Early application of pedicled omentum to the acutely traumatised spinal cord

Placement of the intact omentum upon a recently traumatised spinal cord was found to be effective in lessening motor and neuroelectrical dysfunction in a group of cats. It was theorised that the beneficial effect of omental transposition was due to the establishment of a dynamic equilibrium between production of vasogenic oedema from the injured cord and its absorption through omental pathways. Removing vasogenic oedema at the omental/spinal cord interface is hypothesised to stabilise a rising tissue pressure within the cord during the acute phase of injury and at a later date to decrease scar formation at the injury site.

Lipid angiogenic factor from omentum

Placing the omentum on the brain surface by surgical transposition or transplantation will result in the development of numerous neovascular connections between these two structures. This phenomenon occurs even in the absence of cerebral ischemia, which raised the question as to whether an angiogenic factor was causing the response. A lipid material obtained from the omentum contains a potent angiogenic factor extractable in a chloroform-methanol solvent mixture. Angiogenesis created by this material was observed in the rabbit cornea after only a single injection of the substance. The angiogenic material obtained from the omentum is abundant in supply. This important characteristic offers promise for the purification and identification of its structure, which should allow for extensive animal and clinical studies dealing with the development or inhibition of angiogenesis.

Simple mechanical method for decreasing the incidence of thromboembolism

Increasing awareness of the dangers of low dose heparin therapy has stimulated interest in mechanical methods for decreasing the incidence of thromboembolism. Plantar flexion and dorsiflexion of the feet while the patient is on the operating table by the use of a mechanical device (the Pedi-Pulsor) significantly decreases the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (45 percent in control patients versus 18 percent with the Pedi-Pulsor [p - 0.05]). In addition, use of this machine during the postoperative period should further aid in decreasing the incidence of thromboembolism.

Salvage of end stage ischemic extremities by intact omentum

Many patients eventually require a limb amputation because of peripheral vascular insufficiency which is unamenable to conventional reconstructive procedures. Microsurgical vascular techniques to join a free omental graft to vessels in the groin of an ischemic limb have been shown to be effective in preserving viability of a compromised extremity. However, the intact pedicled omentum can also introduce a new source of blood into such a limb by a relatively simple procedure and with the expectation that the vascular flow through intact omental vessels will remain functional for an indefinite period. Clinical trials using the intact omentum to salvage limbs unsuitable by conventional revascularization procedures appear to be justified.

A comparative study of Japanese and American gastric dimensions

A comparative study between Japanese and Americans was carried out to determine gastric characteristics of the two groups, since Japanese appear to allow easier gastric transposition to the neck. Japanese were found to have a longer and more mobile stomach, but in the vast majority of Americans an esophagogastric anastomosis in the neck is possible following an extensive Kocher maneuver.

Thermal influence on the lymphocytic response of cancer patients

A variation was noted between normal subjects and cancer patients in the response of their lymphocytes to different antigens. Raising the temperature from 37 degrees C to 40 degrees C aided in improving lymphocytic activity to the antigenic stimulation. The heat response was more noticeable in normal subjects than in cancer patients, which suggests that immunotherapy should be initiated early in patients with malignant disease before there is systemic involvement from an increasing tumor burden.

Melanoma development from subcellular fractions

Amelanotic melanoma cells, RPMI-1846, were disrupted by sonic energy which caused cell membrane disruption, thereby allowing liberation of viable cellular organelles. These subcellular particles were injected into syngeneic Syrian and nonsyngeneic hamsters in six separate experiments to determine their possible growth potential. A sizable number of the injected hamsters subsequently died as a result of melanoma. In an attempt to be as certain as possible that no whole melanoma cells were injected with sonicated melanoma material, various techniques were used including collodian sections for debris analysis, phase microscopy and electron microscopy. Results of this study suggested that melanoma can be induced from particles within the melanoma cell which are liberated following cell membrane disruption. It appears that a mechanism exists for the transfer of oncogenic information that may not be dependent upon the presence of intact cells or require the participation of a viral agent.

Omental transposition to brain of stroke patients

The intact omentum was transposed to the surface of the brain in three aphasic patients who had stabilized following a dominant hemisphere ischemic stroke. The procedure was found to be safe, causing little physical disfigurement. Subjective and objective improvement in these patients, who are on a strict experimental protocol, has provided encouragement to continue this study in a deliberate and critical manner.

Colonic protection from dimethylhydrazine by a high fiber diet

Results of this experiment showed that a high fiber bran diet had the ability to lower significantly the incidence of pathologic changes in the colon of mice receiving 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, a drug known for its specificity for causing carcinoma of the colon. This finding adds support to the hypothesis which clains that the addition of bran to the diet has the ability to lower the indicence of carcinoma of the large intestine.

Inter omental-cerebral vascularization induced by omental graft to the rat brain

The omentum of 13 rats were removed from the abdomen and placed directly on the brain. 5-14 days later the omentum and the underlying brain were joined by numerous vascular anastomoses in 9 rats. The purpose of this work was to study the use of omentum to establish extracranial vascularization of the brain.

Prevention of cerebral infarction in the monkey by omental transposition to the brain

The intact omentum of 13 monkeys was lengthened, placed subcutaneously, and laid on the left cerebral hemisphere prior to occluding the left middle cerebral artery. Two of these 13 monkeys developed left cerebral infarct and a right hemiparesis. Nine other monkeys had their left middle cerebral artery occluded without omental protection. All of these 9 developed a left cerebral infarct and 8 of them a right hemiparesis. Intact omentum may prevent a cerebral infarction when placed on the brain prior to MCA occlusion.

Recurrent massive haemorrhage from benign hepatic tumours secondary to oral contraceptives

Liver cell adenoma as a cause of spontaneous haemoperitoneum has been noted with increasing frequency since Baum's initial report (Baum et al., 1973). The relationship between the use of oral contraceptives and bleeding from a hepatic tumour makes awareness of this condition mandatory for the physician involved in the differential diagnosis of the acute abdomen. The report presented here is that of a woman who, while taking oral contraceptives, subsequently bled from her liver 3 years after an initial hepatic haemorrhage.