Adult living donor liver transplantation: living donation of the right liver lobe

Background Adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has become a routine treatment option for patients waiting for liver transplantation. In European and North American countries, LDLT for adult recipients is mainly performed with right lobe grafts. Indications, when compared to deceased donor liver transplantation, are controversial. Materials and methods In our institution, patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis, non-resectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma, viral hepatitis associated cirrhosis, as well as cholestatic liver and biliary disease are considered good candidates for LDLT. Results In this overview, donor evaluation, graft selection, and the donor operation with special regard to operative techniques and strategies are discussed. For visualization, a 5-min video sequence of the standard donor operation as performed in our institution is attached. Conclusion Given the ongoing shortage of donor organs, adult LDLT has become a routine treatment option for patients waiting for liver transplantation. The associated inevitable risk for the healthy donor, however, remains ethically controversial. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Multiple familiäre Trichoepitheliome (Brooke-Syndrom)

Brooke’s syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant dermatosis characterized by multiple trichoepitheliomas, which preferentially arise in the face. Therapy consists of excisional surgery of larger tumors and for multiple lesions, dermal abrasion or laser therapy may be considered. Patients with Brooke’s syndrome should be closely followed-up due to the possible development of malignant skin tumours. Here, we present a patient with Brooke’s syndrome and report on the course of treatment.     

Automated uroflowmetry: new variables

In a major uroflow study new variables are introduced to meet the needs, and to use the possibilities of automatic processing of uroflow signals. It is found that the new variables provide excellent discrimination between male and female patients with bladder outflow impairment and healthy controls. In comparison to some conventional variables they have the advantage of unambiguous determination and low sensitivity to random measurement errors.     

Outcomes of 829 neonates with complete transposition of the great arteries 12-17 years after repair.

OBJECTIVE: Between 1985 and 1989, the surgical management of neonates with complete transposition (TGA) underwent a transition from atrial to arterial repair. We sought to examine the intermediate outcomes and their associated risk factors in neonates repaired during the era of transition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four institutions entered 829 neonates age less than 15 days in a prospective study. Diagnosis was simple TGA (n=631), TGA with ventricular septal defect (VSD) (n=167), TGA with VSD and pulmonary stenosis (TGA/VSD/PS) (n=30), or TGA with PS (n=1). Repair was by arterial switch (n=516), atrial repair (Senning=175, Mustard=110) or Rastelli (n=28). Time-related events were analysed by parametric hazard function modeling and incremental risk factors for mortality, re-intervention, and late functional assessment were sought. RESULTS: Survival estimates at 6 months, 5, 10, and 15 years are 85, 83, 83, and 81%, respectively. The hazard function for death after repair has two phases: an early rapidly declining phase and an ongoing constant one. Constant phase mortality is less likely after the arterial switch operation and in children with simple TGA. During follow up, at least one re-intervention was required in 167 children (pacemaker, n=35; percutaneous intervention, n=32; baffle re-intervention, n=27; re-operation, n=125). Freedom from re-intervention at 6 months, 5, 10 and 15 years is 93, 82, 77, and 76%, respectively. Of survivors, 87% have been followed up to the last 3 years, including an assessment of functional ability of 562 children (83%). Functional class 15 years after repair is class I in 76%, II in 22%, III in 2%. The proportion in functional class I decreased over time. Psychosocial deficits, especially learning disorders are prevalent. CONCLUSIONS: Survival 15 years after TGA repair is good with most children functioning well, and results are best after an arterial switch operation. There is an ongoing risk of death that is less after the arterial switch operation. With the exception of Rastelli patients, the likelihood of survivors needing re-intervention after 5 years is low. There is need for improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.     

The effect of mode of delivery on neonatal mortality in very low birthweight infants born in Victoria, Australia: Caesarean section is associated with increased survival in breech-presenting, but not vertex-presenting, infants

To determine whether the improved survival of very low birthweight (VLBW) infants (< 1500 g) born in Australia can be attributed to currently high rates of Caesarean section, we examined the associations between neonatal mortality and Caesarean section in singleton liveborn VLBW infants (500–1499 g) born during 1986–93 in Victoria, Australia, using data from the Victorian Perinatal Collection Unit. The infants included in this study had completed > 23 weeks of gestation, had no life-threatening malformations and had not been delivered by a repeat Caesarean without a trial of labour (n = 2763). For infants weighing 500–749 g, 750–999 g, 1000–1249 g and 1250–1499 g, the neonatal mortality rates were 56.1%, 25.7%, 13.0% and 4.3% respectively, and the Caesarean section rates were 33.1%, 42.3%, 54.8% and 55.8%. Nearly half of these births (n = 1269) were associated with one or more obstetric indications for Caesarean section (non-breech malpresentaion, fetal distress, prolapsed cord, placenta praevia, pre-eclampsia and hypertension). Overall, the odds ratio (OR) for neonatal death associated with Caesarean section was 0.92 [95% confidence interval 0.60–1.41], after adjustment for gestational age, birthweight, year of birth, type of hospital, presence or absence of labour, presentation and obstetric indications for Caesarean section. However, when the vertex-presenting (n = 1702) and breech-presenting (n = 746) infants were considered separately, the adjusted ORs for neonatal death were 1.98 [0.96–4.10] and 0.52 [0.29–0.96] respectively. For those infants without obstetric indications for Caesarean section, the adjusted ORs for neonatal death in vertex-presenting (n = 950) and breech-presenting (n = 446) infants were 3.80 [1.11–13.0] and 0.47 [0.23–0.6]. These recent population - based data support the view that Caesarean section does not enhance the neonatal survival of VLBW babies when obstetric complications are absent.     

Enrichment of Glutamate-like Immunoreactivity in Primary Afferent Terminals Throughout the Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn

Although several lines of evidence indicate that glutamate is a neurotransmitter in primary afferent terminals, controversies exist on the proportion and types of such terminals that release glutamate. In the present study quantitative analysis of immunogold labelling was used to assess the presence of glutamate-like immunoreactivity in primary afferent terminals in laminae I – V of the rat spinal cord dorsal horn. Anterograde transport of choleragenoid – horseradish peroxidase from a spinal ganglion and tetramethyl benzidine histochemistry were used to identify primary afferent terminals in laminae I and III – V. Presumed C-fibre terminals in lamina II were identified on morphological criteria (dense sinusoid axon terminals). Primary afferent terminals in all dorsal horn laminae displayed significantly higher levels of glutamate-like immunoreactivity than pleomorphic vesicle-containing profiles in laminae III – IV and large neuronal cell bodies in laminae III – V. The density of gold particles over primary afferent terminals also significantly exceeded the average density of gold particles over laminae II and III – IV. The highest densities of gold particles were present over dense sinusoid axon terminals in lamina II. These findings suggest that glutamate, alone or in combination with other neuroactive compounds, is involved in the transfer of all sensory modalities from primary afferent fibres to dorsal horn neurons.     

Optic disc morphometry in chronic primary open-angle glaucoma

Four hundred twenty-seven optic discs of 233 unselected patients suffering from chronic primary open-angle glaucoma were morphometrically evaluated and compared with the optic nerve heads of 253 unselected normal subjects. Only one randomly chosen eye per patient was taken into consideration. We found that glaucoma leads to a change in the characteristic configuration of the neuroretinal rim that in normal eyes is significantly (P < 0.001) largest at the lower disc pole, smaller at the upper and nasal disc side, and smallest in the temporal disc region. Based on this information, significant (P < 0.001) morphometric differences between early glaucomatous and normal discs are: (a) the neuroretinal rim area in the lower temporal disc sector is smaller than in the upper temporal disc sector; the smallest rim width is outside the horizontal temporal disc sector (pathognomonic); the quotient of horizontal to vertical c/d ratio is lowered; and (d) the lower temporal, upper temporal, and total rim area are decreased. No significant difference in overall optic disc size and form exists between normal and glaucomatous eyes. Smaller optic nerve heads are not more susceptible to glaucoma.Parts of this study have been presented at the 85th meeting of the German Ophthalmic Society held in Heidelberg, 20–23 September, 1987. This study was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, grant DFG Jo/155/2-1, Ernst-Muck Foundation, and Meyer-Schwarting-Foundation