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Biomedical subjects

E K Woo

Publications and source records attributed to E K Woo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Imaging of muscular denervation secondary to motor cranial nerve dysfunction.

The effects of motor cranial nerve dysfunction on the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances of head and neck muscles are reviewed. Patterns of denervation changes are described and illustrated for V, VII, X, XI and XII cranial nerves. Recognition of the range of imaging manifestations, including the temporal changes in muscular appearances and associated muscular grafting or compensatory hypertrophy, will avoid misinterpretation as local disease. It will also prompt the radiologist to search for underlying cranial nerve pathology, which may be clinically occult. The relevant cranial nerve motor division anatomy will be described to enable a focussed search for such a structural abnormality.

Cranial Nerve Diseases↗
PubMed2001

Infections related to breast implants reported to the Food and Drug Administration, 1977-1997.

The FDA has a surveillance system for monitoring adverse events related to medical devices. Infection reports submitted to the FDA by breast implant manufacturers between 1977 and 1997 are characterized. Two cases of death caused by toxic shock syndrome after mammoplasty reported to the FDA are presented. Overall, 1,971 reports with a principal adverse event of infection were reported in this time frame. There was a large increase in the number of reports on infections related to breast implants between 1992 and 1995 due to the publicity and litigation surrounding breast implants. When an organism was identified in the report, the most common organism reported was Staphylococcus sp. Information on the time between the implantation and the onset of the infection or the explantation of the implant was not always reported. However, in reports that did contain this information, there were differences between the length of time to infection onset reported for saline breast implants (earlier) compared to silicone gel breast implants (later). More than half of the reports (56.6%) asserted only that there was an infection and that breast implants were explanted as a result; the remaining reports asserted that infection and other signs, symptoms, or diagnoses had afflicted the patient.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1999

Ultrasound biomicroscopic quantitative analysis of light-dark changes associated with pupillary block.

PURPOSE: To quantitatively analyze the changes in anterior chamber angle and iris configuration induced by varying illumination in patients with narrow angles and pupillary block. METHODS: Twenty-four eyes of 24 patients with pupillary block (mean age, 52.5 years) had ultrasound biomicroscopic images of the angle and iris structures obtained superiorly, nasally, inferiorly, and temporally. Images were performed in the light and the dark. We measured the angle opening distance, iris thickness, iris chord length, iris-lens touch, and iris curvature. RESULTS: Changes in iris and angle configuration occurred within a few seconds of a change in lighting. The mean dark measurements were statistically significantly less than the mean light measurements for angle opening distance (96 +/- 18 vs 185 +/- 26 microm, P = .0001), iris chord length (2,505 +/- 61 vs 3,001 +/- 69 microm, P = .0001), and iris-lens touch (350 +/- 20 vs 693 +/- 35 microm, P = .0001). The mean dark measurements were statistically significantly greater than the mean light measurements for iris thickness at 500 microm from the scleral spur (367 +/- 10 vs 307 +/- 25 microm, P = .0001), and 1,500 microm from the scleral spur (404 +/- 14 vs 347 +/- 12 microm, P = .0001). Iris curvature in all four quadrants was statistically significantly greater in the dark than the light. CONCLUSIONS: This study quantitatively confirms that angle narrowing in the dark in eyes with pupillary block is associated with iris shortening, increased iris thickness, and increased iris convexity. Iris-lens touch is relatively small in pupillary block and decreases with dilation. Angle narrowing with dilation is not related to increased iris-lens touch and occurs promptly without requiring time for aqueous pressure buildup behind the iris.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Neurological manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus: a prospective study.

A prospective study of the neurological manifestations in all patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) was conducted between February 1985 to January 1989. Excluding herpes zoster infection of peripheral or cranial nerves, post-herpetic neuralgia and migraine, 36 neurological episodes occurred in 33 patients. The presenting symptoms were mental confusion (10), psychosis (five), seizures (six), focal neurological deficit (three), coma (two), headache (five), blurring of vision (three), neuropathy (one) and myelopathy (one). Of these manifestations, only eight episodes were due to primary involvement by SLE: psychosis (two), seizure (two), multiple cerebral infarcts (one), papillitis (one), neuropathy (one) and myelopathy (one). Infection was the most common secondary cause of neurological episodes: all 10 episodes of mental confusion (fungal seven, pyogenic two, tuberculous one, nocardial one); two of six seizures (tuberculous one, pyogenic one); all five headaches (tuberculous meningitis three, cryptococcal meningitis two). The other secondary causes included steroid psychosis (two), hypertensive encephalopathy with seizure (one) and hypertensive retinopathy (one). Three of five cases of focal neurological deficit were due to macrovascular disease rather than to vasculitic infarction. We concluded that cerebral psychosis was a relatively rare presentation in our patients with SLE. In patients who presented with a neurological problem, especially mental confusion, efforts should be made to ascertain the underlying cause, especially if this may be an infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Central nervous system involvement in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Fifty-eight Hong Kong Chinese patients with CNS lymphoma were reviewed (primary seven, secondary 51). The incidence of secondary CNS lymphoma in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was estimated to be 9.4%. The Working Formulation separated subtypes which had a special propensity to involve the CNS. Significant proportions of our patients with secondary CNS lymphoma had other features which were known to be associated with a high risk of CNS disease including stage IV (48/51, 91.4%), bone marrow (26/51, 50.9%), peripheral blood (7.51, 13.7%), nasal (7/51, 13.7%), orbital (3/51, 5.9%), testicular (2/51, 3.9%) and bulky retroperitoneal (6/51, 11.8%) disease. 82% of patients with secondary CNS lymphoma had concurrent systemic disease and a further 12% had systemic relapse shortly afterward. CNS lymphoma is associated with poor prognosis and only 29% and 14% of the patients with primary and secondary CNS lymphoma respectively survived beyond 1 year. Patients responding to therapy had significantly better survival. 69.9% of the deaths were related to progressive systemic disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Effects of radiation therapy on neuropsychological functioning in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Sixteen patients who had a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who were treated with radiation therapy were followed up after a median duration of 5.5 years and given a battery of neuropsychological tests. Results were compared with a comparable group of newly diagnosed NPC patients awaiting radiation therapy. The irradiated group was significantly poorer in overall IQ, non-verbal memory recall, and reported a substantially greater number of memory related complaints. These results contrast with the complacent general assumption that radiation therapy has a negligible effect on adult functioning.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed1987

Myopathy in acute hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroid myopathy has so far been reported in long standing cases of hypothyroidism. We describe two adult patients with myopathy associated with acute transient hypothyroidism. Both presented with severe muscle aches and cramps, stiffness and spasms. Muscle enzymes were markedly elevated and electromyography in one patient showed myopathic features. Histological changes were absent in muscle biopsy, probably because of the short duration of metabolic disturbance. The myopathy subsided promptly when the hypothyroid state was reversed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Disseminated zygomycosis masquerading as cerebral lupus erythematosus.

Zygomycosis often occurs in patients with an underlying disease, e.g., diabetes mellitus, leukemia, and lymphoma, or an immunocompromised state. This report discusses a case of a 21-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by uremia, acidosis, steroid therapy, prolonged antimicrobial therapy, and disseminated zygomycosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The interaction between sex and click polarity in brain-stem auditory potentials evoked from control subjects of Oriental and Caucasian origin.

Brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were performed on 30 male and 30 female young normal Oriental subjects, using both condensation and rarefaction stimulation. The effects of sex and click polarity on the BAEP latencies and amplitudes were studied. Females had shorter absolute and interpeak latencies and higher absolute amplitudes than the males. These sex-related BAEP differences were independent of the click polarity. Rarefaction clicks produced shorter wave I latency and longer I-III interpeak latency, but the differences were significant in the female only. The polarity-related BAEP amplitude differences were essentially independent of the sex. BAEPs performed on 60 sex- and age-matched young Caucasian subjects produced similar results. The importance of establishing control BAEP values according to the sex and click polarity is emphasised.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Infusion pump adverse events: experience from medical device reports.

Infusion pumps are used in the hospital setting, nursing home, and increasingly, in the home. Medical Device Reports to the Food and Drug Administration of adverse events during the use of infusion pumps for a 10-year period are described. Examples of cases reported to the Food and Drug Administration are provided. The problems reported by medical facilities (hospitals, medical centers, hospital pharmacies, or nursing homes) are compared with those that occur in the home or reported by home health care agencies. Overall, there were no differences in the types of adverse events reported by medical facilities when compared with reports from home health care agencies. However, there were differences in the location of use of some of the infusion pumps studied, which could reflect the trend toward home care over the past decade.

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems↗