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Biomedical subjects

J S Lumley

Publications and source records attributed to J S Lumley.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Diagnostic and surgical aspects of renal carcinoma with involvement of the inferior vena cava.

Over the past 10 years, 13 patients presented with operable renal carcinoma and tumour extension within the inferior vena cava. This was diagnosed accurately in all but 1 patient, using ultrasound. Radical nephrectomy with removal of tumour within the inferior vena cava was performed in all 13 cases, 2 requiring cardiac bypass. There were no operative deaths and 6 patients remain alive and well with a mean follow-up of 2 years. The presence and level of vena caval extension did not appear to have an adverse affect on prognosis.

Adult

A comparative study between Michel and Proximate clips for the closure of neck incisions.

A prospective study comparing two types of surgical clip, the Proximate II (Ethicon) staple and the Michel clip, was performed on 30 thyroidectomy (horizontal) and 50 carotid endarterectomy (vertical) incisions with reference to their ease of handling, patient comfort, complication rate, cosmetic result and cost. In each patient half of the wound was approximated with one type of clip and half with the other. The Proximate II staple was more comfortable for the patient in the vertical wounds (P less than 0.02), easier to remove as judged by the nurse in both horizontal (P less than 0.001) and vertical (P less than 0.02) wounds, and by the patient in the horizontal wounds (P less than 0.02) only. The incidence of inflammation was significantly higher with the Michel clip (P less than 0.001). In both the horizontal (P less than 0.05) and the vertical (P less than 0.001) wounds, when the scar was assessed at the time of discharge from hospital, the Proximate II staple achieved a significantly better result. However, assessment of the wounds by patient and researcher 6 weeks postoperatively, revealed no significant difference between the wounds with regard to cosmetic outcome. The Proximate II design, however, costs between seven and ten times more than the Michel clip depending on the size of the dispenser used, and since the late cosmetic result offers no advantage over the latter design, we feel these financial variables deserve consideration.

Adult

Review of the teaching of medical ethics in London medical schools.

The study examined the influence of the Pond Report on the teaching of medical ethics in the London medical schools. A questionnaire was given to both medical students and college officers. All medical colleges reported that ethics was included in the curriculum. However, from students' replies, it seems that attendance of optional courses is low and that not all current final year medical students have had any formal teaching in medical ethics. Stronger guidelines are necessary to ensure appropriate ethical training in London medical schools.

Curriculum

Pharmacocavernometry in the assessment of erectile impotence.

Thirty-three impotent men underwent pharmacocavernometry and cavernography. Ten patients had a good clinical response to 60 mg papaverine, nine had a moderate clinical response and in 14, the response was judged to be a poor one. Twelve patients had evidence of abnormal venous leakage from the corpora. Subsequent investigation with isotope phallography showed six patients to have arterial insufficiency and in three of these patients this was amenable to reconstructive vascular surgery. We conclude that pharmacocavernometry provides a useful, cheap and reliable method for the investigation of impotent men which may be performed on an outpatient basis.

Adult

Changes in the VIPergic, cholinergic and adrenergic innervation of human penile tissue in diabetic and non-diabetic impotent males.

Penile tissue (consisting of corpus cavernosum and tunica albuginea) was obtained from 19 patients undergoing surgery for the implantation of penile prostheses. The tissue was examined for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity in nerves, acetylcholinesterase-positive staining in nerves and noradrenaline content. Impotence was due to a variety of causes; 11 patients were classified as a 'non-neuropathic' group on the basis of their clinical history which included Peyronie's disease, vascular disease, hypertension and psychogenic impotence. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive and acetylcholinesterase-positive nerves were present and the pattern and distribution were similar in each patient in this group. The noradrenaline content of the tunica albuginea was significantly lower than the corpus cavernosum (p less than 0.02), although there was a linear relationship between the noradrenaline contents of the two regions (r = 0.95, p less than 0.01). By comparison, a complete absence of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity in nerves was observed in a patient with a cauda equina lesion. Five out of six diabetic patients studied revealed a marked reduction in vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity in nerves associated with the cavernous smooth muscle, while acetylcholinesterase-positive staining was reduced in three out of five diabetic patients studied. The noradrenaline content of the corpus cavernosum from diabetic patients was significantly lower (p less than 0.02) than that of the 'non-neuropathic' group. The noradrenaline content of the tunica albuginea, however, was similar in both groups. The results provide evidence that VIPergic, cholinergic and adrenergic nerves in the penis are affected in diabetes mellitus and thus may contribute to the development of impotence in diabetic patients.

Acetylcholinesterase

Gortex graft-external carotid artery anastomotic stricture treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

We describe successful percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of a gortex-right external carotid artery anastomotic stricture in a 49-year-old man with amaurosis fugax and occlusion of the right internal carotid artery. No neurological complications occurred during the procedure. The patient had had three previous carotid operations, and PTA enabled successful transcranial arterial bypass surgery to be carried out, with complete relief of symptoms.

Angiography

Brain revascularisation in hypertension.

Neurological symptoms in hypertensive subjects may be a reflection of intracranial vascular disease and not just a consequence of hypertension. Two hypertensive children with renovascular disease, neurological symptoms, and severe cerebral arterial disease were treated by extracranial-intracranial arterial bypass surgery with improvement of symptoms and easier control of blood pressure. Where revascularisation surgery is appropriate, this should be undertaken before neurological complications arise.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive nerves in diabetic penis. A comparison between streptozotocin-treated rats and man.

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) has been demonstrated by immunofluorescence histochemistry in nerves in human and rat penile tissue. A reduction in VIP-like immunoreactivity in nerves was revealed in tissue from streptozotocin-diabetic rats and a human diabetic with impotence. These results suggest that an impairment in the VIP-ergic innervation in penile tissue may be an important factor in the development of impotence in diabetes. They also support the view that the streptozotocin-treated rat is a useful experimental model for diabetic autonomic neuropathy.

Animals

Extra-intracranial revascularization.

Twenty-four extra-intracranial revascularization procedures were undertaken in 23 patients with occlusion of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery. The superficial temporal artery was anastomosed to a cortical branch of the middle cerebral artery in 23 cases and a vein graft inserted between the external carotid artery and the cortical vessel in 1, a microsurgical technique being used. Twenty-one patients were suffering from transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) and 2 had developing strokes. Nineteen patients had radiologically demonstrated bilateral disease of the carotid vessels, 9 having undergone contralateral carotid artery surgery before the intracranial procedure. No improvement was noted in the 2 patients with developing strokes; one patient developed a stroke contralateral to the intracranial procedure 24 h postoperatively, this being accompanied by occlusion of the anastomoses, and one patient had progression of the stroke syndrome following occlusion of the intracranial vein graft. All other patients have shown a reduction of abolition of TIAs over a follow-up period of 24 months. These findings suggest that intracranial revascularization is of value in patients with total internal carotid artery occlusion and continuing TIAs.

Aged