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Biomedical subjects

R W Siegler

Publications and source records attributed to R W Siegler.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Fatal poisoning from liquid dimethylmercury: a neuropathologic study.

Since ancient times, mercury has been recognized as a toxic substance. Dimethylmercury, a volatile liquid organic mercury compound, is used by a small number of chemistry laboratories as a reference material in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. To our knowledge, dimethylmercury has been reported in only three cases of human poisoning, each proving fatal. Very small amounts of this highly toxic chemical can result in devastating neurological damage and death. We report the neuropathologic findings in a fatal case of dimethylmercury intoxication occurring in a laboratory researcher that resulted from a small accidental spill. We compare these findings to those reported in one previously reported fatal case of dimethylmercury poisoning, and to earlier reports of monomethylmercury poisoning, and discuss the clinicopathologic correlation.

Atrophy↗
PubMed1998

Fatal hypernatremic dehydration in exclusively breast-fed newborn infants due to maternal lactation failure.

Infants who die of hypernatremic dehydration usually demonstrate at autopsy an underlying condition or disease process that predisposes to increased water loss. In the absence of such findings, forensic concerns may focus sharply on parental or caretaker neglect as an underlying cause of death. In this case report, we describe unrecognized fatal hypernatremic dehydration in two exclusively breast-fed neonates due solely to failure of maternal lactation. We further describe epidemiologic and etiologic features of such deaths and discuss forensic difficulties encountered in their certification.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Fatal heatstroke in a young woman with previously undiagnosed Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Heatstroke represents the most severe form of the heat-related illnesses. Potentially fatal, heatstroke most often affects the elderly, obese, or chronically ill. Thyroid disease, which may interfere with the normal regulation of body temperature, has not previously been reported in cases of heatstroke. A fatal case is reported in a young woman discovered unconscious in a sauna who was found to have preexisting Hashimoto's thyroiditis on subsequent autopsy. The diagnosis of hypothyroidism in heatstroke rests on clinical information and morphologic observations. This case underscores the importance of evaluating the thyroid in unusual cases of heatstroke.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Capillary electrophoresis of cardiovascular drugs.

This review surveys the use of capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of cardiovascular drugs. Each section presents examples of separations according to the class of the cardiovascular agent. The classes presented are beta-adrenergic antagonists (beta-blockers), acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, dieuretics, alpha-adrenergic antagonists, calcium channel blockers, cardiac glycosides, hypolipidemics (HmG-CoA reductase inhibitors and fibric acid), vasodilators and sodium channel blockers. Examples of the separation modes discussed include capillary electrophoresis, micellar electrokinetic chromatography using many additives (e.g. sodium dodecyl sulfate, cyclodextrins, bile salts, proteins, oligosaccharides) and isotachophoresis.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗
PubMed1996

Corpus albicans-like structures in the gonads in androgen insensitivity syndrome.

The complete androgen insensitivity syndrome is the most common form of male pseudohermaphroditism and is due to end-organ unresponsiveness to androgens. The patients are phenotypically female, but the genotype is 46, XY, and the gonads are testicles. However, the common presence of Sertoli cell adenomalike nodules of immature seminiferous tubules and the frequent presence of stroma resembling ovarian stroma may cause confusion about the nature of the gonad. Herein, we report the occurrence in such a gonad of corpus albicans-like structures, which resulted from progressive hyalinization and aggregation of immature tubules. These structures, which to our knowledge have not been previously described, must be recognized for what they represent to avoid misinterpretation in the pathologic evaluation of this disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Gastroesophageal-vulvar leiomyomatosis presenting over the course of 20 years.

Gastroesophageal-vulvar leiomyomatosis represents a rare syndrome of diffuse smooth muscle proliferation primarily in the gastroesophagus and vulva. To our knowledge, there are 19 cases reported in the literature, most associated with Alport's syndrome. We recently encountered a case not associated with Alport's syndrome, which had progressed over the course of 20 years. We used immunohistochemistry to further delineate the process. Leiomyomatosis appears to be a systemic disorder, with indolent proliferations of smooth muscle in areas that may not be clinically significant.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

High-performance liquid chromatography of platinum complexes on solvent generated anion exchangers. III. Application to the analysis of cisplatin in urine using automated column switching.

Platinum complexes are retained on solvent generated anion exchangers, prepared by coating reversed-phase (C-18) supports with a monolayer of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide. The retention mechanism is described in terms of ion--dipole interactions in the stationary phase, reinforced by a hydrophobic effect. The high degree of ligand selectivity exhibited by these systems arises from the use of purely aqueous mobile phases which maximize the differences in solute dipole and hydrophobic surface area. By using stationary phases of different surface characteristics and the application of automated column switching, the technique is applicable to the clinical analysis of cisplatin in urine. After chromatography, the purified cisplatin fractions area determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The recovery of cisplatin from urine is 101.1% with a relative standard deviation of 3.6% and the limit of detection is 2 micrograms/ml.

Automation↗