Management of pediatric pontine gliomas

We present 36 consecutive patients with intrinsic glioma of the pons. Tumors with exophytic expansion were excluded. There were 16 females and 20 males, ranging in age from 2 to 13 years, median 6 years. The most common presenting symptoms were cranial nerve dysfunction. unsteadiness of gait, and hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) showed a hypodense (17/21) or isodense (4/21) expansion of the pons. Five tumors had areas of contrast enhancement. Following information about prognosis and possible types of management, parents decided for or against radiation therapy: twentyfour children underwent irradiation and 12 did not. Median survival among children receiving a full course of irradiation was 280 days, compared to 140 days in an equivalent group of non-irradiated children. Hemiparesis presenting without cranial nerve symptoms and contrast enhancement on CT scan were poor prognostic factors, whereas sex, age, and duration of symptoms at diagnosis were unrelated to prognosis.     

271. Tuberkulose nach lebertransplantation

Zusammenfassung Bei einem 55jährigen Mann wurde 7 Monate nach orthotoper Lebertransplantation eine Lungentuberkulose diagnostiziert. Die tuberculostatische Therapie erfolgte mit Isoniazid (3 x 0,2 g/Wo) und Ethambutol (1,6 g/d) über 11 Monate. Nach 3 Monaten waren keine Mycobakte rien mehr nachweisbar, und der Patient ist im 3. Jahr nach Transplantation ohne Zeichen einer aktiven Tuberkulose in gutem Gesundheitszustand bei guter Transplantatfunktion. Die Tuberculostatica-Dosierung sollte je nach Metabolisierungsleistung des Transplantats reduziert werden. Bei Beachtung dieses Kardinalpunktes könnte eine Tuberkulose nach Lebertransplantation erfolgreich behandelt werden.     

Primary papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma of broad ligament

A rare case of an advanced primary broad ligament carcinoma is discussed, with a review of the literature regarding its incidence, presentation and management. This patient showed a complete response to adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy following panhysterectomy and is presently without any evidence of disease, 15 months after completion of her treatment.     

肾动脉狭窄介入治疗前后血清脑利钠肽水平的变化及意义的研究

目的探讨肾动脉狭窄介入治疗前后血清脑利钠肽BNP水平的变化及意义。方法采用回顾性调查方法，对肾动脉狭窄介入治疗前后血清脑利钠肽水平的变化进行分析。结果肾动脉狭窄介入治疗再通后，血清BNP水平出现下降（P〈0．01）。结论血清BNP水平的变化对肾动脉狭窄介入治疗后疗效的评价具有一定的临床指导意义。     

戊二醛交联提高胶原/壳聚糖真皮支架抗细胞收缩能力的研究

目的 应用交联处理的胶原支架,来减缓其降解过多、易收缩变形、机械性能不足等缺点.方法 采用冷冻-冻干法构建胶原/壳聚糖多孔支架,并通过戊二醛交联构建具有良好抗细胞收缩稳定性和细胞相容性的胶原支架.通过测定不同培养时间各类支架的尺寸变化,研究了戊二醛交联对支架抗细胞收缩能力的影响.结果 戊二醛交联后的胶原/壳聚糖支架未见明显收缩,其细胞活性也始终高于干热交联支架.结论 戊二醛能有效地提高胶原基支架的抗细胞收缩能力,并保持其良好的生物相容性.     

关节镜辅助下微创经皮螺钉内固定治疗胫骨平台骨折

目的:探讨关节镜辅助下微创经皮螺钉内固定治疗胫骨平台骨折的可行性及疗效。方法:自2001年1月-2005年1月,应用膝关节镜检查及监测下经皮螺钉内固定治疗胫骨平台骨折27例,按照Schatzker分类法:Ⅰ型9例,Ⅱ型8例,Ⅲ型5例,Ⅳ型5例。所有病例均行经皮骨折有限显露复位,适当植骨,应用1~3枚松质骨拉力螺钉内固定,术后配合CPM功能锻炼。结果:本组随访6~24个月,平均15个月。骨折临床愈合时间3~4个月,平均3·5个月。无畸形愈合、感染、螺钉断裂。按Sanders膝关节功能评分法评定结果:优12例,良11例,中3例,差1例,优良率85·2%。结论:关节镜辅助经皮螺钉内固定是治疗胫骨平台骨折的有效方法之一,其对膝关节创伤小,可达解剖复位,固定可靠,患肢功能恢复好,并发症少。     

Intensive chemotherapy for peripheral T-cell lymphomas.

Forty-two patients with previously untreated peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) were treated with an intensive chemotherapy protocol. Either the BACOP or the m-BACOD regimen was used for induction. Patients achieving complete clinical remission after three courses were given intensive consolidation and maintenance chemotherapy similar to the L10/L17M protocol designed by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Group for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma. There were 27 (64 per cent) males and 15 (36 per cent) females. The median age was 54 years (mean 53, range 15 to 68). Seven of them (17 per cent) had stage I disease, four (10 per cent) stage II, seven (17 per cent) stage III and 24 (57 per cent) stage IV. Eighteen patients (43 per cent) had B symptoms and four (10 per cent) had bulky disease. According to the Working Formulation, the histology was diffuse mixed in 16 patients (38 per cent), diffuse large cell in 18 (43 per cent), diffuse immunoblastic in four (10 per cent) and unclassifiable in four (10 per cent). According to a modified Japanese Lymphoma Study Group's classification, the histology in 24 patients (57 per cent) was the pleomorphic type, in 13 (31 per cent) immunoblastic-lymphadenopathy-like (IBL-like), and in five (12 per cent) unclassifiable. The overall complete remission rate was 67 per cent. Twenty-five per cent of the complete responders relapsed and the DFS of the CR patients was 62 per cent at three years. The overall survival of all patients at three years was 52 per cent. Patients with stage I, II and III disease had significantly better CR rate (100 per cent versus 42 per cent, p = 0.001) and overall survival (82 per cent versus 35 per cent at three years, p = 0.01) than those with stage IV disease but the relapse rate and DFS of CR patients were similar. This study shows that the prognosis of patients with PTCL can be improved by intensive therapy.     

Coronary vasomotion in patients with syndrome X: evaluation with positron emission tomography and parametric myocardial perfusion imaging

The aim of this study was to elucidate further the causative mechanism of abnormal coronary vasomotion in patients with syndrome X. In patients with syndrome X, defined as angina pectoris and documented myocardial ischaemia during stress testing with normal findings at coronary angiography, abnormal coronary vasomotion of either the micro- or the macrocirculation has been suggested as the causative mechanism. Accordingly, we evaluated endothelial function, vasodilator reserve, and perfusion heterogeneity in these patients. Twenty-five patients with syndrome X (definitely normal coronary arteriogram, group A), 15 patients with minimal coronary artery disease (group B) and 21 healthy volunteers underwent [¹³N]ammonia positron emission tomography at rest, during cold pressor stimulation (endothelial function) and during dipyridamole stress testing (vasodilator reserve). Heterogeneity of myocardial perfusion was analysed by parametric polar mapping using a 480-segment model. In both patient groups, resting perfusion was increased compared to the normal subjects: group A, 127±31 ml·min^–1·100 g^–1; group B, 124±30 ml·min^–1·100 g^–1 normal subjects, 105±21 ml·min^–1·100 g^–1 (groups A and B vs normals,P<0.05). These differences were abolished after correction for rate-pressure product. During cold pressor stimulation, the perfusion responses (ratio of cold pressor perfusion to resting perfusion) were similar among the patients and the control subjects (group A, 1.20±0.23; group B, 1.24±0.22; normal subjects, 1.23±0.14). Likewise, during dipyridamole stress testing, perfusion responses were similar among the three groups (group A, 2.71±0.67; group B, 2.77±1.29; normal subjects, 2.91±1.04). In group A the heterogeneity of resting perfusion, expressed as coefficient of variation, was significantly different from the volunteers (20.1±4.5 vs 17.0±3.0,P<0.05). In group B (coefficient of variation 19.4±3.9) the difference from normal volunteers was not significant. In this study, patients with syndrome X and patients with minimal coronary artery disease showed normal perfusion responses during cold pressor stimulation and dipyridamole stress testing. Our findings therefore suggest that endothelial dysfunction and impaired vasodilator reserve are of no major pathophysiological relevance in patients with syndrome X. Rather, other mechanisms such as increased sympathetic tone and focal release of vasoactive substances may play a role in the pathogenesis of syndrome X.     

Prediction of uneventful cardioversion and maintenance of sinus rhythm from direct-current electrical cardioversion of chronic atrial fibrillation and flutter

The present study was undertaken to reassess prospectively the immediate and long-term results of direct-current electrical cardioversion in chronic atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, and to determine factors predicting clinical outcome of the arrhythmia after direct-current cardioversion. Two-hundred forty-six patients underwent direct-current electrical cardioversion and were followed during a mean of 260 days. Multivariate analysis was used to identify factors predicting short- and long-term arrhythmia outcome. Cardioversion was achieved in 70% of patients with atrial fibrillation and in 96% of patients with atrial flutter. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that arrhythmia duration (p less than 0.001), type of arrhythmia (fibrillation vs flutter, p less than 0.02) and age (p less than 0.05) independently influenced conversion rate. On an actuarial basis, 42 and 36% of patients remained in sinus rhythm during 1 and 2 years, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the type of arrhythmia (p = 0.0008), low precardioversion functional class (p = 0.002) and the presence of nonrheumatic mitral valve disease (p = 0.03) independently increased the length of the arrhythmia-free episode. Rheumatic heart disease shortened this period (p = 0.03). In conclusion, patients having a high probability of conversion together with a prolonged post-shock arrhythmia-free episode can be identified. This may improve the cost-benefit ratio of cardioversion.