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Biomedical subjects

N H Sternby

Publications and source records attributed to N H Sternby.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Incidence of venous thromboembolism verified by necropsy over 30 years.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of venous thromboembolism in all necropsy reports over 30 years. DESIGN: Study of all necropsies in one hospital in 1987 and longitudinal analysis of results of necropsy in 1957, 1964, 1975, and 1987. SETTING: Departments of general surgery, infectious diseases, internal medicine, oncology, and orthopaedics in a Swedish general hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Number of cases of venous thromboembolism. RESULTS: About a third of all necropsies showed venous thromboembolism. In 1987, 260 of 347 necropsies showing venous thromboembolism found pulmonary embolism, of which 93 were classified as fatal, 90 as contributory, and 77 as incidental. Only 21 contributory or fatal postoperative pulmonary emboli were seen. In only 106 of 260 patients with pulmonary embolism did routine necropsy not show the source of embolism. Calf veins were not routinely examined. Deep venous thrombosis was seen in 239 patients in 1987. The incidence of venous thromboembolism in the four years studied was remarkably stable except in the department of orthopaedics, where the proportion fell from 60.7% in 1975 to 32.2% in 1987 (p less than 0.05), although there were only a few patients. CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of venous thromboembolism has not changed over 30 years. During this period the proportion of the population aged over 65 has doubled, and this may have masked the beneficial effects of prophylaxis and early mobilisation. Prevalences corrected for age are needed.

Aged↗

Incidence of myocarditis. A 10-year autopsy study from Malmö, Sweden.

Although myocarditis has been known for almost two centuries, data in regard to its incidence have varied widely. Autopsy studies have reported an incidence of 3.5% to as high as 10%. The main reason for such diversity of data appears to be the lack of unanimity as to what constitutes myocarditis. Recently, definitions of myocarditis have been proposed and precise criteria for the morphologic recognition of myocarditis have been published. In this study an analysis of 12,747 consecutive autopsies performed from 1975 to 1984 at Malmö (Sweden) General Hospital was carried out. Applying the newly proposed histologic criteria, the diagnosis of myocarditis was made in 136 cases, which constitute 1.06% of the autopsy population studied. This rate of myocarditis incidence at postmortem is lower by far than rates previously published.

Adult↗

High condylar shave of the temporomandibular joint with preservation of the articular soft tissue cover: an experimental study on rabbits.

The high condylar shave has the disadvantage of removing the articular soft tissue cover together with the underlying condylar bone. In an attempt to overcome this disadvantage, we elevated the articular soft tissue cover, shaved the condylar head, and replaced the articular soft tissue cover in its original position in nine adult rabbit temporomandibular joints. On the contralateral joints, the same amount of bone was shaved together with the articular soft tissue cover. The rabbits were killed after 3 months, and the condyles were macroscopically and histologically evaluated. All condyles were covered with an articular soft tissue layer in the area operated on. This surface was smoother when the articular soft tissue cover was preserved. Histologically, the subarticular layer of cartilage cells was continuous in the joints with preservation of the articular soft tissue cover but was frequently interrupted in the joints where this cover was removed. The incision made in the posterior part of the articular surface for elevating the articular soft tissue cover frequently caused a deformity of the condyle and an interruption of the subarticular layer of cartilage. The results suggest that preservation of the articular soft tissue cover on the mandibular condyle might be one way to improve the postoperative morphology after high condylar shave. The technique in its present state has obvious drawbacks and should be further refined before it is considered for clinical application.

Animals↗

Osteoplasty of the mandibular condyle with preservation of the articular soft tissue cover: comparison of fibrin sealant and sutures for fixation of the articular soft tissue cover in rabbits.

Fibrin sealant and sutures were compared for fixation of the articular soft tissue cover after it had been raised in association with osteoplasty of the mandibular condyle. Nine adult rabbits were operated on bilaterally with the use of fibrin sealant on one joint and sutures on the other joint. The rabbits were killed after 3 months. Macroscopic and histologic evaluations of the condyles did not reveal any appreciable differences between the two techniques. Fibrin sealant was, however, technically easier to apply than the sutures. It was concluded that fibrin sealant might be an alternative to sutures for fixation of the articular soft tissue cover after it has been raised in association with osteoplasty of the mandibular condyle.

Animals↗

Histologic features of the temporomandibular joint disk and posterior disk attachment: comparison of symptom-free persons with normally positioned disks and patients with internal derangement.

To gain further knowledge about the differences between normal and pathologic anatomy of the temporomandibular joint disk, we examined histologically disks obtained at autopsy from 10 symptom-free persons and compared our findings with observations involving 17 surgically removed disks. The surgical patients had internal derangement and severe long-standing temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction. The normal disks were biconcave, whereas the surgically removed disks were deformed and thicker than the normal disks. Chondrocytes (4 joints), a surface layer of proliferative connective tissue (4 joints), vessels (2 joints), and splitting (4 joints) were seen in the surgical specimens but not in the normal specimens. The surgical specimens also showed higher maximal density of fibroblasts and vessels. It was concluded that surgically removed temporomandibular joint disks demonstrated several histologic alterations that were not seen in normal disks. These characteristics may serve as the basis for development of a histologic grading of pathologic conditions of the temporomandibular joint disk and the posterior disk attachment.

Adolescent↗

Arthroscopic diagnosis of perforation and adhesions of the temporomandibular joint: correlation with postmortem morphology.

Arthoscopy was performed in the upper joint compartment of 28 temporomandibular joints in 16 fresh cadavers to investigate the accuracy of arthroscopic diagnoses of perforation and adhesion. Subsequent dissections revealed that only three of nine perforations were seen arthroscopically and that three of four joints with adhesions were arthroscopically diagnosed. There was no overdiagnosis of perforation or adhesions. Intra-articular hyperplastic soft tissue formation (crab meat) was arthroscopically seen in ten joints (36%) and was with only two exceptions associated with either a perforation or adhesions. Histologically, the adhesion and the hyperplastic soft tissue consisted of fibrous connective tissue with collagen fibers and fibroblasts. It was concluded that a positive arthroscopic diagnosis of adhesion or perforation is reliable whereas a negative diagnosis of perforation is not reliable.

Aged↗

The prevalence of renal amyloidosis of the AA-type in a series of 1,158 consecutive autopsies.

To determine the prevalence of renal amyloidosis of the AA-type in a defined population, formalin-fixed specimens from the kidneys of all the cases autopsied in 1983 at The General Hospital of Malmö, Sweden, were investigated using immunohistochemical techniques. Amyloid deposits of protein AA were found in 10 of 1,158 investigated cases and the calculated prevalence was 0.86 per cent. The mean age at death of the individuals with the AA-type of amyloidosis was 79 years. Six of the cases with amyloidosis had rheumatoid arthritis. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique was found to be superior to the immunofluorescence method and a high sensitivity and specificity was achieved when sequence-specific antibodies against a synthetized nonapeptide corresponding to a hydrophilic segment of the polypeptide chain of protein AA were used in the assay. Nine cases with other types of amyloid deposits in the kidneys were also detected. None of these cases showed any AA immunoreactivity but all of them demonstrated Congophilic deposits which were immunohistochemically stained by antibodies against the amyloid P-component. The prevalence of renal amyloidosis comprising all types of amyloid protein deposits was 1.64 per cent.

Aged↗

The primary sequence of human pancreatic colipase.

The amino acid sequence of an activated colipase purified from human pancreas was determined. The protein consists of a single polypeptide chain of 86 amino acids (human colipase86) and has a molecular weight of 9289. The sequence was determined by automated Edman degradation of the reduced and S-carboxymethylated protein and of two CNBr peptides. Sequence determination of porcine procolipase II was also performed, which showed that in the original sequence determination apparently two residues were missed. These residues were determined to be a leucine at position 37 and a serine in position 50. For comparison with porcine and equine procolipases, the residues composing human colipase are numbered from 6 to 91. No human procolipase has been isolated so far. The colipases from man, pig, horse and chicken show a high degree of homology: human colipase differs from the other proteins by substitutions of 19 (porcine), 24 (equine A) and 21 (equine B) residues, respectively.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cutaneous keratotic hemangioma.

Eight patients with developmental vascular tumours located on the volar side of the fingers are reported. The lesions clinically appeared as small vascular ectasias covered by an area of horny overgrowth. Microscopically they were mixed type hemangiomas with dominance of capillary-like elements, located in the epidermis, the dermis and the subcutis. The operative treatment by simple wedge excision was definite. Such lesions are described and named differently in the literature and the clinical and histological aspects of the differential diagnosis are discussed. We propose this entity to be named cutaneous keratotic hemangioma.

Adult↗

Alcohol-related death: a major contributor to mortality in urban middle-aged men.

The role of alcohol abuse in mortality was studied in an unselected population of over 10,000 46-48-year-old men in Malmö, Sweden. During follow-up of 0-6 years (mean 3 years) 199 men died. In 61 men (30.7%) death was alcohol related. A theoretical calculation of excess deaths in men with an alcohol-positive history yielded 78 deaths (39.2%). In the official cause of death statistics 10 of the deaths had been assigned alcoholic aetiology (5.0%). These estimates indicate that alcohol was the commonest underlying factor in death in this sample of middle-aged men. The number of deaths with alcoholic aetiology in official cause of death statistics should be multiplied by a factor of six to eight to arrive at the true alcohol-related death rate.

Accident Proneness↗

Cholelithiasis, cholecystectomy, and cancer: a case-control study in Sweden.

To study the relationship between gallstone disease (cholelithiasis and cholecystectomy) and cancer, a case-control study was performed in two Swedish hospitals comparing the prevalence of gallstone disease discovered at necropsy in 1422 subjects who died of cancer and 1205 subjects who did not die of cancer. Gallstone disease was more prevalent in the group of 131 women less than 50 yr of age who died of various cancers: odds ratio = 2.2, p less than 0.01. When the analysis was restricted to 89 younger women who died of cancers that have been suggested to be related to diet (breast, reproductive system, gastrointestinal), the results became more significant: odds ratio = 3.3, p less than 0.001. No such relationship was detected in older women or in men of any age. It seems likely that gallstone disease and several common cancers in younger Swedish women share similar epidemiologic and perhaps metabolic features.

Adult↗

Alcohol consumption and premature death in middle-aged men.

All the men living in Malmö born in 1926-9 were invited for a screening examination which included an assessment of alcohol consumption and measurement of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity. They were followed for up to four years (median 2) and their mortality assessed. Sixty-two deaths occurred, 41 (0.9%) among the 4571 men who attended the screening investigation and 21 (1.3%) among the 1609 who did not respond to the invitation. Evidence of alcohol abuse or an alcohol-related cause of death was present in 25 (61%) of the deaths among the attenders and 13 (62%) of those among the non-responders. GGT values at the screening investigation were significantly increased in 19 (46%) of those who died, but established risk factors, such as cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations and blood pressure, had little predictive value. Measurement of GGT provided an objective index of alcohol consumption, though the full clinical importance of a raised value needs further assessment. The finding that heavy alcohol consumption was the single most important factor associated with premature death in these middle-aged men has important implications for prevention.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Pathology of centerarians. I. The cardiovascular system and lungs.

The cardiovascular and lung lesions in 23 centenarians (7 males and 16 females) were examined pathologically. The heart showed varied degrees of hypertrophy, and myocardial fibrosis was present in 15 of the 23 patients. Coronary arteriosclerosis was noted coincidentally. In addition to these findings, amyloid deposition was seen in the hearts of 8 patients. Generalized atherosclerosis of the arterial tree was severe to moderate in all cases. Bronchopneumonia was present in 15 of the 23 patients, and fresh or old thromboembolism in 8. There was a tendency toward emphysema and chronic bronchitis in the structure of the lung. The frequent occurrence of myocardial fibrosis and bronchopneumonia was characteristic in the series. It was significant that cardiac amyloid deposition was noted in these cases.

Aged↗

Pathology of centenarians. III. Osseous system, malignant lesions, and causes of death.

This third autopsy study of 23 centenarians (7 men and 16 women) included the pathologic examination of bone, the detection of malignant neoplasms, and the determination of the main and contributory causes of death. (Previous studies concerned the lungs and the cardiovascular, urogenital and digestive systems). The vertebral bone specimens showed definite osteoporosis in 14 of the 23 subjects. In some cases it was associated with kyphosis or scoliosis of the spine or a history of femoral fracture. Eight malignant neoplasms were observed in six patients. Prostatic cancers were found in three of the seven men. All the cancers were well differentiated structurally. Four latent cancers were detected at autopsy. Most of these centenarians died of bronchopneumonia or myocardial fibrosis. Death from a malignant neoplasm was uncommon, and usually the cancer was only a contributory cause. The importance of atherosclerosis prevention is stressed by the fact that atherosclerosis was the basic cause of the cardiovascular lesions that constituted a main cause of death.

Age Factors↗