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Biomedical subjects

C T Wu

Publications and source records attributed to C T Wu.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Nonspinal tuberculous osteomyelitis in children.

Tuberculous osteomyelitis is uncommon in children but its incidence seems to have increased in our hospital recently. From April 1984 to December 1994, we treated 12 children with this problem. Three cases were diagnosed in the first 7 years and nine cases in the latter 4 years. Primary spinal lesion was excluded. There were seven boys and five girls, with an average age of 2.4 years (range 1-4.5). Anatomic sites of involvement were distal femur in three patients, proximal tibia in three, foot in three, proximal femur in one, proximal humerus in one, proximal radius in one, distal radius in one, and rib in one. Except for one case of hip lesion, the most common symptom was localized swelling. Delay in diagnosis was 6.6 months on average. The diagnosis was confirmed bacteriologically or histologically in all patients after surgical debridement and curettage. Anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs were administered for 6 months postoperatively. All patients were followed-up for an average of 3.8 years (range 2-8) with satisfactory healing of their tuberculous lesions. Two cases were complicated with physeal bar formation. One patient had residual flexion contracture of the knee. Although the mortality from TB has decreased in Taiwan, the frequently reported late cases of TB deserve attention. Physicians should be aware that TB remains an important cause of bone lesions. These lesions can be healed by combined therapy with surgical debridement and anti-TB medication for 6 months.

Age of Onset↗

Halothane requirement--a comparison between laryngeal mask airway insertion and endotracheal tube intubation in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: The present study was to determine the effective concentration of halothane for insertion of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and for intubation of endotracheal tube (ETT) in pediatric patients. METHODS: Forty-eight ASA class 1 patients, aged from 10 months to 6 years, scheduled for minor elective surgery were randomly assigned to two groups i.e., LMA and ETT. The concentration of halothane effective in fifty percent of patients (EC50) was determined by the up-and-down method (with 0.5% as a step size). After the predetermined concentration of halothane delivered from a calibrated vaporizer was established and maintained for 20 min, LMA insertion or ETT intubation was attempted without the patient being curarized. The response of patient to LMA or ETT was reported either as "movement" or "non-movement". The effective concentration and associated 95% confidence limits were determined in each group. RESULTS: An effective concentration of halothane for LMA insertion was 1.5 +/- 0.4% (95% confidence limits 1.4-1.7%), whereas that for ETT intubation was 2.3 +/- 0.5% (95% confidence limits 2.1-2.5%). The difference between these two values was statistically significant (p < 0.01). Airway reflexes after LMA insertion were minimal. CONCLUSIONS: The insertion of LMA could be performed at a significantly less halothane concentration in comparison with ETT intubation in children.

Anesthetics, Inhalation↗

Postirradiation laryngeal osteosarcoma: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Laryngeal sarcoma is a rare disease entity. In review of the literature, chondrosarcoma is the most common sarcoma, followed by fibrosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is very rare; there are only seven cases reported in the literature. Postirradiation sarcoma is a late complication of radiotherapy. Osteosarcoma is the most common type in this group. The larynx is often involved in the radiation field of treatment for head and neck malignancies. However, postirradiation laryngeal osteosarcoma has not yet been reported. METHODS: We present a 56-year-old man who under went radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma 32 years ago and later developed a laryngeal osteosarcoma. RESULTS: The patient underwent total laryngectomy but died 1 year and 9 months later with locally extensive disease. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first case of postirradiation laryngeal osteosarcoma. In addition to surgical treatment, adjunctive therapies should be considered for this group of patients.

Fatal Outcome↗

Early seizures after severe closed head injury.

BACKGROUND: We studied the incidence and clinical significance of early post-traumatic seizures after severe closed head injury. METHODS: This prospective study is based on clinical observation of 3340 adult patients with severe closed head injuries, each of them having a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 3 to 8 after trauma. Anticonvulsant agents were not given to these patients unless there was evidence of seizure. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-one patients (3.6%) experienced seizures within 1 week after head injury; 42 of these (1.26% of the series) had seizures within 24 hours after trauma. The incidence of intracerebral parenchymal damage was found to be higher among those patients who developed seizures in the first week (66.1%) than in those who did not (62.7%). However this result did not reach statistical significance. The patients with early seizures had a lower mortality rate (p < 0.01). In patients who survived from the initial injury, the occurrence of early post-traumatic seizures did not appear to influence the neurological recovery at 6 months after injury. CONCLUSION: Presence of intracerebral parenchymal damage on CT scan after severe closed head injury does not increase the risk of early post-traumatic seizures. With proper treatment, patients presenting with early seizures may have a lower mortality rate. However, the occurrence of early seizures does not influence the neurological recovery in patients who survive the initial severe closed head injury.

Adolescent↗

Neonatal tuberous sclerosis with cardiac rhabdomyomas presenting as fetal supraventricular tachycardia.

A case of fetal tuberous sclerosis with multiple intracardiac rhabdomyomas exhibited persistent supraventricular tachycardia. The tachycardia was terminated by the use of cardiac version. The largest tumor almost occluded the right ventricular inlet portion. The obstruction was relieved after surgical removal of the largest tumor. No arrhythmia was noted after 3 months of follow-up.

Adult↗

The lost endotracheal tube--a rare complication of accidental esophageal intubation.

Endotracheal intubation is a discreet skill for the management of compromised airway. Various complications associated with this procedure have been described. Here, we would like to present a pediatric patient suffering from cerebellar atrophy, who was intubated in a local clinic due to seizure with cyanosis and loss of consciousness. Unfortunately, due to inadvertent esophageal intubation and bad management, the patient swallowed the endotracheal tube together with two detached loose teeth. This irrational and iatrogenic medical misconduct as exemplified in this accident calls forth the need of educating and disciplining the nonanesthetic physicians for acute management of airway, particularly of those who would likely come across difficult airway problems.

Child, Preschool↗

Brachial plexus injury during surgery--report of two cases.

Brachial plexus is the most commonly injured peripheral nerve by malposition during operation. We present two cases of transient brachial palsy after surgery under general anesthesia. Symptoms of the first case persisted about 60 min. Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) revealed no abnormal finding three days later. In the second case, axonal neuropathy was found at left axillary and suprascapular nerves by EMG and NCV three weeks later. Symptoms persisted for three months and had complete remission after conservative treatment.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Macrodactyly of the feet and hands.

We reviewed the records of 16 patients with true macrodactyly and analyzed the typical clinical features and methods of treatment. Fourteen feet were involved in 13 patients (one was bilaterally affected). Three hands were involved in three patients. Clinically, all lesions in the hands and lesions in 11 of 14 feet involved the preaxial side. There was multiple digit involvement in two hands and 11 feet. Progressive macrodactyly (10 feet and two hands) was more common than the static type (four feet and one hand). Proximal involvement of the sole or palm occurred in seven feet and one hand; all cases were of progressive macrodactyly. Enlargement of the metatarsals or the metacarpals was frequent (11 feet and two hands). The growth behavior and extent of bony involvement were similar in patients with hand involvement and those with foot involvement. Fourteen patients had additional clinodactyly, either medial or lateral. The toes of eight feet had angular deformities in the sagittal plane; most were angulated dorsally. Nine patients underwent surgery and two had repeated surgery. The reduction procedures included debulking, ray resection, toe resection, phalangeal resection, and phalangeal epiphysiodesis; the corrective procedures included wedge osteotomy, interdigitalization, and split thickness skin graft. Of the nine patients surgically treated, five had good results and four had fair results. Of the seven patients without surgical repair, three had fair results and four had poor results. Surgical debulking, phalangeal resection, ray resection, and phalangeal epiphysiodesis produced significant improvement in macrodactyly of the feet and hands. Toe resection was not as beneficial.

Adolescent↗

[In vitro stimulation of HTC hepatoma cell growth by recombinant human augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR)].

It was demonstrated that biologically active ALR could be expressed from its cDNA in transient expression experiments in cos-7 cells. The results showed that the cytosolic fraction from the transfected cells with constructed plasmids DNA stimulated of DNA synthesis of in vitro HTC cells in a dose dependent manner. This finding suggests that the HTC hepatoma cell line may be used as a target for bioassay of human ALR in vitro.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

[Increase in the level of augmenter of liver regeneration mRNA in the rat regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy].

Augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) is a novel hepatic stimulator. After 70% of the rat liver was removed, ALR-like activity in the remnant liver began to increase within 24 h. In parallel with the activity, the ALR mRNA level in the remnant liver increased 12 h after the operation and reached a maximum in 24 h. These findings indicate that the liver itself produces ALR, which may be a hepatotropic factor acting as a trigger for liver regeneration.

Animals↗

Making the framework try-in, altered-cast impression, and occlusal registration in one appointment.

Making a bilateral distal extension removable partial denture usually requires multiple appointments for metal-framework try-in, altered cast impression, and occlusal registration. This article describes an altered cast impression procedure that uses the prefabricated impression trays and record base for obtaining the jaw relation record. This method allows the framework try-in, altered cast impression, and jaw relation record to be efficiently completed in a single appointment.

Dental Impression Technique↗

Case report: agenesis of the right lung diagnosed by three-dimensional reconstruction of helical chest CT.

Unilateral pulmonary agenesis is extremely rare and the diagnosis can be made by a number of conventional methods. We report two cases: a 16-day-old girl and a 14-year-old girl presenting with tachypnoea in whom three-dimensional reconstruction of helical chest computed tomography was used to demonstrate the complete absence of the carina, right main bronchus and right lung. To our knowledge, these are the first cases of right lung agenesis diagnosed by this method.

Adolescent↗

Hemosuccus pancreaticus from a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm: an unusual cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Hemorrhage through the pancreatic duct into the duodenum, so called "hemosuccus pancreaticus", is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding with diagnostic difficulties. We report a 60-year-old man with recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to rupture of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm into the pancreatic duct. Initial upper gastrointestinal endoscopy failed to identify the site of the hemorrhage. Abdominal computed tomography disclosed a cystic mass containing a well-enhanced spherical area at the pancreatic tail. Arterial blood flow was demonstrated in the lesion by Doppler ultrasound. Celiac angiography demonstrated a saccular pseudoaneurysm arising from the splenic artery. Bleeding from the ampulla of Vater located in a big duodenal diverticulum was found on repeat endoscopy. Surgical resection of the pseudoaneurysm with distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy was successfully performed. The patient remained symptom-free 5 months after the operation. Hemosuccus pancreaticus, although rare, remains important in the differential diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin.

Aneurysm, False↗

A genetic analysis of the Suppressor 2 of zeste complex of Drosophila melanogaster.

The zeste1 (z1) mutation of Drosophila melanogaster produces a mutant yellow eye color instead of the wild-type red. Genetic and molecular data suggest that z1 achieves this change by altering expression of the wild-type white gene in a manner that exhibits transvection effects. There exist suppressor and enhancer mutations that modify the z1 eye color, and this paper summarizes our studies of those belonging to the Suppressor 2 of zeste complex [Su(z)2-C]. The Su(z)2-C consists of at least three subregions called Psc (Posterior sex combs), Su(z)2 and Su(z)2D (Distal). The products of these subregions are proposed to act at the level of chromatin. Complementation analyses predict that the products are functionally similar and interacting. The alleles of Psc define two overlapping phenotypic classes, the hopeful and hapless. The distinctions between these two classes and the intragenic complementation seen among some of the Psc alleles are consistent with a multidomain structure for the product of Psc. Psc is a member of the homeotic Polycomb group of genes. A general discussion of the Polycomb and trithorax group of genes, position-effect variegation, transvection, chromosome pairing and chromatin structure is presented.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Do immunosuppressants cause posttransplant diabetes mellitus?

BACKGROUND: Posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) was originally described by Starzl in 1964. The incidence is around 3-46%, according to several reports. Etiologies and risk factors of PTDM have been discussed after it was described and recognized as a complication of renal transplantation. METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive renal transplants in 24 recipients were reviewed, and 3 cases of posttransplant diabetes mellitus were found. Cyclosporine A (CsA), Azathioprine (Aza) dose and maintenance dose of Prednisolone (Pred.), rejection episodes, total dosage of steroid used at the time of acute rejection were carefully recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of 3 living-related and 22 cadaveric transplant recipients was 32.7 +/- 7.5 and 33.5 +/- 6.8 years in PTDM and non-PTDM patients, and the onset of PTDM was, on the average, 11.3 +/- 10.6 months. Comparative studies between non-PTDM and PTDM groups showed that age, rejection episodes, total dose of methylprednisolone used in acute rejection, CsA level, and dosage of CsA, Aza and prednisolone at 1,6,12 and 24 months were not significantly different from one another. CONCLUSIONS: No significant risk factors or definitive mechanism involved in the development of PTDM were identified in this study. It is suggested that immunosuppressants are involved in the occurrence of PTDM, and probably neither a single factor is responsible nor is dose dependency involved.

Adult↗