Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of thyroid nodules is minimally invasive and safe and is usually performed on an outpatient basis. However, the optimal application of FNA requires not only technical skill but also an awareness of the limitations of the procedure, the indications for its use, the factors that affect the adequacy of the biopsy specimen, and the postprocedural management strat...

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a simple and intuitive treatment method using an 18-gauge needle for mallet fractures that involve more than one-third of the articular surface. We performed a retrospective review of 17 patients who underwent closed reduction using an 18-gauge needle with transfixation of Kirschner wire between March 2007 and October 2013. According to the Wehbe and Sc...

BACKGROUND Percutaneous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are commonly used in the treatment of spinal pain. The success of these procedures depends on the accuracy of needle placement, which is influenced by needle size and shape. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to examine and quantify the deviation of commonly used spinal needles based on needle tip design and gauge, using a bal...

BACKGROUND Totally implanted ports (TIP) have become a standard part of patient care, providing long-term central venous access for treatment administration and other procedures. Despite overall the safety and effectiveness of TIP, complications still occur. Negative pressure created during needle withdrawal induces blood reflux and subsequent catheter occlusion. Application of positive pressur...

Purpose. Intracavernosal self-injection (ICI) was first described in 1982, and remains a viable therapy for erectile dysfunction. However, intracorporal needle breakage can be a rare complication of therapy. We report a rare complication of intracorporal needle breakage and a retention of a 30-gauge needle in a 42-year-old paraplegic man. We discuss our experience in using portable high-frequen...

OBJECTIVE To compare rates of local reactions associated with two needle sizes used to administer routine immunisations to infants. DESIGN Randomised controlled trial. SETTING Routine immunisation clinics in eight general practices in Buckinghamshire. PARTICIPANTS Healthy infants attending for third primary immunisation due at 16 weeks of age: 119 infants were recruited, and 110 diary car...

Introduction: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is a cost-effective technique of obtaining cellular specimens for diagnosis. It has many advantages over large needle core biopsies that make it quite suitable for out-patient departments and institutions without facilities for histopathologic diagnosis. Any site of the body can be sampled with FNA technique. Methods: Patients with liver disea...

A. Continuous Gradients 1. Measure the volume of the DNA solution. For every milliliter, add exactly 1 g of solid CsCl. 2. Warm solution to 30C to facilitate the dissolution of the salt. Mix until dissolved 3. Add 0.8 mL of ethidium bromide (10 mg/mL in water) for every 10 mL of DNA/CsCl solution. 4. Mix the ethidium bromide solution with the denser DNA/CsCl solution. 5. The final density shoul...

STUDY DESIGN An in vitro biomechanical study using aged human and adolescent porcine discs. OBJECTIVES To find the leakage pathway and effect of needle gauge on the degree of disc injury post anular puncture. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Spinal needles are widely used for minimal invasive disc surgeries and disc degeneration/regeneration research. Applications of anular puncture require diffe...