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Biomedical subjects

A C McCartney

Publications and source records attributed to A C McCartney.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Postenucleation orbital radiotherapy for the treatment of malignant melanoma of the choroid with extrascleral extension.

The outcome is reported in 17 patients in whom an eye was enucleated for malignant melanoma of the choroid with extrascleral extension and who subsequently underwent adjuvant external beam radiotherapy to the orbit as the primary treatment of the extraocular spread of their tumour. Extrascleral extension was encapsulated in five, non-encapsulated in two, and had been surgically transected at enucleation in 10 cases. All the patients have been followed up from enucleation to the present day. Orbital recurrence occurred in only one patient. The overall actuarial survival rate was 51% at 5 years, 44% at 10, and 33% at 15 years. A low orbital recurrence rate of 6% compares very favourably with published figures for this event after enucleation for melanoma with extrascleral extension but without radiotherapy. Adjuvant orbital radiotherapy may have a place in the treatment of selected cases of extracleral extension of intraocular malignant melanoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Refsum's disease: electron microscopy of an iris biopsy.

Refsum's disease (phytanic acid storage disease) results in an accumulation of lipid as a result of an absence of mitochondrial hydroxylation of phytanic acid. We describe a previously unrecorded electron microscopic study of lipid deposition in the iris pigment epithelium of a patient with Refsum's disease, and lipid was present in other sites within the iris.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Endophthalmitis caused by exogenous nocardial infection in a patient with Sjögren's syndrome.

A 60-year-old woman receiving prednisolone therapy for Sjögren's syndrome presented with corneal perforation. Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty was performed, but no causative organism was identified. Focal inflammatory infiltrates in both donor and host cornea and anterior uveitis developed postoperatively. Five months later the inflammation rapidly became much worse, with fulminating abscesses, and the eye was eviscerated because of severe endophthalmitis. Nocardia organisms were identified in the cornea, conjunctiva and vitreous by means of acridine orange and modified Ziehl-Neelsen stains. The infection produced both suppurative and granulomatous inflammation. Reexamination of the penetrating keratoplasty specimen with a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain revealed a few Nocardia organisms, which suggested that infection had occurred at the time of corneal perforation.

Chloramphenicol↗
PubMed1989

Infective endocarditis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae.

We report a series of five cases of infective endocarditis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus) in Glasgow over a 30 month period. There were three males and two females mean age 48.6 years (range 28-63 years). Only one patient had previous valvular heart disease. The infections were characterised by an acute presentation and an aggressive course with major arterial emboli. Despite early diagnosis and appropriate intravenous antibiotics three patients died, one after valve replacement and two before surgery could be undertaken. The remaining two patients had successful valve surgery and have recovered. S. agalactiae endocarditis is an uncommon but important condition which carries a high mortality. The infection is difficult to control with antibiotics alone and therefore early surgery may be indicated.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Limbal allergic granulomatosis.

Four limbal diseases characterised by granuloma formation as part of an allergic response are discussed. A series of histological specimens from patients with Wegener's granulomatosis were re-examined. Genuine granulomatous disease at the limbus is rare, only occurring in two patients, whilst secondary, more non-specific limbal active chronic inflammation was more common. Comparisons between this disease, Churg Strauss allergic angiitis, some varieties of Mooren's ulcer and allergic granulomatous nodules were made. The role of the mast cell in promoting this eosinophilic leucocytic mediated group of disease is discussed briefly.

Churg-Strauss Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

Anterior segment vascular casting.

Vascular corrosion casting provides a permanent three-dimensional record of the deeper vasculature of the anterior segment whereas fluorescein angiography allows clinical examination of superficial vessels. Morphological findings on scanning electron microscopy of vascular casts of the anterior segment in sheep are presented and compared with that of man by casting techniques. Sheep illustrate the basic mammalian anterior segment vascular architecture but lack anterior ciliary arteries which connect with the deeper collateral arterial circles. The casting technique is described and its use to answer comparative anatomical, pathological and clinical questions explained. These techniques are being applied to examine changes to the anterior ciliary arteries and the deeper vessels following strabismus surgery in an animal model. Scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts has given a new dimension to micro-vascular anatomy.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Delayed suprachoroidal haemorrhage after glaucoma operations.

Delayed suprachoroidal haemorrhage occurred in 13 eyes in a consecutive series of 432 cases undergoing trabeculectomy or anterior chamber (A/C) tube drainage operations. Aphakia and vitrectomy were associated with an increased risk of haemorrhage, whilst advanced age, myopia, systemic hypertension and high preoperative intraocular pressure were not. Haemorrhage occurred more often after A/C tube drainage operations than after trabeculectomy. An explanation for this may be that eyes requiring A/C tube drainage operations have had multiple previous operations including lens extraction and vitrectomy, have a higher pre-operative intraocular pressure and a greater fall in pressure after operation when compared to eyes undergoing trabeculectomy. Post-operative hypotony should be avoided in high-risk eyes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Orbital and ocular micro-vascular corrosion casting in man.

The methods of preparation and examination of complete orbital and ocular vascular casts, suitable for the study of anterior segment vasculature, are described from our experience of 20 casts. The use of low viscosity methylmethacrylate produced complete vascular filling with few artefacts when injected into isolated orbital preparations from human cadavers 36-48 hours post-mortem, despite suggestions by previous authors that injection should be within 12 hours. Using scanning electron microscopy, arteries and veins are clearly distinguishable by their endothelial nuclear impressions. The vascular anatomy of the anterior segment and of other sites including the optic nerve and choroid in man can therefore be elucidated with this method.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Choroidal malignant melanoma in an albino.

This is the first report of an amelanotic melanoma arising in the unpigmented choroid of a tyrosinase-positive oculocutaneous albino (TPOCA). Melanosomes within the tumour showed a maturation arrest in the unpigmented type II (premelanosome) phase. Other neural crest derived melanocytes in iris and choroid showed similar limited melanogenesis. The neuroectodermally derived melanocytes of the iris, ciliary body, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) contained mature melanosomes, though clinically the RPE was pale. The significance of this tumour arising in an albinotic eye is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Intrascleral neurilemmoma.

The case of an anteriorly situated, intrascleral, neurilemmoma in an 11-year-old girl is reported. Only two similar cases have been described in the literature, and the diagnosis was made only after detailed histological examination, including electron microscopy and specialised staining techniques, to differentiate a neurilemmoma (schwannoma) from a neurofibroma.

Child↗
PubMed1989

C-reactive protein: an evaluation of two rapid assay techniques.

Two rapid assay techniques, fluorescence polarimetry and liquid phase immunoprecipitation, were evaluated for measurement of serum C-reactive protein. Radial immunodiffusion assay was used as a reference method. Fluorescence polarimetry was superior to liquid phase immunoprecipitation in respect of performance, ease of operation and cost.

C-Reactive Protein↗
PubMed1989

The serum interleukin 6 response to elective surgery.

We have investigated changes in serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) in patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy. Serum IL-6 increased in all patients within 1.5 hour of incision, reaching a maximum between 1.5-4 hours after incision (median 50 U/ml; range 22-79 U/ml). The maximum serum IL-6 correlated with the length of the operation (r = 0.95). Serum C-reactive protein was not detectable until 8-12 hours post-incision, but maximum serum C-reactive protein did not correlate with maximum serum IL-6 concentration or length of operation. There was no consistent increase in plasma interleukin 1 or tumour necrosis factor following surgery. Serum IL-6 is an early marker of tissue damage and may be of value in the study of the metabolic response to injury.

C-Reactive Protein↗
PubMed1988

Emphysema in the Blotchy mouse: a morphometric study.

Inheritance of the Blotchy allele at the X-chromosomal Mottled locus of mice results in changes in the lung which resemble emphysema. Previous studies using measurements of mean linear intercept have recognized emphysema in the hemizygous, Blo/Y, male and homozygous, Blo/Blo, female, but not in the heterozygous, Blo/+, female. The aim of this study was to develop a rapid, accurate method for analysis of emphysema and to establish whether it would identify emphysema in the heterozygote. Lungs from wild type and outbred Blo mice were inflated with fixative at a pressure of 25 cm and then sectioned and stained. Transect lengths across air spaces were measured using computerized image analysis and the results were plotted as histograms. Data were also expressed as cumulative frequencies (ogives) and subjected to statistical analysis by the non-parametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Emphysema was shown by significantly increased (P less than 0.001) transect lengths in the Blo/Blo female and Blo/Y male compared with the wild type controls. The heterozygous Blo/+ mice form an intermediate group significantly different (P less than 0.001) from the wild and blotchy mice. The sensitivity of the method is illustrated by the fact that the Blo/+ female formed an intermediate group between wild type and the Blo/Y male and Blo/Blo female.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

How to deal with a hospital outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.

The outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Glasgow Royal Infirmary is discussed together with the problems such an outbreak poses to the microbiologist. The importance of early diagnosis is stressed. The outbreak was managed by a team drawn up from various disciplines within the hospital. Frank daily reports to the press, together with regular staff meetings with staff representatives helped to allay public anxiety. The subsequent maintenance and monitoring of the wet cooling tower required for the hospital ventilation system have resulted in considerable additional work for the microbiology department but especially for the hospital engineers.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1988

Forty years of retinoblastoma; into the fifth age.

Forty years of research into retinoblastoma has seen wide-ranging changes in our knowledge of the histogenesis of this childhood tumour and in the treatment of the disease. These changes, and some of the more recent developments in the molecular biology of this tumour are reviewed.

Child↗
PubMed1988

Comparison between posterior polymorphous dystrophy and congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy of the cornea.

Corneal discs from 10 cases of posterior polymorphous dystrophy (PPD) and 20 cases of congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED) were compared and contrasted using light and electron microscopy. Secondary epithelial changes were similar in both diseases but spheroidal degeneration of stroma was seen more commonly in dominant CHED and not at all in PPD, when band, calcific, keratopathy was commoner. Changes at the level of Descemet's membrane showing failure to regulate growth were seen in recessive CHED whereas dominant CHED and PPD were both associated with development of a fibrillary posterior collagen layer (PCL). Grotesquely banded PCL was also seen in some cases of PPD. Endothelial changes included vacuolation, development of microvilli and desmosomes in both diseases but multilayering was more common in PPD. The viscous layer of the cornea was seen by TEM in one case of PPD.

Adult↗