Chest Wall (chest + wall)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Chest Wall

  • anterior chest wall

  • Terms modified by Chest Wall

  • chest wall reconstruction

  • Selected Abstracts


    High-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma presenting as an abscess: Diagnosis by fine needle aspiration and review of the literature

    DIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 9 2008
    Jonathon B. Herbst M.D.
    Abstract Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) comprise about 2% of all carcinomas. Review of the literature indicates only a few cases of NEC presenting as an abscess, all having been diagnosed by tissue biopsy. Here, we report the FNA diagnosis of a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma presenting as an abscess of the axilla/chest wall in a 68-year-old man and review the pertinent literature. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:670,673. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    OK-432 and lymphatic malformations in children: the Starship Children's Hospital experience

    ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 10 2004
    Jonathan S. Wheeler
    Background: Surgery has previously been the mainstay of treatment for lymphatic malformations but has attendant problems of marked scarring, high chance of recurrence and potential nerve damage. Alternative management for these lesions involves the intralesional injection of OK-432. The present paper reviews OK-432 use in lymphatic malformations in children. Methods: A retrospective chart review was carried out of children undergoing intralesional OK-432 therapy from the Departments of Paediatric Surgery, Paediatric Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery at Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland. Results: Over the past 4 years, seven children under the age of 5 years underwent OK-432 therapy as day-case procedures requiring between one and seven procedures each. Four children had lesions involving the axilla/chest wall, two involved extra-mylohyoid tissues in the neck and one child had lymphatic malformation involving tongue, floor of mouth and an extramylohyoid component. Spontaneous haemorrhage into a cystic space may be the cause of the observed partial resolution of the lymphangiomas in two. A predictor of a successful outcome was the ability to aspirate fluid prior to injection. Ultrasound guidance was useful to localize the lesions for aspiration and injection. Macrocystic lesions respond well to OK-432 therapy but the response of microcystic or cavernous lesions to OK-432 is disappointing and surgery remains the definitive treatment for these microcystic lesions. Conclusion: OK-432 appears to be a safe and effective treatment for the macrocystic component of lymphatic malformations. [source]


    Chest wall kinematics, respiratory muscle action and dyspnoea during arm vs. leg exercise in humans

    ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 1 2006
    I. Romagnoli
    Abstract Aim:, We hypothesize that different patterns of chest wall (CW) kinematics and respiratory muscle coordination contribute to sensation of dyspnoea during unsupported arm exercise (UAE) and leg exercise (LE). Methods:, In six volunteer healthy subjects, we evaluated the volumes of chest wall (Vcw) and its compartments, the pulmonary apposed rib cage (Vrc,p), the diaphragm-abdomen apposed rib cage (Vrc,a) and the abdomen (Vab), by optoelectronic plethysmography. Oesophageal, gastric and trans-diaphragmatic pressures were simultaneously measured. Chest wall relaxation line allowed the measure of peak rib cage inspiratory muscle, expiratory muscle and abdominal muscle pressures. The loop Vrc,p/Vrc,a allowed the calculation of rib cage distortion. Dyspnoea was assessed by a modified Borg scale. Results:, There were some differences and similarities between UAE and LE. Unlike LE with UAE: (i) Vcw and Vrc,p at end inspiration did not increase, whereas a decrease in Vrc,p contributed to decreasing CW end expiratory volume; (ii) pressure production of inspiratory rib cage muscles did not significantly increase from quiet breathing. Not unlike LE, the diaphragm limited its inspiratory contribution to ventilation with UAE with no consistent difference in rib cage distortion between UAE and LE. Finally, changes in abdominal muscle pressure, and inspiratory rib cage muscle pressure predicted 62% and 41.4% of the variability in Borg score with UAE and LE, respectively (P < 0.01). Conclusion:, Leg exercise and UAE are associated with different patterns of CW kinematics, respiratory muscle coordination, and production of dyspnoea. [source]


    Cytodiagnosis of benign fibrous histiocytoma of rib and diagnostic dilemma: A case report

    DIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2010
    Santosh Kumar Mondal M.D.
    Abstract Benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH) of bone is rare in occurrence, and rib is an unusual site. There are limited case reports of this entity in the literature, and cytodiagnosis of this tumor is not described. A 24-year-old man presented with a firm mass and pain in the right lateral chest wall. Radiological investigations (plain radiograph and computed tomography) revealed a lytic bone lesion involving the 5th rib. Radiologically, giant cell tumor (GCT), BFH, and plasmacytoma were suspected. In fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), admixture of benign stromal cells and scattered osteoclast type giant cells were found in the smears. Differential diagnoses of BFH, GCT (non-epiphyseal type), fibrous dysplasia, and aneurysmal bone cyst were made on cytology. Subsequent histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of BFH. Cytologic diagnosis of BFH of rib is difficult as this tumor may mimic other giant cell containing tumors of bone in FNAC. The final diagnosis should always be made after correlation with histological, radiological, and clinical features. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Role of fine-needle aspiration cytology in evaluation of cutaneous metastases

    DIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 12 2009
    Sonal Sharma M.D.
    Abstract Skin is an uncommon site for metastasis. This study was done to evaluate the role of FNAC as an important tool for investigating cutaneous and subcutaneous nodules in patients with known malignancy or as a primary manifestation of an unknown malignancy. All the FNAC done from January 2003 to August 2008 were reviewed (n = 55,556). Ninty-five patients (49 males and 46 females with age range of 4,96 years) with cutaneous/subcutaneous nodules which were diagnosed as metastasis were analyzed. Primary tumors of skin/subcutis were excluded from the study. In our study, 63 out of 95 cases had a known primary malignancy. Of these, five had underlying hematological malignancy and 58 patients had solid organ tumors. Lung carcinoma was seen to metastasize most commonly to skin in males and breast carcinoma in females. The most common site for a cutaneous/subcutaneous metastasis was chest wall [40 followed by abdominal wall (14) and scalp (9)]. Multiple site involvement was also observed (8). In 32 cases primary site was not known. They were most commonly diagnosed as poorly differentiated carcinoma followed by adenocarcinoma. FNAC can diagnose a variety of tumors in the skin and support the diagnosis of a metastasis in case of a known primary and offer a clue to underlying malignancy in case of an occult primary. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic mesenchymal tumors by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration,

    DIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 11 2009
    Linda Varghese M.D.
    Abstract Involvement of the pancreas by metastatic sarcoma is rare, and can prove challenging to differentiate from sarcomatoid carcinomas which occur more commonly. The endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) technique has been successfully used for the diagnosis of pancreatic carcinomas whether primary or metastatic, and is now considered the most effective noninvasive method for the identification of pancreatic metastases. However, to date very few reports detail the diagnosis of mesenchymal neoplasms by EUS-FNA. Herein, we report a series of four patients who underwent EUS-FNA of the pancreas, where the diagnosis of metastatic sarcoma was made based on morphology and ancillary studies. The cases include metastases of leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, and solitary fibrous tumor. The history of a primary sarcoma of the chest wall, mediastinum, and respectively lower extremity was known for the first three of these patients while in the case of the solitary fibrous tumor a remote history of a paraspinal "hemangiopericytoma" was only elicited after the EUS-FNA diagnosis was made. We conclude that EUS-FNA is efficient and accurate in providing a diagnosis of sarcoma, even in patients without a known primary sarcoma, thus allowing institution of therapy without additional biopsies. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Fine-needle aspiration of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma

    DIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2004
    Frances Manosca M.D.
    Abstract We report the fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology findings of Subcutaneous Panniculitis-like T-cell Lymphoma (SCPTCL) in a 66-year-old woman who presented with a four month history of asymptomatic subcutaneous nodules on her right chest wall and back. An excisional biopsy of the right chest nodules was performed, and the diagnosis of SCPTCL was rendered. On a follow-up visit, several skin lesions were noted throughout her body. A fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the right inguinal region was performed. The FNA yielded cellular smears, composed mainly of sheets of epithelioid histiocytes and scattered multinucleated cells. However, no distinct granulomas were noted. The background of the cytological smears showed scattered atypical lymphoid cells, some of which displayed nuclear membrane irregularities. To the best of our knowledge, the cytological features on FNA material of SCPTCL have not been described. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2004;31:338,339. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Cytologic spectrum of 227 fine-needle aspiration cases of chest-wall lesions

    DIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2001
    Amit Goel M.D., D.N.B.
    Abstract This study was carried out with the objective of studying the cytomorphology of the wide variety of chest-wall lesions. Two hundred twenty-seven chest-wall lesions were studied over a period of 4 yr. Routine May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG) and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) slides were studied along with special stains, whenever required. The malignant lesions comprised 36.13% of all cases (81/227). Of the 126 benign lesions, the majority were inflammatory in nature (68/126), the next commonest lesion being lipoma (38/126). Rare cases of tuberculosis involving the sternum, epithelioid leiomyosarcoma, and neuroendocrine tumors involving ribs, malignant nerve sheath tumors involving the chest wall, metastatic carcinoma of the stomach and prostate, and papillary carcinoma thyroid are reported in this series. Histopathology was available in 24 cases, and hematological correlation in one case. A 100% cytohistological and cytohematological correlation was found, with no false positives or false negatives. In conclusion, fine-needle aspiration cytology is a rapid, diagnostic tool, eliciting many interesting lesions in the chest wall. It is useful not only in detecting primary and metastatic lesions, but also in follow-up of tumor recurrence. Diagn. Cytopathol. 24:384,388, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    "Hands-Free" Continuous Transthoracic Monitoring of Pericardiocentesis Using a Novel Ultrasound Transducer

    ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2003
    F.R.C.P., P.A.N. Chandraratna
    Background: Pericardiocentesis can be monitored with a hand-held transducer. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of monitoring pericardiocentesis using a novel ultrasound transducer, which can be attached to the chest wall, developed in our laboratory (CONTISON). Methods: We studied nine patients with large pericardial effusions. The 2.5-MHz transducer is spherical in its distal part and mounted in an external housing to permit steering in 360 degrees. The external housing is attached to the chest wall using an adhesive patch. The CONTISON transducer was placed at the cardiac apex and an apical four-chamber view obtained. Pericardiocentesis was performed from the subcostal position. The pericardial effusion was continuously imaged. Mitral inflow velocity signals were recorded before and after pericardiocentesis. When fluid was first obtained, 50 mL of fluid were discarded after which 5 mL of agitated saline was injected through the needle. Results: In the first patient the pericardiocentesis needle was seen in the left ventricular cavity. Saline injection produced a contrast effect in the left ventricle. The needle was gradually withdrawn until contrast was seen in the pericardial sac. A total of 1100 mL was removed without further complications. The second patient had clear fluid followed by blood stained aspirate. The echocardiogram revealed gradual appearance of granular echoes within the pericardial sac, suggestive of intrapericardial clot that was subsequently surgically evacuated. In the remaining seven patients, agitated saline produced a contrast effect in the pericardial sac indicative of proper needle position. Mitral flow velocity paradoxus was noted in five patients, and it resolved after pericardiocentesis in four patients. No adjustment of the transducer was required. Conclusion: The CONTISON transducer permitted continuous monitoring of pericardiocentesis. This technique could potentially facilitate pericardiocentesis. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 20, August 2003) [source]


    Acneiform lesions in Becker's nevus and breast hypoplasia

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2002
    Jorge Santos-Juanes PhD
    An 18-year-old woman was referred for the evaluation of a dull gray macule on the left breast. From the age of 13 years, the patient noted breast asymmetry beginning with the development of the left breast and the presence of a pigmented stain on its border. Physical exploration revealed hypoplasia of the left breast and a homogeneous, light brown macule on the side of the breast (Fig. 1) without infiltration. Papules and pustules were located mainly around the Becker's nevus on the left anterior chest wall. Biopsy specimens with Fontana's stain disclosed a hyperpigmented acanthotic epidermis. A diagnosis of Becker's nevus, acne, and hypoplasia of the breast was made. Figure 1. Hypoplasia of the left breast and a homogeneous light brown macule with acneiform lesions [source]


    Four-dimensional sonography with B-flow imaging and spatiotemporal image correlation for visualization of the fetal heart

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND, Issue 4 2008
    Toshiyuki Hata MD
    Abstract Purpose. To use B-flow imaging with 4-dimensional (4D) sonography and spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) in the evaluation of normal fetal heart and congenital heart disease during pregnancy. Method. Volume data sets of the fetal heart were acquired with automated transverse and longitudinal sweeps of the anterior chest wall. We studied 13 normal fetuses and 2 fetuses with congenital heart disease (1 double-outlet right ventricle and 1 hypoplastic left heart syndrome) at gestation ages ranging from 13 to 39 weeks using transabdominal 4D B-flow sonography with STIC (4D BF-STIC). Results. 4D BF-STIC demonstrated dynamic angiographic features in both normal and abnormal fetal hearts. 4D BF-STIC images could not be obtained in 2 normal fetuses at 18.1 and 33.1 weeks because of the high fetal heart rate and inappropriate fetal position. In normal fetal heart, characteristic hemodynamic changes in both atria and ventricles were clearly demonstrated in systole and diastole. 4D BF-STIC also allowed visualization of the relationship, size, and course of the outflow tracts, thus helping the examiner to better understand the relationships between the vessels. In a case of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, dramatic hemodynamic changes including the right atrium, right ventricle, and pulmonary artery were evident. In a case of double-outlet right ventricle with ventricular septal defect, left-to-right shunt flow through a ventricular septal defect was clearly shown, as were great arteries originating in parallel from the right ventricle. Conclusion. 4D BF-STIC provides a means of real-time 3-dimensional evaluation of fetal intracardiac and extracardiac hemodynamics in the second and third trimesters. This novel technique assists in the evaluation of fetal cardiac hemodynamics and may play an important role in future fetal cardiac research and in the evaluation of congenital heart disease in the fetus. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2008. [source]


    Life-threatening haemorrhage from a sternal metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma

    JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2000
    Chih-Yen Chen
    Abstract Rupture of the tumour is a catastrophic complication of hepatocellular carcinoma. The prognosis in patients with a ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma is usually unfavourable. We describe a 46-year-old man who suffered from visible massive tumour haemorrhage due to a hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma that metastasized to the sternal bone. The prominent tumour mass was bulging over the anterior chest wall on the sternum of the patient, and bled spontaneously. This episode of life-threatening haemorrhage was stopped by surgical ligation of the bleeding site. Palliative radiotherapy shrank the tumour mass size and prevented further possible bleeding. This is likely to be the first reported case with a visible spontaneous tumour bleeding from a sternal metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. [source]


    Simultaneous myocardial and fat suppression in magnetic resonance myocardial delayed enhancement imaging,

    JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, Issue 4 2007
    Thomas K.F. Foo PhD
    Abstract Purpose To develop a method for fat suppression in myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) studies that achieves effective signal intensity reduction in fat but does not perturb myocardial signal suppression. Materials and Methods A new approach to fat suppression that uses a spectrally-selective inversion-recovery (SPEC-IR) tip-up radio frequency (RF) pulse following the conventional nonselective IR RF pulse together with a second SPEC-IR RF pulse is proposed. The tip-up pulse restores the fat longitudinal magnetization after the nonselective IR pulse and allows the fat magnetization to recover more fully toward its equilibrium value, providing for better fat suppression by the second SPEC-IR RF pulse. This new approach was validated in phantom studies and in five patients. Results Effective fat suppression was achieved using the proposed technique with minimal impact on normal myocardial signal suppression. Mean fat suppression achieved using this approach was 67% ± 8%, as measured in the chest wall immediately opposite the heart. Conclusion The results indicate this modular-type approach optimizes fat suppression in myocardial delayed enhancement studies but does not perturb the basic IR pulse sequence or change basic acquisition parameters. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007;26:927,933. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Reconstruction of the chestwall and thorax,

    JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
    Roman J. Skoracki MD
    Abstract Chest wall reconstructions can be complex and challenging procedures and may require a multidisciplinary approach. The most common indications for chest wall reconstruction are the repair of defects due to tumor ablation, infection, radiation necrosis, congenital deformities, and trauma. Flap reconstruction by plastic surgery is often required when skin is removed as part of the chest wall resection or when radiation therapy is given pre- or post-operatively. Tissue flaps may be needed to provide vascularized tissue over alloplastic materials used to stabilize the chest wall, to cover vital structures of the chest cavity, to fill dead space, and to improve cosmesis. J. Surg. Oncol. 2006;94:455,465. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Versatility of vertical rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flaps

    MICROSURGERY, Issue 5 2006
    Markus V. Küntscher M.D., Ph.D.
    The purpose of the study was to demonstrate a variety of indications for the vertical rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (VRAM) flap with respect to donor-site morbidity and alternative procedures. Fifteen VRAM flaps were performed in 15 patients during a 4-year period. The average age of patients was 58 years (range, 34,76 years). Inferiorly based VRAM flaps were used for defect coverage after tumor resection and for penile reconstruction in 7 cases. Superiorly based VRAM flaps were performed in 7 cases for reconstruction of osteocutaneous defects following sternal osteomyelitis and tumor resection. Arterial and venous "supercharging" was necessary in one case. One free VRAM flap was performed in a patient suffering from an osteocutaneous defect after resection of a malignant melanoma metastasis with infiltration of the brain and skull. The reconstructive goals were achieved in all cases using VRAM flap procedures. No total flap loss occurred. Minor complications as well as abdominal wall bulging and hernias were observed in four cases. The pedicled VRAM flap provides a reliable tool for coverage of large soft-tissue defects of the chest wall, groin, hip, and perineum even in a high-risk population, in which a safe and fast forward flap procedure is the primary reconstructive goal. Arterial and/or venous supercharging may be necessary, particularly in superiorly based VRAM flaps. An inferiorly based VRAM flap is a reliable tool for phalloplasty under special circumstances. The indication for free VRAM flaps is given in rare clinical situations. Stabilization of the donor site using artificial mesh is highly recommended. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2006. [source]


    Noninvasive Study of Ventricular Preexcitation Using Multichannel Magnetocardiography

    PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1p2 2003
    RICCARDO FENICI
    FENICI, R., et al.: Noninvasive Study of Ventricular Preexcitation Using Multichannel Magnetocardiography. In clinical practice, noninvasive classification of ventricular preexcitation (VPX) is usually done with ECG algorithms, which provide only a qualitative localization of accessory pathways. Since 1984, single or multichannel magnetocardiograpy (MMCG) has been used for three-dimensional localization of VPX sites, but a systematic study comparing the results of ECG and MMCG methods was lacking. This study evaluated the reliability of MMCG in an unshielded electrophysiological catheterization laboratory, and compared VPX classification as achieved with the five most recent ECG algorithms with that obtained by MMCG mapping and imaging techniques. A nine-channel direct current superconducting quantum interference device (DC-SQUID) MMCG system (sensitivity is 20 fT/Hz0.5) was used for sequential MMCG from 36 points on the anterior chest wall, within an area20 × 20 cm. Twenty-eight patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome were examined at least twice, on the same day or after several months to test the reproducibility of the measurements. In eight patients, the reproducibility of MMCG was also evaluated using different MCG instrumentation during maximal VPX and/or atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia induced by transesophageal atrial pacing via a nonmagnetic catheter. The results of VPX localization with ECG algorithms and MMCG were compared. Equivalent current dipole, effective magnetic dipole, and distributed currents imaging models were used for the inverse solution. MMCG classification of VPX was found to be more accurate than ECG methods, and also provided additional information for the identification of paraseptal pathways. Furthermore, in patients with complex activation patterns during the delta wave, distributed currents imaging revealed two different activation patterns, suggesting the existence of multiple accessory pathways. (PACE 2003; 26[Pt. II]:431,435) [source]


    Extra-abdominal desmoid tumor presenting as an intrathoracic tumor: Case report and literature review

    PATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 10 2001
    Yukio Takeshima
    A case of an extra-abdominal desmoid tumor presenting as an intrathoracic tumor (intrathoracic desmoid tumor) in a 46-year-old woman is reported. The tumor originated in the left chest wall and protruded into the left pleural cavity. Simple resection was carried out. The tumor, measuring 13 × 9 × 7 cm, was solid, gray,tan in color, and covered with parietal pleura. Histologically, the tumor was composed of a hypocellular arrangement of spindle-shaped cells with a fibromyxoid background. In some areas, keloid-like hyalinized collagen fibers proliferated, and a perivascular hypercellular area was seen. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the cytoplasms of the tumor cells were strongly positive for vimentin, and some tumor cells were positive for ,-smooth muscle actin, but all tumor cells were negative for CD34. These findings were consistent with the characteristics of an intrathoracic desmoid tumor. The differential diagnoses, in particular solitary fibrous tumor and tumors with a myofibroblastic nature, are discussed. [source]


    Multifocal mesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall

    RESPIROLOGY, Issue 3 2006
    Semsi ALTANER
    Abstract: Chest wall hamartomas are extremely rare. Frequently mesenchymal hamartomas are presented as a single mass and contain some primitive mesenchymal elements such as chondroid and trabecular bone structures. A 60-year-old man presented to hospital with chest pain. Thirteen years earlier, his CXR and thoracic CT showed three masses on the right and two masses on the left, but he had not received any treatment thereafter. His CT showed the same masses present 13 years earlier, but they were bigger and right thoracotomy was undertaken. At thoracotomy, two sections of the mass in the right posterior mediastinum and one section of the mass in the right apex were excised. They had an occasional bloody appearance and contained small cystic areas, and some areas were extremely hard. Microscopic examination showed that the lesions consisted of mature adipose tissue, a large number of veins of different diameters and collagen tissue. Besides, primitive mesenchymal elements, lymphoid cell accumulations and trabecular bone structures were seen focally. Bilateral chest wall hamartomas are extremely rare and may be confused with malignancy. [source]


    Extra-osseous Ewing's sarcoma of chest wall

    ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 10 2009
    MS(Gen Surg), Shilpi Singh Gupta MBBS
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    The Complexity of External Acoustic Detection of Defects in Björk-Shiley Convexoconcave Heart Valves

    ARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 1 2001
    Bas A. De Mol
    Abstract: Fractures in Björk-Shiley convexoconcave (BScc) heart valves have raised questions about the feasibility of early diagnosis of technical defects by means of acoustic assessment. Three laboratory tests were conducted. To establish acoustic fingerprints, 66 valves with a defect, such as single-leg fracture (SLF) or single-leg separation (SLS), or without a defect were connected with a contact sensor and excited by dropping a small metal ball onto the outlet strut. In the second test, we simulated the valve sound propagation within the thorax. In the third test, intact, SLF, and SLS valves were placed in a mock heart immersed in a large water tank. We observed a resonance frequency corresponding with valve size and presence of defects. The second test showed that both the chest wall and the lungs created numerous reflections. This led to a substantial overlap of the original pulse frequencies and the frequencies measured. The third test confirmed that submersion of the chest in water can significantly reduce chest wall reflections. Reliable noninvasive assessment of BScc valve clicks for the presence of defects of the outlet strut is hampered by complex sound propagation within the thorax and variability of valve excitation. Acoustic fingerprints to diagnose mechanical defects should be integrated in valve design. [source]


    The Thanksgiving Turkey Tap: A New and Simple Model for Teaching Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis

    ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009
    Derek Richardson
    Thoracentesis is a critical procedure that every emergency physician must be able to perform comfortably. By introducing ultrasound technology to the procedure, we have the potential to redefine the standard of care for emergency department thoracentesis by effectively decreasing complication rates of this procedure. Ultrasound-guided thoracentesis has been shown to lead to fewer incidents of pneumothorax than the traditional technique; however, due to the complicated anatomy of the chest wall, this skill is difficult to teach without using living patient models. The NewYork-Presbyterian Emergency Medicine Residency Program has developed an effective model for teaching and practicing ultrasound-guided thoracentesis. The Presbyterian model uses a whole turkey with the cavity lined with a water-retaining plastic sheet, containing water and an air-filled balloon. Ultrasound can then be used to visualize the ribs, the underlying fluid, and the balloon representing lung space. By using a standard thoracentesis kit with our model, the complete procedure can be performed and techniques of positioning, entry point, and fluid collection can be demonstrated and practiced. This was performed for 50 medical students, residents, and attending physicians in late November 2008 for under $100. This simple model may be used to introduce new practitioners to thoracentesis, or to update experienced physicians on new techniques to decrease complication rates during procedures with an effective and inexpensive model. [source]


    Poster 2, Acne fulminans: part of the spectrum of SAPHO

    BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2007
    S.L. Chua
    A 13-year-old boy was admitted to hospital with severe back pain and systemic upset. He had commenced isotretinoin 25 mg (0·5 mg kg,1) daily 17 days previously for severe acne unresponsive to oral erythromycin. Isotretinoin was stopped after 4 days due to severe lower back pain. On admission, he was unable to mobilize and the pain was uncontrolled with oral morphine sulphate. Investigations showed leucocytosis and neutrophilia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the vertebrae showed multiple areas of high signal consistent with an inflammatory process such as osteomyelitis. Oral prednisolone 40 mg daily and ibuprofen controlled the pain within 2 days. Sulfasalazine (1 g twice daily) was commenced 10 days later. The re-introduction of isotretinoin 5 mg daily 12 days after admission precipitated severe back pain, necessitating 3 days of intravenous methylprednisolone. The oral prednisolone dose has been reduced over 6 weeks and stopped. The acne is currently controlled with clindamycin, although there is marked scarring. Acne fulminans is a rare condition characterized by sudden onset of severe acne and systemic features such as fever, leucocytosis and arthralgia.1 Osteomyelitic lesions are a recognized feature. In 1987, the term SAPHO (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis) syndrome was proposed to describe a clinical entity with skin, joint and bone manifestations. Associated skin conditions include severe acne, psoriasis and palmoplantar pustulosis. Reported sites of osteoarticular involvement include the anterior chest wall, vertebrae, pelvis and mandible.2 Our patient clearly has acne fulminans and fulfils the criteria for SAPHO syndrome. We believe this condition will be increasingly recognized by dermatologists. References 1 Karvonen S. Acne fulminans: report of clinical findings and treatment of twenty-four patients. J Am Acad Dermatol 1993; 28:572,9. 2 Hayem G, Bouchaud-Chabot A, Benali K et al. SAPHO syndrome: a long-term follow-up study of 120 cases. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1999; 29:159,71. [source]


    Pulsed dye laser treatment of telangiectasia after radiotherapy for carcinoma of the breast

    BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
    S.W. Lanigan
    Summary Background Chronic radiodermatitis after radiotherapy for carcinoma of the breast is a common sequela of treatment and can be distressing for the patient. The skin is atrophic and shows prominent telangiectasia due to dilatation of a reduced or poorly supported skin vasculature. The pulsed dye laser (PDL) is an established treatment of cutaneous telangiectatic disorders including facial telangiectasia and spider naevi, and is safe and efficacious. Objectives To study the efficacy of the PDL in the treatment of postradiation telangiectasia of the breast or chest wall. Methods Prospective open study of the treatment of eight females with the Candela SPTL1B PDL. Subjective assessments of vessel clearance, adverse effects and patient questionnaires. Results All treated patients showed complete clearance of vessels. Two patients developed hypopigmentation. All patients reported a high degree of satisfaction with the treatment. Conclusions PDL therapy clears postirradiation telangiectasia of the breast and chest wall successfully with minimal adverse reactions, and can be recommended for patients distressed by this disorder. [source]


    Deep-seated, well differentiated lipomatous tumors of the chest wall and extremities

    CANCER, Issue 2 2005
    The role of cytogenetics in classification, prognostication
    Abstract BACKGROUND Intramuscular lipomas and atypical lipomatous tumors (ALT) are common deep-seated lipomatous tumors of the chest wall and extremities. Distinguishing between these two entities can be difficult based on histologic analysis alone. However, the cytogenetic profiles of ALT and intramuscular lipomas are distinct. Correct classification is important, because aggressive local disease recurrence occurs more frequently in patients with ALT than in patients with intramuscular lipoma. The authors examined their single institutional experience and correlated their classification with clinical features and outcome. METHODS In the current study, 106 patients with deep-seated, well differentiated adipose tumors of the chest wall and extremities were classified as having ALT or intramuscular lipoma using a combined approach of histology and cytogenetics, if available. The classification was correlated with clinicopathologic features and follow-up data. RESULTS Fifty-five patients were classified as having intramuscular lipoma and 51 were classified as having ALT. Classification did not correlate with age and gender (P = 0.28 and P = 0.96, respectively). Intramuscular lipomas were smaller than ALTs (P < 0.0001), but there was significant overlap between the 2 groups. ALT occurred preferentially in the lower extremity (P < 0.0009). Four percent of patients with intramuscular lipomas and 27% of patients with ALTs developed local disease recurrence (P = 0.0006). Disease recurrence did not correlate with patient age at diagnosis, patient gender, tumor size, and tumor location (P = 0.45, P = 0.26, P = 0.49, and P = 0.28, respectively). Within the subset of patients with ALTs, disease recurrence did not correlate with patient age at diagnosis, patient gender, or tumor location (P = 0.38, P = 0.54, and P = 0.86, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Classification of deep-seated, well differentiated lipomatous tumors of the extremities and chest wall using a combined approach of histology and cytogenetics correlated well with biologic behavior/disease recurrence. This combined approach is advocated to better stratify patients for treatment purposes and follow-up. Cancer 2005. © 2004 American Cancer Society. [source]


    The incidence of lung carcinoma after surgery for breast carcinoma with and without postoperative radiotherapy,

    CANCER, Issue 7 2003
    Bowel Project (NSABP) clinical trials B-0, Results of National Surgical Adjuvant Breast
    Abstract BACKGROUND In the current study, the authors compared the incidence of subsequent primary lung carcinoma in patients with breast carcinoma who received radiotherapy as part of their treatment and in those patients who did not. The patients were participants in two large National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) breast carcinoma trials, B-04 and B-06, which prospectively randomized women to either undergo surgery alone or to undergo surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. METHODS The NSABP trial B-04 (1971,1974) randomized patients to undergo radical mastectomy versus total (simple) mastectomy and radiotherapy to the chest wall, axilla, and supraclavicular and internal mammary lymph node areas. For patients with a clinically uninvolved axilla, there was a third randomization arm: total mastectomy without radiotherapy. The B-06 trial (1976,1984) randomized patients between those undergoing total mastectomy versus lumpectomy versus those undergoing lumpectomy and breast irradiation, with all patients undergoing an axillary lymph node dissection. The records of all patients who developed a recurrence in the lung or a new primary lung tumor were reviewed to determine the incidence and laterality of confirmed and probable primary lung carcinoma. RESULTS For the 1665 evaluable patients on the NSABP B-04 trial (mean follow-up of 21.4 years), there was a total of 23 subsequent confirmed and probable ipsilateral or contralateral primary lung carcinomas. In those patients who had received comprehensive postmastectomy radiotherapy, there was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of these new primary tumors (P = 0.029). With regard to the development of confirmed new primary ipsilateral lung carcinoma alone, the incidence was statistically significantly increased (P = 0.013) in those patients who had received radiotherapy as part of their treatment, and when confirmed and probable ipsilateral lung carcinomas were analyzed, there was a strong trend toward a statistically significant increase in those patients who had received radiotherapy (P = 0.066). For the 1850 evaluable patients on the NSABP trial B-06 (mean follow-up of 19.0 years), there was a total of 30 second primary lung carcinomas but no increase in either ipsilateral or contralateral primary tumors of the lung in those patients who had received radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Extensive postmastectomy irradiation of the chest wall and regional lymphatic node areas, with consequent exposure of a greater volume of lung to higher doses as administered in the NSABP B-04 trial compared with postlumpectomy breast irradiation in the NSABP B-06 trial, was associated with an increased incidence of subsequent primary lung tumors, both ipsilateral and contralateral. Cancer 2003;98:1362,8. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11655 [source]


    Neopuff T-piece mask resuscitator: is mask leak related to watching the pressure dial?

    ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 9 2010
    MB Tracy
    Abstract Aim:, The aim of the study is to compare mask leak and delivered ventilation during Neopuff (NP) mask ventilation in two modes: (i) with NP pressure dial hidden and resuscitator watching chest wall (CW) rise with, (ii) CW movement hidden and resuscitator watching NP pressure dial. Methods:, Thirty-six participants gave mask ventilation to a modified manikin designed to measure mask leak and delivered ventilation for two minutes in each mode randomly assigned. Paired t -tests were used to analyse differences in mean values. Linear regression was used to determine the association of mask leak with delivered ventilation. Results:, Of 7277 inflations analysed, 3621 were observing chest wall mode (CWM) and 3656 observing NP mode (NPM). Mask leak was similar between the groups; 31.6% for CWM and 31.5% (p = 0.56) for NPM. There were no significant differences in airways pressures and expired tidal volumes (TVe) between modes. Mask leak was strongly associated with TVe (R = ,0.86 p < 0.0001) and with peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) (R = ,0.51 p < 0.0001). TVe was associated with PIP (R = 0.51 p < 0.0001). Conclusion:, This study provides reassurance that NP mask leak is not greater when resuscitators watch the NP pressure dial. Mask leak is related to TVe. Mask ventilation training with manikins should include tidal volume measurements. [source]


    Annular erythema as a sign of recurrent breast cancer

    AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
    Eugene Tan
    ABSTRACT Three women with known breast cancer presented with very similar annular erythemas of their chest walls. All women were in remission from their breast cancer for at least 6 months. Their breast cancers had initially responded well to multi-modality treatment with no clinical or radiologic evidence of recurrence, until the development of the annular erythema. In the first case, the annular erythema was treated unsuccessfully as a dermatitis and then as tinea corporis. In the second case, subacute cutaneous lupus was considered but lupus antibodies were negative. In the third case, the annular erythema was promptly recognized and biopsied. Histology in all three cases revealed identical findings of invasive ductal carcinoma involving the lymphatics of the skin. Immunohistochemical staining of the carcinoma was positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 but negative for oestrogen and progesterone receptors. Annular erythema can pose a wide differential but rarely has it been described as a sign of locally recurrent cancer. These cases highlight the importance of recognizing this entity in the oncologic patient, where prompt skin biopsies can confirm the diagnosis and allow early initiation of therapy. [source]