Premalignant conditions and markers of elevated risk in the breast and their management

Most epithelial hyperplasias of the human breast indicate an increased likelihood of carcinoma development, and the majority are best understood as markers or indicators of higher risk. Prospective studies of women with hyperplasia biopsied in the premammographic era indicate that about 70 per cent of women had mild or no hyperplastic epithelial alterations and experienced no increase in the risk of subsequent carcinoma. About 25 per cent of women had well-developed hyperplastic changes associated with a risk 1.5 to 2.0 times that of the general population controlled for age and length of follow-up. Somewhat fewer than 5 per cent of women had specific patterns of atypical hyperplasia that approached the patterns of carcinoma in situ. The women with atypical hyperplasia had a risk of cancer four to five times that of the general population, or about half the risk associated with microscopic carcinoma in situ. Only ductal carcinoma in situ should be considered without question to be an intrinsically precancerous lesion because of its regular association with recurrence at the site of its initial diagnosis. No follow-up studies of comparable type involving women with mammographically detected lesions are as yet available. However, it is clear that the incidence of atypical hyperplasia is higher in mammographically directed biopsies. The principal therapeutic implication of these premalignant lesions is a need for intensified breast cancer surveillance and screening for these patients.     

Angiogenesis and the blood-brain barrier in intracerebral solid and cell suspension grafts

Solid and suspension grafts of fetal central nervous system (CNS) tissue rapidly reform an intact blood-brain barrier (BBB), whereas solid grafts of peripheral nervous system (PNS) tissue fail to establish a BBB as detected by horseradish peroxide (HRP) leakage, administrated intravenously. We examined the acute changes in the BBB after grafting of fetal CNS tissue in solid and suspension form and superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and PNS tissue in the same manner. Adult rats (n = 20) received fetal (day 14–15) forebrain grafts (either solid or cell suspension) to their rostral corpus callosum bilaterally. A second group (n = 20) received SCG solid and cell suspension grafts at the same coordinates with the same technique. The animals were killed on first, third, seventh, and tenth days after grafting. Intravenous HRP (Sigma, type VI, 75 mg/5-g rat) was given 1 hour before perfusion with mixed aldehydes. Fifty-micron coronal sections were examined for the presence and location of the graft by cresyl violet and AChE staining and Mesulam's TMB method to detect HRP leakage. HRP leakage was detected in the parenchyma in all groups on the first and the third days post-transplantation indicating a disrupted BBB. No HRP reaction was seen at days 7 and 10 in groups receiving fetal forebrain tissue whether solid or cell suspension. Solid grafts of SCG consistently demonstrated HRP leakage from the first through the tenth day. However, cell suspension of SCG established a BBB by 7 days. These results suggest that within the solid grafts of CNS and PNS tissue, the permeability of the vessels is dictated by the transplanted tissue itself. When cell suspensions of the same tissue are introduced, host CNS tissue dominates as the local environment resulting in non-leaky vasculature within the graft.     

Complications of surgical endoscopy

Background: This study examines the notion that gastrointestinal endoscopy performed by supervised surgical residents is safe. Methods: We reviewed all gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures performed by surgical residents with faculty supervision for complications and deaths occurring up to 30 days following the procedures. Results: The overall complication rate for 9,201 upper and lower endoscopy procedures was 1.4% and 0.42%, respectively. Overall mortality rate was 0.76% for upper endoscopy and 0.6% for lower endoscopy. No mortality was a direct result of a procedure-related complication. Intestinal perforation, drug overdose, bleeding, and aspiration were the most common procedure-related complications. Each resident completed an average of 75 upper endoscopies and 79 lower endoscopies during their training period. Conclusions: Gastrointestinal endoscopy can be performed safely by surgical residents with appropriate supervision. The higher morbidity and mortality of upper endoscopy are most likely related to the underlying disease rather than the procedure. Awareness of common complications and application of appropriate precautions and instruction are critical for minimizing complications. Received 25 March 1996/Accepted: 24 April 1996     

Malnutrition and subsequent ischemic heart disease in former prisoners of war of world war II and the Korean conflict

The harsh treatment of former prisoners of war (POWs) of World War II and the Korean conflict resulted in severe malnutrition. Although rarely linked to specific long-term medical problems, a specific marker of malnutrition, self-reported lower limb edema (presumably due to a vitamin B deficiency) was associated with a three-fold increase in subsequent death attributed to ischemic heart disease (IHD) during the follow-up period from 1967 through 1975. Although there is at present no medical basis for linking edema, which is perhaps a marker for some unmeasured risk factor, to subsequent IHD, this finding may nonetheless have medical implications for the group of former POWs and other populations with severe dietary deficiency. It also suggests there may be a need to reexamine currently held theories on malnutrition and subsequent chronic disease.     

Non-linkage of the islet amyloid polypeptide gene with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus

Summary Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes is associated with the deposition of islet amyloid. The major formative peptide, islet amyloid polypeptide, has recently been characterised and an abnormality of the structure or expression of this gene is a possible candidate for the inherited component of Type 2 diabetes. A restriction fragment length polymorphism of the gene has been identified with Pvu II. To study the relationship between the islet amyloid polypeptide gene and Type 2 diabetes, two distinct genetic approaches have been undertaken. Firstly, non-linkage has been demonstrated in four pedigrees, with four normoglycaemic first degree relatives having an allele associated with diabetes in other family members, and one affected relative not having the putatively associated allele. The LOD score taking age-related penetrance into account was –1.68, making linkage unlikely (p=0.02). Secondly, in a population-based restriction fragment length polymorphism survey, no linkage disequilibrium of the alleles was found between a population of unrelated Caucasian subjects with Type 2 diabetes and a normal population. A mutation in or near the islet amyloid polypeptide gene is thus unlikely to be a common cause of Type 2 diabetes.     

Adrenocorticosteroid deficiency: an unusual cause of fever of unknown origin.

We report the case of a lady with multiple presentations and admissions with fever. The eventual diagnosis was made of adrenocorticosteroid deficiency.     

An evaluation of sepsis Web sites for patient and family education.

More and more consumers are using the Internet to find answers to questions about healthcare. Unfortunately, information at health Web sites may be incorrect, biased, and outdated. The purpose of our project was to identify Web sites on sepsis that could be used for patient and family education. We evaluated 30 sites on the basis of the Health on the Net criteria for medical and health Web sites, key content areas that patients and families should know in relation to sepsis, and readability. This article shares the process we used to evaluate the Web sites and identify the top sites for patient education.     

Emergency surgery for haematoma-forming aneurysmal haemorrhage

Patients with intracerebral haematomas (ICH) secondary to aneurysmal bleeds usually have a poor prognosis or die if treated conservatively. Younger patients with rupture of a middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm and temporal haematomas have the potential to return to useful life. They should be assessed separately from other subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) patients and considered for emergency surgery. Seven such cases are presented, five made an acceptable recovery. The experience of other units as represented in the literature is considered.