Comparison of a 1064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet picosecond laser using a diffractive optical element vs. a nonablative 1550-nm erbium-glass laser for the treatment of facial acne scarring in Asian patients: a 17-week prospective, randomized, split-face, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Novel picosecond lasers using a diffractive optical element (P-DOE) have been available for skin resurfacing with distinct mechanisms. However, there are limited data directly comparing P-DOE and conventional fractional lasers for the treatment of atrophic acne scarring. OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare the efficacy and safety of a 1064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet P-DOE and a non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL) in the treatment of acne scarring. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, split-face, controlled trial was performed. One randomly assigned half-side of each patient's face (n = 25) was treated with four consecutive sessions of P-DOE at 3-week intervals and the other side with NAFL, with subsequent follow-up for 8 weeks after the final sessions. The efficacy and safety of the two lasers were determined by the Echelle d'Evaluation Clinique des Cicatrices d'acné (Scale of Clinical Evaluation of Acne Scars; ECCA) grading scale, Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score and patients' reports at the final visit. Histologic analysis was also performed. RESULTS: The P-DOE-treated side achieved a significantly better improvement in acne appearance (ECCA per cent reduction: 55% vs. 42%) with less severe pain (4.3 vs. 5.6) (P < 0.05). The IGA score and subjective satisfaction were consistent with ECCA score results. Occurrences of treatment-related side-effects were also lower in the group treated with P-DOE (P < 0.05). Histologic analysis revealed elongation and increased density of neocollagen fibres, elastic fibres and mucin throughout the dermis from both sides. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with NAFL, P-DOE afforded better clinical outcomes and fewer side-effects in the treatment of acne scarring in Asian patients.

Diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage and bronchial washing in sputum-scarce or smear-negative cases with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis: a randomized study.

OBJECTIVES: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and bronchial washing (BW) are two major methods used to obtain high-quality respiratory specimens from patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) but a sputum-scarce or smear-negative status. We aimed to compare the value of BAL and BW in the diagnosis of TB in such patients. METHODS: We enrolled patients with suspected pulmonary TB but with a sputum-scarce or smear-negative status who were referred for bronchoscopy between October 2013 and January 2016. Participants were randomized into the BAL and BW groups for evaluation. The primary outcome was the diagnostic yield for TB detection. Secondary outcomes included culture positivity, positivity of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and procedure-related complications. RESULTS: A total of 94 patients were assessed and 91 (43 in the BAL group, 48 in the BW group) were analysed. Twenty-one patients (48.8%) in the BAL group and 30 (62.5%) in the BW group had a final diagnosis of pulmonary TB. The detection rate of M. tuberculosis by culture or NAAT was significantly higher in BAL specimens than in BW specimens (85.7% vs 50.0%, p 0.009). The procedure-related complications were hypoxic events, 2/43 (4.7%) in the BAL group and 5/48 (10.4%) in the BW group; and post-bronchoscopic fever, 3/43 (7.0%) in the BAL group and 4/48 (8.3%) in the BW group. DISCUSSION: As long as it is tolerable, BAL rather than BW, should be used to obtain specimens for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in sputum-scarce or smear-negative cases.

MR Imaging-Based Radiomic Signatures of Distinct Molecular Subgroups of Medulloblastoma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Distinct molecular subgroups of pediatric medulloblastoma confer important differences in prognosis and therapy. Currently, tissue sampling is the only method to obtain information for classification. Our goal was to develop and validate radiomic and machine learning approaches for predicting molecular subgroups of pediatric medulloblastoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this multi-institutional retrospective study, we evaluated MR imaging datasets of 109 pediatric patients with medulloblastoma from 3 children's hospitals from January 2001 to January 2014. A computational framework was developed to extract MR imaging-based radiomic features from tumor segmentations, and we tested 2 predictive models: a double 10-fold cross-validation using a combined dataset consisting of all 3 patient cohorts and a 3-dataset cross-validation, in which training was performed on 2 cohorts and testing was performed on the third independent cohort. We used the Wilcoxon rank sum test for feature selection with assessment of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to evaluate model performance. RESULTS: Of 590 MR imaging-derived radiomic features, including intensity-based histograms, tumor edge-sharpness, Gabor features, and local area integral invariant features, extracted from imaging-derived tumor segmentations, tumor edge-sharpness was most useful for predicting sonic hedgehog and group 4 tumors. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed superior performance of the double 10-fold cross-validation model for predicting sonic hedgehog, group 3, and group 4 tumors when using combined T1- and T2-weighted images (area under the curve = 0.79, 0.70, and 0.83, respectively). With the independent 3-dataset cross-validation strategy, select radiomic features were predictive of sonic hedgehog (area under the curve = 0.70-0.73) and group 4 (area under the curve = 0.76-0.80) medulloblastoma. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides proof-of-concept results for the application of radiomic and machine learning approaches to a multi-institutional dataset for the prediction of medulloblastoma subgroups.

Intraoperative naloxone reduces remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia but not pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Intraoperative use of a high-dose remifentanil may induce postoperative hyperalgesia. Low-dose naloxone can selectively reverse some adverse effects of opioids without compromising analgesia. We thus hypothesized that the intraoperative use of a high-dose remifentanil combined with a low-dose naloxone infusion reduces postoperative hyperalgesia compared with the use of remifentanil alone. Methods: Patients undergoing elective thyroid surgery were randomly assigned into one of three groups, depending on the intraoperative effect-site concentration of remifentanil, with or without a continuous infusion of naloxone: 4 ng ml-1 remifentanil with 0.05 µg kg-1 h-1 naloxone in the high-remifentanil with naloxone group, and 4 or 1 ng ml-1 remifentanil with a placebo in the high- or low-remifentanil groups, respectively. We measured the pain thresholds (primary outcome) to mechanical stimuli using von Frey filaments and incidence of hyperalgesia on the peri-incisional area 24 h after surgery. We also measured pain intensity, analgesic consumptions and adverse events up to 48 h after surgery. Results: The pain threshold presented as von Frey numbers [median (interquartile range)] was significantly lower in the high-remifentanil group (n=31) than in the high-remifentanil with naloxone (n=30) and the low-remifentanil (n=30) groups [3.63 (3.22-3.84) vs 3.84 (3.76-4.00) vs 3.80 (3.69-4.08), P=0.011]. The incidence of hyperalgesia was also higher in the high-remifentanil group than in the other groups [21/31 vs 10/30 vs 9/30, P=0.005]. Postoperative pain intensity, analgesic consumptions and adverse events were similar between groups. Conclusions: The intraoperative use of low-dose naloxone combined with high-dose remifentanil reduced postoperative hyperalgesia but not pain. Clinical trial registration: NCT02856087.

Performance of the Minto model for the target-controlled infusion of remifentanil during cardiopulmonary bypass.

We studied the predictive performance of the Minto pharmacokinetic model during cardiopulmonary bypass in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Patients received remifentanil target-controlled infusion using the Minto model during total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol. From 56 patients, 275 arterial blood samples were drawn before, during and after bypass to determine the plasma concentration of remifentanil, and the predicted concentrations were recorded at each time. For pooled data, the median prediction error and median absolute prediction error were 21.3% and 21.8%, respectively, and 22.1% and 22.3% during bypass. Both were 148.4% during hypothermic circulatory arrest and measured concentrations were more than three times greater than predicted (26.9 (17.0) vs. 7.1 (1.6) ng.ml-1 ). The Minto model showed considerable bias but overall acceptable precision during bypass. The target concentration of remifentanil should be reduced when using the Minto model during hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Bronchial angles are associated with nodular bronchiectatic non-tuberculous mycobacteria lung disease.

BACKGROUND: The nodular bronchiectatic (NB) form of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung disease usually involves the right middle lobe (RML) and the left upper lobe lingular segment. However, the reason underlying this preference is not known. METHODS: Fifty patients with NB NTM lung disease who had both positive NTM culture(s) and NB lesions in the RML or lingular segment on computed tomography (CT) of the chest, and 100 healthy subjects matched for sex, age, height and body weight with normal chest CT, were randomly selected. Using reconstructed curved multiplanar reformation (MPR) images, the lengths, diameters and angles of the RML and lingular bronchi were measured. RESULTS: Of the 150 individuals, 64% were female; the mean age was 55 years. The angles of the bronchi were significantly more acute in patients than in healthy subjects, both in the RML (patients, mean 46.75° ± standard deviation 8.87° vs. healthy subjects, mean 51.73° ± 7.76°; P = 0.001) and in the lingular segments (patients, mean 26.94° ± 8.16° vs. healthy subjects, mean 34.65° ± 9.75°; P < 0.001). In addition, the angles of the bronchi in the involved segments were more acute than those in the non-involved segments, both in the RML and the lingular segments. There were no differences in the lengths and bronchi diameters between groups. CONCLUSIONS: An acute angle (obtuse slope) of RML/lingular bronchi could be an anatomical risk factor for NB NTM lung disease.

Microvascular reactivity and endothelial glycocalyx degradation when administering hydroxyethyl starch or crystalloid during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a randomised trial.

The infusion of fluids to patients may affect tissue microcirculation and the endothelial glycocalyx. However, the effects of hydroxyethyl starch and crystalloid on endothelial glycocalyx degradation and microvascular reactivity have not been evaluated in detail. We hypothesised that hydroxyethyl starch may cause less endothelial glycocalyx degradation and better microvascular reactivity than that caused by crystalloid. We randomly allocated 120 patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery to receive up to 20 ml.kg-1 of either hydroxyethyl starch 670/0.75 or crystalloid for intra-operative fluid resuscitation. Crystalloid was then infused to meet ongoing fluid requirements. During the peri-operative period, vascular occlusion tests were performed to assess microvascular reactivity, and serum syndecan-1 was measured as an index of endothelial glycocalyx degradation. The median (IQR [range]) fluid infused during surgery was significantly less in the hydroxyethyl starch group than the crystalloid group; 2800 (2150-3550 [1400-7300]) vs. 3925 (3100-4725 [1900-6700]) ml, respectively, p < 0.001. Vascular occlusion test parameters, including tissue oxygen saturation, occlusion and recovery slope did not differ significantly between the groups. Peri-operative changes in syndecan-1 were not significantly different between the groups. We conclude that, in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery, compared with crystalloid, the use of hydroxyethyl starch 670/0.75 did not result in significant differences in microvascular reactivity or endothelial glycocalyx degradation.

Effect of intravitreal dexamethasone implant on retinal and choroidal thickness in refractory diabetic macular oedema after multiple anti-VEGF injections.

AimsTo investigate the effect of intravitreal dexamethasone implant (IVD) on central foveal thickness (CFT), choroidal thickness (CT) and its correlation with visual acuity in eyes with refractory diabetic macular oedema (DMO).MethodsThis was a retrospective interventional case-series. Thirty-five eyes of 35 patients were treated with a single injection of IVD because of refractory DMO with CFT over 300 µm, and persistent intraretinal and subretinal fluid despite of multiple intravitreal bevacizumab injections. Patients were followed-up for 6 months for the evaluation of CFT and subfoveal CT by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.ResultsAll eyes (mean age: 59.4±12.35 years; 18 males, 17 females) had been previously treated with multiple bevacizumab injections and showed persistent DMO (mean number of injections 4.08±2.98) The preoperative logMAR BCVA was 0.49±0.24, which gradually improved to 0.46±0.32 at 6 months (P=0.652) and 26% gained two or more lines of Snellen visual acuity. At baseline, the mean CFT was 526.29±123.48 µm, which significantly improved to 316.15±100.09 µm at 3 months (P<0.001). However, CFT deteriorated to 457.07±136.53 µm at 6 months (P=0.051). Similarly, the mean preoperative subfoveal CT was 288.91±36.47 µm and it decreased to 266.85±30.93 µm at 3 months (P<0.01), but increased to 278.63±32.55 µm at 6 months (P=0.137). The reduction of CFT from baseline showed significant correlation with that of subfoveal CT at 3 months (P=0.041) and at 6 months (P=0.008).ConclusionsIn DMO refractory to multiple bevacizumab injections, IVD significantly reduced CFT and subfoveal CT, with BCVA improvement in one-fourth of the patients. The reduction of CFT showed significant correlation with reduction of subfoveal CT.

Comparison of short wrist transverse open and limited open techniques for carpal tunnel release: a randomized controlled trial of two incisions.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to compare outcomes of limited open and short wrist transverse techniques in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. In a single centre randomized controlled trial, 84 patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome were randomized before surgery to limited open or short wrist transverse open carpal tunnel release. The patients were evaluated at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 and 2 years after surgery. At every follow-up, the Brigham and Women's Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire scores, scar discomfort, and subjective patient satisfaction were evaluated. Two years after surgery, five patients were lost to follow-up. The groups had similar Brigham and Women's Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Symptom Severity and Functional Status scores and subjective satisfaction scores. The incidence of scar discomfort was not significantly different between the two groups on serial postoperative follow-up. Short wrist transverse open release surgery showed similar early postoperative symptoms and subjective and functional outcomes to limited open release. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Transarterial embolisation of renal arteriovenous malformation: safety and efficacy in 24 patients with follow-up.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of renal artery embolisation (RAE) for renal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) as well as its outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The technical and clinical success rates, radiological and laboratory findings, and complications of RAE for 31 renal AVMs in 24 patients (M:F=9:15, mean age 46 years) at two separate medical institutions were retrospectively evaluated. Technical success was defined as complete occlusion of feeding arteries with no residual nidus seen on post-treatment angiography. Clinical failure was defined as recurrence of haematuria, presence of AVM on follow-up ultrasound or computed tomography, repeated RAE or surgery for the control of haematuria. Overall clinical success was defined as resolution haematuria or disappearance of AVM on follow-up imaging after single or multiple sessions of RAE. RESULTS: Types of renal AVM were AVM, arterio-venous fistula (AVF) with intranidal aneurysm, and acquired AVF in 19, 1, and 4 patients, respectively. 18 patients (75%) underwent a single session of RAE, while 6 patients (25%) had two or more sessions of RAE. The level of embolisation was feeder, segmental artery, and main renal artery in 28 (90%), 2 (6%), and 1 (4%) procedures, respectively. Coil, n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate, and polyvinyl alcohol were the most frequently chosen embolic materials and were used in 19, 14, and 8 procedures, respectively. The clinical success rate after initial RAE was 67% (16/24). Overall clinical success rate, including multisession RAE, was 88% (21/24). The technical success rate of 31 procedures was 65% (20/31). Among 11 technical failures in 10 patients, 4 achieved clinical success without additional RAE, 3 underwent second session RAE to achieve clinical success, and 3 patients underwent nephrectomy due to recurrence. CONCLUSION: RAE is a safe and effective treatment for renal AVM. Technical failure of RAE does not always lead to clinical failure and multiple embolisation sessions may be effective for recurrent renal AVM.

Cementless total hip arthroplasty for haemophilic arthropathy: follow-up result of more than 10 years.

The improvement of prophylaxis and adequate replacement of clotting factors, the quality of life and natural history of haemophilia have been significantly improved. However, significant functional impairment is inevitable. This study was performed to evaluate over 10 years clinical and radiographic outcomes of cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) for treatment of haemophilic hip arthropathy. Between 1995 and 2003, 27 cases of cementless total hip arthroplasties were performed in 23 haemophilic patients. A total of 21 cases from 17 patients were available for follow-up analysis over 10 years. Modified Harris hip score, the range of motion of the hip joint, perioperative coagulation factor requirements and complications associated with bleeding were evaluated as part of the clinical assessment. For the radiographic assessment, fixation of component, osteolysis, loosening and other complications were evaluated. Clinically, the mean Harris hip score improved from 57 points before the operation to 94 points at the last follow-up. The mean flexion contracture was 10° preoperatively and 0.9° at the final follow-up. The further flexion improved from 68.4° to 90.5° after surgery. The mean monthly requirement of factor VIII reduced from 3150 units before surgery to 1800 units at the time of the last follow-up. There were three cases of rebleeding. In one case, a progressive haemophilic pseudotumour was found. Reoperation for any reason including revision was performed in three cases. We believe that cementless THA in patient with haemophilic hip arthropathy can bring reliable pain relief and functional improvement for longer than 10 years.

The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and Syndecan-4 in cartilage from osteoarthritic knees.

Previous studies support the important role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and syndecan-4 in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Both VEGF and syndecan-4 are expressed by chondrocytes and both are involved in the regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-3, resulting in the activation of aggrecanase II (ADAMTS-5), which is essential in the pathogenesis of OA. However, the relationship between VEGF and syndecan-4 has not been established. As a pilot study, we assayed the expression of VEGF and syndecan-4 in cartilage samples and cultured chondrocytes from osteoarthritic knee joints and analysed the relationship between these two factors. Specimens were collected from 21 female patients (29 knees) who underwent total knee replacement due to severe medial OA of the knee (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4). Articular cartilage samples, obtained from bone and cartilage excised during surgery, were analysed and used for chondrocyte culture. We found that the levels of expression of VEGF and syndecan-4 mRNA did not differ significantly between medial femoral cartilage with severe degenerative changes and lateral femoral cartilage that appeared grossly normal (p = 0.443 and 0.622, respectively). Likewise, the levels of expression of VEGF and syndecan-4 mRNA were similar in cultured chondrocytes from medial and lateral femoral cartilage. The levels of expression of VEGF and syndecan-4 mRNAs were significantly and positively correlated in cartilage explant (r = 0.601, p = 0.003) but not in cultured chondrocytes. These results suggest that there is a close relationship between VEGF and syndecan-4 in the cartilage of patients with OA. Further studies are needed to determine the exact pathway by which these two factors interact in the pathogenesis of OA.

Risk factors for deterioration of nodular bronchiectatic Mycobacterium avium complex lung disease.

UNLABELLED: SETTING The long-term natural course of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease with nodular bronchiectasis, the most common pulmonary non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease, is not well described. OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for the deterioration of nodular bronchiectatic MAC lung disease over a 5-year follow-up period. DESIGN: Clinical and laboratory data of 67 patients with nodular bronchiectatic MAC lung disease were collected. Chest computerised tomographic images were used to count the number of lung segments involved at diagnosis and measure subcutaneous fat thickness during follow-up. RESULTS: The 34 patients who showed deterioration had significantly lower body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.004) and % predicted forced vital capacity (P = 0.032), higher numbers of lung segments involved (P < 0.001) and MAC-positive sputum cultures (P = 0.028), and thinner chest subcutaneous fat during follow-up (P < 0.001) than patients without deterioration. In particular, patients with both BMI <21.0 kg/m(2) and more than four lung segments involved had a 240-fold increased risk of deterioration (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with poor nutritional status and extensive lung involvement tend to experience deterioration of nodular bronchiectatic MAC lung disease.

MRI surrogates for molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recently identified molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma have shown potential for improved risk stratification. We hypothesized that distinct MR imaging features can predict these subgroups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with a diagnosis of medulloblastoma at one institution, with both pretherapy MR imaging and surgical tissue, served as the discovery cohort (n = 47). MR imaging features were assessed by 3 blinded neuroradiologists. NanoString-based assay of tumor tissues was conducted to classify the tumors into the 4 established molecular subgroups (wingless, sonic hedgehog, group 3, and group 4). A second pediatric medulloblastoma cohort (n = 52) from an independent institution was used for validation of the MR imaging features predictive of the molecular subtypes. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis within the discovery cohort revealed tumor location (P < .001) and enhancement pattern (P = .001) to be significant predictors of medulloblastoma subgroups. Stereospecific computational analyses confirmed that group 3 and 4 tumors predominated within the midline fourth ventricle (100%, P = .007), wingless tumors were localized to the cerebellar peduncle/cerebellopontine angle cistern with a positive predictive value of 100% (95% CI, 30%-100%), and sonic hedgehog tumors arose in the cerebellar hemispheres with a positive predictive value of 100% (95% CI, 59%-100%). Midline group 4 tumors presented with minimal/no enhancement with a positive predictive value of 91% (95% CI, 59%-98%). When we used the MR imaging feature-based regression model, 66% of medulloblastomas were correctly predicted in the discovery cohort, and 65%, in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor location and enhancement pattern were predictive of molecular subgroups of pediatric medulloblastoma and may potentially serve as a surrogate for genomic testing.

A randomised controlled trial comparing incentive spirometry with the Acapella® device for physiotherapy after thoracoscopic lung resection surgery.

Lung resection surgery has been associated with numerous postoperative complications. Seventy-eight patients scheduled for elective video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection were randomly assigned to receive standard postoperative care with incentive spirometry or standard care plus positive vibratory expiratory pressure treatment using the Acapella(®) device. There was no significant difference between incentive spirometry and the Acapella device in the primary outcome, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, on the third postoperative day, mean (SD) 53% (16%) vs 59% (18%) respectively, p = 0.113. Patients treated with both devices simultaneously found incentive spirometry to be less comfortable compared with the Acapella device, using a numeric rating scale from 1 to 5 with lower scores indicating higher comfort, median (IQR [range]) 3 (2-3 [2-4]) vs 1 (1-2 [1-3]) respectively, p < 0.001. In addition, 37/39 patients (95%) stated a clear preference for the Acapella device. Postoperative treatment with the Acapella device did not improve pulmonary function after thoracoscopic lung resection surgery compared with incentive spirometry, but it may be more comfortable to use.

Activation of ß-catenin/TCF targets following loss of the tumor suppressor SNF5.

The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex is a master regulator of developmental cell-fate decisions, although the key target pathways are poorly characterized. Here, we interrogated the contribution of the SWI/SNF subunit and tumor suppressor SNF5 to the regulation of developmental pathways using conditional mouse and cell culture models. We find that loss of SNF5 phenocopies ß-catenin hyperactivation and that SNF5 is essential for regulating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway target expression. These data provide insight into chromatin-based mechanisms that underlie developmental regulation and elucidate the emerging theme that mutation of this tumor suppressor complex can activate developmental pathways by uncoupling them from upstream control.

The impact of total antioxidant capacity on pulmonary function in asthma patients.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress, mediated by an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants, contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of asthma. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) on the pulmonary function of Korean asthma patients. METHOD: A total of 104 adult asthma patients enrolled from the COREA (Cohort for Reality and Evolution of Adult Asthma in Korea) programme participated in the study. Baseline clinical parameters at enrolment, and the results of pulmonary function tests at baseline and 1 and 2 years after enrolment were collected. TAC at baseline was measured using a Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity assay. Patients were divided into two groups based on TAC levels, and various clinical parameters were compared. RESULT: Serum TAC levels correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) at baseline (r = 0.22, P = 0.03). The group with higher baseline TAC levels maintained greater mean FEV(1) both 1 and 2 years after enrolment, even after adjusting for sex, age, height, weight, body mass index and smoking status. CONCLUSION: These results suggest an important link between serum TAC levels and pulmonary function, indicating that higher TAC levels may be a biomarker for favourable prognosis in asthma patients.

Peri-acetabular rotational osteotomy with concomitant hip arthroscopy for treatment of hip dysplasia.

Reconstructive acetabular osteotomy is a well established and effective procedure in the treatment of acetabular dysplasia. However, the dysplasia is frequently accompanied by intra-articular pathology such as labral tears. We intended to determine whether a concomitant hip arthroscopy with peri-acetabular rotational osteotomy could identify and treat intra-articular pathology associated with dysplasia and thereby produce a favourable outcome. We prospectively evaluated 43 consecutive hips treated by combined arthroscopy and acetabular osteotomy. Intra-operative arthroscopic examination revealed labral lesions in 38 hips. At a mean follow-up of 74 months (60 to 97) the mean Harris hip score improved from 72.4 to 94.0 (p < 0.001), as did all the radiological parameters (p < 0.001). Complications included penetration of the joint by the osteotome in one patient, a fracture of the posterior column in another and deep-vein thrombosis in one further patient. This combined surgical treatment gave good results in the medium term. We suggest that arthroscopy of the hip can be performed in conjunction with peri-acetabular osteotomy to provide good results in patients with symptomatic dysplasia of the hip, and the arthroscopic treatment of intra-articular pathology may alter the progression of osteoarthritis.

3D reconstructions of spinal segmental arteries using CT angiography: applications in minimally invasive spinal procedures.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Injury to spinal segmental arteries may potentially occur during spinal surgery, particularly during anterior or minimally invasive approaches. Use of a noninvasive radiologic tool to evaluate these arteries before surgery may reduce this risk. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed spinal CT angiography and reconstructed 3D images of segmental arteries in 41 patients. We classified the pathways and locations of the segmental arteries into 4 zones (A, B, C, and D) according to pedicle and vertebral endplates. We designated segmental arteries from T8 to L1 as "high-level segmental arteries" and those from L2 to L4, as "low-level segmental arteries." We compared the distribution of segmental arteries between these 2 groups. We also investigated anatomic variations of segmental arteries and the rate of occurrence of the artery of Adamkiewicz. RESULTS: In all patients, 3D reconstruction images from spinal CT angiography clearly showed the pathways of segmental arteries on the vertebral bodies. Most of the segmental arteries passed the middle portion of the vertebral body (zones B and C). However, 51 of 738 segmental arteries (6.9%) had uncommon pathways (zones A and D), and segmental arteries from L2 to L4 had a higher incidence of uncommon pathways than higher level vertebrae (P < .05). We also observed 2 types of segmental artery anatomic variation, agenesis and dual supply. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that spinal CT angiography can help to precisely visualize the spinal segmental arteries and surrounding bony structures and can aid clinicians in deciding on optimal approaches for spinal surgery.

Radioisotope synoviorthesis with Holmium-166-chitosan complex in haemophilic arthropathy.

Radiosynoviorthesis is a safe and easy method for synovectomy in haemophilic arthropathy. Various agents have been used in radiosynoviorthesis, especially newly developed agent Holmium-166-chitosan complex has good clinical outcome. This study analysed clinical results and radiologic evaluation of radioisotope synoviorthesis using Holmium-166-chitosan complex in haemophilic arthropathy. From March 2001 to December 2003, 58 radiosynoviorthesis were performed in 53 haemophiliacs. The average age at procedure was 13.8 years. The Arnold and Hilgartner stage of the patients was from I to IV. Holmium-166-chitosan complex was injected in 31 ankle joints, 19 elbow joints and 8 knee joints. Average follow-up was 33 months since primary procedure. The range of motion of each joint, frequency of intra-articular bleeding and factor dose used were analysed for clinical assessment. There was no significant improvement of range of motion in affected joints. After procedure, the average frequency of bleeding of the elbow joint has decreased from 3.76 to 0.47 times per month, the knee joint from 5.87 to 1.12 times per month, and the ankle joint from 3.62 to 0.73 times per month respectively (P < 0.05). After treatment, the average coagulation factor dose injected was significantly decreased to 779.3 units per month from 2814.8 units per month before treatment (P < 0.001). Radioisotope synoviorthesis with Holmium-166-chitosan complex in haemophilic arthropathy is a very safe and simple procedure with the expectation of a satisfactory outcome without serious complication. It has excellent bleeding control effect on target joint and the need for substitution of coagulation factor concentrate can be reduced.