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Biomedical subjects

C S Ho

Publications and source records attributed to C S Ho.

178 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Percutaneous ethanol injection of unresectable medium-to-large-sized hepatomas using a multipronged needle: efficacy and safety.

Fine needles with an end hole or multiple side holes have traditionally been used for percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) of hepatomas. This study retrospectively evaluates the safety and efficacy of PEI of unresectable medium-to-large (3.5-9 cm) hepatomas using a multipronged needle and with conscious sedation. Twelve patients, eight men and four women (age 51-77 years; mean: 69) received PEI for hepatomas, mostly subcapsular or exophytic in location with average tumor size of 5.6 cm (range: 3.5-9.0 cm). Patients were consciously sedated and an 18G retractable multipronged needle (Quadrafuse needle; Rex Medical, Philadelphia, PA) was used for injection under real-time ultrasound guidance. By varying the length of the prongs and rotating the needle, the alcohol was widely distributed within the tumor. The progress of ablation was monitored by contrast-enhanced ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after each weekly injection and within a month after the final (third) injection and 3 months thereafter. An average total of 63 mL (range: 20-154 ml) of alcohol was injected per patient in an average of 2.3 sessions. Contrast-enhanced CT, ultrasound, or MRI was used to determine the degree of necrosis. Complete necrosis was noted in eight patients (67%), near-complete necrosis (90-99%) in two (16.7%), and partial success (50-89%) in two (16.7%). Follow-up in the first 9 months showed local recurrence in two patients and new lesions in another. There was no mortality. One patient developed renal failure, liver failure, and localized perforation of the stomach. He responded to medical treatment and surgery was not required for the perforation. One patient had severe postprocedural abdominal pain and fever, and another had transient hyperbilirubinemia; both recovered with conservative treatment. PEI with a multipronged needle is a new, safe, and efficacious method in treating medium-to-large-sized hepatocellular carcinoma under conscious sedation. Its survival benefits require further investigations.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nonvascular stents.

Stents or endoprostheses have evolved since their introduction. Initially used only in the vascular system, the use of stents has expanded to use in the biliary, urinary, and gastrointestinal tracts and in the tracheo-bronchial tree. Current use of stents includes treatment of both benign and malignant conditions, with the greatest impact in the palliation of malignant strictures. The biomechanics and types of stents used in each region is reviewed. The indications, insertion techniques, results, and complications of stents in each of the aforementioned regions are also reviewed.

Biliary Tract Diseases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Respiratory symptoms and lung function in jute processing workers: a primary investigation.

This paper presents the results of an investigation of respiratory symptoms and lung function of 404 workers who had been exposed to jute dust in a jute mill. Measurement of total dust concentration and analysis of dust composition were also conducted. Most workers in the jute mill were exposed to jute dusts containing less than 5% silica, whereas a few workers were exposed to dusts containing approximately 10-15% silica. Male smokers and nonsmokers in the dust-exposed group had a higher prevalence of cough and chest tightness compared with those in the control group. Among dust-exposed workers, female nonsmokers had a significantly higher prevalence of cough, chronic bronchitis, chest tightness, and dyspnea than those in the control group. Lung function tests showed that dust-exposed workers had a greater incidence of abnormal lung function than did control workers, as measured by percentage of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1.0), and FEV1.0/FVC. Dust exposure was the main cause of respiratory symptoms and abnormal values of FEV1.0, but both cigarette smoking and dust exposure contributed to the abnormal values reported for FEV1.0.

Dust↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gastric cytoprotection by amoxycillin in the rat.

Amoxycillin in combination with anti-ulcer agents has been shown to prolong duodenal ulcer remission. While this effect can be related to the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, it is not known if amoxycillin might possess cytoprotective properties. Protection against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage by intragastric instillation of amoxycillin suspension (prepared from capsule form) and solution (from injection form, 100% pure amoxycillin), and by intraperitoneal injection of amoxycillin solution was studied using an ex vivo gastric chamber in the rat. Intragastric and intraperitoneal administration of amoxycillin dose-dependently protected the rat gastric mucosa from damage by absolute ethanol. This protection was lost when the rats were pretreated with indomethacin. Gastric mucosal blood flow as measured by laser Doppler flowmetry and gastric acid output were unaffected by amoxycillin. Amoxycillin imparts gastric cytoprotection, and one possible mechanism is by the release of prostaglandins.

Amoxicillin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Physiological knock-knee in preschool children: prevalence, correlating factors, gait analysis, and clinical significance.

Physiological knock-knee (PKK) was categorized by measuring intermalleolar distance (IMD), a clinically simple method, to evaluate the prevalence and correlating factors in 305 preschool children. The prevalence in this cross-sectional study was relatively high, and it was age related (p = 0.002; 64, 44, and 34% for ages 3-4, 4-5, and 5-6 years, respectively). The following factors were correlated with PKK: use of walking chair early (p = 0.0001), independently walked late (p = 0.0005), dependently walked longer (p = 0.0001), concurrence with flatfoot (p = 0.001), and angular deformity (toe in/out, p = 0.03). Gait analysis, with spatiotemporal, kinematics, and kinetics parameters, was performed to evaluate the ambulatory significance. Preschool children with PKK have a shorter stride length (p = 0.02) and a slower walking speed (p = 0.004). Dynamic hyperextension of the knee is noted for 8 degrees during the whole gait cycle (p < 0.05). We conclude that PKK is a variable that should be considered in the development of mature gait for preschool children.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tuberous sclerosis with visceral organ involvement.

This study is to determine the incidence of visceral organ involvement in tuberous sclerosis (TS). We reviewed 30 cases of TS diagnosed between 1987 to 1997. There were 17 males and 13 females, ages ranged from one day old to 17 years old. Among the 30 cases, 25 patients had seizures and skin manifestations; 24 had cerebral tubercles; 10 had heart involvement (9 rhabdomyoma, 1 dilated cardiomyopathy); 4 had kidney involvement (3 polycystic kidney disease, 1 renal hamartoma); and 3 had retinal astrocytic hamartoma. Based on our study, the most common visceral organs involved were the heart and kidney. Among the ten patients with cardiac rhabdomyoma, six were less than 1 year old (mean age 1.6 +/- 2.2 years old). One newborn presented with a cardiac mass diagnosed by prenatal sonography and another newborn, noted to have tachycardia after birth, underwent surgical intervention due to impending heart failure. Four patients had kidney abnormalities; three were less than 5 years old (mean age 5.2 +/- 5.2 years). During this 10 year period, there was no mortality seen among patients with visceral organ involvement. We suggest that clinicians treating patients with TS should not overlook the visceral organs, especially heart and kidney, which, if involved can have significant morbidity.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Excitatory and inhibitory amino acid levels in the cerebrospinal fluids of children with neurological disorders.

Measurement of amino acid levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of children with various neurological disorders was performed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Glutamate increased in patients with bacterial meningitis, aseptic meningitis and encephalitis. Aspartate increased in bacterial meningitis and seizure disorders. Glycine increased in both bacterial and aseptic meningitis. Taurine increased in bacterial meningitis and encephalitis. GABA, the main inhibitory amino acid, increased in encephalitis. Excitatory and inhibitory amino acids are richly distributed in brain tissue and are related to neuron activity. Changes in amino acid levels in the CSF may reflect the pathologic state and severity of brain insults, and may be useful in monitoring disease processes. Further study is necessary to determine whether CSF aminos acid levels have a role in practical clinical application.

Amino Acids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical observation and neurological outcomes in "Alice in Wonderland" syndrome.

Ten patients, aged from 3 to 10 years, who had either had attacks of perception errors of body schema and objects or had visual hallucination were enrolled from 1987 to 1990. Seven were boys and three, girls. The metamorphopsia or visual hallucination that has been named the "Alice in Wonderland syndrome" (AIWS) were the leading presentations. All the patients had preceding episodes of upper respiratory tract infection (URI) from two days to four weeks previously except for one who had had chickenpox within the immediate three days of being seen. Among these patients, six had received serological studies for Epstein-Barr (EB) virus infection. Two patients were indeed victims of acute EB virus infection as documented by positive IgM antibody against EB virus capsid antigen, the other three patients were highly suspected of having had recent EB virus infection as suggested by positive Heterophil antibody test and high IgG antibody titer against EB virus capsid antigen (1:320X). The duration of perception disorder ranged from four days to three months. All cases recovered completely, without sequelae. It is emphasized that any young children who present as acute episodes of AIWS should undergo examination for EB virus infection. The neurological outcome of AIWS seems to be good.

Brain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of the pancreas. Cytodiagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma.

Percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsies were performed on thirty-four patients with clinical suspicion of pancreatic carcinoma. The biopsies were positive in twenty-four of twenty-six patients with proven pancreatic carcinoma and there were no false positive results in this series. The various cytologic appearances of different kinds of cellular components and cytologic features of the pancreatic carcinoma observed in the aspiration biopsy were presented and illustrated. The punctures and aspirations of these thirty-four biopsies did not reveal any immediate complication with one exception of exacerbation of pancreatitis. Percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of the pancreas under the guidance of ERCP or angiography is a reliable diagnostic method for pancreatic carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the liver. Cytodiagnosis of hepatic cancer.

Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsies of the liver were performed on 21 patients with a clinical suggestion of hepatic malignancy. Under the guidance of the liver scan, several aspirations at the suspect areas were made in each case, with an average of 3.4 punctures and 13.8 smears per case. The biopsies were positive in 13 cases: 12 metastatic carcinomas and 1 hepatocellular carcinoma. There were no false-positive or false-negative results in this series. On the 13 patients with proven hepatic malignancy, 47 punctures had been performed. Of these 47 punctures, 34 (72.3%) were positive for malignant cells. Neoplastic tissue or cells were found from at least one aspirate in these 13 biopsies. Liver biopsies by Menghini technique were also performed on five patients with proven hepatic malignancy in this series. Of these five biopsies, only two showed evidence of malignancy. Typing of the tumors and determination of the primary sites based on cytomorphologic features in all the malignant cases were attempted. Origins of neoplastic cells were suggested in 11 cases and all confirmed in the follow-ups. The punctures and aspirations of these 21 biopsies did not reveal any immediate complication. Multiple fine-needle liver aspirations under the guidance of liver scan are of great diagnostic value with high accuracy in detecting hepatic malignancy.

Adenocarcinoma↗