3.Comparison of preoperative anti-infective preparations for extracapsular lens extraction
Uy Harvey S ; Rodriguez Roslyn D ; Dy-Liacco Jacinto U
Philippine Journal of Ophthalmology 2006;31(1):22-25
Objective: To investigate the effect of three preoperative anti-infective regimens on the sterility of anterior-chamber aspirates (ACA) in eyes undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE).
Methods: Ninety eyes scheduled to undergo ECCE were randomly assigned to receive one of the following preoperative anti-infective regimens: Group 1 (Control) - no additional preoperative preparation; Group 2 (Eye drop) - neomycin/ polymixin B/gramicidin eye drops applied 3 times daily for 3 days prior to surgery; and Group 3 (Lid scrub) - neomycin/polymixin B/ bacitracin ointment lid scrub applied 3 times prior to surgery. ACAs were obtained from all eyes at the conclusion of surgery and cultured. The patients were followed up for 3 months after the surgery.
Results: Positive cultures developed from ACAs in 5 (16.6 percent) of 30 eyes from Group 1, in 0 of 30 from Group 2, and in 3 (10 percent) of 30 from Group 3. No eye developed endophthalmitis. Compared with the control group, preoperative neomycin/polymixin B/gramicidin eye drops significantly reduced the ACA contamination rate (p= 0.03).
Conclusion: Preoperative neomycin/polymixin B/bacitracin eyedrops can improve the sterility of the anterior chamber during ECCE.
Human
;
CATARACT
;
ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS
;
ENDOPHTHALMITIS
;
NEOMYCIN
;
GRAMICIDIN
;
BACITRACIN
;
CATARACT EXTRACTION
;
EYE DISEASES
;
4.Positron emission mammography is a useful adjunct in assessment of dense breasts
S Krishna Kumar ; Patricia Bernal Trujillo ; Gonzalo Rodriguez Ucros
The Medical Journal of Malaysia 2017;72(2):138-140
Worldwide breast cancer remains as the most common
malignancy in women and the numbers who form a
subgroup with dense breast parenchyma are substantial. In
addition to mammography, the adjuncts used for further
evaluation of dense breasts have been anatomically based
modalities such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance
imaging. The practice of functionally based imaging of
breasts is relatively new but has undergone rapid progress
over the past few years with promising results. The value of
positron emission mammography is demonstrated in
patients with dense breasts and mammographically occult
disease.
Breast Neoplasms
;
Mammography
6.Potential impacts of climate variability on Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in Honduras, 2010
Zambrano, L.I. ; Sevilla, C. ; Reyes-García, S.Z. ; Sierra, M. ; Kafati, R. ; Rodriguez-Morales, A.J. ; Mattar, S.
Tropical Biomedicine 2012;29(4):499-507
Climate change and variability are affecting human health and disease direct or indirectly through many mechanisms. Dengue is one of those diseases that is strongly
influenced by climate variability; however its study in Central America has been poorly approached. In this study, we assessed potential associations between macroclimatic
and microclimatic variation and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases in the main hospital of Honduras during 2010. In this year, 3,353 cases of DHF were reported in the
Hospital Escuela, Tegucigalpa. Climatic periods marked a difference of 158% in the mean incidence of cases, from El Niño weeks (-99% of cases below the mean incidence) to La
Niña months (+59% of cases above it) (p<0.01). Linear regression showed significantly higher dengue incidence with lower values of Oceanic Niño Index (p=0.0097), higher
rain probability (p=0.0149), accumulated rain (p=0.0443) and higher relative humidity (p=0.0292). At a multiple linear regression model using those variables, ONI values shown to be the most important and significant factor found to be associated with the monthly
occurrence of DHF cases (r2=0.649; βstandardized=–0.836; p=0.01). As has been shown herein, climate variability is an important element influencing the dengue epidemiology in
Honduras. However, it is necessary to extend these studies in this and other countries in the Central America region, because these models can be applied for surveillance as
well as for prediction of dengue.
8.White spots on the mucosal surface of the duodenum in dogs with lymphocytic plasmacytic enteritis.
Mercedes GARCIA-SANCHO ; Angel SAINZ ; Alejandra VILLAESCUSA ; Antonio RODRIGUEZ ; Fernando RODRIGUEZ-FRANCO
Journal of Veterinary Science 2011;12(2):165-169
Distended lacteals, described as expanded white villi in duodenum, are strongly indicative of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia. In the present study, we evaluated the significance of white spots present in the duodenal mucosa of dogs with lymphocytic plasmacytic enteritis (LPE). Fifty dogs with LPE were included in this study, and white spots were detected in the duodenal mucosa in 22 dogs during endoscopy. Hypoproteinemia was more frequent in dogs with white spots than in dogs without spots (p = 0.02). Serum protein and albumin concentration were significantly lower in LPE dogs with white spots (p = 0.038) compared to LPE dogs without white spots (p = 0.039). There was a significant correlation between white spots density and lymphatic dilatation histological scores (p = 0.023; rho = 0.481). These results suggest that the presence of white spots in the duodenal mucosa of dogs is not a finding exclusive for intestinal lymphangiectasia. Low serum protein and albumin concentrations together with lymphatic dilatation seem to be related to the presence of white spots in the duodenal mucosa of LPE dogs.
Animals
;
Biopsy/veterinary
;
Blood Proteins/metabolism
;
Dog Diseases/blood/*pathology
;
Dogs
;
Duodenum/*pathology
;
Endoscopy/veterinary
;
Female
;
Histocytochemistry/veterinary
;
Intestinal Mucosa/*pathology
;
Lymphangiectasis, Intestinal/blood/pathology/*veterinary
;
Male
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Statistics, Nonparametric
9.High- vs. low-dose radio-iodine therapy for initial thyroid remnant ablation in post-thyroidectomized patients with non-metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer: A meta-analysis
Joel C. Mendoza ; Irene S. Bandong
The Philippine Journal of Nuclear Medicine 2018;13(2):54-61
The use of high- or low-dose radio-iodine therapy (RAIT) for initial thyroid remnant ablation in post-thyroidectomised patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) with no distant metastases has long been a subject of much debate. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews have been previously made using both randomised control trials (RCTs) and observational studies without due regard to differences in study design. Hence, amore focused meta-analysis of available RCTs alone was conducted to determine the presence of a compelling difference between the initial remnant ablation success rates of high- and low-dose RAIT in post-thyroidectomised DTC patient without distant demtastases. An extensive search of PubMed and Cochrane Central register of RCTs (up to August 2013) was performed by two reviewers, which was completed by hand search of referencesfrom releveangt articles and review papers published from 1996 to 2012. The two reviewers independtly selected eligible studies, with disagreement resolved by consensus. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) randomised controlled trials, (b) post-thyroidectomised adult subjects diagnosed with well differentiated thyroid cancer and no evidence of distant metastases, and (c) subject randomisation into 30-50 mCi or 100 mCi 131I treatment groups. Studies were exluded if (a) the full text of the study is not available, (b) the study is in another language other than English, and (c) if the data on relative risk was not available or could not be derived from the study. Of eight published RCTs on radio-iodine therapy as of August 2013, only 5 were eligible for this meta-analysis; namely those by JOhansen et al. (1991), Bal et al. (1996), Zaman et al. (2006), Maenpaa et al. (2008) and Caglar et al. (2012). The same two reviewers independenty extracted data from the full text of the selected five studies. Two-by-two tables comparing frequencies of successful and failed remnant ablation using low-dose (30-60 mCi) and high-dise (100 mCi) RAIT were derived from the published results of the included studies, and the weighted and pooled relative risks for successful remnant ablation were computed via the Mantel-Haenszel method using a fixed effects model (cx = 5%). Subgroup analyses were performed based on different definitions of a successful remnant ablation. The pooled relative risk (-0.03) was statistically insignificant (p=0.54) and had poor precision (95% confidence interval of {-0.12,0.06}) even when adjustments to the varied definitions of a successful ablation were performed. Thus, using available RCTs that compare high- and low-dose RAIT for remnant ablation of DTC, there is an apparent trend favoring higher success rates using high-dose RAIT. However, the lack of well designed RCTs precludes recommending high-dose initial RAI ablation, and encourages the present practice of individualized.
Meta-Analysis
;
Thyroid Neoplasms
;
Iodine Radioisotopes
10.Association of lymphovascular invasion with metastasis (loco-regional lymph node or distant) among adult Filipino patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma: A case control study
Eric Ray D. Linchangco ; Irene S. Bandong ; Gerard Fabian L. Goco
The Philippine Journal of Nuclear Medicine 2018;13(2):38-43
Background/Objective:
Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common type of thyroid cancer. Treatment includes surgery and remnant ablation with radioactive iodine theraphy while follow-up monitoring includes I- 131 whole body scans land thyroglobulin monitoring. Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) has been used as a predictor of metastasis in different cancers. Therefore, it might be useful in predicting metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma since metastasis in this type of carcinoma travels via the lymphatic route. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of LVI with metastasis among patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma
Methodology:
Records of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (histopathologic reports, thyroglobulin levevls and I-131 whole body scans) were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate anlyses were performed.
Results:
A total of 108 subjects were recruited for this study, 47 (43.5%) of which had LVI. There was no association found between LVI and metastasis on baseline (p=0.72) and follow-up scans (p=0.07). However, there was an association between metastasis resolution on follow-up scans and high-dose radioactive treatment (p=0.02) regarless of presence or absence of LVI.
Conclusion
There was a significant association of the presence of LVI with elevated thyroglobulin levels (p-value<0.0001). A significant association was also seen with LVI and dose of activity with resolution of thyroid remnant, locoregional lymph node and distant metastasis (p=0.02). Even though no association jwas seen between LVI and metastasis, a robust percentage of patients with LVI were positive for metastasis on whole body scans.
Thyroid Cancer, Papillary