Lancet
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Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure intracranial extraventricular and ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume. In 10 normal subjects lateral ventricular and extraventricular intracranial CSF volumes were 25.3 +/- 4.6 ml (mean +/- SD) and 97.6 +/- 6.6 ml, respectively (total 122.8 +/- 38.7). ⋯ The technique gave highly reproducible results (SD less than 5.7% of mean value). It may be useful in differential diagnosis and as an objective means of monitoring therapy or progress in conditions such as cerebral atrophy, hydrocephalus, and benign intracranial hypertension.
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Head-up tilt, a recognised stimulus to vasovagal syncope, was used to investigate syncope that remained unexplained despite full clinical and electrophysiological assessment in fifteen patients, mean age 65 +/- 10 years, who had had 15 +/- 19 episodes of unexplained syncope over periods of a week to 26 years. After overnight fast systolic blood pressure and heart rate were continuously monitored during 40 degrees head-up tilt for 60 min. Ten control subjects with no history of syncope were studied similarly. ⋯ No clinical findings predicted development of syncope during tilt. Baseline systolic blood pressure and heart rate did not differ significantly between patients and controls. Pacemakers were implanted in seven patients who have remained symptom-free since implant (follow-up 10 +/- 3 mo).
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Comparative Study
Intervention study for primary prevention of oral cancer among 36 000 Indian tobacco users.
In a house-to-house survey, 36 471 tobacco chewers and smokers were selected from the rural population in three areas of India. These individuals were interviewed for their tobacco habits and examined for the presence of oral leukoplakia and other precancerous lesions, first in a baseline survey, and then annually over a 5-year period. By personal advice and via the mass media they were encouraged to give up their tobacco habits. ⋯ The 5-year age-adjusted incidence rate of leukoplakia in Ernakulam district was 11.4 in the intervention group versus 47.8 among men, and 5.8 versus 33.0 among women; and for palatal lesions in Srikakulam district the corresponding figures were 59.8 versus 260.8 among men and 289.5 versus 489.5 among women. In Bhavnagar the incidence rate of leukoplakia did not differ between the cohorts. Since most oral cancers are preceded by precancerous lesions, education on tobacco habits should be a feasible and effective approach to primary prevention of oral cancer.