PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S K Varma

Publications and source records attributed to S K Varma.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Botulinum toxoid in the management of gustatory sweating (Frey's syndrome) after superficial parotidectomy.

Botulinum toxin has been successfully used to treat Frey's syndrome occurring in a 31-year-old patient following superficial parotidectomy for pleomorphic adenoma. An initial injection of 7.5 U (0.3 ml over 6 cm2 of cheek) resulted in 3 months' resolution of gustatory sweating and flushing and a second injection 12 months' symptomatic improvement. The symptoms recurred after further facial surgery.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗
PubMed1996

Effect of facial burns on the nasal mucosa.

In this study the nasal mucosa of patients who had recently sustained facial burns was examined endoscopically. The saccharin clearance test was performed as a measure of nasal mucociliary transport. All the patients had singed nasal hairs, but none had inflammatory changes extending beyond the nasal valve. In only one patient was the saccharin clearance prolonged beyond 20 min, and only one patient developed nasal obstruction postburn. This study shows that the nasal mucosa is resistant to damage when the face is burned, suggesting the nose is an efficient heat exchanger, and the nasal mucosa should preserve its capacity to absorb drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Blast-like cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of young infants: further characterization of clinical setting, morphology and origin.

Blast-like cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of neonates have been identified and previously suggested to be of germinal matrix origin. Twelve additional CSF specimens with blast-like cells collected at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, between 1985-1992 were analyzed. The cytological features of the blast-like cells as well as their associated clinical setting were further characterized by the authors. All patients in the study were young infants with hydrocephalus and nearly all underwent placement of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt at the time the CSF specimen was collected. In addition, a cytologic preparation of germinal matrix cells obtained from an autopsy specimen was analyzed, which closely resembled the blast-like cells. These data provide additional evidence that blast-like cells originate from the germinal matrix.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1995

Inhibition of wound contraction by point-to-point adherent splintage.

The contractile force generated by the healing wound can be visualized as the sum of the forces of contraction developed across each of the minute segments of the scar. If splintage is effected in such a way that the splint itself adheres to the scar, each small segment of the splint needs to be rigid enough to resist only the minute contractile force generated by the corresponding small segment of the scar. This hypothesis was tested by means of an experiment using 30 adult white rats. Two full-thickness wounds were created on the backs of each animal and covered with split-thickness skin grafts. One of the grafted areas was splinted by an adherent acrylic membrane and the other was left unsplinted, acting as the control. At 8 weeks, the splinted grafts had retained 95 percent of the original size. The difference between the splinted and unsplinted grafts was statistically significant. Further evaluation of the principle of adherent nonrigid splintage could lead to its application in the clinical context.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Ecotoxicological aspects of aspergilli present in the phylloplane of stored leaves of chewing tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum).

Nine different species of Aspergillus were isolated from the phylloplane of stored chewing tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum) of different ages. The maximum number of species were isolated from 12 and 18 month old leaves. A. ruber, A. ochraceus, A. flavus and A. nidulans were usually associated with older leaves while A. niger, A. fumigatus and A. flavus were isolated from 6 month old leaves. Approximately 18% of Aspergilli were found to be mycotoxigenic. Sterigmatocystin was produced by three different species. A. ochraceus produced patulin and ochratoxin. All aflatoxigenic strains of A. flavus produced aflatoxin B1 but none of the isolates of A. flavus produced aflatoxin G2. The percentage of toxigenic isolates of different species varied considerably.

Aflatoxins↗
PubMed1991

The Nicolle finger joint prosthesis: a reappraisal.

The Nicolle prosthesis was used to replace 101 metacarpophalangeal joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis over a ten-year period. Mean active flexion achieved was 30 degrees. Mean ulnar deviation was 27 degrees. 4% of joints had to be removed after a mean interval of 42 months, for infection. None of the implants had fractured.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1990

Prevalence and correlates of increased lung/heart ratio of thallium-201 during dipyridamole stress imaging for suspected coronary artery disease.

There is little information concerning the prevalence and clinical correlates of increased pulmonary thallium-201 uptake during dipyridamole thallium-201 stress imaging. Accordingly, the clinical characteristics and quantitative thallium-201 findings were correlated with quantitative lung/heart thallium-201 ratio in 87 patients undergoing dipyridamole thallium-201 stress testing. Nineteen patients (22%) had an elevated ratio (greater than 0.51). These patients were more likely to have had an infarction, to be taking beta blockers, and have a lower rate-pressure product after dipyridamole administration than those with a normal ratio (p less than 0.03). An elevated ratio was associated with a greater likelihood of initial, redistribution and persistent defects, as well as left ventricular cavity dilatation on thallium-201 imaging (p less than 0.05). In addition, the number of myocardial segments demonstrating initial, redistribution and persistent defects was also greater in patients with increased ratios (p less than 0.03). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the presence of redistribution and left ventricular cavity dilatation were the most significant correlates of lung/heart thallium-201 ratio. It is concluded that the prevalence of increased lung/heart thallium-201 ratio with dipyridamole thallium-201 stress imaging is similar to that seen with exercise stress imaging. As with exercise thallium-201 imaging, increased pulmonary thallium-201 uptake may be a marker of functionally more significant coronary artery disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A prospective trial of adrenaline infiltration for controlling bleeding during surgery for gynaecomastia.

Twenty patients with gynaecomastia undergoing operations on 33 breasts were entered into a prospective randomised controlled clinical study. The breasts were randomised to receive nothing or adrenaline infiltration prior to mastectomy. Blood loss during surgery and drainage afterwards were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis using the Wilcoxon rank sum test (two-tailed) showed a statistically significant reduction in operative blood loss (p less than 0.01) but no difference in postoperative drainage. There was no adverse effect on the viability of the skin flaps or the nipple-areola complex.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Cutaneous ciliated cyst: case report and literature review.

An 18-year-old girl had a cyst excised from the left buttock in 1988. The cyst was diagnosed to be a cutaneous ciliated cyst, since histologic examination using special stains demonstrated its lining to be similar to fallopian tube epithelium. Only 20 such cases have been published to date, and this report is probably the first case in the plastic surgical literature, to the best of our knowledge.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Quantitative comparison of thallium-201 scintigraphy after exercise and dipyridamole in coronary artery disease.

Data comparing myocardial thallium-201 imaging after exercise and intravenous dipyridamole infusion in the same patients are scarce. Accordingly, this study is a segment-by-segment quantitative analysis of regional uptake and washout of thallium-201 after dipyridamole (0.56 mg/kg) and symptom-limited exercise testing in 21 patients (ages 58 +/- 9.2 years) with chest pain studied 2.5 +/- 1.0 weeks apart. Thallium-201 activity in 9 myocardial segments was measured in initial and delayed anterior and 45 degree left anterior oblique views, producing 184 pairs of segments in the distribution of 63 coronary supply regions for direct comparison. The number of segments with normal thallium-201 uptake and the number of numerically significant defects were similar with exercise and dipyridamole (76 vs 73%, 24 vs 27%, respectively, difference not significant). A slightly higher proportion of redistribution defects was found after dipyridamole infusion compared to exercise (17 vs 10%, p less than 0.05). Agreement between 87% (165 of 189) of segment pairs was found when each was classified as either normal or abnormal. Although 24 of 189 segments were discordant, agreement was observed in 92% (61 of 63) of coronary supply regions determined to be normal (41 of 41) or abnormal (20 of 22). In 15 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization, exercise and dipyridamole-thallium-201 scintigraphy detected 61% (16 of 26) vs 61% (16 of 26) of stenoses greater than 50% (difference not significant) and 100% (19 of 19) vs 100% (19 of 19) (difference not significant) normal vessels, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1989

Is tau a preload-independent measure of isovolumetric relaxation?

Several studies have been performed in patients with a variety of myocardial diseases that have identified a prolongation of tau. However, it is not clear whether prolongation of tau represents abnormal myocardial physiology or the effect of excessive load associated with a particular disease process. Accordingly, we evaluate the effect on tau of an isolated decrease in preload induced by inferior vena cava occlusion before the appearance of reflex changes in six patients designated as normal by catheterization criteria. A computer-based digitization routine identified cardiac contractions in all patients early after inferior vena cava occlusion where left ventricular end-diastolic pressure decreased (18.3 +/- 6.3 to 9.3 +/- 5.8, p less than 0.05) while left ventricular systolic pressure (113.3 +/- 13.8 to 111.8 +/- 14.0, p = NS) and heart rate (66.0 +/- 10.0 to 65.9 +/- 10.3, p = NS) did not change. After this alteration in preload, no change in tau from baseline, as calculated by the logarithmic (TL), derivative (TD), or method of Mirsky (T1/2), was noted: TL, 47.4 +/- 6.5 to 44.6 +/- 7.6; TD, 39.3 +/- 8.1 to 39.8 +/- 8.4; T1/2, 33.0 +/- 4.0 to 31.8 +/- 4.6; all p = NS. The baseline pressure extrapolated from isovolumetric relaxation did not change in these preload beats compared with baseline (+4.26 +/- 6.20 to -0.80 +/- 4.87, p = NS). Subsequent beats were identified where left ventricular systolic pressure showed a numeric decrease compared with baseline (113.3 +/- 13.8 to 100.8 +/- 14.3, p = NS) despite no change in heart rate (66.0 +/- 10.0 to 66.8 +/- 10.5, p = NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Reproductive toxicity of 2,4-dinitrotoluene in the rat.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of the chemosterilant 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) on the rat testis. Adult male rats were fed control, or 0.1%, or 0.2% DNT for 3 weeks. An ultrastructural study of the testes was performed, serum was assayed for testosterone and gonadotropins, and sperm reserve count was determined. A marked change in Sertoli cell morphology was found after 3 weeks of 0.2% DNT exposure. Varying sized vesicles associated with swollen mitochondria and distended endoplasmic reticulum were visible in cells from DNT-treated animals. Circulating levels of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were increased in 0.2% DNT-treated animals. Reduced weights of the epididymides and decreased epididymal sperm reserves were observed in DNT-treated animals. These results indicate that DNT is capable of inducing testicular injury, of directly or indirectly disturbing pituitary function, and of exerting a toxic effect at the late stages of spermatogenesis. These findings suggest that a locus of DNT action is the Sertoli cell, resulting in both inhibition of spermatogenesis and changes in testicular-pituitary endocrine activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Reproductive toxicity of 2,4-toluenediamine in the rat. 3. Effects on androgen-binding protein levels, selected seminiferous tubule characteristics, and spermatogenesis.

In previous studies we demonstrated reduced fertility, arrested spermatogenesis, and diminished circulating testosterone levels in rats fed 0.03% 2,4-toluenediamine (TDA) for 10 wk. These studies were extended in three experiments by determining TDA effects on androgen-binding protein (rABP) production and on seminiferous tubule structure, and on early changes in testes morphology and spermatogenesis. In the first experiment, rats fed 0.03% TDA for 10 wk showed a 7- to 9-fold increase in rABP content in testicular cytosol or in media of cultured seminiferous tubules, a 4-fold increase in serum rABP, but a two-thirds decrease in epididymal rABP levels. Testes examination by transmission electron microscopy revealed degenerative changes in Sertoli cells with, where present, normal spermatocytes and spermatids. In the second experiment, 0.03% TDA fed for 4, 6, or 8 wk resulted in a doubling of testes/body weight ratios and a highly correlated 2.5- to 2.9-fold increase in seminiferous tubule fluid volume. An approximately 50% decrease in epididymal sperm reserves was found after 6 or 8 wk of TDA exposure. After 10 wk of exposure to 0.03% TDA, testicular weight was the same as in control-fed rats but seminiferous tubule fluid volume was still elevated. These changes in testicular characteristics indicate TDA effects on Sertoli cell function, on RABP release from the testes (and epididymides), and possibly on tubular fluid transport. In the third experiment, rats fed 0.06% TDA for 1 wk showed a 25% decrease in epididymal sperm content, reduced epididymal weight, and minor structural changes in Sertoli cells. After 3 wk of 0.06% TDA feeding, sperm counts were further reduced, and were accompanied by a dramatic increase in testes weight, intense fluid accumulation, and ultrastructural changes in Sertoli cells. No significant changes in serum testosterone levels were noted in the TDA-treated rats. The results of this third experiment demonstrate TDA toxicity on testicular spermatogenesis within 3 wk of TDA feeding. The within 3 wk of TDA feeding. The findings in this study suggest that the early inhibition of spermatogenesis by TDA is mediated through Sertoli cell damage.

Androgen-Binding Protein↗