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Biomedical subjects

K Seitz

Publications and source records attributed to K Seitz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Ultrasound guided forceps biopsy of the pleura].

AIM: Between cytology of pleural effusion and thorascopy there is a gap for another non invasive biopsy method to diagnose pleural diseases, especially since Adam's and Ramel's blind pleural biopsy is uncommon. Therefore it is suggestive to test feasibility and usefulness of pleural forceps biopsy. METHOD: It is possible to take biopsies under ultrasound guidance with the help of a biopsy-forceps from the diaphragmatic pleura or pleural appositions through a 2.5 mm canula with a stop cock and a rubber vent. The specimen can be used for histological or immunohistochemical examinations. The procedure is coducted in a closed system to avoid pneumothorax. The puncture was done in 12 patients with a puncturable pleural effusion. RESULTS: In 11 of 12 patients it was possible to get the final diagnosis. In one of three cases of mesotheliomas a rebiopsy was necessary. In 9 cases a malign tumor was diagnosed, effusion cytology was negative in 4 of 7 tumors. In 5 patients with a history of a former tumor pleural carcinosis was related three times correctly to the former cancer and twice to a secondary cancer. In one case a fibrous plaque was found. There were two patients with pleuritis, in one case a pulmonary tuberculosis was found 8 weeks later. In one patient with a mesothelioma inoculated metastasis were present in the sites of the punctures. In all pleural forceps punctures we got enough biopsy material for histological and immunohistochemical diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The ultrasound guided forceps biopsy of the pleura is a very promising less invasive method to diagnose pleural tumors. Additional improvements of the equipment are possible. Definitive evaluation of the procedure especially in infectious pleural diseases requires a higher number of cases.

Adult↗

[Incidental ultrasound findings of the gallbladder].

The low threshold for sonographic examinations of the gallbladder, the relative high incidence of gall bladder disease and the extraordinary quality of ultrasound imaging leads to a remarkable number of chance findings. The image quality of new ultrasound scanners allows in most cases a rapid diagnostic decision. Therapeutic consequences depend in the first line on the following carefully directed anamnesis. The most common findings are gallstones, cholesterinosis, polyps and sludge. Rare but important findings are porcelain gallbladder, adenomyomatosis and cysts of the common bile duct.

Cholelithiasis↗

Radiological investigations and intra-operative evoked potentials for the diagnosis of nerve root avulsion: evaluation of both modalities by intradural root inspection.

Fourteen patients with traumatic brachial plexus injuries underwent intradural inspection of cervical nerve roots to evaluate radiological and intra-operative electrophysiological findings concerning cervical nerve root avulsion from the spinal cord. Four neurosurgeons of our department assessed independently from each other both myelography and CT-myelography concerning intradural nerve root lesions. Each neurosurgeon assessed a total of 26 cervical nerve roots. Two investigators assessed 6/26 and 2 investigators 7/26 nerve roots falsely concerning ventral or/and dorsal root lesions compared with the findings on intradural inspection (23% and 27% false findings). There was a considerable variance concerning the assessibility and findings among the 4 neurosurgeons. Reconstructive surgery was performed after a mean interval of 6.5 months following trauma and 2 weeks following intradural inspection. After exposure of the brachial plexus and the cervical nerve roots in question via a ventral approach, 13 cervical nerve roots were stimulated electrically close to the neuroforamen and cortical evoked potentials (root-SEPs) were recorded from the contralateral postcentral region. All 5 roots with SEPs were intact (no root lesion) and all 8 roots without SEPs showed interrupted (ventral or/and dorsal) rootlets on intradural inspection. Our results demonstrate that false radiological findings concerning root lesions are possible. Intra-operative root-SEPs seem to be a useful aid for evaluation of cervical nerve root lesions. However, more electrophysiological data are necessary to ascertain, if this modality is able to replace intradural inspection in unclear radiological cases in the future.

Adolescent↗

Cardiac metastasis of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma occupying the right ventricle and infiltrating the myocardium.

A 86-year-old woman presented with a cardiac tumor occupying the whole cavity of the right ventricle and causing right ventricular outflow obstruction. A percutaneous ultrasound-guided biopsy was performed and histologic examination revealed a metastasis of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Because of the extensive cardiac involvement and multiple pulmonary metastases, effective surgical therapy was not possible and the patient died soon after diagnosis.

Aged↗

[Hemodynamic and left ventricular parameters in dobutamine stress echocardiography in diagnosis of coronary heart disease].

AIM: Analysis of the effects of pharmacological stress echocardiography using dobutamine on left ventricular function in patients with and without evidence of coronary heart disease. METHOD: During dobutamine stress echocardiography, aortic flow and transmitral velocities, left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters, wall thickness and fractional shortening were determined in 124 patients. RESULTS: 36% of the patients showed a pathological wall motion response during echo, which indicates relevant coronary artery disease (group II). After dobutamine stress these patients had significantly lower peak (1.71 m/s) and mean (1.29 m/s) aortic outflow tract velocities compared to patients with normal stress echo (group I; 64%; 2.24 res. 1.67 m/s). Peak transmitral diastolic filling velocity increased significantly less among patients with abnormal stress echo compared to those with normal stress echo. E/A-relation remained unchanged. In addition there was a significantly decrease of the left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameter and of the fractional shortening in group I compared to group II. CONCLUSION: Dobutamine stress testing leads to different haemodynamic and left ventricular changes in patients with and without coronary heart disease. The frequency of false negative and false positive stress echocardiographies may be reduced especially by evaluating aortic Doppler parameters, left ventricular diameters and fractional shortening.

Adult↗

[Ultrasound ileus diagnosis].

Bowel obstruction is an acute alarming situation with limited diagnostic conditions. Therapeutic decisions must be taken in time. Diagnostic differentiation between incomplete or complete bowel obstruction, intestinal obstruction and paralytic ileus is often uncertain and the underlying cause difficult to detect. Besides plain films in acute abdomen the ultrasound examination presents important additional informations: 1st Dilated intestinal loops and gas caps correlate with the characteristic x-ray finding, i.e. erected dilated intestinal loops with fluid levels. The location of the obstruction is defined in small bowel obstruction by differentiation between jejunum (with Kerckring folds) and ileum (without Kerckring folds). In large bowel obstruction the caecum is dilated and a collapse of the distal colon is detectable. 2nd Additional sonographical findings are: oedema of the intestinal walls, hyperpendulum peristalsis or absence of peristalsis, sedimentation of intestinal contents, pearlstring-like lined up gas bubbles under the ventral intestinal walls, and concomitant ascites. Duplex sonographical studies of the intestinal peristalsis may help to differentiate between mechanical obstruction and paralytic ileus. 3rd In bowel obstruction stenoses can be detected as a result of tumour, Crohn's disease diverticulitis, invagination, strangulated hernias or gall stone ileus. Intestinal adhesions cannot be found by ultrasound. Small and large bowel is dilated in paralytic ileus. Numerous causes like acute pancreatitis, ureteral colic, free gastrointestnal perforation and so on can be diagnosed. 4th In ileus of vascular disorder early diagnosis is high important, but inspite of colour flow imaging diagnostic possibilities are limited. 5th Sonographical diagnosis is of special interest when the x-ray plain films is "empty". The lack of massive fluid collection and meteorism allows an optimal ultrasound examination. In this early phase disorders of peristalsis and intestinal walls are reliably found, and it is easier to find the cause of bowel obstruction. In this way the definitive diagnosis can be arrived at earlier, because it still takes up to 6 hours to obtain the classical x-ray finding. There is a rule that the earlier ultrasound is done, the more findings one will get.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

[Effect of various factors on the suckling behavior of domestic rabbits].

An average number of 1.47 suckling events per 24 hours with a mean duration of 203 seconds per suckling was shown in investigations with 156 does (253 litter, 1.907 alive born pups) by continuous video recordings (infrared technique) over 1.045 periods with 24 hours. Two or more suckling periods with maximum of six sucklings per 24 h were recorded in 40% of all days. Number and duration of suckling events and also percentage of days with > or = 2 sucklings/24 hours were significantly influenced by genotype of does, parity and keeping system (flatdeck, get-away-cage). ZIKA-hybrids had the highest percentage of days with several suckling periods (52.7). Suckling activity had shown a circadian rhythm and was significantly correlated with dawn (light-dark as an inducing factor for suckling). 25% of all suckling events took place in the hour after the lights were turned off.

Animals↗

DREZ coagulations for deafferentation pain related to spinal and peripheral nerve lesions: indication and results of 79 consecutive procedures.

During a 16 years' period, a total of 79 dorsal root entry zone coagulations were performed in 68 patients for deafferentation pain. Of the 23 patients who underwent surgery for pain due to cervical root avulsion, 18 (82%) had a good (12) or fair (6) pain relief (mean follow-up period 51 months). Twelve (57%) patients with spinal cord injuries noted continuous pain reduction (10 good, 2 fair; mean follow-up 52 months). Continuous marked improvement for longer periods was reported only by 2 out of 10 patients with postherpetic neuralgia and 1 out of 7 patients with painful states due to other brachial plexus lesions and none out of 5 with spinal cord lesions (3) and phantom limb pain (2).

Adult↗

[Portal hypertension--current status of ultrasound diagnosis].

Splenomegaly, ascites, and anatomy of intra- and extrahepatic portal vessels can reliably be detected by ultrasound in case of portal hypertension. The increased diameter of the portal vein and its roots is a not sufficient sensitive and specific finding in portal hypertension. However a marked variation of diameter at the superior mesenteric vein during in- and expiration is nearly exclusive. With the help of colour flow imaging or duplex sonography additional finding of blood flow in the portal system can be detected noninvasively and continuously. Quantitative blood-flow measurement in routine examinations is unnecessary and reserved to special questions. Reverse flow or significantly decreased blood flow velocity or the detection of portocaval collaterals are reliable findings in portal hypertension. In addition thrombosis of portal vessels and its hemodynamic consequences can be seen. Because underlying diseases e.g. liver cirrhosis or tumours are diagnosed in the same procedure ultrasound techniques are used in first line when portal hypertension is suspected. The findings are complementary to endoscopy of upper g.i.tract and lead on the one hand to a well-aimed use of CT scanning or x-ray splenoportography, and--on the other hand--make them dispensable in a low of cases.

Blood Flow Velocity↗

[Effects of presentation mode on visual-spatial working memory performance in children and adults].

We report two studies investigating the effects of several experimental manipulations on visuo-spatial memory performance in children and adults. In particular, we were interested in memory for the location of objects. A picture reconstruction task was used where picture-like arrangements of four to six items were briefly presented and then reconstructed. In the first experiment with 5- and 8-year-olds and adults, the degree of visual differentiation of the items as well as presentation mode (simultaneous versus serial) were varied. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was a negative effect of simultaneous presentation in children, but only if the degree of visual differentiation was low. There was no such effect in adults. In a second experiment with 6- and 8-year-olds and adults, we again varied presentation mode, but excluded the scene-like character of the arrangements. All the age groups were slightly better with serial presentation. However, reducing the available schematic knowledge led to a severe performance decrease. The results are related to the current discussion about a further fractionation of the VSSP and to different assumptions about internal representations of location information.

Adolescent↗