PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T J O'Brien

Publications and source records attributed to T J O'Brien.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Paediatric vulvovaginitis.

Vulvovaginitis in the prepubertal child may present with itch, irritation, pain, dysuria or discharge as a result of poor hygiene, contact irritants, sexual abuse or skin disease involving the genital area. Common infectious causes include threadworms, group A beta-haemolytic streptococci and Haemophilus influenzae. A full history and examination are essential. Investigations may include swabs, midstream urine, biopsy, ultrasound and examination under anaesthesia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Fractures of the fifth metatarsal. Analysis of a fracture registry.

To understand better the natural history of fractures of the fifth metatarsal, a fracture registry was established consisting of patients who had acute fractures of the fifth metatarsal. The first 100 patients were studied to develop data on the natural history of injuries to this bone, and on the results of standard treatment for those injuries. In this study, 3 fracture subtypes were identified: avulsion, true Jones' fracture, and shaft/neck fracture. Avulsion fractures healed without immobilization, usually in 4 weeks. Shaft/neck fractures healed in plaster casts with weight bearing as tolerated in 4 to 6 weeks. True Jones' fractures required a prolonged time to heal when treated with 8 weeks of nonweight bearing and then weight bearing as tolerated in a cast. This method was, however, successful in 72% of patients (average time until union, 21.2 weeks). For the 7 patients in whom conservative treatment failed, surgical fixation at an average of 25 weeks after injury reliably achieved bony union in half the time required with cast treatment. This low-risk procedure met with higher patient satisfaction than prolonged casting.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Sweet's syndrome and hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism and Sweet's syndrome occurring together were diagnosed in a 33 year old woman. This association is uncommon, but may be underdiagnosed and underreported.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Bilateral trigeminal amyloidoma: an unusual case of trigeminal neuropathy with a review of the literature. Case report.

Isolated amyloidomas may, albeit rarely, involve the central nervous system. There are three previous reports of amyloidomas that involved the gasserian ganglion and caused unilateral trigeminal neuropathies. The authors report the case of a 49-year-old woman with apparently isolated amyloidomas that caused slowly progressive bilateral trigeminal neuropathies. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed mild swelling of the left trigeminal nerve within the cavernous sinus and uniform enhancement with gadolinium throughout the length of the nerve. At craniotomy, the trigeminal nerve and ganglion were observed to be infiltrated by a tumor-like mass. Biopsy showed extensive infiltration of the nerve and ganglion by amyloid. Immunocytochemical studies of the amyloid were negative for immunoglobulins, kappa and lambda light chains, beta-amyloid A4 protein, transthyretin, beta 2-microglobulin, cystatin C, and gelsolin, but weak focal immunoreactivity with antiamyloid AA antibody was seen in the amyloid in vessels and in some intraneural deposits. Extensive investigations failed to reveal evidence of either systemic amyloidoses or an underlying inflammatory disorder or malignancy.

Amyloid↗
PubMed1994

Isaac's syndrome: report of a case responding to valproic acid.

Isaac's syndrome is an uncommon, but distressing, condition of spontaneous abnormal muscle activity caused by neuronal hyperexcitability possibly due to damage to slow potassium channels. The underlying aetiology may be peripheral nerve damage from a wide variety of causes, including autoimmune disease. We report a case that failed to respond to carbamazepine or phenytoin but responded dramatically to valproic acid. Thus, valproic acid may be an effective treatment for Isaac's syndrome where these other drugs have failed.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1994

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis presenting as periorbital cellulitis with blindness: report of 2 cases.

Two cases of rhinocerebral mucormycosis in elderly, non-ketotic diabetics who were initially diagnosed and treated for bacterial periorbital cellulitis are reported. Both presented with a short history of periorbital pain and swelling followed rapidly by complete ophthalmoplegia and blindness. By the time of correct diagnosis, both cases were advanced with lower cranial nerve involvement, CT evidence of ophthalmic artery and cavernous sinus thrombosis and, in one, internal carotid artery invasion (demonstrated on MR angiography) with resultant cerebral infarction. One patient was treated with intravenous amphotericin B but died within a few days. The second patient had aggressive surgical resection and survived with significant residual morbidity. These cases illustrate that mucormycosis should be excluded in any diabetic patient presenting with orbital cellulitis, especially when there is early visual loss. Early aggressive treatment with surgery and antifungal agents is often successful whereas the outcome is almost universally fatal when the diagnosis is delayed.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Characterization of CA 125 synthesized by the human epithelial amnion WISH cell line.

CA 125 has been established as an important tumor marker for monitoring patients diagnosed with nonmucinous ovarian cystadenocarcinoma although it has also been shown to be expressed by other carcinomas, normal epithelial tissues, and fetal tissues. Current evidence implicates a role for CA 125 during early fetal development. The human epithelial amnion WISH cell line is a known secretor of CA 125. WISH cells have been investigated as a model system to characterize the structure of cell-associated and secreted CA 125 of fetal origin. CA 125 secretion was maximal in confluent monolayers of WISH cells where it averaged 2,081 units/ml/24 h. Secretion ranges from 600 to 900 units/10(6) cells/24 h. [35S]-Methionine-labelled CA 125 can be detected by 4 h and reached maximal levels of radioactive incorporation in tissue culture medium by 12 h when analyzed by immunoprecipitation with the M11 anti-CA 125 monoclonal antibody and SDS-PAGE, followed by autoradiography. Both cycloheximide and actinomycin D inhibited CA 125 synthesis. CA 125 was demonstrated to incorporate [3H]-galactose but the level of radioactive incorporation was greatly reduced when WISH cells were incubated in the presence of phenyl N-acetyl-alpha-D-galactosaminide (an inhibitor of O-linked glycosylation) or monensin (an inhibitor of intracellular protein transport within the Golgi complex). Treatment of WISH cells with tunicamycin (an inhibitor of N-linked glycosylation) only slightly decreased label incorporation.

Amnion↗
PubMed1993

Serial transvaginal ultrasound scans and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels in early singleton and multiple pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if serum beta-hCG levels are higher in multiple gestation than in singleton pregnancy at the time of intrauterine sac visualization and the first appearance of fetal heart activity as documented by serial transvaginal ultrasound (US). DESIGN: Prospective analysis of serial transvaginal US findings in 19 pregnancies correlated with serum hCG levels during early gestation. SETTING: Reproductive endocrinology division of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas. PATIENTS: Nineteen infertility patients were studied after conceiving. Thirteen underwent IVF or GIFT, 4 received hMG therapy, 1 was treated with clomiphene citrate, and 1 pregnancy followed spontaneous ovulation. INTERVENTIONS: Transvaginal US and hCG levels were obtained every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 20 to 22 days after ovulation until the appearance of fetal heart activity. RESULTS: Initial sac visualization occurred at lower serum hCG levels in singleton versus multiple pregnancies (2,180 +/- 1,170 versus 7,028 +/- 4,280 mIU/mL, mean +/- SD). Sacs were always seen when the serum hCG level (mIU/mL) was > or = 1,161 in singleton, 1,556 in twin, 3,372 in triplet, and 9,399 in quadruplet pregnancies. CONCLUSION: Failure to observe an intrauterine sac by transvaginal US in the presence of serum hCG levels in the 1,000 to 2,000 mIU/mL range is not pathognomonic for an ectopic gestation. Clinical symptomatology, risk of multiple pregnancies, and gestational age must also be considered.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

Identification and characterization of a second major peanut allergen, Ara h II, with use of the sera of patients with atopic dermatitis and positive peanut challenge.

Peanuts are frequently a cause of food hypersensitivity reactions in children. Serum from nine patients with atopic dermatitis and a positive double-blind, placebo-controlled, food challenge to peanut were used in the process of identification and purification of the peanut allergens. Identification of a second major peanut allergen was accomplished with use of various biochemical and molecular techniques. Anion exchange chromatography of the crude peanut extract produced several fractions that bound IgE from the serum of the patient pool with positive challenges. By measuring antipeanut specific IgE and by IgE-specific immunoblotting we have identified an allergic component that has two closely migrating bands with a mean molecular weight of 17 kd. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of this fraction revealed it to have a mean isoelectric point of 5.2. According to allergen nomenclature of the IUIS Subcommittee for Allergen Nomenclature this allergen is designated, Ara h II (Arachis hypogaea).

2S Albumins, Plant↗
PubMed1992

Multifocal osteonecrosis after short-term high-dose corticosteroid therapy. A case report.

Osteonecrosis is a common sequela of long-term steroid therapy. This paper presents the only case of multifocal osteonecrosis to occur after a short-term course of methylprednisolone for treatment of septic shock. Two years after receiving a two-week course of corticosteroid treatment, the patient developed pain in his right and left shoulders and left hip. Roentgenograms and magnetic resonance imaging revealed changes consistent with osteonecrosis of both humeral heads and the femoral head. The patient failed to respond to conservative treatment and eventually was treated with bipolar hip replacement.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Alteration in age-specific risks for chromosomal trisomy by maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin screening.

Maternal serum screening for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) increases the detection rate of Down's syndrome (DS) pregnancies. To estimate the risk of a DS pregnancy for a particular woman, Wald et al. combine a trivariate function of AFP, hCG, and unconjugated oestriol with age-specific risk. Calculation of independent likelihood ratios (LRs) for AFP and hCG has allowed us to examine the predictive value of each test alone and the combination. AFP and hCG were measured in stored serum samples from 672 normal, 8 trisomy 21 (DS), 9 trisomy 18, and 2 trisomy 13 pregnancies. AFP and hCG multiples of the median (MOM) were calculated for each sample. The LRs for AFP MOM and hCG MOM were calculated and combined with age-specific risk. Of eight DS pregnancies, six had increased risk based on age and AFP. Addition of hCG detected two additional DS pregnancies. Of nine trisomy 18 pregnancies, four (44 per cent) had hCG MOM under 0.25. Three out of nine would have been classified as high risk by AFP, but none by combined AFP and hCG. Amniocentesis would have been recommended in 74 per cent of aneuploid pregnancies if both age and serum screening were used. Abandonment of amniocentesis based on age alone would have excluded two abnormal pregnancies from detection. Screening programmes should note that combined risk figures are specific for DS and do not include other trisomies. Detection of other trisomies requires inclusion of low hCG level as a discriminator and continuation of age-based testing.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

New monoclonal antibodies identify the glycoprotein carrying the CA 125 epitope.

CA 125 is an antigenic determinant located on the surface of ovarian carcinoma cells and elevated in the serum of greater than 90% of patients with carcinoma. The antigen, derived from the ovarian epithelium, has been described as a mucinlike glycoprotein greater than 200 kd. To date little is known of the metabolic regulation or expression of this antigen in either normal or neoplastic tissues. New monoclonal antibodies that we describe here recognize both unique and similar epitopes to OC 125. These reagents may allow for a more complete definition of the structure and expression of the CA 125 complex. These antibodies recognize high-molecular weight (greater than 200 kd) subspecies and a lower-molecular-weight (68 kd) subspecies of the antigen and identify it in the cytoplasm and the extracellular matrix of CA 125-producing cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Tears of the glenoid labrum: MR imaging of 88 arthroscopically confirmed cases.

Two hundred eighty-one patients underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the shoulder over a 2-year period. Eighty-eight patients underwent arthroscopic surgery, and their surgical results were correlated with the findings at MR imaging. MR imaging enabled accurate prediction of anterior labral tears, with a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 86%, and an accuracy of 92%. MR imaging was less effective in the prediction of tears of the superior labrum, with a sensitivity of 75%, a specificity of 99%, and an accuracy of 95%. These two categories accounted for the majority of the surgically correctable disease. MR imaging was found to be unreliable in the prediction of posterior (sensitivity, 7.7%) or inferior (sensitivity, 40%) labral tears, isolated cases of which occurred in only two (2%) of those undergoing surgery. MR imaging proved to be a highly accurate, noninvasive technique for the clinical evaluation of shoulder instability.

Adolescent↗