We wanted to present the results of our experience with bilateral testis tumor and to suggest the effects of chemotherapy in suppressing the development of second primary testicular tumors. Between 1978 and 1997, 2,345 patients were treated for testicular tumor at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Of these, 2,107 had germ cell cancers. There were 22 (0.94%) cases of bilateral testicular tumor in the overall patient population and 21 (1.0%) cases among patients with germ cell cancer. We reviewed the medical records to determine the incidence of the histological subtype, the incidence of metachronous versus synchronous formation of contralateral tumors, and tumor stage in this patient population. We also examined the effect of chemotherapy in treating the first tumor and preventing the occurrence of a second tumor. Finally, we compared the effect of ultrasonography, serum tumor marker elevation, and physical examination in detecting second tumors. Only one contralateral germ cell tumor developed synchronously; all others developed metachronously. Fifty percent of first tumors were seminomas, compared to 55% of second tumors. The histologic concordance rate for first and second tumors was 35%. Tumor stage was higher among first tumors than second tumors. The majority of second tumors in patients who received chemotherapy for first malignancies tended to be metachronous seminomas. Ultrasonography detected 6 of 21 (28.6%) contralateral tumors before they were evident by physical examination or serum tumor marker elevation. Seminomas were more prevalent among patients with bilateral germ cell disease than patients with unilateral disease. Chemotherapy, when used as treatment for first tumors, may have some effect in preventing the development of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors in the contralateral testicle. Close follow-up of the contralateral testis with ultrasonography is essential for early detection of second tumors. The outcome for patients with bilateral testicular germ cell cancer is excellent, secondary to early detection.
Adolescence ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Human ; Incidence ; Male ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/epidemiology ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/prevention & control* ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/epidemiology ; Testicular Neoplasms/pathology ; Testicular Neoplasms/drug therapy*

No abstract available.
Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Treatment Outcome* ; Biomarkers, Tumor*

To develop a more appropriate therapeutic strategy for treatment of nonpulmonary visceral metastatic testicular seminoma based on the International Germ Cell Consensus Classification, we reviewed the medical records of patients with nonpulmonary visceral metastatic testicular seminoma who were treated over a 20-year period. Only 15 (2.2%) of the 686 cases of testicular seminoma were nonpulmonary visceral metastatic seminoma. The median age of patients was 38 years (range, 22-53 years). Ten (67%) of the patients had an initial diagnosis of supradiaphragmatic or visceral metastatic disease. In addition to nonpulmonary visceral metastasis, all patients had lymph node metastasis as well, the majority of which involved the retroperitoneal lymph nodes. The median and mean progression-free survival durations after chemotherapy for advanced disease were 19 months and 63.7 months, respectively. Six patients (40%) survived, five relapsed after radiation therapy and four died of chemorefractory disease not dependent on the specific regimen. Although the number of cases reviewed in this study was small, we conclude that the choice of chemotherapeutic regimen among the current treatments for nonpulmonary visceral metastatic seminoma of testis primary does not present a different outcome. Therefore, multimodality therapies using new strategies or new agents are well indicated.
Adult ; Antineoplastic Agents, Combined/administration & dosage* ; Bone Neoplasms/secondary ; Bone Neoplasms/radiotherapy ; Bone Neoplasms/drug therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Human ; Lung Neoplasms/secondary ; Lung Neoplasms/radiotherapy ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Age ; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms/secondary* ; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms/radiotherapy ; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seminoma/secondary* ; Seminoma/radiotherapy ; Seminoma/drug therapy* ; Testicular Neoplasms/pathology*

Anticoagulants ; therapeutic use ; Atrial Fibrillation ; etiology ; genetics ; therapy ; Catheter Ablation ; Humans ; Thromboembolism ; prevention & control ; United States

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to find out the normal distal tibial articular surface angle in coronal plane in Koreans. This would be helpful as the basic data for ankle reconstruction after trauma or deformity correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weight bearing anteroposterior radiographs of 123 normal ankles were reviewed. A line parallel to the shaft of the tibia was made. Another line was drawn parallel to the articular surface of the distal tibia. The superolateral angle that subtended by these two lines was measured. RESULTS: There were 72 males and 51 females. The mean age overall was 35.7 years old. The mean age for males was 31.9 (28~36) years old. The mean age for females was 41.1 (37~45) years old. The mean distal tibial articular surface angle was 90.8 degrees. The mean distal tibial articular surface angle for males was 91.5 degrees and for females 89.9 degrees. CONCLUSION: The mean distal tibial articular surface angle in coronal plane for Koreans is 90.8 degrees. We can avoid the error of the varization at the ankle alignment when the correction was performed vertical or minimal valgus to tibia tuberosity axis in Korean people.
Ankle ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Tibia ; Weight-Bearing

PURPOSE: We assessed the clinical results of modified Brostrom procedure as a revision method after failure of a primary reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of seven patients treated with Modified Brostrom procedure after failed lateral ankle ligament reconstruction between 1996 and 2002. Instability symptom developed average 4.7 month after the initial reconstruction surgery at other clinics. All patients had significant functional impairment before surgery and not responded to conservative protocols. Modified Brostrom procedure was applied to all patients. RESULTS: The average follow up was 51 months (18 to 84). Seven of eight patients had clinical stability following revision reconstruction, six patients (75%) returned to their previous functional level. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scores averaged 87.5. There is no difference in active or passive range of motion of plantar flexion or dorsiflexion when compared to the contralateral ankle. However, three patients were noted to have lost some degree of inversion when compated to contralateral ankle. Two patients had osteochondral lesion and multiple spurs and had pain around the ankle that prevented their full recovery. One patient complained of persistent pain which was considered complex regional pain syndrome. CONCLUSION: Though the outcome of the Modified Brostrom procedure as a method of revision surgery was less satisfactory compared to the results of primary ankle reconstruction, it would be an appropriate option when concomitant abnormalities were not accompanying.
Ankle* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Ligaments* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: In this study, we determined the long-term effects of the Independent Capacity Protocol (ICP), in which the emergency department (ED) is temporarily used to stabilize patients, followed by transfer of patients to other facilities when necessary, on crowding metrics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A before and after study design was used to determine the effects of the ICP on patient outcomes in an academic, urban, tertiary care hospital. The ICP was introduced on July 1, 2007 and the before period included patients presenting to the ED from January 1, 2005 to June 31, 2007. The after period began three months after implementing the ICP from October 1, 2007 to December 31, 2010. The main outcomes were the ED length of stay (LOS) and the total hospital LOS of admitted patients. The mean number of monthly ED visits and the rate of inter-facility transfers between emergency departments were also determined. A piecewise regression analysis, according to observation time intervals, was used to determine the effect of the ICP on the outcomes. RESULTS: During the study period the number of ED visits significantly increased. The intercept for overall ED LOS after intervention from the before-period decreased from 8.51 to 7.98 hours [difference 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04 to 1.01] (p=0.03), and the slope decreased from -0.0110 to -0.0179 hour/week (difference 0.0069, 95% CI: 0.0012 to 0.0125) (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Implementation of the ICP was associated with a sustainable reduction in ED LOS and time to admission over a six-year period.
Aged ; *Clinical Protocols ; *Crowding ; Efficiency, Organizational ; Emergency Service, Hospital/*organization & administration/utilization ; Female ; Hospital Planning/*methods ; Hospitals, Urban/*organization & administration/utilization ; Humans ; Length of Stay/*statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care) ; Patient Admission/statistics & numerical data ; Patient Transfer/statistics & numerical data ; Regression Analysis ; Time ; Time Factors ; Triage

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was used to determine total body water (TBW) and lean body mass (LBM) in patients with renal failure. The body's electrical resistance (R) was measured by the voltage to current ratio, injecting an 800microA alternating current with a frequency of 50KHZ and detecting a voltage drop between the wrist and the ankle. Impedance index (Height2/Resistance) compared favorably with TBW measured by deuterium (D2O) dilution method as the reference, giving the correlation coefficient (r) of 0.966 and standard error estimation (SEE) of 2.71 liter. The index was compared with LBM determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as the reference, giving r of 0.970 and SEE of 3.00kg. The r of 0.985 and SEE of 2.15kg were found between the reference method. BIA appeared to have a somewhat lower accuracy than those of the reference method. However, it is a useful clinical tool for estimating body composition, because it is easy, rapid and non-invasive. The existing BIA method is based on an extremely simple conductor model of the body. The accuracy may be improved further, based on a more realistic model for the body.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Ankle ; Body Composition ; Body Water* ; Deuterium ; Electric Impedance* ; Humans ; Renal Insufficiency* ; Wrist

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The transplantation of human umbilical cord blood cells (hUCBCs) has been shown to attenuate the unregulated activation of microglia in a rat model of cerebral palsy (CP). To investigate whether hUCBCs transplantation is also anti-inflammatory in humans, we performed a clinical trial in patients with CP. METHODS AND RESULTS: Allogeneic or autologous hUCBCs and erythropoietin (EPO) were intravenously injected into human patients with CP (mean age of approximately 38 weeks), and patients were analyzed for their motor function and social behavior. Blood samples were tested for cytokine levels. The most surprising finding in the study was that the cytokine levels were dependent on the donor cell source (allogeneic or autologous). Interestingly, the allogeneic treatment group demonstrated significantly decreased levels of pro-inflammatory factors, such as IL-1alpha, IL-6, TNF-beta, and RANTES, and showed a statistically significant improvement in motor and social behavior compared to the autologous treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Given that inflammation plays a pivotal role in CP, our results suggest that allogeneic hUCBCs therapy may be an appropriate strategy for CP treatment. In addition, prior to transplantation, a detailed analysis of the amount of proinflammatory cytokines in cord blood may be needed to avoid exacerbating inflammatory responses.
Animals ; Cerebral Palsy ; Chemokine CCL5 ; Cytokines ; Erythropoietin ; Fetal Blood ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Lymphotoxin-alpha ; Microglia ; Rats ; Social Behavior ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Umbilical Cord