[Relation between degenerative changes of the cervical spine and axial mechanical weightbearing of heavy loads on the head].
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
L Gordon-Harris
Publications and source records attributed to L Gordon-Harris.
Degenerative change in the cervical spine and load-carrying on the head.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between load-carrying on the head and the development of degenerative change in the cervical spine. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: A case-control study was performed with 35 individuals who had carried loads on their head (carriers) and 35 persons who never had carrier loads on their head (non-carriers). A scoring system was utilized for the assessment of the degenerative change in the cervical spine at the C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6 and C6/C7 levels on lateral cervical spine radiography. A total score was calculated by summing the scores for the single segments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In 31 of the 35 (88.6%) carriers degenerative change was found in the cervical spine, but only in 8 of the 35 (22.9%) non-carriers (P < 0.01). The total score and the scores for segments C4/5, C5/C6 anc C6/C7 were significantly higher for the carriers than the non-carriers. It is concluded that the axial strain of load-carrying on the head exacerbates degenerative change in the cervical spine.
Adult↗
Common faults in filling of radiological request forms.
This prospective study was carried out in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The aim was to highlight to the clinicians the common faults encountered in radiological request forms and to make recommendations aimed at improving information given on such forms which will facilitate better reporting by radiologists. 4,122 request forms from the three institutions were reviewed using a questionnaire and were analysed. The commonest fault was omission of the age of the patients; this occurred in 1,176 cases. Absence of clinical information in the request forms was noted in 946 cases and illegible entries were 658. There were 65 unconventional abbreviations used by clinicians on request forms. We recommend regular clinico-radiological meetings as continuing medical education for hospital doctors and general practitioners and also vetting of request forms for specialized radiological examinations to reduce the short-comings.
Forms and Records Control↗
Giant urinary bladder calculi.
Four patients with giant urinary bladder calculi are presented. All were males with bladder outflow obstruction. The literature on the subject is reviewed.
Aged↗
[Results of radiotherapy of bronchial carcinoma (author's transl)].
In a joint retrospective study by 17 radiotherapy clinics in German-speaking countries the results of treatment of bronchial carcinoma after radiotherapy were analysed in 7503 cases. The age peak was between the 60th and 70th year. Squamous-cell carcinoma was the most frequent histological type, followed by anaplastic carcinoma, with adenocarcinoma being rare. There was a high proportion of histologically not clearly identified cases (27% in central and 35% in peripheral carcinomas). Survival rate at one year was 31% for central (3662 patients) and peripheral (961 patients) tumours, but only 2% at five years. Prognostically there was no difference between histological types and kind of radiotherapy or technique, but total dose affected survival rate. At a total dose of less than 5000 rd the survival rate at five years was minimal. The prognosis of combined surgical and radiotherapeutic measures was slightly better than with a radiotherapy alone, but results were unpredictable for the individual case. It is concluded that radiotherapy aiming at cure should be used in imoperable bronchial carcinoma if the tumour state and general condition of the patient appear to make a cure possible. But if this is not the case, radiotherapy should be used only palliatively, i.e. only to ameliorate symptoms.
Adenocarcinoma↗