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Biomedical subjects

M T Marshall

Publications and source records attributed to M T Marshall.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Appendicitis masquerading as tumor: a case of two diagnoses.

Acute appendicitis remains one of the most difficult diagnoses to make in the Emergency Department. We present a puzzling and unusual case. A 47-year-old man had several hours of acute abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant, point tenderness in the right midquadrant on examination, and normal chemistries. Early appendicitis was suspected and a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen was obtained. Appendicitis was not seen. What was evident was a retroperitoneal lipoma estimated to weigh 10 pounds. The general surgeon was consulted who believed that operation was necessary in light of the patient's continuing abdominal pain and the presence of the mass. Masses this large could cause pain from local compression of structures, or ischemia of the mass from outgrowing its blood supply. In surgery, a lipoma was observed that filled most of the retroperitoneum and displaced all the contents of the abdomen, including the cecum and its appendix. Also present was an acute appendicitis. On retrospective analysis of the CT scan, the appendicitis was evident but atypically located in the epigastrium. This case illustrates once again that the CT scan is a useful diagnostic adjunct for the diagnosis of new onset abdominal pain and specifically for appendicitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone mRNA and gonadotropin beta-subunit mRNA expression in the adult female rat exposed to ethanol in utero.

Previous studies have demonstrated that exposure of female rats to ethanol in utero results in long-term deficits in reproductive function, including a delayed onset of puberty and an early onset of acyclicity. In the present studies, we determined if changes in reproduction are correlated with changes in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA expression in the brain or gonadotropin subunit mRNA expression in the anterior pituitary gland. We used in situ hybridization histochemical techniques to examine the density of GnRH mRNA and the distribution of GnRH mRNA-containing cells in the basal forebrain, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to quantitate the beta-subunit mRNA of luteinizing hormone (LH beta) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH beta) in the anterior pituitary gland of adult (3 months of age) fetal alcohol-exposed (FAE) female rats. For GnRH mRNA measurements, animals were gonadectomized 4 days before use. Three groups of animals were examined. FAE females were derived from pregnant dams fed a liquid diet containing 35% ethanol-derived calories from gestational day 14 until parturition. Dams of control animals were either pair-fed (PF) an isocaloric diet with sucrose substituted for ethanol or maintained on normal laboratory rat chow [chow-fed (CF)]. Serial blood samples taken by indwelling right atrial cannulae demonstrated significantly smaller pulses of LH (p < 0.05) and FSH (p < 0.05) in ovariectomized FAE females at 3 months of age, compared with PF and CF controls. Distribution of GnRH mRNA-containing cells was mapped throughout the forebrain, and the number of autoradiographic silver grains/cell was determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

The early diagnosis and treatment of developmental patella infera syndrome.

Developmental patella infera and associated arthrofibrosis after knee surgery require prompt recognition and treatment. The condition develops because of contracture of peripatellar tissues, fatpad tissues, and quadriceps weakness, and may rapidly progress to permanent patella infera and disabling patellofemoral arthrosis. Case studies for five patients with acute developmental patella infera are described. All patients required an early arthroscopic release of contracted tissues. To establish normal right to left patellar, vertical-height ratios, lateral roentgenograms were obtained in 202 normal knees (101 pairs). The data showed that although essentially no difference existed between right and left sides, large variations existed in the ratios from one individual to another (range, 0.75-1.46). Thus, the diagnosis of developmental patella infera requires comparison of patellar height ratios in the same knee or between knees in the same individual. A decrease in the vertical-height ratio of 11%-15%, depending on the method used, indicates developmental patella infera.

Adolescent↗