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Biomedical subjects

B Aron

Publications and source records attributed to B Aron.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The effect of orthodontic referral guidelines: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of referral guidelines for the referral of orthodontic patients to consultant and specialist practitioner orthodontists. DESIGN: Single centre randomised controlled trial with random allocation of referral guidelines for orthodontic treatment to general dental practitioners. SETTING: Hospital orthodontic departments and specialist orthodontic practices in Manchester and Stockport. SUBJECTS: General dental practitioners and the patients they referred for orthodontic treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Appropriateness of referral, defined as whether the patient was accepted for orthodontic treatment. RESULTS: The referral guidelines did not reduce the number of inappropriate referrals. CONCLUSIONS: Referral guidelines for orthodontic referrals did not influence the behaviour of the general dental practitioners. More research into the optimum methods of dissemination and implementation of referral guidelines for use in the general dental service is needed.

Adolescent↗

One year clinical results of photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy for compound myopic astigmatism.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy, predictability, and safety of excimer laser photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy (PARK) to correct compound myopic astigmatism. SETTING: Departments of Ophthalmology, Robert Debré Hospital and Rothschild Foundation, Paris, France. METHODS: This retrospective study included 27 eyes with compound myopic astigmatism treated with a Nidek EC 5000 excimer laser. The refractive results were measured at 1 year, and the cylindrical component was analyzed by the Alpins method. Mean preoperative myopia was -4.50 diopters (D) (range -0.75 to -4.00 D) and mean preoperative cylinder, -1.64 D (range -0.75 to -4.00 D). RESULTS: At 1 year, the spherical equivalent was -0.47 D (range +1.00 to -3.00 D) and residual subjective astigmatism, -0.40 (range -0.25 to -1.50 D). Uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better was obtained in 22 of the 27 eyes; 21 eyes were within +/- 1.0 D of emmetropia. Vector analysis showed a mean coefficient adjustment of 1.50 D +/- 0.53 (SD), a mean axis shift of 2.64 +/- 12.10 degrees, and a mean magnitude of error of 0.45 +/- 0.56 D. Haze was absent in 22 eyes and grade 1+ in 5 eyes. Five eyes gained 1 line of best corrected visual acuity and 3 lost 1 line. No patient lost more than 1 line. CONCLUSION: Excimer laser PARK successfully corrected low and moderate myopia combined with up to 4.0 D of astigmatism with a low mean angle of error. To increase the accuracy of toric ablation, specific algorithms for the cylinder component are needed.

Adolescent↗

Patterns of injury and disability caused by forklift trucks.

Over a 7-year period, 34 patients were treated at the Southern New Jersey Regional Trauma Center for forklift-related injuries, ranging from minor contusions to multiple organ-system trauma. Hospital and rehabilitation courses were prospectively evaluated, documenting long term impairment of function and disability. Patients injured by falling from forklifts generally had less severe injuries, requiring fewer surgical procedures, shorter hospital stays, and less overall disability, than patients who received crush-type (object-oriented) injuries. The more serious injuries were most frequently caused by a forklift striking or running over the patient. There were strong correlations between the Injury Severity Score assessed upon initial evaluation and subsequent length of hospitalization, degree of disability, and extent of functional impairment after recovery. These findings support the enforcement of existing safety precautions for the operation of forklift trucks.

Accidents, Occupational↗

Preoperative regional therapy for extremity sarcoma. A tricenter update.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative radiation with sensitizing doxorubicin has been popularized in the treatment of high grade sarcoma of the extremity. A multiinstitutional experience with this protocol that was initiated by the Southeastern Cancer Study Group in 1984 and maintained in three institutions was updated by the authors. METHODS: Patients with biopsied sarcoma had intraarterial infusion with doxorubicin hydrochloride (Adriamycin) 30 mg/24 hrs x 3 days and were allocated by the institution to receive radiation 30-35 Gy in 10 fractions or 46 Gy in 23-25 fractions followed by resection. Surgery was performed within 10 days or 30 days depending on the radiation dose. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered to 31 patients. RESULTS: Of 66 patients, 32 were female and 34 were male. The median age was 46 years (range, 14-77 years); 73% had lower and 27% had upper extremity tumors. There were 55 soft-tissue and 9 malignant bone tumors. Common types were malignant fibrous histiocytoma 20%; liposarcoma, 17%; synovial sarcoma 18%; and 14% were osteosarcoma. American Joint Committee on Cancer stages were: I, IIB (17%), IIIA/B (59%), and IIIC/4A (24%). Limb salvage surgery was performed on 60 patients including radical resection in 21 with extensive tumors, wide local excision in 30, and limited excision in 2 patients. Primary amputation was performed on four patients and delayed amputation in two because of wound complications. Three patients had pulmonary metastasectomy in conjunction with primary surgery (2 are long term survivors > 5 years). There were no postoperative deaths, but wound complications occurred in 41% of the patients. Overall survival and disease free survival at 5 years was 59 and 49%. One patient (1.5%) had local recurrence 9 years after resection of an extensive synovial sarcoma of the shoulder. This was resected with limb salvage techniques. Among 23 patients who failed primarily in the lung, the median survival was 7 months with 4 surviving more than 5 years, after demonstration of the pulmonary metastases. Multivariant analysis of prognostic factors showed that extent of disease and stage correlated with disease free survival, whereas only extent of surgical resection correlated with overall surgical survival. CONCLUSION: Combined therapy for extremity sarcoma in a multicenter setting using preoperative radiation with sensitizing chemotherapy and adequate resection was associated with an excellent local control rate (98.5%) and reasonable long term tumor control, although distant metastases continued to be a major challenge.

Adolescent↗

Clinical results of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy: a multicenter study of 265 eyes.

Efficacy, predictability, and safety of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy were evaluated at centers in Paris and Brest, France. Photoablation was performed with the VISX laser on 265 eyes (151 at the Paris center and 114 at the Brest center). The eyes were clinically and statistically evaluated over a six month follow-up. Initial myopia ranged from -0.7 to -19.4 diopters (D) (mean spherical equivalent [SE] -5.9 D) in the Paris center and from -0.9 to -14.5 D (SE -4.5 D) in the Brest center. At both centers, the mean uncorrected visual acuity was worse than 20/200; over 90% of cases in each center had a best uncorrected visual acuity of 20/100 or worse. Results are reported globally and for subgroups of myopia: Group A, SE better than or equal to -3.0 D; Group B, SE worse than -3.0 D and better than or equal to -7.0 D; Group C, SE worse than -7.0 D. Uncorrected visual acuity was significantly improved in the patients followed for six months; 64% of Paris cases and 62% of Brest cases obtained an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Predictability of the treatment was good; 67% of Paris eyes and 74% of Brest eyes were less than 1.0 D from the intended correction after six months. The data suggest that the initial myopia affected the efficacy and predictability of the treatment; results in the mild to moderate myopia eyes were significantly better than results in the severe myopia eyes. One case of visual acuity regression (less than one line) was observed in the two groups. This was associated with corneal haze of moderate intensity.

Adult↗

Chemotherapy and extended-field radiation therapy to para-aortic area in patients with histologically proven metastatic cervical cancer to para-aortic nodes: a phase II pilot study.

From November 1983 to October 1992, 22 patients with invasive cervical cancer stage IB through stage IIIB with metastasis to para-aortic nodes were entered in this study. Five patients were excluded. Of 17 remaining evaluable patients, 5 (29%) were stage IB, 6 (35%) were stage IIB, and 6 (35%) were stage IIIB. Four (24%) had grade 1, 5 (29%) had grade 2, and 8 (47%) had grade 3 tumor. Lymph node metastases were microscopic in 8 (47%) and macroscopic in 9 (53%) patients. All patients received 2 courses of chemotherapy concomitant with radiation as a sensitizer. They were randomized to receive either cisplatin (regimen A) or combination of cisplatin with 5-FU infusion (regimen B). This was followed by maintenance chemotherapy with cisplatin for a maximum of 10 additional courses. Of 17 patients, 7 (41%) received 4-6 courses, 4 (24%) received 6-8 courses, and 6 (35%) received 8-10 courses of maintenance chemotherapy. For extended-field radiation, a panhandle technique was used. External radiation therapy was delivered via 10 or 18 MeV linear accelerator photons, followed by 1 or 2 intracavitary cesium applications. Patients were followed up 8-103 months (median 21 months). Progression-free interval (PFI) for all patients was 5-103 months (median 18 months). Patients with microscopic metastasis to para-aortic nodes had median PFI of 26.5 months compared to 14 months in those with macroscopic nodal metastasis. Seven of 17 patients (41%) are alive from 17 to 103 months with median survival of 32 months. Overall survival for the entire group was 8-103 months (median 21 months). Median survival for patients with microscopic and macroscopic nodal metastasis was 30 and 21 months, respectively. Two- and five-year survival for the entire group was 35 and 12%, respectively. The survival with microscopic metastasis to para-aortic nodes was 50 and 12% compared to survival of 22% at 2 years and 11% at 5 years respectively in those with macroscopic nodal metastasis. There was no significant difference between regimen A and B for local disease control. Maintenance chemotherapy with cisplatin did not appear to significantly improve the 5-year survival. Distant metastases were the predominant sites of failure.

Adult↗

Preliminary study of argon fluoride (193 nm) excimer laser trabeculectomy. Scanning electron microscopy at five months.

There is an increasing interest in the use of the excimer laser in ophthalmology, particularly in refractive surgery. The argon fluoride (193 nm) excimer laser ablates tissue with a high degree of precision and without any mechanical or thermal damage to surrounding structures. In this study, the argon fluoride excimer laser was experimentally used in the rabbit model to perform a trabeculectomy. Clinical and scanning electron microscopic evaluations showed a successful and patent filtering procedure. At the five-month follow-up the trabeculectomy was smooth and regular and there was no evidence of inflammation or thermal damage on the surrounding structures.

Animals↗

Improved survival in squamous esophageal cancer. Preoperative chemotherapy and irradiation.

Initial trials of irradiation and chemotherapy followed by operation for squamous carcinoma of the esophagus have produced encouraging results. Over the past three years, with palliative and curative intent, we have treated 27 unselected patients initially with two courses of chemotherapy (fluorouracil and either cisplatin, mitomycin, or cisplatin and vincristine sulfate) given 29 days apart and 3000 rad (30 Gy) of radiation. Ten patients have then undergone esophageal resection and two patients have undergone esophageal bypass. Results are compared with those of 70 unselected historical control patients treated since 1979. Survival at 30 months was significantly improved for multimodality-treated patients (21.4% +/- 10.1%, mean +/- SEM) when compared with historical control patients (4.8% +/- 2.7%). Twenty-four percent of multimodality-treated patients had complete remission of all tumor. These data indicate that overall therapy for carcinoma of the esophagus has been improved in our institutions.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Radiation therapy as definitive treatment for localized carcinoma of prostate.

A progress report on the treatment of 116 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated by external irradiation is presented. Fifteen, 60, and 41 patients presented initially with Stages A, B, and C, respectively. The majority of the patients received 7,000-7,500 rads during a period of seven to eight weeks, locally to the prostate gland. The five-year actuarial survival were 90, 70, and 40 per cent for Stages A, B, and C, respectively. The five-year survival rates for patients with well and moderately differentiated tumors were significantly better (45 per cent) than for those with poorly differentiated tumors (24 per cent). The five-year survival rate in the patients who received prior or concomitant hormone manipulation was lower (33 per cent) as compared with those receiving radiation therapy alone (43 per cent). All of the above differences were statistically significant (0.01 level). Of the patients failing, distant metastases have developed in 88 per cent suggesting that subclinical distant metastases might have been present prior to initiation of radiotherapy. The local control rate was 82 per cent. The morbidity of this mode of therapy was found to be acceptable. Radical radiation therapy is an effective method for control of carcinoma of the prostate and is potentially curative.

Adenocarcinoma↗