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Biomedical subjects

D L Kelly

Publications and source records attributed to D L Kelly.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Fixation of fractures of the lower cervical spine using methylmethacrylate and wire: technique and results in 99 patients.

Surgical stabilization of traumatic fracture-dislocations of the lower cervical spine with wire and methylmethacrylate remains a controversial procedure. Yet, the resultant immediate fixation with minimal patient morbidity seems to indicate that this method provides an ideal stabilization construct. We describe and report the outcome of a technique of posterior cervical fixation with methylmethacrylate and wire for stabilization of traumatic fractures of the lower cervical spine. Over a 12-year period, 124 fracture-dislocations of the lower cervical spine in 99 patients (mean age, 32 years; range, 15-76 years) were treated at this institution using a posterior methylmethacrylate and wire technique. Eighty-two patients had a posterior element fracture; 28 had a vertebral compression with posterior ligamentous injury; and 14 had a ligamentous injury alone. Thirty-six patients were neurologically intact upon admission, while the rest had radiculopathy or partial or complete myelopathy. Ninety-one patients were available for follow-up [mean, 18.6 months; range, 1-100 months (8.33 years)]. Eighty-eight patients (97%) had a stable fixation and 77 (85%) had resumed preoperative activity or were working but with a residual deficit. Complications included fixation failure requiring a second operation in 3 patients, nonlethal pulmonary embolism in 2 patients, lethal pulmonary embolism in 1 patient, and a superficial wound infection in 3 patients (none affected the underlying fixation construct). These results indicate that this technique is a safe, simple, and effective method for stabilizing the lower cervical spine that allows rapid patient mobility with minimal morbidity.

Adolescent↗

Sensitivity and specificity of electrocardiographic criteria for left and right ventricular hypertrophy in morbid obesity.

To determine the sensitivity and specificity of standard electrocardiographic criteria for left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy in morbid obesity, resting electrocardiograms and M-mode echocardiograms were obtained in 65 patients whose actual body weight was more than twice their ideal body weight and who were free from hypertension and organic heart disease not directly attributable to obesity. Electrocardiographic criteria for LV hypertrophy were tested using increased LV wall thickness, LV enlargement and increased LV mass (all determined echocardiographically) as diagnostic standards. Electrocardiographic criteria for RV hypertrophy were tested using echocardiographic RV enlargement or RV hypertrophy as a diagnostic standard. Sensitivity values for the electrocardiographic criteria for LV hypertrophy ranged from 0 to 13%, 0 to 20% and 0 to 12% using echocardiographic increased LV wall thickness, LV enlargement and increased LV mass, respectively, as diagnostic standards. Specificity values ranged from 73 to 100%, 87 to 100% and 83 to 100%, respectively, using these diagnostic standards. Sensitivity values for the electrocardiographic criteria for RV hypertrophy ranged from 0 to 16% and specificity values ranged from 95 to 100%. Combining electrocardiographic criteria within groups did not appreciably increase sensitivity and often decreased specificity to unacceptably low levels. The electrocardiogram is very limited in its ability to detect ventricular hypertrophy and chamber enlargement in morbidly obese patients.

Adult↗

Effect of increasing intraabdominal pressure and volume on left ventricular function in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

To determine the effect of increasing intraabdominal pressure on left ventricular (LV) systolic function in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), we studied 15 patients who had been on CAPD for at least 2 months. The study protocol included measurement of echocardiographic LV internal dimensions in diastole and systole, LV wall thickness and mass, LV ejection time, the mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (mean Vcf), heart rate, BP, and intraabdominal pressure. Measurements were obtained at baseline (OL) and following intraperitoneal infusion of 1-L increments of dialysate solution (up to 4 L) in both the recumbent and standing positions. Significant differences in LV systolic function resulting from intraperitoneal infusion of dialysate were confined to the subgroup with increased LV wall thickness (n = 8). In this subgroup, mean Vcf decreased progressively from 0.99 +/- 0.18 circumferences/second at baseline to 0.88 +/- 0.16 circumferences/second at 1 L (P = NS), to 0.86 +/- 0.16 circumferences/second at 2 L (P = NS), to 0.66 +/- 0.18 circumferences/second at 3 L (P less than 0.005), and to 0.60 +/- 0.14 circumferences/second at 4 L (P less than 0.005) in recumbent position. Measurements obtained in the standing position paralleled those observed during recumbency. These changes were accompanied by a significant decrease in the mean LV internal dimension in diastole and a significant increase in intraabdominal pressure, but no significant change in the mean LV internal dimensions in systole, mean heart rate, or mean systolic or diastolic BP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Abdomen↗

Cooperative neuro-otologic management of acoustic neuromas and other cerebellopontine angle tumors.

Over a recent 16-month period, 35 cerebellopontine angle tumors were removed at our institution by a surgical team consisting of one neurosurgeon and one otologist. Nineteen tumors were less than 2 cm in diameter and six were greater than 4 cm. There were 26 acoustic neuromas, six meningiomas, two epidermoid tumors, and a glossopharyngeal schwannoma. A suboccipital transmeatal approach was used in the majority of patients. There were no deaths. Thirty-two patients had an excellent outcome. Twenty-four patients had complete tumor removal (92% of the acoustic neuromas). The facial nerve was preserved anatomically in all but one patient, who had nerve grafting intraoperatively and has partial recovery of function. Thirteen of the 24 patients who had auditory function retained some of it postoperatively. With current diagnostic techniques, combined with the neurosurgical and otologic team approach, the majority of patients with acoustic tumors of all sizes may expect a complete resection of the tumor with a good outcome. Certainly, early diagnosis and resection of smaller tumors will increase the likelihood that hearing will be preserved, thus providing impetus for aggressive diagnostic and surgical treatment of patients with these lesions.

Adolescent↗

Diastematomyelia--a 40-year experience.

Diastematomyelia is a rare but potentially devastating spinal dysraphism classically characterized as a bony or fibrous spur separating two hemispinal cords. This study reviews our experience with diastematomyelia over a 40-year period from 1947 through 1987, and suggests that the neurologic and orthopedic deficits of diastematomyelia remain stable during extended follow-up after surgery.

Adolescent↗

Return of gonadal function with resection of nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma.

A 42-year-old man with severe testicular failure (testosterone 24 ng/dl, normal 300-1100) was found to have a nonfunctioning chromophobe pituitary adenoma. Resection of the pituitary tumor resulted in recovery of gonadal function (testosterone 359 ng/dl). Hypogonadism caused by pituitary adenomas is usually attributed to either hyperprolactinemia or irreversible destruction of normal pituitary tissue, neither of which is applicable to this patient. The recovery of our patient's gonadal function after operation suggests that a reversible compression of viable tissue or impairment of hypothalamic-pituitary communications was responsible for his endocrine deficiency.

Adenoma, Chromophobe↗

Relationship between flow cytometric features and clinical behavior of meningiomas.

Meningiomas have a wide range of biological potential and clinical behavior. Histological findings are helpful in recognizing the malignant potential of a given tumor, but often fail to correlate with gross features, liability of recurrence, and extent of associated cerebral edema. To find alternate approaches to improve the correlation between biological and clinical behavior, 20 meningiomas were studied by flow cytometry (FC), an assessment that has been applied to meningiomas previously. Such FC features as DNA index (DI) and proliferative index (PI, %G2 + %S) were correlated with size, location, brain invasion, associated edema, and recurrence. Tumors with severe edema had significantly higher PIs (19.5 +/- 4.1) than those with moderate (12.6 +/- 4.5) or minimal (8 +/- 0) edema (P less than 0.05). The PI was greater than 16 in those tumors that recurred (n = 3) or invaded the brain (n = 3). Six tumors were aneuploid (DI, 1.33 +/- 0.17; PI, 17.1 +/- 5.3). These were uniformly large when compared with the diploid tumors, which were more variable in size. All of the aneuploid tumors were associated with moderate to severe cerebral edema. Two partly psammomatous tumors with high PIs and foci of high cellularity suggesting recent growth were associated with severe edema. One of these exhibited brain invasion. These preliminary data indicate that FC may have a potential use in the clinical management of meningiomas.

Aged↗

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and severe cervical spondylotic myelopathy in a patient with a posterior fossa arachnoid cyst: diagnostic dilemma.

Distinguishing between cervical spondylotic myelopathy and ALS can be difficult, as illustrated by this report of a patient who had both disorders, as well as a relatively rare arachnoid cyst of the posterior fossa. Attempts to differentiate between ALS and cervical spondylotic myelopathy must persist until diagnosis of one (or both) of the disorders is made, since both the prognosis and treatment of the two are different. Careful neurologic examination with attention to clinical details, muscle biopsy in some patients, and routine EMG will usually lead to the proper diagnosis.

Aged↗

Correlation of admission fibrin degradation products with outcome and respiratory failure in patients with severe head injury.

It has been suggested that concentrations of fibrin degradation products (FDPs) after head injury reflect the extent of brain tissue destruction. In addition, elevated FDP concentrations have been associated with the development of the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Coagulation variables, including a FDP screen, were measured on the admission of 33 patients with severe closed head injury (Glasgow coma score 8 or less) to define the prognostic value of FDP concentrations. A Glasgow outcome score was assigned to each patient 6 months after injury, and those patients with higher FDP concentrations had poorer functional outcomes. This correlation of outcome with admission FDP concentration was statistically significant, as was the correlation between outcome and the admission Glasgow coma score. Of 22 patients with FDP concentrations of less than 64 micrograms/ml, only 1 developed early respiratory failure, whereas 9 of 11 patients with FDP concentrations of 64 micrograms/ml or more developed ARDS. These findings were not affected by the presence of multiple system trauma. FDP concentrations seem to have prognostic value similar to the Glasgow coma score and seem to identify those patients with head injury who are at high risk for ARDS.

Adult↗

Comparative cardiac effects of hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

To assess the comparative cardiac effects of hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), we performed M-mode echocardiography prior to and immediately following hemodialysis on 56 patients and during the dwell phase of CAPD on 39 patients. Hemodialysis produced a significant increase in the mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (VCF, an index of left ventricular systolic function) in patients with low VCF prior to dialysis, but resulted in no significant change in VCF in patients with normal predialysis VCF. Hemodialysis produced a significant increase in VCF in patients with a normal predialysis left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), but resulted in no significant change in VCF in patients with left ventricular dilatation prior to dialysis. Hemodialysis produced a significant decrease in mean LVEDVI and mean stroke index, but resulted in no significant change in mean cardiac index due to a reflex increase in heart rate. Mean LVEDVI, mean stroke index, and VCF values in patients on CAPD were not significantly different from those observed immediately following hemodialysis. Mean cardiac index and mean heart rate were significantly lower in CAPD patients than in posthemodialysis patients. Pericardial effusion was observed in 25% of hemodialysis patients and 5% of CAPD patients (p less than 0.05). We conclude (1) the effects of hemodialysis on left ventricular performance are variable and depend in part on predialysis left ventricular volume and left ventricular systolic function, (2) except for a lower cardiac index, left ventricular hemodynamics for CAPD patients resemble those of posthemodialysis patients, and (3) pericardial effusion occurs with significantly higher frequency in patients on hemodialysis than in those on CAPD.

Cardiac Output↗

Observer variation in the echocardiographic diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse.

To assess inter- and intraobserver variation in the echocardiographic diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse, three independent observers analyzed M-mode echocardiograms (n = 80) and two-dimensional echocardiograms (n = 65) of patients with a mobile midsystolic click with or without a late or holosystolic murmur. In addition, a control group of 100 normal echocardiograms were interspersed among the echocardiograms of patients with mitral valve prolapse and were then interpreted. Each of the three observers analyzed all M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiograms initially and then 2 weeks later for the presence or absence of mitral valve prolapse. M-mode echocardiographic criteria for mitral valve prolapse consisted of late systolic posterior motion (greater than or equal to 3 mm) of one or both mitral leaflets or holosystolic hammocking (greater than or equal to 3 mm) of one or both mitral leaflets. Two-dimensional echocardiographic criteria for mitral valve prolapse consisted of: posterior systolic arching of one or both mitral leaflets in the parasternal long-axis view, and/or posterior systolic bowing of one or both mitral leaflets in the apical four-chamber view posterior to the plane of the mitral anulus, and/or excessive posterior coaptation of the mitral leaflets in either view flush with or posterior to the plane of the mitral anulus. There was insignificant observer variation both in the M-mode and two-dimensional echo groups, as determined using Cochran's Q test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Superior sagittal sinus air after penetrating craniocerebral trauma.

Intracranial air secondary to craniocerebral trauma is not uncommon. Computed tomography scanning may show the air within specific intracranial compartments. We report a case of air within the superior sagittal sinus visualized with computed tomography and documented at operation.

Adult↗

A new skeletal dysplasia: clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings.

Two siblings, one male and one female, were noted to have a distinct skeletal dysplasia. The clinical and radiographic features resemble those observed in Kniest dysplasia and Rolland-Desbuquois syndrome, but important differences were noted. Specifically, these two patients have microstomia, "pursed" lips, and ectopia lentis, and their radiographs reveal no coronal clefts. Chondro-osseous features also differ from those observed in either of the other disorders. Scattered dense patches consisting of collagen fibers 10 to 30 times broader than normal are seen scattered throughout the cartilage matrix; the "Swiss cheese" appearance characteristic of Kniest dysplasia is not observed. These patients appear to have a new skeletal dysplasia, most likely inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion.

Bone Diseases, Developmental↗

Gram-negative bacillary meningitis in the adult: review of 39 cases.

From 1976 through 1984, the period covered in this report, we reviewed our total experience with gram-negative meningitis in adult patients, looking especially at how treatment and mortality had changed. Thirty-nine adults had 45 episodes of gram-negative meningitis. Twenty-five patients had had a dura-arachnoid disruption, 12 a septic episode, and two a bacterial mastoiditis. The overall mortality was 35.9%. Thirteen patients were treated with a full course of intrathecal antibiotics (five or more days) and eight patients with an abbreviated course (one or two doses). The use of chloramphenicol was associated with poor patient outcome, a finding consistent with both experimental and clinical findings of others.

Adult↗

Subgaleal hematoma in a child, without skull fracture.

The rare cases of subgaleal hematoma in childhood reported previously have all been related to head trauma. A case of apparently spontaneous subgaleal hematoma is reported which was associated with a qualitative platelet defect and not with trauma. Subgaleal hematoma must be differentiated from subgaleal infection and air from frontal sinusitis with bony erosion, and from an encephalocele or tumor erosion through the skull. Computed cranial tomography is useful in that differentiation. Most cases have been managed conservatively, but subgaleal tap may be indicated if there is severe headache or potential scalp necrosis.

Blood Platelet Disorders↗