Potential availability of patients in a short stay ward for medical student teaching.

The trend towards shorter hospital in-patient stays has decreased the availability of patients for undergraduate medical student teaching. We surveyed 100 consecutive short stay surgical inpatients admitted to hospital on the day of planned operation to determine whether they might be available for student teaching before surgery. We found that there was a median delay of three hours (standard deviation +/-2.

Strengths and weaknesses of laparoscopic and open mesh inguinal hernia repair: a randomized controlled experimental study.

There are no objective data available on the relative strengths of inguinal hernia repairs. The aim of this randomized controlled study was to measure th force required to disrupt laparoscopic and open mesh repairs in a porcine model. Eleven pigs had inguinal hernia repair following randomization to an open mesh group (n = 5) or a transabdominal preperitoneal laparoscopic group (n = 6).

Results of treatment of pituitary disease in multiple endocrine neoplasia, type I.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the clinical and pathological features of pituitary disease in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia, Type I (MEN I) and to assess the prognosis.

Methods: Fifty-two patients with pituitary disease and MEN I were studied retrospectively. Medical records were reviewed, and all of the patients known to be alive were sent a questionnaire to ascertain current disease status.

Cellular mechanisms underlying the increased duodenal iron absorption in rats in response to phenylhydrazine-induced haemolytic anaemia.

Haemolytic anaemia induced by phenylhydrazine (PZ) promotes iron absorption across rat small intestine. This present study investigates the role of the brush border potential difference (Vm) and mucosal reducing activity in the response. In addition, quantitative autoradiography was used to assess PZ-induced changes in the villus localization of brush border iron uptake.

Surfactant protein D interacts with Pneumocystis carinii and mediates organism adherence to alveolar macrophages.

Pneumocystis carinii interacts with glycoproteins present in the lower respiratory tract through its mannose-rich surface antigen complex termed gpA. Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a recently described component of the airspace lining material that possesses a calcium-dependent lectin domain capable of interacting with glycoconjugates present on microorganisms and leukocytes. Accordingly, we evaluated the extent and localization of SP-D in the lower respiratory tract during Pneumocystis pneumonia in an immunosuppressed rat model and examined its role in modulating interaction of P.

Pneumocystis carinii glycoprotein A binds macrophage mannose receptors.

Pneumocystis carinii causes life-threatening pneumonia in patients with impaired immunity. Recent studies suggest that alveolar macrophages interact with P. carinii through macrophage mannose receptors.

Increased CA 125 in a patient with tuberculous peritonitis: case report and review of published works.

A case of a middle aged woman with weight loss, ascites, and a pleural effusion is presented where a clinical diagnosis of ovarian cancer was made. Her CA 125 was greatly increased at 873 IU/ml and the ascites was a lymphocytic exudate but cytology failed to show malignant cells. Operative biopsy showed numerous noncaseating granulomas in the omentum but no mycobacterial organisms were seen.

Nonspecific involvement of bowel adjoining Crohn disease.

Nonspecific changes in bowel segments adjacent to areas of Crohn disease were identified radiographically in 12 patients. In eight patients such changes were related to fistulization; in four patients they were due to close proximity of an inflammatory mass, abscess, or phlegmon of Crohn disease origin. The radiographic feature of nonspecific involvement was focal fold thickening, either in relation to the site of entry of fistulas or, together with mass effect, in response to the extrinsic inflammatory process.

Acute alcoholic esophagitis.

We report two patients with acute, transient esophagitis following alcoholic binges. Double-contrast esophagrams of both patients revealed erosive esophagitis with multiple superficial ulcers in the mid and distal esophagus. While acute alcoholic esophagitis may produce clinical and radiographic findings that are indistinguishable from other more common types of esophagitis, this diagnosis is supported by the patients' recent drinking history.

Complete healing of ulceration within a gastric leiomyoma.

A case of an ulcerated, bleeding gastric leiomyoma is presented in which a follow-up UGI examination showed no evidence of residual ulceration within the tumor. Radiologists should be aware that it is occasionally possible to document complete healing of ulceration within a gastric leiomyoma and that conservative medical management may be an alternative when surgical resection cannot be performed.

Hepatic infarction with absolute ethanol.

Ethanol was used to embolize the hepatic artery in 7 dogs, producing occlusion proportional to the dose employed. On follow-up angiography at 1 and 4 weeks, occlusion was unchanged or more pronounced, indicating that such embolization is permanent. Because ethanol is nonviscous and easy to use, it is effective in occluding the hepatic arterial system.

Comparison between iodamide and iothalamate in intravenous urography.

A number of iodinated contrast media such as Iothalamate, whose excretion depends on glomerular filtration are well established for use in intravenous urography. Iodamide, a relatively new iodinated contrast medium, is thought to be actively secreted by the tubules in addition to glomerular filtration. We set out to compare the nephrogram and pyelogram using these two types of contrast medium, injecting each either slowly or rapidly.

Ultrasound in hepatoma-can specific diagnosis be made?

The ultrasound appearances of primary hepatocellular carcinoma in 32 patients are described. Attempts to correlate the appearances with serological, histological, and arteriographic findings revealed no consistent pattern. There appears to be no great difference in the range of ultrasound appearances in primary hepatocellular carcinoma when compared with that reported for metastatic disease.