Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0851184 (thinning)
 11,252 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Scleroderma or Systemic Sclerosis (SSC) is a disorder characterized by fibrosis of the skin and multiple internal organs. The pathological lesion is a triad of small artery intimal proliferation, medial thinning and adventitial scarring. Autoamputation of fingers and toes is often seen, but only a few cases of limb amputation in scleroderma patients have been reported. The Pittsburgh Scleroderma databank includes 1,030 patients with SSC. Among these were seven patients who sustained lower limb amputation. There were four patients with the CREST variant of SSC, two with diffuse scleroderma, and one who had SSC/rheumatoid arthritis/polymyositis overlap who sustained limb amputation. Of the seven, three were male and five had a significant smoking history. Ages ranged from 46 to 71 years. All patients underwent amputation for nonhealing ulcerations. No problems with postoperative wound healing were seen. Pathologic changes typical of SSC in addition to atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease were described in one case. Three patients were successfully fitted with prostheses and became independent ambulators. Four patients could not be fitted with prostheses. No skin problems were reported related to prosthetic use. Our review demonstrates that SSC patients who undergo amputation can become successful prosthetic users and should be considered for prosthetic prescription.
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PMID:Lower extremity amputation in scleroderma. 151 89

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee articular cartilage is possible owing to the contrast provided by different signal intensities of adjacent menisci and subchondral bone. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of MRI in quantitatively detecting thinning and focal defects of articular cartilage in vivo. High resolution MRI was performed followed by dissection of the knee within one hour of amputations above the knee of eight patients (62-89 years) with peripheral vascular disease. Articular cartilage was examined for erosions, surface irregularities, and appearance. Mean thicknesses of femoral and tibial articular cartilage sagittal sections from MRI were statistically indistinguishable from matched gross thicknesses. In those joints in which cartilage erosions, thinning, or irregularities were detected by MRI the same defects were apparent by gross examination. Cartilage that appeared normal by MRI had a normal gross appearance by gross examination. Thus high resolution MRI can accurately predict gross articular cartilage appearance and thickness, allowing an objective, quantitative, noninvasive assessment of eroded cartilage.
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PMID:Articular cartilage defects of the knee: correlation between magnetic resonance imaging and gross pathology. 224 Dec 83