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Biomedical subjects

L Rasch

Publications and source records attributed to L Rasch.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Thromboembolectomy in geriatric patients from long-stay wards.

The results of arterial embolectomy with the Fogarty balloon catheter in patients over 70 years of age with acute ischaemia of the lower limbs were evaluated. Twenty-three geriatric patients from long-stay wards, median age 81 years, range 70-92, were compared with 45 independent patients, median age 81 years, range 70-91, living in their own homes. The period of ischaemic symptoms before admission was on average shorter for patients coming from long-stay wards, but the outcome was less successful. Recurrent occlusion during the first postoperative month took place in 12 patients (52%) from long-stay wards as compared to eight (18%) among independent patients (p < 0.01). The mortality was 35% and 18% respectively (p > 0.2). After six months, only 35% of patients from geriatric institutions were alive with a functional extremity as compared to 62% in the independent group (p > 0.01).

Aged↗

Pulmonary hamartoma.

Eighty-nine cases of pulmonary hamartoma were studied. There were 51 men and 38 women, with a mean age of 57.5 years (range 14 to 76 years). A histologic diagnosis from examination of the resection specimens was obtained in all patients who had operations. Moreover, transthoracic needle aspiration biopsies were performed in 40 patients, with a diagnostic result in 34 (85%). The hamartomas were equally distributed in the pulmonary lobes; mean transverse diameter at the time of diagnosis was 21.7 +/- 16.2 mm. Tumor size was independent of the anatomic localization, but it correlated with the age of the patients (p less than 0.01). Tumor growth was recorded in 15 of 31 patients who had follow-up (45%); mean expansion in transverse diameter was 3.2 +/- 2.6 mm per year during an average observation time of 4.1 years (range 1 to 20 years). Pulmonary symptoms were present in 35 patients (39%). Seventy-five patients underwent operations as follows: enucleation (54), resection (11), lobectomy (5), pneumonectomy (4), and bronchoscopic removal (1). Since most pulmonary hamartomas are nonexpanding or slowly growing neoplasms, it is concluded that operation is necessary only when expansion is recorded in young or middle-aged patients and in patients with pulmonary symptoms.

Adolescent↗

The results of completion angiography after acute lower limb thromboembolectomy.

The results of completion angiography after acute thromboembolectomy with a Fogarty balloon catheter were evaluated. There were 62 patients (median age 72 years, range 44-92 years) and completion angiograms were made in 44 of them (71%). Incomplete runoff was demonstrated in 26 patients (59%) and rethromboembolectomy or vascular reconstruction was made in 18 cases (41%) under the same anaesthesia, while additional vascular surgery was technically impossible in 8 patients (18%). Supplementary surgery resulted in radiological improvement in 56% of operated cases. Reocclusion rate after 6 months was 50% in patients without patent tibials compared to 15% in patients with two or three patent tibial arteries (P less than 0.05). Eighteen patients had no completion angiograms after thromboembolectomy and 5 (28%) required early reoperation due to ischaemia. Completion angiograms are advocated in all cases of acute thromboembolectomy before the patient leaves the operating table.

Acute Disease↗

[Retrograde colo-colic invagination].

A case of retrograde colo-colic intussusception, diagnosed preoperatively by straight films of the abdomen and confirmed by barium enema X-ray, is presented. The mechanisms behind intussusception are discussed briefly.

Aged↗

[Candidiasis of the stomach as a complication of hiatal hernia surgery].

Candidiasis in the stomach after hiatus hernia sac operation has not previously been reported in the literature. We present a case in which a 46 year old woman developed candidiasis of the stomach, two months after hiatus hernia sac operation. The disease was primarily diagnosed radiologically and was later confirmed by gastroscopy and culture of gastric fluid. The pentagastrin test was performed six months after the operation and showed significantly reduced acid production. The most probable explanation for the condition is peroperative accidental lesion of branches of the vagus nerve resulting in reduced acid production thus facilitating growth of gastric candidiasis.

Candidiasis↗

Correlation of abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography scans with second- or third-look laparotomy in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

To determine the best noninvasive means of evaluating response in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma, 50 abdominal ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) scans were performed in clinically disease-free ovarian cancer patients. The scans were correlated with the results obtained at a subsequent second- or third-look laparotomy. CT and US were not complementary, and only metastases larger than 2 cm were detected. The overall positive predictive value of nonconcordant scans was 57% compared with 100% for concordant CT and US (95% confidence limits: 18.4-90.1 and 29.2-100%, respectively). The corresponding negative predictive values were 45 and 47% (30.2-59.9 and 30.4-61.2%, respectively), if undetected microscopic disease was classified as a false-negative result. The negative predictive value of US and CT increased only to 60% in both cases, if undetected microscopic disease was registered as a true-negative result. Compared with the pelvic examination CT and US added positive information for 4 of 22 (18%) patients with macroscopic residual disease. In this study neither CT nor US was sensitive enough to preclude second-look laparotomy.

Abdomen↗

Predictability of esophagus- and cardiatumor resectability by preoperative computed tomography.

Prior to operation, 32 patients with a tumor in the esophagus or in the cardia region were examined with computed tomography (CT), to evaluate the predictability of tumor resectability by CT. Twenty patients had the tumor operatively resected, in 2 patients the bulk of tumor could only be partly resected, and 10 patients were non-resectable due to invasion into the surrounding structures. The tumor resectability evaluated by preoperative CT resulted in positive/negative predictive values of 91 and 90%, respectively. This indicates that CT is a valuable method in planning the therapeutic strategy in cases of carcinoma of the oesophagus and the cardia region. The predictability of lymph-node involvement in the mediastinum and abdomen was less convincing.

Carcinoma↗