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Biomedical subjects

W U Weitbrecht

Publications and source records attributed to W U Weitbrecht.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Agee endoscopic operation of carpal tunnel syndrome in comparison with open surgical technique].

In the course of a prospective randomised study, 120 patients underwent a carpal tunnel release procedure. The follow-up documentation included 101 patients. 54 patients had the conventional open procedure, including epineural neurolysis of the median nerve. 47 patients were treated with the Agee endoscopic procedure. The documentation included: patients age, sex, profession, duration of treatments, disablement, return to the activities of daily life (ADL) and pre- and postoperative neurological symptoms and postoperative complications. The electroneurographical measurements were performed preoperatively and nine months after operation by the same neurologist. The open and endoscopic carpal tunnel release procedures are described and the study results are reported. None of the 101 patients had wound-healing impairments. Clinical and neurological follow-up examinations did not reveal any signs of injured nerves or tendons. The study shows that the endoscopic group returned to work significantly earlier compared to the control group. At the same time, the Agee group had reduced postoperative pain symptoms. Regarding the long-term results, no significant difference between both groups was found. Based on the electrophysiological results, the study shows that epineural neurolysis of the median nerve is not necessary.

Arthroscopes↗
PubMed1995

[Long-term prognosis of cerebral infarct in comparison with a normal population].

This investigation analyses up to 5.5 years longterm-prognosis of 956 patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to hospital between 1.1.86-31.12.90. The probability of survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meier-indices and compared with the population of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. The longterm prognosis of all patients and age subgroups with ischemic stroke was worse compared to the normal population. Determinants of longterm mortality were age, obesity, cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and organic brain syndrome at discharge from hospital. Hypercholesterinaemia and smoking did not affect longterm outcome.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Cerebral infarcts and length of stay--a multivariate analysis].

This paper investigates by factor analysis the correlation between kind of ischemic stroke, risk factors, complications of the clinical course and duration of hospitalization of 1105 patients admitted to hospital with acute ischemic stroke in the period of 1.1.86-31.12.90. There was no correlation between increasing age and duration of hospitalization. Especially young men with ischemic stroke combined with carotid artery stenosis and cigarette smoking need the longest time of treatment in hospital. Smoking seems to be a predicting factor for worse prognosis of neurological deficits. Acute strokes in patients with cerebral microangiopathia have the best prognosis and the shortest period of hospitalization. In other patients infectious complications of immobilisation as pneumonia or urinary infections and need of care--especially older women--cause longer periods of hospitalization.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Acute prognosis and differentiation of various cerebral infarct groups in comparison with cerebral hemorrhage].

For clinical trials classification of stroke should be possible at the bedside by simple methods that are available every where. In this study are 1105 patients with every first ischaemic strokes and 130 patients with intracerebral haemorrhages. The differences between severity of clinical symptoms, outcome and risk factors of intracerebral haemorrhages, ischaemic stroke caused by cerebral microangiopathy, ischaemic stroke combined with extracranial carotid stenosis, cardiogenic brain embolism and atherothrombotic stroke, were analysed. Intracerebral haemorrhages show the poorest outcome of all groups (mortality 23.8%), due to increased intracranial pressure. Cardiogenic brain embolism is more frequent in older women (mean age 77.8 y.). Main risk factor is atrial fibrillation with absolute arrhythmia. The outcome of this group is the worst of all subgroups of ischaemic stroke and survivors most often in need of institutionalization. Patients with ischaemic stroke combined with extracranial carotid stenosis are significantly younger (mean age 67.6 y.), predominantly male, and smokers. Their mortality is low (0.63%), but recovery of paresis is slower than in other subgroups. Ischaemic strokes caused by cerebral microangiopathy with hypertension as main risk factor recover most quickly but acute mortality is higher than in ischaemic stroke combined with extracranial carotid stenosis because of higher age (mean age 74.5 y.). Institutionalization is more frequent too because of higher incidence of dementia in this subgroup. The main prognostic factors of all groups are age and severity of clinical symptoms. A special subgroup are infratentorial ischaemic strokes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

[Progressive subcortical gliosis].

A case of autoptically verified progressive subcortical gliosis (PSG) is reported. The 79 year old woman developed subacutely a right sided hemisyndrome and a cerebellar syndrome. Generalized action myoclonus of the left leg evolved into left sided Epilepsia partialis continua and dementia appeared. After a 6 month course the patient died of aspiration pneumonia. There was no indication of alcoholism or HIV-dementia neither clinically nor at autopsy. Morphologically the brain showed a diffuse proliferation of astrocytes in the subcortical white matter, thalamus, basal ganglia, brain stem and cerebellum. A severe neuronal dropout was found in medial thalamic neurons but Wernickes encephalopathy was ruled out. 21 cases of PSG confirmed by autopsy were found in the literature. Clinics, neuropathology and classification of PSG is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Effect of the weather on acute hospital admissions. Observations at a neurologic clinic].

In 1,286 acute admissions to a neurological department in 1987/88, the relationship between admission rate and the continuously recorded meteorological parameters air pressure, temperature, and humidity, together with their differences over 24 hours (previous day and next day), as well as subjective weather effects, were submitted to factor analysis. No correlation was found between admission rate and absolute meterological parameters, but there was a relationship between admission rate and 24-hour differences, which was age-dependent and decreased from younger to older patients. This was considered to show that in the elderly, the usual course of their disease is more decisive than any influences of the weather. This contrasts with the results of demoscopic polls that show an increase in weather-dependent complaints with age.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Cross-sectional epidemiological study on neurotoxicity of solvents in paints and lacquers.

In a multi-disciplinary retrospective study we examined 105 house painters employed for at least ten years (median 27 years, range 10-36 years). Fifty-three workers from various professions (non-painters), who were matched with regard to age, occupational training and socio-economic status served as the control group. In both groups no cases of a clinically manifest polyneuropathy or encephalopathy were found. The neurophysiological examinations (EEG and NCV-measurement) showed no differences in painters and controls that would indicate adverse effects of organic solvents. There were no cases with neuroradiological findings of a diffuse cerebral atrophy. Furthermore the evaluation of certain brain structures (ventricular diameter, cella media index) of the CAT films did not reveal any significant differences. In the neurobehavioral tests significant differences in the results were only found in the subtests "change of personality" and "short term memory capacity" in a subgroup of painters with repeated prenarcotic symptoms at the workplace. Ambient air monitoring measurements at 30 representative workplaces showed that the concentrations of the main components of the solvent-mixtures were well below the MAK-values. The results of the "Erlangen Painter Study" does not confirm former epidemiologic findings from other countries, mainly Denmark. However, there are some aspects, such as minor solvent exposure in German house painters, insufficient diagnostic and etiological procedures as well as misclassifications which may explain the different experiences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

[Progressive lipodystrophy (Barraquer-Simon syndrome): differential diagnosis and clinical aspects].

"Progressive lipodystrophy" or "partial lipodystrophy of the cephalothoracic type" is a rare, acquired condition of unknown aetiology with onset in childhood and a complete loss of subcutaneous fat of face, neck, trunk and upper extremities. The disease is more common in females than males and causes a disfigurement of the face; that it cannot be regarded only as a harmless variation, is above all due to a typical concomitant disease, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis with hypocomplementaemia. Laboratory investigations nearly always reveal a complement-activation by the "alternative pathway" with consumption and lack of complement-component C3, a finding which allows a clear distinction between partial lipodystrophy and congenital or acquired forms of total lipodystrophy ("Berardinelli-Seip-Syndrom", lipoatrophic diabetes) and other circumscript lipodystrophies.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1984

[Mononuclear phagocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid. Studies on the clinical significance and factors of activation].

Examination of 1050 cerebrospinal fluid samples showed, that mononuclear phagocytes contribute only slightly to the explanation of affections of the CNS except they are containing specific particles e.g. iron. Further investigations on patients with concussion, herniation of the intervertebral disk and cerebral infarction turned out, that the relative proportion of mononuclear phagocytes and qualitative cytological changes correlate with the extent of the CNS lesion. Phagocytosis of India ink was studied dependent on milieu and different mediators. Phagocytosis correlates with alpha-1-glycoproteid and the relative part of mononuclear phagocytes in cerebrospinal fluid. It depends on pH, various ions and mediators (adrenalin, histamine, prostaglandines, cAMP, cGMP). DNA-contents of the nucleus was measured by cytophotometria. No signs of proliferation (tetraploidia) were found. The slightly increased contents of nuclear DNA of some phagocytes was interpreted as a metabolically active DNA.

Central Nervous System Diseases↗
PubMed1984

[Analysis of movement in extrapyramidal motor diseases using a computer].

Normals are able to move their limbs in a continuous spectrum of speeds. In contrast patients with so called extrapyramidal disorders show typical changes of movement. Short ballistic movements of the upper limb were analysed by a joystick connected with a computer in 57 patients with different extrapyramidal disorders (parkinsonsyndrome, essential tremor, torsion dystonia, chorea and intention tremor) and in 22 normals. Patients with parkinsonsyndrome and with torsion dystonia move the upper limb slower than normals and all other patients. Their movements show breaks. All patients execute aimed movements less precisely than normals. Most unprecise are the movements of patients with essential tremor. Oscillation of movements of all patients deminish, but less than in normals. Patients with parkinsonsyndrome show smallest oscillations at the beginning of each movement. Patients with intention tremor differ not from normals at the beginning, but show still the highest oscillations at the end of movement. Holding the target they correct most frequent. We discuss, that striatum generates timing and strength of ballistic movement and cerebellum apeases oscillation of movement and frequency of correcting while holding a target.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Depression of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP in the cerebrospinal fluid of rats after acute administration of ethanol.

The effect of single oral doses of ethanol on the levels of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP in the cerebrospinal fluid was studied in rats. Ethanol markedly decreased the levels of both cyclic nucleotides for at least 24 h. The decrease of cyclic nucleotides after medium and high doses (1.65 and 4.59 g/kg) was slower in onset but more pronounced than the decrease after a low dose (0.55 g/kg) of ethanol.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

[Influence of milieu and dexamethasone on in vitro phagocytosis of cerebrospinal fluid phagocytes (author's transl)].

The influence of milieu and dexamethazone on the phagocytosis of India ink by cerebrospinal fluid phagocytes was compared in the same sample of cerebrospinal fluid from different patients. The addition of phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 to cerebrospinal fluid increased phagocytosis significantly. Acid (pH 7.2) or alkaline (pH 7.6) milieu lowered phagocytosis significantly. Low doses of dexamethazone (200 ug/ml) did not influence phagocytosis; high doses (400 ug/ml) lowered phagocytosis significantly.

Buffers↗
PubMed1980

[On the origin and diagnostic value of the CSF-beta-globulins (author's transl)].

208 cerebrospinal fluid samples were taken from patients having various patterns of neurological diseases. The following beta-globulins: transferrin, haemopexin, beta-1 A-globulin, beta-1 E-globulin, beta-2-glycoproteid and beta-lipoproteid were determined immunologically quantitatively in the CSF and partly quantitatively in the serum, and their behaviour was compared with that of the beta and tau fraction in CSF electrophoresis. It was found that changes in the fractions in CSF electrophoresis agreed only slightly with those of the quantitatively determined globulins, although these globulins represent 70--80% of the beta and tau fraction. Increases in the number of beta-1 A and beta-1 E-globulins are more significantly marked in intracranial haemorrhages than with other diseases. In all other respects, increases or decreases in the number of beta-globulins do not appear to be typical of any particular disease pattern determined by electrophoresis or quantitatively. Due to the linearity of the changes in case of disturbances of the CSF barrier, and also on account of the absolutely parallel behaviour of the beta-globulins, it was concluded that transferrin--contrary to the opinion held so far--is produced cerebrally in only small quantities or possibly not at all, and that the entirety of beta-globulins originate from the serum.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[An evaluation of methods of diagnosing central nervous system metastases (author's transl)].

In 50 cases of histologically identified metastases of the central nervous system it was found that in cases of breast cancer and malignant melanomas the diagnosis of the primary tumor is the key to the diagnosis of the metastasis; bronchial carcinomas are usually found upon diagnosis of cerebral metastases; angiography, color scintigraphy and the computer tomography have a false negative rate of 10--15%, in cerebrospinal fluid protein levels are often increased (64%), and tumor cells are found in 18%.

Adult↗