granulosa cell tumors (14%), were found between 72 and 78 weeks. Our findings thus suggest a strong association between transplacental TAM and reproductive tract abnormalities in female CD-1 mice.      

Pulmonary tuberculosis in five young infants with nursery exposure: clinical, radiographic and CT findings

Clinical, radiographic (n = 5) and CT findings (n = 4) of five Korean infants ranging in age from 2 to 3 months with confirmed tuberculosis were retrospectively analysed. All of the patients were symptomatic, anergic to tuberculin, and had a positive culture of Myobacterium tuberculosis in gastric aspirates. The probable source of infection was the hospital in which they were born. CT scans demonstrated hilar and mediastinal lymph node enlargement with central low attenuation and peripheral enhancement in all cases. CT may be useful in diagnosis by demonstrating characteristic adenopathy and disseminated disease in young infants. Received: 2 September 1997 Accepted: 23 April 1998     

Multigenic control of skin tumor susceptibility in SENCARA/Pt mice

Skin tumors induced in mice by initiation-promotion (2 microg DMBA-2 microg TPA) protocols were found to be under multigenic control. Eighty- one N2 mice from the cross (BALB/cAnPt x SENCARA/Pt)F1 x SENCARA/Pt that were either solidly resistant (no papillomas) or highly susceptible (> or = 7 papillomas/mouse) were subjected to a 'genome scan' using 89 microsatellite markers to check for associations with susceptible and resistant phenotypes. A locus on Chr 5 (Skts4) was found to control the susceptibility of SENCARA/Pt mice and the resistance of BALB/cAnPt mice to papilloma formation. In addition, higher than expected linkage scores were seen for the markers D9Mit271, D11Mit268 and D12Mit56. Further work is required to establish whether genes determining papilloma formation are located in these regions of the genome. In general, no evidence was seen for loss of heterozygosity in microsatellite markers on Chrs 5, 9 and 11 in 17 microdissected papillomas from (BALB/c x SENCARA)F1 hybrid mice.      

Prevalence of faecal incontinence among women with urinary incontinence

Four hundred and sixty-five women attending a urodynamic clinic were interviewed, and completed a detailed bowel questionnaire, about their urinary and bowel symptoms. All the women underwent video-cystourethrography with pressure and flow studies. The reported incidence of faecal incontinence was 15.3% (   n = 71  ) on direct questioning and 26% 0(  n = 121  ) on the postal questionnaire. Faecal incontinence was more common in women with a urodynamic diagnosis of detrusor instability (30'%1 (   n = 26  )) than among women diagnosed as having genuine stress incontinence (21% (   n = 38  )). Denervation and myogenic injuries sustained during childbirth have been suggested as a common cause for genuine stress and faecal incontinence, but there may be an alternative mechanism to explain why women with detrusor instability suffer from faecal incontinence.     

Mortality: What Are the Roles of Risk Factor Prevalence,Screening, and Use of Recommended Treatment?

CONTEXT: Despite advances in early detection and prevention of cervical cancer, women living in rural areas, and particularly in Appalachia, the rural South, the Texas/Mexico border, and the central valley of California, have had consistently higher rates of cervical cancer mortality than their counterparts in other areas during the past several decades. METHODS: This paper reviews the published literature from 1966 to July 2002 to assess three potential pathways underlying this excess mortality--high human papilloma virus (HPV) prevalence, lack of or infrequent screening and advanced disease at diagnosis, and under-use of recommended treatment and shorter survival. FINDINGS: Living in rural areas may impose barriers to cervical cancer control, including lack of transportation and medical care infrastructures. Population characteristics that place women at greater risk for developing and dying from cervical cancer, such as low income, lack of health insurance, and physician availability, are concentrated in rural areas. Published data, however, are insufficient to identify the key reasons for the observed mortality patterns. CONCLUSIONS: At this time, given the lack of definitive evidence in the published literature, decisions about priorities in areas with high rates of cervical cancer mortality will depend on knowledge of current levels of screening, incidence, and stage distribution; and service delivery infrastructures, resources, and acceptability of interventions to the target population.     

角膜塑型术矫正近视二年后的临床观察

目的 :探讨角膜塑型术 (Orthokeratology ,简称Or tho K镜 )矫正近视的远期疗效 ,了解其对近视的矫正及控制近视进展的效果。并观察其安全程度。方法 :配戴Ortho K镜二年以上的青少年近视眼患者 ,共 86例 16 6眼 ,平均年龄(15 .5± 2 .6 )岁 ( 10～ 2 5岁 ) ,平均屈光度 ( - 4 .0 2± 1.78)D( -1.5～ - 7.0D)。对配戴前、后的角膜曲率、角膜地形图、角膜厚度、眼轴、眼压进行检测 ,平均观察期为 ( 2 8.2 5± 3.74 )个月。结果 :配戴前后平均裸眼视力分别为 0 .2 1± 0 .10和0 .99± 0 .2 3,差异有非常显著性 (P <0 .0 1) ;配戴前后角膜水平曲率均值分别为 ( 4 3.0 5± 1.10 )D和 ( 4 0 .84± 1.38)D ;配戴前后眼轴 (眼球前后径 )均值分别为 ( 2 4 .93± 0 .82 )mm和( 2 5 .16± 0 .82 )mm ,每年眼轴增长均值为 ( 0 .12± 0 .4 1)mm ;配戴前后角膜厚度均值分别为 ( 0 .5 6 5± 0 .0 30 )mm和 ( 0 .5 5 7±0 .0 34)mm ,配戴后角膜厚度平均变薄 0 .0 0 9mm ,差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 1) ;配戴前后眼压均值分别为 ( 15 .95± 2 .92 )mmHg和 ( 15 .35± 2 .6 0 )mmHg ,配戴后眼压平均下降 0 .6 0mmHg,差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 1)。配戴Ortho K镜期间有 79眼发生过角膜点状浸润 ,占配戴眼数的 4 7.31%。结论 :Or t     

62例咽旁间隙肿瘤临床分析

目的：探讨咽旁间隙肿瘤的诊断和治疗方法及熟悉咽旁间隙解剖与肿瘤关系。方法：回顾性分析62例咽旁间隙肿瘤的临床资料。结果：咽旁间隙肿瘤中病理类型较多,但以神经鞘膜肿瘤比例较大,占41.9%,混合瘤22.6%,畸胎瘤、错构瘤、脊索瘤、恶性淋巴瘤及脑膜瘤等共占35.5%。进行以颈侧入路为主的4种手术入路,2例肿瘤复发（1例神经鞘膜瘤,1例转移癌）,再次手术治愈,其余均一次性手术治愈。结论：咽旁间隙肿瘤临床表现复杂,病理类型多样,肿瘤预后较好。其诊断较难,除症状体征外,CT、MRI及B超对咽旁间隙肿瘤的诊断有重要价值。手术径路是根据患者体征、影像学特征结合肿瘤位置、大小及性质而最终确定。颈侧入路为主要手术途径,气管切开为预防窒息措施。     

Fetal home telemetry

A simple method whereby the fetal heart rate can be monitored in hospital while the mother is sitting at home has been developed. This paper describes a feasibility study undertaken to assess the practicality of its use.