ABSTRACT
Morbid obesity is a significant health problem in the United States today. This has resulted in an intensive investigation into temporary interventions for weight control. Dental splinting does not result in long-term weight loss because patients rapidly regain weight following release of jaw fixation. The Garren-Edwards intragastric bubble was equally ineffective in achieving weight loss and was fraught with numerous complications.
Subject(s)
Obesity, Morbid/therapy , Periodontal Prosthesis , Periodontal Splints , Prostheses and Implants , Animals , Appetite Regulation , Female , Gastric Emptying , Humans , Male , Obesity, Morbid/physiopathology , Periodontal Prosthesis/adverse effects , Periodontal Splints/adverse effects , Prostheses and Implants/adverse effects , Stomach/physiopathology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The development of an iatrogenic superior vena cava syndrome secondary to a thrombosis from an indwelling Hickman catheter in a patient with ovarian carcinoma is presented. The patient was treated with a combination of streptokinase and heparin with successful and dramatic results. Streptokinase appears to be highly effective in the treatment of iatrogenic superior vena cava syndrome from Hickman catheters. It appears that the Hickman catheter may be safely left in situ post-treatment.
Subject(s)
Streptokinase/therapeutic use , Superior Vena Cava Syndrome/drug therapy , Catheterization/adverse effects , Combined Modality Therapy , Female , Heparin/therapeutic use , Humans , Middle Aged , Subclavian Vein , Superior Vena Cava Syndrome/etiology , Thrombosis/complicationsABSTRACT
Five patients with proved mitral insufficiency caused by ruptured chordae tendineae were examined. Two patients came to autopsy without cardiac cateterization. Three patients, who had cardiac cateterization and surgical replacement of their mitral valves, improved dramatically. Two additional patients have been clinically diagnosed and have had corroborative cardiac catheterization and are being observed in anticipation of possible future valve replacement. Similar findings in these seven patients include adult onset of a characteristic systolic heart murmur which mimics aortic valvular stenosis, acute pulmonary edema associated with massive mitral insufficiency in the face of a normal sized or only minimally enlarged left atrium, and variable size of the left ventricle. In none of the patients were there historical or physical findings of trauma or rheumatic or bacterial endocarditis. A wide spectrum of clinical courses may be explained by the variable number of ruptured chordae tendineae at the time of clinical presentation. Although the incidence and etiology are uncertain, we believe this entity is not uncommon. Myxomatous degeneration of the connective tissue of the heart was present, but the cause remains unknown.
