Pentoxifylline and intravenous gamma globulin combination therapy for acute Kawasaki disease

We compared the efficacy of oral administration of pentoxifylline (PTX) and intravenous infusions of gamma globulin (IVGG) combination therapy with that of IVGG in reducing the frequency of coronary-artery lesions (CAL) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD), in a randomized trial. All patients with KD received acetylsalicylic acid (30 mg/kg per day), until the 30th day, after the onset of fever, followed by daily acetylsalicylic acid at a dose of 3-5 mg/kg per day there-after, and intravenous IVGG, 200 mg/kg per day, for 5 consecutive days. In addition, patients randomly assigned to PTX and IVGG combination therapy groups received oral PTX at a dosage of 10 mg/kg per day (low-dose) or 20 mg/kg per day (high-dose), in three divided doses until the 30th day. Patients with KD were all free from CAL prior to treatment. We assessed the presence of CAL by two-dimensional echocardiography which was also done prior to treatment and then twice a week after hospital admission. We detected CAL in 3 of 18 patients (16.7%) in the IVGG therapy group, as compared with 2 of 18 patients (11.1%) in the low-dose PTX and IVGG combination therapy group. There were no significant differences between the two groups. In the next study, we detected CAL in 3 of 21 patients (14.3%) in the IVGG therapy group, as compared with none of 22 patients (0%) in the high-dose PTX and IVGG combination therapy group (² = 6.4, P < 0.02). No adverse side-effects were observed in 79 patients with KD.     

孕期沙眼衣原体、支原体感染治疗效果与胎儿状况相关性研究

研究孕期沙眼衣原体,支原体感染治疗效果与胎儿生长发育的关系。方法应用免疫荧光法对６００例孕妇宫颈分泌物行沙眼衣原体,支原体属抗原检测,阳性者对配偶行尿道分泌物检测,孕妇阳性者以口服红霉素治疗,观察治疗过程中,胎儿异常及低休 儿发生比较及与配遇感染的关系。     

Bilateral knife cuts to the perforant path disrupt spatial learning in the Morris water maze.

Both the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex are known to be crucial for spatial learning, but the contribution of the pathway linking the two structures, the perforant path (PP), has never been tested in a spatial learning paradigm. The present study examined the role of the PP in spatial learning using the Morris water maze. Seven days after bilateral transection of the PP with a fine-bladed knife, rats were habituated to the pool, then trained to swim from varying start locations to a platform submerged in a fixed location. After 28 training trials over 5 days, probe trials (without any platform present) were given to assess spatial memory for the location. Compared to sham-operated controls, lesioned rats showed slower learning and poorer asymptotic performance in terms of both swim path distance and escape latency, and less preference for the correct quadrant during probe trials. When the platform location was "reversed" to the opposite quadrant, the lesioned rats again showed poorer learning, poorer asymptotic performance, and reduced preference for the correct quadrant on the probe trial. When tested with a visible platform whose position varied from trial to trial, lesioned rats performed as well as controls. These results are congruent with previous analyses of the contributions of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus to spatial learning and suggest that for spatial learning, the PP is a critical functional link between these two structures.     

Neuropsychological outcome after traumatic temporal lobe damage

Summary The most frequent sequelae after severe brain injury include changes in personality traits, disturbances of emotional behaviour and impairment of cognitive functions. In particular, emotional changes and/or verbal and non verbal dysfunctions were found in patients with bilateral or unilateral temporal lobe lesions. The aim of our study is to correlate the localization of the brain damage after severe brain injury, in particular of the temporal lobe, with the cognitive impairment and the emotional and behavioural changes resulting from these lesions.The patients with right temporal lobe lesions showed significantly better scores in verbal intelligence and verbal memory in comparison with patients with left temporal lobe lesions and those with other focal brain lesions or diffuse brain damage. In contradistinction, study of the personality and the emotional changes (MMPI and FAF) failed to demonstrate pathological scores in the 3 groups with different CT lesions, without any significant difference being found between the groups with temporal lesions and those with other focal brain lesions or diffuse brain damage.The severity of the brain injury and the prolongation of the disturbance of consciousness could, in our patients, account for prevalence of congnitive impairment on personality and emotional changes.     

Comparative study of low power neodymium-YAG laser interstitial hyperthermia versus ethanol injection for controlled hepatic tissue destruction

A solitary hepatic metastasis is amenable to surgery. However, if surgery is contraindicated or if multiple lesions are present in both liver lobes, other treatment modalities have to be considered. We compared the effect of interstitial laser hyperthermia with damage caused by alcoholization. Six anaesthetized beagle dogs were studied. Three animals were treated with laser hyperthermia. A bare laser fibre (400m diameter) was introduced through a 17-gauge needle, length 170 mm, positioned into the liver under real time ultrasonographic guidance. Lesions were produced by continuous 500-s exposure of 1W YAG laser (Medilas MBB 40N) power. Three dogs were subjected to an injection of 4 ml of 98% pure ethanol into the liver through the same needle system. Two days after the procedure the animals were killed and the livers examined. The surface of the livers treated with the YAG laser were entirely normal; superficial lesions were, however, clearly visible. Laserinduced lesions were well reproducible, clearly demarcated, roughly spherical with a mean diameter of 1.01±0.23 cm (n=16). In contrast, the dogs treated with alcohol had free intraperitoneal serohaemorrhagic fluid and the surface of the liver was diffusely abnormal. The lesions had a more or less cylindrical shape, 1.22±0.43 cm on 0.40±0.10 cm (n=12) although exact measurement was often difficult. The border of the lesions was irregular and there was a clear necrotic zone along the puncture track. On microscopic examination the laser-induced lesions consisted of a central evaporation area, a zone of carbonized material and an outer zone of coagulation necrosis. The alcohol-induced lesions were characterized by both fixation necrosis and coagulative necrosis but surprisingly, there was also necrosis present at a distance of the lesions extending along the centrilobular and even portal veins. These data show that laser-induced interstitial necrosis in the liver is better controlled and more reproducible than necrosis induced by injection of pure ethanol. Moreover, pure ethanol may cause damage to the liver surface and even at a distance of the injection site.     

Antinociceptive action of quipazine: Relation to central serotonergic receptor stimulation

Quipazine, a serotonin receptor stimulant, inhibited the response of rats to painful stimuli in two methods currently used to measure antinociception in these animals: the hot plate and tail compression test. The antinociceptive action was observed with doses ranging from 5 to 20 mg/kg i.p. according to the test situation.The effect was significantly antagonized by a pretreatment with methergoline, a potent serotonin antagonist. An electrolytic lesion placed in the nucleus raphe medianus, which produced a marked decrease of serotonin in the forebrain did not, or only slightly, affected the effect of quipazine, depending on the method used to measure antinociception.It is suggested that quipazine can produce antinociceptive action in rats by interacting with a serotonergic mechanism. The action appears to be due mainly to a direct action on postsynaptic serotonin receptors, although a presynaptic component can also contribute to the effect of quipazine.Visiting scientist from Clinica Neurologica, UniversitàVisiting scientist from Clinica Neurologica, Università     

Phonomicrosurgery for benign vocal Fold lesions - our experience

Benign lesions of glottis creates stiffness of the vocal fold and inefficient glottal valve, aerodynamically effecting the vocal quality by preventing smooth vocal edge closure. Introduction of phonomicrosurgical techniques based on Hirano ’s principle of vocal fold epithelium have revolutionized results of voice surgery. Our experience in the management of benign vocal fold lesions by phonomicrosurgical techniques with pre and post operative stroboscopic, perceptual and computerized acoustic voice analysis is described.     

高频电波刀行电圈切除治疗宫颈病变的临床应用探讨

目的　评价高频电波刀行电圈切除 (LEEP)治疗宫颈病变中的临床应用价值。方法　回顾性分析我院 2 71例LEEP治疗宫颈病变的临床资料 ,所有病例均行阴道镜下多点活检和LEEP术后病理诊断 ,在炎症和赘生物病变外缘 3mm进出电极 ,对于CINI与HPV感染患者 ,电极在病变边缘外 5mm进出。结果　阴道镜下多点活检与LEEP术标本的病理诊断差别有显著性 (P <0 0 5 )。 2 71例患者术后随访 2 4 3例 ,术后复查宫颈细胞学 ,仅 9 0 5 %出现细胞核肥大和核异质。结论　LEEP对包括炎症、损伤、癌前病变、HPV感染等宫颈病变是一种非常理想的诊断、治疗手段。宫颈细胞学检查、阴道镜下多点活检、LEEP术后病理诊断构成了宫颈病变系统的诊断模式。LEEP可以广泛地应用于治疗CIN各级病变 (原位癌除外 ) ,LEEP也适用于CINI的治疗 ,LEEP治疗的范围可以在病变边缘外 5mm处进出电极     

超声治疗外阴白色病变30例临床分析

目的 :探讨超声治疗外阴白色病变的临床疗效。方法 :收治外阴白色病变 6 0例 ,随机分为 :超声治疗组 30例 ,微波治疗对照组 30例。观察其临床症状、体征和组织学变化。结果 :超声治疗组 30例患者的外阴瘙痒症状基本消失 ,患处上皮不同程度地恢复正常 ,显效率达 90 %。不同的病理类型间疗效的比较 ,差异无显著性 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论 :用超声治疗外阴白色病变效果明显     

323例乳腺肿块针吸细胞学诊断分析(英文)

目的探讨乳腺癌针吸细胞学(FNAC)诊断准确性。方法分析1326例乳腺肿块针吸细胞学诊断,并与323例手术后病理组织学诊断结果对比。结果本组 FNAC 诊断敏感性为97.1%,特异性为97.3%,假阳性率为2.7%,假阴性率为2.9%,诊断符合为97.2%。结论乳腺肿块 FNAC 检查是一种实用价值很高的诊断方法。文中对影响 FNAC 诊断的因素进行了讨论。