shukoor65/lab-rag-model huggingface dataset:
Myeloablative chemoradiotherapy and autologous bone marrow infusions for treatment of neuroblastoma: factors influencing engraftment. Bone marrow harvested from cancer patients for autologous bone marrow reinfusion (ABMR) after myeloablative treatment may be injured, in both its proliferating and stromal cell pools, by either previous treatment or manipulation at the time of harvest. We have examined the relative effects of seven covariates on hematologic recovery after ABMR in children with neuroblastoma (NBL) using univariate and step-up analysis. We measured recovery by times to achieve (1) white blood cell counts greater than 1,000/microL; (2) absolute neutrophil counts greater than 500/microL; and (3) platelet counts greater than 20,000/microL without transfusion. In univariate analysis, recovery was significantly associated with the amount of prior chemotherapy and the interval between last chemotherapy and marrow harvest. Patient sex, the number of granulocyte-macrophage colonies infused, harvest-to-freeze interval, and use of purging were marginally associated. After adjusting for potential confounders in a multivariate model, the amounts of chemotherapy and granulocyte-macrophage colonies infused were independently significant predictors of time to total white blood cell count recovery; chemotherapy courses and chemo-to-harvest interval were predictors of neutrophil count recovery; and sex, use of purging, and harvest-to-freeze interval were marginal predictors of platelet recovery. The speed of hematologic recovery after ABMR seems to depend mainly on pre-existing factors and marginally on manipulation of the marrow after harvest. These factors may affect both proliferating and stromal cell pools.
Golf for the mature athlete. Golf is a different sport from all others discussed in this issue in one important aspect: Almost all of its practitioners play more, rather than less, as they mature. A great many of them play better, too. This additional play and skill can be highly satisfying to the participants; however, it puts them at risk for a number of overuse syndromes directly caused by the motion requirements of golf. In addition, the repetitive nature of the activity can exacerbate pre-existing and age-related orthopedic pathology as well. There is no substitute for attention to the preplay aspects of golf (warm-up, flexibility, and strengthening).
An overview of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. This symposium reviewed the risk factors and problems associated with venous thromboembolism in surgical patients, especially those patients having total hip replacement. The importance of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis was emphasized by a theoretical analysis indicating that venous thromboembolism in patients having hip replacement not only saves lives but is also effective. A discussion of the pharmacology of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) included a review of its role, clinically and experimentally, in venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Three of the discussants presented their favorable experiences with LMWH in reducing the incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients having hip replacement. It can be concluded that LMWH does reduce the incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients having hip replacement without causing an increase in blood loss. If its effectiveness and safety remain substantiated, LMWH may soon become the preferred agent for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.
Sexual headaches: case report, review, and treatment with calcium blocker. A case is reported in which a patient with sexual and orgasmic headaches was treated successfully with a calcium channel blocker, diltiazem. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of successful treatment of sexual headaches with calcium channel blockers reported in the English medical literature. The literature on sexually related headaches is reviewed, and classification, evaluation, differential diagnosis, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and treatment of sexual headaches are discussed.
Natural history of isolated atrial flutter in infancy. To clarify the natural history of isolated (i.e., without associated congenital cardiac anomalies) atrial flutter in infancy, we reviewed the clinical course in nine patients who were seen with this arrhythmia in the first year of life (range 1 day to 4 months). Atrial flutter was identified by the typical sawtooth pattern in leads II, III, and aVF of the surface electrocardiogram or the pattern of atrial flutter on an atrial electrogram recorded through the esophagus. The mean cycle length of the atrial flutter was 151 msec (atrial rate 397 beats/min). Six of the nine patients had other perinatal problems, such as immune and nonimmune hydrops fetalis (two patients), pneumonia (one patient), anemia (five patients), or low birth weight (one patient). In all patients the rhythm reverted to normal, either spontaneously (two patients), with overdrive pacing (four patients), or after oral digoxin therapy (three patients). No consistent temporal relationship between digoxin administration and conversion was observed; conversion was instantaneous in the four patients who received atrial overdrive pacing. Four patients were discharged receiving digoxin therapy (6 months to 1 year). One patient had supraventricular tachycardia after discharge that was controlled with digoxin. No recurrence of atrial flutter was observed among the nine patients during a mean follow-up of 6.8 years (range 0.2 to 20 years). We conclude that isolated atrial flutter in infancy is rare, has a good prognosis, may be related to transient perinatal events, and often spontaneously converts to normal sinus rhythm; however, when it does not, it will respond to transesophageal pacing. Acute and chronic digoxin therapy is probably unnecessary.
Introduction: physiologic adaptations to exercise training in cardiac patients: contemporary issues and concerns. This symposium dealt with contemporary issues and concerns in cardiac rehabilitation. Selected topics included: the potential of exercise training to enhance coronary collateral circulation; safety and efficacy of high intensity training; influence of beta-blocking agents on exercise prescription and trainability; value of physical conditioning in patients with left ventricular dysfunction or cardiac transplantation; and the effect of exercise on serum lipids and lipoproteins. Each article attempted to assimilate the physiologically germane literature in an area and provide the reader with associated clinical and practical implications.
Symptomatic Chiari malformation in adults: a new classification based on magnetic resonance imaging with clinical and prognostic significance. Thirty-five consecutive adults with Chiari malformation and progressive symptoms underwent surgical treatment at a single institution over a 3-year period. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging scan before and after surgery. Images of the craniovertebral junction confirmed tonsillar herniation in all cases and allowed the definition of two anatomically distinct categories of the Chiari malformation in this age group. Twenty of the 35 patients had concomitant syringomyelia and were classified as Type A. The remaining 15 patients had evidence of frank herniation of the brain stem below the foramen magnum without evidence of syringomyelia and were labeled Type B. Type A patients had a predominant central cord symptomatology; Type B patients exhibited signs and symptoms of brain stem or cerebellar compression. The principal surgical procedure consisted of decompression of the foramen magnum, opening of the fourth ventricular outlet, and plugging of the obex. Significant improvement in preoperative symptoms and signs was observed in 9 of the 20 patients (45%) with syringomyelia (Type A), as compared to 13 of the 15 patients (87%) without syringomyelia (Type B). Postoperative reduction in syrinx volume was observed in 11 of the 20 patients with syringomyelia, including all 9 patients with excellent results. Magnetic resonance imaging has allowed a classification of the adult Chiari malformation in adults based on objective anatomic criteria, with clinical and prognostic relevance. The presence of syringomyelia implies a less favorable response to surgical intervention.
Large mediastinal mass secondary to an aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass graft aneurysm. A case of a 62-year-old man with a large mediastinal mass who had undergone aortocoronary bypass grafting 17 years earlier is presented. Computed tomography showed a 13-cm extrinsic cystic mass believed to represent a pericardial cyst or teratoma. Intraoperatively, the patient was noted to have an aneurysm of his right coronary artery bypass graft. We were able to find 4 other cases seen in this manner.
Replacement of cholesterol gallstones by murideoxycholyl taurine gallstones in prairie dogs fed murideoxycholic acid. The effect of two hydrophilic bile acids, murideoxycholic acid (3 alpha,6 beta-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acid) and ursodeoxycholic acid, on cholesterol and bile acid metabolism and hepatic pathology and gallstone composition was studied in the prairie dog. Cholesterol gallstones were induced by feeding a diet containing 1.2% cholesterol for 75 days. The animals were divided into six groups, and gallstone regression was studied as follows: groups 2 and 5, chow plus 0.2% cholesterol; groups 3 and 6, chow plus 0.2% cholesterol plus 0.15% ursodeoxycholic acid; groups 4 and 7, chow plus 0.2% cholesterol plus 0.15% murideoxycholic acid. Animals in groups 2 to 4 were killed after an additional 6 wk; animals in groups 5 to 7 were killed after an additional 12 wk. Gallstone dissolution did not occur in any group. The gallstones in groups 2, 3, 5 and 6 were typical cholesterol aggregates, as determined by polarized light microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The gallstones of the murideoxycholic acid group were large, solitary, dark stones that appeared radiopaque under 22 kVp x-ray examination. Scanning electron microscopy showed that in these stones the cholesterol crystals had been replaced by an amorphous material, both within the stone and on the stone surface. Chemical analysis indicated that at the end of 12 wk the calcium/sodium salt of the taurine conjugate of murideoxycholic acid (murideoxycholyl taurine) comprised 70% of the stones; protein, cholesterol and small amounts of other bile salts were also present. In vitro studies confirmed the insolubility of the sodium and calcium salts of murideoxycholyl taurine. These studies indicate that the hydrophilic bile acids, murideoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid, did not achieve gallstone dissolution under the conditions used. In the animals fed murideoxycholic acid, an insoluble calcium salt of murideoxycholyl taurine replaced cholesterol as the major constituent of gallbladder stones. This is the first example of an insoluble dihydroxy taurine-conjugated bile acid; administration of the unconjugated bile acid induced precipitation of a kind of gallstone not previously reported. The final result was transformation of cholesterol stones to bile salt stones.
Functional evaluation following microvascular oromandibular reconstruction of the oral cancer patient: a comparative study of reconstructed and nonreconstructed patients. Over the past decade, the use of free flap transfers in head and neck surgery has led to remarkable advances in the reliability and the ultimate results of oromandibular reconstruction. Stable and retentive dental restorations have been achieved using enosseous implants placed directly into the vascularized bone flaps. However, the functional assessment of patients who underwent primary mandibular reconstruction with these techniques has not been previously reported. A group of 10 reconstructed and 10 nonreconstructed segmental hemimandibulectomy patients were compared using a battery of tests to assess their overall well-being, cosmesis, deglutition, oral competence, speech, length of hospitalization, and dental rehabilitation. In addition, objective measures of the masticatory apparatus (interincisal opening, bite force, chewing performance, and chewing stroke) were used to compare these two groups as well as normal healthy subjects and edentulous patients restored with conventional and implant-borne dentures. The results show a clear advantage for the reconstructed patients in almost all categories. Persistent problems and future directions in oromandibular reconstruction are discussed.
In vitro study of the interaction of doxorubicin, thiotepa, and mitomycin-C, agents used for intravesical chemotherapy of superficial bladder cancer. Several cytotoxic agents have been identified as effective in the treatment of superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, including doxorubicin, thiotepa and mitomycin-C. An in vitro study was conducted to assess the interactions of these three drugs against a well differentiated human bladder tumor cell line, RT-4, to identify and evaluate synergistic combinations among these agents. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by a colorimetric assay based on the capacity of viable cells to metabolize a tetrazolium dye, MTT, to produce a colored formazan product. The analyses of drug interactions were done by the isobolographic method (construction of isoeffect plots). The combination of doxorubicin and thiotepa was found to be the most synergistic, followed by the combination of doxorubicin and mitomycin-C. The combination of mitomycin C and thiotepa demonstrated an unpredictable effect. These findings suggest the combination of doxorubicin and thiotepa has potential advantage for chemotherapy of superficial bladder tumors.
Is fetal cellular rhabdomyoma an entity or a differentiated rhabdomyosarcoma? A study of patients with rhabdomyoma of the tongue and sarcoma of the tongue enrolled in the intergroup rhabdomyosarcoma studies I, II, and III. A tumor of the tongue with features consistent with the diagnosis of fetal cellular rhabdomyoma was seen in an 18-month-old infant. The tumor recurred 10 and 22 months after initial resection. The histologic condition of the first recurrence was similar to the original tumor except for some increased nuclear irregularities and mitotic activity. No adjunctive therapy was administered initially or after the first recurrence. The second recurrence showed mixed embryonal/alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. This case represented a unique model of a highly differentiated striated muscle tumor converting to a moderately differentiated rhabdomyosarcoma, and illustrated differential diagnostic difficulties in distinguishing between fetal cellular rhabdomyoma and differentiated rhabdomyosarcoma. The patient was compared with eight children and adolescents with primary sarcomas of the tongue who entered the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Studies (IRS) I, II, and III protocols. The tumors of all eight arose at the base of the tongue. There were five embryonal, one alveolar, and one mixed embryonal/alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas, and one undifferentiated myxoid sarcoma. Five rhabdomyosarcomas were poorly differentiated, and two had a moderate degree of myogenesis. These sarcomas of the tongue represent approximately 0.34% of all cases entered in IRS studies.
Allograft prosthetic composite arthroplasty for osteosarcoma and other aggressive bone tumors. Allograft prosthetic composite arthroplasty is a reconstruction alternative after limb salvage for aggressive bone tumors. It combines an off-the-shelf implant with a fresh-frozen allograft and has several potential advantages over conventional techniques. Good clinical results can be achieved with acceptable morbidity. The procedure can be performed successfully even in patients receiving chemotherapy. Nonunion was the most common complication encountered but was amenable to autogenous iliac bone graft. The procedure can be customized to meet the needs of the patient, making custom implant manufacturing delay and expense unnecessary.
Estrogen and progesterone binding by acoustic neuroma tissue. Tissue samples from 37 acoustic neuromas were assayed for estrogen and progesterone hormone receptor binding by radioimmunoassay using a dextran-coated charcoal method and Scatchard plot analysis. Twenty-one of the samples were from men, and 16 of the samples were from women. Seven of 37 samples (19%) were positive for estrogen receptor and six of 36 samples (17%) were positive for progesterone receptor. Three of 37 samples (8%) were positive for both receptors. There was no correlation of estrogen receptor positivity with the sex of the patient. These results indicate that estrogen or progesterone receptor binding activity or both are present in a small subset of acoustic tumors. Evidence is lacking, however, that binding of estrogen to the receptor results in growth changes in the tumor. The empirical use of antiestrogen treatment in acoustic neuroma does not appear to be justified at the present time.
Changes in the characteristics of myocardial infarction patients: 1980 vs 1988. This study examined myocardial infarction cases in an urban community hospital in the years 1980 and 1988. There were 56 well-documented heart attacks in 1980, and 80 in 1988. The sex ratio changed from 43/13 (male/female) in 1980 to 34/46 in 1988 (p = .0001). The percentage of diabetics increased from 27% in 1980 to 44% in 1988 (p = .044). The diabetics were older on average than the nondiabetics (69.7 years vs 65.1 years, p = .017). During the two years, 30 patients died in the hospital. Those who died were, on average, older than the survivors (71.4 years vs 65.4 years, p = .012) and were more likely to be white than black. More women than men died in 1988 (12 out of 13, p = .014), but the overall effect of sex on survival for both years was not significant. These results demonstrate a substantial change in the demographics of myocardial infarctions in the last decade.
Prognostic significance of the proportion of Ki-67-positive cells in adult T-cell leukemia. The authors examined peripheral blood samples from patients with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) using the monoclonal antibody Ki-67 which detects a nuclear antigen present in actively proliferating cells. In patients with chronic ATL, the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells was significantly lower than in acute ATL patients (median values, 3.3% versus 18.9%, P less than 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant inverse correlation between the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells and the length of survival (P less than 0.001). Serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels also showed a significant inverse correlation with survival, but this was less strong than that for Ki-67 (0.01 less than P less than 0.02). Thus, Ki-67 positivity appears to indicate the aggressiveness of ATL, and can possibly be used for the clinical classification of ATL patients as well as for the prediction of prognosis.
Serum levels of Hyskon during hysteroscopic procedures. Hyskon hysteroscopy fluid is used with the hysteroscope as an aid in distending the uterine cavity and in visualizing its surfaces. We correlated the amount of Hyskon used during hysteroscopy with both the instillation pressures generated within the uterine cavity and with serum levels of Hyskon in 11 healthy subjects. Serum levels in excess of 1000 mg% were measured at 30 min when an amount of Hyskon greater than 300 mL was used. Intrauterine Hyskon absorption and/or injection during hysteroscopy were found even after volumes of Hyskon as small as 50-100 mL were used. Serum levels were significantly higher with the larger amounts of Hyskon used in ablative procedures (P less than 0.01), as compared with serum levels seen with the smaller amounts of Hyskon used for diagnostic procedures. The injection pressures should be low to minimize the amount of intravascular injection. In cases in which extensive ablative procedures are necessary, we suggest that a two-stage procedure be considered. Because of the hypertonicity of Hyskon, intravascular volume expansion that may be larger than that seen during transurethral prostatectomy occurs.
Irresectable hepatoma treated by intrahepatic iodized oil doxorubicin hydrochloride: initial results. In this study we describe the investigation and treatment of 14 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients were treated with intra-arterial infusion of iodized oil and doxorubicin hydrochloride. Five of these patients were alive after 1 year. Twelve patients showed a fall in alpha-fetoprotein, and in seven of these patients, the fall in alpha-fetoprotein was greater than 50%.
Eye movement behaviour of patients with cerebral microangiopathy and macroangiopathy in simple visual detection tasks. Patients with cerebral microangiopathy (n = 17), acute and chronic left hemisphere (LH) stroke (n = 18, n = 21) and normal controls (n = 41) were studied in 2 simple visual detection tasks, one with predictable, the other with unpredictable targets. Eye movements were registered by means of infrared light reflections (pupil-corneal reflection method); the points of visual fixation were continuously calculated by a microprocessor system. Patients with cerebral microangiopathy showed primarily difficulties in holding attention, as reflected by pathologically short durations of gaze on target, frequent unsuccessful anticipations and a high overall number of fixations. In contrast, acute LH stroke patients were characterized by a deficit in shifting attention, as reflected by prolonged latencies and long search durations due to many intervening search fixations. By means of a nonparametric discriminant analysis procedure, about 90% of patients with microangiopathy and about 80% of acute LH stroke patients were reliably distinguished from normal controls. The differences between these two patient groups were most pronounced in the simpler task with predictable targets. Among those patients discriminated from normals, about 96% were correctly reclassified as belonging either to the microangiopathy or to the acute LH stroke group on the basis of their abnormal eye movement variables alone.