Long-term surgical results for congenital aural atresia

Thirty-nine primary surgical cases for correction of congenital aural atresia were reviewed for complications and long-term hearing results. Hearing averages of 25 dB for mild atresia, 40 dB for moderate atresia, and 46 dB for severe atresia were obtained. Serviceable hearing was achieved in 64% of the cases. The two most frequent complications were stenosis and recurrent infections of the cavity and canal skin, with an incidence of 33% and 31%, respectively. Use of split-thickness instead of full-thickness skin graft was associated with fewer complications. The goal of this review is also to share the experience of the senior author in the management of this complex problem.     

Opportunistic intracranial infection in AIDS detection by technetium-99m DTPA brain scintigraphy

Radionuclide brain scintigraphy and computed tomography (CT) demonstrated cerebral lesions in two patients with acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome (AIDS) complicated by opportunistic infection of the brain. In the detection of these cerebral lesions, [99mTc]DTPA radionuclide scintigraphy was as reliable as CT. Since malignant lymphoma involving the brain has been seen with increasing frequency in patients with AIDS, the positive brain scan alone is nonspecific and should be correlated appropriately with the clinical setting.     

三康胶囊对高原移居者运动后NO乳酸及血氨的影响

目的探讨三康胶囊对高原人体运动后一氧化氮(NO)及其合酶(NOS)、乳酸(BLA)、血氨(Ammo)的影响.方法选择进驻海拔3 700 m高原1年的10名健康青年,口服三康胶囊15 d,在服药前后分别采用功量自行车进行渐增负荷运动,测定其血清 NO、NOS、BLA及Ammo含量.结果服药后较服药前运动后NO水平[(101.02±6.49) Vs (77.10±8.11)]和NOS活性[(71.40±7.23) Vs (56.29±6.28)]均增高, BLA[(7.58±0.79)Vs (6.13±0.74)]和Ammo[(80.11±9.44)Vs (69.38±8.86)]降低,有非常显著性差异(P＜0.01).结论 三康胶囊能增强高原移居者运动后NOS活性,加速乳酸清除,减缓运动疲劳的发生.     

Structure and promoter organization of the human monoamine oxidase A and B genes.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B play an important role in regulating levels of biogenic amines. MAO A and B cDNAs have been cloned and the deduced amino acids share 73% sequence identity. The genes for MAOA and B are comprised of 15 exons interspersed by 14 introns, span at least 60 kb and exhibit identical exon-intron organization. These findings suggest that the MAOA and MAOB genes are derived from the duplication of a common ancestral gene. The core promoter region of MAOA is comprised of two 90 bp repeats, each of which contains two Spl elements and lacks a TATA box. The MAOB core promoter region contains two sets of overlapping Spl sites which flank a CACCC element all upstream of a TATA box. The different organization of the MAOA and MAOB promoters may underlie their different cell and tissue specific expression.     

Quantitative three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound predicts the outcome of placental chorioangioma.

The relationship of large and vascularized chorioangiomas to adverse pregnancy outcome is well recognized. We present a patient with a large placental tumor and signs of impending fetal cardiac failure. The angioarchitecture of the tumor depicted by three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound enabled us to accurately diagnose a placental chorioangioma. During the follow-up period, quantitative flow data obtained using 3D power Doppler indicated altered hemodynamics in the tumor and concomitant improvement in the condition of the fetus, enabling us to manage the mother conservatively. Spontaneous delivery occurred at 38 weeks without any complications. This report demonstrates the potential value of 3D power Doppler in prenatal diagnosis and monitoring of pregnancies complicated by large, vascularized chorioangioma.