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Biomedical subjects

A Bickel

Publications and source records attributed to A Bickel.

66 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Factors predicting the outcome of varicocele repair for subfertility: the value of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone test.

The mechanism by which varicocele caused infertility is not yet clear. Endocrine factors have been suggested to explain impaired spermatogenesis in patients with varicocele. We conducted a prospective study on testosterone and gonadotropin levels and their response to the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone test to determine the possible role of a hormonal defect in subfertility. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone tests were performed on 11 subfertile men with varicocele preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. The differences in the luteinizing hormone response were statistically significant. The maximal luteinizing hormone levels also were significantly lower in patients whose spermiogram changed postoperatively. No significant changes were noted in testosterone and other gonadotropin levels postoperatively. A prognostic correlation between the change in response of luteinizing hormone to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (preoperatively and postoperatively) and improvement in fertility (pregnancy success) was found. We suggest that the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone test should be considered to estimate the hormonal derangement and also the prognosis of an operation in subfertile men with varicocele.

Adult↗

Primary lymphoma of the head of the pancreas.

Primary and isolated lymphoma of the head of pancreas with secondary involvement of the lungs and obstructive jaundice, in a 31-year-old postpartum woman, is described. The histological diagnosis was diffuse histiocytic lymphoma. Chemotherapeutic treatment resulted in complete remission of the tumor. During therapy a pseudocyst of the pancreas developed and a gastrocystostomy was performed. This is the second reported case of primary pancreatic lymphoma in the English medical literature.

Adult↗

Use of tissue adhesives in the repair of lacerations in children.

During the last 5 years, over 1,500 minor lacerations in children were treated in the emergency room of Nahariya Regional Hospital, by the adhesive "Hystoacryl Blue," with gratifying results. The method, its advantages, and special precautions are described.

Child↗

Xanthogranulomatous appendicitis--an incidental finding of localized pathology.

The clinical, histopathological, and electron microscopic features of an unusual case of xanthogranulomatous appendicitis are reported. The patient, a 37-year-old female, presented with typical signs of acute appendicitis and the appendix appeared slightly dilated at laparatomy. The histopathological sections showed numerous xanthoma cells mixed with inspissated fecaliths. Electron microscopy disclosed the presence of xanthoma cells filled with electron-lucent lipid droplets of variable size. The ultrastructural characteristics of these cells enabled the distinction of two types of lipid-laden histiocytes, in relationship to the size of the lipid droplets. Since the lipid droplets were seen also in cells other than histiocytes, it appears that these changes are secondary to a common mechanism, comprising factors such as obstruction, hemorrhage, inflammation, and local hypoxia.

Adult↗

Low-grade B cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) arising in the gallbladder.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas arise in most cases in the gastrointestinal tract, and are usually of low-grade B cell origin. MALT lymphomas may rarely occur in organs where lymphoid tissue is sparse, especially following inflammatory conditions. Primary lymphomas of the gallbladder are extremely rare, and MALT lymphoma has been reported only twice. We herein describe the third case of low-grade MALT lymphoma of the gallbladder, which exhibits an unusual clinical behavior. The exceptionally advanced stage of the disease stresses the importance of early operation when cholecystectomy is indicated.

Aged↗

Neuropeptide content of peripheral nerve in relation to nerve function in neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: In this study an APAAP (alcalic-phophatase-anti-alcalic-phosphatase) technique was used to distinguish afferent (calcitonin-gene-related-peptide (CGRP) or substance-P-(SP) positive) and autonomic (tyrosin-hydroxylase (TH), neuropeptide Y (NPY) or vasoactive-intestinal-polypeptide- (VIP) positive) nerve fibers in sural nerve biopsy material from patients with moderate sensory neuropathy. A panneuronal marker against protein-gene-product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) was used for detection of the total amount of nerve fibers. Second aim was to analyze possible correlations between the impairment in tests for the function of unmyelinated fibers (i.e. thermal threshold testings, sensitivity to painful mechanical stimulation, axon reflex-mediated flare reaction and sudomotor activity) and nerve pathology. RESULTS: A high correlation between CGRP and SP (p < 0.00003) and between TH and NPY, respectively, (p < 0.004) was found, but not between afferent and autonomic markers or between specific markers and PGP 9.5. While no correlations between sensory neuropeptides (CGRP and SP) and specific testings of afferent fiber function or between neuropeptide content and clinical data could be demonstrated, there was a significant correlation between the TH content of the sural nerve and the sweat output, stimulated by acetylcholine iontophoresis at the level of the foot (p = 0.019) and upper leg (p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the possibility of visualizing subgroups of unmyelinated nerve fibers in sural nerve biopsies selectively with this technique. The density of TH-positive sympathetic nerve fibers, but not the density of afferent c-fibers, is correlated with corresponding results in specific tests of c-fiber function.

Adult↗