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Biomedical subjects

W Mohr

Publications and source records attributed to W Mohr.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Value of color-coded duplex ultrasound in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica without signs of temporal arteritis].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have described characteristic sonographic signs in patients with manifest temporal arteritis (TA). It was the aim of this study to determine whether sonography can identify TA without clinical signs but biopsy evidence of giant-cell arteritis in patients with rheumatic polymyalgia (RP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 22 patients (14 women, 8 men; average age 67.4 +/- 9.1 years) with RP but no clinical signs of TA were prospectively examined for TA by colour-coded duplex sonography (ATL HDI 3000, linear 12-5 Mhz) before temporal artery biopsy was taken. If there was clinical suspicion of extratemporal involvement, other vessels were also examined selectively. The biopsy was taken from a site identified by the sonography. A definitive diagnosis of TA was made only if there was a positive biopsy. RESULTS: In seven of the 22 patients (32%) sonography showed an echo-poor halo around the lumen of the temporal artery. Five of these seven patients also had histological evidence of giant-cell arteritis. Conversely, all of the five patients had abnormal sonographic findings, namely a marked halo with a minimal thickness of 0.7 mm. Two of the five patients also had temporal artery stenosis, i.e. there was a 100% sensitivity and 80% specificity with respect to the halo sign in conformance with the histology. Two patients with TA were also shown sonographically to have stenosis in arteries of the shoulder girdle and arm. Stenoses in the renal and mesenteric arteries as well of the coeliac trunk were demonstrated in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: Colour-coded sonography with a high-frequency transducer head probably provides reliable diagnosis of TA in patients with RP, even in the absence of clinical signs of vascular inflammation. It remains to be proven whether sonography without biopsy is reliable enough for the diagnosis and treatment of asymptomatic TA.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Mixed tophi. Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals in gout tophi].

Calcification of tophi is a well-known secondary phenomenon in gout. Because there are no data available on the nature of the calcium component, light and scanning electron microscopic as well as X-ray microanalysis studies were performed on calcified tophi. In unstained histological slides, urate crystals were detected as negative birefringent needles; after incubation of the slides in distilled water, the urate crystals had disappeared, only positive birefringent calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals of different size remained. An identical result was obtained by scanning electron microscopy. By X-ray microanalysis, peaks for calcium and phosphorus were measured, indicating the presence of CPPD. The occurrence of CPPD crystals in urate tophi as well as in foreign body granulomata indicates that the occurrence of CPPD is not restricted to articular tissues. The biochemical mechanism leading to the appearance of these crystals remains unknown, but it may be assumed that an increase of connective tissue destruction may be responsible for this calcification process.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Recurrent aggressive angiomyxoma of the urinary bladder. Case report and review of the literature.

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare neoplasm which predominantly involves the female pelvis and perineum. Forty-four cases have been reported in the world literature, including 10 cases in men. To the best of our knowledge, the first case of recurrent aggressive angiomyxoma of the urinary bladder is presented here. Operative management, radiologic features and pathological findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Bacterial coxitis caused by Salmonella enteritidis. Case report and differential diagnostic considerations].

Secondary haematogenous joint involvement is seen in less than 1% of patients with Salmonella infections. These atypical infections are frequently encouraged by pre-existing local or systemic disease. We present a case of a patient with known alcohol abuse who developed a septic infection of her right hip requiring resection of the femoral head. Histologic analysis showed signs of pre-existing osteonecrosis probably induced by alcohol intake. Cartilage and bone were invaded and destructed by an aggressive granulation tissue. Initially, a biopsy evaluated without knowledge of the positive bacteriological result had been interpreted as indicative of a tumour. The onset, clinical course, diagnosis and therapy of joint involvement by Salmonella are discussed with regard to our case and the relevant literature. This case illustrates the necessity for clinicians to share all their information about the patient with the pathologist.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Spiral bundle nailing for subcapital humeral fractures: preliminary report of the method of Henning.

This is a preliminary report of 31 patients treated with Henning's spiral bundle nails for subcapital humeral fractures. Complications included motion restriction at the elbow joint (n = 4), elbow pain caused by pin migration (n = 2), misalignment attributable to incorrect reduction (n = 4), and redislocation attributable to improper technique (n = 1), humeral head perforation (n = 3), caudal subluxation of the humeral head (n = 3), and local infections at the insertion site (n = 1). Immobilization was 3 weeks on average. By using the scoring scheme of Constant and Murley, 11 patients showed a moderate result, whereas 19 patients had an excellent outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Radiation exposure to the hands and the thyroid of the surgeon during intramedullary nailing.

During 41 procedures of intramedullary nailing of femoral and tibial fractures, the primary surgeon and the first assistant wore ring dosimeters on their dominant index fingers. While the average fluoroscopy time per procedure was 4.6 min, the average dose of radiation to the dominant hand of the primary surgeon was 1.27 mSv and 1.19 mSv to the first assistant. The dose limit for the extremities is 500 mSv per year, as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Extrapolation of the mean dose of the primary surgeon and first assistant per procedure of 1.23 mSv leads to the result that the recommended dose limit of 500 mSv would only be exceeded if more than 407 intramedullary nailing procedures are carried out per year. The duration of fluoroscopy time correlated with the radiation dose to the hands of the surgeons, though it was determined by phantom measurements that the majority of radiation exposure occurred during brief exposures of the hands in the direct X-ray beam on the X-ray tube near side of the patient. In order to assess the surface doses of the thyroid gland to the primary surgeon with and without a lead shield, we performed in vitro measurements during operative procedures of the lower leg simulating different intraoperative situations under fluoroscopic control. The average registered ionizing dosage without a thyroid shield was approximately 70 times higher than with thyroid lead protection. In a previous study we found average fluoroscopy times during intramedullary nailing of the tibia and femur of 4.6 min per procedure. Extrapolation of this value leads to the result, that even when 1000 intramedullary nailings were carried out without wearing lead protection, only 13 per cent of the dose limit recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for the thyroid of 300 mSv per year would be reached; by wearing the lead protection only 0.2 per cent of the recommended dose would be reached.

Femoral Fractures↗
PubMed1997

[Effectiveness of lead thyroid shield for reducing roentgen ray exposure in trauma surgery interventions of the lower leg].

The occupational radiation exposure of trauma surgeons has increased over the last few years as a result of biologic orthopaedic procedures like intramedullary nailing as closed reduction and insertion of distal interlocking screws need fluoroscopic control. In order to assess the surface doses of the primary surgeon with and without lead shield of the thyroid we performed in vitro measurements during operative procedures of the lower extremities simulating different intraoperative situations under fluoroscopic control. The average registered ionizing dosage without thyroid shield was 70 times higher compared to the measurements with thyroid protection. In a previous study we found average fluoroscopy times during intramedullary nailing of tibia and femur of 4.6 min per procedure. Extrapolation of this value leads to the result, that even when 1000 intramedullary nailings were carried out without wearing lead protection, 13% of the dose limit recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for the thyroid of 300 mSv per year would not be exceeded, whereas by wearing the lead protection only 0.2% of the recommended dose would be reached.

Body Burden↗
PubMed1997

Glomus tumor with diffuse infiltration of the quadriceps muscle: a case report.

A case of a diffuse growing glomus tumor with interstitial infiltration of the musculus vastus medialis and intermedius (quadriceps muscle) in a 21-year-old woman is reported. The tumor was diagnosed by needle biopsy and then removed with wide margins. The typical histological appearance and the immunohistochemical findings in the resected specimen confirmed the diagnosis. Histogenesis and the biological behavior of glomus tumors are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Status and perspectives of quality assurance in socialized medical services].

Quality, quality assurance, and quality management are becoming more and more dominating topics in German public health. Quality is named as the most important goal of medical care in the public health related political discussions of physicians, hospitals, health insurances, and politicians but is affected by differences in political, economical, medical, and particular interests. To avoid a single-sided discussion about questions of quality (only with the goal of increasing efficiency and reducing costs), the society of physicians of Germany and the society of panel physicians published a common stock of 10 theses about medical quality assurance and quality improvement in the spring of 1996: (1) Medical quality assurance and quality improvement serve the patient. (2) Medical quality assurance and quality improvement do not primarily serve the improvement of economic efficiency. (3) Quality assurance programs have to be problem oriented and coordinated; quality in the ambulant and hospital setting cannot be different. (4) The appropriateness of quality assurance programs has to be evaluated firmly. (5) Transparency, communication, and cooperation are prerequisites of a successful quality assurance and quality improvement. (6) Comprehensive internal quality assurance is the foundation of continuous quality improvement. (7) External quality assurance should initiate the development of procedures for internal quality assurance. (8) Quality assurance has a chance for realization only if it is carried by the conviction and the effort of every participant to perform at relatively high quality, to subject his own doing to continuous checks and improvement, and to compare with others. (9) Quality has it's price. (10) Quality assurance and continuous quality improvement are the cornerstones of a quality policy in public health. The current situation and future developments of quality assurance in ambulant health care are discussed in this paper.

Forecasting↗
PubMed1997

[Quality assurance in radiology].

This review goes into important rules that users of radiology devices have to deal with. The legal requirements, the standards of the medical and common self-administration are seen from the view of quality improvement, and the overlapping of the different areas are made clear. Big and important parts could not be taken into account in this review as they might be state or even community dependent. It is almost impossible for one physician to get access to all these informations. Therefore, it seems to make sense to offer a focused description which allows an overall view on the current status of norms. It is supposed to encourage further contributions to achieve reasonable and commonly accepted procedures in order to prevent mostly unobjective criticism against this important diagnostic tool.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1997

[Recommendation for guidelines in allergology as a measure in quality assurance].

Since several problems have been identified in the area of allergology, the Medical Office of Quality Assurance was asked to make an analysis of deficits and provide a suggestion to remove such deficits in the frame of guidelines. A group of experts investigated the current state of care in different aspects, by using a consensus conference, worked out a common concept of allergologic diagnostics and therapy consisting of a three stage model. This concept was introduced to the public and was forwarded in a final version to the German society of physicians and the society of health insurances.

Germany↗
PubMed1996

[The pathogenesis of joint destruction in chronic polyarthritis].

Joint destruction, a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis, is described with respect to different mechanisms: destruction by inflammatory cells of the synovial fluid, pannus tissue and even ischemic bone necroses. Destruction via the synovial fluid is due to polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) that can invade the pannus-free cartilage surface. In the absence of anti-proteases as a result of direct contact between the PMN and cartilage, enzymatic degradation can occur. Pannus tissue usually develops from the synovial insertion. Increased cellular proliferation in this area leads to a superficial pannus tissue that covers the cartilage (Fig. 4b); granulation tissue from the synovial insertion can destroy cortical bone and invade the subchondral tissue. The problem of isolated subchondral inflammatory foci is briefly discussed. The effector cells of cartilage destruction are identified as macrophages, PMN, and mast cells -cells that produce or activate destructive enzymes. Bone destruction is due to osteoclasts and even macrophages. Acute destruction via the granulation tissue may be followed by defect healing-scar tissue or chondroid metaplastic tissue can be present in the final stages of the disease. Ischemic bone necrosis leading to pseudocysts may also contribute to joint destruction.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1996

[Radiation burden to the hands of surgeons in intramedullary nailing].

During 41 procedures of intramedullary nailing of femoral and tibial fractures the primary surgeon and the first assistant wore ring dosimeters on their dominant index fingers. While the average fluoroscopy time per procedure was 4.6 min the average dose of radiation to the dominant hand of the primary surgeon was 1.27 mSv and 1.19 mSv to the first assistant. The dose limit for the extremities is 500 mSv per year recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Extrapolation of the average dose of the primary surgeon and first assistant per procedure of 1.23 mSv leads to the result, that the recommended dose limit of 500 mSv would only be exceeded if more than 407 intramedullary nailing procedures are carried out per year. The duration of fluoroscopy-time correlated with the radiation dose of the hands of the surgeons, though it was determined by phantom measurements that the majority of radiation exposure occurred during brief exposures of the hands in the direct X-ray beam on the X-ray tube near side of the patient.

Body Burden↗
PubMed1995

Tissue characterisation of atherosclerotic carotid plaques by MRI.

Carotid artery plaques with intraplaque haemorrhage or atheromatous debris have been found to be associated with an increased risk of embolic stroke. Other methods have failed to detect plaque morphology, and it is not clear whether MRI allows differentiation between prognostically and therapeutically relevant plaque types. We examined 17 carotid bifurcation plaques which had been removed in toto by MRI. For quantifying MR signal intensities (I) the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was used: (ITissue-IRef)/SDRef, with normal saline (0.9%) as reference (Ref) and the standard deviation (SD) of the noise. Measurements were correlated with the histopathological appearance of "simple plaques", consisting of fibrous intimal thickening, lipid deposits and/or atheromatous tissue with cholesterol crystals, largely calcified plaques, and "complicated plaques", containing recent intramural haemorrhage or friable atheromatous debris. Significantly different mean CNR could be measured in the three plaque types on T1- and T2-weighted sequences (p < 0.00001) and using the FLASH pulse sequence with a flip angle of 15 degrees (p < 0.001). With the T1-weighted sequence simple plaques showed a CNR of 4.4 +/- 2.3, calcified plaques -4.8 +/- 2.6 and complicated plaques 15.1 +/- 4.3. Using this technique, each single plaque could be correctly classified, an unalterable prerequisite for a clinical application. To date, motion artefacts due to patient movement or insufficiently triggerable vessel pulsation in combination with relative long acquisition times (6-7 min) have limited in vivo investigations. If these problems could be overcome, MRI might become a valuable technique for studying carotid plaque morphology.

Calcinosis↗
PubMed1995

Diagnosis and management of laryngeal obstruction in childhood pachyonychia congenita.

Pachyonychia congenita is a genetic syndrome of epithelial dysplasia. In infants and young children, laryngeal involvement can present a life threatening complication: obstruction of the patient's airway due to leukokeratosis can lead to severe respiratory distress. This report concentrates on the diagnosis and successful microsurgical management of laryngeal obstruction in the first female case, a 19-month-old girl with pachyonychia congenita.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed1995

[Radiation exposure in diagnostic CT: comparison between spiral CT and standard CT].

CT-Dose-Index of Standard-CT corresponds to CT-Dose-Effect-Index of Spiral-CT. Spiral-CT provides a continuous data acquisition with well balanced dose profiles. Increasing pitch reduces radiation dose and nevertheless an unbroken reconstruction of scanned volume is possible. In contrast to Standard-CT, small parts at both ends of the volume scan are not reconstructed. Volume-Dose-Index therefore is elevated in short scan times but corresponds to that of Standard-CT in long scan times. 1 mm slices cause more radiation exposure due to their broadened dose profiles.

Equipment Design↗