Value of the portal venous phase in evaluation of treated hepatocellular carcinoma following transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation.

AIM: To evaluate the utility of the portal venous phase on multiphasic computed tomography (CT) after treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with trans-arterial chemoembolisation (TACE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients who underwent TACE for HCC between 1 April 2012 and 21 December 2014, with appropriate multiphasic, pre- and post-procedural CT examinations. The maximum non-contrast, arterial phase, and portal venous phase attenuation values of the tumour and tumour bed were evaluated within a region of interest (ROI), with values adjusted against background hepatic parenchyma. Linear regression analyses were performed for both the arterial and venous phases, to assess the level of enhancement and to determine if the venous phase had additional value in this setting. RESULTS: A total of 86 cases from 51 patients were reviewed. All pre-procedural CT examinations of lesions demonstrated arterial phase enhancement with portal venous and delayed phase washout compatible with HCC. The post-procedural CT examinations following TACE revealed expected decreased arterial enhancement. Sixty-five cases (76%) showed persistent non-enhancement on the portal venous phase following embolisation therapy. A total of 21 cases (24%), however, demonstrated progressive portal venous hyper enhancement. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a statistical significance between the difference in maximal arterial and portal venous enhancement in these cases. CONCLUSION: Following TACE, the treated lesion may demonstrate portal venous phase hyper-enhancement within the tumour bed. As such, full attention should be given to these images for comprehensive evaluation of tumour response following treatment.

Osteochemonecrosis of jaws and bisphosphonates.

Osteochemonecrosis of the jaws is a well described side effect of bisphosphonate therapy. Bisphosphonates are non metabolised analogues of pyrophosphate that are capable of localizing to bone, slowing both rate of growth and rate of dissolution therefore reducing the rate of bone turnover. Although the exact mechanism is not clear but it has been established that bisphosphonates target osteoclast, inhibiting their function in several ways: There are two types of bisphosphonates. The first are oral preparations of bisphosphonates, which include Alendronate and Risedronate. They are indicated for the treatment of osteoporosis. They are considered as lower risk of osteochemonecrosis. The second are administered intravenously. Pamindronate is a first generation bisphosphonate; 90 mg administered intravenouly over 2-24 hours every 3-4 weeks. The next generation of intravenous bisphosphonate is Zoldronic acid, which is more effective than Pamidronate in controlling hypercalcaemia of bone and reducing the skeletal related events in patients with metastatic breast cancer, multiple myeloma, hypercalcaemia of malignancy, paget's disease and bone metastasis from prostate and lung cancer.

Bupivacaine as pre-emptive analgesia in third molar surgery: Randomised controlled trial.

We conducted a prospective, randomised study on the use of pre-emptive analgesia in 45 patients who had bilateral impacted third molars removed. Bupivacaine 0.5% with adrenaline 1:200,000 was injected on one side, the other side acting as control. A visual analogue scale was used to measure the extent of postoperative pain. There was a significant reduction (p = 0.05) in postoperative pain on the injected side at 6, 12, and 72 h and an overall reduction in pain up to 7 days.

Speeding and maxillofacial injuries: impact of the introduction of penalty points for speeding offences.

On 31 October 2002 the Irish Government introduced a point demerit scheme for road speeding offences. To evaluate the impact of the scheme, we made a comparative assessment of the number of maxillofacial operations necessitated by road crashes at two tertiary surgical centres in the year before and the year after the introduction of penalty points. There were no significant differences in the composition of the groups between the two study periods. There were 57 operations in the year before and 22 in the year after for injuries caused by collisions (a 61% reduction). No changes were seen in the distribution or severity of maxillofacial injuries or in the pattern or severity of other injuries. Severity was assessed using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and Maximum Abbreviated Injury Severity Scale (MAIS), and bodily injuries by the Injury Severity Scale (ISS). The number of patients requiring intensive care and the duration of admission to the unit were unchanged, as was the total duration of hospital admission. There were no differences in the requirement for other specialist management.

Caloric-induced nystagmus with isoelectric electroencephalogram.

Caloric vestibular testing induced nystagmus in a patient with an isoelectric electroencephalogram after cardiopulmonary arrest. This has been demonstrated previously in patients in a chronic persistent vegetative state with intact brainstem reflexes, but never in a patient with an isoelectric electroencephalogram. Animal studies indicate that the quick phase of nystagmus and horizontal saccades are generated in the paramedian pontine reticular formation. The present case supports the conclusion that caloric-induced nystagmus originates in the brainstem in rudimentary form.

Newer beta-lactam antibiotics in the treatment of experimental Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis.

Antistaphylococcal activity of three beta-lactam antibiotics, i.e. cefmenoxime, cefotaxime and latamoxef (moxalactam) was compared with that of nafcillin by studying cure rates of aortic valvular endocarditis caused by one of three clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus in New Zealand white male rabbits. The animals were randomly allocated to a control and four antibiotic treatment groups. Each animal except the controls received 60 mg/kg of one antibiotic intramuscularly twice daily for two weeks, beginning 24 h after induction of endocarditis. The aortic valve was sterilized in 11 of 15 (73%) animals treated with cefmenoxime, nine of 13 (69%) treated with cefotaxime, 11 of 13 (85%) treated with latamoxef and 12 of 15 (80%) treated with nafcillin. All nine animals in the control group developed aortic valvular vegetations with an average of 2.4 X 10(9) cfu/g. The differences in sterility rates resulting from treatment with the four antibiotics were not statistically significant (P greater than 0.70).

In vitro activity of cefmenoxime, cefotaxime, latamoxef, cefazolin, nafcillin and vancomycin against 53 endocarditis and bacteremic strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

Antistaphylococcal activity of newer beta-lactam antibiotics, cefmenoxime, cefotaxime and latamoxef was compared with that of the more conventional antistaphylococcal agents, nafcillin, cefazolin and vancomycin. 53 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 40 from patients with endocarditis and 13 from patients with bacteremia from other causes were tested in vitro against each antibiotic using agar dilution methods. Minimal concentration of antibiotic to inhibit 90% of strains tested was 2 micrograms/ml for cefmenoxime and cefotaxime, 8 micrograms/ml for latamoxef and only 0.5 microgram/ml for nafcillin, cefazolin and vancomycin. The newer beta-lactam antibiotics may not be preferred to nafcillin, cefazolin or vancomycin in the treatment of serious staphylococcal infections.

Application of clinical and histopathological classification of leprosy.

A simultaneous clinical and histological study in 82 new, untreated leprosy patients was undertaken using the criteria of Ridley and Jopling. The disparity between the clinical and the histological diagnosis was abundantly clear, because in only 35 patients the two conformed with each other while in others there was a shift of one step towards either the tuberculoid or the lepromatous end of the spectrum. In 18 patients from other groups of leprosy, histologic delineation had features of indeterminate leprosy.

Degenerative collagenous plaque of the hand (linear keratoelastoidosis of the hands). A variant of acrokeratoelastosis.

Clinical and histological features of three examples of degenerative collagenous plaques of the hands in Indian housewives have been described in detail in order to focus attention on a hitherto uncommon entity. Household trauma has been incriminated as the precipitating or a triggering factor in these cases.

Clinical Pattern of Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum in Indian Sub-continent.

Clinical pattern of pseudoxanthoma elasticum in the Indian subcontinent along with report of three fresh cases of pseudoxanthoma elasticum is described.