In glaucomatous eyes refractory to medication, laser techniques and conventional drainage surgery, intraocular pressure is often high, and visual loss rapid. In this situation a reliable, robust artificial outflow system is required. Molteno has evolved a plastic tube and plate device combined with a fibrosis suppression medication regimen. Thirty-eight eyes of 32 patients with uncontrolled glaucoma were treated with the Molteno system. Six months after operation mean intraocular pressure had been reduced from 41.0 ± 13.6 to 16.2 ± 5.6 mmHg. Eighteen eyes had pressures of 20 mmHg or less on no hypotensive therapy, 17 on reduced treatment. Three eyes had a pressure of 21 to 35 mmHg on treatment at six months. The 13 aphakic eyes responded as well as 25 phakic eyes. Five eyes with rubeotic glaucoma demonstrated pressures of less than 20 mmHg without therapy, four eyes with traumatic glaucoma required continuing medication with three having pressures below 22 mmHg. Of the seven eyes with uveitic glaucoma, one was lost, two required maintenance therapy; five of six surviving eyes had pressures below 20 mmHg. Fifteen eyes with congenital or juvenile glaucoma achieved pressures below 20 mmHg, three of these with timolol drops, three with timolol and acetazolamide, and nine with no treatment. While seven of seven eyes with refractory primary open-angle glaucoma attained pressures below 20 mmHg. all seven needed continuing mild hypotensive therapy. Eleven eyes underwent a one-stage procedure, while 27 eyes required a two-stage operation. Twenty-eight eyes received fibrosis suppression medication after the second stage, and 24 maintained or improved their preoperative visual acuity. Results have been encouraging: in general the Molteno system is recommended as the second drainage operation in all glaucomatous eyes in which conventional therapy has failed, and as the primary surgical procedure (after laser techniques) in eyes with rubeotic and uveitic glaucoma. Ciliary body destructive procedures should be restricted to control of symptoms in blind eyes. 相似文献
Osteoporosis in men is recognised worldwide as an important and increasing public health problem. The causes are more heterogeneous than those in women. About 50% are diagnosed as secondary cases. In some secondary forms of osteoporosis the specific diagnosis results in additional therapeutic options (e.g. androgen therapy in proven hypogonadism). The basic therapy for osteoporosis in men is no different to that in postmenopausal women, namely recommendations for counteracting modifiable risk factors, especially with regard to diet, physical exercise, and calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Concerning specific drug medications, however, even today there is still a therapeutic dilemma in male osteoporosis. While older substances (e.g. calcitonin, fluoride, alfacalcidol) are approved for both sexes, all newer medications have primarily been approved for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Health authorities request studies in purely male populations. For new drugs, fracture data are necessary while for new substances within a class (e.g. bisphosphonates), at the very least consistent effects on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers are requested. Due to these regulatory rules, ibandronate, teriparatide and strontium ranelate are not approved in the European Union. Some years ago, alendronate was the first bisphosphonate that was approved for the treatment of men with osteoporosis, based on consistent results from two independent male studies using a daily 10 mg dosage. Very recently risedronate was approved by the FDA and EMEA. A randomised, placebo-controlled multicentre trial of 285 male patients showed, after 2 years, a 5.8% increase in lumbar spine BMD in the risedronate 35 mg once weekly group vs 1.2% in the placebo group. In a prospective controlled study on 316 men with primary or secondary osteoporosis we found, after 12 months, a lumbar spine BMD of +4.7% vs +1.0% in controls. The number of patients with one or more new vertebral fractures was 8 in the risedronate group and 20 in the placebo group (a fracture reduction of 60%). Furthermore, we found a significantly smaller decrease in height and a steeper decrease in back pain in the risedronate group. Risedronate is the first oral bisphosphonate available for men with the more comfortable once weekly dosage. 相似文献
The statistical search for mechanisms of change involves multiple inferential tests, ones that generally follow a fixed sequence designed to demonstrate mediation. While there are several popular approaches to conducting such tests, e.g., SEM and MRA, the inflated Type I error rate problem associated with conducting these tests has received little, if any, attention. This paper offers 2 solutions to avoid committing Type I errors associated with mediational tests. Most straightforward, investigators may choose to use a Bonferroni adjustment. In contrast, a design-based approach can be used that tests rival explanations for the observed effects. Examples drawn from addiction research are provided. 相似文献
Epidemiological data from the United States of America (USA) indicate that the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer is higher among Black African-American men (AAM) than among White (Caucasian) American men (CAM). Earlier studies suggesting that prostate cancer is relatively rare among indigenous Black men in Africa are probably flawed by underreporting because recent studies indicate that the incidence rates among Black men are similar to those of White men living in Africa. The higher incidence of prostate cancer among AAM has been ascribed to racial differences in genetic susceptibility, dietary factors, or androgen metabolism. However, it may also be due to registration artefacts because in Africa the reported incidence rates of prostate cancer in different countries correlate directly with the per capita gross national product, suggesting improved access to medical facilities is responsible for higher reported incidence rates.
The greater prostate cancer mortality among AAM may result from higher tumour grade and stage and higher serum PSA at presentation, but it has also been suggested that prostate cancer is biologically more aggressive in AAM than in CAM. However, recent studies indicate that tumour grade and stage and serum PSA at presentation are similar in the races, with no difference in survival after multivariate analysis controlling for pretreatment cancer severity. This suggests that the higher prostate cancer mortality among AAM results from socio-economic factors and limited access to healthcare. Black men living inside as well as outside of Africa still tend to present with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer due to lack of early detection programmes. 相似文献