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Biomedical subjects

F Dressler

Publications and source records attributed to F Dressler.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Western blotting in the serodiagnosis of Lyme disease.

There are currently no accepted criteria for positive Western blots in Lyme disease. In a retrospective analysis of 225 case and control subjects, the best discriminatory ability of test criteria was obtained by requiring at least 2 of the 8 most common IgM bands in early disease (18, 21, 28, 37, 41, 45, 58, and 93 kDa) and by requiring at least 5 of the 10 most frequent IgG bands after the first weeks of infection (18, 21, 28, 30, 39, 41, 45, 58, 66, and 93 kDa). When these definitions were tested in a prospective study of all 237 patients seen in a diagnostic Lyme disease clinic during a 1-year period and in 74 patients with erythema migrans or summer flu-like illnesses, the IgM blot in early disease had a sensitivity of 32% and a specificity of 100%; the IgG blot after the first weeks of infection had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 95%. Among patients with indeterminate IgG responses by ELISA, 6 of 9 patients with active Lyme disease had positive blots compared with 2 of 34 patients with other illnesses (P < .001). Thus, Western blotting can be used to increase the specificity of serologic testing in Lyme disease.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1993

Infectious diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system in children and adolescents.

Many infectious organisms can lead to musculoskeletal symptoms in children. This article reviews recent studies on rheumatic fever, invasive group A streptococcal infections, septic infections of bones and soft tissues, reactive arthritides caused by viruses, fungi or bacteria, and Lyme disease. The search for etiologic organisms in chronic arthritis continues. Although Koch's postulates are not fulfilled in most cases of infectious arthropathies, progress has been made in diagnosing and treating these diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Endoscopic appendectomy in gynecology and obstetrics].

From 1987 to 1990, 99 patients were treated for appendicitis. 67 patients were treated by endoscopic appendectomy, 32 patients underwent laparotomy for appendectomy. Among these 67 patients we found 4 patients with endometriosis, 6 with pelvic inflammatory disease, and 4 pregnant patients. In no case did we have difficulties during the laparoscopic operation; only 4 patients developed severe inflammatory complications during the postoperative period. For this reason, we do not perform a prophylactic appendectomy during gynaecological laparoscopies. We recommend careful postoperative treatment after laparoscopic appendectomy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

The T-cell proliferative assay in the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the T-cell proliferative assay as a diagnostic test in Lyme disease. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of patients with Lyme arthritis or chronic neuroborreliosis who had a history of erythema migrans, positive antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or both; patients with other diseases; and healthy subjects. SETTING: Diagnostic Lyme disease clinic in a university hospital. PATIENTS: Forty-two of the 67 patients with active Lyme arthritis or chronic neuroborreliosis who were seen during the study period; 16 patients with inactive late Lyme disease; 77 patients with other rheumatologic or neurologic diseases; 9 workers from the Borrelia laboratory; and 9 healthy subjects. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Nineteen of 42 patients with Lyme arthritis or chronic neuroborreliosis and 4 of 77 patients with other diseases had positive T-cell proliferative responses to B. burgdorferi antigens. The sensitivity of the proliferative assay was 45% (95% Cl, 30% to 60%) and the specificity was 95% (95% Cl, 87% to 99%). Twelve of 27 patients with active Lyme arthritis, 7 of 15 patients with chronic neuroborreliosis, 4 of 16 patients with inactive Lyme disease, 4 of 9 healthy Borrelia laboratory workers, and 0 of 9 healthy subjects had positive responses. Three of five patients with Lyme disease who had negative or indeterminant antibody responses by ELISA had positive T-cell proliferative responses. CONCLUSION: The T-cell proliferative assay may be a helpful diagnostic test in the small subset of patients with late Lyme disease who have negative or indeterminant antibody responses by ELISA.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Endoscopic therapy of cystic ovarian tumors and parovarian cysts].

108 patients with cystadenomas, 49 patients with teratomas, 17 patients with parovarial cysts and 400 patients with functional ovarian cysts were treated by endoscopic therapy from 1985 to 1989. 72 patients (42%) with cystadenomas, teratomas and parovarial cysts were operated in an organpreserving manner. Follow-up of 70 patients showed, in one case, an incompletely operated teratoma. Careful preoperative and intraoperative attention must be paid to the differential diagnosis. The difficulties and dangers of unexpected ovarian cancer are shown in two cases. The advantage of endoscopic therapy should not allow us to forget the fundamental rules of cancer surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Late recurrent Candida endocarditis.

Late recurrent Candida endocarditis (LRCE) developed on a prosthetic mitral valve 22 months after treatment for primary native mitral valve endocarditis. The LRCE was difficult to diagnose; results of two dimensional echocardiography and repeated blood cultures were negative. Only transesophageal echocardiography revealed a vegetation and only lysis centrifugation blood cultures demonstrated candidemia. Postmortem examination revealed a large Candida vegetation on the prosthetic valve and Candida in the mitral valve ring. This case and a review of the literature indicate that Candida endocarditis treated with amphotericin B and prosthetic valve replacement may recur months after treatment, and that LRCE, which is difficult to diagnose and treat, may be best prevented by lifelong antifungal suppressive therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Change in tubal pregnancy 1983-1989. 7-years experiences with surgical laparoscopy].

The authors report on the changing aspects in diagnostics and surgical treatment of tubal pregnancy during a period of 7 years (1983-89). In that period, 432 cases of tubal pregnancy were diagnosed and treated, 311 of which were treated by endoscopic abdominal surgery. Diagnosis of tubal pregnancy now depends on radioimmunology for identifying the presence of beta-HCG in the serum as well as on sonographic diagnosis. This may supply proof of tubal pregnancy in many cases as early as 3-4 weeks after conception. Surgery should not be initiated too early, but should also not be too late. We found that the 4th to 5th week after conception yields the best results. During 1986-88, 156 patients were surgically treated by laparoscopy because of tubal pregnancy. These operations and the subsequent fate of the patients are analysed. 66 patients continued to actively wish for a child. In 15% of these there was a recurrence of tubal pregnancy. 62% of these patients became again pregnant in utero.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗
PubMed1990

[Endoscopic organ saving therapy of ascending infection--10 years experience at the Berlin-Neukölln Gynecologic Clinic].

In the treatment of ascending infection, a newly developed endoscopic surgery concept was combined with an intraoperative lavage and a 48-hour postoperative peritoneal lavage. 276 patients suffering from all grades of severity of disease were primarily treated between 1980 and 1989 by endoscopic surgery while preserving the genitalia. The primary therapy failed in 20 cases (7.2%) so that another surgical intervention became necessary. 4 patients were then treated finally by means of a second laparoscopy. The remaining 16 patients (5.8%) had to undergo laparotomy and partial or complete resection of the reproductive organ had to be performed. Early endoscopic therapy with peritoneal lavage enabled complete preservation of the genitalia in 259 cases (93.8%). The duration of in-patient treatment was reduced to two weeks.

Abscess↗
PubMed1990

[Bronchopulmonary diseases in primary immune deficiencies].

Data of 124 patients with primary immunodeficiencies were examined in a retrospective study in respect of incidence and severity of bronchopulmonary immunodeficiencies. Relapsing pneumonias were seen in 40 patients (32.3%) and bronchiectases in 15 cases (12.1%). Children with severe antibody deficiencies or combined immunodeficiencies were involved particularly often. Avoidance of pulmonary complications is of special prognostic importance with these patients.

Bronchitis↗
PubMed1989

[Organ-saving therapy of small ovarian cystomas and dermoids by surgical laparoscopy--a trial 1985-1987].

The article reports on the results of the removal of small benign ovarian tumors (teratoma, cystic adenoma) without oophorectomy. 10 patients were treated by laparotomy and 23 patients with operative laparoscopy. The laparoscopy procedure is limited to tumors not larger than 5 cm. In this procedure it is especially difficult to recognize the difference between a luteal cyst and a cystic tumor which is a already malignant. Careful preoperative and intra-operative attention must be paid to the differential diagnosis. So far, follow up of the 14 patients with cystic adenoma and the 19 patients with teratoma, has shown no recurrence of tumor in the remaining ovary.

Cystadenoma↗
PubMed1989

Transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy: Five new cases, review of the literature and redefinition.

The clinical and immunological data of 5 patients with transient h hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy (THI) are presented and compared to published data. In THI, there is distinction between patients who can mount a specific immune response, by producing specific antibodies to bovine serum albumin, diphtheria toxin, and isohemagglutinins, and patients with more severe forms of immunodeficiency. With only 5 reported cases of THI in 11 years and analysis of more than 8000 sera-, our data support the notion that THI is a relatively rare disorder. THI can only be diagnosed with certainty in retrospect, although the ability to mount an active, specific immune response is a strong indicator for the diagnosis. We propose a more accurate definition of THI to help avoid clinical misjudgement.

Agammaglobulinemia↗
PubMed1989

[Methods for the isolation of glycosaminoglycans from blood serum and the photometric analysis of their building stones].

Description of methods for isolating the blood serum glycosaminoglycans by DEAE ion-exchange chromatography and trichloracetic acid precipitation and for the photometrical determination of their components (hexosamines, hexuronic acid, neuraminic acid). The results indicate mainly chondroitin sulfate bound to proteins and glycoproteins respectively. Moreover there exist some glycosaminoglycans, which are not precipitated by trichloracetic acid.

Chemical Precipitation↗
PubMed1985

[The treatment of arrhythmias in infants and children using propafenone].

Antiarrhythmic treatment was required in 35 patients aged one day to 11 8/12 years (average 5 7/12 years) for one or several of the following arrhythmias: paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (17), ventricular extrasystole (16), ventricular tachycardia (17), ventricular extrasystole (16), ventricular tachycardia (4), junctional tachycardia (4), and atrial flutter (3). 300 mg/m2/day oral propafenone was administered in 3 to 4 divided doses. The arrhythmia in 21 of the 35 patients had been unsuccessfully treated by digoxin (6), verapamil (5), ajmalin (4), propranolol (3), spartein (1), phenytoin (1), and lidocain (1) prior to the propafenone therapy. However, the arrhythmias could be abolished or reduced in 30 patients (85.7%) by Propafenone. In 5 patients with supraventricular tachycardia (2), junctional tachycardia (2), or ventricular extrasystole (1), propafenone therapy had no effect. In two other patients propafenone led to atrioventricular conduction disturbances and had to be discontinued. Propafenone is an effective well tolerated antiarrhythmic drug without major side effects in pediatric patients.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗
PubMed1982

[Late cardiac sequelae in children following long-term tocolysis with fenoterol and verapamil].

Premature labour has been treated with Fenoterol and Verapamil since 1970 in the Working Team of Perinatal Medicine of Berlin Free University/Municipal Gynaecological Clinic at Berlin-Neukölln. Elective necroses of the myocardial fibres after stimulation with high concentrations of beta 2-sympathicomimetics have been demonstrated in animal experiments and in isolated foetal myocardial preparations in vitro. It is claimed that such lesions can be avoided by the additional administration of Ca2+ antagonists. Fenoterol and Verapamil will pass the placental barrier. In order to clarify whether long-term tocolysis may exercise an effect on the foetal myocardium, the authors examined 140 children. 78 children of mothers treated with long-term tocolysis were compared with 62 children of mothers who had not received such treatment. The systolic time intervals were measured in full-term children born between 1970 and 1974 and aged 6 to 10 years. Following recording of the case history and physical examination, the ECG, phonocardiogram as well as the carotid sphygmogram were recorded. The frequency rate of abnormal ECG findings (RVL, AV block of the first degree, WPW syndrome) in the tocolysis groups did not differ from that of the untreated control group. Besides, the myocardial contractilities of both groups were also not different from each other.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗