Retrospective study: influence of menstrual cycle on cue-induced cigarette craving.

Cigarettes acquire reinforcing properties from nicotine and from cues associated with their intake. However, smoking in males and females may be reinforced differentially. Smoking in females is posited to be influenced more by cues whereas male smoking is influenced predominantly by the direct pharmacological actions of nicotine in the brain.

Myasthenia Gravis.

Myasthenia gravis is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission, manifest by variable weakness of skeletal muscle. The disorder has a range of therapies that differ with respect to efficacy, timing, and side effects. The physician treating myasthenia gravis must be well versed in understanding the evidence basis for using these agents, as well as the trade-offs between persistent disease manifestations and their costs and expected benefits.

Medical comorbidity in black and white patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Little is known about co-medical illnesses in black and white patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: To address this question, we used two methods. In the first (Group I), black and white probable AD patients were matched on age at presentation to the clinic, age of onset of AD, duration of illness, and Mini-Mental State Examination scores; then, a variety of co-medical illnesses were compared between blacks and whites.

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy.

Although there are close to 10 randomized trials showing efficacy for prednisone, intravenous immunoglobulin, or plasmapheresis in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), large differences in cost, side effect profiles, and ease of use create controversy over the therapy that is best. Most clinicians use intravenous immunoglobulin or prednisone as first-line therapy. Unfortunately, the clinical trials performed to date are not easily extrapolated to answer, "which agent is best for clinical practice" because they have used varying doses and duration of therapy, different diagnostic criteria for CIDP, and mixtures of patients who have failed previous therapy versus those with newly diagnosed disease.

Ovarian mass--benign or malignant?

Ovarian cancer strikes 23,000 American women every year, accounting for 52% of all gynecological cancer deaths. The death of comedienne Gilda Radner from ovarian cancer in 1991 brought the disease to the forefront for the American public. Unfortunately, since that time, there has been an absence of publicity about this dreadful disease.

Graftskin treatment of difficult to heal diabetic foot ulcers: one center's experience.

Background: Chronic diabetes-related foot ulcers result from predisposition, tissue injury, and inadequate reparative mechanisms. Standard care for diabetes-related foot ulcers includes weight off-loading, pressure-relieving footwear, aggressive surgical debridement, and frequent dressing changes. Graftskin is a recently developed living skin construct.

In vitro cyclic tensile testing of combined peripheral and core flexor tenorrhaphy suture techniques.

Early tenorrhaphy mobilization increases repair site strength and decreases adhesions. Preliminary unpublished data suggest that early active mobilization improves clinical outcome compared with traditional passive motion protocols. We loaded cadaver flexor profundus tendon repairs to 8.

Authors in Dermatologic Surgery.

Authors of scientific papers have been evaluated in the past by how frequently the medical literature cites them. In this analysis, we specifically identify those individuals who have contributed to the field of cutaneous surgery through publications in Dermatologic Surgery. We further analyze those publications frequently cited in Dermatologic Surgery, allowing us to determine topics of utmost value and interest.

Cutaneous epithelioid malignant nerve sheath tumor with rhabdoid features: a histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study of three cases.

Introduction: Malignant rhabdoid tumors are morphologically defined as sheets of loosely cohesive cells with eccentric nuclei and hyaline, paranuclear inclusions. Although originally described as a distinctive renal neoplasm of childhood, these tumors have since been described in all age groups and in a variety of extrarenal sites. In the latter setting, it is thought that the rhabdoid phenotype is comprised of histogenetically unrelated tumors, that regardless of histogenesis, pursue a biologically aggressive behavior.

Solitary fibrous tumors are immunophenotypically distinct from mesothelioma(s).

Introduction: Solitary fibrous tumor is a soft tissue tissue tumor of unknown histogenesis. Based upon histologic similarities and CD-34 expression, it has been suggested that these neoplasms bear some relationship to mesothelioma, and may represent its extra-pleural equivalent.

Methods: In order to further investigate this possible relationship, we examined a series of five dermal and five extra-cutaneous solitary fibrous tumors with antibodies directed against the mesothelial markers calretinin and HBME-1.

Pigmented squamous cell carcinoma of the skin: morphologic and immunohistochemical study of five cases.

Invasive pigmented squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) of the skin is reportedly rare. Herein, we evaluate an additional five cases and compare their relative frequency with non-pigmented squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Of 46,791 archived cases of SCC, a total of five cases of PSCC were discovered for a relative frequency of approximately 0.

When and how to use mood stabilizers during breastfeeding.

For many women with bipolar disorder, treatment with mood stabilizers is indicated to decrease the risk of a recurrence of depression, mania, or psychosis during the postpartum period. Because breastfeeding during this time exposes infants to these medications, a risk-benefit analysis is crucial for the mother and her physician when deciding whether to breastfeed. This article reviews the risks and benefits to mothers and nursing infants with regard to untreated mental illness, breastfeeding, and medication exposure during breastfeeding.

Impact of self-administered cocaine and cocaine cues on extracellular dopamine in mesolimbic and sensorimotor striatum in rhesus monkeys.

Studies were conducted to determine the impact of self-administered cocaine on extracellular striatal dopamine in four rhesus monkeys. The extent to which external cue conditioning contributed to the effects of cocaine and whether there is activation of striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission during drug-seeking behavior was also examined. Microdialysis measurements were made at 2 min intervals in sensorimotor (dorsolateral) and mesolimbic (central and ventromedial) striatum.

A randomized double-blind study assessing 4 versus 8 mg. doxazosin for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Purpose: We compare the efficacy of 4 versus 8 mg. doxazosin for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Materials And Methods: A total of 82 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia successfully treated with 4 mg.

The value of acetazolamide single photon emission computed tomography scans in the preoperative evaluation of asymptomatic critical carotid stenosis.

Purpose: Acetazolamide (ACZ)-enhanced single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans can assess both cerebral perfusion and vascular reactivity. Patients with asymptomatic critical carotid artery stenosis were evaluated for cerebral vascular reactivity to determine the effect of extracranial occlusive disease and the effect of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on intracerebral reactivity.

Methods: In 44 patients with asymptomatic critical carotid artery stenosis, cerebral perfusion and vascular reactivity were assessed before CEA with resting and ACZ-enhanced SPECT scans.

Rapid induction of behavioral and neurochemical tolerance to cocaethylene, a model compound for agonist therapy of cocaine dependence.

Rationale: Tolerance to abused drugs may impact on patterns of abuse, and in the case of agonist therapies, may be beneficial in that it reduces the reward value of a given dose of abused drug. Cocaethylene, a psychoactive metabolite resulting from concurrent alcohol and cocaine consumption, was examined because of its use in human research studies of drug reward mechanisms, and its potential as a model compound for an agonist based therapy for cocaine dependence.

Objective: Comparisons were made between cocaine and cocaethylene in the acute development of tolerance to the neurochemical and behavioral effects of cocaine.

Polyhalogenated methyl ethyl ethers: solubilities and anesthetic properties.

Unlabelled: The several potent inhaled anesthetics released for clinical use in the past four decades have been halogenated ethers, and, with one exception, methyl ethyl ethers. In the present report, we detail some structural and physical properties associated with anesthetic potency in 27 polyhalogenated methyl ethyl ethers. We obtained new data for 22 compounds.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy for staging breast cancer.

Background: Determination of axillary nodal status is essential for the staging of breast cancer since nodal status is one of the most important predictors of survival. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the histology of the first draining lymph node (LN) accurately predicts the histology of the rest of the axillary LNs.

Methods: Fifty-five patients with operable invasive breast carcinoma and clinically negative axillary lymph nodes were studied.

Use of touch preps for intraoperative diagnosis of sentinel lymph node metastases in breast cancer.

Background: Intraoperative touch prep (TP) is highly accurate for determining positive breast cancer margins and thereby reducing the need for second surgeries. It also may be useful in determining the status of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) during the initial surgical resection. The objective of this study was to test the ability of intraoperative TP to predict metastatic disease and, thus, the necessity for axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) at the time of SLN biopsy.

Minimum alveolar concentrations of noble gases, nitrogen, and sulfur hexafluoride in rats: helium and neon as nonimmobilizers (nonanesthetics).

Unlabelled: We assessed the anesthetic properties of helium and neon at hyperbaric pressures by testing their capacity to decrease anesthetic requirement for desflurane using electrical stimulation of the tail as the anesthetic endpoint (i.e., the minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration [MAC]) in rats.

Myofibroblastoma of the breast revisited: an etiologic association with androgens?

Myofibroblastoma of the breast is an uncommon benign stromal tumor encountered predominantly among elderly men. Histologically, myofibroblastoma is a well-circumscribed tumor comprised of bipolar spindle cells arranged in short fascicles traversed by collagen bundles. Based on previous histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural observations, this tumor is thought to be derived from myofibroblasts.

Questionnaire survey of urologists and primary care physicians' diagnostic and treatment practices for prostatitis.

Objectives: To establish diagnostic and treatment practices for chronic prostatitis by survey of urologists in Wisconsin and primary care providers in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Methods: All Wisconsin urologists (n = 135) and primary care providers in Dane County, Wisconsin (n = 365) were surveyed by mail with a 10-item questionnaire used to establish diagnostic and treatment practices for prostatitis.

Results: Seventy-eight percent of primary caregivers consider prostatitis to be bacterial in nature, whereas 59% of urologists consider it to be noninfectious.