Physician based surveillance system for occupational respiratory diseases: the experience of PROPULSE, Québec, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a physician based surveillance system of occupational respiratory diseases (PROPULSE) in Québec with regard to physician participation rate, characteristics of reported cases, and comparison with official statistics from the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB). METHODS: All chest physicians and allergists in Québec were asked to report suspected new cases of occupational respiratory diseases, on a monthly basis, between October 1992 and September 1993. For each case, personal information was collected and the physician's opinion on whether the condition was related to work was categorised as highly likely, likely, and unlikely. RESULTS: Of the 161 physicians initially approached, 68% participated. Physicians rated 48% of suspected cases as highly likely, 29% as likely, and 20% as unlikely. The most often reported diagnosis was asthma (63%), followed by diseases related to asbestos (16%). Silicosis was less frequent (5%) but it was reported for six workers under 40 of whom five were involved in sandblasting activities. The high proportion of cases of asthma probably reflects the increasing importance of this disease but may also reflect the different patterns of reporting among physicians with different expertise. The distribution of cases by diagnostic category is quite different between the PROPULSE system and that of the WCB (annual mean number of compensated cases during a four year period). Asthma and allergic alveolitis are more frequent in PROPULSE, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome are about the same in both systems, and other diseases are more frequent among compensated cases. The most frequent sensitising agents reported for asthma were the same in both systems (isocyanates, flour, and wood dust). 15% of the PROPULSE cases were not covered by the WCB, and therefore would not be found in the board's official statistics. CONCLUSIONS: A physician based reporting procedure can be implemented as part of a surveillance system to supplement data from other sources and thus provide a better understanding of the occurrence of occupational respiratory diseases.     

Organization of gallbladder lithotripsy with the MPL-9000 at the Zurich university hospital. Initial results

Gallstone shock wave therapy at the University Hospital of Zurich is a joint venture between the Medical Clinic, Medical Policlinic and Surgical Clinic. Patients with symptomatic cholecystolithiasis willing to submit themselves to a long period of treatment, were accepted for ESWL, should no contraindications be present. From October 1988 through May 1989 we treated 48 patients. In approximately two thirds of our patients we were successful with one ESWL alone, in one third 2 sessions and in two patients even 3 sessions were needed. In 42 patients course after therapy was as planned. Six had to be cholecystectomized later on. Best results were achieved in patients with single gallstones. In 2 of 5 cases there was disagreement between the number of gallstones found sonographically and the intraoperative findings. Histologic examination of gallbladders after ESWL showed no pathologic changes.     

Intraoperative coronary artery endarterectomy with excimer laser

Compared with continuous-wave lasers, excimer lasers exhibit several in vitro advantages: nonthermal ablation process and linear relation between the number of pulses and the depth of the crater. A 308 nm, 20 nsec pulse duration, 1 to 5 repetition rate laser was specifically designed for clinical application. At the time of cardiopulmonary bypass in 10 symptomatic patients, before bypass grafting, a 1 mm diameter core specifically ultraviolet-tipped fiberoptic scope was introduced via the coronary arteriotomy and placed upstream (seven patients) and downstream (three patients) in contact with the stenosis. Laser power was increasingly delivered up to the clearing of the stenosis or occlusion. Quality of angioplasty was controlled by calibration of the neolumen, cardioplegic solution output through the laser-treated segment, and an eighth day or sixth month coronary arteriogram. In the first three patients studied on the eighth day, all laser-treated coronary artery segments showed an early parallel-linked patent neolumen despite competitive bypass graft flow. In the patients studied after 6 months, all recanalized segments were patent except one; in one patient the venous graft was occluded, but the upstream laser angioplasty was patent. The main limitation of the method lies in the fact that laser coronary recanalization is confined to the fiber core diameter. We conclude that (1) excimer laser angioplasty may be safe and efficient during surgical procedure and (2) as catheter flexibility remains the most critical problem, we are now assuming an appropriate tool with a multifiber system that is suitable for intraoperative as well as percutaneous routes.     

Improved rat liver preservation by hypothermic continuous machine perfusion using polysol, a new, enriched preservation solution.

For experimental machine perfusion (MP) of the liver, the modified University of Wisconsin solution (UW-G) is most often used. In our search for an enriched MP preservation solution, Polysol was developed. Polysol is enriched with various amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients for the liver metabolism. The aim of this study was to compare Polysol with UW-G for MP preservation of the liver. Rat livers were preserved during 24 hours with hypothermic MP using UW-G (n = 5) or Polysol (n = 5). Hepatocellular damage (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], alpha-glutathione-S-transferase [alpha-GST]) and bile production were measured during 60 minutes of reperfusion (37 degrees C) with Krebs-Henseleit buffer. Control livers were reperfused after 24 hours of cold storage in UW (n = 5). MP using UW-G or Polysol showed less liver damage when compared with controls. Livers machine perfused with Polysol showed less enzyme release when compared to UW-G. Bile production was higher after MP using either UW-G or Polysol compared with controls. In conclusion, machine perfusion using Polysol results in better quality liver preservation than cold storage with UW and machine perfusion using UW-G.     

Volumetrical measurements in vestibular schwannoma, the influence of slice thickness and patient's repositioning.

OBJECTIVE: Conservative treatment in vestibular schwannomas is mainly dependent on optimal tumor size determination. The first objective of this study was to establish interobserver and intraobserver variability and the accuracy and reproducibility of three different measurement methods: one bidimensional and two volumetrical. The second objective was to evaluate the influence of the use of different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) slice thickness and the influence of patient's repositioning on the measurements' outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Two consecutive studies have been prospectively performed, both mainly concerning volumetrical measurements. SETTING: Both studies were performed in a tertiary academic, multidisciplinary center. PATIENTS: In the first study, 19 patients were included between March 1996 and May 2002, with a total of 52 scans. The second study comprised 14 patients. All patients in the first study had at least two MRI examinations performed according to a standard protocol (T1-weighted gadolinium-enhanced, slice thickness of 3 mm, and interslice gap of 0.3 mm). The population in the second study underwent a conservative wait and scan (W&S) treatment. METHODS: Both studies are discussed separately. In the first study, all scans were measured by four investigators, two of whom performed the measurements twice using three different methods. The first method concerns a manually performed bidimensional surface measurement along the petrous pyramid. The second method concerns a semiautomatic volumetrical measurement on a computer, relying on contour detection, and the last method concerns a fully automatic volume reconstruction also performed on a computer using different gray shade scales.All 14 patients included in the second study underwent three magnetic examinations. Three different T1-weighted gadolinium-enhanced sequences were used: the first using a slice thickness of 1 mm, the second again with 1-mm slice thickness but after having repositioned the patient. In the third sequence, a slice thickness of 3 mm was used. All scans were measured by two investigators using the three different methods, as described previously. RESULTS: The manual surface method shows large intraobserver variability, and its reproducibility is significantly lower compared with volume measurements. Because of a relatively large systematic error in small tumors, sensitivity of growth detection is low. Both volumetrical methods are hardly interobserver- and intraobserver-dependent, and the gray shade method turned out to be the most accurate. Radiologic progression is only significant at a volume increase of at least 50%. The influence of patient repositioning is negligible, whereas the use of 1-mm slice thickness seems to be superior to a 3-mm slice thickness. CONCLUSION: The volumetrical gray shade method is the most accurate method to detect early tumor progression. As tumor increase of at least 50% is needed to be able to speak of statistically significant tumor growth, the absence of radiologic progression does not mean that there is no tumor growth. Repositioning of the patient has no influence on the measurements' outcome, whereas for optimal magnetic resonance imaging examinations, a 1-mm slice thickness protocol seems to be superior.     

Angeborene Fehlinnervationssyndrome

Congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders (CCDDs) are responsible for 1–2% of infant strabismus cases. Insufficient innervation and misinnervation of aberrant nerve fibres lead to motility restrictions and synkinesis. We present the most common CCDDs and explain their pathogenesis and the resulting clinical features. Furthermore, we emphasize essential diagnostic steps and treatment aspects.     

Colobomas of the optic area

A 24-year old woman displayed a coloboma of the right optic nerve with multiple small parapapillary retinochoroidal colobomas. This rare association makes one suspect that the pathogenesis of colobomatous defects of the optic disc area are caused by a faulty closure of the embryonic fissure and an abnormal maturation of the cells of the anlage of the optic nerve head.     

The main protein on the surface of the normal fibroblast (author's transl)

In a general review, the authors discuss present knowledge on the main protein on the surface of the normal fibroblast, fibronectin. The peculiarities of this glycoprotein (localisation at the level of the cell surface, importance of thiol groups in the structure and expression of certain of its properties, reduction of the cells transformed by oncogenic viruses) are considered. The relationships which they may present with a plasma protein, cold insoluble globulin, are discussed together with the important role which they seem to play in the phenomena of cell adhesiveness.     

Bancroftian filariasis in French Polynesia. Epidemiologic status and perspectives after a 35-year preventive campaign

The authors assess of three decades of struggle against Bancroftian filariasis in French Polynesia. Wuchereria bancrofti var. pacifica, aperiodic filaria, and Aedes polynesiensis, mosquito with high parasitologic output, set up a cycle very well adapted to the Polynesian environment; after numerous tests, the chemoprophylaxis with diethylcarbamazine (3 mg/kg/half-year) of all the exposed population has been decided, in association with methods of vector-control (use of predatory crustaceans). However, the achievement of this strategy is impeded by economical contingencies and the endemic comes up again particularly in areas close to eradication. Entomological clues show a high transmission over the greater part of French Polynesia.