Showing papers by "Taipei Veterans General Hospital published in 1984"

Polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzofurans, and quaterphenyls in the toxic rice-bran oil and PCBs in the blood of patients with PCB poisoning in Taiwan.

Abstract: A mass outbreak of poisoning occurred in central Taiwan in 1979 due to the ingestion of rice-bran oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In addition to PCBs, polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated quaterphenyls (PCQs) were also found in the contaminated oil. The levels of toxic agents in the rice-oil samples collected from factory and school cafeterias and the families of the intoxicated patients were in the range of 53-99 ppm, 0.18-0.40 ppm, and 25-53 ppm for PCBs, PCDFs, and PCQs, respectively. Major components of PCBs and PCDFs in the toxic oil were separated and identified by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using glass capillary columns. The most toxic PCB reported in commercial PCB preparations, 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, was found in the toxic oil as well as in one of the patients' blood and adipose tissue at an early stage of poisoning. The blood samples of 165 patients collected 9 to 18 months after the onset of poisoning contained 10 to 720 ppb of PCBs with a mean value of 38 ppb. One of the most toxic PCDFs, 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran, was retained in the liver of a deceased patient. This compound could play an important role in the etiology of PCB poisoning in Taiwan.

Real-time dynamic telepathology through the Internet: evaluation of a new and economic technology at Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Computer-aided, digitalized telepathology was introduced about 10 years ago and is gaining acceptance as a mode of providing pathology to remote site. The usefulness of telepathology for remote diagnosis of histology, cytology and frozen section has been evaluated in USA, Europe and Japan. In Taiwan, the use of telepathology for pathological diagnosis is still rare. In order to evaluate the potential use of this technique, we undertook the study using commercialized and low-cost microscopy, personal computer and software on routine biopsy material. METHODS Sixty prostatic sextant transrectal needle biopsies, including 30 cases of adenocarcinoma and 30 cases of benign lesions, were retrieved retrospectively. The real-time dynamic images were transmitted to the remote site via internet and reviewed by a senior uropathologist who was unaware of the diagnosis. The diagnoses made at the remote site were correlated to the final diagnoses of the cases. RESULTS All malignant specimens (30/30) were correctly diagnosed by this method. Only one benign case (1/31) of nonspecific granulomatous prostatitis was misdiagnosed as poorly differentiated carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that this method is a good way for teleconsultation. Further studies on other types of specimen worth encouragement for both intra- and inter-institutional consultation.