Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Lijovetzky.
Chlorpromazine-induced liver damage is usually manifested by intrahepatic cholestasis. Hypoplastic bone marrow associated with agranulocytosis is a well-known side effect of chlorpromazine treatment. A 35-year-old woman with liver and bone marrow granulomas associated with agranulocytosis induced by chlorpromazine treatment is described.
Blast injury to the lungs is one of the most overwhelming threats to survival following exposure to powerful explosions. The pathophysiology of blast injuries differs significantly from other forms of trauma. Using the extracorporeal shock-wave lithotriptor, originally designed for the noninvasive treatment of nephrolithiasis, we were able to produce isolated, typical pulmonary blast effects in rats. The immediate mortality was associated with bilateral pneumothorax and hemothorax. A nonlethal dose of shock waves caused intra-alveolar and intrabronchial hemorrhages and an immediate 2- to 3-fold increase in the lung weight. Additional marked increase in lung weight started 12 to 24 hours later, consistent with the clinical picture of delayed respiratory insufficiency which occurs after a latent period of 12 to 48 hours in many blast casualties. The use of air-containing vest as a protective measure completely prevented blast injury to the lungs.
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Malignant melanoma has traditionally been considered a radioresistant tumor. A rare case of metastatic malignant melanoma into the nose and maxillary sinus is presented. Local control was achieved by a combination of local excision and teleradio and brachytherapy. The response of melanomas to radiation treatment is discussed in light of the recent literature.
The incidence of interstitial pneumonitis (IP) was reviewed in 80 consecutive patients who received allogeneic T lymphocyte-depleted bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for malignant and non-malignant diseases. Pretransplant conditioning used in malignant disorders included total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) 150 cGy x 4, total body irradiation (TBI) 200 cGy x 6, and cyclophosphamide (CY) 120 mg/kg. In non-malignant diseases conditioning included no TBI, but adjusted doses of TLI in addition to CY (severe aplastic anemia) or CY and busulfan (severe beta-thalassemia major). In the malignant group only one patient developed graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grade I; IP developed in 12 out of 61 patients (19.7%) and IP-associated fatality occurred in five patients (8.2%). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was associated with only two of the five fatal IP. In the non-malignant group there was no GVHD; one patient out of 19 (5.2%) had IP, which was fatal and not associated with CMV. These data indicate that fatal IP may appear in the absence of GVHD. The relatively low incidence of IP-related mortality in recipients of allogeneic T lymphocyte-depleted BMT suggests that although prevention of GVHD and elimination of drugs used for GVHD prevention may reduce the incidence of fatal pulmonary complications, other approaches have to be investigated for complete prevention of IP which still represents a major complication in patients with malignant hematologic disorders treated by allogeneic BMT.
Sweet's syndrome (acute neutrophilic dermatosis) is characterized by fever; polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytosis; elevated ESR; and characteristic, raised, painful red plaques on the face and limbs. Since Sweet first described the syndrome in 1964, more than 150 cases have been reported, but it is assumed that the disorder is far more common than this number would indicate.
A method developed for the initiation and maintenance in primary culture of human normal mammary epithelial cells was adopted for the growth of epithelial cells from 45 primary human breast tumors. The cells were grown on a naturally produced extracellular matrix (ECM) or on regular tissue culture plastic in a serum-free medium containing growth supplements and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Successful enzymatic dissociation of the tumor biopsy into organoid structures and cell aggregates was crucial for subsequent cell attachment and growth. Fifty-five percent of the biopsy specimens were successfully dissociated and 87% of these gave rise to actively dividing epithelial cells forming monolayer cultures. In contrast, only 21% of the biopsies which were not optimally dissociated yielded growing cultures. Variations in sample size, duration of enzymatic digestion, and tumor composition affected the outcome of tumor dissociation. Omission of serum from the culture medium prevented the growth of fibroblasts, while plating on ECM greatly improved and in some cases was essential for cell attachment and subsequent outgrowth. The epithelial nature of the cells was verified by their cuboidal and closely apposed morphology and positive staining with antikeratin antibodies. The growth and subculture requirements and the expression of the B38.1 tumor marker were compared in human mammary epithelial cells derived from solid tumors, pleural effusion and normal breast tissue.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Pemphigus vulgaris is a well-known disease that involves the skin and the mucous membranes. The disease can start in the oral or pharyngeal mucosa and the skin lesions may appear later. Esophageal involvement seems to be very rare. In a patient with oral disease, we recently observed, at endoscopy, typical lesions of pemphigus vulgaris in the esophagus.
We report a case of pilar tumor of the nose and review the literature. No such tumor in a similar location has been reported previously.
A patient in whom transient global amnesia (TGA) led to the diagnosis of a metastasis of a transition-cell carcinoma of the bladder to the non-dominant hemisphere is described. In previously reported cases of TGA associated with brain tumors, the tumors involved either the dominant or both hemispheres. The etiology of TGA associated with a brain tumor is most likely vascular, as suggested by the sudden development and the transitory character of the event. In contrast to the "common" form of TGA (where both temporal lobes suffer temporary ischemia), in these patients only one side of the limbic system is affected, because a brain tumor has already compromised the other limbic area. Therefore, the dominance of the hemisphere with the tumor is of no consequence, as both hemispheres have been involved. It is concluded that the TGA in these patients is not due to, but is rather associated with, a unilateral brain tumor.
A report is given on an experimental study in 20 dogs designed to compare the use of the CO2 laser beam as a cutting instrument in resection of the kidney parenchyma, with the simple scalpel and the cutting diathermy current. It was found that the laser can be used with impunity. It shortens the time of operation by facilitating hemostasis, diminishes blood loss, and does not interfere with the final kidney function. The damage to the kidney parenchyma compares favorably with the produced by the other instruments.
Encouraged by the experimental work done on 40 kidneys in 20 dogs using the CO2 laser beam for partial nephrectomies, we decided to use the laser in four patients. Three of them underwent lower partial nephrectomy, and the fourth underwent bivalving of kidney through the anatrophic line. The use of this new instrument was very helpful in reducing blood loss, shortening the time of hemostasis, and minimizing parenchymal damage. Case No. 1 is the first published case of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis that underwent partial nephrectomy with success.
Various methods of heavy metal impregnations were performed on human platelets. The optimal technique consisted of glutaraldehyde fixation, incubation in warm uranyl acetate at a pH of 3.5, followed by a double solution of lead and copper, and finally overnight immersion in cold osmium tetroxide. Semi-thin sections, viewed at 90 kV, revealed three types of platelets: (1) 'reticular' cells, with a prominent tubular network and very dark granules in a pale cytoplasm; (2) 'dark' cells, with an electron-dense cytoplasm; and (3) 'pale' cells, with microvesicles and non-staining granules. Pre-treatments with EGTA, aspirin and various platelet activators altered the appearances and proportions of the three cell types. A cell-partitioning two-phase polymer system showed that the sub-grouping is related to surface membrane properties, the cells retained in the top phase being exclusively type 2 'dark' cells. The changes in cell type distribution produced by activation show that metal impregnation may be a useful method for studying structure-function correlations in platelets.