Radionuclide angiography in congenitally corrected transposition of the great vessels in an adult

The case of a 34-yr-old man with congenitally corrected transposition of the great vessels is described. Both first-pass and equilibrium radionuclide angiographic data were acquired and demonstrate the value of both studies in delineating the ventricular inversion and the transposed great vessels that are characteristic of this disorder. In addition to the anatomic information, the ejection fractions of the venous and systemic ventricles at rest and during exercise, the lack of any left to right shunt, and the presence of systemic A-V valve insufficiency can all be obtained from the scintigraphic data.     

Coronary risk factor behavior change in hospital personnel following a screening program.

We conducted a worksite cardiovascular disease (CVD) awareness and education program at a large medical center. The program consisted of employee screening for blood pressure and total serum cholesterol level, dissemination of information on risk factors for CVD, counseling on behavior change, and evaluation of the screening event as an educational tool. During this five-day event, 2,284 employees were screened for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Consenting employees completed a health risk appraisal survey (n = 2,255) and received counseling on their results and CVD risk factors. Appropriate referrals to health care professionals and educational programs were made according to national guidelines. We developed three-month and six-month follow-up surveys and distributed them to all participating employees. The analysis of these data suggests some positive impact upon behavior change within this employee population. In addition to the two follow-up surveys, we held a second blood pressure and serum cholesterol screening eight months after the initial screening. Comparison of the levels taken from both screenings (n = 234) suggests that worksite screening programs may influence significant serum cholesterol and blood pressure reductions in high-risk employees.     

Graded stress radiography of injured anterior cruciate ligaments.

Fifty-five patients with clinical suspicion of injury to their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) were examined by graded stress radiography before arthroscopic verification in an effort to determine the loss of ACL function as a result of ligament tearing. Using a commercially available stress device capable of applying varying pressures to the mid-calf, anterior drawers were measured from lateral radiographs at 0-, 7-, 14-, and 21-kiloPascal pressures and used to calculate the equivalent elastic modulus of the remaining ACL fibers. According to viscoelastic theory, this modulus is proportional to the number of elastically active fibers in the ligament. To verify the validity of this concept, the stress-strain relationship of a freshly excised ACL ligament was examined in a tensile testing machine, and the procedure was repeated after the ligament had been partially transsected with a scalpel. Comparison with the elastic modulus of the (intact) ACL of the opposite knee permits an estimate of the percentage of rupture in cases of partial tears. Overstretched ligaments show essentially normal viscoelastic properties once the slack in the ligament has been taken up. Complete tears, on the other hand, show a complete breakdown in the viscoelastic properties of the ACL. The results show that partial tears can be diagnosed by graded stress radiography with a sensitivity of 20% and specificity of 90%. Diagnosis of overstretched ligaments had sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 94%. Complete tears were detected with sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 75% as diagnosed against all other ACL lesions and including normals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Genetics of club foot in Maori and Pacific people

The role of major gene and multifactorial inheritance in the aetiology of club foot in the New Zealand Polynesian population was studied using 287 New Zealand Maori and Pacific club foot families. The club foot family data were analysed by complex segregation analysis under the mixed model using the computer program POINTER. This analysis shows that the best genetic model for club foot in this population is a single dominant gene with a penetrance of 33% and a predicted gene frequency of 0.9%. These data provide a scientific foundation for molecular studies in the Maori and Polynesian population to identify putative club foot genes.


Keywords: club foot; New Zealand Maori; complex segregation analysis     

Association of Insulin Resistance and Higher Oncotype DX™ Recurrence Score

Annals of Surgical Oncology - Black women with breast cancer have a worse overall survival compared with White women; however, no difference in Oncotype DX? (ODX) recurrence scores has been...     

Juxta-articular synovial cyst of the shoulder

A case of an unusual synovial cyst with both intra- and extraosseous components found in the proximal humerus of a patient with osteoarthritis is presented. The importance of this lesion is that it should be recognized as a manifestation of the underlying osteoarthritis and does not represent a more serious primary lesion.     

13年室间质控菌株鉴定工作的实践和体会

为了提高菌株鉴定水平, 我们自1985～1998 年参加了省临检中心细菌室间质控工作, 共鉴定下发菌株142 株,鉴定正确131 株(占92.25% ), 误检11 株(7.75% )。本文总结了鉴定工作的经验, 并对误检原因进行分析。认为理论、实践和学科新进展是提高鉴定水平的关键