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Biomedical subjects

L Fiedler

Publications and source records attributed to L Fiedler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Sonographic representation of the normal and acute inflamed appendix--in patients wi right-sided abdominal pain].

The detectability, vascularization and size of the normal and inflamed appendix were investigated in the study. 148 patients under suspicion of appendicitis or with lower right abdominal pain were studied over a period of five months beginning in January 1998. An ultrasound-transducer was employed at a wave length of 3.5 MHz to 10 MHz. Vascularization was measured using 'Duplex' and 'Color Angio'. The results were compared with operative evidence, histology and patient history. The appendix was detected in about 30% of the cases (47/148). But of the presumably normal appendices only 12% (13/109) were detected. 27 appendices sonographically diagnosed as acutely inflamed were confirmed by operation and phlegmonic. The acute appendicitis was sonographically diagnosed with a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 95%. The diameter of the normal appendices was an average of 5.5 mm, that of the acute was 12.2 mm whereby 21 of 25 organs were at least 9 mm. The measurement of the organ size seems to be more helpful than the detection of vascularization. Both methods alone cannot detect the acute phlegmonic appendicitis. The normal appendix was less frequently detected than described in current literature. Patients with pain present difficulties in ultra-sound examination because both the cooperation and the time for the correct diagnosis are limited.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1996

[Ultrasound diagnosis of acute appendicitis--possibilities and limits of the method--results of prospective and retrospective clinical studies].

AIM: In the diagnosis of appendicitis high-resolution ultrasound has become "gold standard" among the imaging methods. The ranking of the method and its dependence on the experience of the examiner, the quality of different ultrasound machines and the time of the examination, were examined in a trial during a 7-year period. METHOD: In 905 patients examination by the surgeon was followed by ultrasound. The results were compared with clinical or histological diagnosis. RESULTS: In a prospective study we examined sonographical 367 patients with the diagnosis of "appendicitis" at admission. The sensitivity was 75.3%, the specificity 96.2%. In a retrospective analysis of 538 patients with appendectomy, the sensitivity was 50.5% and the specificity 95.4% in pre-operative diagnosis. If the examination was done by a less experienced examiner (less than 500 ultrasound examinations/year) the sensitivity was 45.1% and specificity 93.6%; an experienced doctor (500-1000 ultrasound examinations/year) achieved 57.9 and 92.9% and a highly qualified investigator (more than 1000 ultrasound examinations/year) a sensitivity of 73.9% and a specificity of 97%. If the examination was realised with high frequency ultrasonic scanning (10 MHz), sensitivity (73.9%) and specificity (96.3%) could be increased. Essential for an exact diagnosis was a short-term period between ultrasound examination and intra-abdominal diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Optimal sonographical appendicitis diagnosis must be based on a combination of a qualified examiner, high-resolution ultrasound and short-term follow-up.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

[The layers of the gallbladder wall: an ultrasound-anatomic comparative study].

In a sonographic-histological comparative test, operatively withdrawn gallbladders in native and formol-fixed states were examined. The thickness of the gallbladder wall and of its layers was measured sonographically. Afterwards the gallbladders were reexamined microscopically in the sonographic sectional plane and the measurement was repeated. By removal of the single layers of the wall and by repeated sonographic measuring, sonographic and microscopic measurements of the parietal layers could be correlated. Both gallbladder wall thickness and thickness of the single anatomic layers can be evaluated sonographically. The correlation between sonographic and histological measurements is fairly to highly significant. The sonographically measurable layers can be related to the following anatomical layers (when measuring from outwards to inwards): 1. echogenic layer = initial echo and subserosa; 2. echo-poor layer = muscularis; 3. echogenic layer = lamina propria; 4. echo-poor layer = mucosal epithelium; 5. echogenic layer = exit echo.

Cholecystectomy↗
PubMed1992

[Comparison of results of daily blood pressure self-monitoring and general practice monitoring within the scope of a study assessing treatment of hypertension with quinapril].

24 hour blood pressure monitoring is a well established method in the field of antihypertensive research. Patients self recorded blood pressure values are an additional option to overcome the disadvantages of casual office readings--however they are not frequently used within intervention trials. To prove the usefulness of selfrecordings in clinical trials we investigated both selfrecordings taken twice a day and casual readings within intervals of 1 to 3 weeks, in this study on the efficacy and tolerability of the ACE-inhibitor Accupro. 108 hypertensive patients (grade WHO I to II) were included in this trial for ten weeks. Although blood pressures were measured by the patients using sphygmomanometers of the same type and the physicians, decisions to treat or to increase dosage were based on the patients' recordings only. Accupro was dispensed according to the package leaflet at a daily dosage of 5 mg up to 40 mg. In case of failing response to monotherapy, Accupro was combined with Diltiazem or with a diuretic. 7 patients discontinued the treatment due to mild adverse events, one did not cooperate. 82 of the remaining patients were treated effectively with Accupro monotherapy--60 (73%) got one dose daily, 22 (27%) 2 doses per day,--and in 18 patients a drug combination was required. Therapeutic response (RRd < or = 90 mm Hg) was gained within 86 of the 100 evaluable patients according to the doctors' and 83 according to the patients' records. In this respect the two methods used gave comparable overall results. This somewhat surprising fact is due to the design of the study, because treatment decisions were based on the selfrecordings only. Clinical trials based on selfrecordings are in some points preferable to casual office readings: As patients being normotensive at home should not be included into an interventional study, a change of dosage within this group is avoided. Additionally the compliance of a cooperative patient taking his blood pressure twice daily is at a high level. Measurements of each single patient may be evaluated statistically by time series-analysis regarding longterm distribution of blood pressure-values. Taking the means of selfrecordings over adequate time-intervals eliminates the influence of "outliers" (occasionally extremely high or low values) and also reduces the standard deviation compared to that of the casual readings. Research work based on self recordings provides more information and therefore more security for treatment decisions.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed1989

Isolated chronic mitral regurgitation with preserved systolic left ventricular function and severe pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension in chronic mitral valve disease has been related most commonly to left ventricular dysfunction or mitral stenosis; its association with chronic, isolated mitral regurgitation and preserved left ventricular systolic function is unclear. In 41 catheterized patients with chronic mitral regurgitation (known history of mitral regurgitation for greater than 18 months) and preserved left ventricular systolic function (ejection fraction greater than 0.55), historic, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and hemodynamic variables were analyzed. Ten patients (Group I) had normal pulmonary artery systolic pressure (less than 30 mm Hg), whereas 31 patients had pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary artery systolic pressure was mildly increased (30 to 49 mm Hg) in 13 patients (Group II) and was greater than or equal to 50 mm Hg in 18 patients (Group III). Univariate analysis showed the more frequent occurrence of male gender and ruptured chordae tendineae in the groups with pulmonary hypertension. Mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, size of the V wave in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and pulmonary arteriole resistance were higher, whereas cardiac index was lower in the hypertension groups. Multivariate stepwise analysis revealed higher mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and pulmonary arteriole resistance as the only variables independently differing among groups. In conclusion, pulmonary hypertension occurs frequently (76% of cases) in patients with chronic, isolated mitral regurgitation with preserved left ventricular systolic function. In these patients, a severe increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure is associated with elevation in pulmonary artery resistance, a finding similar to that in mitral stenosis.

Echocardiography↗
PubMed1988

Effects of thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy and lithium on circadian wheelrunning in rats.

Circadian rhythms and levels of wheelrunning were studied in thyroidectomized, parathyroidectomized, thyro-parathyroidectomized, and sham-operated male rats. Animals were entrained to a 12:12 light:dark schedule, then exposed to constant dim red illumination, and then given a diet containing lithium. Under constant conditions, free-running circadian activity rhythms were shorter, and levels of activity were greater, in thyroidectomized and thyroparathyroidectomized animals. Lithium reversed these effects, lengthening free-running circadian periods in all groups, with a greater reduction of activity observed in animals with thyroids removed. Parathyroidectomy had no clear effects. Since lithium slowed circadian rhythms and reduced activity even in the absence of intact thyroid or parathyroid glands, these effects may have been due to the action of lithium at some other site. The same may be true of other thyroid suppressors reported to affect circadian rhythms. These findings may be relevant to the biological substrates of major affective disorders in humans, which have been associated with abnormalities of thyroid function, abnormally short circadian rhythms, abnormal activity levels, and responsiveness to lithium therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[Posthepatic jaundice caused by abnormalities of the pancreaticobile duct system in early childhood].

Anomalies of the pancreatico-biliary tract present the most frequent cause of posthepatic cholestasis in the young child, whereas calculous disease or infections or compression by vascular abnormalities or neoplasms are less frequent. Generally, abdominal pain and jaundice begin acutely and increase following progressive biliary congestion. The preoperative diagnosis by ERCP or PTC or the intraoperative diagnosis of a relevant pancreaticobiliary anomaly stress the necessity of an operative management performing a bypass of the Sphincter Oddi and of the site of the anomaly. Local operative revision alone seems to be associated with a frequent relapse of cholestasis.

Biliary Atresia↗
PubMed1987

[Postoperative recurrent gastroduodenal ulcer: pathogenesis--reinterventions--results].

High 10-year recurrence rates following proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV) for pyloric/prepyloric ulcer (31.6%, European trial) result from antral stasis (Dragstedt-mechanism). Additional pyloroplasty reduces the recurrence rate to 16.6%. General causes of recurrence following PGV are primarily incomplete vagotomy and smoking: For incomplete vagotomy (Burge-test) 24.4% recurrences, for complete vagotomy 13.6% (10-year results); in smokers 38%, non-smokers 12%. Therapy is conservative in 80%. Selective gastric revagotomy and antrectomy as reoperation shows lowest recurrence rate (1.2%). The major cause of recurrence after partial gastrectomy is inadequate resection. Conservative therapy is successful in 76%. Reoperation should be transthoracic vagotomy with no mortality in 11 centers.

Gastrectomy↗
PubMed1987

[Cancer of the middle third of the rectum].

Anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection are standard procedures to treat cancer in the upper and the lower third of the rectum, respectively. The area of interest today is the middle third of the rectum, i.e. the part 7.5-12 cm above the anal verge. Surgical therapy is mainly based on prognostic tumor factors and preoperative staging. The degree of tumor infiltration of the rectal wall and the number of positive lymph nodes are of paramount importance. For preoperative staging the results of digital examination are improved by new imaging techniques. Endorectal ultrasound is able to oklineate tumor infiltration of the rectal wall, whereas computed tomography is better suited to identify tumor infiltration outside the rectum. Preoperative lymph node staging is still not reliable. The surgeon, therefore, has to decide on the surgical therapy intraoperatively. Local tumor excision is possible only if the tumor can be reached by the finger of the surgeon, i.e. if located not more than 10 cm above the anal verge. Local excision is an acceptable procedure in high grade cancers of less than 3 cm diameter and infiltration of the muscularis propria, preferably submucosa only. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long term results. Adjuvant preoperative radiation therapy is applied increasingly in tumors infiltrating beyond the rectal wall. There is at present no apparent benefit from chemotherapy for carcinoma of the rectum.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1986

Diagnostic procedures leading to successful separation of xipho-omphalopagus twins.

Xipho-omphalopagus twins with a pericardial bridge, extended liver tissue union and considerable intestinal herniation from one abdominal cavity to the other were separated successfully at the age of three months. Special diagnostic procedures including cardiac and abdominal sonography, catheterism of the umbilical vein with portal angiography, radionucleotide liver and bile duct imaging and separate oral glucose tolerance tests provided important information for perioperative and surgical patient management. Relevant items for determination of the favourable data and method of surgery are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Acute pseudoobstruction of the colon (Ogilvie syndrome)].

Pseudo-obstruction of the colon was observed in six patients. The cardinal feature is acute distension of the large bowel without distal obstruction. Apart from few idiopathic cases, the syndrome usually is associated with postoperative, posttraumatic or metabolic disorders of extraintestinal origin. Without treatment, increasing distension leads to cecal perforation with a high mortality. Treatment is conservative initially. If decompression by colonoscopy fails, cecostomy or right hemicolectomy are mandatory. The pathophysiologic mechanism of acute colonic pseudoobstruction is unknown. Whether Ogilvie's syndrome is a genuine clinical entity or a complication of associated diseases is still on question.

Acute Disease↗