Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Sharifi.
We report an unusual case of testicular tumor presenting as thrombosis of the inferior vena cava. However, in contrast to a previous report, thrombosis in this patient was not caused by compression of the vena cava by neoplasm metastases. In our patient, we postulate that tumor invaded the vena cava and that thrombosis was exacerbated by a hypercoagulable state induced by the tumor.
We describe an unusual and rare case of humoral hypercalcemia due to Stage D squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis in a patient with no evidence of bony metastases. The literature on humorally mediated hypercalcemia associated with epithelial tumors of the renal pelvis is reviewed.
The incorporation of 3H2O and/or 14C-glycerol into lipids and the specific activities of the enzymes acetyl CoA carboxylase and lipoprotein lipase were measured in the perirenal and subcutaneous adipose tissue of human subjects. The perirenal adipose tissue of younger subjects with higher brown adipocyte content had higher rates of lipogenesis and enzyme activities per gram tissue than the corresponding subcutaneous tissue. However, in individual specimens, the perirenal/subcutaneous ratios of all but one of the above parameters failed to show a correlation with the brown adipocyte content of the perirenal adipose tissue. One parameter, namely 3H2O incorporation into fatty acids per adipocyte, did relate to the brown adipocyte content of the perirenal adipose tissue in four normal-weight patients only.
Ciprofloxacin treatment of urinary tract infections in 23 patients (16 with and seven without urorenal abnormalities) was compared with beta-lactam antibiotic therapy given orally to 10 comparable patients. The alteration of aerobic gram-negative fecal flora was monitored. Ciprofloxacin eliminated bacteria from the urine of all patients; beta-lactam antibiotics failed in two of 10 patients. There were no relapses one week following ciprofloxacin treatment; six of nine patients experienced a relapse following beta-lactam treatment (p less than 0.01). By four to six weeks, all patients infected with gram-positive cocci had a relapse. Six of 14 patients with urorenal abnormalities in whom cures had been achieved acquired new infections. Before treatment, the bowel flora of 80 percent of the patients was resistant to amoxicillin, 20 percent was resistant to cefixime, and none was resistant to ciprofloxacin. Penicillin and cefixime increased the incidence of resistant flora to 93 and 36 percent, respectively. Ciprofloxacin suppressed aerobic bowel flora, and no resistant strains persisted after treatment. Ciprofloxacin promises effective short-term oral treatment of complicated urinary tract infections with minimal risk of drug-resistant recurrences.
We analyzed the operative experience and postoperative and late complications of pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical retropubic prostatectomy in 27 consecutive cases in which the modifications of prostatectomy described by Walsh were employed, and compared the results with those of 29 cases performed in the preceding three years when the Campbell technique of prostatectomy was employed. The mean operative time, mean blood loss, and incidences of early postoperative complications and incontinence were less for patients treated with the Walsh technique than with the Campbell technique. After surgery 85 per cent of evaluable patients remained potent with the Walsh technique compared with 16 per cent of patients treated with the Campbell technique. Although other factors besides operative approach may have biased our results, we are persuaded that the innovations of radical retropubic prostatectomy detailed by Walsh constitute important advances in surgical technique, and we now use this procedure in all suitable patients electing treatment by radical prostatectomy for localized prostatic cancer.
We describe an unusual case of pruritus after intravesical thiotepa, and diaphoresis, shortness of breath, chills and pruritus following intravesical doxorubicin therapy. Such generalized allergic reactions occur uncommonly after bladder instillation of thiotepa or doxorubicin.
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We evaluated and compared the sensitivity of enzyme multiplied immunoassay (EMIT) and bioassay techniques in detecting the degree of inactivation of tobramycin by piperacillin in serum specimens. Specimens were prepared to contain initial tobramycin concentrations of 10 micrograms/ml and piperacillin concentrations of 62.5, 125.0, 250.0, and 500 micrograms/ml. The samples were stored at room temperature (25 degrees C), in the refrigerator (4 degrees C), and in the freezer (-10 degrees C) for up to 7 days. Tobramycin concentrations were determined by the two assay methods at the conclusion of 1, 3, and 6 h and 1, 3, 5, and 7 days of storage. The percentage of tobramycin activity as measured by EMIT and bioassay differed throughout the study period. Statistical analysis revealed that the assay method was the only significant variable to contribute to the variability observed in the differences of tobramycin concentration. Our results suggest that the bioassay technique is more sensitive than the EMIT assay for detecting the degree of inactivation of tobramycin by piperacillin. The EMIT assay overestimates tobramycin concentrations, which may be due to measurement of active and inactive tobramycin.
In an open, prospective clinical trial, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of apalcillin in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infection. 21 hospitalized adult patients received apalcillin 2 g IV Q8-12 h for 5-17 days. There were 8 upper tract and 13 lower tract infections. Of 25 functional or anatomic abnormalities of the GU tract among these patients, 9 (36%) were corrected during the study period. Effectiveness of apalcillin was determined by clinical and bacteriologic response. 16 (76.2%) patients had clinical cures, 4 (19.8%) had clinical improvement, and 1 (4.8%) had clinical failure. Based on 26 pretreatment isolates, there were 16 (61.5%) bacteriologic cures and 10 (38.5%) failures. Failures were due to 6 (23.1%) relapses, 2 (7.7%) superinfections, and 2 (7.7%) relapses with superinfection. Adverse reactions were mild, transient, and did not require discontinuation of treatment. Apalcillin appears to be a safe, although marginally effective single agent antibiotic for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections.
Whereas impaired platelet aggregation is a well-known complication of penicillin usage, thrombocytopenia rarely occurs. We present the first case of apalcillin-induced thrombocytopenia and review the literature about this uncommon adverse effect of penicillins.
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There appears to be no clinically significant difference in blood loss or transfusion requirements after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) when intravesical 0.5% aminocaproic acid is compared with 0.9% sodium chloride irrigation in patients during the first three days after surgery. This is probably because early post-TURP bleeding is due to inadequate hemostasis or perforation of the prostatic capsule, and not excessive local or systemic fibrinolysis. However, we suggest that intravesical aminocaproic acid might be a useful alternative to systemic antifibrinolytic therapy in patients with delayed, recurrent, excessive post-prostatectomy bleeding, which is thought to be due to fibrinolysis. Since aminocaproic acid is not systemically absorbed after bladder instillation, intravesical administration causes few side effects and does not necessitate screening patients for disseminated intravascular coagulation prior to treatment.
Clinically significant hemorrhage associated with extended spectrum anti-Pseudomonas penicillins is uncommon. We describe 2 patients with bleeding complications owing to piperacillin. In addition, we review the incidence and mechanism of this adverse reaction, and make suggestions for the management of these patients.
A retrospective review of 61 patients undergoing pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed to assess possible predisposing factors for lymphocele development. The procedure was done to facilitate staging of prostatic carcinoma in all of the patients. The complication occurred in 9 patients (14.8 per cent). Analysis revealed a statistically significantly higher incidence of lymphoceles in patients without drainage (p less than 0.05) and in patients whose lymph nodes had no metastatic disease (p less than 0.025). Furthermore, 9 patients (without drainage and with nodes that were free of tumor but who received mini-dose heparin therapy) as a subgroup had the highest incidence of lymphocele formation. Although these individual factors have been attributed to this complication after lymphadenectomy they may act synergistically.
We describe an unusual case of an elderly male with mild hypertension, who underwent a right radical nephrectomy for a nephrocarcinoma and developed accelerated hypertension intraoperatively. Postoperative pathology of the excised specimen revealed poorly differentiated nephrocarcinoma and pheochromocytoma of the right adrenal gland. The limited published literature on the association of nephrocarcinoma and pheochromocytoma is reviewed, and suggestions for optimal preoperative evaluation of these patients are offered.
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In a controlled, prospective, randomized clinical trial, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of leuprolide, a superactive analog of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone, given in a single subcutaneous injection dose of 1 mg per day, versus diethylstilbestrol (DES) 3 mg per day by mouth in patients with previously untreated Stage D2 prostatic adenocarcinoma. Eleven leuprolide patients and 10 DES patients were evaluated for therapeutic response. Eighty per cent of patients in each group experienced subjective improvement in bone pain and urinary obstructive signs and symptoms. Although the pooled percentages of complete, partial, and stable objective responses were greater for the leuprolide group than the DES group, the sums of the percentages of complete and partial objective responses were comparable for both treatment groups during the first forty-eight and sixty weeks of the study, respectively. In addition, patients not responding to leuprolide generally experienced no benefit with crossover to DES, and vice versa. Serious adverse reactions were more common in the DES group and included fatal myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, deep venous thrombosis, and gynecomastia. Vasomotor flushing, disease flare, and injection site irritation occurred most often in leuprolide patients, but did not require modification or discontinuation of treatment.