Prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor allows escalation of chemotherapeutic dose intensity in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background: In an effort to discover an effective regimen for use in Phase III evaluation of the efficacy of dose intensification in advanced ovarian cancer, we performed a Phase II trial of dose intensified cisplatin, etoposide, and ifosfamide with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF).

Methods: Thirty patients with primary, FiGO Stage 3 or 4, epithelial ovarian cancer underwent intensified cytoreduction followed by cisplatin 105 mg/m2, etoposide 300 mg/m2 and ifosfamide/mesna 3 g/m2, q 28 days x 6 cycles with G-CSF 5 microg/kg q day for 7 days. The dose of etoposide and ifosfamide was escalated 20% in cohorts of three patients.

Sleep apnoea in treated acromegaly: relative frequency and predisposing factors.

Objectives: Sleep apnoea is common in active acromegaly. It is associated with increased morbidity and mortality but can be treated effectively. The objective of this study was to determine the largely unknown relative frequency of, and the predictive factors for, sleep apnoea in treated acromegalic patients.

Focal neurologic deficits in infective endocarditis and other septic diseases.

Introduction: Focal neurologic deficits in sepsis frequently result from parenchymal lesions due to cerebral embolism. The aim of this study was to characterize clinical, laboratory and radiologic patterns of those patients.

Patients And Methods: Medical records of 30 patients with focal neurologic symptoms during sepsis were analyzed retrospectively.

Diltiazem improves cardiac function and exercise capacity in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Results of the Diltiazem in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Trial.

Background: Evidence is arising that calcium antagonists in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) may have beneficial effects on virus-induced cardiopathology, alcohol toxicity, micro-circulatory disorders, and impaired calcium cycling, all possibly involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Thus, the effect of adjunct diltiazem (60 to 90 mg TID) on standard treatment was investigated.

Methods And Results: The Diltiazem in Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DiDi) trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of 186 patients (92 receiving diltiazem, 94 receiving placebo) with IDC diagnosed by coronary angiography, catheterization of the left side of the heart, and a left ventricular ejection fraction of < 0.

False positive malignant peritoneal cytology and psammoma bodies in benign gynecologic disease.

Objective: To determine the incidence of false positive malignant peritoneal cytology and psammoma bodies associated with benign gynecologic disorders.

Study Design: Pelvic peritoneal fluid was prospectively collected for cytologic examination from 119 women undergoing laparoscopy for benign conditions (infertility, 67; pelvic pain, 35; elective sterilization, 17). The median age was 30.

Surgical staging and high dose rate brachytherapy for endometrial cancer: limiting external radiotherapy to node-positive tumors.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and morbidity of surgical staging and high dose rate brachytherapy for women with stage I-IIIA endometrial cancer.

Methods: Sixty consecutive patients underwent surgical staging consisting of total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, peritoneal cytology, bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy, periaortic lymphadenectomy, and omentectomy. High dose rate brachytherapy was delivered postoperatively in three fractions for a total of 2100 cGy.

The cumulative normalised rim/disc area ratio curve.

Background: The assessment of the cup of the optic disc depends, among other criteria, on the disc area. A small cup in a small optic disc can indicate an advanced glaucomatous lesion, while on the other hand a large cup in a large optic disc can be normal. Therefore, a cumulative normalised rim/disc area ratio curve could help to distinguish between glaucomatous and normal optic cups.

Sequential granulocyte colony-stimulating factor increases cisplatin cytotoxicity in human epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines.

Background: To determine the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on tumor growth and cisplatin cytotoxicity in human epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: Six human epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines were treated with media (control) for 24 hr, G-CSF for 24 hr, cisplatin for 24 hr, simultaneous cisplatin and G-CSF for 24 hr, media (control) for 48 hr, cisplatin for 24 hr and sequential media for 24 hr, cisplatin for 24 hr, and sequential G-CSF for 24 hr. Following incubation, the percentage cell lysis was determined by particle concentration fluorescein immunoassay chemosensitivity assay.

Fosinopril improves regulation of vascular tone in mesenteric bed of diabetic rats.

Because diabetes mellitus leads to vascular dysfunction, we examined the microvascular endothelial and smooth muscle function in long-term diabetes and a possible influence of fosinopril treatment (10 mg/kg). We investigated isolated perfused mesenteric beds of diabetic rats (4 groups: control, control + fosinopril, diabetes, diabetes + fosinopril; diabetes of 6-month duration, induced by streptozotocin, STC) were investigated using computer-assisted microvideoangiometry. Vascular diameter of four different vascular regions [classified as conductive (G1, 303 +/- 6.

Urgent ERCP in all cases of acute biliary pancreatitis? A prospective randomized multicenter study.

In this prospective multicenter study, the effect of early ERCP within 72 hours after the beginning of symptoms in the treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis was investigated. 100 patients with acute biliary pancreatitis but without biliary sepsis or obstructive jaundice were randomized in this trial. 48 patients of the invasive group received urgent ERCP within 72 hours after the beginning of pain.

Plaque surface area after rinsing with a low-level fluoride-containing Darjeeling tea.

Plaque surface area after rinsing with a tea, containing low levels of fluoride, was evaluated in 30 human volunteers with a single-blind, one-operator, three-period, three-treatment cross-over study. The mouthwashes employed were: (1) tea (Darjeeling first flush:< 0.2 ppm F-), (2) Meridol(R), (3) control (tap water:< 0.

Conservative management of chemotherapeutic-induced thrombocytopenia in women with gynecologic cancers.

During the course of four recent dose-intense chemotherapy trials, the routine practice of transfusing patients with platelet counts < 20,000/microliters was changed to a more conservative style of management limiting prophylactic transfusions to patients with platelet counts < 5000/microliters. One hundred seventy-nine episodes of thrombocytopenia in 46 patients enrolled in four dose-intense chemotherapy trials were evaluated. Thirty-two patients had advanced carcinoma of the ovary, 10 had pelvic sarcomas, and 4 had cervical cancer.

Loop electrosurgical excision procedure for intensified cytoreduction of ovarian cancer.

The objective was to evaluate the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for intensified cytoreduction of ovarian cancer. Twenty consecutive women with residual epithelial ovarian cancer following maximum cytoreduction by standard surgical techniques were treated with LEEP-intensified cytoreduction. LEEP was employed to resect metastases involving intestines (18 patients), diaphragm (3 patients), liver (6 patients), spleen (3 patients), and peritoneal surface (18 patients).

Correlation study of two methods for evaluating corneal endothelial damage in vitro: the Janus green photometry technique versus cell counting.

Counting of endothelial cells after vital staining is a time-consuming method which, in addition, requires considerable experience and does not normally allow for the study of the entire endothelial cell surface. However, the Janus green photometry technique (JGPT) is an objective, time- and personnel-saving procedure which also has the advantage of allowing for the evaluation of the whole endothelial cell surface. A comparative simultaneous experimental study of the two methods had not been reported.

[The force transmission of positioners in different degrees of incisor protrusion. An in-vitro study].

The purpose of this study was to examine the forces exerted on protruded upper incisors by tooth positioners. Methodologically an in vitro force measurement model was used. The tooth positioners were made of 7 readily available materials commonly used in orthodontics.

Fluoride retention of incipient enamel lesions after treatment with a calcium fluoride varnish in vivo.

The aim was to determine the fluoride retention in plaque-covered and clean incipient enamel lesions after topical application of a CaF2/NaF varnish (Bifluorid 12). In 50 specimens of bovine enamel an incipient lesion was produced with acidic hydroxyethylcellulose (pH 4.8; 72 h).

Cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and ifosfamide in the treatment of recurrent or advanced cervical cancer.

We performed a prospective, phase II trial of cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and ifosfamide in the treatment of 30 women with recurrent or advanced cervical cancer. Median age was 47 years old. Twenty-one tumors were squamous and 83% of tumors were grade 2 or 3.

The normalised rim/disc area ratio line.

The assessment of the cup of the optic disc depends, among other criteria, on the disc area. A small cup in a small optic disc can indicate an advanced glaucomatous lesion, on the other hand a large cup in a large optic disc can be normal. Therefore, an individual normalised rim/disc area ratio line together with the curves of 50th percentile and the 95th percentile of normal could help to better distinguish between glaucomatous and normal optic cups.

[Long-term roentgenologic follow-up of asymptomatic impacted wisdom teeth in former orthodontic patients].

Long-term follow-up of orthopantomographs of 251 adults orthodontically treated former patients showed 113 clinically asymptomatic impacted 3rd molars in 58 patients. Radiographic assessment revealed contact of impacted 3rd molars with the 2nd molars, resorption of upper and lower 2nd molars, reduced bone height on the distal side of the maxillary and mandibular 2nd molars, as well as pathologically widened pericoronal spaces of the upper and lower 3rd molars. The comparison of the sagittal 3rd molar position in 52 impacted teeth revealed a sagittal change in all 3rd molars from post-treatment to follow-up: maxillary and mandibular 3rd molars had rotated to a more upright position and showed an increase in mesio- or distoangulation or a change of axial inclination.

Surgical stapling technique for radical hysterectomy.

We developed a new technique for performing radical hysterectomy using surgical staplers. An endoscopic stapler was used to transect the uterosacral and cardinal ligaments and a roticulating stapler with absorbable staples was used to transect the vaginal cuff. Fifteen consecutive patients with primary stage IA2 or IB cervical carcinoma underwent class III radical hysterectomy using the new stapling technique and were compared to the previous 15 consecutive similarly staged patients who underwent class III radical hysterectomy by the traditional clamp, cut, and suture ligation technique.

Postthaw viability of frozen human ovarian cancer tumor specimens.

Thirty-five human ovarian cancer tumor specimens were frozen by both rapid freeze and slow freeze with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to determine which method results in optimal postthaw viability. Median viability following a rapid freeze was 8% as compared to 90% with slow freeze with DMSO (P = .0001).

A long-term, follow-up, radiographic evaluation of asymptomatic impacted third molars in orthodontically treated patients.

Long-term follow-up orthopantomographs of 251 adult orthodontically treated former patients showed 113 clinically asymptomatic impacted third molars in 58 patients. Radiographic assessment revealed contact of impacted third molars with the second molars, resorption of maxillary and mandibular second molars, as well as pathologically widened pericoronal spaces of the maxillary and mandibular third molars. The comparison of the sagittal third molar position in 52 impacted teeth revealed a sagittal change in all third molars from post-treatment to follow-up: maxillary and mandibular third molars had rotated to a more upright position and showed an increase in mesio- or distoangulation or a change of axial inclination.

Carbon dioxide laser vaporization of intestinal metastases of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Purpose To determine the efficacy and morbidity of carbon dioxide laser vaporization of intestinal metastases of epithelial ovarian cancer. Patients and methods Following maximum surgical cytoreduction, 20 patients were treated with laser vaporization of serosal and mesenteric metastases with a carbon dioxide hand-held laser at a median wattage of 25 watts using a super-pulse mode. The maximum diameter of intestinal metastases ranged from 1 mm to 2 cm and the number ranged from 1 to> 100 implants.

Carboplatin, etoposide, and ifosfamide as second-line treatment for ovarian cancer.

A total of 25 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were treated with second-line carboplatin, etoposide, and ifosfamide (ICE) following failure of first-line cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. The combination carboplatin 35 mg/m2, etoposide 50 mg/m2, and ifosfamide 1,200 mg/m2 was administered intravenously daily for 3 consecutive days. Response was seen in 13 patients (52%) with 7 complete responses (28%) and 6 partial responses (24%).