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Primary total hip reconstruction with a titanium fiber-coated prosthesis inserted without cement.

A prospective study was done of the intermediate-term clinical and radiographic results of 121 total hip arthroplasties in which a Harris-Galante porous titanium-fiber-coated prosthesis was inserted without cement in 110 patients. The average age at the time of the operation was forty-nine years (range, twenty to seventy years). The average duration of follow-up was sixty-seven months (range, fifty-five to seventy-nine months). The average preoperative Harris hip score was 55 points, and the average postoperative score was 93 points. One acetabular component was revised due to recurrent dislocation. Eleven femoral implants were unstable, and of these, four were revised. Cortical erosion was present around the distal part of the femoral stem in nine patients (8 per cent) who had stable implants, and one of these femoral implants was revised because the erosion was extensive. Survivorship analysis at five years revealed a 97 per cent chance of survival (95 per cent confidence limit, 0.937 to 1.0) of the Harris-Galante femoral-stem implant inserted without cement.

Acetabulum↗

Operative treatment of primary synovial osteochondromatosis of the hip.

BACKGROUND: Primary synovial osteochondromatosis of the hip, a rare benign condition characterized by multiple intra-articular osteochondral loose bodies and synovial hyperplasia, may result in mechanical symptoms and degenerative arthritis if untreated. The purpose of this study was to report the results of arthrotomy alone or combined with anterior dislocation of the hip to perform synovectomy and removal of loose bodies in patients with this condition. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of twenty-one patients (twenty-one hips) with primary synovial osteochondromatosis of the hip treated with open surgical débridement. On the basis of the extent of extra-articular involvement as seen on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging, eight of the twenty-one patients underwent synovectomy and removal of loose bodies following anterior dislocation of the hip and thirteen underwent the same procedure with arthrotomy alone. At a mean of 4.4 years postoperatively, the patients were assessed clinically and radiographically with special attention to disease recurrence, osteoarthritis progression, and surgical complications. RESULTS: The mean Harris hip score for the entire series of patients improved from 58 points preoperatively to 91 points at the time of the latest follow-up. Eighteen of the twenty-one patients had a good or excellent clinical result, and seventeen patients were satisfied with the result of the surgery. The clinical scores, patient satisfaction scores, and radiographic grades of osteoarthritis at the time of the latest follow-up did not differ significantly between the group treated with dislocation and the group treated without dislocation. Symptomatic disease recurred in two of the thirteen hips treated with arthrotomy alone and in none of the hips that had undergone dislocation. However, the surgical complication rate was higher in the group treated with dislocation than it was in the group treated without dislocation (p = 0.042). While patients with some signs of mild osteoarthritis at the initial procedure had a higher rate of osteoarthritis progression, severe osteoarthritis requiring arthroplasty had developed in only one patient at the time of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: At a mean of 4.4 years postoperatively, we found that open synovectomy and removal of loose bodies for the treatment of primary synovial osteochondromatosis of the hip is a reliable procedure that can effectively relieve symptoms. Our results also indicated that synovial osteochondromatosis may recur in patients with extensive involvement who are treated with synovectomy alone without dislocation of the hip; however, surgical complications are more likely to occur in patients managed with anterior dislocation of the hip and synovectomy.

Adolescent↗

[Executive functioning in unipolar depression: a review].

While several neuropsychological studies have demonstrated that cognitive deficits are seen across a broad range of cognitive domains, executive deficits associated with frontal lobe dysfunction may be prominent in depression. Executive function refers to cognitive processes that control and integrate other cognitive activities such as episodic memory. These executive functions involve a set of cognitive behaviors which include: dealing with novelty, selecting strategies, inhibiting incorrect responses, monitoring performance and using feedback to adjust future responding. The measurement of executive function relies mainly on the use of neuropsychological tests known to be sensitive to frontal lobe damage such as the Wisconsin and California Card Sorting Tests, verbal fluency tests, Stroop-test, Tower of London Task and Trail Making Test. The present review focuses on studies investigating executive functions in primary unipolar depression with these neuropsychological tasks. Unipolar depressed patients mainly exhibit cognitive inhibition deficits, problem-solving impairments and planning deficits. Cognitive inhibition deficits in depressed patients have been related to a reduction of cognitive resources and psychomotor retardation. Inhibition disturbance could lead depressed patients to process irrelevant information and consequently reduce their capacity to control transient mood changes. Several studies have found evidence of problem solving impairments in depressed patients. Depressed subjects show with card sorting tests difficulties in hypothesis testing with a loss of spontaneous and reactive cognitive flexibility. The cognitive rigidity and hypothesis-testing associated with dorsolateral prefrontal dysfunction in depression may prevent patients to cope with life events and lead to a perpetuation of depressed mood by a continuation of stress exposure. Planning tasks, such as the Tower of London Test, also demonstrate that depressed patients fail to use negative feedback as a motivational boost to improve their performance. Both trait and state factors influence the executive level of depressed patients. Executive deficits have been reported in more severely depressed subjects with melancholic or psychotic features. Executive functioning also might predict a poorer outcome in depression. Thus initiation and perseveration scores - a measure of cognitive flexibility - is associated with relapse and recurrence of depression and residual depressive symptoms. Brain imaging studies show that reduced blood flow, particularly in medial prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex subserve executive impairments in depression. However neuroimaging studies underscore the importance of mood-cognitive interactions in depression. A recent working model of depression (Mayberg et al., 1999) implicates failure of the coordinated interactions of distributed cortical-limbic pathways in the neuropsychopathology of depression. According to this model, neocortical (prefrontal and parietal regions) and superior limbic elements (dorsal anterior cingulate) are postulated to mediate impaired attention and executive function, whereas ventral limbic regions (ventral anterior cingulate, subcortical structures) are postulated to mediate circadian and vegetative aspects of depression. Further studies are needed to validate this model at the neuropsychological level as well as the brain level and to elucidate the complex interactions between mood, cognitive resources and executive function in depression.

Cognition Disorders↗

[Prognosis and prognostic factors of hemorrhage by rupture of varices in cirrhotic patients in the era of endoscopic sclerotherapy].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognosis and the determinants of survival in cirrhotics presenting with variceal bleeding. One hundred and ninety one consecutive patients with cirrhosis (alcoholic 93 percent) were enrolled between 1983 and 1988. Treatment was principally but not exclusively based on early endoscopic sclerotherapy. At admission all patients were classified according to Child-Pugh's classification (class A = 16 percent; class B = 53 percent; class C = 31 percent). The rebleeding rates at 48 hours and for the entire hospitalisation were 11 and 30 percent respectively. Actuarial survival rates were 45, 40, and 37 percent at 12, 18, and 36 months, respectively. Prognostic factors, as determined by uni- and multivariate analysis (Cox model), corresponded to Child-Pugh's score, to the five components, and the occurrence of early bleeding recurrence. This study also showed that: i) the role of Child-Pugh's classification on long-term prognosis is determined during the 3 months following index bleeding; ii) early rebleeding is a significant prognostic factor, particularly in Child-Pugh's class B patients; iii) there are few indicators of early rebleeding (serum albumin level, presence of gastric varices at initial endoscopy). Prognosis of variceal bleeding is still severe in cirrhosis but efforts made to prevent early bleeding recurrence seem to be fully justified.

Actuarial Analysis↗

[Skin tests as immunologic parameters in cervical cancer].

Immunological skin-tests in 158 patients admitted at the 1st Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University of Vienna, and in 25 healthy controls were done in a long-term prospective study. 123 examined patients were suffering from invasive cervical cancer stage I or Ii (group 1), 17 patients were suffering from preinvasive lesions of the cervix (group 2) and 18 patients were admitted for treatment of benign disorders (group 3). Recall-antigens--streptokinase-streptodornase (SKSD), purified protein derivate (PPD) and candida (CAND)--and a primary antigen (DNCB) were used testing cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity reactions. Preoperative total reactivity to recall-antigens calculated by a score was significantly reduced in cancer patients in comparison to other groups. Subdividing the cancer patients according to histological criteria of the malignancy we could find significantly differences in particular tests (SKSD and CAND) but not in total reactivity score. Comparing the preoperative reactivity of cancer patients with or without recurrence of malignancy within two years less pronounced differences were found. Reactivity to recall-antigens in all tests and in all patient groups were better three weeks after surgical treatment than preoperatively. The prior found differences between the groups remained significant (p less than 0,05). In contrast, cancer patients demonstrated severe anergy in postoperative DNCB sensitization test as only 1 of 33 patients exhibited normal hypersensitivity reaction. 113 out of 24 patients of group 2 and 3 (54%) demonstrated delayed hypersensitivity to DNCB in operative sensitization test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenoma↗

[Acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage: prevention of complications through intensive care].

During acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage patients with coexistent multimorbidity are at excessive risk. It seems to be reasonable to identify predominant cardiopulmonary risk factors and those risks induced by recurrent bleeding. Invasive haemodynamic monitoring and application of a pulmonary risk score could reduce the overall mortality in patients at higher risk. Intensive care management should preserve timing of elective surgical intervention in selected patients.

Aged↗

Quality-of-life after curative surgery for gastric cancer: a comparison between total gastrectomy and subtotal gastric resection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Quality-of-Life has become an increasingly important factor for long term survivors after surgery for gastric cancer. Quality-of Life also includes social and psychological aspects. Many gastric carcinomas are located in the distal two thirds of the stomach. In these cases, a subtotal gastric resection may be adequate if a proximal safety margin of 5 cm in intestinal type tumors according to Laurén and 10 cm in diffuse type cancers respectively can be achieved. On the other hand total gastrectomy "de principe" has been advocated for all gastric malignancies because of high local recurrence rates after subtotal resection. The aim of the present study was to assess the Quality-of-Life in long term survivors after resection for gastric cancer comparing subtotal gastric resection with total gastrectomy. METHODOLOGY: One hundred ninety-five patients were examined with the Gastrointestinal Quality-of-Life-Index (GLQI). Hard clinical data such as postoperative weight loss, frequency of daily meals and bowel emptying were evaluated. One hundred five patients were submitted for total gastrectomy and in 90 patients a subtotal gastric resection was performed. None of the patients had clinical, radiological or endoscopic evidence of recurrence. RESULTS: After subtotal gastric resection, patients achieved statistically significant better scores concerning disease/therapy-related symptoms, physical functions resulting in a better overall score (p < 0.02). Following subtotal resection, patients had a significantly lower weight loss compared to patients after total gastrectomy (p < 0.02), a smaller number of daily meals (p < 0.001) and a lower frequency of bowel emptying/day (p = 0.031). There was no statistically significant difference in emotional status or social activities showing a similar acceptance of disease and therapy in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In those cases where an adequate proximal safety margin can be achieved by a subtotal gastric resection, this procedure is preferable to a total gastrectomy. However preservation of the gastric stump should never be allowed to compromise oncological radicality.

Adult↗

A predictive model for relapse in high-risk primary breast cancer patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem-cell transplant.

High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) is currently under evaluation for high-risk primary breast cancer (HRPBC), defined by extensive axillary nodal involvement or inflammatory breast carcinoma. Phase II studies of HDCT for HRPBC show that 30-40% of patients eventually relapse. We retrospectively reviewed 176 patients enrolled in clinical trials of HDCT for HRPBC at the University of Colorado and analyzed 23 potential predictive variables for relapse. All of the patients received the same regimen, with cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and BCNU. Nine patients who experienced a toxic death were excluded from this analysis. The resulting predictive model was subsequently tested in an independent patient set treated at Duke University with the same HDCT regimen. Nodal ratio (number of involved nodes:number of sampled nodes), tumor size, grade, stage, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and clinical inflammatory breast carcinoma correlated with risk of relapse. Nodal ratio, tumor size, and the combined estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor status were independent predictors. A scoring system using those three variables determines the risk of relapse, with a sensitivity and specificity of 60 and 90%, respectively, and a positive and negative predictive value of 65 and 88%, respectively. The differences in relapse-free survival and overall survival between high- and low-score patients were highly significant (P<0.000001). This model was subsequently validated in the Duke patient set. This model can identify two subgroups of HRPBC patients with low (12%) and high (65%) risk for recurrence after HDCT. Future research that tests new therapies will focus on those patients with a high score.

Adult↗

A randomized, placebo-controlled 12-month trial of divalproex and lithium in treatment of outpatients with bipolar I disorder. Divalproex Maintenance Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Long-term outcomes are often poor in patients with bipolar disorder despite treatment; more effective treatments are needed to reduce recurrences and morbidity. This study compared the efficacy of divalproex, lithium, and placebo as prophylactic therapy. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group multicenter study of treatment outcomes was conducted over a 52-week maintenance period. Patients who met the recovery criteria within 3 months of the onset of an index manic episode (n = 372) were randomized to maintenance treatment with divalproex, lithium, or placebo in a 2:1:1 ratio. Psychotropic medications were discontinued before randomization, except for open-label divalproex or lithium, which were gradually tapered over the first 2 weeks of maintenance treatment. The primary outcome measure was time to recurrence of any mood episode. Secondary measures were time to a manic episode, time to a depressive episode, average change from baseline in Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Change Version subscale scores for depression and mania, and Global Assessment of Function scores. RESULTS: The divalproex group did not differ significantly from the placebo group in time to any mood episode. Divalproex was superior to placebo in terms of lower rates of discontinuation for either a recurrent mood episode or depressive episode. Divalproex was superior to lithium in longer duration of successful prophylaxis in the study and less deterioration in depressive symptoms and Global Assessment Scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: The treatments did not differ significantly on time to recurrence of any mood episode during maintenance therapy. Patients treated with divalproex had better outcomes than those treated with placebo or lithium on several secondary outcome measures.

Ambulatory Care↗

Gangliogliomas: a clinicopathological study of 25 cases and review of the literature.

The histopathological, clinical, and radiological findings in 25 patients (median age 20.5 years; range 1.7-64.2 years) with gangliogliomas were assessed to correlate degree of astrocytic anaplasia and proliferative potential with recurrence or survival. Most patients (64%) presented with seizures (median Karnofsky Performance Score 90%; range 70-100%). Computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed nonspecific abnormalities. Neoplastic ganglion cells were defined as heterotopic, irregularly grouped, or having more than one nucleus of bizarre shape or size. The astrocytic component was moderately anaplastic in 15 cases and highly anaplastic (HAA) in 10. Eight patients had gross total resection, 11 had subtotal resection, and six underwent biopsy. Ten patients (five gross total resection, three subtotal resection, two biopsy) had no further treatment, 15 underwent external irradiation, and five had adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-four patients are alive 15-394 weeks (median 203.5 weeks) postoperatively; one with ganglioglioma-HAA died at 65 weeks. No tumor recurred after gross total resection. Duration of preoperative symptoms < 1 year, greater anaplasia, and age > 30 years at diagnosis may have increased the risk of recurrence after subtotal resection or biopsy by four, three, and two times, respectively (not significant). Bromodeoxyuridine labeling index (BUdR LI) was < 1% in eight non-recurring tumors and 1.3% in another recurring twice (second recurrence LI = 1.6%). Most patients with ganglioglioma have a good prognosis. After gross total resection, only observation is required. After subtotal resection or biopsy, recurrence is possible. BUdR labeling may guide further therapy.

Adolescent↗

Prostate cancer involving the bladder neck: recurrence-free survival and implications for AJCC staging modification. American Joint Committee on Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: In the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system, prostate cancer involving the bladder neck after radical prostatectomy is considered pT4 disease, suggesting a high risk of recurrence. The recurrence risk with pathologic invasion of the bladder neck, however, has not been definitively compared with that associated with extra-organ disease. We therefore compared the recurrence risk in cases with bladder neck involvement with that of cases with extraprostatic extension and/or seminal vesicle invasion. METHODS: The study cohort was composed of 1123 men with clinically localized prostate cancer treated with prostatectomy as monotherapy. The preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, bladder neck involvement, margin positivity, Gleason score, and other pathologic categories were assessed as covariates contributing to the PSA-recurrence risk in univariate and multivariable models. RESULTS: Bladder neck involvement was found in 60 (5%) of 1123 cases. In univariate analysis, the bladder neck was the site-specific margin with the greatest PSA-recurrence risk of focal involvement (relative risk 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15 to 2.00, P = 0.0030). The PSA-recurrence relative risk with extraprostatic extension was 3.05 (95% CI 2.13 to 4.38, P <0.0001) and with seminal vesicle invasion was 8.59 (95% CI 5.76 to 12.82, P <0.0001). In the multivariable model, the PSA-recurrence risk with bladder neck involvement (relative risk 1.19, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.96, P = 0.5) was not a significant independent prognostic factor. Extraprostatic extension (relative risk 2.25, 95% CI 1.54 to 3.27, P <0.0001) and seminal vesicle invasion (relative risk 4.12, 95% CI 2.57 to 6.62, P <0.0001) were significant independent predictors of PSA recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Any staging system should be evidence based. The current AJCC system for staging bladder neck involvement, however, is contrary to the available evidence. Reclassification of bladder neck involvement as part of the pT3 category should be considered.

Analysis of Variance↗

Bronchodilation in infants with malacia or recurrent wheeze.

BACKGROUND: Controversy remains regarding the effectiveness of bronchodilators in wheezy infants. AIMS: To assess the effect of inhaled beta(2) agonists on lung function in infants with malacia or recurrent wheeze, and to determine whether a negative effect of beta(2) agonists on forced expiratory flow (V'(maxFRC)) is more pronounced in infants with airway malacia, compared to infants with wheeze. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed lung function data of 27 infants: eight with malacia, 19 with recurrent wheeze. Mean (SD) age was 51 (18) weeks. Mean V'(maxFRC) (in Z score) was assessed before and after inhalation of beta(2) agonists. RESULTS: Baseline V'(maxFRC) was below reference values for both groups. Following inhalation of beta(2) agonists the mean (95% CI) change in mean V'(maxFRC) in Z scores was -0.10 (-0.26 to 0.05) and -0.33 (-0.55 to -0.11) for the malacia and wheeze group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In infants with wheeze, inhaled beta(2) agonists caused a significant reduction in mean V'(maxFRC). Infants with malacia were not more likely to worsen after beta(2) agonists than were infants with recurrent wheeze.

Administration, Oral↗

The membrane-anchored matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) regulator RECK in combination with MMP-9 serves as an informative prognostic indicator for colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: RECK, a membrane-anchored regulator of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), is widely expressed in healthy tissue, whereas it is expressed at lower levels in many tumor-derived cell lines. Studies in mice and cultured cells have shown that restoration of RECK expression inhibits tumor invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. However, the clinical relevance of these findings remains to be fully documented. Here we examined the expression of RECK and one of its targets, MMP-9, in colorectal cancer tissue. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The RECK and MMP-9 expression levels in colorectal cancer samples from 53 patients were determined by immunohistochemical techniques. The expression level of each protein was scored, and the patients were divided into two groups based on these scores. In 33 cases, we performed gelatin zymography to estimate the degree of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activation. Microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression were also evaluated histologically. RESULTS: RECK protein was detected in 30 of 53 (56.6%) specimens. Importantly, patients with tumors expressing relatively high levels of RECK (high-RECK group) had a significantly lower risk of recurrence than did patients with tumors expressing relatively low levels of RECK (low-RECK group; P = 0.011). Moreover, RECK-dominant (RECK score > or = MMP-9 score) patients showed a significantly lower incidence of recurrence than did MMP-9-dominant patients (P = 0.0003). Multivariate analysis revealed that the RECK/MMP-9 balance was an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.0122). The expression of VEGF and microvessel density were inversely correlated with the level of RECK expression. CONCLUSIONS: RECK/MMP-9-balance is an informative prognostic indicator for colorectal cancer. Our data also suggest that RECK suppresses tumor angiogenesis, probably by limiting the availability of VEGF in tumor tissues.

Aged↗

Pion radiation for high grade astrocytoma: results of a randomized study.

PURPOSE: This study attempted to compare within a randomized study the outcome of pion radiation therapy vs. conventional photon irradiation for the treatment of high-grade astrocytomas. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighty-four patients were randomized to pion therapy (33-34.5 Gy pi), or conventional photon irradiation (60 Gy). Entry criteria included astrocytoma (modified Kernohan high Grade 3 or Grade 4), age 18-70, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) > or = 50, ability to start irradiation within 30 days of surgery, unifocal tumor, and treatment volume < 850 cc. The high-dose volume in both arms was computed tomography enhancement plus a 2-cm margin. The study was designed with the power to detect a twofold difference between arms. RESULTS: Eighty-one eligible patients were equally balanced for all known prognostic variables. Pion patients started radiation 7 days earlier on average than photon patients, but other treatment-related variables did not differ. There were no significant differences for either early or late radiation toxicity between treatment arms. Actuarial survival analysis shows no differences in terms of time to local recurrence or overall survival where median survival was 10 months in both arms (p = 0.22). The physician-assessed KPS and patient-assessed quality of life (QOL) measurements were generally maintained within 10 percentage points until shortly before tumor recurrence. There was no apparent difference in the serial KPS or QOL scores between treatment arms. CONCLUSION: In contrast to high linear energy transfer (LET) therapy for central nervous system tumors, such as neutron or neon therapy, the safety of pion therapy, which is of intermediate LET, has been reaffirmed. However, this study has demonstrated no therapeutic gain for pion therapy of glioblastoma.

Adult↗

Predicting postrecurrence survival among completely resected nonsmall-cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Survival after recurrence subsequent to complete resection of nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been considered a multifactorial process dependent on demographic, clinical, biological, and treatment characteristics. This study sought to quantify the prognostic effects of these characteristics on postrecurrence survival. METHODS: Three hundred ninety NSCLC patients who underwent complete resection and subsequently had recurrent cancer were studied. The associations between characteristics of both the initial and recurrent disease with postrecurrence survival were evaluated by Cox proportional hazards models. A multivariable Cox model determined those factors most strongly associated with postrecurrence survival . A simple algorithm based on this model facilitates estimating risk of postrecurrence mortality, as quantified by risk score points. RESULTS: The factors most strongly associated with postrecurrence survival were performance status at recurrence (3 or 4, 4.2 points; 2, 2.8 points; and 1, 1.5 points), symptoms at recurrence (3.6 points), liver recurrence (2.3 points), initial lung cancer stage IIB or worse (1.8 points), and multiple recurrences (1.0 points). Based on these factors, patients were stratified as low risk (4.0 or fewer total points), moderate-low risk (4.1 to 6.1 points), moderate-high risk (6.1 to 8.0 points), and high risk (more than 8.0 points), with 12-month survival of 75%, 51%, 25%, and 9%, respectively. Postrecurrence survival was significantly different across groups (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed prediction instrument offers clinicians a succinct tool for rapidly evaluating mortality risk after recurrence. The characteristics comprising this instrument can be easily ascertained and measured, making it of potential clinical value.

Adult↗

Risk stratification in clinically localized prostate cancer.

Clinical outcomes in patients with localized prostate cancers are heterogeneous. In recent years, analyses of large datasets from multiple centres have yielded a better understanding of how to measure risk in localized prostate cancer. Regardless of whether patients are treated with prostatectomy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy, or expectant management, three factors appear correlated with clinical outcome: biopsy Gleason score, clinical T stage, and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Partin Tables, derived from these parameters and recently updated and refined, may be used to estimate the risk of metastasis and to assess certain aspects of surgical management in clinically localized disease. Partin tables, however, are limited by the fact that pathologic stage does not always predict clinical outcome. Nomograms that employ serum PSA, biopsy Gleason score, and clinical T-stage have been developed with the aim of predicting clinical recurrence after radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. Three risk categories for clinically localized prostate cancer have recently been developed by the Canadian Genito-Urinary Radiation Oncologists Consensus Conference, which group cases according to serum PSA, T-stage, and biopsy Gleason score. Additional factors have been assessed in the hopes of improving the prediction of outcome in clinically localized disease, but none of these has consistently been demonstrated to add independent value to the principal parameters of serum PSA, T-stage, and Gleason score. Virtually all predictive nomograms, algorithms, and tables incorporate a combination of these three parameters. While these tools may be useful in prognosticating an individual case, several limitations preclude their widespread use. The greatest benefit to date of risk stratification is its use in comparing outcomes of series of patients treated with various modalities, and in clinical trial design and analysis.

Humans↗

Fixed-dose, body weight-independent subcutaneous LMW heparin versus adjusted dose unfractionated intravenous heparin in the initial treatment of proximal venous thrombosis. EASTERN Investigators.

BACKGROUND: Body weight-adjusted subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) has been proven to be at least as effective and safe as dose-adjusted intravenous unfractionated heparin (UFH) for the treatment of patients with venous thromboembolism. However, body weight-adjusted dosage of low-molecular-weight heparin may be cumbersome and could lead possibly to incorrect dosing. Therefore a fixed LMWH dose, independent of body-weight, might rationalize initial treatment for venous thromboembolism. METHODS: Patients with proven proximal deep-vein thrombosis were randomly assigned to fixed dose subcutaneous LMWH Certoparin (8,000 anti-factor Xa U b.i.d.; 265 patients) or to adjusted dose i.v. UFH (273 patients) for 12 days. Vitamin K antagonists were started between day 3 and 7 and continued for up to 6 months. The primary outcome measure was a 30 percent or greater improvement in the Marder Score, as revealed by repeated venography on day 12 (end of the initial treatment). The secondary composite outcome measure included death, recurrent venous thromboembolism and major bleeding and was assessed at day 12 and after 6 months by a blinded adjunction committee. RESULTS: The Marder score improved by 30% or more in 30.3% and 25.0% of patients assigned to LMWH (198 paired venograms) and UFH (192 paired venograms), respectively (2p = 0.26). At the end of the initial treatment, the composite outcome was observed in 4 of the 265 patients (1.5%) randomized to LMWH, as compared with 14 of the 273 patients (5.1%) randomized to UFH (2p = 0.03). At 6 months these figures were 6.8% and 12.8%, respectively (risk reduction 0.53, confidence interval 0.31-0.90, 2p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Fixed dose subcutaneous LMWH certoparin is at least as efficacious as UFH in resolving proximal vein thrombosis.

Acute Disease↗

Acetabular revision for recurrent dislocations: results in 14 cases after 3 years of follow-up.

17 acetabular revisions (16 patients) were performed for recurrent dislocations. 14 patients were examined clinically and radiographically after mean 3 (1-8) years. We found malpositions of components in 12 of 17 cases. 8 of 17 had redislocations and 2 were rerevised. Harris hip scores improved from 57 to 70. 10 of 14 patients were satisfied with the surgical result. Recurrent dislocations have several causes. In our patients, lack of cup anteversion was the commonest indication for revision surgery. We noted a high rate of redislocations and poor clinical results, despite correction of the preoperative component malposition in the 14 cases with follow-up.

Acetabulum↗