Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J D Mulder.
Osteoarthritis is a common problem in general practice and a major indication for NSAIDs. Many patients with osteoarthritis are elderly and therefore particularly at risk from adverse reactions. Co-morbidity and co-prescription may lead to drug interactions. For these reasons, safe NSAIDs are the first choice for this disease.
A pilot-study on the prevalence of depressive symptoms and GPs' assessment of depressed mood in elderly attenders of two general practices. The aim of this pilot was to gather information on both depressive symptoms and GP's' assessments of depressive mood in persons over 65 coming for a consultation in two general practices. To assess the prevalence of depressive symptomatology, 87 patients were asked to complete the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Six patients were identified as having depressive symptoms on the ZSDS and seven on the GDS. Information on GP's' assessments of depressive mood was gathered by asking GP's to what extent they thought patients had been depressed recently. With regard to patients identified by the GP's as being mildly or severely depressed, the GP's answered additional questions on diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The GP's identified eleven out of 87 patients as being mildly depressed, nobody was classified as being severely depressed. Five out of six patients with a ZSDS score of 50 and higher were not identified by the GP's as being mildly depressed. The prevalence of depressive symptoms based on ZSDS-scores was somewhat lower than expected (7.5%).
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A survey was conducted among 800 Dutch general practitioners to establish their views on the diagnosis and treatment of bronchitis and related disorders with reference to 12 theoretical patients. The answers of the 467 respondents (response rate 60%) showed no clear relationship between signs and symptoms of the patients and the diagnosis made. In the authors' opinion the diagnosis of pneumonia was made too often. The decision whether or not to prescribe an antibiotic for a coughing patient was based in part on the diagnosis made, but in part it was also made on the basis of the signs and symptoms, irrespective of the diagnosis. The authors have the impression that general practitioners tend to prescribe antibiotics too quickly to coughing patients. There is a need for guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute bronchitis and related conditions.
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There is much discussion about the aetiology, definition and treatment of acute bronchitis. This paper reviews the main issues in the debate. It concludes that bronchitis should be regarded as a collective name for a wide range of syndromes. Whether further differentiation of the clinical diagnosis is meaningful depends largely on whether such differentiation has therapeutic implications. Further research into medical treatment of the different types of acute bronchitis is necessary.
Measurement of body height of elderly persons can be difficult or impossible because of inability to stand or inability to stand in the right position. In seventy-five percent of elderly patients of a nursing home (n = 281) height could not be measured. Measurement of the height in a recumbent position was possible in fifty-five percent of the patients and measurement of arm span, used as a substitute for height, in sixty percent. Knee height could be measured in 95% of the patients; height can however roughly be estimated from knee height. Indices reflecting nutritional status, which require height as a variable (such as Quetelet Index), are of limited use for elderly patients in nursing homes.
The course of legionella pneumonia in guinea pigs after infection with various quantities of virulent L. pneumophila serogroup 1 organisms by aerosol exposure was investigated. The clinical course, histopathological characteristics, manifestations in the lungs and clearance of the legionella organisms from the lungs and spleen were followed. Four groups were exposed to 4.3 X 10(4), 4.7 X 10(5), 5.0 X 10(6) and 1.0 X 10(8) aerosolized legionellae, respectively. The most striking clinical symptoms were fever and weight loss, which were found in 67-94% and 33-100% of the animals, depending on the dose of L. pneumophila organisms administered. Spontaneous death occurred only in animals receiving the highest dose and always within 10 days. All animals exhibited exponential growth of legionella organisms in the lungs. Maximal growth occurred 5 to 7 days after exposure and varied from 9.3 X 10(7) to 7.4 X 10(8) organisms/both lungs. Twenty-two days after exposure, legionellae could still be cultured from lung tissue. Between 2 and 7 days after exposure, the spleen cultures were positive for legionellae in 41% of the animals receiving the lowest dose and in 83% of all other animals; legionellae could no longer be cultured from spleen tissue after day 7. Depending on the dose, peripherally localized areas of bronchopneumonia increased in size with time, tending to become confluent lobar pneumonia. The microscopic changes were not related to the number of inhaled organisms. In the cellular infiltrate, PMN predominated until day 7 and macrophages thereafter. Seroconversion was found in all animals that survived greater than 7 days. The present animal model closely mimics the course of events in human legionella pneumonia, thus enabling us to further study the factors involved in host resistance against legionella as well as the efficacy of various antimicrobial agents in normal and immunosuppressed animals.
The clinical and radiographic findings in 104 patients with chondroblastoma are presented. Pain was an almost constant presenting complaint, often accompanied in the case of para-articular lesions by impaired function of an adjacent joint. The majority (80%) were in long bones with a mean age of presentation of 16 years. The characteristic radiological image of these lesions was an eccentric radiolucency, having a sharply defined sclerotic margin and containing areas of calcification in approximately a third of cases. They were always related to a growth plate. Nearly half were confined to the affected epiphysis or apophysis itself, but most of the remainder had traversed the growth plate to involve also the adjacent metaphysis. The bones around the knee and the proximal ends of the humerus and femur were the sites of predilection. A minority (20%) affected flat bones and short tubular bones of the hand and foot, with a peculiar affinity for the calcaneus and talus. The mean age of presentation of these was 28 years. The radiological pattern was similar, except for a greater tendency to expand the affected bone. Complications included the formation of a secondary aneurysmal bone cyst in 16 cases (10 of them in long bones), one malignant chondroblastoma, and one fibrosarcoma developing after radiation of the original chondroblastoma.
Twenty-three patients with Paget's disease received the bisphosphonate APD and were examined radiologically every 6 months. Because routine roentgenographic procedures were followed, a number of the X rays were not fit for comparison. The radiographic technique, as well as the positioning of the patients, is critical since both could lead to artefacts. All patients reached normal biochemical levels, usually within 6 months. Out of the 23 patients 11 showed definite radiological improvement in one or more lesions; probable improvement was seen in another three. Of the 65 individual lesions, with films that were comparable, 30% definitely and 20% probably improved; 50% did not change but deterioration was never encountered. Osteolytic lesions in the long bones are most suitable for the evaluation of radiological changes and follow-up of these lesions during treatment should be most rewarding.
The salient radiological features of 102 cases of fibrosarcoma and of so-called malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the long bones are presented. All cases registered with the Netherlands Committee on Bone Tumours in the period 1953-1976, were originally classified as fibrosarcoma. In a recent review of the pathological material approximately half of these tumours were reinterpreted as malignant fibrous histiocytoma. As the two neoplasms demonstrate no difference in their clinical picture, radiological appearance, and survival statistics, we did not study both groups separately. Favourable radiographic signs which suggest a longer survival rate included: a geographic type of bone destruction, eccentric location, and cortical destruction involving no more than two quadrants of the bone circumference. Based on these findings a grading system is presented which differs from that proposed by Lodwick et al. [21].
We determined that the concentration of radioactivity in a lesion of Paget disease correlates with the grade of radiological deformation and the frequency of pain; the total skeletal uptake correlates with the severity of the biochemical abnormalities. We suggest that the major determinant of uptake in untreated lesions is abnormal metabolic activity, and in lesions in remission it is structural deformation of mineralized tissue. It is likely that the metabolic activity, and possibly also the rate of progression of the individual lesions, will differ in the individual patient, and that metabolic activity determines the amount of deformation and the chance of pain. Lesions not visible on the radiograph usually show only low uptake of Tc-99m-Sn-EHDP; the majority of these lesions are asymptomatic and reflect low activity of the disease. Radiological differentiation between sclerotic and osteolytic lesions does not reflect differences in either scintigraphic uptake, metabolic activity, or pain.
A literature survey showed that students in different medical professions, young nurses and young doctors, have difficulty in dealing with elderly patients. In medical teaching insufficient attention is paid to this age group which is one of the most important target groups in medical care. Possible educational goals and desirable changes in medical education are described. A certain selection of residents before accepting them for the training in those specialisms, where the care of the aged is extensive (family medicine, medicine in long stay institutions, internal medicine) seems necessary for the improvement of geriatric health care.
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The authors compared the radiological evolution and patterns of Legionella pneumophila pneumonia in 13 immunocompromised and 13 non-immunocompromised patients. Apart from the occurrence of cavitation and the longer time it took before consolidations cleared in immunocompromised patients no differences were found between the two groups of patients.
Extracutaneous involvement in mycosis fungoides (MF) is associated with a poor prognosis. Therefore, a pretreatment staging procedure is used to determine the extent of the disease. As part of the staging procedure lymphography was performed in 36 patients with MF. The radiographic findings and the correlation of these findings with the histopathologic changes in lymph nodes and the clinical course are described. Lymphography in MF shows a variety of abnormalities. However, these abnormalities correlate in only 61% of the patients with the extent and the clinical course of the disease. It is concluded that lymphography is not a useful clinical tool in the staging of MF.
The question whether giant cell tumours (GCT) of tubular bones originate in the metaphysis or epiphysis, was investigated by studying 233 GCT registered in the files of the Netherlands Committee on Bone Tumours. In 6 cases the GCT was found to be located in the metaphysis exclusively, no case with a purely epiphyseal localization was found. The result of this study favours the metaphyseal origin of GCT. An unusual case is discussed.
To assess the accuracy of lymphography, 90 lymphograms were compared with surgical and histological findings. Histological correlation with the initial report was found in 65 to 90 cases (72%). Comparison of the original radiologist's report with a recent re-examination showed agreement between the two radiological evaluations in only 74%. Although improvement in diagnostic accuracy can perhaps be obtained, we cannot yet recommend lymphography as an aid in the planning of treatment for bladder carcinoma.