Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Basal Cell Carcinomas

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer. One of the main problems with BCC is the risk of local recurrence of the tumor after treatment. This is mainly due to its irregular outgrowths, which cannot be detected clinically. OBJECTIVE: To better understand the tumor morphology and growth pattern of BCC, we tried to develop a method that provides a precise three-dimensional model of the tumor. METHODS: Because Mohs surgery provides the best overview of the tumor and the tumor margins (both lateral and in depth), the reconstruction was based on slides from Mohs surgery. After digitization and processing of the slides, the tumor was then surrounded by a Mohs surgeon on a computer screen. These selections (lines) were used for a three-dimensional reconstruction of the tumor using MedSurf3D software. RESULTS: This method allows three-dimensional reconstruction of any given BCC. The MedSurf3D software enables visualization of a three-dimensional model of the tissue, which is removed during the surgical procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional reconstruction is a fascinating tool that might improve our understanding of the behavior, growth pattern, and tumor morphology of BCCs. This technique might also be useful in other fields of cutaneous oncology, such as the calculation of the tumor volume of melanomas.     

Vom Konzept zur Praxis – Aktuelles in der Luftrettung

The 2006, annual meeting of the senior physicians and emergency medical technicians of the German Air Rescue Service (Deutschen Rettungsflugwacht, DRF) was titled “From Concept to Practice”. The themes of security in the air rescue services and the current practice of cardiopulmonary respiration were discussed. In addition, different concepts and networks for treating patients with acute coronary syndrome or severe trauma were presented. The training of emergency technicians and quality assessment using the database of the whole TeamDRF was explained. New helicopter stations as well as long-range transport using normal aviation by the TeamDRF were presented.     

Injury of rat renal vessels following extracorporeal shock wave treatment.

The locations of extracorporeal shock wave treatment induced renal vascular injury and the sources of significant renal hemorrhage were determined in a rat model by means of two different vascular casting procedures. Silicone-rubber injected vascular preparations for light microscopy or corrosion casts for scanning electron microscopy were made following gross examination of the treated organs and their contralateral controls. After 1000 shock waves at 18 kV, five out of 20 treated kidneys appeared to be normal or minimally affected, while 15 showed gross evidence of marked vascular injury. Gross interstitial hemorrhage (15/20), subcapsular hematomas (7/20), and hemorrhages into the renal pelvis (5/20) were confirmed by extravasations of casting materials. These could be traced back to their vascular sources in several instances. Disruptions of interlobar and arcuate veins gave rise to most significant interstitial, subcapsular, and renal pelvic extravasations. On a microscopic scale cortical venules were among the most frequently injured vessels. The arterial vasculature was not spared. Arterial injury ranged from complete arcuate occlusion to small afferent arteriolar and glomerular capillary extravasations. The significance of shock wave induced vascular injury is discussed with respect to potential clinical side effects of ESWL.     

Comparison of scleral and corneal Tono-Pen readings.

PURPOSE: To compare scleral Tono-Pen (Medtronic Solan, Jacksonville, FL) readings to corneal Tono-Pen readings. METHODS: Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured prospectively in 72 eyes of 37 adult patients and in 10 eyes of 5 children. Measurements were taken on the central cornea and on the sclera. Recorded measurements were within 5% confidence levels by Tono-Pen. RESULTS: Corneal IOP ranged from 10 to 28 mm Hg (mean +/- standard deviation, 17.0 +/- 3.8 mm Hg). Scleral measurements ranged from 4 to 99 mm Hg (40.4 +/- 23.0 mm Hg). Scleral measurements ranged from 11 mm Hg lower to 76 mm Hg higher than corneal measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Tono-Pen readings obtained from sclera are of no clinical value and should not be used to approximate corneal IOP.     

Hematological and plasma biochemical disturbances in experimental molybdenum toxicosis in sheep

Two groups of 4 sheep received a daily iv injection of sodium heptamolybdate (100mg/day) or of saline for 2 weeks to study the hematological and plasma biochemical effects of molybdenum toxicosis. In molybdenum-dosed sheep, there was hypercupremia, mild anemia due to the decrease of copper concentration in the liver and moderate hepatocellular damage probably due to a direct toxic effect of molybdenum against the liver.     

Brain tissue heterotopia in the nasopharynx. Contribution of MRI to assessment of extension.

The authors report two cases of brain tissue heterotopia in the nasopharynx, without other malformations and, in one of the cases, with a persistent craniopharyngeal canal opening onto the heterotopia. This exceptional malformation is very similar to brain heterotopia in the nose, or "nasal glioma", which is more frequent and less diversified at histology. The malformation is revealed by obstruction of the pharynx with respiratory distress immediately after birth or during the first weeks of life. Total surgical excision provides cure without sequelae. The diagnosis is based on histology. MRI is essential to the diagnostic and pretherapeutic evaluation, notably to avoid missing an ectopic hypophysis, but it is insufficient to diagnose a sphenoidal meningoencephalocele.     

Influence of Verapamil and Cyclosporin A on bile acid metabolism and transport in rat liver slices.

Verapamil (V) is a specific inhibitor of the P-glycoprotein (mdr1) in the hepatocyte canalicular membrane. Cyclosporin A (CsA) as an essential immunosuppressive drug has potentially cholestatic adverse effects on the liver, but increases the expression of mdr1. In precision-cut liver slices from 34- to 40-day-old male Wistar rats 26 individual free and conjugated bile acids (BAs) as markers of hepatic transport and synthesis function were analysed after 4 h incubation with V (100 microM) or CsA (5 microM) in Krebs-Henseleit buffer. Some slices were loaded with cholic acid (CA 5 microM) or tauro-ursodeoxycholic acid (T-UDCA 5 microM) to investigate the V and CsA effects under conditions of BA supplementation. BAs were determined in tissue and medium by HPLC with postcolumn derivatisation and fluorescence detection. V and CsA, influencing different targets in BA transport, enhanced slice concentrations of T- and glyco- (G-) conjugated CA only when exogenous CA was given additionally. This BA accumulation in tissue is more reflected at decreased medium concentrations of these BAs after V and CsA incubations. Both V and CsA also inhibited CA uptake into the slices. The acidic chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) synthesis pathway is disturbed: T- and G-CDCA concentrations are diminished in slices and medium after V and CsA incubations. T-UDCA plus V or CsA enhanced not only its own slice concentration but also the concentration of the trihydroxylated tauro-muricholic acid (T-beta-MCA), reflecting the conversion of the accumulated dihydroxylated T-UDCA into the T-beta-MCA. The similar effects of V and CsA on BA transport and metabolism can be explained by mdr1 mediated disturbances of cellular ATP transport rather than by inhibition of individual BA transporters.