Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Epstein.
Tumors of the umbilical cord are extremely rare. Only two types are recognized: hemangioma and teratoma. A case of hemangioma of the cord prompted a review of the world literature that uncovered 17 other cases, bringing the total number of known cases up to 18. Our case is the first to be diagnosed by ultrasonography and was associated with polyhydramnios.
Renal oncocytoma is an unusual tumor that has been identified with increasing frequency during the last decade, and more than 150 cases have been reported in the literature, including multifocal and bilateral tumors. We report a case of oncocytoma in a horseshoe kidney. Oncocytoma and tumors in horseshoe kidneys are discussed.
The mechanisms of hypercapnia in eight patients with the "Pickwickian" syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS) were evaluated pretherapy and posttherapy (tracheostomy in seven patients and chronic nocturnal use of nasal CPAP in one). Four patients (correctors) became eucapnic within two weeks of therapy. Four others (noncorrectors) remained hypercapnic. Neither residual apneas, changes in pulmonary function, change in anatomic dead space, nor changes in ventilatory chemoresponsiveness differentiated the two groups, nor did the last three factors account for return to eucapnia in the correctors. The results indicated two separate mechanisms exist for chronic hypercapnia in OSAS: a critical balance between the ventilation during the time spent awake and hypoventilation due to apneas, a mechanism removed by treatment for obstructive apnea; and sustained hypoventilation independent of the apnea phenomenon and therefore not correctible. The subset of patients with the second mechanism appears to represent the true "Pickwickian" syndrome and can be identified before therapy by measuring a low level of ventilation in the sustained awake state.
Common hepatic duct obstruction from an impacted calculus in the cystic duct is an uncommon cause of jaundice. The complimentary role of both transhepatic cholangiography and sonography can facilitate and assist the physician in making a preoperative diagnosis of Mirizzi syndrome and prevent an unnecessary choledochotomy and exploration of the common bile duct.
The etiology of fetal death may be difficult to identify, particularly with the presence of marked fetal maceration and autolysis. Immunofluorescence with human antitreponemal antibody was used in this case to establish a diagnosis of congenital syphilis.
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A case of multiple endocrine adenopathy (MEA III) presenting as pheochromocytoma complicated the immediate puerperium. The patient presented with paroxysmal changes in blood pressure and episodic headaches with vertigo. Computed tomography identified a left adrenal mass that was diagnosed preoperatively as pheochromocytoma, with the diagnosis subsequently confirmed on histologic sections. Pheochromocytoma complicating pregnancy is rare, and fewer than 150 cases have been reported on. MEA III presenting as pheochromocytoma and complicating the puerperium is described here for the first time.
The relationship between the resting response to CO2 rebreathing and the ventilatory response to CO2 production during exercise was examined in 20 healthy untrained male subjects and in six patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Patients were chosen because of a severely reduced response to CO2 rebreathing. There was no correlation between the CO2 rebreathing response and the exercise ventilatory response in the normal subjects, the patients, or in the group considered as a whole. This lack of correlation could not be accounted for by differences in ventilatory and occlusion pressure responses nor by reporting responses as a function of a change in hydrogen ion concentration. The independence of the CO2 rebreathing response and the exercise ventilatory response suggests the CO2 rebreathing response does not measure the relevant parameters of ventilatory control during exercise.
A case of sinusoidal fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern in association with maternal intrapartum administration of meperidine is presented. The sinusoidal pattern was reversed after maternal intrapartum administration of naloxone. The significance of this problem and the management of patients with sinusoidal FHR are discussed. The conclusion is reached that iatrogenic causes may at times precipitate a sinusoidal FHR pattern and conservative management may be appropriate.
The recent recognition of the sleep apnea syndrome has forced a re-evaluation of the mechanism of hypercapnia and disordered respiratory control in obese patients. Thirteen obese patients with sleep apnea were studied in an attempt to relate the pattern of sleep abnormality and awake ventilatory control to the presence of chronic hypercapnia. Patients with hypercapnia and/or hypoxemia had reduced ventilatory responses to hypercapnic and hypoxic stimulation, respectively. The presence of hypercapnia, however, did not separate the patients with respect to type, duration, or frequency of apneas. The degree of awake chemical drives could not be related to the severity of the sleep apnea phenomenon. However, patients with intact ventilatory control demonstrated augmented ventilation after apneas, which may explain their eucapnic state.
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A study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness as well as the mechanical determinants of the flow-volume contour in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Twenty patients with COPD of varying etiology were divided equally into two groups. Group 1 had an airway collapse pattern (described in the text) designated type 1, and group 2 had a more curvilinear obstructive pattern designated type 2. Pressure, volume, and flow relationships were examined. The results of our studies showed that a type 1 flow-volume contour in a patient with obstructive airways disease suggests a critical combination of central and peripheral airway collapse at high lung volumes with loss of elastic recoil. However, not all patients with loss of recoil will exhibit this contour. Persistence of type 1 contour suggests that there is a component of airway instability which may be irreversible.
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Potential areas of application for dental photography were described. The choice of the camera body depends on the intended use. The Medical Nikkor 5.6/200 and the Yashica Medical 100 lenses as well as an extension tube with approximately 100 mm focal distance may be used; the latter is best combined with a circular flash unit or one to two standard flash units. A cheek-holder and mirror are necessary. A few practical tips were presented.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.