Tc-99(m)-polyclonal IgG scintigraphy in the detection of infected hip and knee prostheses

We investigated the usefulness of Tc-99(m)-polyclonal human IgG (Tc-99(m)-HIG) scintigraphy in the diagnosis of infected hip and knee prostheses. Twenty-nine scintigraphic studies were performed in 27 patients (17 females, 10 males) with a suspected prosthetic infection. As some patients had bilateral prostheses, a total of 35 prostheses were evaluated. There were 25 hip replacements and 10 knee prostheses. The images were analysed both visually and quantitatively. The scintigraphic results were compared with the culture results of surgical specimens and also with clinical follow-up after 3 months. Increased uptake was observed in 22 prostheses, of which 12 were true-positive and 10 were false-positive results. Staphylococci were the agents most commonly isolated. In all false-positive patients, aseptic inflammation was diagnosed. Based on quantitative analysis, no statistically significant difference was found between the true-positive and false-positive cases. For the prostheses as a whole, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 100%, 41%, 54% and 100% respectively. For the hip prostheses alone, these values were 100%, 53%, 57% and 100% respectively. Taking its high sensitivity and predictive value into consideration, Tc-99(m)-HIG scintigraphy can be used as a screening test to help eliminate prosthetic infection

Polygonal triple (Kotz) osteotomy (over 10 years experience)

We evaluated the results of polygonal triple (Kotz) osteotomy for the treatment of acetabular dysplasia over 10 years. This study included 31 hips of 27 patients who had the Kotz osteotomy for acetabular dysplasia. The mean age was 21.5 years. We performed the original Kotz osteotomy for the first 22 hips (group I), while the modified Kotz osteotomy through an intra-pelvic approach without damage to the abductor muscle was applied for the last 9 hips (group II). Patients were evaluated by clinically and radiologically. The average follow-up was 106 months in group I, and 18 months in group II. The Trendelenburg gait was unchanged for four patients in group I and for one patient in group II. The Harris Hip Score improved in all patients postoperatively. Radiographic assesment showed improvement in both groups in terms of the angle of CE, VCE, and Sharp postoperatively(P<0.05). The complication rate per hip was 0.29. The original Kotz osteotomy achieves adequate coverage for the treatment of acetabular dysplasia, and patients are generally satisfied by this procedure. Nonetheless, the modified Kotz osteotomy provides recovery of the abductor muscle strength in the early postoperative period and subsequently decreases the rate of the Trendelenburg gait compared to the original Kotz osteotomy

The utility of cytokeratins 7 and 20 (CK7/20) immunohistochemistry in the distinction of short-segment Barrett esophagus from gastric intestinal metaplasia: Is it reliable?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of the present correlative immunohistochemical study was to assess the utility of cytokeratin (CK7 and CK20) expression in the diagnosis of short-segment Barrett esophagus, particularly its efficacy in differentiating Barrett mucosa from intestinal metaplasia of the gastric cardia and corpus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two groups of endoscopic biopsy specimens were examined, including 20 endoscopic biopsy specimens of short-segment Barrett esophagus (Group A) and equal number exhibiting <it>Helicobacter pylori </it>associated intestinal metaplasia of the gastric cardia and corpus (Group B). All were investigated by immunohistochemistry using the standard ABC method for CK7 and CK20 expression. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis of Barrett CK7/20 and gastric CK7/20 patterns between the groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The anticipated pattern of reactivity in Barrett mucosa (CK7: strong diffuse positivity in superficial and deep glands; CK20: positivity in surface epithelium and superficial glands) was seen in 2 cases of Group A specimens. The expected gastric pattern (CK7: patchy immunostaining with variable involvement of deep glands; CK20: patchy immunostaining of superficial and deep glands in incomplete intestinal metaplasia / absence of CK7 immunoreactivity with strong CK20 staining in superficial and deep glands in complete intestinal metaplasia) was seen in 8 cases of Group B specimens. The respective sensitivity and false-negativity values of CK7/20 staining for Barrett pattern in Group A were 10% and 90%, respectively. These values for gastric pattern in Group B were 40% and 60%, respectively. The specificity and false-positivity values of both patterns were same (100% and 0%, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference for Barrett pattern between the two groups (<it>P </it>= 0.487), while the observation of gastric pattern was significantly higher in Group B than in Group A (<it>P </it>= 0.02).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We concluded that these hypothesized and recently applied diagnostic criteria involving CK7 and CK20 immunoreactivity are not reliable in distinguishing short-segment Barrett esophagus from intestinal metaplasia as seen in gastric cardia and corpus.</p