Predisposing factors and consequences of elevated biomarker levels in long-distance runners aged >or=55 years.

Cardiac biomarkers play an important role in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Elevated levels can be seen in the context of strenuous exercise. We studied this phenomenon in senior endurance runners.

Magnitude, reproducibility, and association with baseline cardiac function of cardiac biomarker release in long-distance runners aged > or =55 years.

Cardiac biomarker release after endurance exercise has been described in young athletes. Although older athletes are increasingly active in such sports, they have not previously been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and reproducibility of biomarker release in athletes aged > or =55 years.

Clinicoradiological diagnosis of benign osteoblastoma of the spine in children.

Three cases of benign osteoblastoma of the spine in children are reported, diagnosed on the basis of clinicoradiological findings and confirmed at surgery and by histopathology. The authors feel that in all cases of painful scoliosis and painful torticollis, a careful search should be made for any suspicious area of sclerosis, especially in the posterior elements of the vertebrae, and all the positive or suspected cases should undergo nuclear bone scanning. All patients whose bone scan is positive should be subjected to computed tomography for differential diagnosis between osteoid osteoma and benign osteoblastoma.

Spinal brucellosis.

Twenty-four cases of spinal brucellosis are described. We believe that it is possible to distinguish this condition from spinal tuberculosis on the basis of the clinical and radiological findings.

Neuroendocrine response in acute heart failure and the influence of treatment.

Vasoactive humoral factors were measured in 27 patients before and during the first week of conventional treatment of acute heart failure. On admission, all patients were given frusemide intravenously, followed by oral digoxin and diuretic therapy. Before drug treatment, plasma renin activity and plasma angiotensin II concentrations were within normal ranges in the group of patients without previous diuretic treatment, but were significantly higher in those 16 patients already on diuretic drugs when admitted to hospital.

Percutaneous, tunneled silicone elastomer central venous catheters for total parenteral nutrition: low sepsis and thrombosis rate. A prospective study of 315 catheters.

Silastic catheters were inserted by the percutaneous route, and tunneled subcutaneously, in 315 patients who needed venous access for total parenteral nutrition. The catheters were managed with a daily program that included heat sterilization of the metal hub with an electrical soldering iron. This study aimed to evaluate prospectively the incidence of catheter-related sepsis and thrombosis.

Leri-Weill syndrome (dyschondrosteosis): a family study.

Madelung's deformity due to Leri-Weill Syndrome (Dyschondrosteosis) is a rare condition. Six cases of this entity involving two generations in one family are reported in this communication. The differential diagnosis of the various causes of Madelung's deformity are briefly discussed.

Severe aortic stenosis in elderly patients.

Clinical and non-invasive findings were compared with catheterisation data in 91 elderly patients (mean 65 years, range 52-78) with suspected severe aortic stenosis requiring operation. Heart catheterisation showed that forty nine patients had a valve area of less than or equal to 0.6 cm2, 36 had a valve area of 0.

Non-invasive assessment of aortic and mitral regurgitation.

A non-invasive method for the assessment of the degree of regurgitation in aortic and mitral regurgitation is presented. Regurgitant volume was obtained by subtracting effective stroke volume (SV eff), determined with a CO2-rebreathing method, from total stroke volume (SV tot) determined by M-mode echocardiography. Regurgitant volume and a non-invasive regurgitant index (SV tot/SV eff) were compared with semiquantitative angiography in 49 patients [mean age = 62 +/- 11 (SD) years], who on the basis of the angiography were allocated to four different groups (no, slight, moderate and severe regurgitation).

Predictive value of interpeduncular distance measurement in children.

The value of measurement of the interpeduncular distance (IPD) in the investigation of a suspected pathologic intraspinal lesion was assessed in a series of 55 children referred for myelography from a university department of paediatrics. An IPD exceeding +2 SD was almost always associated with skeletal abnormality. Myelography disclosed pathologic lesions in two-thirds of 14 such patients.

Scoliosis angle. Conceptual basis and proposed definition.

The most commonly used methods of assessing the scoliotic deviation measure angles that are not clearly defined in relation to the anatomy of the patient. In order to give an anatomic basis for such measurements it is proposed to define the scoliotic deviation as the deviation the vertebral column makes with the sagittal plane. Both the Copp and the Ferguson angles may be based on this definition.

Primary results of conservative treatment and osteotomy in coxa plana: a radiological comparison.

In comparison with conservatives measures, does varus and derotation osteotomy accelerate recovery and prevent femoral deformation in Perthes Disease? In groups of 25 treated with osteotomy, and 22 treated conservatively, the primary anatomic result after reossification was judged from the radiographs by visual appraisal, and that is without introducing any measurements. The severity of the disease (the maximum epiphyseal involment) was the same in both treatment groups. The anatomic result (the shape of the femoral head after reossification) was in both groups found to be related closely to the age of patient and the severity of the disease.

Coxa plana: a radiological comparison of the rate of healing with conservative measures and after osteotomy.

Subtrochanteric osteotomy has been reported to interrupt the destructive phase of coxa plana and speed up the rate of healing. The aim of this investigation was to test the validity of these statements. The material comprised twenty-five patients treated by osteotomy and thirty-three patients treated by support in a Thomas's splint.