Hypercalcemia induced by 13-cis-retinoic acid in a patient with neuroblastoma.

Hypercalcemia is a potential dosage-related adverse effect of 13-cis-retinoic acid in patients with neuroblastoma. Severe hypercalcemia requiring dosage reduction has been reported in children receiving 13-cis-retinoic acid 200 mg/m2/day and in those with concurrent renal impairment receiving 160 mg/m2/day. A 12-year-old girl without renal dysfunction, diagnosed with neuroblastoma, developed severe hypercalcemia requiring several hospitalizations while receiving 13-cis-retinoic acid 160 mg/m2/day.

Small-diameter vascular prostheses: two designs of PTFE and endothelial cell-seeded and nonseeded Dacron.

Despite numerous advances in biomaterials design and utilization, the perfect artificial small-vessel substitute has yet to be developed. Dacron and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are two materials potentially appropriate for use as small-vessel prostheses. We report the patencies of endothelial cell-seeded and nonseeded 4 mm I.

Suture resistance to infection.

The emergence of both absorbable and nonabsorbable synthetic materials has been primary among the many new developments in suture materials. This is a study of 16 types of natural and synthetic suture materials and their resistance to both gram-positive and gram-negative infections. Four hundred and twenty suture inplants were made in the Edlich mouse model.

Endothelial cell seeding of small-diameter vascular grafts.

Small-diameter double velour dacron vascular grafts were seeded with autologous canine endothelial cells, implanted in the canine carotid arteries and the in vivo progress of graft luminal endothelial surfacing followed. Sixty-five percent of the experimental grafts were successfully seeded. Comparison of patency, endothelial cell coverage, thrombus-free surface, and inner capsule thickness between seeded and control grafts revealed enhancement of graft performance by cell seeding.