Noninvasive Diagnosis of High-Grade Urothelial Carcinoma in Urine by Raman Spectral Imaging.

The current gold standard for the diagnosis of bladder cancer is cystoscopy, which is invasive and painful for patients. Therefore, noninvasive urine cytology is usually used in the clinic as an adjunct to cystoscopy; however, it suffers from low sensitivity. Here, a novel noninvasive, label-free approach with high sensitivity for use with urine is presented.

Recommendations for the Prevention, Detection, Treatment and Management of Prescription Opioid Analgesic Dependence: Outcomes From the Opioid Analgesic Dependence Education Nexus (OPEN) Meeting.

The global consumption of opioids continues to rise, which has led to an increasing rate of diversion, misuse, addiction, and deaths related to prescription opioids. This has been particularly well documented in the USA; however, opioid analgesic dependence (OAD) is an increasing concern in Europe. More guidance is required for European healthcare professionals in the prevention, detection, treatment and management of OAD.

Pain relief with lidocaine 5% patch in localized peripheral neuropathic pain in relation to pain phenotype: a randomised, double-blind, and placebo-controlled, phenotype panel study.

In neuropathic pain with irritable nociceptor (IN) phenotype, upregulation of sodium channels on nociceptors is supposed to be an important pain mechanism that may be targeted by topical sodium channel blockade. This randomised, double-blind, phenotype panel, crossover study with 4-week treatment periods of lidocaine 5% patch and placebo was performed to search for phenotype differences in effect. The primary efficacy measure was the total pain intensity on an 11-point numeric rating scale, and the primary objective was to compare the effect of lidocaine in patients with and without IN phenotype as defined by hypersensitivity and preserved small-fibre function determined by quantitative sensory testing.

Transverse small skin incision for carotid endarterectomy.

Background: The purpose of this report is to determine the feasibility of short transverse skin incision (STI < 4 cm) for eversion (EEA) and patch (PEA) endarterectomy with or without shunt by comparing it with the outcomes after long transverse skin incision (LTI 4-8 cm).

Methods: Of 164 elective consecutive patients (71 ± 2.73% symptomatic) operated at one institution over 24 months, 81 were treated with STI, while 83 patients received LTI.

The effect of oxcarbazepine in peripheral neuropathic pain depends on pain phenotype: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phenotype-stratified study.

In neuropathic pain it has been suggested that pain phenotype based on putative pain mechanisms may predict response to treatment. This was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and phenotype-stratified study with 2 6-week treatment periods of oxcarbazepine (1800-2400mg) and placebo. The primary efficacy measure was change in median pain intensity between baseline and the last week of treatment measured on an 11-point numeric rating scale, and the primary objective was to compare the effect of oxcarbazepine in patients with and without the irritable nociceptor phenotype as defined by hypersensitivity and preserved small nerve fibre function determined by detailed quantitative sensory testing.

A leucine-to-proline substitution causes a defective alpha 1-antichymotrypsin allele associated with familial obstructive lung disease.

Using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and direct sequencing of amplified genomic DNA, we have identified two defective mutants of the human alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) gene associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A leucine 55-to-proline substitution causing a defective ACT allele (Bochum-1) was observed in a family with COPD in three subsequent generations. Another mutation, proline 229-to-alanine (Bonn-1), was associated with ACT serum deficiency in four patients with a positive family history.

Surgical treatment of persistent elbow epicondylitis.

From 1978 through 1987, 86 patients with epicondylitis were admitted for surgery after failed conservative treatment. The Wilhelm technique was performed either alone or in combination with an intraarticular procedure. The Wilhelm technique involves denervation of the epicondyle.

Heterotopic ossification after spinal cord injury. Epidemiology and risk factors.

From 1981 to 1986 we treated 413 patients for acute spinal-cord injuries. We reviewed 356 patients followed for a minimum of two years of whom 71 (20%) developed heterotopic ossification around one or more joints. Heterotopic ossification occurred more often in male patients (23%) than in female (10%), and was most frequent in the 20- to 30-year age group.

Magnetic resonance imaging and computer tomography of acute spinal cord trauma.

Spinal cord lesions are not detectable on roentgenograms and computed tomography (CT) scans. Magnetic resonance images (MRIs) are able to make soft-tissue lesions visible. Interpretations of MRIs, CT scans, and roentgenograms were compared in 25 patients and three postmortem specimens with spinal cord injuries.

Replacement therapy for alpha-1-protease inhibitor deficiency in PiZ subjects with chronic obstructive lung disease.

In a six-month multicenter feasibility and safety study, 20 patients, who all had a congenital deficiency of alpha-1-protease inhibitor (A1PI) of the PiZ phenotype accompanied by a chronic obstructive lung disease, were treated with human-plasma-derived A1PI. A weekly dose of 60 mg/kg, administered intravenously, was shown to be sufficient to maintain patient serum levels above the threshold limit of 35 percent, the serum level of healthy persons of the MZ phenotype. This is supposed to be the minimal effective level for protection against the elastolytic attack of the lung and, therefore, satisfies one of the most important criteria of feasibility of long-term replacement therapy.

Stromal composition in bronchogenic carcinomas--morphometric structure analysis.

So far little is known about the pathogenesis and development of the stroma in bronchogenic neoplasia. Clinical and radiological findings and morphological pictures of the tumor taken just after resection, don't reveal information about the pathogenesis and duration of the development of the scar tissue. Using an automatic image analyser (Quantimet 720, Imanco) it was possible to do morphometrical studies of bronchial carcinomas.