Endoscopic stenting for benign upper gastrointestinal strictures and leaks

Background

Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) and self-expandable plastic stents (SEPS) maybe used for the treatment of benign upper gastrointestinal (GI) leaks and strictures. This study reviewed our experience with stent insertions in patients with benign upper GI conditions.

Methods

Patients who underwent stent placement for benign upper GI strictures and leaks between March 2007 and April 2011 at a tertiary referral academic center were studied using an endoscopic database and electronic patient records. The technical success, complications, and clinical improvement after stent removal were compared according to type of stent. The outcomes measured were clinical response, adverse events, and predictors of stent migration.

Results

Thirty-eight patients (50 % male, mean age = 54 years, range = 12–82) underwent 121 endoscopic procedures. Twenty patients had stents placed for strictures, and 18 had stents placed for leaks. Stent placement was technically successful in all patients. The average duration of stent placement was 54 days (range = 18–118). Clinical improvement immediately after stent placement was seen in 29 of the 38 patients (76.3 %). Immediate post-procedure adverse events occurred in 8 patients. Late adverse events were seen in 18 patients. Evidence of stent migration occurred in 16 patients and was seen in 42 of the 118 successfully placed stents (35.5 %). Migration was more frequent with fully covered SEMS (p = 0.002). After stent removal, 27 patients were evaluable for long-term success (median follow-up time of 283 days, IQR 38–762). Resolution of strictures or leaks was seen in 11 patients (40.7 %). Predictors for long-term success included increasing age and if the stent did not cross the GE junction.

Conclusions

Placement of SEPS and SEMS for benign refractory strictures and fistulas has modest long-term clinical efficacy and is limited by a significant migration rate. Stent migration is common and frequent with fully covered SEMS compared to other types of stents, regardless of indication or location.     

The association of concurrent vitamin D and sex hormone deficiency with bone loss and fracture risk in older men: The osteoporotic fractures in men (MrOS) study

Low 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (VitD), low sex hormones (SH), and high sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels are common in older men. We tested the hypothesis that combinations of low VitD, low SH, and high SHBG would have a synergistic effect on bone mineral density (BMD), bone loss, and fracture risk in older men. Participants were a random subsample of 1468 men (mean age 74 years) from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS) plus 278 MrOS men with incident nonspine fractures studied in a case‐cohort design. “Abnormal” was defined as lowest quartile for VitD (<20 ng/mL), bioavailable testosterone (BioT, <163 ng/dL), and bioavailable estradiol (BioE, <11 pg/mL); and highest quartile for SHBG (>59 nM). Overall, 10% had isolated VitD deficiency; 40% had only low SH or high SHBG; 15% had both SH/SHBG and VitD abnormality; and 35% had no abnormality. Compared to men with all normal levels, those with both SH/SHBG and VitD abnormality tended to be older, more obese, and to report less physical activity. Isolated VitD deficiency, and low BioT with or without low VitD, was not significantly related to skeletal measures. The combination of VitD deficiency with low BioE and/or high SHBG was associated with significantly lower baseline BMD and higher annualized rates of hip bone loss than SH abnormalities alone or no abnormality. Compared to men with all normal levels, the multivariate‐adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]) for incident nonspine fracture during 4.6‐year median follow‐up was 1.2 (0.8–1.8) for low VitD alone; 1.3 (0.9–1.9) for low BioE and/or high SHBG alone; and 1.6 (1.1–2.5) for low BioE/high SHBG plus low VitD. In summary, adverse skeletal effects of low sex steroid levels were more pronounced in older men with low VitD levels. The presence of low VitD in the presence of low BioE/high SHBG may contribute substantially to poor skeletal health. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.     

Diminished neuropeptide levels contribute to the impaired cutaneous healing response associated with diabetes mellitus

Background. Patients with diabetic sensory neuropathy have significant risk of chronic ulcers. Insufficient nerve-derived mediators such as substance P (SP) may contribute to the impaired response to injury. Mutant diabetic mice (db/db), which develop neuropathy and have delayed healing, may provide a model to study the role of nerves in cutaneous injury.Methods. Skin from human chronic nonhealing ulcers and age-matched control skin was immunohistochemically evaluated for nerves. Nerve counts were also compared in murine diabetic (C57BL/KsJ-m+/+ Lepr(db); db/db) and nondiabetic (db/-) skin. Excisional wounds on the backs of db/db and db/- mice were grouped as: (a) untreated db/- mice; (b) untreated db/db mice; (c) db/db mice with polyethylene glycol (PEG); (d) db/db mice with PEG and SP 10(-9) M; or (e) db/db mice with PEG and SP 10(-6) M.Results. We demonstrated fewer nerves in the epidermis and papillary dermis of skin from human subjects with diabetes. Likewise, db/db murine skin had significantly fewer epidermal nerves than nondiabetic littermates. We confirmed increased healing times in db/db mice (51.7 days) compared to db/- littermates (19.8 days; P 相似文献   

Porcine wound healing in full-thickness skin defects using Integra? with and without fibrin glue with keratinocytes

BACKGROUND:

An artificial dermal matrix such as Integra (Integra Life Sciences Corporation, USA) provides a wound bed template for vascular and fibrocyte ingrowth as well as collagen remodelling. Dermal repair leads to epidermal and basement membrane regeneration. Burn wounds in particular have been shown to benefit from Integra by enhanced wound healing.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the effect of fibrin glue to modify the integration of Integra in large excised cutaneous wounds. It was hypothesized that applying fibrin glue on a wound bed would reduce the time needed for matrix vascularization and incorporation of Integra and take of the cultured keratinocytes.

METHODS:

Four separate full-thickness wounds were created on the dorsum of two swine. Wound beds were randomly assigned to either application of fibrin glue or no application of fibrin glue before application of Integra. Full-thickness biopsies were performed at days 7, 14, 21, 29 and 35. On day 21, keratinocytes were applied either as sheets or aerosolized fibrin glue suspension.

RESULTS:

Histological analysis revealed a wave of inflammatory cells and early granulation tissue ingrowth into the Integra from the fascia below on day 7. Only this initial phase was augmented by application of fibrin glue to the wound bed. By day 14, most and by day 21, all of the Integra thickness was incorporated. Accelerated dermal repair proceeded from the base with new collagen deposition in Integra spaces. There was no evidence of keratinocyte engraftment, although re-epithelialization occurred at wound edges extending onto the incorporated Integra.

CONCLUSIONS:

It appears there is an acceleration of early phase (day 7 to day 21) dermal incorporation with fibrin glue application to the wound bed, perhaps secondary to increased cellular migration. Day 21 appears to be too early to apply cultured keratinocytes either as sheets or aerosolized suspension.     

Significance of Histological Response to Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Background Neoadjuvant (preoperative) chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for pancreatic cancer offers theoretical advantages over the standard approach of surgery followed by adjuvant CRT. We hypothesized that histological responses to CRT would be significant prognostic factors in patients undergoing neoadjuvant CRT followed by resection. Methods Since 1994, 193 patients with biopsy-proven pancreatic adenocarcinoma have completed neoadjuvant CRT, and 70 patients have undergone resection. Specimens were retrospectively examined by an individual pathologist for histological responses (tumor necrosis, tumor fibrosis, and residual tumor load) and immunohistochemical staining for p53 and epidermal growth factor receptor. Factors influencing overall survival were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier (univariate) and Cox proportional hazards (multivariate) methods.Results The estimated overall survival (median±SE) in the entire group of patients undergoing resection was 23±4.2 months, with an estimated 3-year survival of 37%±6.6% and a median follow-up of 28 months. Complete histological responses occurred in 6% of patients. Overexpression of p53 was more common in patients with large residual tumor loads. Tumor necrosis was an independent negative prognostic factor, as were positive lymph nodes, a large residual tumor load, and poor tumor differentiation.Conclusions Histological response to neoadjuvant CRT—as measured by residual tumor load—may be useful as a surrogate marker for treatment efficacy. Characterization of the tumor cells that survive neoadjuvant CRT may help us to identify new or more appropriate targets for systemic therapy.     

Percentile distributions of bone measurements in Iowa children: the Iowa Bone Development Study.

Four hundred twenty-eight white children (200 boys and 228 girls) ages 4.5-6.5 yr had spine, hip, and whole-body bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry(DXA) as part of the Iowa Bone Development Study. Anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were determined for each child at the time the bone measurements were made. The age- and gender-specific height percentile based on the 2000 CDC Growth Charts (www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/) was determined for each child. These percentiles were used to classify children into four groups as defined by the 25th, 50th,and 75th percentile cutpoints. Percentile distributions were determined within each height quartile group to delineate percentiles (5th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 95th) for BMD and BMC. Gender differences in BMD and BMC were investigated before and after stratification into height groups. Boys had higher age-height-weight-adjusted means for most BMD and BMC measures except spine BMD. Bone measurements increased with height quartile, indicating that taller children have greater BMD and BMC compared to shorter children of the same age and gender. Within any given quartile,mean BMD and BMC measurements were similar for boys and girls, with the exception of hip BMD, for which values were consistently higher for boys (p < 0.05). In addition, whole-body BMC values were higher for boys in quartiles 1 and 3 (p < 0.05). These bone measures provide norms for young white children and serve as a reference for comparison with other racial and ethnic groups, as well as with childhood populations that are at risk for osteopenia because of chronic disease. Gender, age, and height are useful clinical predictors of BMD and BMC in young children.     

Estimation of intraocular pressure in rabbits with commonly used tonometers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To validate accuracy and reproducibility of the Perkins tonometer, pneumatonometer, and Tono-Pen XL (Medtronic Solan, Jacksonville, FL) in estimating intraocular pressure (IOP) in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IOP was increased from 5 to 50 mm Hg in 5-mm increments. Measurements were compared to readings of two digital manometers simultaneously measuring real IOP in the anterior chamber and vitreous cavity. Interobserver accuracy was evaluated using 4 eyes with the Perkins tonometer. RESULTS: The Perkins tonometer and Tono-Pen XL underestimated IOP and were more accurate at pressures less than 30 mm Hg. No statistically significant difference was found between real IOP and Tono-Pen XL readings. The pneumatonometer overestimated pressures in the low ranges but was accurate at pressures greater than 40 mm Hg. The Tono-Pen XL had more variability than the Perkins tonometer and pneumatonometer at high IOP. CONCLUSIONS: None of the tonometers are accurate or reproducible in estimating IOP in rabbits over the tested range. Pneumatonometry, although not very accurate, has the advantage of having acceptable variability.     

Bullous Melanoma: should the thickness of the bullous lesion be included in Breslow depth measurement?

Bullous melanoma represents a rare variant of melanoma, especially in patients without underlying bullous cutaneous disease. Few cases have been described in the literature, including cases of melanoma in patients with bullous epidermolysis or Hailey-Hailey disease. The histopathological diagnosis of bullous melanoma does not show any difficulties, except for the measurement of the Breslow index. The rarity of this case, the dilemma of how to measure the Breslow index and the importance of an early diagnosis motivated this report.