Effectiveness of steroid treatment in myasthenia gravis: a retrospective study

The records of 142 patients with generalized autoimmune myasthenia gravis who had been treated with steroids as the single immunosuppressive agent, collected at regular intervals, were employed for a retrospective evaluation. The effectiveness of treatment was assessed after 24 months; the data from the 6th and 12th months were also considered. After 24 months, 63.4% of the whole sample had improved (33.8% were in clinical or pharmacological remission); 13.4% were unchanged or had worsened and 22.3% had moved to a different immunosuppressive treatment. The rate of positive outcome was higher in patients over the age of 40 at disease onset.     

Synthetic ossicular replacements: normal and abnormal CT appearance

Twenty-two patients with synthetic ossicular replacements were studied with computed tomography (CT). Twelve patients had total ossicular replacement prostheses (TORPs), and ten patients had partial ossicular replacement prostheses (PORPs). Good results were achieved in 12 patients (eight with TORPs and four with PORPs). Four of these prostheses were clearly visible on CT scans, six were discernible, and two were not identified. In the ten patients with unsatisfactory surgical results, CT was performed before surgical revision. It disclosed subluxation of the prosthesis in four patients and fibrous tissue fixation in four. In two patients the CT scan appeared normal; surgery disclosed lateralization of the graft with a nonfunctioning interface.     

Preliminary experience with a dual cutting edge needle in thoracic percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy

Results of 133 thoracic percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsies performed with a new dual cutting edge needle were analyzed to see if it could reduce the false-negative rate for malignancy compared with that achieved with a sharply beveled spinal needle. Results of cytologic examinations were compared with those of histopathologic examinations. Cores of tissue for histopathology could be obtained in only 51 biopsies (one of which was lost). Sensitivity of cytology (vs. histopathology) was 77.8% (vs. 57.1%); specificity and positive predictive value, 100% (same); and negative predictive value, 64.3% (vs. 46.4%). In 44 of 50 biopsies, cytologic results were equal to or better than histopathologic results diagnostically. In six biopsies (including two cases of hamartoma), the histopathologic result improved upon the cytologic result. There were no biopsies for which cytologic results were negative and histopathologic results were positive for malignancy. Use of this needle did not improve the false-negative rate for malignancy, although it did allow specific diagnosis of a hamartoma in two cases.     

小GTP结合蛋白TC10在面神经元再生中的表达及其意义

目的　探讨大鼠面神经切断后不同时期小GTP结合蛋白TC10mRNA在面神经核中不同时期的表达变化。　方法　利用逆转录PCR分析方法获得TC10cDNA探针 ,通过原位杂交方法观察正常以及面神经切断后不同时期大鼠面神经核TC10mRNA的变化。　结果　在正常面神经核中可见TC10的微弱表达 ,面神经切断后 1d面神经核运动神经元的灰度值即开始增加 ( 195 .83± 7.2 9) ,术后 1个月达到最大值 ( 15 4 .67± 4 .2 8)。　结论　TC10可能在面神经再生过程中的信号转导、细胞结构的变化中具有重要的意义 ,并对轴突的伸长具有促进作用