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Biomedical subjects

C Compton

Publications and source records attributed to C Compton.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Benign smooth muscle tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. A 24-year experience.

Between 1963 and 1987, 131 patients with benign gastrointestinal stromal tumors, primarily leiomyomas, were treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Eighty per cent of tumors were located in stomach or small intestine. Two thirds of the tumors were discovered in symptomatic patients before operation by a variety of diagnostic studies. A mitotic index (MI) was determined for each tumor, defined as the number of mitoses per 50 high-power microscopic fields. Only gastric and small intestine tumors had MIs more than 2. Tumors were treated by conservative excision in 67% and radical excision in 33%. At a median follow-up of 6 years there were no local recurrences. No patient with a tumor discovered incidentally has recurred. Three symptomatic patients have died of metastatic liver disease. Each patient with recurrence had a tumor with MI of 2 or more, which represents a recurrence rate of 16% in this group. We conclude that symptomatic gastric and small intestine tumors having two or more mitoses per 50 high-power fields carry a significant risk for recurrence, and that routine pathologic assessment of MI may identify a subset of patients who would potentially benefit from close follow-up and consideration for further therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Cultured porcine epithelial grafts: an improved method.

An improved method of in vitro cultivation of porcine keratinocytes by which keratinocyte sheets suitable for grafting can be generated rapidly is described. Epidermis from split-thickness porcine skin is enzymatically separated from dermis with 0.25% Dispase solution (37 degrees C) within 3 h, and trypsinized to a single cell suspension. Keratinocytes are grown in Dulbecco-Vogt modified Eagle medium supplemented with 20 ng/ml hydrocortisone, 100 micrograms/ml penicillin, 100 micrograms/ml streptomycin, and 20% (cells from six-month-old pigs) or 10% fetal calf serum (cells from two-month-old pigs). Freshly isolated keratinocytes are plated at a density of 1.25 X 10(6) cells/ml since their plating efficiency is about 15 times lower than that of human keratinocytes grown under comparable conditions. Primary keratinocytes plated on plastic grow to confluence faster than those plated on lethally irradiated 3T3-J2 feeder layer cells. Porcine keratinocytes grown on plastic reach senescence in the third passage but, when subsequently cultivated on a lethally irradiated 3T3-J2 feeder layer, can be passaged up to seven times. Nevertheless, plating efficiency of second-passage porcine keratinocytes is only about 5%-7%, whereas that of human newborn foreskin keratinocytes is 20%-30%. Confluent stratified primary cultures grown on plastic, or secondary cultures grown on feeder layers, are used for grafting. The sheets are detached with Dispase solution and stapled to vaseline gauze to facilitate handling. Epidermal regeneration from porcine grafts produced by this method has been demonstrated after transplantation to full-thickness wounds excised to muscle fascia in donor animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

The sonographic diagnosis of acute gangrenous cholecystitis: importance of the Murphy sign.

The sonographic Murphy sign is defined as the presence of maximal tenderness elicited by direct pressure of the transducer over a sonographically localized gallbladder. The reported prevalence of this sign is more than 95% in patients with acute cholecystitis. In this series of 18 patients with pathologically proved gangrenous cholecystitis, the sonographic Murphy sign was positive in only six (33%). Clinical examination showed a positive Murphy sign in eight patients (44%), diffuse abdominal pain in nine patients (50%), and no pain in one patient (6%). Other sonographic findings included pericholecystic fluid (10), thickening of the gallbladder wall (10), and a dilated gallbladder (five). Our experience suggests that the absence of the Murphy sign increases the possibility of gangrenous cholecystitis in patients with abdominal pain and sonographic findings of cholecystitis.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1988

Simple microbiologic detection of Campylobacter pylori.

A study of 84 gastric biopsies taken from 42 adult patients revealed simple techniques for Gram stain and culture for Campylobacter pylori. In an initial study of 18 biopsies, Gram stains prepared from ground, diluted tissue were all negative for curved, gram-negative rods, whereas 13 of these specimens were positive for C. pylori by culture. The Gram stains for the remaining 66 biopsies were prepared by a rinse-imprint technique. In this group, there were 30 Gram stains positive for organisms resembling C. pylori and 32 positive cultures. By Gram-staining two sites, fundus and antrum, the sensitivity of the Gram stain for identifying a positive specimen increased from 91 to 100%. Gram stain may be the preferred technique for rapid diagnosis. When cultured, C. pylori was recovered most often on modified Thayer-Martin medium incubated microaerophilically at 35 degrees C. The presence of antibiotics in modified Thayer-Martin medium limited upper respiratory flora overgrowth, which was often present on nonselective media.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1988

Pyogenic liver abscess: contrast-enhanced MR imaging in rats.

MR imaging was used to evaluate experimentally induced pyogenic liver abscesses in an animal model. Rats were examined before and after IV administration of either gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA), ferrite particles, or both contrast agents together. Pyogenic liver abscesses appeared hypointense on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. Bolus administration of Gd-DTPA using a fast spin-echo sequence with repetition time of 250 msec and echo time of 20 msec (SE 250/20) showed transient selective enhancement of normal hepatic tissue and increased lesion conspicuity, quantitatively assessed by the contrast-to-noise ratio, which increased from -35.7 to -59.0. Delayed leakage of Gd-DTPA into the abscess center partially obscured small lesions at 30-60 min. Ferrite particles reduced the signal intensity of normal liver, and the abscess then appeared homogenously hyperintense. Applying the SE 500/32 sequence, the contrast-to-noise ratio increased from -1.2 to +74.0. Coordinated administration of both contrast agents showed a further increase in contrast to +94.0, with a hyperintense abscess rim surrounded by hypointense liver. Gd-DTPA increases abscess-liver contrast by rim enhancement of the abscess wall, and ferrite increases the abscess-liver contrast by selectively decreasing the signal intensity of surrounding normal liver. As a result of increased contrast-to-noise ratio, both contrast agents, alone or in combination, increase the conspicuity of hepatic abscesses.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Familial pancreatic adenocarcinoma in three generations. A case report and a review of the literature.

Although scattered case reports of familial clustering of pancreatic cancer have appeared in the literature, hereditary factors have not been clearly associated with increased risk for this malignancy. The current report documents the familial occurrence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in three women of consecutive generations who died of their disease at progressively younger ages. The diagnoses are histologically confirmed in all three cases. Although two of the women carried a single known risk factor for pancreatic carcinoma (cigarette smoking), a familial predisposition to this disease is strongly implicated. The case suggests that the role of inheritance in pancreatic carcinoma may merit further exploration.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Immunohistochemical studies of blood group substance H in colorectal tumors using a monoclonal antibody.

With the use of a murine monoclonal antibody with specificity for human blood group substance H, the distribution of this antigen on colorectal carcinomas and adenomatous polyps has been studied by immunohistochemistry. All of the 20 carcinomas studied were found to express H substance regardless of their location in the colon, their pathologic grade, or their clinical stage. Adenomas were variably positive for H substance, and expression of the antigen appeared to correlate with the degree of dysplasia seen on microscopic examination. Normal colonic mucosa, nonadenomatous polyps, and nonepithelial colonic neoplasms studied failed to express H substance. The results suggest that detection of H substance expression may be useful in the diagnosis of colonic malignancies and dysplastic premalignant lesions.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Amebic liver abscess: diagnosis and treatment evaluation with MR imaging.

Magnetic resonance images were obtained before and after treatment in 17 patients with 29 amebic liver abscesses. Pretreatment T1-weighted images showed a sharply circumscribed, heterogeneous, low-signal-intensity mass, devoid of normal hepatic tissue and corresponding to the abscess cavity as measured sonographically. T2-weighted images showed the abscess cavity as a hyperintense region and also showed a larger region of hyperintensity extending from the cavity margins to the liver surface, corresponding to edematous but morphologically normal liver tissue. After treatment, the abscess cavity became homogeneously hypointense on T1-weighted images, corresponding to liquefaction of the abscess center. With successful treatment, concentric rings corresponding to (a) an inner margin of inflamed granulation tissue, (b) bands of type I collagen, and (c) the outer margin of atrophic and/or mildly inflamed liver tissue became prominent on T1- and T2-weighted images. T2-weighted images showed rapid resolution of the perifocal hepatic edema.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Prevention of postoperative pericardial adhesions. An animal study.

Following heart operations, adhesions uniformly form between the epicardium and surrounding structures such as the pericardium, mediastinal fat, pleura, and sternum. These adhesions make reoperations both difficult and hazardous. Three groups of 15 dogs each were studied to assess the effectiveness of pharmacologic manipulation in reducing the adhesions. In the control group, adhesions were created by allowing epicardial/pericardial surfaces to dry, and then adding cotton fibers and blood before closing the pericardium. In the methylprednisolone group, 500 mg of methylprednisolone was given intravenously at the time of operation, followed by 0.3 mg/kg orally three times a day for one week. In the ibuprofen group, 12.5 mg/kg of ibuprofen was given intravenously at operation and then orally three times in one day, followed by 5 mg/kg orally three times a day for six days. Dogs were killed at three to four weeks and the adhesions between pericardium and epicardium were graded. In the control group, none were adhesion-free and none had filmy adhesions; three dogs had dense patchy adhesions and 12 had dense diffuse adhesions. In the methylprednisolone group, 14 dogs had no adhesions; one had filmy adhesions; and none had dense patchy or dense diffuse adhesions. In the ibuprofen group, none were adhesion-free; one dog had filmy adhesions; four had dense patchy adhesions; and ten had dense diffuse adhesions. The near-total elimination of pericardial/epicardial adhesions utilizing methylprednisolone, if also achievable in humans, would markedly reduce the difficulty and increase the safety of cardiac reoperations.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Learning disability: 10-year follow-up.

A 10-year follow-up of 114 learning-disabled students has been conducted, gathering information on their academic achievement, social success, and job satisfaction. These students have been compared with 144 siblings without learning disabilities. Significantly lower levels of school attainment, academic success, and social success are found for the learning-disabled group. No difference is found in level of job satisfaction. Significant positive factors contributing to school success in the learning-disabled group were high IQ, less severe learning disability, positive personality characteristics in the child, effective family function, strong family support, high occupational level of family breadwinner, and high education level attained by the mother. Negative factors are a more severe degree of learning disability, the presence of hyperactivity, and a concomitant disability in mathematics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Temporal and compositional dietary restrictions modulate age-related changes in serum lipids.

Life-lon restriction of food, which markedly increases the length of life of rats, also delays the occurrence of age-related physiological deteriorations including the age-related changes in serum lipids. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of 1) food restriction limited to early life, 2) food restriction initiated in adult life and 3) restriction of protein without restriction of calories on the age-related changes in serum lipids. Food restriction started at 6 months of age was as effective as food restriction started at 6 weeks of age in modulating the age-related changes in serum lipids, whereas food restriction from 6 weeks to 6 months of age and restriction of protein but not calories were much less effective. Changes in the rate of very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride removal from the blood were not responsible for the age-related increase in triglyceride concentration or for the modulation of this increase by the dietary regimens. Age-related changes in serum or plasma levels of glucose, ketone bodies, insulin and glucagon were also measured and the modulating effects of the dietary regimens studied; possible relationships between the concentrations of these substances and the concentrations of the serum lipids are discussed.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MRI of hepatic lymphoma.

Thirteen patients with biopsy proven hepatic lymphoma (2 Hodgkin, 11 Non-Hodgkin) and a control group of 15 patients with hepatic metastases were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively by MRI. Focal hepatic lymphoma was most reliably detected (eight of eight patients) and appeared hypointense relative to liver on T1 weighted (CNR - 7.4 +/- 2.3) and hyperintense on T2 weighted (CNR + 8.4 +/- 2.9) images. The mean T1 and T2 relaxation times of focal hepatic lymphoma (T1 = 832 +/- 234 msec, T2 = 84 +/- 16 ms) differed significantly from adjacent non-tumorous liver (T1 = 420 +/- 121 ms, T2 = 51 +/- 9 ms; p less than 0.05), however CNR values and relaxation times were similar to those of hepatic metastases. Diffuse hepatic lymphoma (microscopic periportal infiltration) was undetectable by MRI in three patients by either morphologic features or quantitative criteria. A mixed pattern of hepatic lymphoma (focal lesions and diffuse infiltration) showed focal areas of slightly decreased signal intensity on T1 weighted images (CNR = -1.7 +/- 0.4) while T2 weighted images revealed multiple regions of focal hyperintensity (CNR = +13.3 +/- 8.4) superimposed on a diffusely hyperintense liver. Our experience demonstrates that either T1 or T2 weighted techniques are useful in detecting focal and that T2 weighted techniques are useful in detecting mixed hepatic lymphoma. Conventional image derived relaxation time measurements and quantitative parameters were of no additional diagnostic value.

Adenocarcinoma↗