Cytokine preconditioning of engineered cartilage provides protection against interleukin-1 insult

Research reported in this publication was supported in part by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01AR60361, R01AR061988, P41EB002520). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. ART was supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship

The Evolving Role of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiography before and after Cholecystectomy

Laparoscopy is the preferred approach for cholecystectomy; however the indications for pre- versus postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) are still evolving. The records of patients who had ERC performed one month before (n=119) or after (n=35) laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy from January 1990 to August 1992 (period 1), and 66 patients who had preoperative ERC from November 1995 to October 1996 (period 2) are reviewed. ERC indications, findings and outcomes were reviewed, and trends in the use of preoperative ERC from 1990 to 1996 were sought. Between periods 1 and 2 the yield of preoperative ERC increased from 36% to 58% (P<0.01). The use of preoperative ERC for the indication of abnormal liver enzymes declined (P<0.05), while the yield increased (25% versus 61%, P<0.01). Both the use of ERC and the yield remained stable for other indications. ERC was felt to have changed the surgical approach in 5% of patients. Primary indications for postoperative ERC (n=35) included abnormal intraoperative cholangiography (43%), liver function test abnormalities (23%) and recurrence of preoperative symptoms (14%); stones were found in 60%, 50% and 20% of patients with these indications, respectively. Overall, 46% of postoperative studies revealed duct stones. The roles for pre- and postoperative ERC are changing and depend greatly on the relative laparoscopic and endoscopic expertise at a given institution

Visual Loss in Orbitofacial Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Geneeskunde en GesondheidswetenskappeOogheelkundePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]