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Biomedical subjects

A J H Suurmeijer

Publications and source records attributed to A J H Suurmeijer.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Occult gastrointestinal bleeding due to a Dieulafoy lesion in the terminal ileum].

A 50-year-old man awaiting liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis developed iron-deficiency anaemia. Repeated occult gastrointestinal bleeding led to an increasing need for blood transfusions. After multiple oesophagogastroduodenoscopies and colonoscopies, videocapsule endoscopy finally demonstrated a polyp-like lesion in the terminal ileum. The lesion had not been detected despite two attempts (oral and anal) at double-balloon enteroscopy and even a peroperative enteroscopy. Only during a second laparotomy, again involving peroperative enteroscopy, a small red lesion was detected and resected 80 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve (Bauhin's valve). Histology revealed a Dieulafoy lesion. Four months later, after normalisation and stabilisation of his haemoglobin level, the patient received a successful liver transplant. If the cause of occult gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient remains unclear despite regular endoscopic procedures, new techniques like videocapsule endoscopy and double-balloon enteroscopy may contribute to identifying the cause. This may lead to an exceptional finding such as a Dieulafoy lesion in the distal ileum.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗
PubMed2006

[Diagnosis and treatment of HIV-related Kaposi's sarcoma].

A 42-year-old heterosexual man presented with bluish-purple spots on his skin and in his mouth cavity that had been present for a few months; a 48-year-old homosexual man had painful lymphadenopathy in the groins and left axilla. Both men appeared to have a Kaposi's sarcoma and to be HIV-positive. During highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and radiotherapy or chemotherapy, both the AIDS parameters and the skin lesions improved. Kaposi's sarcoma is AIDS-defining in HIV-seropositive patients. Human herpesvirus-8 infection seems to play a role in the development of Kaposi's sarcoma. The incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma has declined since the introduction of HAART. Nowadays, Kaposi's sarcoma is frequently the presenting symptom of HIV-seropositivity. Patients present with purple cutaneous lesions and/or generalised lymphadenopathy. Visceral lesions are associated with a shorter median survival. The treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma is palliative, whereas immune restitution can lead to regression of the sarcoma.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Positron emission tomography in patients with breast cancer using (18)F-3'-deoxy-3'-fluoro-l-thymidine ((18)F-FLT)-a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: This pilot study investigated the feasibility of (18)F-3'-deoxy-3'-fluoro-l-thymidine ((18)F-FLT) as a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for the visualisation of breast cancer. METHODS: Patients with breast cancer underwent (18)F-FLT-PET prior to surgery. The uptake of (18)F-FLT was determined in the primary tumour and in the axilla. RESULTS: Eight tumours were visualized by (18)F-FLT-PET with a mean uptake value (SUV(mean)) of 1.7 and mean tumour-non-tumour ratio (TNT) of 5.0. In seven patients, axillary lymph-node metastases were found at pathological examinations, however, (18)F-FLT-PET showed uptake in only two large (and clinically evident) lymph-node metastases. CONCLUSIONS: (18)F-FLT shows uptake in most primary breast tumours and in large axillary lymph-node metastases.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma: prognostic value and disadvantages in 300 patients].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with cutaneous melanoma. DESIGN: Descriptive follow-up study. METHOD: In the period 1995-2004, 300 patients with cutaneous melanoma (Breslow thickness: > or = 1.0 mm) underwent SLNB and, in case of a tumour-positive result, regional lymph node dissection. Results of the SLNB procedure, postoperative complications, follow-up, recurrences, disease-free survival and disease-specific survival were evaluated. RESULTS: The SLNB detection rate was 99%. 85 patients had a tumour-positive SLNB (28%) and underwent completion regional lymph node dissection; 215 patients underwent SLNB alone. The rate of postoperative complications after SLNB was 7%. With a median follow up of 51 months, the false-negative rate was 11%. The recurrence rate was 23% (SLNB negative: 19%; SLNB positive 34%; p = 0.005). In-transit metastases were found in 4% of the SLNB-negative group and in 20% of the SLNB-positive group (p < 0.001). The 5-year disease-free survival and disease-specific survival rates were 79% and 86%, respectively, in SLNB-negative patients and 57% and 71%, respectively, in SLNB-positive patients. Multivariate analysis showed that the independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival were presence of ulceration (p < 0.001) and SLNB positivity (p < 0.01). Prognostic factors for overall survival were presence of ulceration (p < 0.001) and male sex (p < 0.05), but not the SLNB results. Multivariate analysis also showed that SLNB positivity (p < 0.001) and presence of ulceration (p < 0.01) were independent prognostic factors for developing in-transit metastases. CONCLUSION: SLNB in patients with cutaneous melanoma is still only of prognostic value since survival benefit is not proven. Disadvantages of SLNB were the false-negative rate, the possibility of an increased risk of in-transit metastases in SLNB-positive patients, and postoperative complications. These must be kept in mind when offering patients SLNB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Soft tissue sarcoma: why not treated?

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are uncommon malignancies and elderly STS patients have been reported to receive less definitive treatment compared to young STS patients. The present study was performed to investigate whether withholding treatment was based on disease specific aspects, patients' general health condition, comorbidity or a combination of these. METHODS: Patients with primary STS, registered by the Comprehensive Cancer Center North-Netherlands (CCCN) from 1989 to 1999, were analyzed retrospectively with regard to the inclusion-criteria: no primary anti-tumor treatment. RESULTS: From 1989 to 1999, 620 patients (including 56 Kaposi sarcoma) were registered with primary STS. Seventy-six patients (13%) were registered as untreated. Nineteen patients were excluded. Records of 57 patients, median age 71 years (range 23-92, 40 patients > or =65 years, 17 patients < 65 years) were examined. The reasons for no treatment were irresectability of the sarcoma (65%), metastatic disease (11%), comorbidity (4%), poor general health (5%), death prior to therapy (7%) and refusal of therapy (3%) (motivation not documented in 5%). CONCLUSIONS: Thirteen percent of all STS patients within the CCCN region were not treated, 70% of these patients were elderly. Withholding treatment was mostly disease-related (76%), e.g. irresectable retroperitoneal STS or metastatic disease; for 19% of the patients, it was related to their poor general health. The decision to refrain from cancer treatment was justifiable in all these STS patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy: different manifestations as precursors of sudden death which might be prevented].

Two men aged 47 and 56 and one woman aged 21 presented at our cardiology department with presyncope, heart failure and exercise induced palpitations, respectively. Using the criteria of McKenna et al., a diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) was made. Following implantation of a defibrillator, one of the men experienced seven appropriate interventions within six months and also developed psychological problems. The other man was problem-free and the woman recovered reasonably well, having only one appropriate intervention from the defibrillator one year after implantation. Indications of ARVC were also found in her mother but not in any other family members. Because ARVC manifests itself in various different ways it is difficult to diagnose. It is important to consider ARVC in patients with exercise-induced palpitations, presyncope, and unexplained cardiomyopathies or arrhythmias, especially if there is a family history of unexpected deaths. ARVC is a potentially life-threatening disease, that may require implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator. Furthermore, since genetics play an important role and ARVC can be asymptomatic, evaluation of close relatives for preclinical symptoms is important.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Oesophageal endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration improves and simplifies the staging of lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Positron emission tomography (PET) is accurate for mediastinal staging of lung cancer but has a moderate positive predictive value, necessitating pathological verification. Endoscopic ultrasonography with fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a technique for tissue verification of mediastinal and upper retroperitoneal abnormalities. The use of EUS-FNA may decrease the number of surgical procedures and thereby staging costs. METHODS: EUS-FNA was used prospectively for the cytological assessment of mediastinal and/or upper retroperitoneal PET hot spots in patients with suspected lung cancer. Only if EUS-FNA was positive for malignancy was subsequent mediastinoscopy or exploratory thoracotomy cancelled. The cost effectiveness of EUS-FNA was determined. RESULTS: Of 488 consecutive patients with suspected lung cancer, 81 were enrolled with mediastinal and/or upper retroperitoneal PET hot spots. EUS-FNA was positive in 50 (62%) patients, negative in six, and inconclusive in 25. Of the 31 negative or inconclusive patients, 26 underwent surgical staging (resulting in 14 patients with and 12 without mediastinal malignancy), while five patients had mediastinal metastases during follow up. No EUS-FNA related morbidity or mortality was encountered. The accuracy of the decision to proceed to surgery (or not) on the basis of EUS-FNA was 77% (95% CI 68 to 86). EUS-FNA detected more mediastinal abnormalities than PET except for the upper mediastinal region. Addition of EUS-FNA to conventional lung cancer staging reduced staging costs by 40% per patient, mainly due to a decrease in surgical staging procedures. CONCLUSION: EUS-FNA can replace more than half of the surgical staging procedures in lung cancer patients with mediastinal and/or upper retroperitoneal PET hot spots, thereby saving 40% of staging costs.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Superhydrophobic modification fails to improve the performance of small diameter expanded polytetrafluoroethylene vascular grafts.

To determine whether superhydrophobic modification of small diameter expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts improves the performance of these grafts, we assessed neointima formation and platelet deposition in standard and superhydrophobic modified ePTFE grafts. Standard and superhydrophobic vascular grafts were implanted in the carotid arteries of two rabbits and two pigs. Furthermore, standard and superhydrophobic vascular patches were implanted in the carotid arteries of seven pigs. After 4 weeks of implantation all patches were removed and histomorphometric data were analyzed. The early thrombotic effect of superhydrophobic modification was examined by quantifying platelet glycoprotein receptor IIIa deposition onto each type of vascular graft after 15 min of in vitro circulation with human blood. All superhydrophobic and standard ePTFE vascular grafts occluded 15 min to 1 h after implantation in both rabbit and pig carotid arteries. All implanted patches remained patent and were completely covered by endothelium. Superhydrophobic modification of ePTFE vascular grafts did not lead to less neointima formation and resulted in significantly more platelet deposition than did standard ePTFE vascular grafts. Thus, superhydrophobic modification does not improve the performance of small diameter ePTFE vascular grafts.

Animals↗