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Biomedical subjects

H Suoranta

Publications and source records attributed to H Suoranta.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Pitfalls in the diagnosis of drug smuggler's abdomen.

Narcotics "body packing" can be detected in abdominal X-rays by the ring shadow caused by air trapped in the packs. In a series of 82 cases admitted for abdominal X-ray in Helsinki, Finland, in 1982 through 1988, we encountered 9 (11.0%) true positives, 3 (3.6%) false positives, and 1 (1.2%) false negative. The false positives were due to the constipation often associated with the narcotics abuse. The false negative X-ray diagnosis was attributable to an inexperienced radiologist. False negatives may also be associated with packets containing marijuana, packs with few wrappings, aluminum-foil coated packs, and machine-packed narcotics. Searching for trapped air in radiographs, repeated X-raying by an experienced radiologist, use of computed tomography, or combined urinary drug screening may be applied to diminish false findings and to avoid unnecessary arrest for the purpose of fecal screening over several days.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Ten-year follow-up study of patients with Yersinia arthritis.

Eighty-five patients with acute Yersinia arthritis were seen in followup for a mean of 10 years. During that time, peripheral joint symptoms occurred frequently (51.8%), but these symptoms were mild (45.9%). Development of a new reactive arthritis (4.7%) or chronic arthritis (2.4%) was uncommon. One-third of the patients experienced low back pain, and one-third of the patients had radiologic evidence of sacroiliitis. The presence of sacroiliitis was more frequent in patients with low back pain (46.7%) than in those who did not have symptoms (21.2%). More patients with HLA-B27 had low back pain and sacroiliitis, but there was no association of this genetic factor with the residual symptoms in peripheral joints.

Arthritis, Infectious↗
PubMed1985

Occupational exposure to toluene: neurotoxic effects with special emphasis on drinking habits.

Neurotoxic effects of toluene were examined in 43 male rotogravure printers exposed to toluene (age 27-63, mean 41 years; duration of exposure 11-40, mean 22 years) and 31 male offset printers of the same age with slight exposure to aliphatic hydrocarbons. A neurological examination, tests for autonomic nervous function, electroencephalography, psychological tests and computerized tomography of the brain were carried out in addition to a standardized interview. Exposure levels were evaluated for each person separately on the basis of his work history and the results of an earlier study on exposure levels at the same printing shops. Besides a thorough history of alcohol consumption, information about the printers' drinking habits was obtained from the occupational health care centers of the printing shops. The examinations found only slight abnormalities, and there were no statistically significant group differences in the prevalences of abnormalities. No correlations between the abnormalities and the exposure indices were found either. One of the retired workers, however, who had been exposed to high toluene concentrations for over 40 years, had been diagnosed as having chronic organic solvent intoxication. Heavy drinkers of alcohol were clearly more common in the toluene-exposed group. This study detected no clinically significant abnormalities attributable to toluene alone among workers exposed to 68-185 ppm (mean 117) of toluene for over 10 years. The connection between alcohol consumption and toluene exposure is interesting and deserves further study.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Nervous system effects of long-term occupational exposure to toluene.

Forty-three male rotogravure printers with long-term toluene exposure and 31 age- and sex-matched offset printers without toluene exposure were examined in detail. Clinical, neurophysiological, neuropsychological and neuroradiological examinations and assessment of autonomic functions did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the groups. The results suggest that occupational long-term exposure to toluene under these circumstances does not have clinically significant adverse effects on the nervous system. Exposure to toluene seemed to be associated with heavy drinking.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Asbestosis, the nervous system and cancer.

Asbestosis patients have a high cumulative risk of cancer: four of ten asbestosis patients develop cancer. Paraneoplastic involvement of the nervous system, peripheral neuropathy in particular, is often encountered in cancer patients, even at very early stages of the disease. In order to estimate the occurrence of paraneoplastic neuropathy among asbestosis patients, we formed a small cohort (115 asbestosis patients, mean age 56 years, mean duration of exposure to asbestos 21 years) in 1979. Neurological examination revealed slight peripheral neuropathy in 44 (39%) of the patients, 24 (22%) of whom also had central nervous system signs (disturbances in gait and posture, memory and fine movements). The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among asbestosis patients was higher than among various referent patients (fibrosing alveolitis, diagnosed solvent poisoning and gynaecological carcinoma). No significant differences were found between the patients with and without peripheral neuropathy regarding the following parameters: pulmonary function tests, tumour markers (CEA, ferritin, beta-2-microglobulin), antinuclear antibodies, C3, C4 and circulating immune complexes. Nevertheless, at group level, the asbestosis patients had increased levels of the three tumour markers. Estimates based on the data accumulated so far (10 cancer patients) show that within three years we shall probably have a sufficient number of cancer cases to draw some conclusions about the value of neuropathy in the early diagnosis of occupational cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Haemodynamics after distal splenorenal shunt.

Haemodynamic studies were made both preoperatively and 7--62 months after the operation in 17 cirrhotic patients subjected to distal splenorenal shunt. Patent shunt was demonstrated in all patients. Preoperatively all patients had hepatopetal portal flow. Postoperatively portography through percutaneous transhepatic portal vein cannulation demonstrated hepatopetal flow in nine patients and reversed flow in eight patients. Portal pressure was significantly decreased in both groups after the shunt (p less than 0.01). However, no differences in pre- and post-operative portal pressure were observed in the two patient groups. In patients with hepatopetal flow, minimal new collaterals without clear connection to gastroesophageal region could be demonstrated. Collateral formation in patients with reversed flow was more abandoned but, even in these cases, no connection to gastroesophageal region could be demonstrated. The results indicate that a continuous increase in liver resistance due to the progression of the liver disease is the main cause of changes in portal circulation.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Areae gastricae in gastritis: lack of correlation between size and histology.

The area gastrica patterns of the stomach were studied using surgical specimens. From each of 15 patients, two specimens were obtained: one from the antrum and one from the corpus. These 30 specimens were photographed by stereomicroscope, and the areae gastricae were classified into three groups: none, 1-3 mm in diameter, and 4-6 mm in diameter. The same surgical specimens were studied histologically and the findings were compared with the area gastrica groups. Almost all specimens showed superficial and atrophic gastritis. No correlation between the different sizes of the areae gastricae and the histologic findings was found. The different area gastrica patterns have little value as indication of different types of gastritis.

Gastrectomy↗