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S Schifter

Publications and source records attributed to S Schifter.

66 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Treatment of pulmonary embolism with full-dose heparin, streptokinase or embolectomy--results and indications.

The results of treatment of pulmonary embolism with heparin (n = 34), streptokinase (n = 28) or embolectomy (n = 25) are presented. The treatment groups represented different degrees of embolization with acute embolic scores (possible maximum: 20, mean +/- SD): 5 +/- 4, 9 +/- 3 and 13 +/- 3, respectively (p less than 0.0001). The post-treatment embolic score (mean +/- SD) for patients with acute massive central emboli (score greater than or equal to 9) was: 6 +/- 4 (n = 7) and 3 +/- 2 (n = 15) in the streptokinase and embolectomy groups, respectively, (p less than 0.01). The hospital mortality was 6% (n = 2), 21% (n = 6) and 20% (n = 5) in the heparin, streptokinase and embolectomy groups, respectively (p less than 0.05). The 5-year cumulative survival (+/- SE) was 68% +/- 10, 64% +/- 10 and 80% +/- 8, respectively (p: NS). The relative survival (hospital and late deaths, observed/expected) stratified according to acute embolic score showed the best results in the embolectomy group. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure greater than 60 mmHg was found in cases with a duration of symptoms greater than 7 days and/or with greater than or equal to 25 anamnestic recurrent embolic episodes before diagnosis, indicative of a gradual increase in pulmonary artery pressure and of partly organized non-lyseable emboli. Embolectomy carried a low risk of complications (8% with cerebral reduction). Streptokinase treatment was associated with serious complications (18% with cerebral reduction/fatal hemorrhage). Pulmonary embolectomy should be recommended in all cases with emboli in the main branches of the pulmonary artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Scintigraphy and angiography in pulmonary embolism.

In 14 patients with acute pulmonary embolism, pulmonary artery angiography was made within 6 h after ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy. The extent of embolization was evaluated by an embolic score system with a maximum value of 20 in cases of complete bilateral occlusion. The perfusion scintigraphic and pulmonary angiographic embolic scores correlated (r = 0.47), but the paired values differed (p less than 0.05). Exclusion of four cases with non-complete obstructing emboli in the main branches of the pulmonary artery rendered the differences of the paired scores not significant, with mean scintigraphic and angiographic scores of 9.7 and 10.1, respectively (r = 0.79). The four cases with non-complete obstructing central emboli had mean scores with the scintigraphic and angiographic method of 9.0 and 16.2, respectively (p less than 0.01), implying that the scintigraphic method may underestimate the degree of embolization in cases with non-complete obstructing central emboli.

Angiography↗

Calcitonin gene-related peptide and calcitonin in medullary thyroid carcinoma.

We have investigated the levels of serum calcitonin and calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) in 35 patients with well-documented medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Immunohistochemical investigations for calcitonin and CGRP have been performed on tumour tissue from 9 patients to clarify the cellular pattern of production. In four patients with aggressive disease, serum calcitonin and CGRP values have been monitored in relation to progression of disease after surgery. All 35 patients with MTC have elevated calcitonin and 26 elevated CGRP levels. Generally calcitonin values were found to be higher than those of CGRP, although the ratio of the two peptides varied from patient to patient. The immunohistochemical investigations corresponded with these findings, generally showing diffuse staining for calcitonin in MTC tumour-cells and only a small number of CGRP positive cells. Calcitonin and CGRP are produced by alternative processing of the common precursor gene transcript. Our results suggest that absolute values of either calcitonin or CGRP in serum have no direct relationship to aggressiveness of disease. Thus whilst serum CGRP measurements appear to be a useful additional marker for the disease, they can be considered to be only a useful adjunct to serum calcitonin as a marker for tumour progression.

Adolescent↗

Prophylactic vancomycin versus placebo in arterial prosthetic reconstructions.

Vascular reconstructive surgery with the placement of prosthetic material caudal to the diaphragm is occasionally associated with postoperative wound infection. These infections often lead to amputation and can be lethal. Only a few published reports contain information on the value of prophylactic antibiotic treatment with these operations, but its use is common throughout the world. To investigate this problem, a prospective, double blind, randomized study of vancomycin versus placebo in 128 vascular graft operations caudal to the diaphragm was conducted from June, 1982 to July, 1984. The difference in infection rate was significant (2 p = 0.0008) in favor of the vancomycin group. Fourteen wound infections (21.2%) were found in the placebo group, 3 of which (4.5%) were prosthesis infections. Among the 62 vancomycin-treated patients, one case of superficial wound infection (1.6%) and no cases of prosthesis infection were found. The most common pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus. The study has demonstrated that vancomycin, a narrow spectrum antibiotic, in an ultra-short regimen (one gram one hour before surgery and one gram 4 hours later) is an effective prophylactic agent against postoperative wound infection. Temporary and, in most cases, doses-related side effects were seen in 7.9% of the patients treated with vancomycin.

Arteries↗

Ewing's tumor following bilateral retinoblastoma. A case report.

Retinoblastoma is found in a hereditary and nonhereditary form. Long survivors treated for the hereditary form seem to be predisposed for developing a second primary tumor later in life. The retinoblastoma genes are supposed to be responsible for this disposition. This report describes the development of a Ewing's tumor in a nine-year-old girl, who had both eyes removed in early life for retinoblastoma.

Biopsy↗

Immune marker expression in 53 lymphomas of high-grade malignancy.

Tissue from 53 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of high-grade malignancy according to the Kiel classification were analysed for cellular immunological markers. In most cases studies were performed in parallel on cell suspensions and cryostat sections. Histologically, the lymphomas were classified as anaplastic centrocytic (four), centroblastic (seven), Burkitt type (three), convoluted-cell type (five) lymphoblastic-unclassified (10), immunoblastic (IBL) (19) and pleomorphic T-cell type (five). Immunological phenotyping resulted in 60% B lymphomas characterized by monotypic surface membrane Ig (SmIg) and/or cytoplasmic Ig (CIg), and 23% T lymphomas with detectable E receptors; 17% of cases were non-expressive (O-type). Unusual SmIg-types were noticed in some monoclonal proliferations. Gamma (gamma) and mu chains occurred simultaneously in four cases; delta chain was the only heavy-chain in one case and a heavy-chain was absent in one case. Cases of IBL were of T-cell type in two cases, and two other cases were non-expressive. The cases of B-IBL expressed CIg in 93%, but the B lymphomas other than B-IBL only in 38%. Receptors for Fc-IgG and C3 were expressed by all major immune phenotypes (B, T, O), but were infrequent in lymphoblastic lymphoma unclassified (O-type). Adoption of immunological techniques to include frozen tissue studies was necessary in order to reach a conclusion regarding the immune phenotype in several cases.

Adolescent↗

Circulating concentrations of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in normal man determined with a new, highly sensitive radioimmunoassay.

A highly sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for human calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been developed and used for determination of serum CGRP levels in 232 normal individuals, 123 females and 109 males, range of age 18 to 79 years. Mean serum concentration was 36.3 pmol/l +/- 6.2 (SD), and serum levels were unrelated to age and sex. The specificity of the assay was confirmed by gel chromatography, followed by HPLC analysis of extracts from normal serum using synthetic alpha- and beta-CGRP as standards.

Adolescent↗