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CT evaluation of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

CT findings in 19 patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were compared retrospectively with pathologic findings and the results of palpation. The carcinoma appeared as a large mass of low attenuation accompanied by dense calcification in 58% of the patients; there was necrosis in 74%. Often, adjacent structures were infiltrated. CT correctly showed tumor invasion of the carotid artery (7/7), internal jugular vein (9/10), larynx (5/6), trachea (8/10), esophagus (4/5), mediastinum (5/5), and regional lymph nodes (14/16). Seven patients (50%) had necrotic nodes. CT was superior to palpation in the detection of a primary tumor in one patient and of metastatic nodes in seven patients. It suggested a suitable place for biopsy in two patients, leading to a correct diagnosis. CT altered surgical planning in five patients with intrathoracic extension of the thyroid tumor, and in three patients with laryngeal or esophageal invasion of the tumor. CT can increase diagnostic accuracy in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma by suggesting a likely diagnosis and by indicating an appropriate site for biopsy. It is indispensable in the planning of surgery for patients with this disorder.

Adult↗

Subjective and objective measurements of postoperative pain in cats.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of various subjective and objective measurements to determine the presence and degree of postoperative pain in cats. DESIGN: Randomized controlled prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: 18 healthy client-owned cats. PROCEDURE: Cats were randomly assigned to 3 groups of 6: control, tenectomy, and onychectomy. Jugular catheters were placed the day prior to surgery. All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon, and all observations were made by the same blinded trained observer. One hour prior to surgery and at assigned intervals for 36 hours after surgery, heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature were measured. Scores were assigned for 3 interaction responses, including response to palpation, by use of simple descriptive scales, and to 2 pain assessments by use of visual analogue scales. Blood was collected to measure plasma beta-endorphin and cortisol concentrations. Butorphanol was administered to all cats before surgery and to any cat subjectively assessed to be experiencing pain after surgery. RESULTS: Only visual analogue scale scores and response to palpation scores differed significantly between control and surgical groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Determination of the presence of pain in cats can be made on the basis of observation and interaction by a trained observer. Physiologic measurements, including plasma cortisol and beta-endorphin concentrations, did not differentiate between control cats and cats that underwent surgery.

Analgesics, Opioid↗

Clinical tests for ankle syndesmosis injury: reliability and prediction of return to function.

Despite the severity of ankle syndesmosis injuries, it has been argued that they are relatively poorly detected. This study investigated the interrater reliability of four orthopaedic tests for ankle syndesmosis injury and assessed their ability to predict the extended recovery times that have been reported as a consequence of this injury. Nine physiotherapists, working in random pairings, examined 53 subjects, all receiving treatment for ankle injury at two private clinics. Each subject was tested by two physiotherapists who independently performed the palpation test, external rotation test, squeeze test, and dorsiflexion-compression test. Kappa coefficient testing indicated that the external rotation test had the best interrater reliability (kappa = 0.75). The squeeze test was found to have moderate reliability (kappa = 0.50), and the palpation and dorsiflexion-compression tests both had only fair reliability (kappa = 0.36). The degree of pair-wise association between the results of the four tests was low (phi < or = 0.30 for all test combinations), suggesting that if all four tests were performed on the same subject, it was not likely that they would achieve similar results. Follow-up interviews were conducted to determine the time taken for subjects to walk 10 m without pain and, for sports injuries, the time taken to return to training and then to competition. For each test, Mann-Whitney U values showed no significant difference between the recovery times of subjects with positive or negative test results, although subjects with recovery times markedly longer than normal were detected by three of the four tests. When an either/or combination of the external rotation and dorsiflexion-compression tests was considered, subjects with a positive test result took significantly longer to return to playing sports.

Adolescent↗

Pregnancy diagnosis in the ewe.

A total of 378 ewe lambs were evaluated for signs of pregnancy using five methods of detection. The methods used were breeding mark, rectal-abdominal palpation, an intrarectal Doppler instrument and two ultrasonic devices, the Scanoprobe and Scanopreg (Model 738) for sheep. Accuracies of pregnancy diagnosis based on grease marks at mating vs lambing results were 65.7% in 1976 and 75.5% in 1977 (P less than .05). Accuracy of diagnosis using the rectal-abdominal palpation technique was 62.7%. The overall accuracy on the same ewes using the intrarectal Doppler device was 72.7%. The ewes were examined when they were from 60 to 96 d of gestation using the two rectal probes. Seven ewes died from peritonitis and six aborted following pregnancy detection using the rectal instruments. Accuracy using the Scanoprobe device was 89.1% for ewe lambs that ranged from 69 to 103 d pregnant. The total accuracy achieved when the same ewes were evaluated at 78 to 112 d of gestation using the Scanopreg device was 94.8%.

Animals↗

Radiographic and clinical survey of degenerative joint disease in the distal tarsal joints in Icelandic horses.

The prevalence of degenerative joint disease (DJD) in the distal tarsal joints and the relation between radiographic and clinical signs compatible with the disease were estimated in a population of Icelandic horses used for riding. The material consisted of 614 horses age 6-12 years (mean age = 7.9 years). Radiographs with 3 projections of each tarsus were made and a clinical examination, including palpation of the medial aspect of the distal tarsus and motion evaluation of the hindlimbs before and after a flexion test of the tarsus, was performed. Radiographic signs of DJD in the distal tarsal joints were found in 30.3% of the horses and the prevalence was strongly correlated with age. Hindlimb lameness before and after flexion test and palpation abnormalities were significantly associated with the radiographic findings. The lameness was usually mild and, in most cases, detectable only after the flexion test. The prevalence of lameness was not significantly correlated with age. Lameness could not be predicted by details of the radiographic findings.

Age Factors↗

A study of an electrodiagnostic technique for the evaluation of equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy.

The electrodiagnostic measurement of the thoracolaryngeal reflex (TLR) ('slap test') latency was compared to 5 other diagnostic techniques used for evaluation of laryngeal function, namely laryngeal muscle palpation, resting and immediately postexercise endoscopic examinations, and palpable and endoscopic responses to the TLR. Compared to resting endoscopy, the electrodiagnostic measurement of TLR latency was not found to be an accurate test for the evaluation of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), nor was laryngeal muscle palpation or the endoscopic response to the TLR. Twenty-five (71%) of 35 Clydesdale horses examined were affected by RLN; 16 (46%) had mild, 5 (14%) moderate, 3 (9%) severe hemiparesis and 1 (3%) had total laryngeal paralysis. Within these 35 horses, physical traits such as height or neck length did not correlate with the incidence or severity of RLN. Ten control ponies showed no evidence of abnormal laryngeal function.

Animals↗

Diclofenac sodium as an alternative treatment of temporomandibular joint pain.

In a double-blind study, diclofenac sodium (Voltaren), 50 mg two or three times a day, was compared with placebo in 32 patients with pain localized to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The patients were allocated into two equally large groups. A visual analog scale was used to estimate the pretreatment degree of pain. The treatment effect was assessed as the frequency of joint and muscle pain and by the patients' own evaluation of improvement. The change in the clinical condition was assessed by tenderness to palpation of the TMJ and masticatory muscles and by mandibular mobility. The frequency of TMJ pain showed a greater reduction in the diclofenac group than in the placebo group, and there was a significant reduction of daily TMJ pain in the diclofenac group. The diclofenac group also showed a significant decrease in tenderness to palpation of the masticatory muscles in comparison with the placebo group. The patients with short duration of pain showed the best response to diclofenac. There was no evidence in this study to prove that diclofenac should be used as a primary treatment of TMJ pain, but it could be used as a complement to other treatments of acute TMJ pain.

Adult↗

Defining and diagnosing postpartum clinical endometritis and its impact on reproductive performance in dairy cows.

The objectives of this study were to validate diagnostic criteria for clinical endometritis in postpartum dairy cows and to measure the impact of endometritis on reproductive performance. Data were collected from 1865 cows in 27 herds, including history of dystocia, twins, retained placenta, or metritis. All cows were examined once between 20 and 33 d in milk (DIM) including external inspection, vaginoscopy, and transrectal palpation of the cervix, uterus, and ovaries. All cows were followed for a minimum of 7 mo or until pregnancy or culling. Survival analysis was used to derive a case definition of endometritis based on factors associated with increased time to pregnancy. The significance of clinical findings depended on the interval postpartum when examination took place. The presence of purulent uterine discharge or cervical diameter > 7.5 cm after 20 DIM, or mucopurulent discharge after 26 DIM identified cows with clinical endometritis. Given vaginoscopy, no diagnostic criteria based on palpation of the uterus had predictive value for time to pregnancy. The prevalence of clinical endometritis was 16.9%. Vaginoscopy was required to identify 44% of these cases. Accounting for parity, herd, and ovarian status, cows with clinical endometritis between 20 and 33 DIM had a hazard ratio of 0.73 for pregnancy (took 27% longer to become pregnant), and were 1.7 times more likely to be culled for reproductive failure than cows without endometritis.

Animals↗

Relationships among international body condition scoring systems.

Scoring body condition and assessing changes in the body condition of dairy cattle have become strategic tools in both farm management and research. Consequently, body condition score (BCS) is being researched extensively throughout the world. However, international sharing, comparing, and use of data generated are limited because different BCS systems exist. In the United States and Ireland a 5-point BCS system is used for dairy cows, whereas Australia and New Zealand use 8- and 10-point scales, respectively. The New Zealand 10-point scale was compared with the scoring systems in the United States, Ireland, and Australia by trained assessors. Cows were assessed visually in the United States and Australia, and in Ireland, cows were assessed by palpating key areas of the cow's body (n = 154, 110, and 120, respectively). Data were analyzed by regression. Significant positive linear relationships were found between the New Zealand 10-point scale and the other scoring systems: US 5-point scale, r(2) = 0.54; Irish 5-point scale, r(2) = 0.72; and Australian 8-point scale, r(2) = 0.61. Those relationships must be interpreted cautiously because respective BCS within a given country were by just one experienced evaluator in each country in comparison to a separate evaluator scoring all cows in all counties using the New Zealand 10-point scale. Also, few very thin or very fat cows limit evaluation across extremes of BCS. However, differences between systems were not accurately predicted by simple mathematical calculations. The relationship may be closer for New Zealand and Ireland (r(2) = 0.72) because both of those scoring systems include palpation of individual body parts, whereas visual evaluation is done in Australia and the United States. The current study is the first to examine relationships among differing BCS systems. These results may be useful for comparing/extrapolating research findings from different countries.

Adipose Tissue↗

The role of transrectal ultrasound in the early detection of prostate cancer.

Transrectal ultrasound allows tissue characterization of normal and abnormal internal anatomy of the prostate and therefore provides valuable information for the study of prostate cancer. In an early-detection program setting, the hypoechoic lesion proved to be twice as sensitive as a palpable abnormality in predicting the presence of cancer; for every two cancers detected by transrectal ultrasound, one was detected by digital rectal examination. When the presence of a hypoechoic lesion was the criterion for biopsy in a clinical setting, 41 percent proved to be cancer. Sixty-eight percent of these cancers were palpable; thus, for every four cancers detected by transrectal ultrasound, three were detected by digital rectal examination. Hence, in our diagnostic settings, transrectal ultrasound is more sensitive than digital rectal examination. Because transrectal ultrasound can measure tumor size and offer information regarding tumor spread, we recommend that transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy be performed first on all palpable lesions. Up to 50 percent of negative biopsies guided by palpation have subsequently proved to be cancer with transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy. If transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of a palpable lesion does not reveal cancer, however, a biopsy guided by palpation should be performed. Strategic transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy for staging should be performed to obtain tissue from areas where microscopic extracapsular tumor extension is likely to be present. Based on presently available evidence, broader implementation and evaluation of transrectal ultrasound, a tool to be complemented by digital rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen, is advocated for the early detection of prostate cancer. It is hoped that the use of transrectal ultrasound will lead to increased survival, with good quality of life, in a cost-effective manner, for men at increasing risk from prostate cancer in the aging national population.

Aged↗

Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in men ages 60 to 80 years. A cost-effectiveness analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of screening by physical examination or abdominal ultrasonography for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in men aged 60 to 80 years. DATA SOURCES: A systematic review of the pertinent literature by the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination, augmented by an additional computerized search (MEDLINE) and references identified from bibliographies of pertinent articles. Several experts reviewed the data for completeness. STUDY SELECTION: Published English-language studies that present data relevant to screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm. DATA EXTRACTION: Several reviewers determined a range of data and the most probable value for each parameter. DATA SYNTHESIS: A computer spreadsheet model was constructed to simulate the costs and effectiveness of various screening protocols in a cohort of 10,000 men during a period of 20 years. The primary cost-effectiveness measure computed was incremental present-value dollar expenditures for screening and treatment per incremental present-value life-year saved by the screening program. Using the "most probable" values for the simulation parameters, a single screening procedure of abdominal palpation followed by abdominal ultrasound scan for patients with positive screening results is estimated to gain 20 life-years at a cost of $28,741 per life-year. A single ultrasound screen gains 57 life-years at a cost of $41,550 per life-year. A repeated ultrasound screen after 5 years gains 1 additional life-year at a cost of $906,769. CONCLUSIONS: A single screen for AAA by abdominal palpation in men from age 60 to 80 years might be considered cost-effective but of small benefit. A single screen with ultrasonography is at the high end of the cost-per-life-year range that might be considered cost-effective and also is of modest benefit. Repeated screening is not cost-effective.

Aged↗

Reliability of tuberculin skin test measurement.

BACKGROUND: Important management decisions depend on results of the tuberculin skin test. However, the test is subject to several potential errors, and its reliability has not been adequately studied. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the reliability of tuberculin skin testing. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 96 persons who received a tuberculin skin test. MEASUREMENTS: Ballpoint-pen and palpation measures of induration. RESULTS: Global intra- and interobserver reliability coefficients of the ballpoint-pen technique were high. Five percent of the time, however, a second measurement by the same observer could be at least 2.7 mm less to 3.0 mm more than the first measurement and the measurement from the second observer could be at least 3.4 mm less to 3.7 mm more than the measurement from the first observer. This could lead to the reclassification of a positive test result as negative or vice versa. The area of imprecision was 38% less broad for the ballpoint-pen technique than for the palpation technique. CONCLUSION: Reading of tuberculin skin tests may frequently result in misclassifications when measurements are close to the cutoff point that separates negative from positive results.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗

[Epidemiologic investigation on the prevalence of goiter and urinary excretion of iodine in the school population of the province of Reggio Emilia].

The prevalence of goiter was evaluated in a sample from the schoolchildren population of Reggio Emilia district. 1020 children underwent physical examination of thyroid gland and thyroid ultrasonography for determination of thyroid volume. Urinary iodine excretion (UIE) was measured in 837/1020 (82.1%). Iodine content was measured in water samples collected from 65 wells and 12 springs all around the district. The prevalence of goiter according to thyroid gland palpation was 26.2%. Thyroid volume was 4.74 +/- 1.87 ml, and the median UIE value 85 micrograms/l. According to the UIE classes as defined by WHO, 57.8% of all subjects showed a UIE less than 100 micrograms/l. In 57 out of 65 wells and in all the 12 springs examined, iodine was completely absent. In the remaining 8 wells, only iodine traces were found. Based on the results of physical examination of the thyroid gland, Reggio Emilia district should be regarded as an endemic goiter area. Nevertheless, thyroid volume measurement by ultrasound indicates that goiter prevalence may be markedly overestimated by palpation. The high prevalence of subjects featuring an increased thyroid volume, the low median UIE value and the poor iodine content in the local reservoirs of drinkable water suggest the opportunity for iodine prophylaxis in the Reggio Emilia district.

Adolescent↗

[Goiter prevalence and urinary excretion of iodine in a sample of school age children in the city of Rome].

The aim of the study was the assessment of the urinary iodine excretion and the evaluation of thyroid volume compared with clinical examination in 1040 schoolchildren (6-14 years old), living in Rome. Mean urinary iodine excretion was 98.52 +/- 49.81 micrograms/l (median 92 micrograms/l). Thyroid enlargement, as assessed by palpation, was found to be grade 1A in 35.4% of the children, grade 1B in 9.6% and grade 2 in 0.2%. Thyroid volume, determined by ultrasound, increased with age, was significantly correlated with body surface area and was significantly higher in females, as compared to males, in the 11 and 12 years old group. Eleven children (1.9%) were negative at palpation (grade 0) but showed thyroid enlargement by ultrasound. The prevalence of goiter determined by ultrasound resulted to be 4.7%.

Adolescent↗

Clinical examination for abdominal aortic aneurysm in general practice: report from the Medical Research Council's General Practice Research Framework.

At the time of the 1992-1994 annual reviews in the thrombosis prevention trial, general practitioners (GPs) carried out clinical examination for aneurysms by abdominal palpation in 4171 men. When an aneurysm was suspected, the patient was referred to hospital for further investigation. Aneurysm was suspected in 60 men (1.4%) and confirmed in 25 (0.6%), the mean diameter of confirmed aneurysms being 5.0 cm (range = 3.1-8.0 cm). Of the 25 men in whom aneurysm was confirmed, 10 (40%) underwent elective surgery and one died while under investigation. Examination by abdominal palpation for aortic aneurysm, which is not widely used in either general practice or in hospital practice, other than vascular surgery, is clinically worthwhile even though not all aneurysms will be detected by this means.

Aged↗

Material property determination of sub-surface objects in a viscoelastic environment.

Modeling human organs and soft tissue or anatomic regions for the purpose of medical training and simulation is a relatively new area. The data presented here is the groundwork for our ongoing development of a real-time haptic virtual environment for abdominal soft tissue palpation. The purpose of modeling the human abdomen is twofold. First, to provide a mathematical description of soft tissue and organs and second, to simulate the behavior of realistic interactions in real-time within a virtual environment. We have developed a, non-invasive, system that will allow us to determine mathematical functions that model the deformation of individual layers of soft tissue within the human abdomen. This system has been tested, experimentally, with a viscoelastic polyester foam model. We have been able to determine the stiffness and force/displacement function of an object beneath two layers of foam having different material characteristics. These experimental results correlate well with known polyester foam material characteristics. In general, the calculated stiffness constants were within 5% of the actual value. The data presented in this study shows that this system may be a viable tool for accurate measurement of human soft tissue properties and behavioral response to palpation.

Abdomen↗

[The value of endoscopic ultrasound examination for tongue neoplasms].

The aim of the paper was to assess the value of endoral ultrasound in tongue tumors diagnostics. It was performed by the evaluation of the tumor advancement and its comparison with palpation, assessment of neoplastic tissue infiltration, detection of satellite foci surrounding the main tumor mass. Endoral ultrasound vs transcutaneous ultrasound was compared. Follow-up by means of transoral ultrasound was applied. The limitations of the method were presented. 65 patients with tongue tumors, treated in ENT Department K. Marcinkowski University School of Medical Sciences between 1995-1999 were under study. 9 patients with suspicion of local recurrence were included to the examined group. Not able value of the method was proved. In 81.5% of cases the method occurred to be much more precise than palpation and revealed the bigger dimension of the tumor then stated clinically. The satellite foci and small lesions, not possible to be detect by means of transcutaneous ultrasound, were find out and thanks to it treated radically. This method allows to differentiate the scarred and neoplastic tissue, especially in patients with clinical suspicion of relapse. The limitations of the method: trismus, big extension of the lesion, surface bleeding and gag reflex are to be listed.

Adult↗

Is a palpable short saphenous vein a useful clinical sign in varicose vein assessment?

The short saphenous vein (SSV) may be palpable in the popliteal fossa in patients with varicose veins. A prospective study has been carried out to determine the significance of this sign in the presence of primary varicose veins. The SSV was assessed by palpation of the popliteal fossa with the knee slightly flexed. Hand-held Doppler insonation (HHD) was also used in the out-patient clinic. All patients had SSV assessment by duplex scanning. One hundred and sixty legs were examined. In 68 the SSV was palpable; 39 (57%) of these had SSV reflux on duplex examination. When the SSV was not palpable (92 legs), only 1% (1 leg) refluxed on duplex scanning. SSV palpability had a 98% sensitivity, 75% specificity, 57% positive predictive value (PPV), and 99% negative predictive value (NPV). In comparison, HHD had 80% sensitivity, 87% specificity, 67% PPV and 93% NPV. The combined tests had 78% sensitivity, 73% specificity, 76% PPV and 100% NPV. Palpation of the SSV is a valuable part of clinical examination. If the SSV is not palpable, it is unlikely to reflux.

Adult↗