Do women with epilepsy have increased frequency of menstrual disturbances?

PROBLEM: Menstrual disorders, reduced fertility and sexual problems seem to be more frequent in women with epilepsy than in the general population. Most investigations concerning menstrual disturbances in epilepsy patients, however, are small and based on selected materials. We therefore wanted to investigate the frequency of menstrual disturbances in a large, unselected population of epilepsy patients. METHODS: A retrospective, questionnaire study of a cohort of female outpatients, aged 18-45 was conducted. Each patient chose a close female friend who served as control, to optimise matching regarding age and lifestyle. RESULTS: Answers were received from 265 patients and 142 controls. Menstrual disturbances were more frequent in patients with epilepsy (48.0%) than in controls (30.7%) (P=0.004). Menstrual disturbances were more frequent in patients on polytherapy versus monotherapy (P=0.049) and more frequent in patients with high seizure frequency (>5seizures/year) compared to patients with a lower seizure frequency or those seizure free (P=0.006). The frequency of menstrual disturbances was higher in patients on valproate compared to carbamazepine monotherapy (P=0.045). CONCLUSION: This investigation confirms that women with epilepsy have an increased frequency of menstrual disturbances compared to women without epilepsy. In women with high seizure frequency and in those on polytherapy, the frequency of menstrual disturbances are further increased. The highest frequency of menstrual disturbances occurred in women using valproate.     

CT appearance of calcified tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava

We report the unusual occurrence of calcined tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC) in a patient with renal cell carcinoma diagnosed by computed tomography (CT).     

Arthroscopic chondrectomy as a treatment of cartilage lesions

Although favorable effects of débridement with chondrectomy and drilling or abrasion have been reported in treating of cartilage lesions in the knee joint; however, in most cases an additional intervention is generally performed during arthroscopy. We studied 53 consecutive patients with solitary chondral lesions in the weight-bearing part of the knee and treated 86 cartilage lesions by arthroscopic débridement, including a detailed removal of damaged or undermined cartilage. We evaluated the postoperative course by questionnaire (mean follow-up 6.5 years, response rate 83%). All patients reported a positive effect of chondrectomy: 69% considered the knee considerably better or cured and 77% regarded the effect as permanent. There was no complication of the arthroscopies performed, and no patient noted any deterioration in the condition. We therefore recommend routine chondrectomy of cartilage lesions when these are found during an arthroscopy.     

d-生物素的立体专一性全合成研究

对confaione的d-生物素(1)全合成进行了改进,从半胱氨酸计算,总收率3.7%。5与4-溴代三苯膦丁酸甲酯进行Wittig-Schlosser缩合反应可立体专一性地转化成反式-烯(6)。以叠氮三甲基硅烷代替叠氮化锂亲核进攻9分子中C3-溴原子,可显著地提高顺式-叠氮内酰胺10的收率。     

柱切换HPLC法测定豚鼠体内诺氟沙星银解离物诺氟沙星的浓度

用柱切换HPLC法建立了豚鼠血浆和皮下组织液中诺氟沙星银体内主要解离物诺氟沙星的测定方法。预处理柱为μ-BondapakC₁₈,37～50μm,50mm×5mmID;分析柱为YWG-C₁₈,10μm,150mm×5mmID。预处理流动相为0.008mo1/L磷酸缓冲液,流速为3ml/min;分析流动相为甲醇—0.008mol/L磷酸缓冲液—0.05mol/L四丁基溴化铵(25:75:4)。紫外检测波长为280nm。皮下组织液及血浆中的线性范围分别为100～3200ng/ml(r=0.9999)和2～128μg/ml(r=0.9999);最低检测浓度分别为10ng/ml和0.25μg/ml,方法的平均回收率为102%,日内及日间偏差均小于7%。     

CT of thoracic aortic aneurysms

Aneurysms of the thoracic aorta are most often the result of arteriosclerotic disease. Other causes include degeneration of the medial layer of the aortic wall, either idiopathically or due to genetic disorders such as Marfan syndrome; aortic dissection; trauma; syphilis and other bacterial infection; noninfective aortitis; and congenital anomaly. We review normal anatomy of the aorta and discuss our technique and interpretation of computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of the thoracic aorta. We illustrate the CT appearance of different types of aortic aneurysms as well as discuss the use of CT for assessing complications of aneurysms, for postoperative follow-up, and in the differentiation of aortic aneurysm from a paraaortic mass.     

Evaluation of a new device for measuring oral mucosal surface friction

Abstract – For the objective measurement of oral mucosal dryness or moisture, a device registering oral mucosal surface slide friction has been developed. Two prototypes, Probe I and Probe II, have been tested. Probe I was constructed for initial testing of the method and was based on easily accessible electrical components. Probe I was computerized and developed for more accurate registration and also for easy handling. Reliability and validity tests were carried out on Probe I as well as on Probe II. In repeated in vitro measurements, the probes showed good reproducibility. Validity was assessed on healthy subjects injected with methylscopolamine nitrate submucosally in the labial sulcus. All subjects experienced a pronounced oral mucosal dryness within half an hour. Registration with the surface slide friction device showed maximum friction values 1-2 h after injection. These reliability and validity tests gave good results for both Probe I and Probe II, but Probe II had several practical advantages over Probe I. Both probes were considerably more sensitive to changes of the oral mucosal surface than the previously used simple friction test using the back of a mouth mirror.