Search results for "ORAC"
showing 10 items of 1142 documents
Metastatic spinal cord compression--options for surgical treatment.
1993
Fourty-three cases with metastatic spinal cord compression were reviewed post-operatively to clarify the usefulness of the procedures concerning restoration of neurological function, and pain relief. Only patients with pathological spinal instability and neurological sequelae were included. Posterior decompression and stabilization was performed in all but six patients. All but four patients (91%) reported decrease of pain symptoms. Amelioration of neurological function was achieved in 58%. Re-establishment of walking ability was obtained in 57%. Post-surgery life expectancy averaged 11 months. In patients with widespread metastatic disease and/or multi-level instability of the spine restri…
Presentation and outcome of tuberculous meningitis in adults in the province of Castellon, Spain: a retrospective study
2008
SUMMARYThe aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of tuberculous meningitis in the province of Castellon, Spain. Retrospective analysis was done of all cases attended during the last 15 years. The following groups of variables were assessed: sociodemographic data, medical antecedents, clinical presentation, imaging study results, analyses, cerebrospinal fluid microbiology, treatment, and outcome. Twenty-nine cases were included. Median of age of patients was 34 years, and 17 (59%) were males. HIV infection was present in 15 cases (52%), fever, the most common symptom, occurred in 27 (93%), nuchal rigidity was noted in only 16 (55%), and syndrome of inapp…
Detection of dissection of the aortic intima and media after angioplasty of coarctation of the aorta. An angiographic, computer tomographic, and echo…
1990
Balloon coarctation angioplasty (BCA) was performed in eight patients (five male and three female) who were 14-49 years old (mean, 27.3 years) with isolated discrete unoperated coarctation of the aorta (n = 7) and postoperative recoarctation (n = 1). BCA was successful in seven of eight patients, resulting in a decrease in the gradient (64 +/- 19 to 16 +/- 13 mm Hg, p less than 0.01), an increase in the diameter at the coarctation site (0.9 +/- 0.4 to 1.6 +/- 0.4 mm, p less than 0.01). Follow-up (6 months) has demonstrated continued gradient relief (6 +/- 9 mm Hg) and diameter increase (1.6 +/- 0.2 cm). Monitoring was performed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during BCA, and befor…
Assessment of chronic aortic dissection: contribution of different ECG-gated breath-hold MRI techniques.
2004
Our objective was to evaluate the impact of different rapid MRI techniques for the assessment and follow-up of chronic aortic dissections.Fifty-three patients (41 postoperative Stanford type A, 12 type B dissections) were scanned at 1.5 T during a 3-year period. The study reviewed ECG-gated breath-hold black blood sequences and 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography of the thoracic aorta supplemented by segmented cine and phase-contrast imaging as well as abdominal contrast-enhanced MR angiography. A retrospective separate analysis of black blood acquisitions and contrast-enhanced MR angiograms from a total of 72 examinations was performed by two radiologists to evaluate detection of intimal f…
Relationship between aortic root size and glomerular filtration rate in hypertensive patients
2016
OBJECTIVE: Recent studies suggest that enlarged aortic root diameter (ARD) may predict cardiovascular events in absence of aneurysmatic alterations. Little is known about the influence of renal function on ARD. Our study was aimed to assess the relationships between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and ARD in hypertensive subjects. METHODS: We enrolled 611 hypertensive individuals (mean age: 52 ± 15 years; men 63%). ARD was measured by echocardiography at the level of Valsalva's sinuses using M-mode tracings. It was considered as absolute measure, normalized to body surface area (ARD/BSA) and indexed to height (ARD/H). GFR was estimated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaborati…
Heart rate variability in individuals with thoracic spinal cord injury
2014
Cross-sectional study. The main goal of our study was to explore the differences in heart rate variability (HRV) while sitting between able-bodied (AB) participants and paraplegic (P) individuals. The study was conducted in the Physical Therapy department and the Physical Education and Sports department of the University of Valencia and Vall d’Hebron Hospital. To record the HRV, a 1000-Hz Suunto Oy t6 heart rate monitor was used. The data were analyzed in the temporal and frequency domains, and nonlinear analysis was performed as well. We found significant differences between P and AB participants in SDNN: t(76)=2.81, P<0.01; root mean squared of the difference of successive RR intervals: t…
Lifetime exercise and disk degeneration: an MRI study of monozygotic twins.
1997
Participation in some competitive sports has been shown to increase disk degeneration; however, the long-term effects of recreational physical activities are unclear. We investigated the effects of endurance exercise and power sports on disk degeneration in monozygotic male twins with contrasting lifetime exercise histories. The effects of endurance exercise were studied in 22 discordant twin pairs (mean lifetime frequencies of 3.9 vs 1.1 times/wk), and the effects of power sports were investigated in 12 discordant pairs (2,300 vs 200 h of weightlifting). The age range of the twins was from 35 to 69 yr. No differences in MRI findings between co-twins discordant for endurance exercise were f…
Fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by crossbows
2002
Today in modern times, traumatic injuries caused by crossbows are a rarity. The largest collection of cases so far is presented in this study, consisting of four fatalities (two homicides and two suicides) and two non-fatal injuries (grievous bodily harm and an accident). All the victims were male having an age between 31 and 54. The weapons, which were used, were mainly high-performance precision crossbows with telescopic sights and hunting bolts. The parts of the body involved were the facial/head area in three of the cases and the thorax in three of them. There were either deep or total penetration injuries to the cranium and thorax with the bolt remaining in the wound in four out of six…
Progression of untreated mild thoracic Scheuermann's kyphosis – Radiographic and functional assessment after mean follow-up of 46 years
2017
There is no data available on the radiographic development of the Scheuermann's deformity. Our purpose was to investigate radiographic deformity progression and the relation between kyphosis progression and clinical outcome in patients with untreated Scheuermann's kyphosis.Thoracic kyphosis (Th4-Th12) was measured from standing lateral radiographs in 19 patients at baseline and after mean 46-year follow-up. Mean age at baseline was 19.2 and at follow-up 64.7 years. At follow-up, height, weight, hand grip strength, and hamstring tightness were measured, and sit-to-stand and walking tests were performed. Additionally general health and quality of life questionnaires were administered.The mean…
Large left ventricular metastatis in patient with liposarcoma.
2014
Abstract Metastasis to the heart and pericardium are rare. We present a 44-year-old male with pleural dedifferentiated liposarcoma and multiple metastases, with no previous cardiological history and/or cardiac symptoms. A transthoracic echocardiogram during the advanced stage of disease showed a lobulated, large and mobile mass, with homogeneous echogenicity, attached to the basal posterior wall of the left ventricle via a broad base and with intracavitary growth. This mass extends to inferolateral and inferoseptal wall of the left ventricle.