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Biomedical subjects

S Sherman

Publications and source records attributed to S Sherman.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

The efficacy of early ERCP in pediatric pancreatic trauma.

Recognition of pancreatic injuries is frequently delayed, and optimal treatment is often controversial. The use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has allowed accurate delineation of pancreatic ductal injuries; however, the small size of children and the concern with inducing pancreatitis and/or lesser sac contamination have limited its use in children. In 1988, the authors began using ERCP for selected pancreatic injuries. This report describes their experience with this technique and examines the role of ERCP in pediatric pancreatic injuries. Six children with pancreatic transections resulting from blunt trauma were treated between 1988 and 1993. The age range was 2 1/2 to 8 years, and the weight range was 13.6 to 27.9 kg. The average period from injury to referral to the hospital was 14 days (range, 2 to 30 days). All six children presented with chemical evidence of pancreatitis and had an initial computed tomography (CT) scan; five scans were interpreted as being normal. Five of the six patients had subsequent CT scans, which showed lesser-sac fluid collection. Three patients were treated with drainage (2 percutaneous, 1 open [outside hospital]), and when this failed, ERCP was performed, at 13.6 days (average) after presentation. These three patients underwent ERCP relatively early in the course (an average of 3 days after presentation). All six children had major ductal transections documented through ERCP. After ERCP, the serum amylase level remained elevated in three, increased in one, and normal in one. (It was not measured in one of the recent cases taken for immediate operation.)(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Abdominal Pain↗

Classification and treatment of local septic complications in acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: An international symposium on acute pancreatitis recently developed a clinical classification system for severe acute pancreatitis that classifies all local septic complications into three groups: infected necrosis (IN), sterile necrosis (SN), and pancreatic abscess (PA). Despite the appeal of having three distinct, well-defined labels for this complex process, the clinical utility of this schema has yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic and therapeutic utility of applying this clinical classification system to a large group of surgical patients with local septic complication from acute pancreatitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the cases of 62 patients with complicated pancreatitis, classifying them into IN (n = 20), SN (n = 14), or PA (n = 28) groups. Ranson's score, APACHE II score, and computed tomography grading were calculated within the first 48 hours of admission. Information on patient demographics, etiology of pancreatitis, operative procedures, timing of intervention, bacteriology, blood loss, intensive care unit days, ventilator days, and morbidity and mortality were also accrued and analyzed. RESULTS: Despite similar demographics and etiology of pancreatitis, patients with necrosis, both IN and SN, were more critically ill than were patients with PA (APACHE II score > 15, 21% versus 0%, respectively), required earlier operative intervention (mean 14 days versus 29 days, P = 0.02), required necrosectomy with drainage (65% versus 4%, P < 0.001) rather than simple drainage (3% versus 86%, P < 0.001), more reoperations (2.3 versus 1.1, P < 0.05), and had a significantly higher mortality rate (35% versus 4%, P < 0.05). In addition, patients with IN required significantly more hospital days, ventilator days, and blood transfusions than either patients with SN or PA (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that this classification system allows for the stratification of patients into three distinct groups--infected necrosis, sterile necrosis, and pancreatic abscess--and has both therapeutic and prognostic usefulness.

Abscess↗

Success and yield of second attempt ERCP.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been shown to be an accurate and reliable method to evaluate biliary and pancreatic disorders. When an attempt to perform ERCP fails, the managing physician must decide whether to repeat the procedure or rely on other alternatives. We tallied the data from 113 patients referred to our institution for repeat ERCP after a failed attempt at another hospital. This group represented approximately 5% of the total population studied during that period of time. All of the patients had undergone one or more unsuccessful ERCP(s) and were referred to our center for another attempt at ERCP. Using a variety of techniques, we were successful in cannulating the desired duct in 96% of attempts. Pathologic findings were present in 64% of cases, of which 22% were sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. Thus, second attempt ERCP is generally worthwhile if clinically indicated and ERCP expertise is geographically available.

Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde↗

A comparison of nonionic versus ionic contrast media: results of a prospective, multicenter study. Midwest Pancreaticobiliary Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatitis is one of the most common complications associated with ERCP. Multiple factors have been implicated for this potentially serious complication. Numerous suggestions for minimizing risks at ERCP have been offered, one of which is to use nonionic, low osmolarity contrast agents for pancreatic injection. Results of previous studies comparing different contrast media have been inconclusive. METHODS: To evaluate the role contrast material plays in the development of post-ERCP pancreatitis, the Midwest Pancreaticobiliary Group performed a prospective double-blind controlled study. A total of 1,979 consecutive ERCP patients were enrolled, and 1,659 patients with pancreatic duct injections were divided into subgroups according to the complexity of the ERCP. Post-ERCP pancreatitis was compared between similar groups. Patients were randomized to receive injections of nonionic, low osmolarity contrast or standard ionic contrast media. RESULTS: The overall incidence of post-procedural pancreatitis was 10.2%. Those with diagnostic ERCP had the lowest incidence at 5.6%. Therapeutic procedures (12.3%) and sphincter of Oddi manometry (15.2%) had higher rates. Those injected with standard (ionic) contrast had an incidence of 10.4% and after injection with lower osmolar (nonionic) contrast, there was a 10% post-procedural pancreatitis rate. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with more complex procedures develop pancreatitis more frequently. The use of low osmolar (nonionic) contrast media does not decrease the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis.

Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde↗

Surgical treatment of obstructive pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Unlike chronic calcific pancreatitis, obstructive pancreatitis occurs as a consequence of an obstruction or stricture in the main pancreatic duct. The purpose of this paper is to identify the best method of surgical treatment for patients with obstructive pancreatitis. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 224 patients surgically treated for chronic pancreatitis during a 7-year period (1988 through 1994) identified 23 patients with obstructive pancreatitis. Patients were classified by surgical treatment into pancreaticoduodenectomy (five patients), side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy (nine patients), or distal pancreatectomy (nine patients) groups and analyzed. RESULTS: Despite similar demographics, patients treated with distal pancreatectomy had significantly better outcomes (seven of nine) than those treated with either pancreaticoduodenectomy (zero of four) or side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy (two of eight) at a mean follow-up of 26 months (chi-squared, p = 0.009). Multivariate analysis revealed stricture location, cause of pancreatitis, maximal duct dilatation, exocrine insufficiency, or continued alcohol intake had no influence on surgical outcome in this series (p = 0.698, logistic regression analysis). CONCLUSIONS: At 2 years of follow-up, distal pancreatectomy provided superior relief from pain and recurrent pancreatitis compared with pancreaticoduodenectomy or side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy. Obstructive pancreatitis is best treated by distal rather than proximal pancreatic resection or drainage.

Adult↗

Experience with a catheter-based ultrasound probe in the bile duct and pancreas.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Complete examination of the biliary tree and pancreatic duct may be difficult or unsuccessful using conventional imaging instruments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cannulation success rate, clinical utility, and safety of a new catheter-based ultrasound probe (CBUSP) used in the biliary tree and pancreas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The probes used in this study are manufactured by Microvasive (Watertown, MA, U.S.A.) and were 6.2 Fr in diameter, operated at 12.5 MHz. Thirty-six patients (11 with malignant bile-duct strictures, 12 with benign bile-duct strictures, two with bile duct stones, three with pancreatic duct strictures, one with a pancreatic cyst, one with pancreas divisum, three with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, and three normal) underwent examination with a CBUSP. RESULTS: Cannulation was successful in all 36 patients. The hepatic artery and portal vein could be visualized with the probe in the proximal bile duct in 81% and 94% of the cases, respectively. The portal vein could not be adequately visualized in any patients when the probe was in the distal bile duct. The mean thickness of the normal bile duct wall was 0.17 cm, and the mean wall thicknesses proximal to a benign and malignant stricture were 0.16 and 0.17 cm, respectively. The mean thicknesses of benign and malignant biliary strictures were 0.32 cm and 0.31 cm, respectively (not significant). Eight of 12 benign biliary strictures (67%) and five of 11 malignant strictures (45%) were symmetrical. However, no obvious differences could be identified between benign and malignant biliary strictures. There were no catheter related complications. CONCLUSIONS: Further catheter modifications are needed, but it appears to be feasible to assess vascular invasion in cholangiocarcinoma and to characterize biliary strictures in a way that may be able to influence therapy options in some patients. The currently available CBUSP cannot distinguish between benign and malignant strictures. However, with technical modifications, this may be possible in the future. The clinical usefulness of CBUSP in the pancreas awaits further investigation, but pancreatic imaging is feasible.

Adult↗

Endoscopic management of recurrent and chronic pancreatitis.

Endoscopic therapy is now being utilized in the setting of recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis. This review analyzes the current state of the art of these new applications of endoscopy. Selection of appropriate candidates for the various treatment modalities appears important for optimal results of therapy. Patients with gallstone pancreatitis, pancreas divisum, obstructing main pancreatic duct stones, and bulging pseudocysts appear to be the best candidates for endoscopic therapy.

Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde↗

Recombination and maternal age-dependent nondisjunction: molecular studies of trisomy 16.

Trisomy 16 is the most common human trisomy, occurring in > or = 1% of all clinically recognized pregnancies. It is thought to be completely dependent on maternal age and thus provides a useful model for studying the association of increasing maternal age and nondisjunction. We have been conducting a study to determine the parent and meiotic stage of origin of trisomy 16 and the possible association of nondisjunction and aberrant recombination. In the present report, we summarize our observations on 62 spontaneous abortions with trisomy 16. All trisomies were maternally derived, and in virtually all the error occurred at meiosis I. In studies of genetic recombination, we observed a highly significant reduction in recombination in the trisomy-generating meioses by comparison with normal female meioses. However, most cases of trisomy 16 had at least one detectable crossover between the nondisjoined chromosomes, indicating that it is reduced--and not absent--recombination that is the important predisposing factor. Additionally, our data indicate an altered distribution of crossing-over in trisomy 16, as we rarely observed crossovers in the proximal long and short arms. Thus, it may be that, at least for trisomy 16, the association between maternal age and trisomy is due to diminished recombination, particularly in the proximal regions of the chromosome.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Pancreas divisum. Diagnosis, clinical significance, and management alternatives.

Pancreas divisum patients make up a small but problematic portion of ERCP cases. Minor papilla cannulation techniques have been refined. Recurrent pancreatitis patients generally will benefit from minor papilla therapy. Methods to select patients who are likely to respond to invasive therapy and further study need validation. Clinicians and endoscopists are strongly encouraged to be cautious and conservative with this patient group until stronger data indicate optimal management schemes.

Catheterization↗

Histologic changes after stenting of the pancreatic duct.

The placement of stents has been proposed as a possible modality to treat pancreatic diseases. Ductal changes observed on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography during stenting are believed to be reversible when the stents are removed. We describe a patient with normal anatomy on baseline pancreatograms who underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy, followed by stent placement for 9 months. Symptoms progressed, leading to a pancreaticoduodenectomy. Histologic evaluation of the head of the pancreas revealed more extensive inflammatory changes in the duct and parenchyma drained by the stent. This suggests that stent-induced changes noted on pancreatography correspond to parenchymal changes that may be severe and irreversible.

Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde↗

Correlates of bone mineral density in the postmenopausal estrogen/progestin interventions trial.

We assessed the cross-sectional relationship of age, menopausal years, body mass, previous estrogen use, and ethnic background to bone mineral status in a sample of 875 healthy postmenopausal women at the time they were recruited from the community to participate in a multicenter clinical trial. The women were 1-10 years postmenopause, 45-64 years of age, and had not received estrogen replacement therapy within 3 months of enrollment. Of the participants, 89% were white, 69% had a spontaneous menopause, and 53% had a history of previous estrogen replacement therapy. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L2-4) and proximal femur was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results were consistent with a significant negative linear regression of BMD on age or years from menopause. Body mass index (BMI) correlated significantly with BMD at all sites (L 2-4 r = 0.28; femoral neck r = 0.34, p < 0.0001). BMD adjusted for age and BMI were higher at both sites in women who had taken estrogen versus those who had not (L2-4 0.976 +/- 0.009 versus 0.932 +/- 0.01; femoral neck 0.740 +/- 0.006 versus 0.708 +/- 0.008, p < 0.05). Adjusted BMD also increased with duration of ERT. Parity was negatively associated with L2-4 BMD (p = 0.03) but did not correlate significantly with BMD at the femoral neck. Black women had the highest L2-4 BMD, and Hispanic women had the highest femoral neck BMD, even when results were adjusted for age and BMI. When data were corrected for differences in bone size, these interethnic differences were no longer significant. We conclude that increased body mass is positively correlated with BMD, and this may confer a degree of skeletal protection to heavier postmenopausal women. Exposure for 5 years to exogenous estrogen is associated with significantly increased age- and BMI-adjusted BMD.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

A PCR-based genetic map for human chromosome 3.

Oligonucleotide primers for 125 simple sequence repeat microsatellite-based genetic markers have been assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the CEPH reference family panel. These microsatellites include 101 dinucleotide repeats as well as 24 new tetranucleotide repeats. The average heterozygosity of this marker set was 72.4%. Genetic data were analyzed with the genetic mapping package LINKAGE. A subset of these microsatellite markers define a set of 56 uniquely ordered loci (> 1000:1 against local inversion) that span 271 cM. Sixty-seven additional loci were tightly linked to markers on the uniquely ordered map, but could not be ordered with such high precision. These markers were positioned by CMAP into confidence intervals. One hundred thirteen of the microsatellite markers were also tested on a chromosome 3 framework somatic cell hybrid panel that divides this chromosome into 23 cytogenetically defined regions, integrating the genetic and physical maps of this chromosome. The high density, high heterozygosity, and PCR format of this genetically and physically mapped set of markers will accelerate the mapping and positional cloning of new chromosome 3 genes.

Animals↗

Nondisjunction of human acrocentric chromosomes: studies of 432 trisomic fetuses and liveborns.

The present report summarizes molecular studies on the parent and meiotic stage of origin of the additional chromosome in 432 fetuses or liveborns with an additional chromosome 13, 14, 15, 21, or 22. Our studies suggest that there is little variation in the origin of nondisjunction among the five acrocentric trisomies and that there is no association between the origin of nondisjunction and the likelihood of survival to term of the trisomic conceptus. The proportion of cases of paternal origin was similar among the five trisomies: 12% for trisomy 13, 17% for trisomy 14, 12% for trisomy 15, 9% for trisomy 21, and 11% for trisomy 22. The stage of nondisjunction was also similar among the five trisomies, with the majority of cases of maternal origin being due to nondisjunction at meiosis I, whereas for paternally derived cases, nondisjunction occurred primarily at meiosis II.

Adult↗

Gallbladder ejection fraction and its relationship to sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

Theoretically, relative distal common bile duct obstruction due to sphincter of Oddi dysfunction may be a cause of poor gallbladder evacuation observed on quantitative cholescintigraphy. In this study, the relationship of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction to the gallbladder ejection fraction by quantitative cholescintigraphy was explored. Eighty-one patients with biliary-type pain and otherwise normal evaluations underwent quantitative cholescintigraphy, sphincter of Oddi manometry, and ERCP. Abnormalities of stimulated quantitative cholescintigraphy and/or sphincter of Oddi manometry were present in 70% of this study group. Manometric evidence of sphincter dysfunction was present in patients with similar frequency irrespective of the degree of gallbladder evacuation. In conclusion, abnormalities of quantitative cholescintigraphy and sphincter manometry appear to be independent factors, although frequent findings in this patient population.

Adolescent↗