Evaluation of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in acute asthma.

Background: High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an inflammatory marker known to be related to inflammation, infection, and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate hs-CRP level in serum of asthmatics and its relationship with pulmonary function tests, serum IgE levels, and peripheral blood white blood cell (WBC) counts.

Materials And Methods: The under study subjects were 108 patients with acute asthma and 93 healthy volunteers.

Multi-level spondylolysis.

The incidence of isthmic spondylolysis is approximately 3% to 6% in the general population. Spondylolytic defects involving multiple vertebral levels, on the other hand, are extremely rare. Only a handful of reports have examined the outcomes of surgical treatment of multi-level spondylolysis.

Biomechanical comparison of translaminar screw versus pedicle screw supplementation of anterior femoral ring allografts in one-level lumbar spine fusion.

Pedicle screws (PS) can provide initial stabilization of anterior interbody femoral ring allograft (FRA) lumbar constructs. Translaminar screws (TLS) have also been advocated for this procedure. The objective of this study was to use an in vitro human cadaveric model to compare the stability of one-level anterior interbody lumbar constructs stabilized with PS and those stabilized with TLS.

Rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine--clinical considerations.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder affecting multiple organ systems, joints, ligaments, and bones and commonly involves the cervical spine. Chronic synovitis may result in bony erosion and ligamentous laxity that result in instability and subluxation. Anterior atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) is the most frequently occurring deformity, due to laxity of the primary and secondary ligamentous restraints.

Penile Preservation for Male Urethral Cancer.

Tumors of the male urethra are rare, comprising <1% of urologic malignancies. This is a report of a 44-year-old man presented with a 4-month history of gross initial hematuria and dysuria. After examining the patient, we found a firm mass extending 1 cm within the proximal bulbar urethra and a pathologic report of moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.

Urodynamic findings in young men with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms.

Aim: To assess frequency of urodynamic abnormalities in young men with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Materials And Methods: We assessed 456 men (18-40 years old) with chronic LUTS. Those with the history of urogenital malignancies, neurological disease, urethral stricture or trauma, acute UTI, congenital urological disease, and diabetes mellitus were excluded.

Dorsal versus ventral oral mucosal graft urethroplasty.

Purpose: To evaluate success rate of dorsal versus ventral oral mucosal graft for anterior urethroplasty.

Materials And Methods: In a retrospective study, the results of the ventral and dorsal oral mucosal graft (OMG) anterior urethroplasty were assessed in 24 and 29 patients, respectively. Demographic and clinical characteristics of subjects were gathered from the medical records.

Delayed retropubic urethroplasty of completely transected urethra associated with pelvic fracture in girls.

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the results and the complications of delayed retropubic urethroplasty of completely transected urethra associated with pelvic fracture in girls.

Materials And Methods: From 2002 to 2008, a total of 7 girls with complete urethral disruption after pelvic fracture were referred to our center and all of them underwent delayed retropubic urethroplasty with end-to-end anastomosis of the urethra.

Results: Seven female patients with a median age of 6 years old underwent delayed end-to-end anastomosis.

Bladder neck preservation during radical retropubic prostatectomy and postoperative urinary continence.

Introduction: Bladder neck-sparing modification of radical retropubic prostatectomy has been reported to lower the risk of urinary incontinence after prostatectomy. We reviewed the outcomes in men with prostate cancer who had undergone prostatectomy with either bladder neck preservation or bladder neck reconstruction.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 103 patients who had undergone radical retropubic prostatectomy were assessed.

Transanal repair of rectourethral and rectovaginal fistulas.

Introduction: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of repair of the rectourethral and rectovaginal fistulas with transanal approach using the Latzko technique.

Materials And Methods: We repaired 8 fistulas with transanal approach. Fistulas were rectourethral in 5 patients, and in the only woman of the series, they were rectovaginal and vesicovaginal.

Correlation between prostate needle biopsy and radical prostatectomy Gleason gradings of 111 cases with prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: There are conflicting reports in the literature about correlation of biopsy and prostatectomy Gleason scores in prostate carcinoma. The goal of this study was to determine the correlation of grading in these two types of pathologic materials.

Materials And Methods: The coupled Hematoxylin and Eosin slides of 111 patients with prostate carcinoma were collected.

Prostate cancer screening, yes or no? The current controversy.

Purpose: The increasing incidence of prostate cancer and different viewpoints of medical authorities to it, has lead to conversion of preliminary plan of screening test to a requisite. The objective of this study is to clarify the obscure aspects of this subject using the literature review.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed the following items in the literature: prostate cancer screening, introduction of relevant tests, screening criteria according to World Health Organization, screening experience in different countries, community notification, specialists training in order to establish an integrated approach and treatment, anxiety relief, and promotion of patient awareness in this field.

Retrolisthesis and lumbar disc herniation: a preoperative assessment of patient function.

Background Context: Retrolisthesis is relatively rare but when present has been associated with increased back pain and impaired back function. Neither the prevalence of this condition in individuals with lumbar disc herniations nor its possible relation to preoperative back pain and dysfunction has been well studied.

Purpose: The purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to determine the prevalence of retrolisthesis (alone or in combination with other degenerative conditions) in individuals with confirmed L5-S1 disc herniation who later underwent lumbar discectomy; (2) to determine if there is any association between retrolisthesis and degenerative changes within the same vertebral motion segment; and (3) to determine the relation between retrolisthesis (alone or in combination with other degenerative conditions) and preoperative low back pain, physical function, and quality of life.

Sporotrichosis in Iran.

This report describes a 23 year-old male florist gardener diagnosed with subcutaneous sporotrichosis caused by the dimorphic pathogenic soil fungus Sporothrix schenckii. The patient had several small skin lesions over the left upper arm with ascendant chains of enlarged lymph nodes.Sporothrix schenckii was detected from clinical samples by direct microscopy and culture and its ability to switch from mould to yeast form at 37 degrees C.

Concha bullosa in chronic sinusitis.

Sinusitis is an important cause of morbidity and one of the major sources of income loss. Anatomical variations of the nose have been reported to predispose to sinusitis. These variations include concha bullosa, nasal septal deviation and oversized bulla.

Three-layer technique to close a persistent tracheo-oesophageal fistula.

This report of a patient with a persistent tracheo-oesophageal (TE) fistula after removal of a speech valve describes a modification of the technique described by Rosen et al for closing TE. Under local anaesthesia, an incision was made above the stoma edge from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock. The trachea was separated from the oesophagus to beyond the fistula, and the fistula tract was excised.

The role of AO external fixation in proximal femoral osteotomies in the pediatric neuromuscular population.

Internal fixation in proximal femoral osteotomies using traditional devices may be sub-optimal in children with neuromuscular disorders who have small or osteopenic bone. In this population, between 1988 and 2000, we performed 36 proximal femoral varus osteotomies in 28 patients. These were controlled by the AO external fixator.

Review: acute compartment syndrome of the foot.

Foot compartment syndrome is a serious potential complication of foot crush injury, fractures, surgery, and vascular injury. The purpose of this article is to summarize and review the existing literature on this entity. Long-term sequelae of foot compartment syndrome (FCS) include contractures, deformity, weakness, paralysis, and sensory neuropathy.

Analysis of surface properties of human cancer cells using derivatized beads.

Standard histochemical analysis of cells and tissues generally involves procedures that utilize a relatively small number of probes such as dyes, and generally requires hours or days to process. Our laboratory has developed a novel method for histochemical surveys of cell surface properties that utilizes a large number of probes (derivatized agarose beads) and takes seconds or minutes to accomplish. In this study, 4 human cell lines (CCL-255 (LS123) human colon cancer cells that are non-tumorigenic in nude mice; CRL-1459 (CCD-18CO) human colon endothelial cells that are non-malignant; CCL-220 (COLO 320DM) human colon cancer cells that are tumorigenic in nude mice; and HTB-171 (NCI H446) human lung carcinoma cells) were tested for their ability to bind to agarose beads derivatized with 51 different molecules.

A prospective evaluation of foreign bodies presenting to the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

The results of a prospective study of 94 patients with history of ear, nose or aerodigestive tract foreign bodies were analysed. Sixty six to 94% of patients presented within 24 hours to a primary care doctor, 80 to 94% was referred to the ENT Department within 24 hours and 89 to 93% of patients had their foreign bodies removed within 24 hours. Overall, 58% of aural foreign bodies, 67% nasal foreign bodies and 94% of aerodigestive tract foreign bodies were removed within 48 hours of insertion.

Skin prick test reactivity to foods in adult Malaysians with rhinitis.

The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of food and house dust mite (HDM) allergy in patients with nasal congestion and rhinorrhea attending the Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. This was a prospective matched, controlled study of patients skin prick tested with commercial food and common aeroallergens. The participants were 148 Malaysian adults with symptoms of nasal congestion and rhinorrhea and 113 adult Malaysian control subjects without rhinitis symptoms.

Management of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head continues to pose a therapeutic challenge to orthopedic surgeons. This pathologic process results from the death of living components of bone from mechanical and biologic factors. Diagnosis, clinical symptoms, and classification systems are discussed.

Conducting the NLM/AHCPR Large Scale Vocabulary Test: a distributed Internet-based experiment.

The Large Scale Vocabulary Test, sponsored by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), was conducted to determine the extent to which a combination of existing health-related terminologies cover vocabulary needed in health care information systems. The test was conducted over the Internet using a sophisticated World Wide Web interface with over 60 participants and over 40,000 terms submitted. This paper discusses the issues encountered in the design and execution of the experiment, including the design of the interface and the issues of recruitment, training, and guidance of remote participants over the Internet.