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Biomedical subjects

A Blum

Publications and source records attributed to A Blum.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Budesonide in the treatment of collagenous colitis.

Collagenous colitis is characterized by watery diarrhea and inflammatory infiltration associated with a subepithelial collagen deposit on colonic biopsies despite a normal or subnormal endoscopic appearance. We here describe 5 patients treated with the locally active steroid budesonide. Complete and partial response was observed in 3 and 2 patients, respectively. Budesonide thus seems to be of therapeutic benefit in collagenous colitis. Prospective randomized long-term studies are needed to support this hypothesis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemiology of cutaneous melanoma in Germany and worldwide.

Rising incidence rates of cutaneous melanoma have been observed during the last three decades. At the beginning of the 1970s 3 cases and in the 1990s 9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and year were reported by the Saarland Cancer Registry in Germany. Other incidence studies from Germany in the 1990s even reported 10-12 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and year, which is more likely to be the representative melanoma incidence in Western Germany. In a worldwide comparison this is a medium incidence rate as compared to clearly higher incidence rates in the United States (10-20 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and year) and in Australia (40-60 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and year). In Europe the highest incidence rates have been reported from Scandinavia (about 15 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and year) and the lowest from the Mediterranean countries (about 5-7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and year). Mortality rates likewise increased in Germany between 1970 and 1995 in males from 1.7 to 3.2 cases and in females from 1.6 to 2.0 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and year. In the 1990s, in Germany and in many other countries a leveling off of mortality rates was observed. 48,928 melanoma patients have been recorded by the Central Malignant Melanoma Registry from the German-speaking countries in the time period from 1983 to September 2000, and clinico-epidemiological analysis of cutaneous melanoma is based on this data material. While 2/3 of all melanoma patients in Germany were females in the 1970s, there is now a more balanced gender distribution with more than 45% of patients being males. Age distribution does not significantly change during the last three decades. Most melanomas are diagnosed in the age group between 50 and 60 years, 22% of all melanomas are diagnosed before the 40th year of age. A clear decrease of Breslow's tumor thickness was found from the beginning of the 1980s to the mid-1990s with the median thickness decreasing from 1.3 to 0.8 mm. Lower Breslow's tumor thickness at first diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma has only been reported from Australia. This development indicates improved early recognition of cutaneous melanoma which is presently the main factor for a more favorable prognosis.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in dermatology: an overview and an evaluation.

Certain skin disorders are affected by alcohol abuse. Maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy also gives rise to a typical malformation pattern in the child with a varying degree of severity (grade I-III). The diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is based on the detailed history of the maternal alcohol consumption in combination with the clinical, morphological, intellectual and psychosocial development of the child. The behavior of the child is also of diagnostic value. The grade of severity of the FAS can be determined during the first three years of life on the basis of a scoring system. In addition to medical care and surgical treatment of associated disorders, early support for the mental development of the child is of immense importance. Furthermore, the medical, social and psychological care of the mother must be considered. In the field of dermatology, knowledge about the pathomechanism of FAS is also important for its prevention in unborn children. Women of childbearing age presenting with dermatological signs of possible alcohol abuse, should alert the dermatologist to the possible risk to the child of FAS. Familiarity with FAS and the ability to recognise its clinical features are important for the adequate treatment and support of the affected child and for the mother suffering from alcohol disease, in cooperation with other treating doctors.

Alcoholism↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Echo-planar functional MR imaging of epilepsy with concurrent EEG monitoring.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The role of functional MR (fMR) imaging in the evaluation of patients with epilepsy has not been systematically studied. Our purpose was to identify the fMR correlates of interictal epileptiform discharges. METHODS: Twenty patients with epilepsy and frequent interictal discharges were studied with concurrent EEG monitoring on a 1.5-T echo-planar magnet to acquire blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) images in the baseline (OFF) and immediate post-discharge (ON) states. Analysis was performed using subtraction of average ON and OFF data (method I); cross-correlation analysis between the ON and OFF states (method II); and individual spike analysis (ISA), with which signal intensity in the individual ON states was statistically analyzed using a weighted comparison with the mean and variance of the OFF states (method III). Agreement of fMR activation with EEG localization was determined. RESULTS: Eighteen of 20 patients had interictal discharges during the monitoring period. Method I yielded visually detectable sites of BOLD signal differences in only one patient. Method II resulted in two patients with sites of BOLD activation. Method III, ISA, resulted in regions of increased BOLD signal corresponding to the EEG focus in nine of 10 patients. CONCLUSION: fMR studies can often reveal sites of increased BOLD signal that correspond to sites of interictal EEG discharge activity. Because of variable intensity changes associated with discharge activity, ISA resulted in increased sensitivity.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Volumic and multislice CT: principles, applications and future prospects].

The introduction of new array detector technology for multislice CT improves CT-scan capabilities. This technique offers significant advantages including improved temporal and spatial resolutions, retrospective determination of slice thickness, shorter acquisition time, and contrast media saving. The most recent improvements lead to high quality cardiac and vascular examinations. The main principles of this technique are explained and its diagnostic as well as its economic impacts are discussed.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗