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H Becker

Publications and source records attributed to H Becker.

At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Malignant melanoma in the child--2 case reports].

Case histories of two infants with malignant melanoma are presented. Both tumors had developed from a congenital mole to advanced disease with lymph node metastasis at time of diagnosis, findings which are commonly correlated with poor outcome. Initially, both patients were surgically treated. From the experience with few described cases of melanoma in childhood and with a large number of adult patients, neither chemotherapy and conventional BCG immunotherapy nor irradiation seem to be an effective treatment and are accompanied by many adverse side effects. Therefore in one patient therapy was limited to surgery alone. In the other child it was followed by treatment with high-dose recombinant alpha-2-interferon (1 Mill. i.u./Kg X d) plus an H2-receptor antagonist. Unexpectedly this girl developed neurological side effects, characterized by spastic paraparesis, indicating damage to the first motoneuron. All symptoms completely resolved after discontinuation of drugs within three months. Both children have been in complete remission for 18+ and 32+ months, respectively.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Radical surgery and vertebral body replacement in aneurysmal bone cysts of the spine].

6 cases of aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine are presented. The clinical picture, diagnostic procedures and operative treatment will be discussed. Although aneurysmal bone cyst is a benign, non-neoplastic lesion its spreading tumor growth with destruction of important bony structures of the vertebral body, consecutive instability and cord compression presents a considerable menace to the mostly teenage-patient. Spinal computerized tomography is the diagnostic method of choice. The goal of surgical therapy of the aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine should include radical tumor excision in order to avoid recurrent tumor growth followed by vertebral body replacement and osteosynthetic stabilisation.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reduced binocular depth inversion in patients with alcoholism.

Binocular depth inversion represents an illusion of visual perception, serving to invert the perception of implausible hollow objects, e.g. a hollow face into a normal face. Such inversion occurs frequently, especially when objects with a higher degree of familiarity (e.g. photographs of faces) are displayed. Cognitive factors are assumed to override the binocular disparity cues of stereopsis. The hypothesis was tested that during mild and moderate alcohol withdrawal, and severe and mild alcohol intoxication, the central nervous system is unable to correct implausible perceptual hypotheses. Measurements of binocular depth inversion in perception of three-dimensional objects were performed in 10 patients with severe alcohol intoxication, in 10 subjects with mild alcohol intoxication, in nine patients with moderate alcohol withdrawal treated with carbamazepine, in 10 patients with moderate alcohol withdrawal without any pharmacological treatment, in 11 patients with mild alcohol withdrawal and in 10 healthy volunteers. The binocular depth inversion scores were highly elevated in the severely intoxicated patients group and in the group with moderate withdrawal symptoms without carbamazepine treatment, in comparison to the healthy volunteers. The data demonstrate a strong impairment of binocular depth inversion in moderate alcohol withdrawal and during severe alcohol intoxication. This supports the view that these states may be accompanied by a disorganization of the interaction between sensory input and top-down component. The effects of carbamazepine are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gadolinium-DTPA enhanced MR imaging of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas.

To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance (MR) in the diagnosis of dural arteriovenous (AV) fistulas and the resulting myelopathy, the MR examinations of 11 patients with symptoms and signs of slowly progressive myelopathy of the lower spinal cord have been reviewed. Patients with intradural or extradural AV malformations were excluded. Six patients have been examined without the use of a contrast agent. The other five patients were studied prior and after intravenous administration of gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA). Serpentine linear areas of low signal due to flow void effects within the subdural space have been detected in seven patients. The T1-weighted sagittal images and T2-weighted sagittal and axial images demonstrated signal intensity changes within the center of the cord due to prolongation of T1 and T2 relaxation times. In addition, a relatively abrupt increase of the sagittal and transverse diameters of the lower thoracic cord was found in all cases. In nine patients T1-weighted, proton-density and T2-weighted sagittal images presented "blurred" margins of the lower thoracic cord. After intravenous administration of Gd-DTPA (0.1 mmol/kg), contrast enhancement was present not only within these vessels but also within the lower spinal cord. There was only slight enhancement of the cord immediately after injection of the contrast agent, but significant enhancement was observed 40-45 min later.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Congenital malformations of the inner ear and the vestibulocochlear nerve in children with sensorineural hearing loss: evaluation with CT and MRI.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to study the diagnostic value of CT and MRI in children with sensorineural hearing loss and to analyze anatomic abnormalities of the inner ear and the vestibulocochlear nerve in this patient group. METHOD: We evaluated 42 inner ears in 21 children with congenital deafness who had congenital inner ear malformations and who were candidates for cochlear implants. All patients were studied with high resolution MR and helical CT examinations. The MR study included a T2-weighted 3D fast SE sequence. We describe and tabulate the anatomic abnormalities. Special attention was given to abnormalities of the vestibulocochlear nerve. The field of view in the plane according to the length axis of the internal auditory canal (IAC) was 4 cm. Additional continuous parasagittal reformations perpendicular to the length axis of the IAC were studied with a field of view of 3 cm. RESULTS: CT and MRI allowed accurate identification of malformations of the inner ear in children with congenital deafness. We identified 99 malformations, with a majority of patients demonstrating multiple abnormalities. Common imaging findings were Mondini abnormality and Mondini variants (12/42) and fusion of the lateral or superior semicircular canal with the vestibule (12/42). MRI demonstrated in 9 of 21 patients a rudimentary or absent vestibulocochlear nerve in the auditory canal. CONCLUSION: CT and MRI are important modalities to analyze the inner ear in children who are candidates for cochlear implants. MRI with an extremely small field of view should be used to study possible abnormalities of the vestibulocochlear nerves. This may alter clinical care and allow cochlear implant placement in patients whose electrodiagnostic studies suggest that the implant should not be performed. The detailed analysis of abnormalities of the inner ear might establish prognostic factors.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical experience with an alloplastic spermatocele.

During the last 4 years we succeeded in proving in experiments in rats and bulls that a cup-shaped silicone-dacron prosthesis may be used as Sperm-reservoir. Spermatozoa--aspirated from this reservoir and stored as pellets in liquid nitrogen over 6 weeks--induced pregnancies and normal births in 50 percent of inseminated cows. Because of aplasia or long stenosis of the vas deferens 26 prostheses (20 X 8 X 8 mm) were implanted upon the epididymis in 14 patients. Percutaneous aspirations up to 7 months after operation showed up to 105 million spermatozoa persingle aspiration. The number and the motility of the aspirated spermatozoa varied considerably from one puncture to the next. Quality and quantity of spermatozoa decreases in correlation with longer postoperative delays. Average aspiration-time was 3 months and positive sperm counts were obtained on an average for 2 months. Insemination of the patients' wives with the aspirate did not result in any pregnancy so far. In "hopeless cases" presenting excretory azoospermia and aplasia or long stenosis of the vas, we try to obtain maximal numbers of spermatozoa by early and frequent aspiration of the implanted alloplastic reservoir for well "timed" direct insemination and deepfreezing.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vasography - Clinical and experimental investigations.

In order to examine the effect of contrast mediums of different concentration and composition upon the vas, experiments in 90 rats were done. In comparison to three control groups of 10 animals each (surgery only, vas ligation only, saline injection) six contrast mediums caused a varying degree of damage to the vas deferens. The latter included irritation of the epithelium, inflammation, cellular infiltration, fibrosis of the wall, septum-formation and fenestration within the vas and actual obliteration. According to these experiments only hydrophilic contrast mediums of low concentration should be used in humans for vasography.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Allogeneic hepatocyte transplantation using FK 506.

Hepatocyte transplantation is an intriguing alternative to orthotopic liver transplantation. While engraftment of syngeneic hepatocytes can be achieved with relative ease, engraftment of allogeneic hepatocytes has been far more complicated. We used FK 506 (Tacrolimus), a novel and highly efficient immunosuppressant, which has been reported to augment liver regeneration in rats. Recipients of isolated syngeneic (LEW) and allogeneic (Wistar F.) rat hepatocytes (major histocompatibility barrier) recieved different immunosuppressive regiments with FK 506 or Cyclosporine A (CsA). Mature syngeneic hepatocytes could be retrieved up to post op day 300 with the lowest number of hepatocytes on post op day 20. Following allogeneic transplantation, no mature hepatocytes could be identified after post op day 10, though ductular like structures within the spleen were found in FK 506 but not CsA-treated animals. The epithelial cells of ductular like structures exhibit cytological features of CK-19 positive cells. Our results suggest that under CsA or FK 506 immunosuppression long-term survival of mature allogeneic hepatocytes within the spleen cannot be achieved across a major histocompatibility barrier though FK 506 allows engraftment of allogeneic donor type ductular cells.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Selective intraportal transplantation of DiI-marked isolated rat hepatocytes.

Transplantation of isolated hepatocytes is a promising alternative to orthotopic liver transplantation in experimental animal models with acute hepatic failure and hereditary enzyme defects. Conventional light microscopy identification of hepatocytes within recipient livers has been limited due to the inability to distinguish between donor and recipient liver cells. In this study, we labeled hepatocytes intracellularly with the fluorescent dye DiI-18 prior to selective intraportal or intrasplenic transplantation. Syngeneic LEW rat hepatocytes were isolated and 2 x 10(7) fluorescence-labeled cells were transplanted by intraportal infusion selectively into 2/3 of the recipient liver lobules to avoid lethal portal hypertension. Rats were sacrificed on postop days 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, and 40. Histological examination was performed using light and fluorescence microscopy counterstained by light green dye. The quantity of transplanted hepatocytes residing within the recipient liver was determined by FACS analysis after enzymatic digestion of the recipient liver lobules. Engrafted hepatocytes were identified in the periportal regions of transplanted liver lobules. The stained hepatocytes were retrieved up to 20 days postop using fluorescent microscopy. Using FACS analysis the number of labeled hepatocytes was found to diminish over time following transplantation from 2.1% on postop day 1 to 0.5% on day 10. Labeled hepatocytes transplanted into the spleen were retrieved in clusters up to 20 days postop (the last day of observation). Furthermore, the migration of labeled hepatocytes from spleen to liver parenchyma was observed following intrasplenic transplantation. However, after selective intraportal transplantation, only fluorescent debris was found in splenic and pulmonary tissue upon examination of various organs. This article describes the method of fluorescent labeling of rat hepatocytes and reports the feasibility and limitations of using DiI-18 as a marker.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in severely neutropenic children with malignant disorders using liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and surgery: report of five cases.

Five children with malignancies developed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis during chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. All patients were treated with liposomal amphotericin B and human recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Two patients did not recover from bone marrow aplasia and died from organ-infiltrating fungal invasion. Two patients who recovered from bone marrow aplasia survived after surgery of the pulmonary lesions. The fifth patient had a complete resolution of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis after neutrophil recovery without surgical intervention. We conclude that not only the antifungal treatment but also the recovery of granulocytes are important in localizing invasive forms of Aspergillus infections in patients with profound immunosuppression.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of a scale to measure barriers to health promotion activities among persons with disabilities.

Subjectively-defined barriers to engaging in health promoting activities are one of the most important, yet least well operationalized, components in our models of health promotion. This article describes the development of a tool to measure barriers to health promotion among persons with disabilities. The Barriers to Health Activities among Disabled Persons scale (BHADP) is comprised of 16 items reflecting barriers to taking care of one's health identified from previous barriers literature and interviews with disabled persons. In a study of 135 disabled adults living in two southwestern cities, the BHADP yielded a Cronbach Alpha of .82 as a measure of internal consistency reliability. In addition, t-test analyses demonstrated a significant difference in scores between the disabled sample and a comparison group of 144 nondisabled adults, suggesting the BHADP discriminate between these groups. The BHADP may be useful in sensitizing health care providers to the wide range of barriers experienced by persons with disabilities, thereby enabling them to work more effectively with this special population.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Retinal thickness immediately after cataract surgery measured by optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in retinal thickness immediately after cataract surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retinal thickness before and 0.5 hours after uneventful cataract surgery was determined in 10 patients at 15 different points at the posterior pole by optical coherence tomography (OCT). RESULTS: The mean retinal thickness at the posterior pole was 251 microm (+/-30 microm) before cataract surgery and 249 microm (+/-25 microm) after cataract surgery. No statistical difference between pre- and postoperatively values could be evaluated (P = 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that uncomplicated cataract surgery does not influence retinal thickness immediately postoperatively in eyes without ocular pathologies.

Cataract Extraction↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Not Available].

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Germany↗
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[Not Available].

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History, Modern 1601-↗
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Reducing one source of pediatric head injuries.

Evaluation of a school-based, bicycle helmet program was conducted using the PRECEDE model. The intervention targeted schools with low income, high minority, and nonurban fourth grade children. A repeated measures design was used with schools randomly assigned to each treatment: classroom, parent-classroom, or control. Reported helmet use was approximately 18% prior to the program. Following the intervention, between 34% and 98% of intervention students reported helmet use, with the best results reported in schools with parental contact. This educational intervention coupled with the provision of bicycle helmets increased reported helmet use, especially when parental contact was added.

Athletic Injuries↗