Gibbus deformity: Lessons from incompletely treated osteomyelitis

Gibbus deformity is defined by the collapse of one or more vertebral bodies, which results in kyphosis and is often the consequence of infection, metabolic, or congenital irregularities in the vertebrae. In this report we present a unique case of a young male with inadequately treated MRSA bacteremia complicated by lumbar osteomyelitis with progression to severe joint destruction and a marked Gibbus deformity.     

Cryptococcal meningitis in steroid-treated systemic lupus erythematosus

A case of cryptococcal meningitis complicating steroid-treated systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) which was successfully treated with amphotericin B is described.     

Clinical outcome of patients with lymph node-negative breast carcinoma who have sentinel lymph node micrometastases detected by immunohistochemistry

BACKGROUND: The ideal pathologic assessment of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in patients with breast carcinoma remains controversial. The authors evaluated how detailed assessment of SLNs using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and serial sectioning would affect treatment decisions and outcomes in patients with breast carcinoma who had negative SLNs on standard hematoxylin and eosin staining. METHODS: The SLNs from patients who were treated between June 1998 and June, 1999 and who had negative lymph node status determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining (n = 84 patients) were evaluated further with serial sectioning and cytokeratin IHC. Patients were offered adjuvant therapy based on primary tumor factors. RESULTS: The median patient age was 57 years, and the median tumor size was 1.2 cm. At a median follow-up of 40.2 months, 81 patients (96%) were alive with no evidence of disease, 1 patient was alive with disease, 1 patient had died of disease, and 1 patient had died of other causes. Fifteen patients (18%) had micrometastases identified on IHC. Of the total 84 patients, information regarding adjuvant therapy was not available for 5 patients. Of the remaining 79 patients, 10 patients (13%) were not offered adjuvant chemotherapy but had positive SLN status determined by IHC. SLN status based on IHC evaluation did not correlate with age (P = 0.077), tumor size (P = 0.717), grade (P = 0.148), estrogen receptor status (P = 1.000), or lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.274). Furthermore, IHC-detected positive SLN status did not correlate with distant metastasis (P = 0.372) or overall or distant metastasis-free survival (P = 0.543 and P = 0.540, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although the finding of SLN micrometastases by IHC may change management in > 12% of patients, preliminary results suggested that such micrometastases do not affect outcomes significantly.     

Clinicopathologic factors associated with false-negative sentinel lymph-node biopsy in breast cancer

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Previous studies have suggested a variety of factors that may affect the false negative (FN) rate for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in breast cancer. Because FN results are relatively rare, no prior studies have had sufficient sample size to allow detailed statistical analysis of factors predicting FN results. METHODS: Patients with clinical stage T1-2, N0 invasive breast cancer were enrolled in a prospective, multicenter study. All patients underwent SLN biopsy, followed by planned completion axillary dissection regardless of the SLN results, to assess the FN rate. SLN biopsy was performed using radioactive colloid injection in combination with isosulfan blue dye in 94% of cases. Dermal, subdermal, peritumoral, or subareolar radioactive colloid injection techniques were used at the discretion of each institution. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with a FN result. RESULTS: SLNs were identified in 3870 of 4117 patients (94%). There were 1243 true positive, 2521 true negative, and 106 FN results. Age, histologic subtype, the number of non-SLN removed, tumor palpability, type of breast biopsy, and SLN injection technique were not significant factors. On multivariate analysis, tumor size <2.5 cm, upper outer quadrant tumor location, removal of only a single SLN, minimal surgeon experience, presence of a single positive axillary LN, and use of immunohistochemistry (IHC) for SLN analysis were independently associated with an increased risk of FN results. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeon experience, tumor size and location, and the number of SLN removed are preoperative and intraoperative factors that independently predict the risk of a FN result. In contrast to suggestions from other smaller studies, age does not affect the likelihood of a FN result; a lesser, rather than greater, number of positive axillary nodes was associated with an increased likelihood of a FN result; and IHC analysis of the SLN increases, rather than decreases, the risk of FN results.     

Effect of a selection and postoperative care protocol on survival of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

BACKGROUND: We report the development and implementation of a program designed to assign patients preoperatively to either transplant or Norwood procedure based on a score derived from known risk factors and to enhance postoperative care of infants undergoing the Norwood procedure. METHODS: A weighted score for each of six variables comprised the scoring system: ventricular function, tricuspid regurgitation, ascending aortic diameter, atrial septal defect blood flow characteristics, blood type, and age. The scoring system was used to prospectively assign mortality risk and lead to recommendation of either Norwood procedure or transplantation. RESULTS: Survival following the Norwood procedure significantly improved after the management program was implemented (88% versus 40% at 48 hours, 57% versus 10% at 30 days, and 50% versus 10% at 1 year, p < 0.0001 at each time point). The survival of the group that received a score of 7 or less (high risk) who underwent the Norwood procedure was 78% at 48 hours, 44% at 30 days, and 33% at 1 year; survival rates among patients considered lower risk (greater than 7) were 100% at 48 hours and 80% at 30 days and 1 year. Transplant outcomes remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: We report improved survival following the Norwood procedure after the implementation of an institutional management approach aimed at improving the outcome of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and may help neutralize historical biases toward Norwood procedure or transplantation.     

Outcome of aortic valve repair in children with congenital aortic valve insufficiency

OBJECTIVE: Surgical aortic valvotomy has a long history of providing excellent palliation for aortic stenosis in infancy and childhood. The fate of aortic valve repairs for dominant aortic regurgitation in this same age group is considerably less clear. METHODS: From 1990 to 2000, a total of 21 patients underwent aortic valve repair for aortic regurgitation at our institution. Seventeen patients were younger than 17 years at the time of repair (3-17 years, mean 8.1 +/- 3.7 years). Of these 17 children, 6 (35%) had bicuspid valves and 11 (65%) had tricuspid valves. Type of repair varied with valve type, but repair generally consisted of commissure resuspension, partial commissure closure, triangular resection of redundant leaflets, or some combination. RESULTS: There were no deaths. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 11 years (mean 5.3 +/- 2.4 years). At present 3 of 17 (17.6%) have mild aortic regurgitation according to echocardiography and 6 (35.2%) have moderate aortic regurgitation. In 8 of 17 cases (47.1%) the repair clearly failed, requiring reoperation from 0.5 to 73 months after the original operation (mean 18.9 months). Reoperation consisted of 6 Ross procedures and 2 mechanical aortic valve replacements. There were no deaths at the secondary operation. CONCLUSION: Aortic valve repair in children with a dominant feature of aortic insufficiency tended to fail progressively and at a high rate. Leaflet thickening was associated with higher risk of repair failure in this series. The threshold for aortic valve replacement should remain low.     

Synthesis, antiviral, antituberculostic, and antibacterial activities of some novel, 4-(4-substituted phenyl)-6-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-(substituted imino)pyrimidines

A variety of novel 4-(4-substituted phenyl)-6-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-substituted imino) pyrimidines were synthesized by reacting 4-(4-substituted phenyl)-6-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-amino pyrimidines with different substituted aromatic aldehydes, coumarin chloroisatin. The 4-(4-substituted phenyl)-6-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-amino pyrimidines were synthesized by reacting 3-(4'-substituted phenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-propen-1-ones with guanine hydrochloride. 3-(4-Substituted phenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-propen-1-ones were synthesized by reacting 4-nitroacetophenone with different para-substituted aromatic aldehydes. Spectral data (IR, NMR, and mass spectra) confirmed the structures of the synthesized compounds. The synthesized compounds were investigated for their antiviral, antituberculostic, and antibacterial activities. The results of antiviral, antituberculostic, and antibacterial activities indicated that the synthesized compounds exhibited mild to potent activities compared to the respective reference standards.