Improving prognosis of glioblastoma in the 21st century: who has benefited most?

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent primary brain tumor in adults. Temozolomide was rapidly incorporated into first-line treatment following the publication of the pivotal European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-National Cancer Institute of Canada phase 3 trial in 2005. However, in the trial, enrollment was limited to younger patients with good performance status.

Do assisted conception twins have an increased risk for anencephaly?

Background: The incidence rates of anterior neural tube defects, anencephaly and encephalocele appear increased among twins compared with singletons. The current study aimed to evaluate whether the etiology of this phenomenon is related to twinning, assisted reproductive technology (ART), or both.

Methods: The study cohort consisted of parturient women who were referred to our ultrasonography unit between January 1998 and December 2009 due to suspicion of severe fetal abnormality.

Fetal outcome and amniocentesis results in pregnancies complicated by varicella infection.

Objective: To evaluate the outcome of infants born to mothers with varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in pregnancy who had second trimester amniocentesis for detection of placental transfer.

Methods: We interviewed women who had had VZV infection in pregnancy and who underwent diagnostic amniocentesis to detect transplacental infection using both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cell culture methods to characterize their children's clinical and psychomotor development.

Results: Twenty women who had a diagnosis of primary VZV during pregnancy were available for interview.

The yield of early postnatal ultrasound scan in neonates with documented antenatal hydronephrosis.

We retrospectively assessed the yield of early postnatal ultrasound scans in neonates with documented antenatal hydronephrosis. We reviewed recording data of prenatal renal ultrasound for 178 newborn infants and the results of renal ultrasound performed during the first days of life. Of 119 infants with prenatal diagnosis of mild hydronephrosis (renal pelvic diameter <10 mm), 116 (97.

The effect of cardiac angiography timing, contrast media dose, and preoperative renal function on acute renal failure after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective: Our objective was to assess the effect of the timing of cardiac angiography, contrast media dose, and preoperative renal function on the prevalence of acute renal failure after cardiac surgery.

Methods: Data on 395 consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting were prospectively collected. Creatinine clearance was estimated by the Cockcroft-Gault equation.

Expression and significance of EGFR in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is an aggressive sarcoma. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may play a putative role in its pathogenesis, and be targeted for therapeutic purposes. The study was aimed at investigating the expression and prognostic influence of EGFR in MPNST.

Pathomorphologic and immunohistochemical study on the devastation of rat embryos by antiphospholipid antibody positive serum.

Problem: While relying on previous publications, our aim was to examine the morphologic changes, induced in early rat embryos by intra-uterine exposure to the low-molecular weight fraction of boiled human serum containing antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) that had been obtained from women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Method Of Study: Human APLA-positive sera were pooled, boiled, centrifuged and separated by ultrafiltration. The molecular weight fraction lower than 30 kDa was used for the experiments.

Pulmonary function studies in children treated by chemoradiotherapy and stem cell transplantation.

Background: Management of pediatric patients with malignant and hematological diseases is frequently associated with pulmonary complications. We assessed pulmonary function at diagnosis and during a 5-year follow-up to identify risk factors associated with pulmonary deterioration.

Procedure: Ninety patients (age range 3-20) who were treated at the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Department, Sheba Medical Center, Israel, were entered into the study.

Medical treatment with misoprostol for early failure of pregnancies after assisted reproductive technology: a promising treatment option.

Objective: To assess the success rate of misoprostol to induce abortion in early pregnancy failure and to define the factors associated with success of treatment.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: University-affiliated tertiary medical center.

Interleukin-1 signaling is required for induction and maintenance of postoperative incisional pain: genetic and pharmacological studies in mice.

Postoperative incisional pain is characterized by persistent acute pain in the area of the cut, and is associated with release of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), which play important hyperalgesic and allodynic roles in various inflammatory conditions. In the present study, we tested the role of IL-1 signaling in postoperative incisional pain using three mouse strains impaired in IL-1 signaling due to deletion of the IL-1 type I receptor on a mixed genetic background (IL-1rKO) or congenic background (IL-1rKOCog), or due to transgenic over-expression of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1raTG). We used the relevant wild-type (WT) mice both as controls for the mutant strains, and for assessing the effects of pharmacological blockade of IL-1-signaling.

Treatment of postdermabrasion facial hypertrophic and keloid scars with intralesional 5-Fluorouracil injections.

Hypertrophic and keloid scarring is a known complication of dermabrasion facial resurfacing, although only a very small fraction of patients experience it. Treatment with intralesional corticosteroid injections and flashed pumped vascular dye laser is recommended in the literature. The treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars using intralesional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) injections has been well described, but there is no literature regarding use of the same treatment for postdermabrasion hypertrophic and keloid scars.

Synovial sarcoma of the extremities and trunk: a long-lasting disease.

Synovial sarcoma (SS) of an extremity or trunk is relatively rare and is approached by limb sparing surgery (LSS), radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical and histopathological data of 73 patients with proven SS. At a median follow-up time of 6 years, local recurrence was seen in 17.

Melatonin reduces night blood pressure in patients with nocturnal hypertension.

Purpose: Nocturnal hypertension is associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality. A blunted nocturnal surge in melatonin excretion has been described in nondipping hypertensive patients. We therefore studied the potency of melatonin to reduce nighttime blood pressure (BP) in treated hypertensive patients with nocturnal hypertension.

Human decidua-associated protein 200 neutralizes the detrimental effect of serum containing antiphospholipid antibodies on fetal survival in the rat.

Problem: We wanted to examine whether the detrimental effect of serum containing antiphospholipid (APL) antibodies on rat pregnancy outcome can be neutralized by addition of human decidua-associated protein (hDP) 200, a kind of rheumatoid factor, extracted from decidual tissue.

Methods: Fifty microliters of pooled serum, obtained from women having anticardiolipin antibody and lupus anticoagulant and presenting with APL antibody syndrome, added with 100 microL of immunoaffinity purified hDP200 was injected into unilateral uterine horn of each rat on day L5 of rat pregnancy. The contralateral uterine horn was used for injection of 50 microL APL positive serum added with physiologic saline as a control.

Fallopian tube carcinoma presenting as tubo-ovarian abscess: a report of two cases with literature review.

Preoperative diagnosis of fallopian tube carcinoma is difficult, with fewer than 5% being diagnosed preoperatively. We describe tubal carcinoma, presenting as a tubo-ovarian abscess in two 47-year-old women. Both patients presented with abdominal pain, pelvic mass, and fever.

Sonographic versus clinical evaluation as predictors of residual trophoblastic tissue.

Background: The study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy of sonographic evaluation versus clinical estimation in women suspected to have retained trophoblastic fragments.

Methods: The study group consisted of 68 consecutive patients admitted to our department due to suspected residual trophoblastic tissue. Each woman underwent ultrasound and physical examination by expert clinicians.

Midline dorsal plication technique for penile curvature repair.

Purpose: Most penile curvature repair techniques involve excision of the tunica albuginea and mobilization of the neurovascular bundles. Recent neuroanatomical studies of the neurovascular bundles have demonstrated the distribution of nerve fibers and identified the 12 o'clock position as the only nerve-free position. We present the results of penile curvature repair with the midline dorsal penile plication technique.

Milrinone and nitric oxide: combined effect on pulmonary artery pressures after cardiopulmonary bypass in children.

Objective: To investigate the effect of milrinone combined with nitric oxide (NO) on the pulmonary artery pressures (PAP) after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), for repair of congenital heart defects (CHD) in children.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

Setting: University affiliated community hospital.

Conservative management of ectopic pregnancy with fetal cardiac activity by combined local (sonographically guided) and systemic injection of methotrexate.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of conservative management of ectopic pregnancy with fetal cardiac activity by combined local sonographically guided and systemic injection of methotrexate.

Study Design: The study group included 12 patients with ectopic pregnancy and fetal cardiac activity, treated by combined local and systemic injection of methotrexate in the period from January 1, 2000 to July 1, 2002. The outcome of these patients was compared with the outcome of 53 patients who had ectopic pregnancy without fetal cardiac activity and were being treated only by systemic injection of methotrexate during the same period of time.

Pathological findings in early-stage endometrial cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the pathological characteristics of early-stage endometrial cancer, with regard to endometrioid versus serous papillary adenocarcinoma.

Methods: Sixty-six cases of early-stage endometrial carcinoma were classified into two groups: group I--36 cases of endometrioid endometrial cancer, staged IA-IB and graded G1-G2; group II--30 cases of Stage I serous papillary endometrial cancer. The pathological characteristics compared between the two groups included features such as tumor location in the uterine cavity, tumor focality, lymphovascular invasion, as well as the status of the uninvolved endometrium, adjacent to the tumor.

The effect of high-frequency ventilation of the lungs on postbypass oxygenation: A comparison with other ventilation methods applied during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objective: To compare the effect of high-frequency ventilation versus other ventilation methods applied during cardiopulmonary bypass on postbypass oxygenation.

Design: Prospective, randomized study.

Setting: University hospital.

Access-port complications after laparoscopic gastric banding.

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to identify complications related to the access-port, after Lap-Band system placement by laparoscopy.

Methods: The records of 333 morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) were reviewed for the overall surgical complications. Data was further analyzed regarding the complications related to the access-port.