Theophylline improves esophageal chest pain--a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Background/aim: The treatment of esophageal (noncardiac) chest pain is unsatisfactory and there is no approved therapy. A previous uncontrolled study suggested that theophylline may be useful. Our aims were to investigate the effects of theophylline on esophageal sensorimotor function and chest pain.

An open-label trial of theophylline for functional chest pain.

Visceral hypersensitivity may play a role in the pathogenesis of functional chest pain, although the underlying mechanism(s) is unknown. We investigated the effects of theophylline, an adenosine receptor antagonist, on sensory perception and biomechanical properties of esophagus in patients with functional chest pain. Esophageal balloon distention was performed using impedance planimetry in 21 consecutive patients with functional chest pain.

Prospective evaluation of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyclucose positron emission tomography in breast cancer for staging of the axilla related to surgery and immunocytochemistry.

The noninvasive staging of axillary lymph nodes for metastases is investigated in patients with breast cancer prior to surgery by positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-18-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG). In 124 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer, whole-body PET was performed to determine the average differential uptake ratio (DUR) of 18F-FDG in the axillary lymph nodes. Results were correlated with the number of the dissected lymph nodes, size of the primary tumor, tumor type, tumor grade, estrogen and progesterone receptors, DNA ploidy, and the proportion of cells in the synthetic phase of the cell cycle (S-phase).

MR T2 relaxation time for the assessment of retrobulbar inflammation in Graves' ophthalmopathy.

The results of 39 patients with severe Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), who were monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tonography before and after combined immunosuppressive treatment with cyclosporine and corticosteroids, are presented. A correlation was found between the decrease in T2 relaxation time of the superior, medial, and inferior rectus muscle (p < 0.01) and the response to the immunosuppressive treatment.