Concave Side Apical Control in Early Onset Scoliosis Managed with Growing Rods.

Objective: To evaluate curve correctability, complications, and rate of growth following treatment.

Background: Distraction-founded techniques such as traditionally growing rods or magnetically controlled growing rods are the almost globally accepted management patterns for early onset scoliosis. However, periodic lengthening operations are still needed.

A fully distributed traffic allocation algorithm for nonconcave utility maximization in connectionless communication networks.

As IP video services have emerged to be the predominant Internet application, how to optimize the Internet resource allocation, while satisfying the quality of experience (QoE) for users of video services and other Internet applications becomes a challenge. This is because the QoE perceived by a user of video services can be characterized by a staircase function of the data rate, which is nonconcave and hence it is "hard" to find the optimal operating point. The work in this paper aims at tackling this challenge.

Nanogold Assay Improves Accuracy of Conventional TB Diagnostics.

Purpose: TB nanodiagnostics have witnessed considerable development. However, most of the published reports did not proceed beyond proof-of-concept. Our objectives are to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a novel nanogold assay in detecting patients with active pulmonary TB based on results of BACTEC MGIT (reference test), and to compare its clinical performance to combined use of sputum smear microscopy (SSM) with chest X-ray (CXR).

Sterile Bronchopleural Fistula Following Surgical Removal of Primary Lung Leiomyoma Inducing Secondary Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy.

BACKGROUND Leiomyomas are benign neoplasms of the smooth muscle. When found in the pulmonary system, a rare occurrence, leiomyomas can result in hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, or significant clubbing, associated with proliferation of long bone periosteum. Bronchopulmonary fistulas, or communications between the bronchial tree and pleural space, are an uncommon postoperative complication of pneumonectomies.

Pulmonary hydatid cysts: the naturally occurring models for rupture.

Background: Pulmonary hydatid cysts are recognized to have high rate of rupture compared to those in other affected organs. To identify risk factors associated with endobronchial rupture, we prospectively assessed 32 patients with hydatid cysts. There were 21 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 32 ± 15 years (range 9 to 65 years).

Fate of allogenic bone graft for sternal support in pectus excavatum repair.

Background: Techniques for pectus excavatum repair are based on sternal support using various implants that have been reported to cause complications including migration and perforation of adjacent vital organs. Thus the search for an ideal sternal support is ongoing. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and fate of allogenic bone grafts as a durable sternal support for pectus excavatum repair.

Delayed bronchial rupture repair: a revisit to mucus basics.

Blunt trauma to the chest accounts for most thoracic injury cases. Tracheobronchial injuries are rare. They require high index of suspicion to diagnose and manage promptly.

Successful resection of a huge paraganglioma utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass.

A 54-year-old woman was diagnosed with a large paraganglioma in the left paraaortic area, extending into the aortopulmonary window and up to a right-sided superior vena cava. The tumor was treated with repeated embolizations that failed to reduce its size. Complete surgical excision was achieved utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass.

Surgical results for bronchiectasis based on hemodynamic (functional and morphologic) classification.

Objective: This study was a prospective evaluation of surgical indications and outcomes for unilateral and bilateral bronchiectasis according to hemodynamic (functional and morphologic) classification.

Methods: Between January 1998 and January 2004, the morphologic features (cystic versus cylindric) by chest computed tomography and the hemodynamic features (perfused versus nonperfused) by lung ventilation/perfusion scan were determined in 66 patients with bronchiectasis (53 unilateral and 13 bilateral). The indication for surgical resection in both groups was the presence of localized areas of cystic, nonperfused bronchiectasis.

Intra-operative heparin release during lung surgery.

Objectives: Heparin has long been thought to be biosynthesized and stored in the granules of mast cells that are most prevalent in the lungs and gastro-intestinal tract. In response to stimuli such inflammation and trauma, mast cells degranulate and consequently release heparin. This prospective study was designed to investigate if operative trauma during lung mobilization could enhance heparin release into both the pulmonary and systemic circulations.

Predictors of outcome for myasthenia gravis after thymectomy.

The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcome of patients with myasthenia gravis treated with maximal thymectomy and to identify prognostic variables that predict the outcome. Over 15 years, from 1986 to 2001, we collected data on 100 patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent maximal thymectomy and retrospectively reviewed their outcome. Women comprised 63% and the median age was 25 years (range, 4 to 61).

Maximal thymectomy in children with myasthenia gravis.

Objectives: We performed this study to evaluate the benefit of thymectomy in children with myasthenia gravis (MG).

Methods: Over a period of 15 years from 1986 to 2001, we collected data on 30 children with MG and retrospectively reviewed the outcome of maximal thymectomy.

Results: There were 23 females and seven males with a mean age of 13.

Unusual presentation of rib exostosis.

We report two cases of unusual presentation of rib exostosis. The first patient presented acutely with hemorrhagic shock due to massive hemothorax, and the second patient presented with repetitive chest infection complicated by empyema. In both patients, preoperative computed tomographic (CT) scan of the chest revealed rib exostoses, necessitating thoracotomy and rib resection.

Diagnostic yield of mediastinal exploration.

Objective: To report our experiences of surgical diagnostic procedures in patients with unidentified mediastinal pathology.

Methods: From July 1995 to July 1999, 72 patients with mediastinal pathology had 73 surgical procedures for the purpose of tissue diagnosis. Of the 72 patients, 39 were female and 33 male, with an average age of 54 years.

Seasonal distribution of fleas infesting rodents in various Egyptian eco-geographical areas and their susceptibility to malathion.

The rodent population and their ectoparasites especially fleas, in various Egyptian eco-geographical areas were studied It was noticed that flea infestation varied according to rodent species and to the bioclimatic conditions. High flea indices were recorded in certain seasons of the year. The flea index was above one during spring in the southern of Nile Delta and semi-arid coastal areas, in summer in northern coastal areas and in autumn in southern of Nile Delta.