1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol in renal osteodystrophy. Epiphysiolysis--anticonvulsant therapy

Three children with azotaemic renal osteodystrophy were treated with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3). All showed clinical, biochemical, and radiological improvement within 6 months of starting treatment. There were no complications. The dose of 1,25(OH)2D3 required was 0-5 microgram per day for 2 children aged 22 and 30 months, and 2 microgram per day for a 15-year-old boy. 2 of the patients were receiving phenobarbitone and phenytoin and in one of them prior treatment with dihydrotachysterol 0-5 mg daily and 6 microgram 1alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (1alphaOHD3) daily had failed to induce improvement. In one patient, in whom serial iliac bone samples were available, 2 microgram 1,25(OH)2D3 resulted in histological improvement in previously severe osteomalacia. 1,25(OH)2D3 appears to be an effective and safe drug in the treatment of uraemic osteodystrophy.     

用电化学检测器的高效液相色谱法测定血清及尿中速尿的含量

本文报告了用电化学检测器的高效液相色谱法测定血清及尿中速尿含量的方法。样品予处理方法:血清用乙腈除蛋白,尿用蒸馏水稀释50倍。采用作者合成的FD-Val-OH作为内标物。色谱条件为:反相柱,以含35%乙醇的5mmol/L四丁基铵水溶液为流动相(pH7.50),流速1.0ml/min;用电化学检测器,检测电压0.90V:速尿及内标物的保留时间分别为10和15min。通过计算速尿对内标物的峰高比求得速尿含量。血清及尿中的最低检测浓度分别为16和9ng/ml。标准曲线在0.25～5ng/μl(血清)、0.5～10ng/μl(尿)的浓度范围内呈线性关系。血清及尿中回收率分别为100.5%和100.6%。变异系数在4.6%以下。     

高血压丘脑出血破入脑室的临床治疗体会

目的：探讨高血压丘脑出血破入脑室的治疗方法。方法：回顾分析本院高血压丘脑出血破入脑室30例患者的临床资料，15例行双侧脑室外引流术，6例行血肿穿刺引流＋脑室外引流，5例行开颅血肿清除，4例意识清醒。结果：生活自理18例，中残6例，重残3例，死亡3例。结论：高血压丘脑出血破入脑室者应急诊行脑室外引流。     

Association between palmoplantar pustulosis and cigarette smoking in Brazil: a case–control study

Background  Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) discloses some differences compared to vulgar psoriasis (PV) in terms of age of onset, female predominance and low occurrence of psoriasis lesions elsewhere. Cigarette smoking has been associated to PPP in international studies; nevertheless, these studies were never performed among Brazilian.
Objectives  To compare prevalence of smoking among PPP, PV and other dermatologic patients (NPD).
Methods  Case–control study involving 25 PPP patients from a reference psoriasis centre. Two control groups were matched according to gender and age: 50 patients with PV and 50 NPD. Confounders were adjusted by conditional multiple logistic regression.
Results  Among cases, 84.0% were female and PPP age of disease onset (41.4 years) was greater than PV (34.5 years). Prevalence of ever smoking was higher among cases (92.0%) than PV (52.0%) and NPD (30.0%). Adjusted odds ratio of PPP ever smoking compared to PV and NPD was 9.5 and 36.2, respectively. All smokers reported the onset of their habit before the development of PPP.
Conclusions  There was significant association between PPP and smoking. However, the impact of giving it up in the clinical course of the disease remains to be established.     

富氧对缺氧大鼠心肌琥珀酸脱氢酶及超微结构的影响

目的：探讨富氧对缺氧大鼠心肌损伤的保护作用及机理。方法：雄性Wistar大鼠32只随机分为平原对照组、低氧组、富氧组，低氧组在模拟海拔5400m低压舱内24h，富氧组在模拟5400m的低压舱内12h，然后富氧（27．0％的氧混合气）12h，观察心肌琥珀酸脱氢酶（SDH）及超微结构的改变。结果：低氧组心肌细胞灶性变性坏死，肌丝溶解凝固，间质水肿液和纤维素样渗出。富氧组心肌无明显病变，仅滑面内质网轻度扩张。富氧组SDH活性明显高于低氧组。结论：低氧导致心肌SDH活性及超微结构的改变，富氧对心肌有保护作用。     

Expert system-controlled image display

Conventional computer-based medical expert systems deliver advice to physicians as written text. While such advice is useful, it has distinct limitations in a visually oriented discipline such as diagnostic radiology, in which decisions often depend on pattern recognition and appreciation of subtle morphologic features. The authors developed a prototype expert computer system, IMAGE/ICON, which displays groups of images sorted into a series of axes based on different ways in which they may be similar. They may share a common feature, group of features, causes, or clinical setting. IMAGE/ICON may display examples of morphologic variations of a dominant finding or a spectrum of abnormalities seen in an specific disease or group of diseases. The system also assembles a written analysis of key features of a case. Such a tool may be useful as a diagnostic aid or for continuing medical education. It is likely to have particular impact in the form of an intelligent radiologic workstation, as picture archiving and communication systems become available.     

Prediction of bacterial meningitis in children with meningeal signs: reduction of lumbar punctures

Physicians often have to perform a lumbar puncture to ascertain the diagnosis in patients with meningeal signs, because of the serious consequences of missing bacterial meningitis The aim of this study was to derive and validate a clinical rule to predict bacterial meningitis in children with meningeal signs, to guide decisions on the performance of lumbar punctures. Information was collected from records of patients (aged 1 mo to 15 y) consulting the emergency department of the Sophia Children's Hospital between 1988 and 1998 with meningeal signs. Bacterial meningitis was defined as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leucocyte count >5 cells μl^?1 with a positive bacterial culture of CSF or blood. The diagnostic value of predictors was judged using multivariate logistic modelling and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC area). In the derivation set (286 patients, years 1988–1995) the duration of the main complaint, vomiting, meningeal irritation, cyanosis, petechiae and disturbed consciousness were independent clinical predictors of bacterial meningitis. The ROC area of this model was 0.92. The only independent predictor from subsequent laboratory tests was the serum C‐reactive protein concentration, increasing the ROC area to 0.95. Without missing a single case, this final model identified 99 patients (35%) without bacterial meningitis. Validation on 74 consecutive patients in 3 subsequent years (1996–1998) yielded similar results. Conclusion: This prediction rule identifies about 35% of the patients with meningeal signs in whom a lumbar puncture can be withheld without missing a single case of bacterial meningitis. For the individual patient this prediction rule is valuable in deciding whether or not to perform a lumbar puncture.     

胫骨下端恶性骨肿瘤切除后大段异体骨重建

目的应用大段异体骨移植及踝关节融合的保肢方法治疗胫骨下端恶性肿瘤和侵袭性肿瘤，并从预后、术后并发症及功能等几个方面加以评价。方法自1998年1月至2005年12月应用大段异体骨移植及踝关节融合的保肢方法治疗胫骨下端肿瘤患者11例；包括骨肉瘤8例，骨巨细胞瘤2例，软骨肉瘤1例。对骨肉瘤患者行新辅助化疗，按照Enneking分期，手术行边缘切除或广泛切除，应用大段深低温冷冻保存同种异体骨重建，钢板螺钉或带锁髓内钉固定。结果术后随访18-78个月，平均47个月。其中8例骨肉瘤患者随访28-78个月，平均50个月。11例均获得良好的骨愈合，开始出现骨愈合时间为术后3-18个月，平均8个月。无异体骨反应继发感染，无内固定失败。异体骨骨折1例，复发2例，肺转移3例，保肢率为81．8％。术后功能评定采用骨骼肌肉系统肿瘤手术治疗后重建功能评估系统（MSTS系统），评分为16～27分，平均24-3分。结论胫骨下端虽然软组织覆盖较薄，血运相对较差，但保肢术后肿瘤复发率不高，异体骨感染、不愈合、骨折率较低。固定方式以髓内固定为佳。大段异体骨移植及踝关节融合的保肢方法术后功能良好，给患者带来较大的心理安慰，是一种较好的保肢方式。     

Bile duct obstruction: radiologic evaluation of level, cause, and tumor resectability

In a prospective study of 65 patients with bile duct obstruction, various radiologic modalities were compared for their capability to demonstrate the level and cause of obstruction and to indicate accurately tumor resectability. Ultrasound (US) was performed in 65 patients, computed tomography (CT) in 51, direct cholangiography (DC) in 57, and angiography in 35. The level of obstruction was correctly indicated by US in 95% of patients and by CT in 90%, and the cause was correctly indicated by US in 88%, by CT in 63%, and by DC in 89%. In predicting tumor resectability, US was correct in 71% of patients, compared with 42% for CT, 58% for DC, and 25% for angiography. US therefore appears to be the single most useful modality in the evaluation bile duct obstruction.     

Evaluation of pediatric transfusion practice using criteria maps

Pediatric blood transfusion practice in a tertiary-care pediatric hospital was evaluated retrospectively by using the technique of criteria mapping. A total of 630 transfusion episodes involving red cell concentrates, frozen plasma (plasma frozen within 24 hours of collection), platelet concentrates, and albumin were reviewed: 243 (86.2%) were reviewed only by a technical assistant, and 87 (13.8%) required additional physician review. Of these, 138 were red cell concentrate transfusions: 79.7 percent of that group were considered appropriate, 11.6 percent of unknown benefit/risk ratio, 5.8 percent inappropriate, and 2.9 percent impossible to evaluate. Some 246 frozen plasma transfusions were reviewed: 42.3 percent were considered appropriate, 32.5 percent of unknown benefit/risk ratio, 17.5 percent inappropriate, and 7.7 percent impossible to evaluate. A total of 139 platelet concentrate transfusions were reviewed: 64.7 percent were considered appropriate, 16.5 percent of unknown benefit/risk ratio, 10.1 percent inappropriate, and 8.6 percent impossible to evaluate. Some 107 albumin transfusions were reviewed: 90.6 percent were considered appropriate, 1.9 percent inappropriate, and 7.5 percent impossible to evaluate. The criteria maps developed for this study were easy for the technical assistant to use, and areas of appropriate and inappropriate pediatric transfusion practice were clearly identified.