Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
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Biography Historical Article
A. Charles King: a unique contribution to anaesthesia.
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A histological study of 21 teeth from 9 patients who had received cytotoxic chemotherapy for malignant disease showed increased prominence of incremental lines in the dentine. The number and distribution of these lines corresponded to periods of intravenous therapy and vincristine appeared to be the most likely cause. This effect was probably due to temporary disturbance of microtubular function in the odontoblasts resulting in decreased secretion of collagenous dentine matrix. Calcification appeared to be unaffected.
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Near infrared spectroscopy, a recently developed optoelectronic technique, has been studied as a possible method of monitoring the adequacy of cerebral perfusion in 22 patients who were candidates for carotid endarterectomy. Using this technique, changes in haemoglobin volume, haemoglobin oxygen saturation and redox level of cytochrome-c-oxidase were recorded from the frontoparietal region during routine carotid compression tests performed under continuous electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring. ⋯ In a few tests haemoglobin volume and oxygen saturation were reduced without changes in the EEG recording. This study raises new issues concerning the compensatory mechanisms taking place during carotid occlusion and suggests that near infrared spectroscopy might be useful in monitoring the blood and oxygen supply to the brain during carotid endarterectomy.