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The Q-switched ND:YAG laser effectively treats tattoos in darkly pigmented skin.

BACKGROUND: Laser therapy for removal of cosmetic tattoos has been proven efficacious in lighter skin. Few studies have been reported using the Q-switched neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser to treat tattoos in darkly pigmented or type VU skin, however. OBJECTIVE: To report results using the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser to remove tattoos from type VI skin. METHODS: Eight darkly pigmented patients had 15 amateur tattoos treated with the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Treatments numbered three or four on average and were given at 8-week intervals. Results were rated by the patients and by a panel of four physicians. RESULTS: Eight of 15 tattoos were rated as 75-95% cleared after therapy. Another five tattoos were 50% cleared. Two tattoos were only 25% cleared, but underwent only two treatments. None of the patients reported any changes in texture of their skin post therapy. Thirteen of 15 tattoos were removed without any change in the color of the involved skin. The other two tattoos were removed with only slight lightening of the skin. CONCLUSION: When treating patients in whom there is a significant risk for keloid scarring or destruction of natural pigment as a consequence of tattoo removal, the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser appears to be an excellent choice of therapy.

Humans↗

[Urinary RBP and glucocorticoid hormone therapy sensibility in adult primary nephrotic syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the relationship between the renal tubular function and the efficacy of glucocorticoid, in adult patients with primary nephrotic syndrome. METHODS: Pro- and post-therapy urinary RBP and NAG were determined double antibodies sandwich ELISA and color comparimetry with p-nitrate reductase, respectively, in eighty adult patients with primary nephritic syndrome, according to the concentrations of urinary protein, these patients were divided into three no remission group, partial remission group and fully remission group, fifty-one normal persons as control group. Renal tubular function parameters among groups were compared before and after therapy, and the results were analysed when those parameters were used to predict the sensibility of glucocorticoid therapy. RESULTS: 1. There were no significant differences in urinary RBP, NAG and protein levels before treatment among patient groups (P > 0.05); 2. There were significant decreases in urinary RBP and NAG following glucocorticoid therapy in those response to glucocorticoid (P < 0.01); 3. There were significant differences in urinary protein, RBP and NAG among three groups of patients with primary nephrotic syndrome after treatment. CONCLUSION: Determination of urinary RBP may predict the sensibility of the therapy in the adult patients with primary nephrotic syndrome and its diagnostic efficiency is better than urinary NAG.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

Color-doppler using contrast medium in evaluating the response to neoadjuvant treatment in patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to assess the color-Doppler ultrasound (CDU) pattern in the analysis of neoadjuvant preoperative treatment of patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma, improvement after injection of contrast medium (Levovist) and possible correlations between morphological and vascular aspects of the neoplasm and postoperative histopathological findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 50 patients affected by locally advanced breast carcinoma (T3a e b-T4), using CDU before and after injection of Levovist, prior to and after neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic treatment. RESULTS: The use of Levovist for ultrasound examinations prior to treatment revealed a higher number of vascular signals in 94% of the lesions compared to the basic color-Doppler examination; in only 3 cases (6%) were no modifications observed after injection of the contrast medium. This finding was also evident after neoadjuvant treatment, as a greater number of vessels in 28 lesions were observed, in addition to residual vascularization in 9 patients in whom the basic color-Doppler examination demonstrated substantial avascularity. Histopathology revealed that this method was more sensitive in disclosing the presence of active neoplastic tissue. CONCLUSION: Color-Doppler ultrasound is the first step in assessing the efficacy of neochemotherapeutic treatment in patients affected by locally advanced breast carcinoma. Levovist increases sensitivity and improves the diagnostic precision, thus allowing for a better image of the vessels, which is an important index of the biological activity of the neoplasm, compared to the basic color-Doppler examination.

Aged↗

Femoral pseudoaneurysm due to diagnostic or interventional angiographic procedures.

The authors investigated the incidence of, diagnostic methods for, and treatment strategies for iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysms in their hospital and compared the results with those in the literature. The hospital records of 25,273 patients who had coronary or peripheral angiography and angioplasty in Sani Konukoglu Medical Center from September 1997 to December 2002 were collected retrospectively. All the complications were detected and femoral pseudoaneurysm cases were selected. Diagnostic criteria and treatment strategy were documented. All results were compared with the literature. Femoral pseudoaneurysm was the second in number of complications and bleeding the first. Twenty-eight patients with pseudoaneurysm were diagnosed with color Doppler ultrasound (US) imaging (0.11%). Eleven of these closed spontaneously within 3-7 days. Image-guided compression therapy was applied to the remaining 17 and was effective in 10. The remaining 7 patients were operated on successfully. In this series the incidence of iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysm was comparable with the literature (0.02%-2%). Color Doppler US is the best diagnostic tool for this complication, and no other method was necessary. Eleven cases of spontaneous closure may show a rather benign prognosis, but close follow-up is advised. Image-guided compression is also an effective and noninvasive method of therapy for this complication. In late cases with a thick neck, surgery should be done immediately. It is easy to prevent rather than treat this complication. The similar incidence in the literature and in this series shows that a number of complications are to be expected, and so prompt and early diagnosis and effective treatment are very important. Application of good external compression after catheterization, selecting the thinnest introducer, use of B-mode and color Doppler US imaging for suspected cases, and image-guided compression therapy are also effective in early cases with a thin neck of the aneurysm.

Aged↗

Prospective, single-blind, randomized, controlled study to assess the efficacy of the 585-nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed-dye laser and silicone gel sheeting in hypertrophic scar treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of the 585-nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed-dye laser and silicone gel sheeting in the treatment of hypertrophic scars in lighter- and darker-skinned patients. DESIGN: Prospective, single-blind, randomized, internally controlled, comparison investigation. SETTING: Large academic dermatology department. PATIENTS: Twenty patients with hypertrophic scars (19 completed the laser treatments and 18 completed the silicone gel sheeting treatments). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical measurements included hypertrophic scar blood flow, elasticity, and volume. Patients' subjective complaints of pruritus, pain, and burning were also monitored. Histological assessment of fibrosis, number of telangiectasias, and number of mast cells was performed. Statistically significant improvements in clinical measurements and patients' subjective complaints determined treatment success. RESULTS: Mean scar duration was 32 months (range, 4 months to 20 years). There was an overall reduction in blood flow, volume, and pruritus over time (P = .001, .02, and .005, respectively). However, no differences were detected among treatment and control groups. There was no reduction in pain or burning (0-40 weeks), elasticity (8-40 weeks), or fibrosis (0-40 weeks, n = 5 biopsies) in the treated or control sections of the scars. Unlike in a previous study, the number of mast cells in the scars was similar to the number of mast cells in healthy skin. CONCLUSION: Clinical results demonstrate that the improvements in scar sections treated with silicone gel sheeting and pulsed-dye laser were no different than in control sections.

Adult↗

Laser-activated solid protein bands for peripheral nerve repair: an vivo study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Severed tibial nerves in rats were repaired using a novel technique, utilizing a semiconductor diode-laser-activated protein solder applied longitudinally across the join. Welding was produced by selective laser denaturation of solid solder bands containing the dye indocyanine green. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: An in vivo study, using 48 adult male Wistar rats, compared conventional microsuture-repaired tibial nerves with laser solder-repaired nerves. Nerve repairs were characterised immediately after surgery and after 3 months. RESULTS: Successful regeneration with average compound muscle action potentials of 2.5 +/- 0.5 mV and 2.7 +/- 0.3 mV (mean and standard deviation) was demonstrated for the laser-soldered nerves and the sutured nerves, respectively. Histopathology confirmed comparable regeneration of axons in laser- and suture-operated nerves. CONCLUSION: The laser-based nerve repair technique was easier and faster than microsuture repair, minimising manipulation damage to the nerve.

Action Potentials↗

Epinephrine enhances penetration and anti-cancer activity of local cisplatin on rat sub-cutaneous and peritoneal tumors.

Despite the theoretical advantages of a high local concentration of anti-cancer drugs, local chemotherapy often fails to produce complete and lasting responses in experimental and human solid tumors. Experiments using Patent Blue dye showed that fluids diffused poorly into tumor mass when injected inside or around s.c. rat tumors in rats. In the same way, Patent Blue dye distributed poorly from the peritoneal cavity into the tumor nodules of rats with peritoneal carcinomatosis. The potent vasoconstrictor, epinephrine (1 mg/kg of body weight) was shown to facilitate the penetration of Patent Blue dye into s.c. and peritoneal rat tumors. Platinum concentration evaluated by micro-PIXE in s.c. DHD/K12/ PROb colon tumors or by atomic absorption spectrometry in DHD/K12/PROb peritoneal tumors was 4- to 12-fold higher when epinephrine was added to local cisplatin. Peri-tumoral or intra-tumoral injection of cisplatin (2 mg/kg) alone does not cure s.c. DHD/K12/PROb colon tumors or GV1A1 glioma tumors in BD IX rats. By contrast, a complete and lasting cure of s.c. tumors was achieved regularly and without skin necrosis when epinephrine was added to intra-tumoral or peri-tumoral cisplatin. Rats with peritoneal-tumor nodules 1 to 2 mm in diameter, and insensitive to i.p. cisplatin alone, were cured when the anti-cancer drug was combined with epinephrine. These experimental results could justify clinical trials using a combination of cisplatin and epinephrine in the treatment of locally growing solid tumors.

Animals↗

The CD14+CD16+ monocytes in erysipelas are expanded and show reduced cytokine production.

In human peripheral blood the classical CD14(++)DR(+) monocytes and the pro-inflammatory CD14(+)CD16(+)DR(++) monocytes can be distinguished. In erysipelas we found strongly increased numbers of CD14(+)CD16(+) monocytes on the day of diagnosis (day 1) in 11 patients with an average of 150.5+/-76.0 cells/microl, while 1 patient had low levels (35 cells/microl, control donors 48.8+/-19.8 cells/microl). The classical monocytes were only moderately elevated in the erysipelas patients (factor 1.7 as compared to controls). Patients exhibited increased body temperature, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and increased serum levels for C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6 and macrophage-colony-stimulating factor. Among these, body temperature and CRP showed a significant correlation to the numbers of CD14(+)CD16(+) monocytes. In 4 of 4 patients with high levels of CD14(+)CD16(+) monocytes, these levels returned to that seen in controls by day 5 of antibiotic therapy. Determination of intracellular TNF was performed by three-color immunofluorescence and flow cytometry after ex vivo stimulation with lipoteichoic acid, a typical constituent of streptococci. Here, patient CD14(+)DR(++) pro-inflammatory monocytes showed a twofold lower level of intracellular TNF. By contrast, expression of TNF was unaltered in the classical CD14(++) monocytes. These data show that in erysipelas the pro-inflammatory CD14(+)CD16(+)DR(++) monocytes are substantially expanded and selectively tolerant to stimulation by streptococcal products.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Microvasculature can be selectively damaged using dye lasers: a basic theory and experimental evidence in human skin.

Basic theoretical considerations of the optical and thermal transfer processes that govern the thermal damage induced in tissue by lasers are discussed. An approximate, predictive model and data are proposed for the purpose of selecting a laser that maximizes damage to cutaneous blood vessels and minimizes damage to the surrounding connective tissue and the overlying epidermis. The variables of wavelength, exposure duration, and incident energy density are modeled, and a flashlamp-pumped dye laser operating at or near the 577 nm absorption band of HbO2, with a pulse width (0.3 microsecond) less than the estimated, approximately 1 millisecond, thermal relaxation times for microvessels is chosen for experimental exposures of normal Caucasian skin. Highly specific laser-induced damage to blood vessels is demonstrated both clinically and histologically. This is in striking contrast to the previously reported widespread, diffuse necrosis caused by other lasers. The incident energy and preliminary observations of wavelength and temperature dependence for vascular damage thresholds are consistent with theoretical predictions. Whereas typically 20 joules/cm2 of argon laser irradiation (514 and 488 nm, approximately 100 msec) is required to induce widespread thermal damage, the pulsed dye laser requires only about 2 joules/cm2 to induce highly specific vascular damage. The potential usefulness of dye laser-induced selective vascular damage as a treatment modality for portwine stain hemangiomas and other vascular lesions is discussed. In addition to possible treatment applications, the dye laser or other sources meeting the requirements for producing such damage may also offer a useful experimental tool for inducing predictable damage to microvasculature. Histopathologic and clinical studies related to these possibilities are in progress.

Capillaries↗

Exogenous chromophores for the argon and Nd:YAG lasers: a potential application to laser-tissue interactions.

Chromophore dyes can be employed to modify laser-tissue interaction. A number of dyes have been investigated for their effect on the absorption and transmission of argon and Nd:YAG laser energy by vascular tissue in vitro. Three histological dyes have been assessed as potential chromophores for the argon laser and four infrared dyes for the Nd:YAG. Segments of porcine coronary artery to which dye had been applied were lased (1,064 nm, 2.5 W, 83 W/cm2, 60 s and 488/514 nm, 400 mW, 10.5 W/cm2, 60s) and the tissue temperature measured remotely using an infrared thermometer. In addition, energy transmission was measured with a photodiode and tissue morphological changes assessed histologically. All three argon dyes significantly increased energy absorption (typically 60 degrees C v. 20 degrees C at 60 s, P less than 0.001, 2-way ANOVA). Three of the four infrared dyes behaved similarly (40-70 degrees C v. 20 degrees C, P less than 0.001). All dyes significantly increased the initial rate of rise in tissue temperature during lasing. A reduction in energy transmission was observed for each of the Argon dyes but not for the Nd:YAG dyes. Histological evidence of thermal damage in control tissue first occurred for the argon and Nd:YAG lasers at 800 mW and 7.5 W without chromophore and at 400 mW and 2.5 W with the chromophore, respectively. A number of effective chromophores have therefore been identified at each wavelength.

Absorption↗

A new method for the detection of viable cells in tissue sections using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT): an application in the assessment of tissue damage by surgical instruments.

This report describes a new method using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) to visualize live viable tissue at the microscopic level. The visualization of the MTT stained tissue provides a metabolic assessment of tissue damage, and can be utilized as an extension of conventional hematoxylin-eosin (H & E) staining. In this report, several tissues were studied with MTT and H & E staining after incisions had been made by a variety of surgical dissecting instruments. A marked improvement in the detection of tissue damage was seen using MTT, regardless of how the damage was caused, i.e., physical, heat, or photon energy. In addition, a distinct zone of damage not noted on conventionally prepared and stained tissues is readily apparent. Thus MTT staining will have utility in both clinical and research studies, concerned with assessing the viability of tissues.

Animals↗

Classification of Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test results in the early treatment diabetic retinopathy study.

PURPOSE: To classify and describe clinically meaningful classes of color vision defects using pretreatment Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue results from the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) patients using standard statistical techniques. DESIGN: The ETDRS was a randomized trial investigating retinal photocoagulation and oral aspirin in diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: Farnsworth-Munsell (FM) 100-hue test was successfully administered before initiation of study treatment in each eye of 2701 of the 3711 ETDRS patients. Test results were converted into a Fourier series, classified by cluster analysis in the deferred-treatment group of eyes, and verified in the immediate-treatment group of eyes as separate samples. RESULTS: Cluster analysis uncovered thirteen distinct patterns. Pattern A (51% or 1366 of the eyes) showed unimpaired hue discrimination and was comprised of younger patients with no or little macular edema. Pattern B eyes (10% or 262) showed generalized impairment of hue discrimination with no main axis defect. Patterns C (C1, C2, C3), comprising 26% (or 698) of the eyes, showed increasing severity of the yellow-blue diabetic retinopathy defect, associated with increasing mean age and increasing macular edema severity. Patterns D (D1, D2), comprising 6% (or 164) of the eyes, were similar to the C patterns but showed a stronger yellow-blue defect. Patterns E (E1, E2, E3), or approximately 2% (or 38) of the eyes and predominantly male, exhibited the expected pattern for congenital protan defect. Patterns F, G, and H, approximately 6% (or 153) of the eyes, showed distinct patterns of one-sided axes. The nomenclature is arbitrary. CONCLUSIONS: Cluster analysis of FM 100-hue test results has found 13 patterns of impaired hue discrimination, helpful in understanding color vision defects in diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗

Effort thrombosis (Paget-Schroetter syndrome) in active young adults: current concepts in diagnosis and treatment.

Effort thrombosis or Paget-Schroetter syndrome most often affects young, active adults who are engaged in sports activities or whose professions require repetitive arm movements causing trauma to the axillary-subclavian vein and precipitating deep vein thrombosis. The presence of unilateral edema in the upper extremity is often thought to be attributable to trauma from an exercise regimen rather than acute deep vein thrombosis or compression of the subclavian vein by extrinsic anatomic structures. Because this syndrome occurs in young, active adults it has the potential for considerable long-term morbidity if it remains undetected or inadequately treated. Inadequate or inappropriate treatment may cause a loss of productivity over a lifetime and significantly affect the quality of life. Although more prevalent in male athletes, it is now increasingly affecting young women as they become more seriously involved in athletic endeavors. The purpose of this article is to increase the awareness of the prevalence, clinical significance, and importance of early detection of effort thrombosis of the axillary-subclavian vein, also known as Paget Schroetter syndrome, to educate health care providers regarding the limitations of some diagnostic tools, and to introduce new methods of treatment that offer better long-term results. The prevalence, differential diagnosis, diagnostic modalities, and medical and surgical interventions that have been successfully used to treat Paget-Schroetter syndrome are discussed, and evidence is provided to support the selections. The results of patients who were identified and treated within the last 2 years at the University of Southern California Center for Vascular Care are reviewed.

Adult↗

A prospective study on the association between red hair color and endometriosis in infertile patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if red-haired infertile women have an increased prevalence of endometriosis. DESIGN: Prospective, nonblinded. SETTING: Large, metropolitan, private hospital, associated with a university. Subspeciality care provided by reproductive endocrinologists. PATIENTS: One hundred forty-three consecutive women undergoing laparoscopy or laparotomy for infertility. INTERVENTIONS: Laser ablation of any endometriosis present. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Presence of endometriosis. RESULTS: Of 143 women entered into the study, 12 had natural red hair. The ages of these women ranged between 23 and 41 years. Ten of 12 (83%) of the red-haired women were found to have endometriosis compared with 55 of 131 (42%) of nonredheads. By statistical analysis, the 95% confidence intervals for the presence of endometriosis in redheads was 55% to 100% versus 34% to 51% for nonredheads. CONCLUSION: The results suggest an association between the occurrence of natural red hair and those factors that lead to the development of endometriosis.

Adult↗