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Sample records for twelve patients presented

  1. Bacteriological And Clinical Evaluation Of Twelve Cases Of Post ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Bacteriological And Clinical Evaluation Of Twelve Cases Of Post-Surgical Sepsis Of Odontogenic Tumours At A ... East African Medical Journal ... Intervention: Adequate review of patient\\'s medical history, bacteriological investigations and

  2. Cardiac asthma in elderly patients: incidence, clinical presentation and outcome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ray Patrick

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiac asthma is common, but has been poorly investigated. The objective was to compare the characteristics and outcome of cardiac asthma with that of classical congestive heart failure (CHF in elderly patients. Methods Prospective study in an 1,800-bed teaching hospital. Results Two hundred and twelve consecutive patients aged ≥ 65 years presenting with dyspnea due to CHF (mean age of 82 ± 8 years were included. Findings of cardiac echocardiography and natriuretic peptides levels were used to confirm CHF. Cardiac asthma patients were defined as a patient with CHF and wheezing reported by attending physician upon admission to the emergency department. The CHF group (n = 137 and the cardiac asthma group (n = 75, differed for tobacco use (34% vs. 59%, p 2 (47 ± 15 vs. 41 ± 11 mmHg, p Conclusion Patients with cardiac asthma represented one third of CHF in elderly patients. They were more hypercapnic and experienced more distal airway obstruction. However, outcomes were similar.

  3. The twelve colourful stones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doria, R.M.

    1984-01-01

    The gauge symmetry is extended. It is associated differents matter and gauge fields to the same group. A group of gauge invariant Lagrangians is established. A gauge invariant mass term is introduced. A massive Yang Mills is obtained. A dynamics with twelve colourful stones is created based on the concepts of gauge and colour. Structures identified as quarks and leptons are generated. A discussion about colour meaning is presented. (Author) [pt

  4. Twelve Tips for Effective Electronic Presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosby, Joy

    1994-01-01

    Offers 12 tips for effective electronic presentation. This article is intended for readers who may be considering using electronic presentation for the first time. Offers reasons for its popularity and occasions when it may be used. The tips offer assistance in the design and presentation of electronic material. (LZ)

  5. Ten colour photometry of twelve Ap-stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Musielok, B.; Lange, D.; Schoeneich, W.; Hildebrandt, G.; Zelwanowa, E.; Hempelmann, A.; Salmanov, G.

    1980-01-01

    Ten-colour photoelectric observations are presented for twelve Ap-stars. Improved ephemeris for seven of them is given. Phase relations between the light curves and line intensity variations are discussed. The problem of the electromagnetic flux conctancy of IOTA Cas is approached from a qualitative point of view. (author)

  6. Twelve novel HGD gene variants identified in 99 alkaptonuria patients: focus on 'black bone disease' in Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemethova, Martina; Radvanszky, Jan; Kadasi, Ludevit; Ascher, David B; Pires, Douglas E V; Blundell, Tom L; Porfirio, Berardino; Mannoni, Alessandro; Santucci, Annalisa; Milucci, Lia; Sestini, Silvia; Biolcati, Gianfranco; Sorge, Fiammetta; Aurizi, Caterina; Aquaron, Robert; Alsbou, Mohammed; Lourenço, Charles Marques; Ramadevi, Kanakasabapathi; Ranganath, Lakshminarayan R; Gallagher, James A; van Kan, Christa; Hall, Anthony K; Olsson, Birgitta; Sireau, Nicolas; Ayoob, Hana; Timmis, Oliver G; Sang, Kim-Hanh Le Quan; Genovese, Federica; Imrich, Richard; Rovensky, Jozef; Srinivasaraghavan, Rangan; Bharadwaj, Shruthi K; Spiegel, Ronen; Zatkova, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    Alkaptonuria (AKU) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in homogentisate-1,2-dioxygenase (HGD) gene leading to the deficiency of HGD enzyme activity. The DevelopAKUre project is underway to test nitisinone as a specific treatment to counteract this derangement of the phenylalanine-tyrosine catabolic pathway. We analysed DNA of 40 AKU patients enrolled for SONIA1, the first study in DevelopAKUre, and of 59 other AKU patients sent to our laboratory for molecular diagnostics. We identified 12 novel DNA variants: one was identified in patients from Brazil (c.557T>A), Slovakia (c.500C>T) and France (c.440T>C), three in patients from India (c.469+6T>C, c.650-85A>G, c.158G>A), and six in patients from Italy (c.742A>G, c.614G>A, c.1057A>C, c.752G>A, c.119A>C, c.926G>T). Thus, the total number of potential AKU-causing variants found in 380 patients reported in the HGD mutation database is now 129. Using mCSM and DUET, computational approaches based on the protein 3D structure, the novel missense variants are predicted to affect the activity of the enzyme by three mechanisms: decrease of stability of individual protomers, disruption of protomer-protomer interactions or modification of residues in the region of the active site. We also present an overview of AKU in Italy, where so far about 60 AKU cases are known and DNA analysis has been reported for 34 of them. In this rather small group, 26 different HGD variants affecting function were described, indicating rather high heterogeneity. Twelve of these variants seem to be specific for Italy.

  7. Transanal rectopexy - twelve case studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rubens Henrique Oleques Fernandes

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the results of transanal rectopexy and showed the benefits of this surgical technique. METHOD: Twelve patients were submitted to rectopexy between 1997 and 2011. The surgical technique used was transanal rectopexy, where the mesorectum was fixed to the sacrum with nonabsorbable suture. Three patients had been submitted to previous surgery, two by the Delorme technique and one by the Thiersch technique. RESULTS: Postoperative hospital stay ranged from 1 to 4 days. One patient (8.3% had intraoperative hematoma, which was treated with local compression and antibiotics. One patient (8.3% had residual mucosal prolapse, which was resected. Prolapse recurrence was seen in one case (8.3%. Improved incontinence occurred in 75% of patients and one patient reported obstructed evacuation in the first month after surgery. No death occurred. CONCLUSION: Transanal rectopexy is a simple, low cost technique, which has shown good efficacy in rectal prolapse control.OBJETIVO: O presente estudo analisou os resultados da retopexia pela via transanal e expôs os benefícios desta técnica cirúrgica. MÉTODO: Doze pacientes com prolapso foram operados no período de 1997 a 2011. A técnica cirúrgica usada foi a retopexia transanal, onde o mesorreto foi fixado ao sacro com fio inabsorvível. Três pacientes tinham cirurgia prévia, dois pela técnica de Delorme e um pela técnica de Thiersch. RESULTADOS: A permanência hospitalar pós-operatória variou de 1- 4 dias. Uma paciente (8,3% apresentou hematoma transoperatório que foi tratado com compressão local e antibioticoterapia. Um paciente apresentou prolapso mucoso residual (8,3%, que foi ressecado. Houve recidiva da procidência em um caso (8,3%. A melhora da incontinência ocorreu em 75% dos pacientes e uma paciente apresentou bloqueio evacuatório no primeiro mês após a cirurgia. Não houve mortalidade entre os pacientes operados. CONCLUSÃO: A retopexia transanal é uma t

  8. Twelve novel HGD gene variants identified in 99 alkaptonuria patients: focus on ‘black bone disease' in Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemethova, Martina; Radvanszky, Jan; Kadasi, Ludevit; Ascher, David B; Pires, Douglas E V; Blundell, Tom L; Porfirio, Berardino; Mannoni, Alessandro; Santucci, Annalisa; Milucci, Lia; Sestini, Silvia; Biolcati, Gianfranco; Sorge, Fiammetta; Aurizi, Caterina; Aquaron, Robert; Alsbou, Mohammed; Marques Lourenço, Charles; Ramadevi, Kanakasabapathi; Ranganath, Lakshminarayan R; Gallagher, James A; van Kan, Christa; Hall, Anthony K; Olsson, Birgitta; Sireau, Nicolas; Ayoob, Hana; Timmis, Oliver G; Le Quan Sang, Kim-Hanh; Genovese, Federica; Imrich, Richard; Rovensky, Jozef; Srinivasaraghavan, Rangan; Bharadwaj, Shruthi K; Spiegel, Ronen; Zatkova, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    Alkaptonuria (AKU) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in homogentisate-1,2-dioxygenase (HGD) gene leading to the deficiency of HGD enzyme activity. The DevelopAKUre project is underway to test nitisinone as a specific treatment to counteract this derangement of the phenylalanine-tyrosine catabolic pathway. We analysed DNA of 40 AKU patients enrolled for SONIA1, the first study in DevelopAKUre, and of 59 other AKU patients sent to our laboratory for molecular diagnostics. We identified 12 novel DNA variants: one was identified in patients from Brazil (c.557T>A), Slovakia (c.500C>T) and France (c.440T>C), three in patients from India (c.469+6T>C, c.650–85A>G, c.158G>A), and six in patients from Italy (c.742A>G, c.614G>A, c.1057A>C, c.752G>A, c.119A>C, c.926G>T). Thus, the total number of potential AKU-causing variants found in 380 patients reported in the HGD mutation database is now 129. Using mCSM and DUET, computational approaches based on the protein 3D structure, the novel missense variants are predicted to affect the activity of the enzyme by three mechanisms: decrease of stability of individual protomers, disruption of protomer-protomer interactions or modification of residues in the region of the active site. We also present an overview of AKU in Italy, where so far about 60 AKU cases are known and DNA analysis has been reported for 34 of them. In this rather small group, 26 different HGD variants affecting function were described, indicating rather high heterogeneity. Twelve of these variants seem to be specific for Italy. PMID:25804398

  9. Patients radiation protection in medical imaging. Conference proceedings; Radioprotection des patients en imagerie medicale. Recueil des presentations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-12-15

    This document brings together the available presentations given at the conference organised by the French society of radiation protection about patients radiation protection in medical imaging. Twelve presentations (slides) are compiled in this document and deal with: 1 - Medical exposure of the French population: methodology and results (Bernard Aubert, IRSN); 2 - What indicators for the medical exposure? (Cecile Etard, IRSN); 3 - Guidebook of correct usage of medical imaging examination (Philippe Grenier, Pitie-Salpetriere hospital); 4 - Radiation protection optimization in pediatric imaging (Hubert Ducou-Le-Pointe, Aurelien Bouette (Armand-Trousseau children hospital); 5 - Children's exposure to image scanners: epidemiological survey (Marie-Odile Bernier, IRSN); 6 - Management of patient's irradiation: from image quality to good practice (Thierry Solaire, General Electric); 7 - Dose optimization in radiology (Cecile Salvat (Lariboisiere hospital); 8 - Cancer detection in the breast cancer planned screening program - 2004-2009 era (Agnes Rogel, InVS); 9 - Mammographic exposures - radiobiological effects - radio-induced DNA damages (Catherine Colin, Lyon Sud hospital); 10 - Breast cancer screening program - importance of non-irradiating techniques (Anne Tardivon, Institut Curie); 11 - Radiation protection justification for the medical imaging of patients over the age of 50 (Michel Bourguignon, ASN); 12 - Search for a molecular imprint for the discrimination between radio-induced and sporadic tumors (Sylvie Chevillard, CEA)

  10. [Twelve years of liver transplantation in Lausanne].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mosimann, F; Bettschart, V; Gardaz, J P; Fontolliet, C; Tissot, J D; Meuwly, J Y; Chioléro, R; Gillet, M

    2001-02-01

    From 1988 to June 2000 138 transplantations were performed in 129 adult patients. Actuarial patient and graft survivals have been 80.7% and 75.4% at one year and 67.8% and 63.5% at 10 years. This compares favourably with the statistics of the European Liver Transplant Registry that collected data from more than 30,000 grafts. Over the twelve years of activity, the indications have become more liberal and the techniques have been simplified. The waiting list has therefore grown and some patients are now unfortunately dying before a graft can be found because the number of brain dead donors remains stable. In order to palliate this shortage, older donors are now being accepted even with co-morbidities and/or moderate alterations of the liver function tests. The use of live donors and the split of the best cadaveric grafts for two recipients will also reduce the gap between the demand and the offer.

  11. Twelve Girls' Band' A Modern Miracle of Traditional Music

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    YaoZhanxiong

    2004-01-01

    Twelve antique traditional instruments. Twelve spirited, pretty girls. "Twelve Girls' Band" is a traditional instrument orchestra playing well-known folk music in the form of pop. Besides age-old traditional instruments peculiar to China, such as zheng (ancient 21 to 25-stringed plucked instrument), qin (seven-stringed plucked instrument) and erhu (two-stringed Chinese fiddle),

  12. Twelve years of fireworks market surveillance in France

    OpenAIRE

    Branka , Ruddy

    2012-01-01

    International audience; In the view of market surveillance, more than 4400 fireworks have been taken on the spot by sworn people or bought on the market in France since 1999 for inspection purposes. This paper presents the market surveillance sampling evolution during twelve years, carried out by the PYRO unit of the Accidental Risks Division of INERIS as testing body ; the related measures implemented : additional audits in importer plants, interlaboratory tests for guarantying the reliabili...

  13. Twelve Theses on Reactive Rules for the Web

    OpenAIRE

    Bry, François; Eckert, Michael

    2006-01-01

    Reactivity, the ability to detect and react to events, is an essential functionality in many information systems. In particular, Web systems such as online marketplaces, adaptive (e.g., recommender) sys- tems, and Web services, react to events such as Web page updates or data posted to a server. This article investigates issues of relevance in designing high-level programming languages dedicated to reactivity on the Web. It presents twelve theses on features desira...

  14. The twelve colourful stones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doria, R.M.

    1983-01-01

    A dynamics with twelve colourful stones is created based on the concepts of gauge and colour. It is associated different gauge fields to the same group. A group of gauge invariant Lagrangians is established. A gauge invariant mass term is introduced. The colourful stones physical insight is to be building blocks for quarks and leptons. (Author) [pt

  15. Balancing the presentation of information and options in patient decision aids: an updated review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abhyankar, Purva; Volk, Robert J; Blumenthal-Barby, Jennifer; Bravo, Paulina; Buchholz, Angela; Ozanne, Elissa; Vidal, Dale Colins; Col, Nananda; Stalmeier, Peep

    2013-01-01

    Standards for patient decision aids require that information and options be presented in a balanced manner; this requirement is based on the argument that balanced presentation is essential to foster informed decision making. If information is presented in an incomplete/non-neutral manner, it can stimulate cognitive biases that can unduly affect individuals' knowledge, perceptions of risks and benefits, and, ultimately, preferences. However, there is little clarity about what constitutes balance, and how it can be determined and enhanced. We conducted a literature review to examine the theoretical and empirical evidence related to balancing the presentation of information and options. A literature search related to patient decision aids and balance was conducted on Medline, using MeSH terms and PubMed; this search supplemented the 2011 Cochrane Collaboration's review of patient decision aids trials. Only English language articles relevant to patient decision making and addressing the balance of information and options were included. All members of the team independently screened clusters of articles; uncertainties were resolved by seeking review by another member. The team then worked in sub-groups to extract and synthesise data on theory, definitions, and evidence reported in these studies. A total of 40 articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, six explained the rationale for balancing the presentation of information and options. Twelve defined "balance"; the definition of "balance" that emerged is as follows: "The complete and unbiased presentation of the relevant options and the information about those options-in content and in format-in a way that enables individuals to process this information without bias". Ten of the 40 articles reported assessing the balance of the relevant decision aid. All 10 did so exclusively from the users' or patients' perspective, using a five-point Likert-type scale. Presenting information in a side-by-side display form was

  16. Mythematics Solving the Twelve Labors of Hercules

    CERN Document Server

    Huber, Michael

    2009-01-01

    How might Hercules, the most famous of the Greek heroes, have used mathematics to complete his astonishing Twelve Labors? From conquering the Nemean Lion and cleaning out the Augean Stables, to capturing the Erymanthean Boar and entering the Underworld to defeat the three-headed dog Cerberus, Hercules and his legend are the inspiration for this book of fun and original math puzzles. While Hercules relied on superhuman strength to accomplish the Twelve Labors, Mythematics shows how math could have helped during his quest. How does Hercules defeat the Lernean Hydra and stop its heads from multip

  17. Risk factors for early treatment discontinuation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Belo Diniz

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: In obsessive-compulsive disorder, early treatment discontinuation can hamper the effectiveness of first-line treatments. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical correlates of early treatment discontinuation among obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. METHODS: A group of patients who stopped taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs or stopped participating in cognitive behavioral therapy before completion of the first twelve weeks (total n = 41; n = 16 for cognitive behavioral therapy and n = 25 for SSRIs were compared with a paired sample of compliant patients (n = 41. Demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained at baseline using structured clinical interviews. Chisquare and Mann-Whitney tests were used when indicated. Variables presenting a p value <0.15 for the difference between groups were selected for inclusion in a logistic regression analysis that used an interaction model with treatment dropout as the response variable. RESULTS: Agoraphobia was only present in one (2.4% patient who completed the twelve-week therapy, whereas it was present in six (15.0% patients who dropped out (p = 0.044. Social phobia was present in eight (19.5% patients who completed the twelve-week therapy and eighteen (45% patients who dropped out (p = 0.014. Generalized anxiety disorder was present in eight (19.5% patients who completed the twelve-week therapy and twenty (50% dropouts (p = 0.004, and somatization disorder was not present in any of the patients who completed the twelveweek therapy; however, it was present in six (15% dropouts (p = 0.010. According to the logistic regression model, treatment modality (p = 0.05, agoraphobia, the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale scores (p = 0.03 and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (p = 0.02 scores were significantly associated with the probability of treatment discontinuation irrespective of interactions with other variables. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Early treatment

  18. The twelve-flavor β-function and dilaton tests of the sextet scalar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fodor Zoltan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available We discuss near-conformal gauge theories beyond the standard model (BSM where interesting results on the twelve-flavor β-function of massless fermions in the fundamental representation of the SU(3 color gauge group and dilaton tests of the light scalar with two massless fermions in the two-index symmetric tensor (sextet representation can be viewed as parts of the same BSM paradigm under investigation. The clear trend in the decreasing size of β-functions at fixed renormalized gauge coupling is interpreted as a first indicator how the conformal window (CW is approached in correlation with emergent near-conformal light scalars. BSM model building close to the CW will be influenced by differing expectations on the properties of the emergent light 0++ scalar either as a σ-particle of chiral symmetry breaking (ΧS B, or as a dilaton of scale symmetry breaking. The twelve-flavor β-function emerges as closest to the CW, perhaps near-conformal, or perhaps with an infrared fixed point (IRFP at some unexplored strong coupling inside the CW. It is premature to speculate on dilaton properties of the twelveflavor model since the near-conformal realization remains an open question. However, it is interesting and important to investigate dilaton tests of the light sextet scalar whose β-function is closest to the CW in the symmetry breaking phase and emerges as the leading candidate for dilaton tests of the light scalar. We report results from high precision analysis of the twelve-flavor β-function [1] refuting its published IRFP [2, 3]. We present our objections to recent claims [4, 5] for non-universal behavior of staggered fermions used in our analysis. We also report our first analysis of dilaton tests of the light 0++ scalar in the sextet model and comment on related post-conference developments. The dilaton test is the main thrust of this conference contribution including presentation #405 on the nf = 12 β-function and presentation #260 on dilaton

  19. Twelve reasons to refuse the nuclear in the MDP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonduelle, A.

    2000-01-01

    The author presents twelve reasons which show that the nuclear energy has not a place in the MDP Mechanism of Clean Development: a main loophole for the developed countries, the doubtful ''additionality'' of the nuclear, the treaty ratification is more difficult with the nuclear, the domestic energy conservation is more efficient in Europe than the nuclear development, the nuclear white elephants facing the South debts, the technology transfers are doubtful, the developing countries and the sustainable development policies are evicted from the MDP, some options are more powerful in the South, the reactors and transport networks size are unsuited, the absence of democratic control, the nuclear proliferation, the nuclear safety and the wastes. (A.L.B.)

  20. Vegetative propagation of twelve fodder tree species indigenous to ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Vegetative propagation of twelve fodder tree species indigenous to the Sahel, West Africa. Catherine Ky-Dembele, Jules Bayala, Antoine Kalinganire, Fatoumata Tata Traoré, Bréhima Koné, Alain Olivier ...

  1. Neurological presentations, imaging, and associated anomalies in 50 patients with sacral agenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emami-Naeini, Parisa; Rahbar, Ziba; Nejat, Farideh; Kajbafzadeh, Abdolmohammad; El Khashab, Mostafa

    2010-10-01

    Sacral agenesis is an uncommon congenital disorder that involves multiple organs. We studied neurological manifestations of the disease, common associated disorders, and their relation with extent of bony malformation. We investigated neurological manifestations of 50 patients with sacral agenesis. Patients were evaluated for previous procedures, ambulation, limb abnormalities, vertebral alignment, recurrent urinary tract infection, urinary incontinence, dribbling, dimple, lower extremities weakness, myelomeningocele (MMC), and lipomyelomenangocele. Weakness of lower extremities was seen in 37 (74%) patients. Concurrent weakness of proximal and distal muscles of the lower limb was statistically associated with a type of bony aplasia (P = .001). However, paraplegia was seen in only 2 of 44 children over the age of 1, and the rest could walk. Myelodysplastic syndromes were seen in 21 patients. Sacral agenesis is diagnosed in children with concomitant MMC at younger ages and reveals more severe symptoms. Progression of neurological disorders was seen in 19 patients, in all of whom MRI showed tethering of the spinal cord. Urinary disorders including diurnal urinary incontinence (in 30 of 35 children over age 4) and recurrent urinary tract infections (in 37) were also common. Imperforate anus was seen in 11 patients. Twelve children over age 4 reported fecal incontinence, a problem that had statistically significant association with imperforate anus (P = .013). Different disorders can concurrently affect patients with sacral agenesis that may have profound impressions on patients and their families. Early diagnosis, thorough evaluation, and proper intervention are of utmost importance as they can prevent or lessen future complications.

  2. Education and Development: Twelve Considerations for Transformative Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    VanBalkom, W. Duffie; Eastham, Sarada

    2011-01-01

    Twelve factors that are essential to consider when embarking on the process of transformative development are examined in the context of international development programming in education and training. Each factor raises a number of questions for the deliberations of policy makers, development practitioners, scholars, international educators,…

  3. Secondary Textbook Review: English, Grades Nine through Twelve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

    This book is intended as a resource for teachers and curriculum developers who select textbooks for secondary English courses. It includes a compilation of 32 factual textbook reviews obtained from the application of a review instrument, which was based on the California "Model Curriculum Standards: Grades Nine through Twelve, English…

  4. Safety of superconducting fusion magnets: twelve problem areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, L.R.

    1979-01-01

    Twelve problem areas of superconducting magnets for fusion reaction are described. These are: quench detection and energy dump, stationary normal region of conductor, current leads, electrical arcing, electrical shorts, conductor joints, forces from unequal currents, eddy current effects, cryostat rupture, vacuum failure, fringing field and instrumentation for safety. Priorities among these areas are suggested

  5. Safety of superconducting fusion magnets: twelve problem areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, L.R.

    1979-01-01

    Twelve problem areas of superconducting magnets for fusion reaction are described. These are: Quench Detection and Energy Dump, Stationary Normal Region of Conductor, Current Leads, Electrical Arcing, Electrical Shorts, Conductor Joints, Forces from Unequal Currents, Eddy Current Effects, Cryostat Rupture, Vacuum Failure, Fringing Field and Instrumentation for Safety. Priorities among these areas are suggested

  6. Clinical presentation in patients with systemic sclerosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silvarino, R.; Rebella, M.; Alonso, J.; Cairoli, E.

    2009-01-01

    Introduction: systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterized by endothelial damage, and skin, vessel and internal organ fibrosis and inflammation. There are differences in terms of frequency, severity and prognosis for the different ethnic groups, what reinforces the importance of the study in each geographical region with the purpose of enabling early diagnosis of its incipient symptoms.Methods: we conducted a descriptive and retrospective study form March 2006 through March 2008, including patients with a final diagnosis of systemic sclerosis, who are treated at the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Unit at the Clinicas Hospital. Results: 31 women were included in the study, average follow-up of patients was 39.2 months, and average age at the time of diagnosis was 47.6 years. Eleven patients (35,5) presented diffuse disease and 20 (64.5) of them evidenced limited disease. Thirty patients presented Raynaud's phenomenon. In 92 of cases capilaroscopy showed a sclerodermiform pattern. In terms of the respiratory system, we found interstitial pathology in 25 of cases, pulmonary arterial hypertension in 22.2 and are restrictive pattern in respiratory function studies in 35.5. Also, 67.7 presented digestive manifestations and 9.6 developed sclerodermic renal crisis. We found anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) in 29 out of 31 patients (93,5) patients; 16 presented anticentromere antibodies and five anti-topoisomerasa-I antibodies. The four patients (12.9)who died during follow-up presented common elements such as diffuse sclerosis, digital ulcers and severe respiratory compromise. Conclusions: the clinical and immune characteristics found in our study were similar to those described in other series. Should there be no specific treatment, it is essential to perform regular assessment of visceral impact in order to control and delay complications which result in high morbimortality rates. (author) [es

  7. Twelve tips for teaching child development and disability to medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Jenny

    2018-02-01

    Child development is a marker of well-being in childhood and recognition of developmental delay allows timely investigation and intervention for children with developmental disabilities. Despite this, child development and disabilities are not given emphasis in the medical curriculum. This under representation of teaching combined with the stigma associated with disabilities contributes to the sub-optimal health care of people with disabilities. As well as, addressing the stigma of disability a medical undergraduate curriculum should include: the key concepts of child development; the clinical presentation of the most common developmental disabilities; developmental history taking and the infant neurodevelopmental examination. The following twelve tips provide practical advice about how to teach this knowledge and these skills during medical training.

  8. Utility of Periodontal exploration in patients with Fibromyalgia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos-García, Rocío; Sánchez-Domínguez, Benito; Cordero, Mario D.; Rios-Santos, José V.; Jaramillo-Santos, María R.; Climent, Mariano H.

    2012-01-01

    Objetive: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome with unknown etiology, which affects predominantly women. Mitochondrial alteration could have a role in the pathophysilogical mechanisms of inflammatory conditions as FM and periodontitis. The aim of the present study was assay the relationship between both diseases and mitochondrial dysfunction. Patient and Methods: We study the presence of periodontitis in twelve patients diagnosed of FM and mitochondrial dysfunction described. The diagnosis of FM was established according to ACR criteria and clinical symptoms were evaluated using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: Only one patients of twelve included and agreed to participate in the study were diagnosed with periodontitis. Conclusions: Pending studies with larger numbers of patients, we can conclude that mitochondrial dysfunction in FM is a itself event not related with periodontitis. Periodontitis could be considered a exclusion criterion in all studies about mitochondrial dysfunction in patients. Key words:Peridontitis, fibromyalgia, mitocondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress. PMID:24558523

  9. Characteristics of patients presenting with erythema nodosum and sarcoidosis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Connor, T M

    2012-01-31

    We explored the relationship between erythema nodosum (EN) and sex, age, serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytosis (BAL-I), interstitial granulomas and radiological stage in patients presenting with pulmonary sarcoidosis in Ireland. Sixty-nine patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis between 2003 and 2006 were studied. Forty one patients (59%) were male. Sixteen patients (23%) presented with EN. Forty one patients of 65 (63%) had transbronchial biopsies demonstrating non-caseating granulomas. Patients with sarcoidosis presenting with EN were more likely to be female (p=0.042), younger (p=0.012) and have earlier stage pulmonary disease (p=0.02). There were no correlations between serum ACE, interstitial granulomas and disease stage. BAL-I did however predict increasing disease radiological stage (p=0.042). In this study, one quarter of patients with sarcoidosis presented with EN among their presenting features. These patients were more likely to be young females with early stage radiological disease.

  10. Indifference to pain syndrome in a twelve-year-old boy (case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baghdadi T

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: People vary greatly in their response to painful stimuli, from those with a low pain threshold to those with indifference to pain. However, insensitivity to pain is a rare disorder, characterized by the lack of usual subjective and objective responses to noxious stimuli. Patients who have congenital indifference to pain sustain painless injuries beginning in infancy, but have sensory responses that are otherwise normal on examination. Perception of passive movement, joint position, and vibration is normal in these patients, as are tactile thresholds and light touch perception. Case report: A twelve-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital for a painless deformity, degeneration in both knees and a neglected femoral neck fracture that was inappropriately painless. Further examination revealed normal sensory responses, perception of passive movement, joint position, vibration tactile thresholds and light touch perception. Spinal cord and brain MRI were normal as was the electromyography and nerve conduction velocity (EMG/NCV examination. There was no positive family history for this disorder. Conclusion: The deficits present in the different pain insensitivity syndromes provide insight into the complex anatomical and physiological nature of pain perception. Reports on pain asymbolia, in which pain is perceived but does not cause suffering, and related cortical conditions illustrate that there can be losses that independently involve either the sensory-discriminative component or the affective-motivational component of pain perception, thus highlighting their different anatomical localization. The paucity of experience with this entity and the resultant diagnostic problems, the severity of the associated disabling arthropathy and underscore the importance of this case report of indifference to pain.

  11. Presentations and complications of diabetes patients presenting to diabetic clinic of Eastern Nepal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nabin Kumar Singh

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective Diabetes mellitus leads to damage, dysfunction and failure of various organs especially eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart. The latency of occurence of hyperglycemia and diagnosis may be of long duration. This study was aimed to find out the mode of presetation of diabetes mellitus in diabetic patients attending out patients clinic of B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. Associated complications and comorbid condition present at the time of presenation were also studied. Methods The diabetic patients attending the Diabetic Out Patient Clinic of B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences during June 2006 to June 2007 were included in this study.The patients details were collected from the predefined Proforma for diabetes patient from the database. This included demographic data, biochemical parameters and diabetic complications. For the purpose of study a total of 775 patients were randomly selected.The Data collected were entered and analysed using excel and SPSS(version 11.5 Results Out of 775 cases 436 (56.3% were male and 339(43.7% were female. Majority of patients 81.55% (n=632 had osmotic sympmtoms or symptoms related to complication of diabetes at the time of presentation to the clinic. Asymptomatic patient constituted 18.45% (n=143. The most common presenting complaints were polyuria (44.58%, followed by polydypsia (39.62% and polyphagia (24.88%. About 54.97% (n=426 had symptoms of complications related to diabetes. Among them most common complication was neurological (39.67%, followed by renal (10.8% metabolic (4.93%, cardiac(4.46%, autonomic neuropathy (4.93% and peripheral vascular disease (3.99%. Conclusion Majority of the patients presenting in our OPD had osmotic symptoms or symptoms related to complication of diabetes. Access to diabetes care and lack of awareness of the disease and its complication might had contributed to this. Community awareness, program for early detection and managemnet may help proper diabetes care

  12. Sarcoidal granuloma presenting on tattoo: a report of a Japanese female patient and a review of Japanese published work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohtsuka, Mikio; Natsuko, Matsumura; Toshiyuki, Yamamoto

    2016-03-29

    Cases of tattoo sarcoidosis reported in English and French literature have recently been reviewed; however, only two Japanese patients were included in the review because most Japanese patients were reported in Japanese journals. To determine the clinical characteristics of Japanese tattoo sarcoidosis. We reported a Japanese female with tattoo sarcoidosis, and reviewed the cases of tattoo sarcoidosis reported in Japanese literature. A 27-year-old Japanese female presented with skin nodules on a tattoo. She was diagnosed as having systemic sarcoidosis by skin biopsies and systemic work-up. We identified twelve cases, including ours, with tattoo sarcoidosis reported in Japanese journals, and revealed that these cases showed clinical features closely similar to those of Japanese sarcoidosis without tattoo in terms of the onset age distributions, incidence of extracutaneous organ involvement, and laboratory abnormalities. In comparison with cases of other races, Japanese tattoo sarcoidosis was revealed to have a higher prevalence of uveitis, which might be attributable to genetic background, as incidence and organ involvement may vary from race to race. Our results suggest that a tattoo does not have significant impact on the clinical features of sarcoidosis. However, skin lesions on a tattoo can be the first sign of systemic sarcoidosis in any race; therefore, much attention should be paid to skin eruptions on a tattoo for earlier identification of patients who need work-up for systemic illness.

  13. Twelve years at DESY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1993-01-01

    As reported in our previous issue (page 27), on 28 February Volker Soergel stepped down after serving as Chairman of the Board of the DESY Laboratory in Hamburg since January 1981, when the previous chairman, Herwig Schopper, moved to become Director General of CERN. DESY is now headed by Bjorn Wiik. During the twelve years of Soergel's mandate, DESY substantially evolved and progressed. Dominating the landscape was the big HERA electron-proton collider - the world's first - proposed, approved, constructed and commissioned under Soergel's leadership. As well as pioneering electron-proton collisions, HERA also broke new ground in international collaboration. At the approval of the project by the German government, it had already been made clear that both the machine and its experiments had to be built with full international cooperation, using material contributions from foreign institutes. With the difficult task of transforming these requirements into hard reality, Volker Soergel succeeded brilliantly. The 'HERA model', with interested countries pledging contributions in equipment and/or manpower, established a new route to major project involvement. For HERA, the substantial Italian contribution, organized by Antonino Zichichi, was vital to the success of the project

  14. Endoscopic findings in patients presenting with oesophageal dysphagia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Adil Naseer; Said, Khalid; Ahmad, Mukhtar; Ali, Kishwar; Hidayat, Rania; Latif, Humera

    2014-01-01

    Dysphagia is the difficulty in swallowing and is often described by the patients as a 'perception' that there is an impediment to the normal passage of the swallowed material. It is frequently observed that there is an association of dysphagia with serious underlying disorders and warrants early evaluation. The current study aimed to determine the frequency of common endoscopic findings in patients presenting with oesophageal dysphagia. This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the department of Gastroenterology, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, from October 2012 to April 2013. Consecutive patients with dysphagia were included in the study and were subjected to endoscopy. A total of 139 patients presenting with dysphagia were studied, 81 (58.3%) were males and 58 (41.7%) were females. The mean age was 52.41 ± 16.42. Malignant oesophageal stricture was the most common finding noted in 38 (27.3%) patients with 28 (73.7%) males and 23 (60.5%) patients among them were above the age of 50 years. It was followed by normal upper Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy in 29 (20.9%) patients and reflux esophagitis in 25 (18.0%) patients. Schatzki's ring was present in 14 (10.1%) patients; benign oesophageal strictures in 12 (8.6%) patients while achalasia was noted in 7 (5.0%) patients. 14(10.1%) patients had findings other than the ones mentioned above. Malignancies are a more common cause of dysphagia in our population and early diagnosis can result in proper treatment of many of these cases.

  15. Which dimensions of fatigue should be measured in patients with rheumatoid arthritis? A Delphi study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nikolaus, Stephanie; Bode, Christina; Taal, Erik; van de Laar, Mart A F J

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients experience fatigue as a multidimensional symptom. The aim of the present study was to use health professionals and patients alike to identify which dimensions of fatigue should be measured in RA. Methods: Twelve fatigue dimensions were constructed, based

  16. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Incidence of Twelve Initial Presentations of Cardiovascular Disease: A Population Record-Linkage Cohort Study in England.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mar Pujades-Rodriguez

    Full Text Available While rheumatoid arthritis is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD, our knowledge of how the pattern of risk varies for different cardiovascular phenotypes is incomplete. The association between rheumatoid arthritis and the initial presentation of 12 types of CVDs were examined in a contemporary population of men and women of a wide age range.CALIBER data, which links primary care, hospital and mortality data in England, was analysed. A cohort of people aged ≥18 years and without history of CVD was assembled and included all patients with prospectively recorded rheumatoid arthritis from January 1997, until March 2010, matched with up to ten people without rheumatoid arthritis by age, sex and general practice. The associations between rheumatoid arthritis and the initial presentation of 12 types of CVDs were estimated using multivariable random effects Poisson regression models.The analysis included 12,120 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and 121,191 comparators. Of these, 2,525 patients with and 18,146 without rheumatoid arthritis developed CVDs during a median of 4.2 years of follow-up. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had higher rates of myocardial infarction (adjusted incidence ratio [IRR] = 1.43, 95%CI 1.21-1.70, unheralded coronary death (IRR = 1.60, 95%CI 1.18-2.18, heart failure (IRR = 1.61, 95%CI 1.43-1.83, cardiac arrest (HR = 2.26, 95%CI 1.69-3.02 and peripheral arterial disease (HR = 1.36, 95%CI 1.14-1.62; and lower rates of stable angina (HR = 0.83, 95%CI 0.73-0.95. There was no evidence of association with cerebrovascular diseases, abdominal aortic aneurysm or unstable angina, or of interactions with sex or age.The observed associations with some but not all types of CVDs inform both clinical practice and the selection of cardiovascular endpoints for trials and for the development of prognostic models for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

  17. Peucedanum ostruthium (L. Koch: Morphological and phytochemical variability of twelve accessions from the Swiss alpine region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McCardell, Jessica Heather

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Ostruthin, a natural bioactive compound mainly occurring in the roots of Peucedanum ostruthium, is the focus of this study. P. ostruthium was collected from twelve locations in the Swiss alpine region and reared in an experimental field, subdivided into twelve lots over two years. In the spring and fall, a portion of each of the twelve accessions was harvested and separated into above and below ground plant parts. The dried plants were then extracted with 60 % ethanol using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE and analyzed using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC.The above and below ground plant parts were then analyzed concerning their dry matter yield (DMY, their ostruthin concentration and their ostruthin yield. Focusing on ostruthin, it was found that the below ground plant parts harvested in the fall rendered the highest ostruthin yield. Furthermore, a variability concerning ostruthin among the twelve accessions was found. This variability among the accessions is of interest with regards to a breeding program used to develop a cultivar with a high ostruthin yield.

  18. Asymptomatic HIV positive patient presenting with myelopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jatin Agrawal

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A wide variety of disorders of diverse pathogenic mechanisms can trigger spinal cord dysfunction in HIV-1-infected patients. The most common such condition is HIV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM which characteristically seen during advanced HIV infection in patients with low CD4 cell counts and previous AIDS-defining diagnoses. Histologically seen in approximately 30% of AIDS patients, but only 10% have clinical symptoms related to the disease. We describe an unusual case of HAM in previously asymptomatic patient with relatively low CD4 cell count (78 cells/mm3. The patient unaware of her seropositive status presented with a clinically slowly progressive myelopathy with difficulty in walking without assistance. We discharged a patient on antiretroviral therapy. We also review the disorders reported to derange spinal cord function in previously asymptomatic HIV-1 infected patients with preserved counts.

  19. Hidden twelve-dimensional super Poincare symmetry in eleven dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bars, Itzhak; Deliduman, Cemsinan; Pasqua, Andrea; Zumino, Bruno

    2004-01-01

    First, we review a result in our previous paper, of how a ten-dimensional superparticle, taken off-shell, has a hidden eleven-dimensional super Poincare symmetry. Then, we show that the physical sector is defined by three first-class constraints which preserve the full eleven-dimensional symmetry. Applying the same concepts to the eleven-dimensional superparticle, taken off-shell, we discover a hidden twelve-dimensional super Poincare symmetry that governs the theory

  20. Extranodal presentation in patients with acquired immunodeficiency ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    NHL is the second most common malignancy associated with HIV infection. The clinical presentation varies, and while patients may present with symptomatic lymphadenopathy, many have extranodal disease. Extranodal lymphomas arise from tissue other than lymph nodes and even sites that normally contain no lymphoid ...

  1. Premarital sex in the last twelve months and its predictors among ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Premarital sex increases the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV if unprotected and contraception is not used. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess premarital sex in the last twelve months and its predictors among regular undergraduate students of Wollega ...

  2. Diagnostic evaluation of patients presenting with hirsutism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İsmail Zeki Tekiş

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Hirsutism, similar to men, is the presence of terminal hairs in androgen-to sensitive areas in women. The present report aimed to study etiology and determine the prevalence of the diseases that causes hirsutism in these patients. Methods: In this study, total number of 40 patients who admitted because of hirsutism to Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism clinic was enrolled. Demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters of the patients were evaluated. Results: Result of the study showed that polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of hirsutism. The second most common cause was found as idiopathic hirsutism. Conclusion: By the present study, etiologic factors of hirsutism were examined firstly in our region in which Ethnic and cultural diversity is concentrated. In rare cases like Cushing's syndrome, hyperprolactinemia, non-classic adrenal hyperplasia, androgen-secreting tumors should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hirsutism. J Clin Exp Invest 2014; 5 (1: 69-75

  3. Safety of superconducting fusion magnets: twelve problem areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, L.R.

    1979-05-01

    Twelve problem areas of superconducting magnets for fusion reaction are described. These are: Quench Detection and Energy Dump, Stationary Normal Region of Conductor, Current Leads, Electrical Arcing, Electrical Shorts, Conductor Joints, Forces from Unequal Currents, Eddy Current Effects, Cryostat Rupture, Vacuum Failure, Fringing Field and Instrumentation for Safety. Each is described under the five categories: Identification and Definition, Possible Safety Effects, Current Practice, Adequacy of Current Practice for Fusion Magnets and Areas Requiring Further Analytical and Experimental Study. Priorities among these areas are suggested; application is made to the Large Coil Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  4. Twelve tips for creating an academic teaching portfolio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little-Wienert, Kim; Mazziotti, Mark

    2018-01-01

    An academic teaching portfolio is not only a requirement at many academic teaching institutions, but it is also important in a medical educator's growth and development through documentation, reflection, evaluation, and change. Creating an academic portfolio may appear daunting at first but with careful advanced preparation, organized evidence collection of your educational work, proof of scholarship, and thorough documentation of self-reflection and change, you can produce a successful product that accurately represents your educational beliefs, accomplishments, and growth throughout your career. This article provides medical educators with twelve steps for creating a successful academic teaching portfolio.

  5. Who should do what in environmental management? Twelve principles for allocating responsibilities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mostert, E.

    2015-01-01

    In environmental management there is often discussion on the allocation of responsibilities. Such discussions can continue for a long time and can form an obstacle for effective action. In this article twelve normative principles for the allocation of responsibilities are identified, coming from

  6. Twelve fundamental life histories evolving through allocation-dependent fecundity and survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, Jacob; Brännström, Åke; Metz, Johan A J; Dieckmann, Ulf

    2018-03-01

    An organism's life history is closely interlinked with its allocation of energy between growth and reproduction at different life stages. Theoretical models have established that diminishing returns from reproductive investment promote strategies with simultaneous investment into growth and reproduction (indeterminate growth) over strategies with distinct phases of growth and reproduction (determinate growth). We extend this traditional, binary classification by showing that allocation-dependent fecundity and mortality rates allow for a large diversity of optimal allocation schedules. By analyzing a model of organisms that allocate energy between growth and reproduction, we find twelve types of optimal allocation schedules, differing qualitatively in how reproductive allocation increases with body mass. These twelve optimal allocation schedules include types with different combinations of continuous and discontinuous increase in reproduction allocation, in which phases of continuous increase can be decelerating or accelerating. We furthermore investigate how this variation influences growth curves and the expected maximum life span and body size. Our study thus reveals new links between eco-physiological constraints and life-history evolution and underscores how allocation-dependent fitness components may underlie biological diversity.

  7. Key lessons: Twelve factors critical to the success of WDM at the ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    English · Français ... Key lessons: Twelve factors critical to the success of WDM at the policy and at the operational levels ... from slums in central New Delhi to the city's desolate periphery face daily indignities and danger as they collect water o.

  8. Immune recovery after starting ART in HIV-infected patients presenting and not presenting with tuberculosis in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schomaker, Michael; Egger, Matthias; Maskew, Mhairi; Garone, Daniela; Prozesky, Hans; Hoffmann, Christopher J; Boulle, Andrew; Fenner, Lukas

    2013-05-01

    We studied the immune response after starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) in 15,646 HIV-infected patients with or without tuberculosis (TB) at presentation in 3 ART programs in South Africa between 2003 and 2010. Patients presenting with TB had similar increases in CD4 cells compared with all other patients (adjusted difference 4.9 cells/µL per 6 months, 95% confidence interval: 0.2 to 9.7). Younger age, advanced clinical stage, female sex, and lower CD4 cell count at ART start were all associated with steeper CD4 slopes. In South Africa, HIV-infected patients presenting with TB experience immune recovery after starting ART that is no worse than in other patients.

  9. A Hidden Twelve-Dimensional SuperPoincare Symmetry In Eleven Dimensions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bars, Itzhak; Deliduman, Cemsinan; Pasqua, Andrea; Zumino, Bruno

    2003-12-13

    First, we review a result in our previous paper, of how a ten-dimensional superparticle, taken off-shell, has a hidden eleven-dimensional superPoincare symmetry. Then, we show that the physical sector is defined by three first-class constraints which preserve the full eleven-dimensional symmetry. Applying the same concepts to the eleven dimensional superparticle, taken off-shell, we discover a hidden twelve dimensional superPoincare symmetry that governs the theory.

  10. Getting patients to say yes: effective case presentations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manji, I

    1992-08-01

    Getting patients to say yes to recommended treatment requires the dedication of each team member. It demands a commitment to educating patients and motivating them to turn their dental needs into dental wants, as well as providing financial options to make treatment affordable. When the dental team takes the time to nurture the case presentation process, the results can be dramatic. Patients embrace treatment and the practice provides it. It is nothing short of a win-win scenario.

  11. Study of compulsive buying in patients presenting obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lejoyeux, Michel; Bailly, Florence; Moula, Hervé; Loi, Sabrina; Adès, Jean

    2005-01-01

    The authors assessed the prevalence of compulsive buying (CB) among patients presenting an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). They compared the buying style of patients with and without CB. One thousand five hundred consecutive patients were assessed by a general practitioner in Paris (France). Sixty patients presenting with OCD were included. Patients with CB associated with OCD (n = 14) were compared with those with "pure" OCD (n = 46). Sixty patients paired for sex and age and free from OCD, depression, and anxiety were also recruited among the clients of the same general practitioner. We compared 3 groups: controls, patients with OCD, and patients with OCD + CB. Prevalence of CB was 23% (14 cases) among patients with OCD and 6% (4 cases) in controls (chi(2)(1) = 5.3, P = .02). Patients presenting with OCD + CB had a higher number of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Fourth Edition diagnostic criteria for OCD than patients with pure OCD (6.1 and 5.4, respectively, P = .001). Depression was more frequent in the OCD + CB group (78%) than in the OCD group (42%) and in controls (10%) (P = .02). Patients from the OCD + CB group had higher score at the CAGE questionnaire than those of the OCD group (2 vs 0.7, P = .003). Patients with OCD + CB considered 42% of their purchases as occasions not to be passed up compared with 15.4% in the OCD group and 8.6% in controls. OCD+CD patients used the items they bought after a longer delay than controls and patients with pure OCD (8.2 vs 3 and 3.1 days, respectively). Compulsive buying is more frequent in OCD than in controls. Patients presenting with OCD + CB show more depressive disorders and drink more alcohol. They are more highly implicated in the items they buy and they are more often disappointed by the items once they possess them.

  12. Do supervised weekly exercise programs maintain functional exercise capacity and quality of life, twelve months after pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alison Jennifer A

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pulmonary rehabilitation programs have been shown to increase functional exercise capacity and quality of life in COPD patients. However, following the completion of pulmonary rehabilitation the benefits begin to decline unless the program is of longer duration or ongoing maintenance exercise is followed. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine if supervised, weekly, hospital-based exercise compared to home exercise will maintain the benefits gained from an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program in COPD subjects to twelve months. Methods Following completion of an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program, COPD subjects will be recruited and randomised (using concealed allocation in numbered envelopes into either the maintenance exercise group (supervised, weekly, hospital-based exercise or the control group (unsupervised home exercise and followed for twelve months. Measurements will be taken at baseline (post an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program, three, six and twelve months. The exercise measurements will include two six-minute walk tests, two incremental shuttle walk tests, and two endurance shuttle walk tests. Oxygen saturation, heart rate and dyspnoea will be monitored during all these tests. Quality of life will be measured using the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Participants will be excluded if they require supplemental oxygen or have neurological or musculoskeletal co-morbidities that will prevent them from exercising independently. Discussion Pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important part in the management of COPD and the results from this study will help determine if supervised, weekly, hospital-based exercise can successfully maintain functional exercise capacity and quality of life following an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program in COPD subjects in Australia.

  13. Gaze-independent BCI-spelling using rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acqualagna, Laura; Blankertz, Benjamin

    2013-05-01

    A Brain Computer Interface (BCI) speller is a communication device, which can be used by patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases to select symbols in a computer application. For patients unable to overtly fixate the target symbol, it is crucial to develop a speller independent of gaze shifts. In the present online study, we investigated rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) as a paradigm for mental typewriting. We investigated the RSVP speller in three conditions, regarding the Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA) and the use of color features. A vocabulary of 30 symbols was presented one-by-one in a pseudo random sequence at the same location of display. All twelve participants were able to successfully operate the RSVP speller. The results show a mean online spelling rate of 1.43 symb/min and a mean symbol selection accuracy of 94.8% in the best condition. We conclude that the RSVP is a promising paradigm for BCI spelling and its performance is competitive with the fastest gaze-independent spellers in literature. The RSVP speller does not require gaze shifts towards different target locations and can be operated by non-spatial visual attention, therefore it can be considered as a valid paradigm in applications with patients for impaired oculo-motor control. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Breast cancer patients' presentation for oncological treatment: a single centre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinkuolie, Akinbolaji Andrew; Etonyeaku, Amarachukwu Chiduziem; Olasehinde, Olalekan; Arowolo, Olukayode Adeolu; Babalola, Rereloluwa Nicodemus

    2016-01-01

    Breast cancer patients are presenting at advanced stages for oncological treatment in Nigeria and World Health Organization predicted developing countries' breast cancer incidence and mortality to increase by year 2020. Prospective observational hospital based study that enrolled breast cancer patients from catchment area of an oncology service hospital in Nigeria between 2007 and 2013. Patients' demographics, breast cancer burden and health care giver presentation variables were analysed for causal factors of seeking medical help and what determines commencement of effective oncological treatment. Forty-six patients were enrolled, 19.6% of them presented primarily to oncologist while 80.4% presented secondarily for oncological treatment. There is a significant difference in presentation time for oncological treatment (t = -3.56, df = 42.90, p = 0.001) between primary (M =11.56 ± 5.21 weeks) and secondary presentation (M= 52.56 ± 10.27weeks). Tumor burden of those that presented secondarily were significantly more advanced (U = 78.5, p = 0.011) and, univariate analysis reveals that: patients' matrimonial setting, breast cancer awareness and mode of discovery of breast symptoms are patient related factors that determines their choice of health care providers and, determinant of effective oncological treatment is patient first contact health care provider. Patients' bio-characteristics that determine their choice of health care provider should be incorporated into community breast cancer sensitization drives. Additionally, there is a need for a government agency assign the task of accrediting and defining scope of enterprise of health care institutions and their health care providers in our pluralist health system.

  15. Isolation and characterization of twelve microsatellite loci for the Japanese Devilray (Mobula japanica)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poortvliet, Marloes; Galvan-Magana, Felipe; Bernardi, Giacomo; Croll, Donald A.; Olsen, Jeanine L.

    2011-01-01

    Twelve polymorphic microsatellites loci were characterized for Mobula japanica (Japanese Devilray) using an enrichment protocol. All but two loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium with no evidence of linkage disequilibrium or null-alleles for a sample of 40 individuals from two populations. The

  16. Demonstration of anticoagulation patient self-testing feasibility at an Indian Health Service facility: A case series analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schupbach RR

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Anticoagulation patient self-testing (PST represents an alternative approach to warfarin monitoring by enabling patients to use coagulometers to test their international normalized ratio (INR values. PST offers several advantages that potentially improve warfarin management. Objective: To describe implementation and associated performance of a PST demonstration program at an Indian Health Service (IHS facility. Methods: A non-consecutive case series analysis of patients from a pharmacy-managed PST demonstration program was performed at an IHS facility in Oklahoma between July 2008 and February 2009.Results: Mean time in therapeutic range (TTR for the seven patients showed a small, absolute increase during the twelve weeks of PST compared to the twelve weeks prior to PST. Four of the seven patients had an increase in TTR during the twelve week course of PST compared to their baseline TTR. Three of four patients with increased TTR in the final eight week period of PST achieved a TTR of 100%. Of the three patients who experienced a decrease in TTR after initiating self-testing, two initially presented with a TTR of 100% prior to PST and one patient had a TTR of 100% for the final eight weeks of PST. The two patients not achieving a TTR of 100% during the twelve week PST period demonstrated an increase in TTR following the first four weeks of PST. Conclusion: Although anticoagulation guidelines now emphasize patient self-management (PSM only, optimal PST remains an integral process in PSM delivery. In the patients studied, the results of this analysis suggest that PST at the IHS facility provided a convenient, alternative method for management of chronic warfarin therapy for qualified patients. More than half of the patients demonstrated improvement in TTR. Although there is a learning curve immediately following PST initiation, the mean TTR for the entire PST period increased modestly when compared to the time period prior to PST.

  17. Pseudohypertension-Like Presentation: An Exceptionally Rare Presentation in an Athletic Female Patient with Morphea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Al-Imam

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Pseudohypertension is a condition which mainly occurs due to thickening-calcification of tunica intima of the arterial wall, leading to a faulty measurement of the intra-arterial blood pressure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report in literature, of a pseudohypertension-like presentation in association with Morphea en plaque. Case Presentation. This is a rare presentation of a young athletic female and a professional tennis player, with pseudohypertension-like presentation. The patient had a traumatic injury to the right elbow joint; the injury occurred during a professional tennis match. The injury was managed by immobilization, physiotherapy, and Low-Level Laser Therapy. Soon after that, the patient had a circumscribed sclerotic ivory plaque affecting the skin of the right cubital fossa. The histopathology analysis, together with the serological-hematological tests and the clinical picture, along with positive Osler’s signs, leads to the conclusive diagnosis of Morphea en plaque. The peculiar anatomic localization of the plaque anterior to the brachial artery leads to faulty blood pressure measurement as recorded by mercurial sphygmomanometer. Conclusion. This unique presentation of Morphea en plaque carries an important message in relation to the basic medical practice and in relation to the accurate measurement of the vital signs.

  18. Definition of a Twelve-Point Polygonal SAA Boundary for the GLAST Mission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Djomehri, Sabra I.; UC, Santa Cruz; SLAC

    2007-01-01

    The Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), set to launch in early 2008, detects gamma rays within a huge energy range of 100 MeV - 300 GeV. Background cosmic radiation interferes with such detection resulting in confusion over distinguishing cosmic from gamma rays encountered. This quandary is resolved by encasing GLAST's Large Area Telescope (LAT) with an Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD), a device which identifies and vetoes charged particles. The ACD accomplishes this through plastic scintillator tiles; when cosmic rays strike, photons produced induce currents in Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) attached to these tiles. However, as GLAST orbits Earth at altitudes ∼550km and latitudes between -26 degree and 26 degree, it will confront the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), a region of high particle flux caused by trapped radiation in the geomagnetic field. Since the SAA flux would degrade the sensitivity of the ACD's PMTs over time, a determined boundary enclosing this region need be attained, signaling when to lower the voltage on the PMTs as a protective measure. The operational constraints on such a boundary require a convex SAA polygon with twelve edges, whose area is minimal ensuring GLAST has maximum observation time. The AP8 and PSB97 models describing the behavior of trapped radiation were used in analyzing the SAA and defining a convex SAA boundary of twelve sides. The smallest possible boundary was found to cover 14.58% of GLAST's observation time. Further analysis of defining a boundary safety margin to account for inaccuracies in the models reveals if the total SAA hull area is increased by ∼20%, the loss of total observational area is < 5%. These twelve coordinates defining the SAA flux region are ready for implementation by the GLAST satellite

  19. Breast conserving therapy in breast cancer patients presenting with nipple discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obedian, Edward; Haffty, Bruce G.

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: To retrospectively review the outcome of conservatively treated breast cancer patients who present with nipple discharge at initial diagnosis. Methods and Materials: The charts of 1097 patients undergoing conservative surgery and radiation therapy between January 1970 and December 1990 were reviewed. All patient data, including clinical, pathologic, treatment, and outcome variables were entered onto a computerized database. For the current study, specific attention was directed to the initial presenting symptoms and patients were divided into two groups: those presenting at initial diagnosis with nipple discharge (D/C-YES, n = 17), and those presenting without nipple discharge (D/C-NO, n = 1080). Results: As of August 1998, with a median follow-up of 12 years, the 10-year actuarial survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and breast relapse-free survival rates for the overall population were 73%, 78%, and 83%, respectively. Although the D/C-YES and D/C-NO groups were well balanced with respect to the majority of clinical factors, the D/C-YES patients had a higher percentage of DCIS histology (7.3% vs 1.2%, p < 0.01), were less likely to undergo reexcision (12% vs 35%), and were more frequently under age 40 (35% vs 12%) than the D/C-NO patients. Over the time span of this study, status of the final surgical margin was indeterminate in the majority of cases. Local relapses occurred in 6 of the 17 patients in the D/C-YES group, resulting in a 10-year actuarial breast relapse-free survival rate of 50%, which was significantly lower than the 10-year breast relapse-free survival rate of 86% in the D/C-NO population. Among the patients presenting with nipple discharge, those with sacrifice of the nipple areolar complex had a lower local relapse rate than those patients who had conservation of the nipple areolar complex (20% vs 42%), although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Although patients presenting with nipple discharge

  20. Millipedes (Diplopoda of twelve caves in Western Mecsek, Southwest Hungary

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angyal, D.

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Twelve caves of Western Mecsek, Southwest Hungary were examined between September 2010 and April 2013from the millipede (Diplopoda faunistical point of view. Ten species were found in eight caves, which consistedeutroglophile and troglobiont elements as well. The cave with the most diverse fauna was the Törökpince Sinkhole, while thetwo previously also investigated caves, the Abaligeti Cave and the Mánfai-kőlyuk Cave provided less species, which couldbe related to their advanced touristic and industrial utilization.

  1. Morphology of the spermathecae of twelve species of Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) vectors of Chagas disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nascimento, Juliana Damieli; Ribeiro, Aline Rimoldi; Almeida, Larissa Aguiar; de Oliveira, Jader; Mendonça, Vagner José; Cilense, Mário; da Rosa, João Aristeu

    2017-12-01

    Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted by triatomines that have been described in a large number of studies. Most of those studies are related to external morphology and taxonomy, but some biochemical, genetic and physiological studies have also been published. There are a few publications in the literature about the internal organs of Triatominae, for instance the spermathecae, which are responsible for storing and maintaining the viability of the spermatozoids until the fertilization of the oocytes. This work aims to study the spermathecae of twelve species of triatomines obtained from the Triatominae Insectarium of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNESP, Araraquara, using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The spermathecae of the twelve species studied showed three morphological patterns: a) P. herreri sn, P. lignarius, P. megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis, T. juazeirensis, T. sherlocki and T. tibiamaculata have spermathecae with a thin initial portion and an oval-shaped final portion; b) R. montenegrensis, R. nasutus, R. neglectus, R. pictipes and R. prolixus have tubular and winding spermathecae; c) T. infestans has oval spermathecae. In addition to the three morphological patterns, it was noted that each of the twelve species has particular features that differentiate them. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Current Microbial Pattern of Patients Presenting with Pre-Labour ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Current Microbial Pattern of Patients Presenting with Pre-Labour Rupture of Membranes (PROM) at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. ... Subject: Fifty antenatal patients with premature Rapture of Membranes and 50 controls. Results: A total of 100 questionnaires and laboratory liquor microscopic culture and ...

  3. Endovascular Management of Patients with Head and Neck Cancers Presenting with Acute Hemorrhage: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vilas Boas, P. P.; Castro-Afonso, L. H. de; Monsignore, L. M.; Nakiri, G. S. [University of São Paulo, Division of Interventional Neuroradiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School (Brazil); Mello-Filho, F. V. de [University of São Paulo, Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Ribeirão Preto Medical School (Brazil); Abud, D. G., E-mail: dgabud@fmrp.usp.br [University of São Paulo, Division of Interventional Neuroradiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School (Brazil)

    2017-04-15

    PurposeAcute hemorrhage associated with cancers of the head and neck is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate action. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of endovascular embolization for acute hemorrhage in patients with head and neck cancers.Materials and MethodsData were retrospectively collected from patients with head and neck cancers who underwent endovascular embolization to treat acute hemorrhage. The primary endpoint was the rate of immediate control of hemorrhage during the first 24 h after embolization. The secondary endpoints were technical or clinical complications, rate of re-hemorrhage 24 h after the procedure, time from embolization to re-hemorrhage, hospitalization time, mortality rate, and time from embolization to death.ResultsFifty-one patients underwent endovascular embolization. The primary endpoint was achieved in 94% of patients. The rate of technical complications was 5.8%, and no clinical complication was observed. Twelve patients (23.5%) had hemorrhage recurrence after an average time of 127.5 days. The average hospitalization time was 7.4 days, the mortality rate during the follow-up period was 66.6%, and the average time from embolization to death was 132.5 days.ConclusionEndovascular embolization to treat acute hemorrhage in patients with head and neck cancers is a safe and effective method for the immediate control of hemorrhage and results in a high rate of hemorrhage control. Larger studies are necessary to determine which treatment strategy is best for improving patient outcomes.

  4. Endovascular Management of Patients with Head and Neck Cancers Presenting with Acute Hemorrhage: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vilas Boas, P. P.; Castro-Afonso, L. H. de; Monsignore, L. M.; Nakiri, G. S.; Mello-Filho, F. V. de; Abud, D. G.

    2017-01-01

    PurposeAcute hemorrhage associated with cancers of the head and neck is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate action. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of endovascular embolization for acute hemorrhage in patients with head and neck cancers.Materials and MethodsData were retrospectively collected from patients with head and neck cancers who underwent endovascular embolization to treat acute hemorrhage. The primary endpoint was the rate of immediate control of hemorrhage during the first 24 h after embolization. The secondary endpoints were technical or clinical complications, rate of re-hemorrhage 24 h after the procedure, time from embolization to re-hemorrhage, hospitalization time, mortality rate, and time from embolization to death.ResultsFifty-one patients underwent endovascular embolization. The primary endpoint was achieved in 94% of patients. The rate of technical complications was 5.8%, and no clinical complication was observed. Twelve patients (23.5%) had hemorrhage recurrence after an average time of 127.5 days. The average hospitalization time was 7.4 days, the mortality rate during the follow-up period was 66.6%, and the average time from embolization to death was 132.5 days.ConclusionEndovascular embolization to treat acute hemorrhage in patients with head and neck cancers is a safe and effective method for the immediate control of hemorrhage and results in a high rate of hemorrhage control. Larger studies are necessary to determine which treatment strategy is best for improving patient outcomes.

  5. Beta-blocker withdrawal among patients presenting for surgery from home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schonberger, Robert B.; Lukens, Carrie L.; Turkoglu, O. Dicle; Feinleib, Jessica L.; Haspel, Kenneth L.; Burg, Matthew M.

    2012-01-01

    Structured Abstract Objective This study sought to measure the incidence of perioperative beta-blocker non-compliance by patients who were prescribed chronic beta blocker therapy and presented for surgery from home. The effect of patient non-compliance on day of surgery presenting heart rate was also examined. Design Prospective observational study with outcome data obtained from review of the medical record. Setting The preoperative clinic and operating rooms of a Veterans Administration hospital. Participants Patients on chronic beta blocker therapy who presented from home for surgery. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Demographic and comorbidity data as well as data on self-reported compliance to beta-blocker therapy, initial day of surgery vital signs, and recent ambulatory vital signs were collected. Ten out of fifty subjects (20%; 95% CI = 9-31%) reported not taking their day of surgery beta-blocker. These self-reported non-adherers demonstrated a higher presenting heart rate on the day of surgery vs. adherent subjects (median of 78 beats per minute vs. 65 beats per minute, p=0.02 by Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test). The difference-in-difference between baseline primary care and day of surgery heart rate was also statistically significant between compliant and non-compliant subjects (-7 beats per minute vs. +12.5 beats per minute, p<0.00001). Conclusions Patient self-report and physiologic data documented failure to take beta-blockers and possible beta-blocker withdrawal in 20% of patients who presented for surgery from home. If these findings are confirmed in larger studies, improved patient understanding of and compliance with medication instructions during preoperative visits should be a focus of future quality improvement initiatives. PMID:22418043

  6. Patient reported outcomes in NRG Oncology RTOG 0938, evaluating two ultrahypofractionated regimens for prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukka, Himanshu R; Pugh, Stephanie L; Bruner, Deborah W; Bahary, Jean-Paul; Lawton, Colleen A F; Efstathiou, Jason A; Kudchadker, Rajat J; Ponsky, Lee E; Seaward, Samantha A; Dayes, Ian S; Gopaul, Darindra D; Michalski, Jeff M; Delouya, Guila; Kaplan, Irving D; Horwitz, Eric M; Roach, Mack; Pinover, Wayne H; Beyer, David C; Amanie, John O; Sandler, Howard M; Kachnic, Lisa A

    2018-06-15

    There is considerable interest in very short (ultrahypofractionated) radiotherapy regimens to treat prostate cancer based on potential radiobiological advantages, patient convenience and resource allocation benefits. To demonstrate that detectable changes in health related quality of life measured by the bowel and urinary domains of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-50) were not substantially worse than baseline. XXXX is a non-blinded randomized phase II study of NCCN low risk prostate cancer where each arm is compared to a historical control. Patients were randomized to five fractions (7.25Gy in two weeks), or twelve fractions (4.3Gy in 2.5 weeks). The co-primary endpoints were the proportion of patients with a change in EPIC bowel score at one year (baseline to one-year) >five points and in EPIC urinary score >two points tested with a one-sample binomial test. and Limitations: 127 patients were enrolled to five fractions (121 analyzed) and 128 to twelve fractions (125 analyzed). Median follow-up for all patients at the time of analysis was 3.8 years. The one year frequency for >five point change in bowel score for five and twelve fractions were 29.8%(ptwo point change in urinary score for five and twelve fractions were 45.7%(p<0.001) and 42.2%(p<0.001) respectively. For five and twelve fractions 32.9% of patients had a drop in 1 year EPIC sexual score ≥ 11 points (p=0.34) while 30.9% of patients had a drop in 1 year EPIC sexual score ≥11 points (p=0.20) in the twelve fraction arm respectively. DFS at two years is 93.3% (95% CI: 88.8, 97.8) and 88.3% (95% CI: 82.5, 94.0) in the five and twelve fraction arms, respectively. There was no late grade 4 or 5 treatment-related urinary or bowel toxicity. This study confirms that based on changes in bowel and urinary domains and toxicity (acute and late) the five and twelve fractions regimens are well tolerated. These ultrahypofractionated approaches need to be compared to current standard radiotherapy

  7. Radiotherapy as adjunct to surgery for malignant carotid body paragangliomas presenting with lymph node metastases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mayer, R.; Poschauko, J.; Fruhwirth, J.; Beham, A.; Groell, R.

    2000-01-01

    Between 1985 and 1994, 3 female patients (51 to 65 years of age) were referred for postoperative radiotherapy after complete (2) or incomplete (1) surgical excision of a malignant carotid paraganglioma (Shamblin III). Preoperative angiographic embolization of the tumor-supplying arteries was performed in all cases. In 2 patients resection of the internal carotid artery and reconstruction by saphenous vein graft was necessary. Continuous course radiotherapy of the tumor bed (50 to 56 Gy/2 Gy) and regional lymph nodes (50 Gy) using photon beams was delivered in 2 patients. The third patient having had incomplete resection cancelled radiotherapy after 4 Gy. Results: Within an observation time of 110 and 119 months no evidence of recurrence was obtained in both patients irradiated postoperatively. The third patient died of progressive disease. Twelve months after the withdrawn irradiation she presented with a tumor progression into the brain and an ulcerated mass on the right side of the neck and was irradiated consecutively for palliation. In none of the patients severe acute or late radiation-induced complications were observed. (orig.) [de

  8. Clinical Presentation and Outcome of Patients With Optic Pathway Glioma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert-Boire, Viviane; Rosca, Lorena; Samson, Yvan; Ospina, Luis H; Perreault, Sébastien

    2017-10-01

    Optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) occur sporadically or in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical presentation at diagnosis and at progression of patients with OPGs. We conducted a chart review of patients with OPGs diagnosed in a single center over a period of 15 years. Demographic data including age, sex, NF1 status, clinical presentation, and outcome were collected. Of the 40 patients who were identified, 23 had sporadic tumors (57.5%) and 17 had NF1-related tumors (42.5%). Among the children with NF1, there was a significant overrepresentation of girls (82.3%) (P = 0.02), while among the children without NF1, there were slightly more boys (56.5%) than girls (43.5%). The presence of nystagmus was strongly associated with sporadic optic pathway gliomas. Poor visual outcome was related to tumor affecting both optic pathways, hydrocephalus at diagnosis, and optic nerve atrophy. Of the 40 patients, five died of OPG complications (12.5%) and all had sporadic tumors. Our cohort is one of the largest with OPGs and a detailed description of the clinical presentation both at diagnosis and at progression. We observed a significant difference between sporadic and NF1 optic pathway gliomas in terms of demographics, clinical presentation, and outcome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Graphospasm - clinical presentation, etiology and the course of disease: Analysis of 30 cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kačar Aleksandra

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION Dystonia, as prolonged, involuntary muscle contraction, causes torsion, repetitive movements and abnormal body position. In so far only a part of body is affected by dystonic movement, it is the question of focal dystonia, which is called writer's cramp if the arm is involved. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to present the specific clinical features of patients with task-specific dystonia, who were diagnosed, treated and followed up at the Institute of Neurology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade. MATERIAL AND METHODS In the period 1995-2003, 30 patients with task-specific dystonia were treated at the Institute of Neurology, CCS, who met the adopted criteria for diagnosis. The severity of the diseases was tested by estimating the ability of patient to write the test sentence per time unit, as well as by means of scale for measuring different disabilities, ranging from 0-16 (Marsden-Fahn. Depression, anxiety and obsessiveness were tested by Beck's scale, Hamilton's depression and anxiety scale and Mousdly's obsessiveness scale. Thorough questionnaire focused on clinical details was also used. Besides descriptive statistics, data processing included analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis's test. RESULTS Thirty patients with diagnosis of task-specific dystonia were analyzed. At the onset of the disease, mean-age was 34.1 years (SD=11.4; 13-58, while the duration of disease at the moment of the examination was 10.3 years (SD=10.6; 1-39. There were 20 males and 10 females (sex ratio 2:1. None of the patients reported any history of trauma of subsequently affected region before the development of discomforts. Twelve patients used their hands for a long time during their professions (writing, playing the instrument, type-writing, etc.. Eight patients were typists (26.6%, four were musicians (13.3%, while the rest of cases (18 had some other occupations that did not necessarily imply long-term use of hands (office worker

  10. Mass gathering medicine: a predictive model for patient presentation and transport rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arbon, P; Bridgewater, F H; Smith, C

    2001-01-01

    This paper reports on research into the influence of environmental factors (including crowd size, temperature, humidity, and venue type) on the number of patients and the patient problems presenting to first-aid services at large, public events in Australia. Regression models were developed to predict rates of patient presentation and of transportation-to-a-hospital for future mass gatherings. To develop a data set and predictive model that can be applied across venues and types of mass gathering events that is not venue or event specific. Data collected will allow informed event planning for future mass gatherings for which health care services are required. Mass gatherings were defined as public events attended by in excess of 25,000 people. Over a period of 12 months, 201 mass gatherings attended by a combined audience in excess of 12 million people were surveyed throughout Australia. The survey was undertaken by St. John Ambulance Australia personnel. The researchers collected data on the incidence and type of patients presenting for treatment and on the environmental factors that may influence these presentations. A standard reporting format and definition of event geography was employed to overcome the event-specific nature of many previous surveys. There are 11,956 patients in the sample. The patient presentation rate across all event types was 0.992/1,000 attendees, and the transportation-to-hospital rate was 0.027/1,000 persons in attendance. The rates of patient presentations declined slightly as crowd sizes increased. The weather (particularly the relative humidity) was related positively to an increase in the rates of presentations. Other factors that influenced the number and type of patients presenting were the mobility of the crowd, the availability of alcohol, the event being enclosed by a boundary, and the number of patient-care personnel on duty. Three regression models were developed to predict presentation rates at future events. Several

  11. Retinal tear presenting in a patient with ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grogg, Jane Ann; Port, Nicholas; Graham, Trevor

    2014-04-01

    This article aims to report a case of known ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia in a young male patient who subsequently was found to have a retinal tear and localized retinal detachment. This is a case report of a 22-year-old white male patient with a history of ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia. Our patient initially presented with an acute exacerbation of bilateral, red, irritated eyes. No recent changes in vision were reported. The patient's ocular surface disease was consistent with ectrodermal dysplasia syndrome. However, a dilated fundus examination revealed an asymptomatic retinal tear with a surrounding localized retinal detachment. In this case, the patient presented with longstanding ocular surface disease known to be associated with this patient's inherited ectoderm disorder. In addition, this patient revealed a retinal tear, raising the possibility that patients with inherited congenital ectodermal dysplasia could be at risk for damaged structures originating from the neural ectoderm. In this heterogeneous disease, we are contributing to the existing literature a case of ectodermal dysplasia syndrome with obvious ectodermal complications that also had retinal findings leading us to speculate question if neural ectoderm could also be involved in this inherited disease.

  12. Neglected Alkaptonuric Patient Presenting with Steppage Gait

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babak Mirzashahi

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Even though intervertebral disc degeneration can be found in the natural course of alkaptonuria, detection of the disease by black disc color change in a patient without any other presentation of alkaptonuria is an exceptionally rare condition. We have reported a very rare case of alkaptonuria presented with low back pain and steppage gait in a 51-year-old male with a complaint of chronic low-back pain and steppage gait who was operated on for prolapsed lumbar disc herniation. Intraoperatively his lumbar disk was discovered to be black. The alkaptonuria diagnosis was considered after histopathological examination of the black disc material and elevated urinary concentration of homogentisic acid confirmed the diagnosis. To our knowledge, this presentation has not been reported previously in literature.

  13. Functional Imaging Signature of Patients Presenting with Polycythemia/Paraganglioma Syndromes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janssen, Ingo; Chen, Clara C; Zhuang, Zhenping; Millo, Corina M; Wolf, Katherine I; Ling, Alexander; Lin, Frank I; Adams, Karen T; Herscovitch, Peter; Feelders, Richard A; Fojo, Antonio T; Taieb, David; Kebebew, Electron; Pacak, Karel

    2017-08-01

    Pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL) syndromes associated with polycythemia have previously been described in association with mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau gene. Recently, mutations in the prolyl hydroxylase gene ( PHD ) 1 and 2 and in the hypoxia-inducible factor 2 α ( HIF2A ) were also found to be associated with multiple and recurrent PPGL. Such patients also presented with PPGL and polycythemia, and later on, some presented with duodenal somatostatinoma. In additional patients presenting with PPGL and polycythemia, no further mutations have been discovered. Because the functional imaging signature of patients with PPGL-polycythemia syndromes is still unknown, and because these tumors (in most patients) are multiple, recurrent, and metastatic, the goal of our study was to assess the optimal imaging approach using 4 different PET radiopharmaceuticals and CT/MRI in these patients. Methods: Fourteen patients (10 women, 4 men) with confirmed PPGL and polycythemia prospectively underwent 68 Ga-DOTATATE (13 patients), 18 F-FDG (13 patients), 18 F-fluorodihydroxyphenylalanine ( 18 F-FDOPA) (14 patients), 18 F-fluorodopamine ( 18 F-FDA) (11 patients), and CT/MRI (14 patients). Detection rates of PPGL lesions were compared between all imaging studies and stratified between the underlying mutations. Results: 18 F-FDOPA and 18 F-FDA PET/CT showed similar combined lesion-based detection rates of 98.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 92.7%-99.8%) and 98.3% (95% CI, 90.9%-99.7%), respectively. The detection rates for 68 Ga-DOTATATE (35.3%; 95% CI, 25.0%-47.2%), 18 F-FDG (42.3; 95% CI, 29.9%-55.8%), and CT/MRI (60.3%; 95% CI, 48.8%-70.7%) were significantly lower ( P < 0.01), irrespective of the mutation status. Conclusion: 18 F-FDOPA and 18 F-FDA are superior to 18 F-FDG, 68 Ga-DOTATATE, and CT/MRI and should be the radiopharmaceuticals of choice in this rare group of patients. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

  14. Signs and symptoms of patients with brain tumors presenting to the emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snyder, H; Robinson, K; Shah, D; Brennan, R; Handrigan, M

    1993-01-01

    This retrospective chart review was conducted to determine the presenting signs and symptoms of patients with primary brain tumors diagnosed in the emergency department. There were 101 patients (65 males and 36 females) identified with a hospital discharge diagnosis of primary brain tumor who were admitted through the emergency department. The presenting symptoms included headache (56 patients), altered mental status (51 patients), ataxia (41 patients), nausea or vomiting (37 patients), weakness (27 patients), speech deficits (21 patients), and sensory abnormalities (18 patients). The presenting signs included motor weakness (37 patients), ataxia (37 patients), papilledema (28 patients), cranial nerve palsies (26 patients), visual deficits (20 patients), and speech deficits (12 patients). The average age was 42.8 years, with a range of 3 days to 88 years. The majority of tumors were malignant astrocytomas. Tumor location was cortical in 68 patients, subcortical in 9 patients, and brainstem or cerebellum in 24 patients. In conclusion, patients of all ages may present to the emergency department with a variety of symptoms resulting from a primary brain tumor. Headache and altered mental status were common in our series of patients, but symptoms will depend on the size, location, and type of tumor. A complete neurologic examination is essential, including evaluation for papilledema.

  15. Two-dimensional liquid chromatography consisting of twelve second-dimension columns for comprehensive analysis of intact proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Jiangtao; Beckner, Matthew A; Lynch, Kyle B; Chen, Huang; Zhu, Zaifang; Yang, Yu; Chen, Apeng; Qiao, Zhenzhen; Liu, Shaorong; Lu, Joann J

    2018-05-15

    A comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LCxLC) system consisting of twelve columns in the second dimension was developed for comprehensive analysis of intact proteins in complex biological samples. The system consisted of an ion-exchange column in the first dimension and the twelve reverse-phase columns in the second dimension; all thirteen columns were monolithic and prepared inside 250 µm i.d. capillaries. These columns were assembled together through the use of three valves and an innovative configuration. The effluent from the first dimension was continuously fractionated and sequentially transferred into the twelve second-dimension columns, while the second-dimension separations were carried out in a series of batches (six columns per batch). This LCxLC system was tested first using standard proteins followed by real-world samples from E. coli. Baseline separation was observed for eleven standard proteins and hundreds of peaks were observed for the real-world sample analysis. Two-dimensional liquid chromatography, often considered as an effective tool for mapping proteins, is seen as laborious and time-consuming when configured offline. Our online LCxLC system with increased second-dimension columns promises to provide a solution to overcome these hindrances. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. [Heritage Education Lesson Plans and Slide Presentations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Buren, Maurie

    Field tested in 27 schools and in grades four through twelve, this teaching unit stresses heritage education through the study of southern U.S. architectural styles for homes from the pioneer log structures to the 1950s ranch home. Each of the four lessons in this unit focuses around a slide presentation of 20 slides designed to fit into one…

  17. CT Angiography and Presentation NIH stroke Scale in Predicting TIA in Patients Presenting with Acute Stroke Symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karaman, Bedriye; Selph, James; Burdine, Joselyn; Graham, Cole Blease; Sen, Souvik

    2013-11-08

    Patient candidacy for acute stroke intervention, is currently assessed using brain computed tomography angiography (CTA) evidence of significant stenosis/occlusion (SSO) with a high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (>6). This study examined the association between CTA without significant stenosis/occlusion (NSSO) and lower NIHSS (≤ 6) with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and other good clinical outcomes at discharge. Patients presenting TIA, modified Rankin Score [mRS] ≤ 1, and home as the discharge disposition. Eighty-five patients received both an NIHSS at presentation and a CTA at 4.2 ± 2.2 hours from stroke symptom onset. Patients with NSSO on CTA as well as those with NIHSS≤6 had better outcomes at discharge (pTIA (pTIA. Addition of NIHSS ≤ 6 to NSSO on CTA proved to be a stronger independent predictor of TIA (Adjusted OR 18.7 95% CI: 3.5-98.9, p=0.001).

  18. Trauma patients who present in a delayed fashion: a unique and challenging population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kao, Mary J; Nunez, Hector; Monaghan, Sean F; Heffernan, Daithi S; Adams, Charles A; Lueckel, Stephanie N; Stephen, Andrew H

    2017-02-01

    A proportion of trauma patients present for evaluation in a delayed fashion after injury, likely due to a variety of medical and nonmedical reasons. There has been little investigation into the characteristics and outcomes of trauma patients who present delayed. We hypothesize that trauma patients who present in a delayed fashion are a unique population at risk of increased trauma-related complications. This was a retrospective review from 2010-2015 at a Level I trauma center. Patients were termed delayed if they presented >24 hours after injury. Patients admitted within 24 hours of their injury were the comparison group. Charts were reviewed for demographics, mechanism, comorbidities, complications and outcomes. A subgroup analysis was done on patients who suffered falls. During the 5-y period, 11,705 patients were admitted. A total of 588 patients (5%) presented >24 h after their injury. Patients in the delayed group were older (65 versus 55 y, P fashion have unique characteristics and are more likely to suffer negative outcomes including substance withdrawal. Future goals will include exploring strategies for early intervention, such as automatic withdrawal monitoring and social work referral for all patients who present in a delayed fashion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Ward Round - Late Presentation of Acute Compartment Syndrome in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    following the course of ibuprofen mentioned. Twelve days after admission he started to complain of increasing pain and tightness in his left thigh. Sensation and motor function. Ward Round - Late Presentation of Acute. Compartment Syndrome in the Thigh. University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Department of Surgery,.

  20. Breast cancer patients' presentation for oncological treatment: a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Introduction: Breast cancer patients are presenting at advanced stages for oncological treatment in Nigeria and World Health Organization predicted developing countries' breast cancer incidence and mortality to increase by year 2020. Methods: Prospective observational hospital based study that enrolled breast cancer ...

  1. Gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal presentation in patients with celiac disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehsani-Ardakani, Mohammad Javad; Rostami Nejad, Mohammad; Villanacci, Vincenzo; Volta, Umberto; Manenti, Stefania; Caio, Giacomo; Giovenali, Paolo; Becheanu, Gabriel; Diculescu, Mircea; Pellegrino, Salvatore; Magazzù, Giuseppe; Casella, Giovanni; Di Bella, Camillo; Decarli, Nicola; Biancalani, Mauro; Bassotti, Gabrio; Hogg-Kollars, Sabine; Zali, Mohammad Reza; Rostami, Kamran

    2013-02-01

    Celiac disease (CD) may have a variety of different presentations. This study has aimed to explore the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) and non-GI symptoms in patients with CD according to data collected in Italy and Romania (Europe) and Iran (Middle East). This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in Iran, Romania and Italy with data collection during the period from May 2009 - May 2011. For each center we included only patients with CD that was confirmed by endoscopy, small bowel biopsies and positive serology. GI symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea and vomiting, weight loss and flatulence, as well as additional signs and symptoms of iron deficiency anemia (IDA), osteoporosis, hypertransaminasemia, and other related abnormalities were collected. Overall, 323 women and 127 men, whose mean age at diagnosis was 34.2 ± 16.47 years were included in this study. Of these, 157 subjects (34.9%) reported at least one GI symptom. The majority of cases had the following primary presenting GI symptoms: diarrhea (13.6%), dyspepsia and constipation (4.0%). Other disease symptoms were reported by 168 (37.3%) patients. The most presenting non-GI symptoms in the majority of cases were anemia (20.7%) and osteopenia (6%). There were statistically significant differences between the majority of symptoms when we compared the reported clinical symptoms from different countries. This study indicated that upper abdominal disorders such as abdominal pain and dyspepsia were the most common primary complaints among European patients, whereas Iranian patients had complaints of diarrhea and bloating as the classic presentations of CD. For non-GI symptoms, anemia was the most frequent complaint for both Iranian and Italian patients; however it was significantly higher in Iranians.

  2. Aerobic training in aquatic environment improves the position sense of stroke patients: A randomized clinical trial

    OpenAIRE

    Flávia de Andrade e Souza Mazuchi; Aline Bigongiari; Juliana Valente Francica; Patricia Martins Franciulli; Luis Mochizuki; Joseph Hamill; Ulysses Fernandes Ervilha

    2018-01-01

    Abstract AIMS (Stroke patients often present sensory-motor alterations and less aerobic capacity. Joint position sense, which is crucial for balance and gait control, is also affected in stroke patients). To compare the effect of two exercise training protocols (walking in deep water and on a treadmill) on the knee position sense of stroke patients. METHODS This study was designed as a randomized controlled clinical trial. Twelve adults, who suffered a stroke at least one year prior to the ...

  3. Turner Syndrome in Girls Presenting with Coarctation of the Aorta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckhauser, Aaron; South, Sarah T; Meyers, Lindsay; Bleyl, Steven B; Botto, Lorenzo D

    2015-11-01

    To evaluate the frequency of Turner syndrome in a population-based, statewide cohort of girls with coarctation of the aorta. The Utah Birth Defects Network was used to ascertain a cohort of girls between 1997 and 2011 with coarctation of the aorta. Livebirths with isolated coarctation of the aorta or transverse arch hypoplasia were included and patients with complex congenital heart disease not usually seen in Turner syndrome were excluded. Of 244 girls with coarctation of the aorta, 77 patients were excluded, leaving a cohort of 167 girls; 86 patients (51%) had chromosomal studies and 21 (12.6%) were diagnosed with Turner syndrome. All patients were diagnosed within the first 4 months of life and 5 (24%) were diagnosed prenatally. Fifteen patients (71%) had Turner syndrome-related findings in addition to coarctation of the aorta. Girls with mosaicism were less likely to have Turner syndrome-associated findings (3/6 mosaic girls compared with 12/17 girls with non-mosaic 45,X). Twelve girls (57%) diagnosed with Turner syndrome also had a bicommissural aortic valve. At least 12.6% of girls born with coarctation of the aorta have karyotype-confirmed Turner syndrome. Such a high frequency, combined with the clinical benefits of an early diagnosis, supports genetic screening for Turner syndrome in girls presenting with coarctation of the aorta. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. [Vomiting as main symptom: unusual presentation of a hyperthyroidism in a 12-year-old boy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller-Michaels, J; Bürk, G; Andler, W

    1997-01-01

    A twelve year old boy presented with a sudden onset of recurrent nausea and vomiting. During the past six weeks he had a weight loss of 13 kg. While he was in the hospital, persistent tachycardia and a slightly elevated blood pressure were noted. The gastroenterologic, cardiologic and neuropediatric examinations were normal. To exclude the differential diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, thyroid hormones were checked. They showed clearly elevated levels of tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine, while thyrotropin was suppressed. The boy did not have a goiter. Under thyrostatic therapy his clinical condition improved quickly. Among our 20 patients with hyperthyroidism he was the only one whose main symptom was severe vomiting.

  5. Acute porphyrias: clinical spectrum of hodpitalized patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheerani, M.; Urfy, M.Z.; Shahid, B.; Hassan, A.

    2007-01-01

    To determine characteristics, clinical features and triggers of acute porphyria in hospitalized patients presenting to a tertiary care center in Pakistan. Case records of 26 patients hospitalized with diagnosis were identified through computerized hospital patients data. The diagnosis of acute porphyria was based on pertinent clinical features and laboratory investigations after exclusion of other alternative diagnosis and patients previously diagnosed as porphyric. The data was analyzed through SPSS software version 11.0. Twelve patients (46.2%) were males. Mean age was 21 years. Most common manifestation were gastrointestinal (n=22; 88.5%) followed by neurological symptoms (n=14; 54%). Neurological manifestations included seizures (n=9; 34.6%) and neuropathy (n=6; 23%). One patient presented with depression and insomnia. Family history was positive in (n=8; 30.8%). Eighteen (69%) had history of previous attacks at their presentation to the hospital. Most common precipitating factor was eating outside (n=18; 69%). Porphyrias are uncommon and cryptic group of diseases. This study shows a slightly different gender distribution, earlier onset of symptoms, higher number of neuropsychiatric symptoms (especially seizures), more distal neuropathies and different precipitant in the studied subset of patients than described previously in the western studies. (author)

  6. Kaposi’s Sarcoma Presenting as Lymphadenopathy in an Immunocompetent Patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hana Zoubeidi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS is an angioproliferative disorder first described in 1872 by Moritz Kaposi. Four main clinical presentations of KS have been described: classic, endemic, iatrogenic and epidemic. KS involvement of the lymph nodes is extremely uncommon in the classical variant form, especially if it precedes the skin manifestations. We describe the case of an elderly HIV-negative patient presenting with lymphadenopathy who was found to have KS. Case Report: A 67-year-old patient was admitted for exploration of polyadenopathies in the context of a general decline in health. Physical examination revealed an erythematosus left lower limb rash associated with angiomatous nodules and multiple lymphadenopathies. The diagnosis of erysipelas in the left leg was retained and the patient was treated with good evolution of the rash but persistence of the angiomatous nodules and the polyadenopathies. Skin and lymph node biopsies led to a diagnosis of KS. The patient is proposed for polychemotherapy. Conclusion: KS must be suspected in lymphadenopathies despite the absence of typical cutaneous signs of the disease and in immunocompetent patients.

  7. Unusual presentations in patients with E200K familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, O S; Kimiagar, I; Korczyn, A D; Nitsan, Z; Appel, S; Hoffmann, C; Rosenmann, H; Kahana, E; Chapman, J

    2016-05-01

    Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (fCJD) in Jews of Libyan ancestry is caused by an E200K mutation in the PRNP gene. The typical presenting symptoms include cognitive decline, behavioral changes and gait disturbances; however, some patients may have an unusual presentation such as a stroke-like presentation, alien hand syndrome or visual disturbances. The aim of this paper is to describe uncommon presentations in our series of consecutive patients with E200K fCJD. The study group included consecutive fCJD patients followed up as part of a longitudinal prospective study ongoing since 2003 or hospitalized since 2005. The clinical diagnosis of probable CJD was based on accepted diagnostic criteria and supported by typical magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalographic findings, elevated cerebrospinal fluid tau protein levels and by genetic testing for the E200K mutation. Disease symptoms and signs were retrieved from the medical files. The study population included 77 patients (42 men) with a mean age of disease onset of 60.6 ± 7.2 years. The most prevalent presenting symptoms were cognitive decline followed by gait impairment and behavioral changes. However, six patients had an unusual presentation including auditory agnosia, monoparesis, stroke-like presentation, facial nerve palsy, pseudobulbar syndrome and alien hand syndrome. Our case series illustrates the wide phenotypic variability of the clinical presentation of patients with fCJD and widens the clinical spectrum of the disease. A high level of clinical suspicion may prove useful in obtaining early diagnosis and therefore avoiding costly and inefficient diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. © 2016 EAN.

  8. Extended investigation of the twelve-flavor β-function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fodor, Zoltán; Holland, Kieran; Kuti, Julius; Nógrádi, Dániel; Wong, Chik Him

    2018-04-01

    We report new results from high precision analysis of an important BSM gauge theory with twelve massless fermion flavors in the fundamental representation of the SU(3) color gauge group. The range of the renormalized gauge coupling is extended from our earlier work [1] to probe the existence of an infrared fixed point (IRFP) in the β-function reported at two different locations, originally in [2] and at a new location in [3]. We find no evidence for the IRFP of the β-function in the extended range of the renormalized gauge coupling, in disagreement with [2,3]. New arguments to guard the existence of the IRFP remain unconvincing [4], including recent claims of an IRFP with ten massless fermion flavors [5,6] which we also rule out. Predictions of the recently completed 5-loop QCD β-function for general flavor number are discussed in this context.

  9. Delay in Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment for Breast Cancer Patients in Jordan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu-Helalah, Ahmad Munir; Alshraideh, Hussam Ahmad; Al-Hanaqtah, Mo'tasem; Da'na, Moh'd; Al-Omari, Asim; Mubaidin, Rasmi

    2016-01-01

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer, and one of the leading causes of death for females in Jordan and many countries in the world. Studies have shown that delay in symptoms presentation, diagnosis or treatment would result in poor prognosis. There has been no published study from Jordan on delays in patient presentation, delays in diagnosis, or delays in treatment. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess these important quality indicators aiming to improve prognosis for breast cancer patients in Jordan. This project was a cross-sectional study on female breast cancer patients in Jordan. The total number of participants was 327. The proportion of patients with presentation delay, diagnosis delay, and treatment delay was 32.2%, 49.1%, or 32.4%, respectively. The main reported reasons for delay in presentation were ignorance of the nature of the problem (65.6%), limited/lack of knowledge that symptoms were suggestive of cancer diagnosis (16.7%), and misdiagnosis (16.7%). Predictors of delay and mean time for presentation, diagnosis, and treatment were identified. Our results reveal that breast cancer patients in Jordan are experiencing delays in presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. This could justify the advanced stages at diagnosis and poor outcomes for breast cancer patients in Jordan. We recommend revising the current early detection and down-staging programs in Jordan. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Comparative analysis and supragenome modeling of twelve Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davie, Jeremiah J; Earl, Josh; de Vries, Stefan P W; Ahmed, Azad; Hu, Fen Z; Bootsma, Hester J; Stol, Kim; Hermans, Peter W M; Wadowsky, Robert M; Ehrlich, Garth D; Hays, John P; Campagnari, Anthony A

    2011-01-26

    M. catarrhalis is a gram-negative, gamma-proteobacterium and an opportunistic human pathogen associated with otitis media (OM) and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With direct and indirect costs for treating these conditions annually exceeding $33 billion in the United States alone, and nearly ubiquitous resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics among M. catarrhalis clinical isolates, a greater understanding of this pathogen's genome and its variability among isolates is needed. The genomic sequences of ten geographically and phenotypically diverse clinical isolates of M. catarrhalis were determined and analyzed together with two publicly available genomes. These twelve genomes were subjected to detailed comparative and predictive analyses aimed at characterizing the supragenome and understanding the metabolic and pathogenic potential of this species. A total of 2383 gene clusters were identified, of which 1755 are core with the remaining 628 clusters unevenly distributed among the twelve isolates. These findings are consistent with the distributed genome hypothesis (DGH), which posits that the species genome possesses a far greater number of genes than any single isolate. Multiple and pair-wise whole genome alignments highlight limited chromosomal re-arrangement. M. catarrhalis gene content and chromosomal organization data, although supportive of the DGH, show modest overall genic diversity. These findings are in stark contrast with the reported heterogeneity of the species as a whole, as wells as to other bacterial pathogens mediating OM and COPD, providing important insight into M. catarrhalis pathogenesis that will aid in the development of novel therapeutic regimens.

  11. [Representatives of consumer associations and the "hôpital, patients, santé et territoires" law: an outline of the issues and twelve proposals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bréchat, Pierre-Henri; Gros, Jeannette; Haon, Michel; Jeunet, Odile; Magnin-Feysot, Christian

    2010-01-01

    Since 1996, consumers have been able to become involved in the development and implementation of national, regional and local healthcare policies, thereby demonstrating the possibility of establishing a model of democratic institution in healthcare at all levels of decision-making and policy implementation. Despite this 13-year political ambition, it is open to question whether the bill on the reform of the hospital will serve to extend the same dynamic for patients, healthcare institutions and local authorities. On 15 November 2008 and 18 April 2009, fifty-four consumer association representatives in the Franche-Comté region convened to conduct an audit of their commitments with a view to making proposals to adapt the bill aimed at reforming hospitals for the benefit of patients, healthcare and territories (HPST) before the bill is debated in Parliament (National Assembly and Senate). Despite significant investments since 1996 and some notable successes, for these representatives of consumer healthcare associations, the results are distinctly mixed. This is because they sometimes feel instrumentalized in healthcare facilities and believe that their opportunities for participation have declined since 2002. Their view is that this may diminish the power they wield at a time when the economy may be seen as becoming a substitute for public healthcare and participatory democracy. In a context of inequality in healthcare and at a time of economic crisis, this paradigm shift has tended to mobilize representatives of consumer associations. In their view, a strong counter-power is required to ensure fair and equal access to healthcare for all. They suggest twelve proposals concerning organization and professionalism at both territorial and national levels, articulated around the following principle : a representative of a consumers' association can become a regional reference in the management of the agency's regional healthcare system and may be given the means to

  12. A study on the evaluation of pneumothorax by imaging methods in patients presenting to the emergency department for blunt thoracic trauma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaya, Şeyhmus; Çevik, Arif Alper; Acar, Nurdan; Döner, Egemen; Sivrikoz, Cumhur; Özkan, Ragıp

    2015-09-01

    Pneumothorax (PNX) is the collection of air between parietal and visceral pleura, and collapsed lung develops as a complication of the trapped air. PNX is likely to develop spontaneously in people with risk factors. However, it is mostly seen with blunt or penetrating trauma. Diagnosis is generally confirmed by chest radiography [posteroanterior chest radiography (PACR)]. Chest ultrasound (US) is also a promising technique for the detection of PNX in trauma patients. There is not much literature on the evaluation of blunt thoracic trauma (BTT) and pneumothorax (PNX) in the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of chest US for the diagnosis of PNX in patients presenting to ED with BTT. This study was carried out for a period of nine months in the ED of a university hospital. The chest US of patients was performed by emergency physicians trained in the field. The results were compared with anteroposterior chest radiography and/or CT scan of the chest. The APCR and chest CT results were evaluated by a radiology specialist blind to US findings. The evaluation of the radiology specialist was taken as the gold standard for diagnosis by imaging methods. Clinical follow-up was taken into consideration for the diagnosis of PNX in patients on whom CT scan was not performed. Chest US was performed on all two hundred and twelve patients (144 female and 68 male patients; mean age 45.8) who participated in this study. The supine APCR was performed on two hundred and ten (99%) patients and chest CT was performed on one hundred and twenty (56.6%). Out of the twenty-five (11.8%) diagnosed cases of PNX, 22 (88%) were diagnosed by chest US and 8 were diagnosed by APCR. For the detection of PNX, compared to clinical follow-up and chest CT, the sensitivity of chest US was 88%, specificity 99.5%, positive predictive value 95.7% and negative predictive value 98.4%. Chest US has not superseded supine and standing chest radiography for PNX

  13. Clinical presentation of patients with Ebola virus disease in Conakry, Guinea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bah, Elhadj Ibrahima; Lamah, Marie-Claire; Fletcher, Tom; Jacob, Shevin T; Brett-Major, David M; Sall, Amadou Alpha; Shindo, Nahoko; Fischer, William A; Lamontagne, Francois; Saliou, Sow Mamadou; Bausch, Daniel G; Moumié, Barry; Jagatic, Tim; Sprecher, Armand; Lawler, James V; Mayet, Thierry; Jacquerioz, Frederique A; Méndez Baggi, María F; Vallenas, Constanza; Clement, Christophe; Mardel, Simon; Faye, Ousmane; Faye, Oumar; Soropogui, Baré; Magassouba, Nfaly; Koivogui, Lamine; Pinto, Ruxandra; Fowler, Robert A

    2015-01-01

    In March 2014, the World Health Organization was notified of an outbreak of Zaire ebolavirus in a remote area of Guinea. The outbreak then spread to the capital, Conakry, and to neighboring countries and has subsequently become the largest epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) to date. From March 25 to April 26, 2014, we performed a study of all patients with laboratory-confirmed EVD in Conakry. Mortality was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included patient characteristics, complications, treatments, and comparisons between survivors and nonsurvivors. Of 80 patients who presented with symptoms, 37 had laboratory-confirmed EVD. Among confirmed cases, the median age was 38 years (interquartile range, 28 to 46), 24 patients (65%) were men, and 14 (38%) were health care workers; among the health care workers, nosocomial transmission was implicated in 12 patients (32%). Patients with confirmed EVD presented to the hospital a median of 5 days (interquartile range, 3 to 7) after the onset of symptoms, most commonly with fever (in 84% of the patients; mean temperature, 38.6°C), fatigue (in 65%), diarrhea (in 62%), and tachycardia (mean heart rate, >93 beats per minute). Of these patients, 28 (76%) were treated with intravenous fluids and 37 (100%) with antibiotics. Sixteen patients (43%) died, with a median time from symptom onset to death of 8 days (interquartile range, 7 to 11). Patients who were 40 years of age or older, as compared with those under the age of 40 years, had a relative risk of death of 3.49 (95% confidence interval, 1.42 to 8.59; P=0.007). Patients with EVD presented with evidence of dehydration associated with vomiting and severe diarrhea. Despite attempts at volume repletion, antimicrobial therapy, and limited laboratory services, the rate of death was 43%.

  14. Clinical presentation and mutations in Danish patients with Wilson disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Lisbeth Birk; Horn, Nina; Jeppesen, Tina Dysgaard

    2011-01-01

    This study describes the clinical presentation and diagnosis in all Danish patients (49, 41 unrelated) with Wilson disease (WND). On the basis of the number of diagnosed patients from 1990-2008, the prevalence was estimated to be 1:49¿500. Among routinely used diagnostic tests, none were...

  15. Clinical presentation and mutations in Danish patients with Wilson disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Lisbeth Birk; Horn, Nina; Jeppesen, Tina Dysgaard

    2011-01-01

    This study describes the clinical presentation and diagnosis in all Danish patients (49, 41 unrelated) with Wilson disease (WND). On the basis of the number of diagnosed patients from 1990-2008, the prevalence was estimated to be 1:49 500. Among routinely used diagnostic tests, none were...

  16. A Patient Presenting with Concurrent Testis Torsion and Epididymal Leiomyoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Arpali

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Leiomyomas are the second most common tumors of epididymis. Patients with leiomyomas are sometimes misdiagnosed with testicular tumors. A Case of a patient with a scrotal mass presenting with testicular torsion is reported. Concurrent occurrence of testicular torsion and epididymal leiomyoma is an extremely rare condition.

  17. Understanding inappropriate hospital admissions of patients presenting to the Emergency Department.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberta Siliquini

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available

    Objectives. To identify 1 the characteristics of patients receiving non acute (inappropriate care and 2 the variables associated to inappropriate hospital use, in order to 3 estimate the relevance of the problem and to 4 focus future concurrent reviews and efforts to allocate patients to alternative health care settings.

    Design. A prospective review of a random sample of adult patients who presented to the Emergency Department of the Molinette Hospital. Patients were assessed at admission and on day 3, 5and 8 using the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (Italian validated version. Patients: 490 overall; 312 (64 % medical and 178 (36 % surgical.

    Outcome measures. Acute (appropriate and non acute (inappropriate admissions, Major Disease Category, costs, mean weights of Diagnosis Related Groups, and length of stay (days.

    Results. The proportion of patients requiring acute care declined rapidly from presentation (84.5% to the fifth day of admission (60.9%. Patients admitted during weekends showed a higher rate of inappropriate stay on day 5 (P=0.04. The proportion of inappropriate admissions was higher for medical rather than surgical patients (P=0.07 at presentation and at day 5 (P < 0.01. Traditional social-demographic variables were not significant risk indicators for inappropriate admissions. The likelihood ratio for inappropriate admission at presentation was significantly higher for minor illnesses and disturbances (P=0.03.

    Inappropriate stay on day 5 was significantly associated with lower cost (P < 0.01, lower mean DRG weight (P < 0.01 and shorter length of stay (P=0.05 for medical but not for surgical admissions.

    Conclusions. Traditional epidemiological indicators are inadequate to target prospective concurrent reviews. Qualitative studies focusing on patient physician dialogue in different situations and contexts could

  18. Clinical presentation of metabolic alkalosis in an adult patient with cystic fibrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweetser, Lisel J; Douglas, James A; Riha, Renata L; Bell, Scott C

    2005-03-01

    In subtropical and tropical climates, dehydration is common in cystic fibrosis patients with respiratory exacerbations. This may lead to a clinical presentation of metabolic alkalosis with associated hyponatraemia and hypochloraemia. An adult cystic fibrosis patient who presented with a severe respiratory exacerbation accompanied by metabolic alkalosis is presented and the effects of volume correction are reported.

  19. Late Presentation for Care Among Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Janne Fuglsang; Hallager, Sofie; Øvrehus, Anne

    2018-01-01

    Patients with chronic hepatitis C may have advanced fibrosis at first evaluation. Using the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) definition (FibroScan® >9.5 kPa) for "late presenter for care" (LP), we found that 32% (169 of 527) of patients were LP. Being a LP was associated...

  20. A patient with osteomalacia as single presenting symptom of gluten-sensitive enteropathy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, W. A.; Tytgat, G. N.

    1992-01-01

    A 59-year-old male patient presented with invalidating osteomalacia of 2.5 years' duration. The osteomalacia was caused by severe malabsorption due to gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE). There were no other signs or symptoms of GSE in this patient. Clinical presentation with monosymptomatic

  1. Comparative analysis and supragenome modeling of twelve Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hermans Peter WM

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background M. catarrhalis is a gram-negative, gamma-proteobacterium and an opportunistic human pathogen associated with otitis media (OM and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. With direct and indirect costs for treating these conditions annually exceeding $33 billion in the United States alone, and nearly ubiquitous resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics among M. catarrhalis clinical isolates, a greater understanding of this pathogen's genome and its variability among isolates is needed. Results The genomic sequences of ten geographically and phenotypically diverse clinical isolates of M. catarrhalis were determined and analyzed together with two publicly available genomes. These twelve genomes were subjected to detailed comparative and predictive analyses aimed at characterizing the supragenome and understanding the metabolic and pathogenic potential of this species. A total of 2383 gene clusters were identified, of which 1755 are core with the remaining 628 clusters unevenly distributed among the twelve isolates. These findings are consistent with the distributed genome hypothesis (DGH, which posits that the species genome possesses a far greater number of genes than any single isolate. Multiple and pair-wise whole genome alignments highlight limited chromosomal re-arrangement. Conclusions M. catarrhalis gene content and chromosomal organization data, although supportive of the DGH, show modest overall genic diversity. These findings are in stark contrast with the reported heterogeneity of the species as a whole, as wells as to other bacterial pathogens mediating OM and COPD, providing important insight into M. catarrhalis pathogenesis that will aid in the development of novel therapeutic regimens.

  2. Initial clinical presentation of young children with N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Favier, Marion; Joubert, Bastien; Picard, Géraldine; Rogemond, Véronique; Thomas, Laure; Rheims, Sylvain; Bailhache, Marion; Villega, Frédéric; Pédespan, Jean-Michel; Berzero, Giulia; Psimaras, Dimitri; Antoine, Jean-Christophe; Desestret, Virginie; Honnorat, Jérôme

    2018-05-01

    Autoimmune encephalitis with anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor autoantibodies (NMDA-R-Abs) is a recently described disease affecting adult and pediatric patients. Symptoms of the disease are now perfectly described in the adult population but the clinical presentation is less known in young children. The aim of the present study was to describe the clinical presentation and the specificities of symptoms presented by young children with NMDA-R-Abs encephalitis to improve diagnosis of this disease, and to compare these to a series of previously published female adult patients. Fifty cases of children younger than twelve years of age diagnosed with NMDA-R-Abs encephalitis between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2016 (27 females and 23 males) were retrospectively studied. The first neurological symptoms observed in young children with NMDA-R-Abs encephalitis were characterized by seizure (72%), especially focal seizure (42%), within a median of 15 days before other encephalitis symptoms; other patients mostly had behavioral disorders (26%). The seizures were frequently difficult to diagnose because of the transient unilateral dystonic or tonic posturing presentation or sudden unilateral pain in the absence of clonic movements. A post-ictal motor deficit was also frequently observed. This clinical presentation is different from that observed in adult females with NMDA-R-Abs encephalitis who initially present mainly psychiatric disorders (67%) or cognitive impairment (19%), and less frequently seizures (14%). The diagnosis of NMDA-R-Abs encephalitis should be systematically considered in young children of both sexes who present neurological symptoms suggesting recent seizures (focal or generalized) without obvious other etiology. Copyright © 2017 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Cause of Mortality in Thermally Injured Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-01-01

    11 patients, Cladosporium species from nine patients, Penicillium species from seven patients, and Phycomycetes ( mucor species and rhizopus species...infecting organisms were filamentous fungi, Aspergillus species in 16 and Mucor species in two, and in four patients C(nlida species were the causative...surface. Twelve, or 75 %, of the 16 patients with Aspergillus wound infections died but, somewhat surprisingly, both of the patients with mucor species

  4. Retrospective audit of patients presenting to our department for venoscintigraphy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotze, T.; Perumal, N.S.; Vangu, M.D.T.H.W.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: Though a number of studies have attempted to list the risk factors for DVT, there seems to be paucity of information relating to patients in Africa. We realized that a number of patients referred to our department for venoscintigraphy have concomitant tuberculosis and retroviral disease. Therefore, we decided to assess the possible relationship between DVT and the above-mentioned concomitant diseases. Method: A retrospective study of all patients referred for venous scintigraphy of the lower limbs in 2003 was done. Data from 160 patients was available for analysis. We looked at patient age and gender as well as the incidence of concurrent tuberculosis and retro-viral disease. The results are presented in a table. The remaining patients have shown either chronic venous disease or equivocal results. Conclusion: Tuberculosis and retroviral disease may be contributing risk factors in our population. (author)

  5. One patient with Sjogren’s syndrome presenting schizophrenia-like symptoms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin CE

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Ching-En Lin1,2 1Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Tzu-Chi Hospital, Buddhist Medical Foundation, Taiwan, Republic of China; 2School of Medicine, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: Comorbid depression in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome has been reported frequently, while comorbid psychosis in subjects with Sjogren’s syndrome has rarely been reported. Here we report a patient with Sjogren’s syndrome who presented with schizophrenia-like symptoms such as persecutory delusions and auditory hallucinations in contrast to her previous psychiatric presentations, which only included depression and anxiety. Keywords: mental illness, psychosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, schizophrenia

  6. High-energy, twelve-channel laser facility (DEFIN) for spherical irradiation of thermonuclear targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basov, N.G.; Danilov, A.E.; Krokhin, O.N.; Kruglov, B.V.; Mikhailov, Yu.A.; Sklizkov, G.V.; Fedotov, S.I.; Fedorov, A.N.

    This paper describes a high-energy, twelve-channel laser facility (DELFIN) intended for high-temperature heating of thermonuclear targets with spherical symmetry. The facility includes a neodymium-glass laser with the ultimate radiation energy of 10 kJ, a pulse length of approximately 10 -10 to 10 -9 s, beam divergence of 5 x 10 -4 radians, a vacuum chamber in which laser radiation interacts with the plasma, and a system of diagnostic instrumentation for the observation of laser beam and plasma parameters. Described are the optical scheme and construction details of the laser facility. Presented is an analysis of focusing schemes for target irradiation and described is the focusing scheme of the DELFIN facility, which is capable of attaining a high degree of spherical symmetry in irradiating targets with maximum beam intensity at the target surface of approximately 10 15 W/cm 2 . This paper examines the most important problems connected with the physical investigations of thermonuclear laser plasma and the basic diagnostic problems involved in their solution

  7. Traumatic tricuspid valve insufficiency. Experience in thirteen patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Son, J A; Danielson, G K; Schaff, H V; Miller, F A

    1994-11-01

    From 1964 through June 1993, thirteen patients with traumatic tricuspid insufficiency were treated surgically; all were male, and the ages ranged from 17 to 64 years (median 39 years). The condition was associated with blunt chest trauma in all patients: motor vehicle accidents in twelve and an explosion of a tank of compressed air in one. The median duration between trauma and operation was 17 years (range 1 month to 37 years). Preoperatively, six patients were in sinus rhythm and seven were in atrial fibrillation. At operation, the right ventricular function appeared moderately to severely depressed in twelve patients. In twelve patients, the anterior leaflet was flail because of chordal rupture (n = 9), rupture of anterior papillary muscle (n = 3), or tear in the anterior leaflet (n = 1). In one patient, the septal leaflet was missing and in another it was retracted and adherent to the ventricular septum. In five patients the tricuspid valve was repaired and in eight it was replaced. In seven patients in the latter group, the chordae, papillary muscles, and/or tricuspid valve leaflet(s) were found to be in a contracted and atrophic state, precluding repair. No early or late deaths occurred. At follow-up extending to 26 years (median 12 years), 12 patients are in New York Heart Association class I and one patient is in class II. Nine patients were in sinus rhythm and four were in atrial fibrillation. Although our experience indicates that good functional results can still be achieved many years after the onset of traumatic tricuspid valve insufficiency, earlier diagnosis and surgical treatment should increase the feasibility of tricuspid valve insufficiency, earlier diagnosis and surgical treatment should increase the feasibility of tricuspid valve repair, prevent progressive deterioration of right ventricular function, and increase the possibility of maintaining late sinus rhythm in a greater number of patients.

  8. Brain aneurysm patients seen in Harare, Zimbabwe: cases review ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Setting: Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Avenues Clinic, Harare, Zimbabwe. Subjects: Adult intracranial aneurysm patients. Interventions: Craniotomy and aneurysm clipping. Results: Seventeen patients were seen during the period of study. Twelve were female patients while five were male with a male to female ratio ...

  9. Disability in Patients With Trapeziometacarpal Joint Arthrosis: Incidental Versus Presenting Diagnosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Becker, Stéphanie J. E.; Makarawung, Dennis J. S.; Spit, Silke A.; King, John D.; Ring, David

    2014-01-01

    Purpose To test the hypothesis that there is no difference in trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint arthrosis-related symptoms and disability between patients seeking treatment for symptoms of TMC arthrosis and those with incidental TMC joint arthrosis. Methods We compared 64 patients presenting for care

  10. Complications and renal functional deterioration in patients with co ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    E. Sharma

    2016-07-26

    Jul 26, 2016 ... (CCS) [7] with scores varying from 2 to 7. Eleven patients had CCS of 2, twelve patients had CCS of 3, nineteen patients had CCS of. 4, eighteen patients had CCS of 5, seven patients had CCS of 6 and one patient had CCS of 7 (Chart 1). Partial nephrectomy was done laparoscopically, hilar clamping.

  11. Portrayal of Life Form in Selected Biographies for Children Eight to Twelve Years of Age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Shirley Lois

    This study describes and analyzes, in a critical literary manner, selected biographies for children eight to twelve years of age. Biographies of Jane Addams, Cesar Chavez, Mohandas Gandhi, Toyohiko Kagawa, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Albert Schweitzer are viewed from the perspective of a literary criterion based on the principles of design to…

  12. Orofacial findings in chronic granulomatous disease: report of twelve patients and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dar-Odeh, Najla S; Hayajneh, Wail A; Abu-Hammad, Osama A; Hammad, Huda M; Al-Wahadneh, Adel M; Bulos, Najwa K; Mahafzah, Azmi M; Shomaf, Maha S; El-Maaytah, Mohammed A; Bakri, Faris G

    2010-02-17

    Chronic granulomatous disease is an extremely rare primary immunodeficiency syndrome that can be associated with various oral complications. This can affect high number of patients. However, data on oral complications is sparse. Here we will review the literature and describe the orofacial findings in 12 patients. The age range was 5-31 years. Oral findings were variable, and reflected a low level of oral hygiene. They included periodontitis, rampant caries, gingivitis, aphthous-like ulcers, and geographic tongue. One patient had white patches on the buccal mucosa similar to lichen planus. Another patient had a nodular dorsum of the tongue associated with fissured and geographic tongue. Biopsies from the latter two lesions revealed chronic non-specific mucositis. Panoramic radiographs showed extensive periodontitis in one patient and periapical lesions in another patient. Patients with chronic granulomatous disease may develop oral lesions reflecting susceptibility to infections and inflammation. It is also possible that social and genetic factors may influence the development of this complication. Therefore, oral hygiene must be kept at an optimum level to prevent infections that can be difficult to manage.

  13. [Aqueductal stenosis in the neurofibromatosis type 1. Presentation of 19 infantile patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascual-Castroviejo, I; Pascual-Pascual, S I; Velázquez-Fragua, R; Viaño, J; Carceller-Benito, F

    To present a series of infantile patients with aqueductal stenosis associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Nineteen patients with ages below 16 years, 11 girls and 8 boys, with NF1 presented hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis. All patients, except one who died before the imaging study was performed and was diagnosed by autopsy, were studied by pneumoencephalography (since 1965 to 1974), computerized tomography (CT) (since 1975 to 1984), magnetic resonance (MR) or MR and CT (since 1985 to 2004) (two children had been studied by pneumoencephalography some years before) most times to discard optic pathway tumor and, in few patients, because of intracranial hypertension. All patients showed three ventricular hydrocephalus with aqueductal stenosis. Eleven patients showed optic pathway tumor. One patient had a benign aqueductal tumor that impaired the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid. Neurological features of hydrocephalus occurred very rapidly in some patients and after several years of evolution in others. Two boys showed precocious puberty. All patients were treated with shunt. In our series, aqueductal stenosis occurred in about 5% of children with NF1. Aqueductal stenosis and hydrocephalus were identified at a short age because many patients were studied suspecting optic pathway tumor. Eleven patients (about 60%) associated optic pathway tumor and aqueductal stenosis.

  14. A Presentation of Massive Hemoptysis in a Patient with Churg-Strauss Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fadi Hikmat

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Given that Churg-Strauss syndrome is a systemic small-vessel vasculitis, it is not usually considered in patients who present with massive hemoptysis, which is typically caused by bronchiectasis, cancer or, in some cases, aberrant bronchial arteries. This article, however, describes a novel case involving a 50-year-old Churg-Strauss patient who presented with sudden-onset massive hemoptysis. Details of the physical examination, laboratory investigations and several imaging studies, including computed tomography, bronchoscopy and three-dimensional imaging, are presented.

  15. Orofacial findings in chronic granulomatous disease: report of twelve patients and review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shomaf Maha S

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic granulomatous disease is an extremely rare primary immunodeficiency syndrome that can be associated with various oral complications. This can affect high number of patients. However, data on oral complications is sparse. Here we will review the literature and describe the orofacial findings in 12 patients. Findings The age range was 5-31 years. Oral findings were variable, and reflected a low level of oral hygiene. They included periodontitis, rampant caries, gingivitis, aphthous-like ulcers, and geographic tongue. One patient had white patches on the buccal mucosa similar to lichen planus. Another patient had a nodular dorsum of the tongue associated with fissured and geographic tongue. Biopsies from the latter two lesions revealed chronic non-specific mucositis. Panoramic radiographs showed extensive periodontitis in one patient and periapical lesions in another patient. Conclusion Patients with chronic granulomatous disease may develop oral lesions reflecting susceptibility to infections and inflammation. It is also possible that social and genetic factors may influence the development of this complication. Therefore, oral hygiene must be kept at an optimum level to prevent infections that can be difficult to manage.

  16. Vitamin and mineral intake of twelve adolescent male Kalenjin runners in western Kenya

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Dirk Lund; Jakobsen, Jette; Friis, H

    2005-01-01

    runners was carried out to determine their micronutrient intake. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Over a two-week period, samples of the main eaten food were collected for analysis of micronutrient distribution and a daily 24 recall interview performed to determine additional food intake. RESULTS: The estimated...... mg, 1309 microg, and 79 microg, respectively. CONCLUSION: Total daily micronutrient intake of the twelve Kalenjin runners was far from adequate compared to FAO/WHO daily recommended and suggested adequate intake....

  17. Effectiveness of community-based treatment for problem gambling: a quasi-experimental evaluation of cognitive-behavioral vs. twelve-step therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toneatto, Tony; Dragonetti, Rosa

    2008-01-01

    With the increasing availability of gambling throughout North America, there is interest in developing more effective treatments. This study compares the effectiveness of two brief outpatient treatments for problem gambling: eight sessions of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (n = 65) and eight sessions of a twelve-step treatment-oriented approach based on the first five steps of Gamblers Anonymous (n = 61). There were no baseline group differences on gambling-relevant variables. Twelve months post-treatment showed no group differences on key gambling variables (eg, frequency, abstinence rates, money wagered) in an analysis of completers. Participants who attended more sessions and chose an initial abstinent treatment goal appeared to achieve better outcomes.

  18. Level of agitation of psychiatric patients presenting to an emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zun, Leslie S; Downey, La Vonne A

    2008-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study was to determine the level of agitation that psychiatric patients exhibit upon arrival to the emergency department. The secondary purpose was to determine whether the level of agitation changed over time depending upon whether the patient was restrained or unrestrained. An observational study enrolling a convenience sample of 100 patients presenting with a psychiatric complaint was planned, in order to obtain 50 chemically and/or physically restrained and 50 unrestrained patients. The study was performed in summer 2004 in a community, inner-city, level 1 emergency department with 45,000 visits per year. The level of patient agitation was measured using the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) and the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) upon arrival and every 30 minutes over a 3-hour period. The inclusion criteria allowed entry of any patient who presented to the emergency department with a psychiatric complaint thought to be unrelated to physical illness. Patients who were restrained for nonbehavioral reasons or were medically unstable were excluded. 101 patients were enrolled in the study. Of that total, 53 patients were not restrained, 47 patients were restrained, and 1 had incomplete data. There were no differences in gender, race, or age between the 2 groups. Upon arrival, 2 of the 47 restrained patients were rated severely agitated on the ABS, and 13 of 47 restrained patients were rated combative on the RASS. There was a statistical difference (p = .01) between the groups on both scales from time 0 to time 90 minutes. Scores on the agitation scales decreased over time in both groups. One patient in the unrestrained group became unarousable during treatment. This study demonstrated that patients who were restrained were more agitated than those who were not, and that agitation levels in both groups decreased over time. Some restrained patients did not meet combativeness or severe agitation criteria, suggesting either that use of

  19. Cerebellar stroke presenting with isolated dizziness: Brain MRI in 136 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perloff, Michael D; Patel, Nimesh S; Kase, Carlos S; Oza, Anuja U; Voetsch, Barbara; Romero, Jose R

    2017-11-01

    To evaluate occurrence of cerebellar stroke in Emergency Department (ED) presentations of isolated dizziness (dizziness with a normal exam and negative neurological review of systems). A 5-year retrospective study of ED patients presenting with a chief complaint of "dizziness or vertigo", without other symptoms or signs in narrative history or on exam to suggest a central nervous system lesion, and work-up included a brain MRI within 48h. Patients with symptoms commonly peripheral in etiology (nystagmus, tinnitus, gait instability, etc.) were included in the study. Patient demographics, stroke risk factors, and gait assessments were recorded. One hundred and thirty-six patients, who had a brain MRI for isolated dizziness, were included. There was a low correlation of gait assessment between ED physician and Neurologist (49 patients, Spearman's correlation r 2 =0.17). Based on MRI DWI sequence, 3.7% (5/136 patients) had acute cerebellar strokes, limited to or including, the medial posterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular territory. In the 5 cerebellar stroke patients, mean age, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c, gender distribution, and prevalence of hypertension were similar to the non-cerebellar stroke patient group. Mean LDL/HDL ratio was 3.63±0.80 and smoking prevalence was 80% in the cerebellar stroke group compared to 2.43±0.79 and 22% (respectively, p valuesstroke group. Though there was preselection bias for stroke risk factors, our study suggests an important proportion of cerebellar stroke among ED patients with isolated dizziness, considering how common this complaint is. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Utilizing PowerPoint Presentation to Promote Fall Prevention among Older Adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCrary-Quarles, Audrey R.

    2008-01-01

    This study evaluated a PowerPoint home safety (PPHS) presentation in enhancing awareness, knowledge and behavior change among senior center attendees in southern Illinois. Twelve centers were utilized as data collection sites in a pretest-posttest control group design. Through stratified randomization, centers were placed into categories (high,…

  1. Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Patients Presenting for Cosmetic Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ebru Altintas

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Body dysmorphic disorder is an obsessive-compulsive related psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive preoccupation about an imagined or slight defect in appearance. Preoccupation of the appearance with the skin, hair and nose are most common. Impairment of the quality of life, comorbidity of the psychiatric and personality disorder are related with body dysmorphic disorder. Nowadays, cosmetic procedure has become increasingly popular especially among women. The prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder among patients seeking cosmetic treatment in surgery or dermatology clinics is higher than general population. As postoperatively some patients dissatisfied with the surgery, dermatologists and surgeons should be informed about body dysmorphic disorder. This aim of this review was to assess prevalance, clinical features, motivational factors of patients with body dysmorphic disorder presenting for cosmetic medical treatments. [Archives Medical Review Journal 2015; 24(3.000: 324-338

  2. Combining bimodal presentation schemes and buzz groups improves clinical reasoning and learning at morning report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balslev, Thomas; Rasmussen, Astrid Bruun; Skajaa, Torjus; Nielsen, Jens Peter; Muijtjens, Arno; De Grave, Willem; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen

    2014-12-11

    Abstract Morning reports offer opportunities for intensive work-based learning. In this controlled study, we measured learning processes and outcomes with the report of paediatric emergency room patients. Twelve specialists and 12 residents were randomised into four groups and discussed the same two paediatric cases. The groups differed in their presentation modality (verbal only vs. verbal + text) and the use of buzz groups (with vs. without). The verbal interactions were analysed for clinical reasoning processes. Perceptions of learning and judgment of learning were reported in a questionnaire. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by a 20-item multiple-choice test. Combined bimodal presentation and buzz groups increased the odds ratio of clinical reasoning to occur in the discussion of cases by a factor of 1.90 (p = 0.013), indicating superior reasoning for buzz groups working with bimodal materials. For specialists, a positive effect of bimodal presentation was found on perceptions of learning (p presentation on diagnostic accuracy was noted in the specialists (p presentation and buzz group discussion of emergency cases improves clinicians' clinical reasoning and learning.

  3. Computerized monitoring of physical activity and sleep in postoperative abdominal surgery patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bisgaard, T; Kjaersgaard, M; Bernhard, A

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Assessment of early postoperative activity is important in the documentation of improvements of peri-operative care. This study was designed to validate computerized activity-based monitoring of physical activity and sleep (actigraphy) in patients after abdominal surgery. METHODS...... physical activity and sleep-wake cycles after major abdominal surgery.......: The study included twelve hospitalized patients after major abdominal surgery studied on day 2 to 4 after operation and twelve unhospitalized healthy volunteers. Measurements were performed for 24 consecutive hours. The actigraphy measurements were compared with self-reported activity- and sleep...

  4. Patient satisfaction with dental services rendered at School of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aim: To determine patient satisfaction among dental patients treated at the School of Dentistry, MUHAS. Study design: Cross-sectional clinic based study. Study participants and methods: Two hundred twelve dental patients aged 18 years and above who attended the oral surgery and restorative dental clinics were given a ...

  5. Clinical characteristics and outcomes for patients with an initial emergency presentation of malignancy: a 15 month audit of patient level data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savage, Philip; Sharkey, Rachel; Kua, Teresa; Papanastasopoulos, Panagiotis; McDonald-Burrows, Zoe; Hassan, Shazalia; Probst, Fay; Sanders, Ali; Millington, Hugh

    2015-02-01

    To investigate the demographics, diagnoses and outcomes for new adult cancer patients with an initial presentation via the A&E or acute oncology teams. Patients with initial emergency presentation of malignancy have been documented to have poorer treatment outcomes and shorter survival. Patient level data on this subject is relatively limited with regard to the demographics, diagnoses and the clinical factors that may underlie late presentations. A 15 month audit of the patients presenting with a new diagnosis of malignancy was performed in 2011-2012. Data on demographics, diagnosis and outcome were assembled and analysed. The clinical data on emergency presentations were compared to reference information on the incidence and median age at presentation for each malignancy within the standard population. During the study a total of 178 new cancer patients presented via the A and E service. The most frequent diagnoses were lung cancer with 21% of cases and CNS and colorectal cancer each with 9% of cases. There was a higher incidence of emergency new presentations of lung cancer, CNS tumours, ovarian, pancreatic and testicular cancer than in the standard population, whilst breast cancer, bladder cancer and prostate cancer patients were under-represented. The median age at diagnosis was 74 and for a number of malignancies including CNS tumours, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer the emergency cases presented at significantly greater ages than in the standard population. Overall 27% of patients were unfit or unsuitable for a diagnostic biopsy, this group had only a 3 month median survival compared to 14 months for those suitable for biopsy and treatment. Despite a wide range of initiatives, the emergency and late diagnosis of patients with metastatic cancer remains a significant challenge with many patients too advanced and unwell at presentation for active treatment. These patients tend to be older and have malignancies that present with either

  6. A novel double quad-inverter configuration for multilevel twelve-phase open-winding converter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Padmanaban, Sanjeevi Kumar; Blaabjerg, Frede; Wheeler, Patrick William

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes a novel proposal of double quad-inverter configuration for multilevel twelve-phase open-winding ac converter. Modular power units are developed from reconfigured eight classical three-phase voltage source inverters (VSIs). Each VSI has one additional bi-directional switching...... numerical simulation software's (Matlab/PLECS) developments. Further, the results confirm the good agreement to the developed theoretical background. Proposed converter suits the need of low-voltage/high-current applications such as ac tractions and `More-Electric Aircraft' propulsion systems....

  7. CT of splenic and perisplenic abnormalities in septic patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balthazar, E.J.; Hilton, S.; Naidich, D.; Megibow, A.; Levine, R.

    1985-01-01

    Splenic and perisplenic pathology, demonstrated by CT examination in 14 septic patients, was correlated with the clinical course and with surgical and pathologic findings available. Twelve patients were intravenous drug addicts and two patients developed bacteremia associated with bacterial endocarditis. The CT fingings were divided into three groups: (1) Single wedge-shaped peripherally located defects were seen in five patients; there was good response to medical therapy without other complications. (2) Larger and/or multiple, rounded or oval lesions were present in five patients; two of these patients had splenic abscesses proven on subsequent splenectomy. (3) Multiple splenic lesions and fissures associated with perisplenic and subphrenic fluid collections were seen in four patients; infected splenic infarcts, splenic fractures, and infected perisplenic hemorrhagic fluid collections were found in this group of patients. The CT examination in septic patients can reliably demonstrate splenic and perisplenic pathology, and its appearance contributes greatly to the overall clinical assessment and surgical approach.

  8. CT of splenic and perisplenic abnormalities in septic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balthazar, E.J.; Hilton, S.; Naidich, D.; Megibow, A.; Levine, R.

    1985-01-01

    Splenic and perisplenic pathology, demonstrated by CT examination in 14 septic patients, was correlated with the clinical course and with surgical and pathologic findings available. Twelve patients were intravenous drug addicts and two patients developed bacteremia associated with bacterial endocarditis. The CT fingings were divided into three groups: (1) Single wedge-shaped peripherally located defects were seen in five patients; there was good response to medical therapy without other complications. (2) Larger and/or multiple, rounded or oval lesions were present in five patients; two of these patients had splenic abscesses proven on subsequent splenectomy. (3) Multiple splenic lesions and fissures associated with perisplenic and subphrenic fluid collections were seen in four patients; infected splenic infarcts, splenic fractures, and infected perisplenic hemorrhagic fluid collections were found in this group of patients. The CT examination in septic patients can reliably demonstrate splenic and perisplenic pathology, and its appearance contributes greatly to the overall clinical assessment and surgical approach

  9. Analyzing patients' values by applying cluster analysis and LRFM model in a pediatric dental clinic in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hsin-Hung; Lin, Shih-Yen; Liu, Chih-Wei

    2014-01-01

    This study combines cluster analysis and LRFM (length, recency, frequency, and monetary) model in a pediatric dental clinic in Taiwan to analyze patients' values. A two-stage approach by self-organizing maps and K-means method is applied to segment 1,462 patients into twelve clusters. The average values of L, R, and F excluding monetary covered by national health insurance program are computed for each cluster. In addition, customer value matrix is used to analyze customer values of twelve clusters in terms of frequency and monetary. Customer relationship matrix considering length and recency is also applied to classify different types of customers from these twelve clusters. The results show that three clusters can be classified into loyal patients with L, R, and F values greater than the respective average L, R, and F values, while three clusters can be viewed as lost patients without any variable above the average values of L, R, and F. When different types of patients are identified, marketing strategies can be designed to meet different patients' needs.

  10. Analyzing Patients' Values by Applying Cluster Analysis and LRFM Model in a Pediatric Dental Clinic in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shih-Yen; Liu, Chih-Wei

    2014-01-01

    This study combines cluster analysis and LRFM (length, recency, frequency, and monetary) model in a pediatric dental clinic in Taiwan to analyze patients' values. A two-stage approach by self-organizing maps and K-means method is applied to segment 1,462 patients into twelve clusters. The average values of L, R, and F excluding monetary covered by national health insurance program are computed for each cluster. In addition, customer value matrix is used to analyze customer values of twelve clusters in terms of frequency and monetary. Customer relationship matrix considering length and recency is also applied to classify different types of customers from these twelve clusters. The results show that three clusters can be classified into loyal patients with L, R, and F values greater than the respective average L, R, and F values, while three clusters can be viewed as lost patients without any variable above the average values of L, R, and F. When different types of patients are identified, marketing strategies can be designed to meet different patients' needs. PMID:25045741

  11. Present status of medical treatment for patients of advanced lung cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kira, Shiro; Kuratomi, Yushiro; Matsuoka, Rokuro; Ishihara, Teruo (Jichi Medical School, Minamikawachi, Tochigi (Japan))

    1982-09-01

    Management of patients with inoperable, advanced lung cancer is one of the most important problems for many chest physicians, because those patients with stage 3 and stage 4 are over 70% of total patients. Although surgical treatment is attempted even in the case of stage 3 patients, many factors such as age, performance status, pulmonary and circulatory disorders accompanied with them and sometimes patient's refusal for surgical treatment preclude it. Therefore, therapeutic approach for these patients is focused on relieving their pains and troubles in their daily life. Radiation therapy is only a local treatment, but it can often control variable clinical manifestations with a highly probable estimation. Many patients can be free of disease even for a limited period. From this view-point, even at present, radiation therapy is a preferable therapeutic modality to maintain individual patient's better quality of life.

  12. Reasons for not receiving thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to Bu-Ali Sina Hospital in Qazvin (2013-14)

    OpenAIRE

    MM. Daei; M. Karimi Rad; M. Khalaja

    2017-01-01

    This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013-14 in Qazvin Bu-Ali Sina Hospital. 170 patients with acute myocardial infarction who not receiving thrombolytic therapy entered the study and were analyzed. Medical history, physical examination, twelve lead ECG and cardiac biomarkers were obtained. The mean age of the patients was 63.4±14.4 years (from 19 to 90 years). 110 (64.7%) of the patients were male and 48 (28.2%) were diabetic. 86 (50%) of patients due to late present...

  13. Clinical presentation and visual status of retinitis pigmentosa patients: a multicenter study in southwestern Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onakpoya, Oluwatoyin Helen; Adeoti, Caroline Olufunlayo; Oluleye, Tunji Sunday; Ajayi, Iyiade Adeseye; Majengbasan, Timothy; Olorundare, Olayemi Kolawole

    2016-01-01

    To review the visual status and clinical presentation of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Multicenter, retrospective, and analytical review was conducted of the visual status and clinical characteristics of patients with RP at first presentation from January 2007 to December 2011. Main outcome measure was the World Health Organization's visual status classification in relation to sex and age at presentation. Data analysis by SPSS (version 15) and statistical significance was assumed at Ppresent in their siblings 15 (71.4%), grandparents 11 (52.3%), and parents 4 (19.4%). Forty (41.7%) were blind at presentation and 23 (24%) were visually impaired. Blindness in six (15%) patients was secondary to glaucoma. Retinal vascular narrowing and retinal pigmentary changes of varying severity were present in all patients. Thirty-five (36.5%) had maculopathy, 36 (37.5%) refractive error, 19 (20%) lenticular opacities, and eleven (11.5%) had glaucoma. RP was typical in 85 patients (88.5%). Older patients had higher rates of blindness at presentation (P=0.005); blindness and visual impairment rate at presentation were higher in males than females (P=0.029). Clinical presentation with advanced diseases, higher blindness rate in older patients, sex-related difference in blindness/visual impairment rates, as well as high glaucoma blindness in RP patients requires urgent attention in southwestern Nigeria.

  14. Idiopathic mitral valve disease in a patient presenting with Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antevil, Jared; Umakanthan, Ramanan; Leacche, Marzia; Brewer, Zachary; Solenkova, Natalia; Byrne, John G; Greelish, James P

    2009-05-01

    A 33-year-old, previously healthy male presented with respiratory distress and underwent intubation. A physical examination revealed a holosystolic murmur and pupillary abnormalities. Echocardiography revealed a flail anterior mitral valve leaflet with ruptured chordae and severe mitral regurgitation. The patient underwent urgent mitral valve replacement and tolerated the procedure well. The mitral valve leaflet was myxomatous and calcified -- an unusual find in such a patient. An ophthalmology consultation was obtained and the patient diagnosed with Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, a disorder of the anterior ocular chamber that has been associated with cardiac malformations. The present case report adds to the body of literature which suggests a correlation between Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome and valvular abnormalities. Hence, it is believed prudent that patients with Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome should undergo echocardiographic screenings for valvular abnormalities.

  15. Hoarding behaviour in Xhosa patients with schizophrenia - prevalence and clinical presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T Ameer

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective:Hoarding is commonly defined as the acquisition ofand failure to discard possessions of little use or value, and isincluded as a symptom in the diagnostic criteria for obsessivecompulsive personality disorder (OCPD and obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD. However, it has also beenobserved in other clinical syndromes including schizophrenia.This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence andclinical presentation of hoarding behaviour in schizophreniaamong Xhosa patients.Method:The sample consisted of 102 patients, recruited aspart of a larger genetic study in the Cape Town metropolebetween November 2004 and January 2005, diagnosed withschizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders according to theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-IVcriteria. They were screened for clinically significant hoardingsymptoms. If these were present, additional information onthe phenomenology was obtained by means of a structuredquestionnaire. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview(MINI (screen and full version, the Yale Brown ObsessiveCompulsive Scale (Y-BOCS Checklist, Y-BOCS, Clutter ImageRating Scale (CIRS and a structured questionnaire on hoardingwere administered.Results:Only four patients with schizophrenia were classifiedas hoarders. Although their clinical presentation resembled thatof hoarders described elsewhere in the literature, they had lowY-BOCS scores and did not report other obsessive-compulsivesymptoms.Conclusion:Our results suggest that hoarding behaviour isnot common in Xhosa patients with schizophrenia. Furtherinvestigation of protective factors for hoarding behaviour in theXhosa population is warranted.

  16. Medical nutrition therapy for a patient presenting with a chylothorax

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2013-08-26

    Aug 26, 2013 ... The patient presented with poor muscle and fat stores, ... Hb: haemoglobin, Cl chloride, C02: carbon dioxide, Creat: creatinine, CRP: C-reactive protein, K: .... immune response and fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies, with.

  17. Antifouling activity of twelve demosponges from Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SM. Ribeiro

    Full Text Available Benthic marine organisms are constantly exposed to fouling, which is harmful to most host species. Thus, the production of secondary metabolites containing antifouling properties is an important ecological advantage for sessile organisms and may also provide leading compounds for the development of antifouling paints. High antifouling potential of sponges has been demonstrated in the Indian and Pacific oceans and in the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas. Brazilian sponges remain understudied concerning antifouling activities. Only two scientific articles reported this activity in sponges of Brazil. The objective of this study was to test crude extracts of twelve species of sponges from Brazil against the attachment of the mussel Perna perna through laboratorial assays, and highlight promising species for future studies. The species Petromica citrina, Amphimedon viridis, Desmapsamma anchorata, Chondrosia sp., Polymastia janeirensis, Tedania ignis, Aplysina fulva, Mycale angulosa, Hymeniacidon heliophila, Dysidea etheria, Tethya rubra, and Tethya maza were frozen and freeze-dried before extraction with acetone or dichloromethane. The crude extract of four species significantly inhibited the attachment of byssus: Tethya rubra (p = 0.0009, Tethya maza (p = 0.0039, Petromica citrina (p = 0.0277, and Hymeniacidon heliophila (p = 0.00003. These species, specially, should be the target of future studies to detail the substances involved in the ability antifouling well as to define its amplitude of action.

  18. Energy and greenhouse effect. Twelve short notes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prevot, Henri

    2013-12-01

    The author proposes twelve brief notes aimed at discussing the reduction of fossil energy consumption in order to reduce CO 2 emissions and to improve the French energy supply security, without any useless expense. These notes address the reason for energy savings, the cost and price of a CO 2 ton, the issue of thermal regulation for buildings (it's not in compliance with the law, and results in higher expenses and increased CO 2 emissions), the introduction of a carbon tax to incite investments for energy saving, the status and health of the CO 2 European market, the support of actions aimed at reducing fossil energy consumption, the fact that bio-heat is ten times more efficient than bio-fuel and that therefore car holders should finance bio-heat, the development of hybrid uses of energy to avoid the difficulty of energy storage, the reduction of CO 2 emissions at low cost (by consuming as much renewable energy as nuclear energy but without wind or photovoltaic energy), the cost of less CO 2 , less fossil energy and less nuclear, and the interest of France to act on its own to reduce CO 2 emissions. The author proposes a brief synthesis of these notes and some proposals regarding thermal regulation for buildings, taxes, the European CO 2 market, the forest biomass, electricity production, and the European and word dimensions of these issues

  19. Risk factors for chronic noncontiguous diseases: Twelve-week prospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lapčević Mirjana

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Risk factors (RF of chronic noncontiguous diseases (CND are mutual and cannot be observed individually since there is an inter-reaction (interaction of RF in various combinations, what makes so-called personality risk profile for development of particular disease. Almost all CND belong to the group of preventable diseases, because their course may be influenced and changed through RF modification and reduction. Bad habits also contribute to CND incidence. CND prevention is the first priority of primary health care physicians. The main objective of our study was to detect RF in patients during everyday activities of general practitioner, to estimate the risk of CND within the existing RF combination, to show the results of 12-week active monitoring of population with RF of CND, and with already present CND; while the secondary goal was to assess how much population is interested in active collaboration as well as to evaluate the qualification of general medicine teams for work based on defined methodology. The study was multicentric, prospective and interventional. The study included 2086 subjects, aged from 25-64 years, and it was carried out in 17 health centers throughout Serbia in the period January-April 2002. The subjects were selected by method of open clinical experiment. Thereafter, 12-week medical intervention was initiated involving non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment. The first control was scheduled after 8, and the second after 12 months of intervention. Congruence χ2 test, ANOVA for repeated measurements and Logistic regression were used for statistical data processing. Out of a total of 2086 subjects, the following proportion of them reported specific diagnosis in their medical histories: 77% of them reported arterial hypertension (HTA, 68% - increased body mass (BMI>27Kg/m2, 66% - hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP, 34% - diabetes mellitus (DM, 56% - inadequate physical activity (PA, and 23% - cigarette smoking (CS. On the

  20. Correlation of Radiological and Endoscopic Findings in Patients Presenting with Dysphagia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachdeva, Kavita; Kaul, Vineet

    2017-03-01

    Dysphagia is a common symptom with diverse etiology in otolaryngology. In the present study clinicopathological, radiological and endoscopic evaluation of patients was done in a tertiary care hospital in patients presenting with dysphagia. A prospective nonrandomized observational study was carried out on total of 80 cases having dysphagia during March 2015 to August 2016. In the present study, out of 80 patients, youngest case was a three years old child while oldest case was an 85 years old female. The mean age was 48.3 ± 20.3 years. The majority of cases were in age group 41-59 years (35%). Male to female ratio was 2.33:1. The mean duration of illness was 15.44 weeks. 15% of patients had absolute dysphagia. For detecting the lesion, Barium swallow study (BSS) showed a total sensitivity of 49.05% (n = 53), Computerised Tomography (CT) showed a total sensitivity of 85.70% (n = 49), plain skiagram neck & chest showed a total sensitivity of 88.88% (n = 9) and endoscopy was the most sensitive test overall as it showed a total sensitivity of 98.75% (n = 80). No complications were reported with either rigid or flexible endoscopy. Dysphagia is a common presenting complaint in otolaryngology with cases coming directly or being referred from other specialities. Males are more commonly affected than females and incidence of malignancy increases with age. Endoscopy can become the first screening test in dysphagia due to its high sensitivity and low risk of complications, with radiological tests being done in an adjunct manner.

  1. Accumulation of aluminum and barium in twelve Punjab wheat varieties and their contents in the agricultural soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shar, G.Q.; Lashari, A.K.H.; Haider, S.I.

    2003-01-01

    Wheat samples of twelve varieties, grown by breeders at NIAB, Faisalabad Pakistan and its soil, were collected and analyzed for aluminum and barium content by atomic absorption spectroscopy using acetylene-nitroxide flame. For dissolution for heavy metals, aluminum and barium, wet acid digestion method was used. The experimental study was conducted using six samples for each twelve varieties of FSC and RD (Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department) as standard reference materials and representative samples, and the soil which was also collected from agricultural plot of Nuclear Inst. of Agricultural and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, Punjab. The characteristics mean of both elements in each variety of representative samples was found to be 28.32, 71.02, 37.41, 36.95, 28.32, 47.40, 30.14, 14.69, 25.41, 32.86, 30.14 and 41.95 for the aluminum and 12.67, 6.92, 5.67, 19.82, 3.28, 17.34, 10.25, 10.49, 8.01, 14.23, 15.16 and 6.92 mg/kg for the barium of Chakwal-86, Bakhatawar-92, Shahkar-95, Parwaz-94, Punjab-96, Bahawal pur-97, Shahkar-91, Inquilab-91, Pasban-90, Punjab-85, Faisalabad-85 and Pak-81 varieties respectively. The soil of that specific plot contains 35964.3 and 111.08 mg/kg of aluminum and barium respectively. The representative samples, which are compared with certified samples at 95% confidence limit. The purpose of this study was to study the variation in uptake of aluminum and barium in twelve different wheat varieties grown in same agricultural plot. (author)

  2. The Prevalence of Anti-Aquaporin 4 Antibody in Patients with Idiopathic Inflammatory Demyelinating Diseases Presented to a Tertiary Hospital in Malaysia: Presentation and Prognosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Abdullah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. There have been inconsistent reports on the prevalence and pathogenicity of anti-Aquaporin 4 (AQP4 in patients presented with idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating diseases (IIDDs. Objective. To estimate the prevalence of anti-AQP4 antibody in patients with IIDDs presented to University Malaya Medical Centre in terms of patients’ clinical and radiological presentations and prognoses. Methods. Retrospective data review of IIDDs patients presented from 2005 to 2015. Patients were classified into classical multiple sclerosis (CMS, opticospinal (OS presentation, optic neuritis (ON, transverse myelitis (TM, brainstem syndrome (BS, and tumefactive MS. Anti-Aquaporin 4 antibody was tested using the Indirect Immunofluorescence Test (IIFT cell-based assay. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS version 20. Results. Anti-AQP4 antibody was detected in 53% of patients presented with IIDDs. CMS was more common in the seronegative group, 27/47 (57.45%; p<0.001. Conversely, OS involvement was more common in the seropositive group, 26/53 (49.06%; p<0.001. Longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesions (LESCLs on MRI were also more common in the seropositive group, 29/40 (72.50%; p=0.004. Only 2/40 (5.00% had MRI evidence of patchy or multiple short-segment spinal cord lesions in the AQP4-positive group (p=0.003. The relapse rate and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS were also higher in the seropositive group (5.43 versus 3.17, p=0.005; 4.07 versus 2.51, p=0.006, resp.. Typical clinical presentations that defined NMO were also seen in the seronegative patients, but in a lower frequency. Conclusion. Our cohort of patients had a higher prevalence of seropositivity of anti-AQP4 antibody as compared to those in Western countries. This was also associated with a more typical presentation of opticospinal involvement with LESCLs on MRI, a higher rate of relapse, and EDSS.

  3. Low evaluation rate for osteoporosis among patients presenting with a rib fracture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Whang; Gong, Hyun Sik; Lee, Seung Hoo; Park, Jin Woo; Kim, Kahyun; Baek, Goo Hyun

    2017-12-01

    This study in a regional hospital setting found a low evaluation rate for osteoporosis among patients presenting with a rib fracture. Increased emphasis or education for osteoporosis evaluation may be necessary in case of rib fractures. Rib fractures from a low-energy trauma are common in the elderly, and a history of rib fracture has been reported to increase the risk for a subsequent osteoporotic fracture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how many of the patients presenting with an isolated rib fracture were being evaluated for osteoporosis and the risk for a subsequent fracture. We retrospectively reviewed all patients aged 50 years or older who were diagnosed with a rib fracture between January 2011 and April 2016 at a regional tertiary care university hospital near Seoul, South Korea. We excluded those who had been treated for osteoporosis or those with other concomitant fractures or fractures from a motor vehicle accident or cancer. We evaluated the frequency of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan examinations in these patients. There were 231 patients with isolated rib fractures (132 men and 99 women). The mean age was 65 years. Rib fractures were most commonly diagnosed at the emergency department and most of the patients were referred to the department of thoracic surgery for follow-up evaluations. Of these 231 patients, 29 (12%) had DXA examinations after the injury, and only 9 (4%) of them did so within 6 months. Physicians specializing in orthopedic surgery, family medicine, internal medicine, rehabilitation medicine, and emergency medicine were ordering the examination. This study in a regional hospital setting found a low evaluation rate for osteoporosis among patients presenting with a rib fracture. This study suggests that increased emphasis or education for osteoporosis evaluation may be necessary for physicians who are often referred to for care of rib fractures.

  4. Acute Presentation of Chiari I Malformation with Hemiparesis in a Pediatric Patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, Stephen P; Kimmell, Kristopher T; Silberstein, Howard J

    2016-01-01

    Chiari I malformation (CM-I) is defined by cerebellar tonsillar herniation through the foramen magnum. Patients typically present with chronic complaints, including headache, dizziness, and numbness, although there are few reports in the literature of pediatric patients presenting acutely with neurological deficit caused by CM-I. We report a child who presented acutely with hemiparesis and magnetic resonance imaging findings consistent with CM-I and spinal cord edema. A 3-year old boy with normal development presented with difficulty walking and increased drooling. His mother stated he was running into objects and had balance issues for several days. Neurological examination showed ataxia with falling to the right after a few steps and weakness of the right arm and leg. His medical history was remarkable only for mild asthma, although he had recently been treated for an upper respiratory viral infection. Computed tomography of the head demonstrated no brainstem mass. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head and cervical spine showed tonsillar ectopia approximately 2 cm below the craniocervical junction with increased T2 signal in the spinal cord from C1 to C3 consistent with syringomyelia and cord edema. The patient underwent suboccipital craniectomy with removal of the posterior arch of C1 and dural patch graft. His postoperative course was unremarkable, with complete resolution of his symptoms at his 1-month follow-up visit. This case highlights an unusual presentation of CM-I with neurological deficit related to spinal cord edema, possibly precipitated by the "water-hammer" effect of this patient's coughing fits. Providers should be aware of the acute presentations of CM-I. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Long-term treatment outcomes of acromegaly patients presenting biochemically-uncontrolled at a tertiary pituitary center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmichael, John D; Broder, Michael S; Cherepanov, Dasha; Chang, Eunice; Mamelak, Adam; Said, Qayyim; Neary, Maureen P; Bonert, Vivien

    2017-08-04

    Acromegaly is a rare, slowly progressive disorder resulting from excessive growth hormone (GH) production by a pituitary somatotroph tumor. The objective of this study was to examine acromegaly treatment outcomes during long-term care at a specialized pituitary center in patients presenting with lack of biochemical control. Data came from an acromegaly registry at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Pituitary Center (center). Acromegaly patients included in this study were those who presented biochemically-uncontrolled for care at the center. Biochemical control status, based on serum insulin-like growth factor-1 values, was determined at presentation and at study end. Patient characteristics and acromegaly treatments were reported before and after presentation by presenting treatment status and final biochemical control status. Data on long-term follow-up were recorded from 1985 through June 2013. Seventy-four patients presented uncontrolled: 40 untreated (54.1%) and 34 (45.9%) previously-treated. Mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 43.2 (14.7); 32 (43.2%) were female patients. Of 65 patients with tumor size information, 59 (90.8%) had macroadenomas. Prior treatments among the 34 previously-treated patients were pituitary surgery alone (47.1%), surgery and medication (41.2%), and medication alone (11.8%). Of the 40 patients without prior treatment, 82.5% achieved control by study end. Of the 34 with prior treatment, 50% achieved control by study end. This observational study shows that treatment outcomes of biochemically-uncontrolled acromegaly patients improve with directed care, particularly for those that initially present untreated. Patients often require multiple modalities of treatment, many of which are offered with the highest quality at specialized pituitary centers. Despite specialized care, some patients were not able to achieve biochemical control with methods of treatment that were available at the time of their treatment, showing the need for additional

  6. Twelve-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of comprehensive physiotherapy following disc herniation operation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebenbichler, Gerold R; Inschlag, Silke; Pflüger, Verena; Stemberger, Regina; Wiesinger, Günther; Novak, Klaus; Christoph, Krall; Resch, Karl L

    2015-06-01

    To evaluate the long-term effects of postoperative comprehensive physiotherapy starting one week after lumbar disc surgery. Twelve-year follow-up of a three-armed, randomized, controlled, single-blinded clinical trial. Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Of 111 patients following first-time, uncomplicated lumbar disc surgery who participated in the original study and completed the treatment originally allocated, 74 ((67%; 29 (73%) physiotherapy, 22 (58%) sham therapy, 23 (68%) no therapy) completed a 12-year follow-up examination. In the original study, patients had been randomly assigned to comprehensive physiotherapy, sham intervention (neck massage), or no therapy. Low Back Pain Rating Scale; best score 0, worst score 130 points). At 12 years after surgery, the group participating in comprehensive physiotherapy had significantly better functional outcomes, as rated on the Low Back Pain Rating Score, than the untreated group (mean difference: -13.2 (95% CI: (-25.4; -1.0)). Equally, there was a clinically relevant, non-significant difference between the sham therapy and no therapy (mean difference: -12.5 (95%CI: -26.1; 1.1)). Consequently, the Low Back Pain Rating Score outcome did not differ between physiotherapy and sham therapy (mean difference: -0.7 (95%CI: -14.2; 12.8)). Participating in a comprehensive physiotherapy program following lumbar disc surgery may be associated with better long-term health benefits over no intervention, but may not be superior to sham therapy. © The Author(s) 2014.

  7. Patients With Type A Acute Aortic Dissection Presenting With an Abnormal Electrocardiogram.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costin, Nathaniel I; Korach, Amit; Loor, Gabriel; Peterson, Mark D; Desai, Nimesh D; Trimarchi, Santi; de Vincentiis, Carlo; Ota, Takeyoshi; Reece, T Brett; Sundt, Thoralf M; Patel, Himanshu J; Chen, Edward P; Montgomery, Dan G; Nienaber, Christoph A; Isselbacher, Eric M; Eagle, Kim A; Gleason, Thomas G

    2018-01-01

    The electrocardiogram (ECG) is often used in the diagnosis of patients presenting with chest pain to emergency departments. Because chest pain is a common manifestation of type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD), ECGs are obtained in much of this population. We evaluated the effect of particular ECG patterns on the diagnosis and treatment of TAAAD. TAAAD patients (N = 2,765) enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection were stratified based on normal (n = 1,094 [39.6%]) and abnormal (n = 1,671 [60.4%]) findings on presenting ECGs and further subdivided according to specific ECG findings. Time data are presented in hours as medians (quartile 1 to quartile 3). Patients with ECGs with abnormal findings presented to the hospital sooner after symptom onset than those with ECGs with normal findings (1.4 [0.8 to 3.3] vs 2.0 [1.0 to 3.3]; p = 0.005). Specifically, this was seen in patients with infarction with new Q waves or ST elevation (1.3 [0.6 to 2.7] vs 1.5 [0.8 to 3.3]; p = 0.049). Interestingly, the time between symptom onset and diagnosis was longer with infarction with old Q waves (6.7 [3.2 to 18.4] vs 5.0 [2.9 to 11.8]; p = 0.034) and nonspecific ST-T changes (5.8 [3.0 to 13.8] vs 4.5 [2.8 to 10.5]; p = 0.002). Surgical mortality was higher in patients with abnormal ECG findings (20.6% vs 11.9%, p presenting with abnormal ECG results are sicker, have more in-hospital complications, and are more likely to die. The frequency of nonspecific ST-T abnormalities and its association with delay in diagnosis and treatment presents an opportunity for practice improvement. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Comparative analysis of family poultry production in twelve African countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodger, W.J.; Bennett, T.B.; Dwinger, R.H.

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of the research was to conduct a survey on family poultry to obtain information on disease prevalence, feeding practices, and the management of poultry housing in twelve African countries. The survey data were collected during both the wet and dry seasons and summarised (average and standard deviation) by country, village/region, season, and survey question. The disease data results show that three (greenish/bloody diarrhoea, swollen head, and coughing) of top four reported symptoms are part of Newcastle disease's presenting signs. Chick mortality was also higher in the wet season, when there is a higher incidence of Newcastle disease. This was also supported by the individual country data in that those countries with high chick mortality data also had low hatchability in the wet season with Egypt being the only exception. The types of housing used for shelter for family poultry was quite variable and presented a challenge to determine the level of cleaning/sanitation to assist in controlling Newcastle disease. On the one hand, a large percentage of households reported never cleaning the poultry house (e.g., Cameroon, Morocco, Mauritius, and Sudan). On the other hand, 34% of the responses to housing type were either trees or other forms of housing that would be difficult to clean i.e., old car, fence, surrounding wall, etc. Obviously, these results should be closely examined when instituting control programs for Newcastle disease. The large variety of available scavenged feed without any data on intake raises the question of how to balance the ration for the flock. Family poultry scientists need to determine a method to estimate intake which could assist in determining what supplementary feed is necessary if any. This challenge may be one of the most important aspects to family poultry management because of the importance of nutrition to poultry production with the added difficulty of providing balanced nutrition in an extensive system. (author)

  9. Radiofrequency catheter ablation for electrical storm in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolettis, Theofilos M; Naka, Katerina K; Katsouras, Christos S

    2005-01-01

    We report a case of successful radiofrequency catheter ablation in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy, who presented with multiple, haemodynamically poorly tolerated episodes of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, resistant to antiarrhythmic drug treatment. The ablation procedure consisted of focal ablation of three mapped left ventricular sites, using pace and activation mapping. Additional linear ablation lesions were created across these sites. After the procedure, the patient remained free of tachycardia episodes and seven days post-ablation he underwent implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator. During a twelve-month follow-up period, the patient has remained free of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia episodes. Radiofrequency catheter ablation is feasible in electrical storm, using conventional mapping techniques, even in haemodynamically unstable tachycardias.

  10. Impression of multiple implants using photogrammetry: description of technique and case presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peñarrocha-Oltra, David; Agustín-Panadero, Rubén; Bagán, Leticia; Giménez, Beatriz; Peñarrocha, María

    2014-07-01

    To describe a technique for registering the positions of multiple dental implants using a system based on photogrammetry. A case is presented in which a prosthetic treatment was performed using this technique. Three Euroteknika® dental implants were placed to rehabilitate a 55-year-old male patient with right posterior maxillary edentulism. Three months later, the positions of the implants were registered using a photogrammetry-based stereo-camera (PICcamera®). After processing patient and implant data, special abutments (PICabutment®) were screwed onto each implant. The PICcamera® was then used to capture images of the implant positions, automatically taking 150 images in less than 60 seconds. From this information a file was obtained describing the relative positions - angles and distances - of each implant in vector form. Information regarding the soft tissues was obtained from an alginate impression that was cast in plaster and scanned. A Cr-Co structure was obtained using CAD/CAM, and its passive fit was verified in the patient's mouth using the Sheffield test and the screw resistance test. Twelve months after loading, peri-implant tissues were healthy and no marginal bone loss was observed. The clinical application of this new system using photogrammetry to record the position of multiple dental implants facilitated the rehabilitation of a patient with posterior maxillary edentulism by means of a prosthesis with optimal fit. The prosthetic process was accurate, fast, simple to apply and comfortable for the patient.

  11. Comparative assay of fluorescent antibody test results among twelve European National Reference Laboratories using various anti-rabies conjugates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Robardet, E.; Andrieu, S.; Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun

    2013-01-01

    Twelve National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for rabies have undertaken a comparative assay to assess the comparison of fluorescent antibody test (FAT) results using five coded commercial anti-rabies conjugates (Biorad, Bioveta, Fujirebio, Millipore, and SIFIN conjugates). Homogenized positive...

  12. Comparisons of High School Graduation Rates of Students with Disabilities and Their Peers in Twelve Southern States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Theodore Scott; Manuel, Nancy; Stokes, Billy R.

    2012-01-01

    This study compared differences in diploma and graduation dropout rates among students with and without disabilities, analyzed differences in various graduation-types by disabilities, and offered recommendations to improve graduation rates through evidence-based practices. The geographic catchment area of this study was limited to twelve Southern…

  13. The Impact of the Financial Crisis on the Content of Twelve Bestselling US Principles of Economics Textbooks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Poul Thøis

    2013-01-01

    How have authors of twelve bestselling introductory US textbooks in economics responded to the traumatizing financial crisis? In general the financial crisis is described with a couple of lines here and there or it is dealt with in boxes, separate sections, or specific isolated chapters. Some...

  14. Disability in patients with trapeziometacarpal joint arthrosis: incidental versus presenting diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Stéphanie J E; Makarawung, Dennis J S; Spit, Silke A; King, John D; Ring, David

    2014-10-01

    To test the hypothesis that there is no difference in trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint arthrosis-related symptoms and disability between patients seeking treatment for symptoms of TMC arthrosis and those with incidental TMC joint arthrosis. We compared 64 patients presenting for care of TMC joint arthrosis with 64 with incidental TMC joint arthrosis. For both groups, the diagnosis was based on crepitation on examination. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed factors associated with symptoms and disability related to TMC joint arthrosis. In bivariate analysis, patients presenting for care of TMC joint arthrosis had significantly more symptoms and disability from TMC joint arthrosis than those with incidental TMC joint arthrosis. The best multivariate linear regression model for fewer TMC joint arthrosis-related symptoms and disability included patients with incidental TMC joint arthrosis, male sex, no other painful conditions, less catastrophic thinking, and fewer depressive symptoms and explained 74% of the variability. Having incidental TMC joint arthrosis (25%) and more adaptive coping strategies (less catastrophic thinking; 5%) were the most important contributors to fewer symptoms and less disability. Future studies are merited to determine whether training in better coping strategies (eg, less catastrophic thinking and fewer depressive symptoms) can decrease symptoms and disability in patients with TMC joint arthrosis. Prognostic III. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Patient characteristics associated with self-presentation, treatment delay and survival following primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, David; Yan, Andrew T; Spratt, James C; Kunadian, Vijay; Edwards, Richard J; Egred, Mohaned; Bagnall, Alan J

    2014-09-01

    Delayed arrival to a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI)-capable hospital following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poorer outcome. The influence of patient characteristics on delayed presentation during STEMI is unknown. This was a retrospective observational study. Patients presenting for PPCI from March 2008 to November 2011 in the north of England (Northumbria, Tyne and Wear) were included. The outcomes were self-presentation to a non-PPCI-capable hospital, symptom to first medical contact (STFMC) time, total ischaemic time and mortality during follow-up. STEMI patients included numbered 2297; 619 (26.9%) patients self-presented to a non-PPCI-capable hospital. STFMC of >30 min and total ischaemic time of >180 min was present in 1521 (70.7%) and 999 (44.9%) cases, respectively. Self-presentation was the strongest predictor of prolonged total ischaemic time (odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, CI): 5.05 (3.99-6.39)). Married patients (OR 1.38 (1.10-1.74)) and patients living closest to an Emergency Room self-presented more commonly (driving time (vs. ≤10 min) 11-20 min OR 0.66 (0.52-0.83), >20 minutes OR 0.46 (0.33-0.64). Unmarried females waited longest to call for help (OR vs. married males 1.89 (1.29-2.78) and experienced longer total ischaemic times (OR 1.51 (1.10-2.07)). Married patients had a borderline association with lower mortality (hazard ratio 0.75 (0.53-1.05), p=0.09). Unmarried female patients had the longest treatment delays. Married patients and those living closer to an Emergency Room self-present more frequently. Early and exclusive use of the ambulance service may reduce treatment delay and improve STEMI outcome. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014.

  16. The prognostic significance of midline shift at presentation on survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gamburg, Eugene S.; Regine, William F.; Patchell, Roy A.; Strottmann, James M.; Mohiuddin, Mohammed; Young, A. Byron

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: While patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) who present with midline shift have a presumably worse prognosis, there is little literature evaluating the prognostic significance of this presentation in multivariate analysis in the context of other known prognostic factors. Methods and Materials: From March 1981 to September 1993, 219 patients underwent irradiation for intracranial glioma at our institution. One hundred fourteen patients with a diagnosis of a primary GBM were analyzed for the influence of the presence of midline shift at diagnosis on survival with respect to other known prognostic factors, including age, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), and extent of surgery. Eighty-five patients (74%) presented with midline shift. Surgical treatment consisted of subtotal/total resection in 86 patients (75%). Among patients presenting with midline shift, 68 (80%) underwent subtotal/total resection before irradiation. Results: Multivariate analysis of the entire cohort of patients found none of the potential prognostic factors analyzed to significantly influence survival. The overall median survival was 6 months. However, when multivariate analysis was limited to patients with a KPS of ≥ 70, only the presence of midline shift and age were found to significantly influence survival. Patients with a KPS ≥ 70 and with midline shift present at diagnosis had a median survival of 8 months, as compared to 14 months for those not having midline shift at presentation (p = 0.04). Patients with a KPS ≥ 70 and age > 50 years had a median survival of 5 months as compared to 11 months for those ≤ 50 (p 0.02). Conclusion: In this series, where 80% of patients who presented with a midline shift underwent decompressive resection of GBM before irradiation, the presence of midline shift at diagnosis remained an independent prognostic factor influencing survival among good performance status patients. While the role of decompressive surgery in this setting is

  17. The effects of planting density and cultural intensity on loblolly pine crown characteristics at age twelve

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madison Akers; Michael Kane; Robert Teskey; Richard Daniels; Dehai Zhao; Santosh Subedi

    2012-01-01

    Twelve-year old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands were analyzed for the effects of planting density and cultural intensity on tree and crown attributes. Four study installations were located in the Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain regions of the U.S. South. The treatments included six planting densities (740, 1480, 2220, 2960, 3700, 4440 trees...

  18. Characterizing T Cells in SCID Patients Presenting with Reactive or Residual T Lymphocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atar Lev

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID may present with residual circulating T cells. While all cells are functionally deficient, resulting in high susceptibility to infections, only some of these cells are causing autoimmune symptoms. Methods. Here we compared T-cell functions including the number of circulating CD3+ T cells, in vitro responses to mitogens, T-cell receptor (TCR repertoire, TCR excision circles (TREC levels, and regulatory T cells (Tregs enumeration in several immunodeficinecy subtypes, clinically presenting with nonreactive residual cells (MHC-II deficiency or reactive cells. The latter includes patients with autoreactive clonal expanded T cell and patients with alloreactive transplacentally maternal T cells. Results. MHC-II deficient patients had slightly reduced T-cell function, normal TRECs, TCR repertoires, and normal Tregs enumeration. In contrast, patients with reactive T cells exhibited poor T-cell differentiation and activity. While the autoreactive cells displayed significantly reduced Tregs numbers, the alloreactive transplacentally acquired maternal lymphocytes had high functional Tregs. Conclusion. SCID patients presenting with circulating T cells show different patterns of T-cell activity and regulatory T cells enumeration that dictates the immunodeficient and autoimmune manifestations. We suggest that a high-tolerance capacity of the alloreactive transplacentally acquired maternal lymphocytes represents a toleration advantage, yet still associated with severe immunodeficiency.

  19. Variables influencing presenting symptoms of patients with eating disorders at psychiatric outpatient clinics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseng, Mei-Chih Meg; Chen, Kuan-Yu; Chang, Chin-Hao; Liao, Shih-Cheng; Chen, Hsi-Chung

    2016-04-30

    Eating disorders (EDs) have been underdiagnosed in many clinical settings. This study investigates the influence of clinical characteristics on presenting symptoms of patients with EDs. Psychiatric outpatients, aged 18-45, were enrolled sequentially and received a two-phase survey for EDs in August 2010-January 2013. Their primary reasons for seeking psychiatric help were obtained at their first encounter with outpatient psychiatrists. Patients' clinical and demographic characteristics were compared according to presenting symptoms with or without eating/weight problems. Of 2140 patients, 348 (16.3%) were diagnosed with an ED (22.6% of women and 6.3% of men). The three most common reasons for seeking psychiatric help were eating/weight problems (46.0%), emotional problems (41.3%), and sleep disturbances (19.3%). The multivariate analyses suggest that when patients with EDs presented symptoms that were less related to eating/weight problems, they were significantly more likely to be those having diagnoses other than anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa and less severe degree of binge-eating. Further, patients with EDs who demonstrated more impulsive behaviors and poorer functioning were less likely to report their eating problems when visiting psychiatric clinics. Thus, ED should be assessed routinely in patients with complex psychopathology to facilitate comprehensive treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The Haiti Breast Cancer Initiative: Initial Findings and Analysis of Barriers-to-Care Delaying Patient Presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ketan Sharma

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. In Haiti, breast cancer patients present at such advanced stages that even modern therapies offer modest survival benefit. Identifying the personal, sociocultural, and economic barriers-to-care delaying patient presentation is crucial to controlling disease. Methods. Patients presenting to the Hôpital Bon Sauveur in Cange were prospectively accrued. Delay was defined as 12 weeks or longer from initial sign/symptom discovery to presentation, as durations greater than this cutoff correlate with reduced survival. A matched case-control analysis with multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors predicting delay. Results. Of N=123 patients accrued, 90 (73% reported symptom-presentation duration and formed the basis of this study: 52 patients presented within 12 weeks of symptoms, while 38 patients waited longer than 12 weeks. On logistic regression, lower education status (OR = 5.6, P=0.03, failure to initially recognize mass as important (OR = 13.0, P<0.01, and fear of treatment cost (OR = 8.3, P=0.03 were shown to independently predict delayed patient presentation. Conclusion. To reduce stage at presentation, future interventions must educate patients on the recognition of initial breast cancer signs and symptoms and address cost concerns by providing care free of charge and/or advertising that existing care is already free.

  1. Analysis of patients presenting to the emergency department with carbon monoxide intoxication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selim Yurtseven

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Carbon monoxide is a potentially fatal form of poisoning. The exact incidence is unclear, due to cases being undiagnosed or reported as fewer than the real number. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT is of proven efficacy in the treatment of CO intoxication.The purpose of this study was to describe the general characteristics of carbon monoxide (CO intoxications presenting to the emergency department and to investigate troponin I values and the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT in these patients. Material and methods: Patients presenting to the emergency department with CO intoxication over one year and patients with such intoxications receiving HBOT were examined retrospectively. Results: One hundred seventy-one patients were included; 140 (81.9% were poisoned by stoves, 18 (10.5% by hot water boilers and 10 in (5.8% by fires. COHb levels were normal in 49 of the 163 patients whose values were investigated, and were elevated in 114 patients. Mean COHb value was 16.6. Troponin I values were investigated in 112 patients. These were normal in 86 patients and elevated in 26. Mean troponin I value was 0.38 ng/ml. One hundred twenty-three of the 171 patients in the study were discharged in a healthy condition after receiving normobaric oxygen therapy, while 48 patients received HBOT. Forty-two (87.5% of the patients receiving HBOT were discharged in a healthy condition while sequelae persisted in five (10.4%. One patient died after 15 session of HBOT. Conclusion: Although elevated carboxyhemoglobin confirms diagnosis of CO intoxication, normal levels do not exclude it. Troponin I levels may rise in CO intoxication. No significant relation was observed between carboxyhemoglobin and receipt of HBOT. A significant correlation was seen, however, between troponin I levels and receipt of HBOT. Keywords: Carbon monoxide intoxication, Hyperbaric oxygen, Troponin I, Echocardiography

  2. Investigations of the immune state of patients irradiated for testicle tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stefanits, K.; Kuhn, E.; Csere, T.

    1985-01-01

    The authors present the results of investigation of the immune reactivity of 72 patients irradiated for testicle tumors. The responses to tuberculin and DNCB (2,4-dinitrochlorobenzol) were examined before the treatment, within twelve months after radiotherapy and three years after radiotherapy and when metastases appeared. After radiotherapy, the number of positive responses was slightly decreased in both examination methods, but the difference was in no case significant. Patients with metastases showed a significantly decreased response to DNCB compared to the results obtained before radiotherapy. 5.6% of the patients had suffered from herpes zoster. The incidence of other infective diseases was not increased. The conclusion is drawn that the moderate immunosuppression caused by radiotherapy does not exert any influence on the further way of living of patients with testicle tumors. (orig.) [de

  3. PDT in periodontal disease of HAART resistance patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giovani, Elcio M.; Noro-Filho, Gilberto A.; Caputo, Bruno V.; Casarin, Renato; Costa, Claudio; Salgado, Daniela; Santos, Camila C.

    2016-03-01

    HIV/Aids patients present a change of microbiota associated with host immunodeficiency. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) showed as a promising and viable alternative in reducing microbiota. Present study evaluate effectiveness of photodynamic therapy in periodontal disease of AIDS patients with highly activity antiretroviral therapy (HAART) failure, measuring the clinical periodontal parameters and periodontal microbiota. Twelve patients with HARRT resistance (R group) divided into two groups (control and PDT) and 12 patients with no HAART resistance (NR group) divided into two groups (control and PDT). The results show the difference in baseline of CD4 cells count, NR group 640.0 +/- 176.2 cells/mm3 R group and 333.3 +/- 205.8 cells / mm3 (pperiodontal parameters (PD and CAL), PDT was more effective than the control group only in the NR group (p periodontal parameters between the both R groups (p>0.05%). Microbiological evaluation in R group presents a general reduction in the Aa at 3 and 6 months. Furthermore, demonstrated a reduction of Pg in all groups at 6 months and in R group at 3 months. The impact assessment of photodynamic therapy in patients with different levels of immunosuppression determined that the combination of mechanical periodontal treatment with photodynamic therapy in patients with HAART failure did not cause additional benefits. Therefore, PDT in this study could not been indicated in HAART resistance patients.

  4. Risk of stress urinary incontinence twelve years after the first pregnancy and delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viktrup, Lars; Rortveit, Guri; Lose, Gunnar

    2006-08-01

    To estimate the impact of onset of stress urinary incontinence in first pregnancy or postpartum period, for the risk of symptoms 12 years after the first delivery. In a longitudinal cohort study, 241 women answered validated questions about stress urinary incontinence after first delivery and 12 years later. Twelve years after first delivery the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence was 42% (102 of 241). The 12-year incidence was 30% (44 of 146). The prevalence of stress urinary incontinence 12 years after first pregnancy and delivery was significantly higher (Ppregnancy (56%, 37 of 66) and in women with onset shortly after delivery (78%, 14 of 18) compared with those without initial symptoms (30%, 44 of 146). In 70 women who had onset of symptoms during first pregnancy or shortly after the delivery but remission 3 months postpartum, a total of 40 (57%) had stress urinary incontinence 12 years later. In 11 women with onset of symptoms during the first pregnancy or shortly after delivery but no remission 3 months postpartum, a total of 10 (91%) had stress urinary incontinence 12 years later. Cesarean during first delivery was significantly associated with a lower risk of incontinence. Other obstetric factors were not significantly associated with the risk of incontinence 12 years later. Patients who were overweight before their first pregnancy were at increased risk. Onset of stress urinary incontinence during first pregnancy or puerperal period carries an increased risk of long-lasting symptoms.

  5. Work environment perceptions following relocation to open-plan offices: A twelve-month longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergström, Jessica; Miller, Michael; Horneij, Eva

    2015-01-01

    A workplace's design can have various positive or negative effects on the employees and since the 1970s the advantages and disadvantages of open-plan offices have been discussed. The aim of this study was to investigate perceived health, work environment and self-estimated productivity one month before and at three, six and twelve months after relocation from individual offices to an open-plan office environment. Employees from three departments within the same company group and who worked with relatively similar tasks and who were planned to be relocated from private offices to open-plan offices were invited to participate. Questionnaires comprising items from The Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale, The Work Experience Measurement Scale, the questionnaire by Brennan et al. about perceived performance and one question from the Work Ability Index were sent to participants one month before relocation (baseline) to open-plan offices and then at three, six and twelve months after relocation. At baseline, 82 questionnaires were sent out. The response rate was 85%. At the follow-ups 77-79 questionnaires were sent out and the response-rate was 70%-81%. At follow-ups, perceived health, job satisfaction and performance had generally deteriorated. The results of the study indicate that employees' perception of health, work environment and performance decreased during a 12 month period following relocation from individual offices to open-plan offices.

  6. Role of inflammatory markers as predictors of laparotomy in patients presenting with acute abdomen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, Brendan H; Rozario, Anthony P; Olakkengil, Santosh A

    2015-10-01

    There is a need for an ideal indicator of surgery in patients presenting with acute abdomen. Several markers have been analysed, but the search still continues as none have proven effective. This study aimed to analyse and compare the predictive value of plasma procalcitonin (PCT) strip test in patients presenting with acute abdomen and identify a useful cut-off value to differentiate patients that would benefit with surgery from those that require conservative management. A prospective study was conducted in the department of general surgery from June 2012 to June 2013. Plasma PCT was estimated by the semi-quantitative strip test. The levels of plasma PCT and other routinely used markers of inflammation were analysed and compared. Of the total of 58 patients, 44 patients (76%) were men with a mean age of 45 years. Forty patients required emergency surgical intervention. A plasma PCT value of >0.5 ng/mL at admission was 80% sensitive and 100% specific for predicting need for antibiotics in patients with acute abdomen that were managed conservatively. The mean plasma PCT value in the patients undergoing surgery (5.0-10.0 ng/mL) was significantly more than in those managed conservatively (0.5-2.0 ng/mL). Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves a cut-off for plasma PCT of >5.0 ng/mL was 75% sensitive and 100% specific for considering surgical intervention in patients presenting with acute abdomen. Plasma PCT (value >5 ng/mL) could be used as an adjunct to clinical examination to predict requirement of surgery in patients presenting with acute abdomen. © 2015 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  7. Bleeding Episodes Among Patients with Congenital Fibrinogen Disorders, a Study On 12 New Iranian Patients

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    Majid Naderi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Congenital fibrinogen disorders (CFDs comprise about 10% of rare bleeding disorders (RBDs. CFDs are divided into two groups of quantitative (afibrinogenemia and hypofibrinogenemia with autosomal recessive inheritance pattern, and qualitative (dysfibrinogenemia, hypodysfibrogenemia disorders, mainly with autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Sistan and Baluchestan Province in Iran, with its high rate of consanguineous marriages, has a high incidence of RBDs including CFD. In the current study, we report clinical manifestations of patients with CFDs.Methods: Twelve new Iranian patients from Sistan and Baluchestan Province with different types of CFDs were selected for this study. Diagnosis of CFDs was based on clinical features and familial history followed by laboratory assessment by routine and specific coagulation tests including prothrombin time (PT and activated partial time tests (APTT, as well as FI activity assay by Clauss method.Results: Out of 12 patients, 3(25% had afibrinogenemia, 7(58.3% had hypofibrinogenemia while 2(16/7% were suspected of having dysfibrinogenemia. Although umbilical cord bleeding (UCB 9(75% was the most common clinical presentation among the study population, this feature was not observed among patients with dysfibrinogenemia. Hematoma (100% was the most common presentation of patients with dysfibrinogenemia.  Conclusion: Results of this study revealed that some clinical presentations are the diagnostic features of CFDs and can be used for precise and in-time diagnosis CFDs in conjunction with family history and laboratory findings.Keywords: Fibrinogen Deficiency; Congenital Afibrinogenemia; Blood Coagulation Disorder; Afibrinogenemia

  8. Generalized deep-tissue hyperalgesia in patients with chronic low-back pain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    O'Neill, Søren; Manniche, Claus; Graven-Nielsen, Thomas

    2007-01-01

    be demonstrated in a group of patients with chronic low-back pain with intervertebral disc herniation. Twelve patients with MRI confirmed lumbar intervertebral disc herniation and 12 age and sex matched controls were included. Subjects were exposed to quantitative nociceptive stimuli to the infraspinatus...... in the anterior tibialis muscle compared to controls. In conclusion, generalized deep-tissue hyperalgesia was demonstrated in chronic low-back pain patients with radiating pain and MRI confirmed intervertebral disc herniation, suggesting that this central sensitization should also be addressed in the pain......Some chronic painful conditions including e.g. fibromyalgia, whiplash associated disorders, endometriosis, and irritable bowel syndrome are associated with generalized musculoskeletal hyperalgesia. The aim of the present study was to determine whether generalized deep-tissue hyperalgesia could...

  9. Marital status and outcome of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome: an observational report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadi Khafaji, Hadi A R; Al Habib, Khalid; Asaad, Nidal; Singh, Rajvir; Hersi, Ahmad; Al Falaeh, Husam; Al Saif, Shukri; Al-Motarreb, Ahmed; Almahmeed, Wael; Sulaiman, Kadhim; Amin, Haitham; Al-Lawati, Jawad; Al-Sagheer, Norah Q; Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi A; Al Suwaidi, Jassim

    2012-12-01

    BACKGROUND & HYPOTHESIS: Data on the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) according to their marital status is not clear. A total of 5334 patients presenting with ACS in 65 hospitals in 6 Middle East countries in the 2nd Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-2) were studied according to their marital status (5024 married, 100 single, and 210 widowed patients). When compared to married patients, widowed patients were older and more likely to be female. Widowed patients were more likely to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, history of heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease and were less likely to be tobacco users when compared to the other groups. Widowed patients were also more likely to present with atypical symptoms and have advanced Killip class. Widowed patients were more likely to present with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) when compared to the other 2 groups. Widowed patients were more likely to have heart failure (P = 0.001), cardiogenic shock (P = 0.001), and major bleeding (P = 0.002) when compared to the other groups. No statistically significant difference was observed in regard to duration of hospital stay, door to needle time in STEMI patients, or cardiac arrhythmias between the various groups. Widowed patients had higher in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality rates (P = 0.001). Marital status was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality. Widowed marital status was associated with worse cardiovascular risk profile, and worse in-hospital and 1-year outcome. Future work should be focused on whether the provision of psychosocial support will result in improved outcomes among this high-risk group. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Laboratory findings in neurosyphilis patients with epileptic seizures alone as the initial presenting symptom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Man-Li; Liu, Li-Li; Zeng, Yan-Li; Zhang, Hui-Lin; Liu, Gui-Li; Zheng, Wei-Hong; Dong, Jie; Wu, Jing-Yi; Su, Yuan-Hui; Lin, Li-Rong; Yang, Tian-Ci

    2013-04-01

    A retrospective chart review was performed to characterize the clinical presentation, the characteristic combination of serologic and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities, and the neuroimaging findings of neurosyphilis (NS) patients who had epileptic seizures alone as an initial presenting symptom. In a 6.75-year period, 169 inpatients with NS were identified at Zhongshan Hospital (from June 2005 to February 2012). We demonstrated that 13 (7.7%) of the 169 NS patients had epileptic seizures alone as an initial presenting feature. Epileptic seizures occurred in NS patients with syphilitic meningitis (2 cases), meningovascular NS (5 cases), and general paresis (6 cases). The types of epileptic seizures included simple partial, complex partial with secondary generalization (including status epilepticus), and generalized seizures (no focal onset reported). Nine of NS patients with only epileptic seizures as primary symptom were misdiagnosed, and the original misdiagnosis was 69.23% (9/13). Ten (10/13, 76.9%) patients had an abnormal magnetic resonance imaging, and 7 (7/13 53.8%) patients had abnormal electroencephalogram recordings. In addition, the sera rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) from all 13 patients were positive. The overall positive rates of the CSF-RPR and CSF-TPPA were 61.5% and 69.2%, respectively. Three patients demonstrated CSF pleocytosis, and 9 patients exhibited elevated CSF protein levels. Therefore, NS with only epileptic seizures at the initial presentation exhibits a lack of specificity. It is recommended that every patient with clinically evident symptoms of epileptic seizures should have a blood test performed for syphilis. When the serology results are positive, all of the patients should undergo a CSF examination to diagnose NS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A review of patients with advanced cervical cancer presenting to ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    outcomes of cervical cancer patients who entered care at Tiyanjane Clinic in Blantyre, Malawi ... a palliative approach from the time of presentation. Opportunities for ... to start on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), irrespective of ..... antenatal care, maternity care, under 5 clinics, family planning clinics, exposed ...

  12. [Tuberculous meningitis with atypical presentation in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection].

    Science.gov (United States)

    López, M T; Lluch, M; Fernández-Solá, J; Coca, A; Urbano-Márquez, A

    1992-04-11

    A 32 years old male patient is described with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on stage IV C1 and with positive Ag p24 who developed tuberculous meningitis of atypical presentation. A persistent liquoral neutrophilia and low adenosindeaminase values were observed in cerebrospinal fluid of purulent appearance. The patient responded badly to tuberculostatic treatment and died. In the antibiogram carried out resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis was observed to rifampicine and isoniazide, two of the five drugs the patient had received. The peculiarities of the clinical form of presentation similar to purulent bacterian meningitis are discussed, and the possible influence of HIV infection and the antibiotic multiresistance observed in the bad evolution of the tuberculous meningitis which the patient developed.

  13. The present status of medical treatment for patients of advanced lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kira, Shiro; Kuratomi, Yushiro; Matsuoka, Rokuro; Ishihara, Teruo

    1982-01-01

    Management of patients with inoperable, advanced lung cancer is one of the most important problems for many chest physicians, because those patients with stage 3 and stage 4 are over 70% of total patients. Although surgical treatment is attempted even in the case of stage 3 patients, many factors such as age, performance status, pulmonary and circulatory disorders accompanied with them and sometimes patient's refusal for surgical treatment preclude it. Therefore, therapeutic approach for these patients is focused on relieving their pains and troubles in their daily life. Radiation therapy is only a local treatment, but it can often control variable clinical manifestations with a highly probable estimation. Many patients can be free of disease even for a limited period. From this view-point, even at present, radiation therapy is a preferable therapeutic modality to maintain individual patient's better quality of life. (author)

  14. Evaluation of New-Onset Diabetes in Patients Presenting Emergency Service with a Diabetic Ketoacidosis Attack

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yavuz Yiğit

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM in patients presenting to our emergency department with diabetic ketoacidosis. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated hospital records of patients who presented to the Emergency Department at Istanbul Goztepe Research and Training Hospital between 01 April 2009 and 01 April 2011 and were diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis. 57 patients having complete clinical data were included in the study. Results: 45.6%of patients had type 1 DM, 33.3%- type 2 DM, and 21%of them were with new-onset DM. No statistically significant difference was found between type 1 DM, type 2 DM and new-onset DM patients with respect to arterial blood pH and HCO3 levels and serum sodium, potassium and plasma glucose levels at presentation as well as time of presentation (p>0.05, while HbA1c levels showed statistically significant difference in new-onset DM patients. Conclusion: No statistically significant difference was found between types of DM in patients diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis except for precipitating factors, age and HbA1c. Detecting high blood glucose levels in patients presenting to emergency room for reasons other than DM is not a rare condition. Cautious evaluation and recognition of these patients in emergency room for the possibility of undiagnosed DM is important for prevention of future diabetic ketoacidosis episodes. (The Medical Bulletin of Haseki 2013; 51: 168-72

  15. Telling the patient's story: using theatre training to improve case presentation skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammer, Rachel R; Rian, Johanna D; Gregory, Jeremy K; Bostwick, J Michael; Barrett Birk, Candace; Chalfant, Louise; Scanlon, Paul D; Hall-Flavin, Daniel K

    2011-06-01

    A medical student's ability to present a case history is a critical skill that is difficult to teach. Case histories presented without theatrical engagement may fail to catch the attention of their intended recipients. More engaging presentations incorporate 'stage presence', eye contact, vocal inflection, interesting detail and succinct, well organised performances. They convey stories effectively without wasting time. To address the didactic challenge for instructing future doctors in how to 'act', the Mayo Medical School and The Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine partnered with the Guthrie Theater to pilot the programme 'Telling the Patient's Story'. Guthrie teaching artists taught storytelling skills to medical students through improvisation, writing, movement and acting exercises. Mayo Clinic doctors participated and provided students with feedback on presentations and stories from their own experiences in patient care. The course's primary objective was to build students' confidence and expertise in storytelling. These skills were then applied to presenting cases and communicating with patients in a fresher, more engaging way. This paper outlines the instructional activities as aligned with course objectives. Progress was tracked by comparing pre-course and post-course surveys from the seven participating students. All agreed that the theatrical techniques were effective teaching methods. Moreover, this project can serve as an innovative model for how arts and humanities professionals can be incorporated for teaching and professional development initiatives at all levels of medical education.

  16. Management of older patients presenting after a fall - an accident ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background. It is common for older patients to present to accident and emergency (AE) departments after a fall. Management should include assessment and treatment of the injuries and assessment and correction of underlying risk factors in order to prevent recurrent falls. Objectives. To determine management of older ...

  17. Challenges in managing paediatric osteomyelitis in the developing world: Analysis of cases presenting to a tertiary referral centre in Tanzania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam M Ali

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The literature on paediatric osteomyelitis in the developing world is scarce, and there have been calls for further characterisation of its epidemiology and the identification of factors that limit effective management in order to guide local service delivery. Our centre is a hospital serving a population of 11 million people in Tanzania. Materials and Methods: We identified patients 3 months. Twelve out of 13 with a time from symptom onset to presentation of <2 months did not develop recurrence. Conclusions: This is, to the best of our knowledge, the second largest study of paediatric osteomyelitis in the developing world. Major challenges facing this centre include a lack of availability of bacterial cultures and failure to attend follow-up. Delayed presentation of osteomyelitis to our centre is associated with recurrence of infection.

  18. Patients with Acromegaly Presenting with Colon Cancer: A Case Series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murray B. Gordon

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Frequent colonoscopy screenings are critical for early diagnosis of colon cancer in patients with acromegaly. Case Presentations. We performed a retrospective analysis of the incidental diagnoses of colon cancer from the ACCESS trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01995734. Colon cancer was identified in 2 patients (4.5%. Case  1 patient was a 36-year-old male with acromegaly who underwent transsphenoidal surgery to remove the pituitary adenoma. After surgery, the patient underwent routine colonoscopy screening, which revealed a 40 mm tubular adenoma in the descending colon. A T1N1a carcinoma was surgically removed, and 1 of 22 lymph nodes was positive for metastatic disease, leading to a diagnosis of stage 3 colon cancer. Case  2 patient was a 50-year-old male with acromegaly who underwent transsphenoidal surgery to remove a 2 cm pituitary adenoma. The patient reported severe cramping and lower abdominal pain, and an invasive 8.1 cm3 grade 2 adenocarcinoma with signet rings was identified in the ascending colon and removed. Of the 37 lymph nodes, 34 were positive for the presence of tumor cells, and stage 3c colon cancer was confirmed. Conclusion. Current guidelines for colonoscopy screening at the time of diagnosis of acromegaly and at appropriate follow-up intervals should be followed.

  19. Long-term clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with severe digital ischemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keo, Hong H; Umer, Melika; Baumgartner, Iris; Willenberg, Torsten; Gretener, Silvia B

    2011-02-18

    To investigate the aetiology and long-term clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with digital ischemia. Data of 36 consecutive patients presenting with digital ischemia were collected in July 2000 to June 2001 from a vascular referral centre. Demographic data, aetiology, medication and treatment were abstracted from the medical records. Clinical outcomes were assessed at 5 year follow-up including ulcer healing, digital amputation and mortality. Of the 36 patients, 69.4% were male and the mean age was 55±14 years. In 15 patients (41.7%) a systemic disease was present and of those 53.3% was due to connective tissue disease. Twelve patients (33.3%) had hypothenar hammer syndrome and in 8 patients (22.2%) no apparent cause was found. Whereas 13 patients (36.1%) presented with rest pain or trophic lesions at baseline, no patients presented with these symptoms at follow-up. At follow-up, 18 (62.1%) patients had symptoms on provocation and 5 patients (4 patients with systemic disease and 1 with no apparent cause) had died. Digital amputation was performed in one patient at initial presentation and no digital amputation was performed at follow-up. No ulcer reoccurred and no workers' insurance compensation was applied. Of those with hypothenar hammer syndrome, 80.0% had symptoms on provocation at follow-up. Among patients with digital ischemia, systemic disease and hypothenar hammer syndrome were the most frequent aetiologies. In patients with hypothenar hammer syndrome the clinical outcome was remarkably benign, although symptoms may persist with provocation, whereas patients with systemic disease have a high mortality rate.

  20. Twelve recommendations for integrating existing systematic reviews into new reviews: EPC guidance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Karen A; Chou, Roger; Berkman, Nancy D; Newberry, Sydne J; Fu, Rongwei; Hartling, Lisa; Dryden, Donna; Butler, Mary; Foisy, Michelle; Anderson, Johanna; Motu'apuaka, Makalapua; Relevo, Rose; Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Chang, Stephanie

    2016-02-01

    As time and cost constraints in the conduct of systematic reviews increase, the need to consider the use of existing systematic reviews also increases. We developed guidance on the integration of systematic reviews into new reviews. A workgroup of methodologists from Evidence-based Practice Centers developed consensus-based recommendations. Discussions were informed by a literature scan and by interviews with organizations that conduct systematic reviews. Twelve recommendations were developed addressing selecting reviews, assessing risk of bias, qualitative and quantitative synthesis, and summarizing and assessing body of evidence. We provide preliminary guidance for an efficient and unbiased approach to integrating existing systematic reviews with primary studies in a new review. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Clinical presentation and visual status of retinitis pigmentosa patients: a multicenter study in southwestern Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Onakpoya OH

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Oluwatoyin Helen Onakpoya,1 Caroline Olufunlayo Adeoti,2 Tunji Sunday Oluleye,3 Iyiade Adeseye Ajayi,4 Timothy Majengbasan,4,5 Olayemi Kolawole Olorundare1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, 3Department of Ophthalmology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, 4Department of Ophthalmology, University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, 5Department of Ophthalmology, Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria Background: To review the visual status and clinical presentation of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP.Methodology: Multicenter, retrospective, and analytical review was conducted of the visual status and clinical characteristics of patients with RP at first presentation from January 2007 to December 2011. Main outcome measure was the World Health Organization’s visual status classification in relation to sex and age at presentation. Data analysis by SPSS (version 15 and statistical significance was assumed at P<0.05.Results: One hundred and ninety-two eyes of 96 patients with mean age of 39.08±18.5 years and mode of 25 years constituted the study population; 55 (57.3% were males and 41 (42.7% females. Loss of vision 67 (69.8% and night blindness 56 (58.3% were the leading symptoms. Twenty-one (21.9% patients had a positive family history, with RP present in their siblings 15 (71.4%, grandparents 11 (52.3%, and parents 4 (19.4%. Forty (41.7% were blind at presentation and 23 (24% were visually impaired. Blindness in six (15% patients was secondary to glaucoma. Retinal vascular narrowing and retinal pigmentary changes of varying severity were present in all patients. Thirty-five (36.5% had maculopathy, 36 (37.5% refractive error, 19 (20% lenticular opacities, and eleven (11.5% had glaucoma. RP was typical in 85 patients (88.5%. Older patients had higher rates of blindness at presentation (P=0

  2. Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Ethnicity on Melanoma Presentation and Recurrence in Caucasian Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvaggio, Christine; Han, Sung Won; Martires, Kathryn; Robinson, Eric; Madankumar, Reshmi; Gumaste, Priyanka; Polsky, David; Stein, Jennifer; Berman, Russell; Shapiro, Richard; Zhong, Judy; Osman, Iman

    2016-01-01

    The impact of ethnicity and the socioeconomic status (SES) among Caucasians is not well studied. Here, we examine the impact of income on melanoma presentation and prognosis within a Caucasian cohort, accounting for ethnicity, as some reports suggest increased melanoma incidence in Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) BRCA mutation carriers. We studied prospectively enrolled primary melanoma patients at New York University. SES data were estimated using United States' Census Bureau data and patient zip codes. We evaluated associations between ethnicity, SES, and baseline characteristics using the χ² test and multivariate logistic regression. We compared survival distributions using Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazard ratios. Of the 1,339 enrolled patients, AJ represented 32% (n = 423). Apart from AJ being older at presentation (p < 0.001), no significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics between ethnic groups. Patients with a median household income (MHI) lower than the median of the cohort were significantly more likely to present with advanced stages (p < 0.001) compared to patients with a higher MHI. Shorter overall (p = 0.016) and post-recurrence survival (p = 0.042) was also observed in patients from lower-income households. Data suggest that disparities in melanoma presentation in Caucasians stratify according to income independent of ethnic background. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. Treatment results and prognostic indicators in thymic epithelial tumors: a clinicopathological analysis of 45 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansari, Mansour; Dehsara, Farzin; Mohammadianpanah, Mohammad; Mosalaei, Ahmad; Omidvari, Shapour; Ahmadloo, Niloofar

    2014-07-01

    Thymomas are rare epithelial tumors arising from thymus gland. This study aims at investigating the clinical presentation, prognostic factors and treatment outcome of forty five patients with thymoma and thymic carcinoma. Forty-five patients being histologically diagnosed with thymoma or thymic carcinoma that were treated and followed-up at a tertiary academic hospital during January 1987 and December 2008 were selected for the present study. Twelve patients were solely treated with surgery, 14 with surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy, 12 with sequential combined treatment of surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy and 7 with non-surgical approach including radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.  Tumors were classified based on the new World Health Organization (WHO) histological classification. There were 18 women and 27 men with a median age of 43 years. Twelve patients (26.7%) had stage I, 7 (17.8%) had stage II, 23 (51%) had stage III and 2 (4.5%) had stage IV disease. Tumors types were categorized as type A (n=4), type AB (n=10), type B1 (n=9), type B2 (n=10), type B3 (n=5) and type C (n=7). In univariate analysis for overall survival, disease stage (P=0.001), tumor size (P=0.017) and the extent of surgical resection (P<0.001) were prognostic factors. Regarding the multivariate analysis, only the extent of the surgical resection (P<0.001) was the independent prognostic factor and non-surgical treatment had a negative influence on the survival. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 70.8% and 62.9%, respectively. Complete surgical resection is the most important prognostic factor in patients with thymic epithelial tumors.

  4. STUDY OF CLINICAL PROFILE OF PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH SEXUAL PRECOCITY TO A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Binoy Kumar Mohanty

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Precocious puberty is a common paediatric endocrine disorder seen in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE To study the various aetiologies and clinical presentations of patients presenting with sexual precocity to a tertiary care hospital. DESIGN Cross sectional study. MATERIAL AND METHODS We collected and analysed the clinical data including hormonal status of 24 consecutive patients who presented to our department from January 2014 to December 2015 for evaluation of sexual precocity. RESULTS Most of the patients presenting to us had evidence of precocious puberty (n=16, followed by premature adrenarche (n=5 and premature thelarche (n=3 respectively. The females outnumbered males in our study (68.75% of total cases. Females presenting with central precocious puberty had no appreciable cause (idiopathic in majority (85.72% of cases. While, males presenting with central precocious puberty had an organic cause (60% in majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS Precocious puberty is more common among females as compared to males. Organic lesion must be ruled out in all patients presenting with central precocious puberty especially in males.

  5. Incidental findings on MRI scans of patients presenting with audiovestibular symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papanikolaou, Vasileios; Khan, Mohammad H; Keogh, Ivan J

    2010-06-07

    The evaluation of patients presenting with audiovestibular symptoms usually includes MRI of the internal auditory meatus, the cerebellopontine angle and the brain. A significant percentage of these scans will present unexpected, incidental findings, which could have important clinical significance. To determine the frequency and clinical significance of incidental findings on MRI scans of patients with audiovestibular symptoms. A retrospective analysis of 200 serial MRI scans. Gender distribution: equal. Age range: 17-82 years. One-hundred and four scans (52%) were normal and 1 scan (0.5%) demonstrated a unilateral vestibular schwannoma. Ninety-five scans (47.5%) demonstrated incidental findings. Sixty-six of these (33%) were considered of ishaemic origin and did not require further action. Five (2.5%) scans demonstrated significant findings which warranted appropriate referral; Two Gliomas (1%), 2 cases of extensive White Matter Lesions (1%), 1 lipoma (0.5%). The remaining scans demonstrated various other findings. Investigation of patients with audiovestibular symptoms with MRI scans revealed incidental findings in a significant percentage (47.5%). The majority of these findings were benign warranting no further action and only 2.5% required further referral. It is the responsibility of the referring Otolaryngologist to be aware of these findings, to be able to assess their significance, to inform the patient and if needed to refer for further evaluation.

  6. A Patient with Multiple Keratinocytic Cancers (MKC): Uncommon Presentation in a Bulgarian Patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tchernev, Georgi; Philipov, Stanislav; Chokoeva, Anastasiya Atanasova; Wollina, Uwe; Lotti, Torello; Lozev, Ilia; Yungareva, Irina; Maximov, Georgi Konstantinov

    2018-01-25

    Keratinocyte skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), are the most common cancer occurring in people with fair skin, worldwide. Despite all known triggers, several suggested contributors are still investigated. We will focus our attention on the personal history of previous cancers and radiation exposure as occupational risk factors, as in the presented case. We report a patient, with multiple BCCs, and subsequent occurrence of a SCC on photo-exposed area of the face, as we want to emphasize the importance of strict following up of these patients, regarding the risk for developing new tumors in short periods of time, no matter if the triggering exposure factor is known from the history, or not. Although keratinocytes tumours are associated with the low mortality rate, we focus the attention on the fact, that the history of non-melanoma skin cancer is associated with increased mortality.

  7. Congenital tracheoesophageal fistula: A rare and late presentation in adult patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waseem M Hajjar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Congenital H-type tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF in adults is a rare presentation and can test the diagnostic acumen of a surgeon, endoscopist, and the radiologist. These undetected fistulas may present as chronic lung disease of unknown origin because repeated aspirations can lead to recurrent lung infections and bronchiectasis. Congenital TEFs should be considered in the diagnosis of infants and young adults with recurrent respiratory distress and/or infections. Here, we present the successful management of this rare case in an adult patient.

  8. Unusual Neuroimaging Presentation of Cerebral Venus Sinus Thrombosis in 40 Patients

    OpenAIRE

    Gh. Bakhshandepour; H. Abdolhusseinpour; S. Shahbaygi; J. Jalal Shokouki

    2008-01-01

    Background/Objective: This study has been per-formed to investigate the unusual imaging presenta-tion of the cerebral venous sinus thrombosis."nPatients and Methods: The data was analyzed retro-spectively from all patients with evidences of dural vein thrombosis in MRI, referred to two medical im-aging centers in Tehran during four years period (2002 to 2006)."nResults: Thirty-three women and seven men (22 to 70 years old) with imaging findings of Dural vein thrombosis were relative...

  9. Preferential location for arterial dissection presenting as golf-related stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, M H; Hong, J M; Lee, J S; Shin, D H; Choi, H A; Lee, K

    2014-02-01

    Golf-related stroke has not been systematically reviewed. The purpose of our study was to describe in detail this particular stroke syndrome. Seven patients were analyzed at a university hospital and 7 patients were reviewed from MEDLINE literature. General demographics, symptom onset, neurologic signs, radiologic findings, and outcome were investigated. A total of 14 patients including 7 patients from the MEDLINE search were analyzed; all were men, with a mean age of 46.9 ± 12.8 years. Symptom onset was classified as during the golf swing (n = 9), unknown (n = 3), and after playing golf (n = 2). Most patients (n = 12) showed involvement of the vertebral artery and 2 patients showed involvement of the internal carotid artery (P = .008). Nine dissections were found on the right side, 3 on the left side, and 2 were bilateral (P = .046). Twelve patients had extracranial involvement and 2 patients had intracranial involvement (P = .008). Seven patients returned to normal, 5 returned to independence, 1 had unknown status, and 1 died. The anatomic preference of golf-related craniocervical arterial dissection is associated with the extracranial and vertebrobasilar system with a right-sided tendency as the result of stereotypical rotational movement during a golf swing.

  10. Characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis presenting for physiotherapy management: a multicentre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Norelee; Keogan, Fiona; Fitzpatrick, Martina; Cussen, Grainne; Wallace, Lorraine

    2007-03-01

    To describe the characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) attending for physiotherapy management in Ireland. Managers of physiotherapy departments in the 53 hospitals in Ireland were invited to participate in a multi-centre observational study over a 6-month period. Data on patients with RA the day of presentation for physiotherapy management were recorded. These data related to patient demographic details, disease management, aids and appliances, splint and orthoses usage and occupational issues. The Health Assessment Questionnaire was also recorded for each patient. A total of 273 patients from eight physiotherapy departments participated in the survey (n = 199; 73% female). Mean age of the participants was 59.3 (SD 12.5) years with mean disease duration of 13.8 (SD 10.6) years. The majority of the patients were inpatients (n = 170, 62%). Sixty-eight per cent of patients had attended for previous physiotherapy treatment and 98% were under current rheumatologist care. Biologic therapies were prescribed to 11% of patients. Use of splint and foot orthoses was high with 133 patients (49%) wearing splints and 75 (31%) wearing foot orthoses. The majority of patients had moderate (n = 119, 44%) or severe (n = 94, 35%) disability as per Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score. Mean HAQ score was 1.5, with HAQ scores showing increasing disability with increasing age, disease duration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels. Patients with RA attending for physiotherapy management present with varied profiles. This study provides valuable information on the characteristics of patients with RA attending for physiotherapy management which will contribute to physiotherapy service planning and delivery and will optimize patient care.

  11. Ultra pressure liquid chromatography-negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry determination of twelve halobenzoquinones at ng/L levels in drinking water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rongfu; Wang, Wei; Qian, Yichao; Boyd, Jessica M; Zhao, Yuli; Li, Xing-Fang

    2013-05-07

    We report here the characterization of twelve halobenzoquinones (HBQs) using electrospray ionization (ESI) high resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The high resolution negative ESI spectra of the twelve HBQs formed two parent ions, [M + H(+) + 2e(-)], and the radical M(-•). The intensities of these two parent ions are dependent on their chemical structures and on instrumental parameters such as the source temperature and flow rate. The characteristic ions of the HBQs were used to develop an ultra pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. At the UPLC flow rate (400 μL/min) and under the optimized ESI conditions, eleven HBQs showed the stable and abundant transitions [M + H(+) + 2e(-)] → X(-) (X(-) representing Cl(-), Br(-), or I(-)), while dibromo-dimethyl-benzoquinone (DBDMBQ) showed only the transition of M(-•) → Br(-). The UPLC efficiently separates all HBQs including some HBQ isomers, while the MS/MS offers exquisite limits of detection (LODs) at subng/mL levels for all HBQs except DBDMBQ. Combined with solid phase extraction (SPE), the method LOD is down to ng/L. The results from analysis of authentic samples demonstrated that the SPE-UPLC-MS/MS method is reliable, fast, and sensitive for the identification and quantification of the twelve HBQs in drinking water.

  12. Progressive resistance training in head and neck cancer patients undergoing concomitant chemoradiotherapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lonkvist, Camilla K; Vinther, Anders; Zerahn, Bo

    2017-01-01

    was feasibility measured as attendance to training sessions. Secondary endpoints included changes in functional performance, muscle strength, and body composition measured by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scans. Furthermore, sarcomeric protein content, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) activity......, and glycolysis were determined in muscle biopsies. Results: Twelve patients with p16 positive oropharyngeal cancer were enrolled. The primary endpoint was met with 9 of the 12 patients completing at least 25 of 36 planned training sessions. The mean attendance rate was 77%. Functional performance was maintained...... resistance training (PRT) program during CCRT is feasible in the clinical setting before planning initiation of a larger randomized study which is the long-term goal. Study design: Prospective pilot study. Methods: Twelve patients receiving CCRT were planned to attend a 12-week PRT program. Primary endpoint...

  13. Twelve massless flavors and three colors below the conformal window

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fodor, Zoltan; Holland, Kieran; Kuti, Julius; Nogradi, Daniel; Schroeder, Chris

    2011-01-01

    We report new results for a frequently discussed gauge theory with twelve fermion flavors in the fundamental representation of the SU(3) color gauge group. The model, controversial with respect to its conformality, is important in non-perturbative studies searching for a viable composite Higgs mechanism beyond the Standard Model (BSM). In comparison with earlier work, our new simulations apply larger volumes and probe deeper in fermion and pion masses toward the chiral limit. Investigating the controversy, we subject the model to opposite hypotheses with respect to the conformal window. In the first hypothesis, below the conformal window, we test chiral symmetry breaking (χSB) with its Goldstone spectrum, F π , the χSB condensate, and several composite hadron states as analytic functions of the fermion mass when varied in a limited range with our best effort to control finite volume effects. In the second test, for the alternate hypothesis inside the conformal window, we probe conformal behavior driven by a single anomalous mass dimension under the assumption of unbroken chiral symmetry at vanishing fermion mass. Our results at fixed gauge coupling, based on the assumptions of the two hypotheses we define, show low level of confidence in the conformal scenario with leading order scaling analysis. Relaxing the important assumption of leading mass-deformed conformality with its conformal finite size scaling would require added theoretical understanding of the scaling violation terms in the conformal analysis and a comprehensive test of its effects on the confidence level of the fits. Results for the running coupling, based on the force between static sources, and preliminary indications for the finite temperature transition are also presented. Staggered lattice fermions with stout-suppressed taste breaking are used throughout the simulations.

  14. Do patients discharged from advanced practice physiotherapy-led clinics re-present to specialist medical services?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Angela T; Gavaghan, Belinda; O'Leary, Shaun; McBride, Liza-Jane; Raymer, Maree

    2017-05-15

    Objective The aim of the present study was to determine the rates of re-referral to specialist out-patient clinics for patients previously managed and discharged from an advanced practice physiotherapy-led service in three metropolitan hospitals. Methods A retrospective audit was undertaken of 462 patient cases with non-urgent musculoskeletal conditions discharged between 1 April 2014 and 30 March 2015 from three metropolitan hospitals. These patients had been discharged from the physiotherapy-led service without requiring specialist medical review. Rates and patterns of re-referral to specialist orthopaedic, neurosurgical, chronic pain, or rheumatology services within 12 months of discharge were investigated. Results Forty-six of the 462 patients (10.0%) who were managed by the physiotherapy-led service were re-referred to specialist medical orthopaedic, neurosurgical, chronic pain or rheumatology departments within 12 months of discharge. Only 22 of these patients (4.8%) were re-referred for the same condition as managed previously and discharged. Conclusions Ninety-five per cent of patients with non-urgent musculoskeletal conditions managed by an advanced practice physiotherapy-led service at three metropolitan hospitals did not re-present to access public specialist medical services for the same condition within 12 months of discharge. This is the first time that re-presentation rates have been reported for patients managed in advanced practice physiotherapy services and the findings support the effectiveness of these models of care in managing demand for speciality out-patient services. What is known about the topic? Advanced practice physiotherapy-led services have been implemented to address the needs of patients referred with non-urgent musculoskeletal conditions to hospital specialist out-patient services. Although this model is widely used in Australia, there has been very little information about whether patients managed in these services subsequently re-present

  15. Is ileoscopy with biopsy worthwhile in patients presenting with symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geboes, K.; Ectors, N.; D'Haens, G.; Rutgeerts, P.

    1998-01-01

    To assess the value of adding ileoscopy with biopsy to colonoscopy, hence increasing the indications for ileoscopy in patients presenting with symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Two hundred fifty-seven patients with persistent diarrhea and 43 patients with sporadic colonic polyps were studied

  16. Initial heart rate and cardiovascular outcomes in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asaad, Nidal; El-Menyar, Ayman; AlHabib, Khalid F; Shabana, Adel; Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi A; Almahmeed, Wael; Al Faleh, Hussam; Hersi, Ahmad; Al Saif, Shukri; Al-Motarreb, Ahmed; Sulaiman, Kadhim; Al Nemer, Khalid; Amin, Haitham; Al Suwaidi, Jassim

    2014-06-01

    To assess the impact of on-admission heart rate (HR) in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Data were collected retrospectively from the second Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events. Patients were divided according to their initial HR into: (I: < 60, II: 60-69, III: 70-79, IV: 80-89 and V: ≥ 90 bpm). Patients' characteristics and hospital and one- and 12-month outcomes were analyzed and compared. Among 7939 consecutive ACS patients, groups I to V represented 7%, 13%, 20%, 23.5%, and 37%, respectively. Mean age was higher in groups I and V. Group V were more likely males, diabetic and hypertensive. ST-elevation myocardial infarction was the main presentation in groups I and V. Reperfusion therapies were less likely given to group V. Beta blockers were more frequently prescribed to group III in comparison to groups with higher HR. Groups I and V were associated with worse hospital outcomes. Multivariate analysis showed initial tachycardia as an independent predictor for heart failure (OR 2.2; 95%CI: 1.39-3.32), while bradycardia was independently associated with higher one-month mortality (OR 2.0; 95%CI: 1.04-3.85) CONCLUSION: The majority of ACS patients present with tachycardia. However, low or high HR is a marker of high risk that needs more attention and management.

  17. Prospective study on 12 patients of salivary glands radiotherapy as treatment of salivary stasis in patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; etude prospective sur 12 patients de radiotherapie des glandes salivaires comme traitement de la stase salivaire chez des patients atteints de sclerose laterale amyotrophique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Assouline, A.; Delanian, S. [Oncologie radiotherapie, centre clinique de la Porte-de-Saint-Cloud, Boulogne (France); Lenglet, T.; Bruneteau, G.; Le Forestier, N.; Salachas, F.; Lebouteux, M.; Abdelnour, M.; Meininger, V.; Pradat, P.F. [Departement des maladies du systeme nerveux, groupe hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, AP-HP, Paris (France)

    2011-10-15

    The authors report a study which aimed at assessing the efficiency and tolerance of salivary gland radiotherapy in patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Twelve patients have been treated by conformational irradiation after a planning scanography with support mask. Results are discussed in terms of salivary discomfort (almost immediate disappearance in 11 cases), and other minor effects. Although a greater number of patients is still needed, the treatment gives promising results. Short communication

  18. A Patient with Multiple Keratinocytic Cancers (MKC: Uncommon Presentation in a Bulgarian Patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georgi Tchernev

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Keratinocyte skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, are the most common cancer occurring in people with fair skin, worldwide. Despite all known triggers, several suggested contributors are still investigated. We will focus our attention on the personal history of previous cancers and radiation exposure as occupational risk factors, as in the presented case. We report a patient, with multiple BCCs, and subsequent occurrence of a SCC on photo-exposed area of the face, as we want to emphasize the importance of strict following up of these patients, regarding the risk for developing new tumors in short periods of time, no matter if the triggering exposure factor is known from the history, or not.  Although keratinocytes tumours are associated with the low mortality rate, we focus the attention on the fact, that the history of non-melanoma skin cancer is associated with increased mortality.

  19. Utility of testing patients, on presentation, for serologic features of celiac disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srinivas, Melpakkam; Basumani, Pandurangan; Podmore, Geoff; Shrimpton, Anna; Bardhan, Karna Dev

    2014-06-01

    Celiac disease shares features of other disorders. It can be diagnosed conclusively only based on duodenal histology analysis, which is not practical for screening purposes. Serologic analysis might be used to identify candidates for biopsy analysis. We aimed to develop a simple diagnostic approach that all clinicians could follow to increase the percentage of patients accurately diagnosed with celiac disease at initial presentation. We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 752 patients (88 with celiac disease, none were IgA deficient) who attended a UK district general hospital from January 2007 through December 2008 and underwent biopsy analysis and serologic tests to measure endomyseal antibodies and IgA antibodies against tissue transglutaminase (tTG). Patients avoiding gluten in their diet were excluded. Patients were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: high-risk (based on presence of anemia, chronic diarrhea, unintentional weight loss, or dermatitis herpetiformis), low-risk (based on such factors as dyspepsia, abnormal liver function, ataxia, or chronic cough), nutrient deficiency (based on levels of iron, vitamins B12 and D, or folate), or screening (because they had type 1 diabetes or a family history of celiac disease). Patients with celiac disease were identified using the modified Marsh criteria (grades 1-3) for interpreting duodenal histology. We compared clinical category, serology profiles, and biopsy results between patients with and without celiac disease. Celiac disease was diagnosed in 64 of 565 patients in the high-risk group (11%), 14 of 156 patients in the low-risk group (9%; P = .47 compared with high-risk group), 7 of 28 patients in the nutrient-deficiency group, and 3 of 3 patients in the screening group. Among 71 patients who tested positive for both antibodies (tTG and endomyseal antibodies), the positive predictive value for celiac disease was 97%; a negative test result for tTG had a negative predictive value of 98%. Among 708 patients

  20. THE CLINICAL, FUNCTIONAL AND BIOMECHANICAL PRESENTATION OF PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC HIP ABDUCTOR TENDON TEARS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebert, Jay R; Retheesh, Theertha; Mutreja, Rinky; Janes, Gregory C

    2016-10-01

    Hip abductor tendon (HAT) tearing is commonly implicated in greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), though limited information exists on the disability associated with this condition and specific presentation of these patients. To describe the clinical, functional and biomechanical presentation of patients with symptomatic HAT tears. Secondary purposes were to investigate the association between these clinical and functional measures, and to compare the pain and disability reported by HAT tear patients to those with end-stage hip osteoarthritis (OA). Prospective case series. One hundred forty-nine consecutive patients with symptomatic HAT tears were evaluated using the Harris (HHS) and Oxford (OHS) Hip Scores, SF-12, an additional series of 10 questions more pertinent to those with lateral hip pain, active hip range of motion (ROM), maximal isometric hip abduction strength, six-minute walk capacity and 30-second single limb stance (SLS) test. The presence of a Trendelenburg sign and pelvis-on-femur (POF) angle were determined via 2D video analysis. An age matched comparative sample of patients with end-stage hip OA was recruited for comparison of all patient-reported outcome scores. Independent t-tests investigated group and limb differences, while analysis of variance evaluated pain changes during the functional tests. Pearson's correlation coefficients investigated the correlation between clinical measures in the HAT tear group. No differences existed in patient demographics and patient-reported outcome scores between HAT tear and hip OA cohorts, apart from significantly worse SF-12 mental subscale scores (p = 0.032) in the HAT tear group. Patients with HAT tears demonstrated significantly lower (p presentation of these patients. Level 3 case-controlled study, with matched comparison.

  1. The Real Cost of "Cosmetic Tourism" Cost Analysis Study of "Cosmetic Tourism" Complications Presenting to a Public Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livingston, Ryan; Berlund, Paul; Eccles-Smith, Jade; Sawhney, Raja

    2015-01-01

    "Cosmetic Tourism," the process of traveling overseas for cosmetic procedures, is an expanding global phenomenon. The model of care by which these services are delivered can limit perioperative assessment and postoperative follow-up. Our aim was to establish the number and type of complications being treated by a secondary referral hospital resulting from "cosmetic tourism" and the cost that has been incurred by the hospital in a 1-year period. Retrospective cost analysis and chart review of patients admitted to the hospital between the financial year of 2012 and 2013 were performed. Twelve "cosmetic tourism" patients presented to the hospital, requiring admission during the study period. Breast augmentation was the most common procedure and infected prosthesis was the most common complication (n = 4). Complications ranged from infection, pulmonary embolism to penile necrosis. The average cost of treating these patients was $AUD 12 597.71. The overall financial burden of the complication to the hospital was AUD$151 172.52. The "cosmetic tourism" model of care appears to be, in some cases, suboptimal for patients and their regional hospitals. In the cases presented in this study, it appears that care falls on the patient local hospital and home country to deal with the complications from their surgery abroad. This incurs a financial cost to that hospital in addition to redirecting medical resources that would otherwise be utilized for treating noncosmetic complications, without any remuneration to the local provider.

  2. An adult cystic fibrosis patient presenting with persistent dyspnea: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farinet Catherine L

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Persistent dyspnea is a common finding in the cystic fibrosis patient that typically leads to further work up of an alternative pulmonary etiology. Adult cystic fibrosis patients; however, are growing in numbers and they are living into the ages in which coronary artery disease becomes prevalent. Coronary disease should be included in the consideration of diagnostic possibilities. Case presentation A 52-year-old white male with cystic fibrosis was evaluated for exertional dyspnea associated with vague chest discomfort. Diagnostic testing revealed normal white blood cell, hemoglobin and platelet count, basic metabolic panel, fasting lipid profile, HbA1c, with chest radiograph confirming chronic cystic findings unchanged from prior radiographs and an electrocardiogram that revealed sinus rhythm with left anterior fascicular block. Stress thallium testing demonstrated a reversible anteroseptal perfusion defect with a 55% left ventricular ejection fraction. Heart catheterization found a 99% occlusion of the left anterior descending artery extending into the two diagonal branches, with 100% obstruction of the left anterior descending artery at the trifurcation and 70% lesion affecting the first posterior lateral branch of the circumflex artery. Conclusion This case report represents the first description in the medical literature of a cystic fibrosis patient diagnosed with symptomatic coronary artery disease. Applying a standard clinical practice guide proved useful toward evaluating a differential diagnosis for a cystic fibrosis patient presenting with dyspnea and chest discomfort.

  3. Wall motion index, estimated glomerular filtration rate and mortality risk in patients with heart failure or myocardial infarction: a pooled analysis of 18,010 patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schou, Morten; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Gustafsson, Finn

    2008-01-01

    screening registers (N=18,010) including patients admitted with HF or MI. Ten years follow-up was recorded and formal testing for interactions between eGFR and LVEF with respect to outcome was done. RESULTS: Twelve-thousand-and-ninety patients died. A significant interaction (P=0.010) was found and each...

  4. A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON CLINICAL PRESENTATION OF STEROID SENSITIVE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sosamma M. M

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Nephrotic syndrome is a disease affecting the renal system. Most paediatricians will invariably encounter children with nephrotic syndrome in their clinic. The disease is characterised by the presence of oedema, persistent heavy proteinuria, hypoproteinaemia and hypercholesterolaemia. The disease is influenced by factors like age, geography, race and also has certain genetic influence related to HLA (DR7, B12, B8. In children, minimal change nephrotic syndrome is the most common variant of primary nephrotic syndrome. It accounts to more than eighty per cent of the cases seen children under seven years whereas it has a chance of fifty per cent in the age group of seven to sixteen years. Males are affected two times higher compared to females. The parents usually bring the child to the hospital with signs of oedema. Usually, the child recovers with treatment, but in some cases, there can be relapse. MATERIALS AND METHODS  The study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Travancore Medical College, Kollam.  The study was done from January 2015 to January 2016.  Sixty cases were identified and were chosen for the study. INCLUSION CRITERIA 1. Steroid sensitive cases of nephrotic syndrome. 2. Age less than twelve years. 3. Admitted cases. EXCLUSION CRITERIA 1. Steroid-resistant and steroid-dependent cases. 2. Age more than twelve years. 3. Outpatient cases. RESULTS Out of the sixty cases studied, forty one cases belonged to male sex and nineteen cases belonged to female sex. Based on the age group, maximum number of cases belonged to age group four to eight years, which amounted to thirty four cases followed by age group eight to twelve years, which amounted to eighteen cases. Age group zero to four years had the least number of cases, which amounted to eight in number. Based on clinical signs and symptoms, fifty five cases presented with oedema either periorbital, scrotal or pedal oedema. Ten cases presented with fever

  5. Retrospective Analysis of Patient Presentations at the Sydney (Australia) Royal Easter Show from 2012 to 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crabtree, Nathan; Mo, Shirley; Ong, Leon; Jegathees, Thuvarahan; Wei, Daniel; Fahey, David; Liu, Jia Jenny

    2017-04-01

    Introduction Comprehensive studies on the relationship between patient demographics and subsequent treatment and disposition at a single mass-gathering event are lacking. The Sydney Royal Easter Show (SRES; Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia) is an annual, 14-day, agricultural mass-gathering event occurring around the Easter weekend, attracting more than 800,000 patrons per year. In this study, patient records from the SRES were analyzed to examine relationships between weather, crowd size, day of week, and demographics on treatment and disposition. This information would help to predict factors affecting patient treatment and disposition to guide ongoing training of first responders and to evaluate the appropriateness of staffing skills mix at future events. Hypothesis Patient demographics, environmental factors, and attendance would influence the nature and severity of presentations at the SRES, which would influence staffing requirements. A retrospective analysis of 4,141 patient record forms was performed for patients who presented to St John Ambulance (Australian Capital Territory, Australia) at the SRES between 2012 and 2014 inclusive. Presentation type was classified using a previously published minimum data set. Data on weather and crowd size were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) and the SRES, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v22 (IBM; Armonk, New York USA). Between 2012 to 2014, over 2.5 million people attended the SRES with 4,141 patients treated onsite. As expected, the majority of presentations were injuries (49%) and illnesses (46%). Although patient demographics and presentation types did not change over time, the duration of treatment increased. A higher proportion of patients were discharged to hospital or home compared to the proportion of patients discharged back to the event. Patients from rural/regional locations (accounting for 15% of all patients) were

  6. Cellular immune response in patients presenting with benign and malignant lesions of cervix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leon Cruz, Grettell; Arango Prado, Maria del Carmen; Faxas Garcia, Maria Elena

    2012-01-01

    To study the immunologic parameters in patients presenting with intraepithelial lesions (IEL) and carcinoma in situ of cervix in the National Institute of Oncology and Radiotherapy over 2009. The alterations in the immune system in patients with cervix pathology are associated with the progress of lesions

  7. Colon cancer: association of histopathological parameters and patients' survival with clinical presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexiusdottir, Kristin K; Snaebjornsson, Petur; Tryggvadottir, Laufey; Jonasson, Larus; Olafsdottir, Elinborg J; Björnsson, Einar Stefan; Möller, Pall Helgi; Jonasson, Jon G

    2013-10-01

    Available data correlating symptoms of colon cancer patients with the severity of the disease are very limited. In a population-based setting, we correlated information on symptoms of colon cancer patients with several pathological tumor parameters and survival. Information on all patients diagnosed with colon cancer in Iceland in 1995-2004 for this retrospective, population-based study was obtained from the Icelandic Cancer Registry. Information on symptoms of patients and blood hemoglobin was collected from patients' files. Pathological parameters were obtained from a previously performed standardized tumor review. A total of 768 patients entered this study; the median age was 73 years. Tumors in patients presenting at diagnosis with visible blood in stools were significantly more likely to be of lower grade, having pushing border, conspicuous peritumoral lymphocytic infiltration, and lower frequency of vessel invasion. Patients with abdominal pain and anemia were significantly more likely to have vessel invasion. Logistic regression showed that visible blood in stools was significantly associated with protecting pathological factors (OR range 0.38-0.83, p characteristics and adverse outcome for patients. © 2013 APMIS Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Risk assessment of K basin twelve-inch drain valve failure from a postulated seismic initiating event

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MORGAN, R.G.

    1999-01-01

    The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project will transfer metallic SNF from the Hanford 105 K-East and 105 K-West Basins to safe interim storage in the Canister Storage Building in the 200 Area. The initial basis for design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the fuel removal systems was that the basin leak rates which could result from a postulated accident condition would not be excessive relative to reasonable recovery operations. However, an additional potential K Basin water leak path is through the K Basin drain valves. Three twelve-inch drain valves are located in the main basin bays along the north wall. The sumps containing the valves are filled with concrete which covers the drain valve body. Visual observations suggest that only the valve's bonnet and stem are exposed above the basin concrete floor. It was recognized, however, that damage of the drain valve bonnet or stem during a seismic initiating event could provide a potential K Basin water leak path. The objectives of this activity are to: (1) evaluate the risk of damaging the three twelve-inch drain valves located along the north wall of the main basin from a seismic initiating event, and (2) determine the associated potential leak rate from a damaged valve

  9. Risk assessment of K basin twelve-inch drain valve failure from a postulated seismic initiating event

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MORGAN, R.G.

    1999-04-06

    The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project will transfer metallic SNF from the Hanford 105 K-East and 105 K-West Basins to safe interim storage in the Canister Storage Building in the 200 Area. The initial basis for design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the fuel removal systems was that the basin leak rates which could result from a postulated accident condition would not be excessive relative to reasonable recovery operations. However, an additional potential K Basin water leak path is through the K Basin drain valves. Three twelve-inch drain valves are located in the main basin bays along the north wall. The sumps containing the valves are filled with concrete which covers the drain valve body. Visual observations suggest that only the valve's bonnet and stem are exposed above the basin concrete floor. It was recognized, however, that damage of the drain valve bonnet or stem during a seismic initiating event could provide a potential K Basin water leak path. The objectives of this activity are to: (1) evaluate the risk of damaging the three twelve-inch drain valves located along the north wall of the main basin from a seismic initiating event, and (2) determine the associated potential leak rate from a damaged valve.

  10. Prospective evaluation of antibiotic treatment for urological procedure in patients presenting with neurogenic bladder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weglinski, L; Rouzaud, C; Even, A; Bouchand, F; Davido, B; Duran, C; Salomon, J; Perronne, C; Denys, P; Chartier-Kastler, E; Dinh, A

    2016-09-01

    Patients presenting with neurogenic bladder often require urological procedures (urodynamic testing and botulinum toxin injections) and a preventive antibiotic therapy. We aimed to assess the efficacy of this little known strategy in a cohort of patients. All patients presenting with neurogenic bladder who underwent urological procedure were included in the study. They received an antibiotic therapy in accordance with the urine cytobacteriological examination results. The antibiotic therapy was initiated two days before the procedure and prolonged up until two days after the procedure if the culture was positive. Patients were treated with a single dose of fosfomycin-trometamol in case of a negative culture. The main study outcome was the occurrence of urinary tract infection (UTI), defined by a positive urine culture and symptoms, up until 14 days after the procedure. A total of 80 urological procedures were performed. Mean patient age was 47±13.1 years (sex ratio 1.22); 59 (73.8%) presented with asymptomatic bacteriuria before the procedure. Nine (11.1%) UTIs were recorded on Day 14, of which one (1.2%) was febrile. Two patients required an additional curative antibiotic therapy. No patient was hospitalized. Overall, 77.8% of UTIs were cured without antibiotic therapy. Screening and treating asymptomatic bacteriuria before urological procedures seems unnecessary and vainly exposes this population at high risk of infectious diseases to antibiotic therapies. This data should be confirmed by a randomized clinical trial. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  11. The neglected topic: presentation of cost information in patient decision AIDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumenthal-Barby, J S; Robinson, Emily; Cantor, Scott B; Naik, Aanand D; Russell, Heidi Voelker; Volk, Robert J

    2015-05-01

    Costs are an important component of patients' decision making, but a comparatively underemphasized aspect of formal shared decision making. We hypothesized that decision aids also avoid discussion of costs, despite their being tools designed to facilitate shared decision making about patient-centered outcomes. We sought to define the frequency of cost-related information and identify the common modes of presenting cost and cost-related information in the 290 decision aids catalogued in the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute's Decision Aid Library Inventory (DALI) system. We found that 56% (n = 161) of the decision aids mentioned cost in some way, but only 13% (n = 37) gave a specific price or range of prices. We identified 9 different ways in which cost was mentioned. The most common approach was as a "pro" of one of the treatment options (e.g., "you avoid the cost of medication"). Of the 37 decision aids that gave specific prices or ranges of prices for treatment options, only 2 were about surgery decisions despite the fact that surgery decision aids were the most common. Our findings suggest that presentation of cost information in decision aids is highly variable. Evidence-based guidelines should be developed by the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration. © The Author(s) 2015.

  12. TRANSIT TIMING OBSERVATIONS FROM KEPLER. VIII. CATALOG OF TRANSIT TIMING MEASUREMENTS OF THE FIRST TWELVE QUARTERS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mazeh, Tsevi; Nachmani, Gil; Holczer, Tomer; Sokol, Gil [School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Fabrycky, Daniel C. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Ford, Eric B.; Ragozzine, Darin [Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32111 (United States); Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto [Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Rowe, Jason F.; Lissauer, Jack J. [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Zucker, Shay [Department of Geophysical, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv (Israel); Agol, Eric [Department of Astronomy, Box 351580, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Carter, Joshua A. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Quintana, Elisa V. [SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States); Steffen, Jason H. [Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, P.O. Box 500, MS 127, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Welsh, William [Astronomy Department, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182 (United States)

    2013-10-01

    Following the works of Ford et al. and Steffen et al. we derived the transit timing of 1960 Kepler objects of interest (KOIs) using the pre-search data conditioning light curves of the first twelve quarters of the Kepler data. For 721 KOIs with large enough signal-to-noise ratios, we obtained also the duration and depth of each transit. The results are presented as a catalog for the community to use. We derived a few statistics of our results that could be used to indicate significant variations. Including systems found by previous works, we have found 130 KOIs that showed highly significant times of transit variations (TTVs) and 13 that had short-period TTV modulations with small amplitudes. We consider two effects that could cause apparent periodic TTV—the finite sampling of the observations and the interference with the stellar activity, stellar spots in particular. We briefly discuss some statistical aspects of our detected TTVs. We show that the TTV period is correlated with the orbital period of the planet and with the TTV amplitude.

  13. Tuberculous cold abscess of breast: an unusual presentation in a male patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Sarah; Thekkinkattil, Dinesh K

    2016-06-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) of breast is a rare condition especially presentation as a cold abscess. We present a case of male patient with TB of lung and meninges with a cold abscess in the breast. The abscess was incidental finding on the computed tomography (CT) scan. This was further managed by a combination of anti-tuberculous chemotherapy treatment and surgical drainage. We reviewed the current literature related to mammary TB, its presentations and treatment.

  14. Tuberculous cold abscess of breast: an unusual presentation in a male patient

    OpenAIRE

    Brown, Sarah; Thekkinkattil, Dinesh K.

    2016-01-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) of breast is a rare condition especially presentation as a cold abscess. We present a case of male patient with TB of lung and meninges with a cold abscess in the breast. The abscess was incidental finding on the computed tomography (CT) scan. This was further managed by a combination of anti-tuberculous chemotherapy treatment and surgical drainage. We reviewed the current literature related to mammary TB, its presentations and treatment.

  15. Prospective study on 12 patients of salivary glands radiotherapy as treatment of salivary stasis in patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assouline, A.; Delanian, S.; Lenglet, T.; Bruneteau, G.; Le Forestier, N.; Salachas, F.; Lebouteux, M.; Abdelnour, M.; Meininger, V.; Pradat, P.F.

    2011-01-01

    The authors report a study which aimed at assessing the efficiency and tolerance of salivary gland radiotherapy in patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Twelve patients have been treated by conformational irradiation after a planning scanography with support mask. Results are discussed in terms of salivary discomfort (almost immediate disappearance in 11 cases), and other minor effects. Although a greater number of patients is still needed, the treatment gives promising results. Short communication

  16. Deliberate ingestion of foreign bodies by institutionalised psychiatric hospital patients and prison inmates.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Sullivan, S T

    2012-02-03

    Deliberate and recurrent foreign body ingestion is a common problem among institutionalised patients. We review our experience with 36 cases of deliberate foreign body ingestion by prisoners or psychiatric patients, thirty of whom were institutionalised at the time of ingestion. Symptoms were frequently severe in the prison inmate group but, in contrast, psychiatric patients presented with few, if any, symptoms. A majority of objects pass spontaneously or remain in situ without complication. Twenty-four patients were discharged following initial evaluation and without specific treatment. Eight of these were reviewed electively and discharged within one week. Twelve patients were admitted for observation, seven of whom were discharged within 48 hrs. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed in four patients and an intragastric foreign body identified in two cases. Laparotomy was performed in two cases for unresolving mechanical intestinal obstruction. Management should be conservative when possible, with surgery indicated only for complications.

  17. Salvage whole abdominal radiation therapy for ovarian cancer: a twelve year experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, Katherine; Reddy, Susheel; Lee, Myung-Sook; Geest, Koen de; Lincoln, Sarah; Sarin, Pramilla; Graham, James; Yordan, Edgardo; Reddy, Salitha

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: 1) To evaluate whole abdominal radiation therapy (WART) as a salvage modality in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma who have failed one or more chemotherapeutic regimens; 2) To assess the feasibility and long-term toxicity of such treatment. Materials and Methods: Between June 1983 and October 1994, 51 patients who had failed one or more chemotherapeutic regimens received WART. Forty-seven patients had epithelial ovarian carcinoma, the remaining had primary carcinoma of the peritoneal cavity. Forty patients (78%) had FIGO stage III and IV disease. Grade III and IV tumors were seen in 29 patients (57%). The residual disease was classified as being either microscopic or macroscopic disease depending on the status after the laparotomy prior to radiation treatment, irrespective of the extent of disease prior to debulking. In 22 patients (43%) macroscopic disease was present after laparotomy, while the remaining 29 patients (57%) had only microscopic disease present. Twenty patients (39%) had residual disease limited to the pelvis, and 31 patients (61%) had upper abdominal involvement. An open field technique was used to deliver planned doses of 25Gy to the whole abdomen with shielding of the kidneys posteriorly after 12Gy. Boost fields to the pelvis and/or areas of gross residual disease were treated when indicated. The Kaplan-Meier Method was used to calculate survival data from the initiation of radiation until death or recurrence. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 53 months, with a range of 17 to 122 months. Results: Five patients (10%) were unable to complete therapy secondary to acute toxicity. An additional fourteen patients (27%) required a one to five week break usually secondary to cytopenias. Four year actuarial survival and recurrence-free survival rates for the entire group of patients were 32% and 23% respectively. For patients with microscopic residual disease, survival and recurrence-free survival rates were 48% and 37

  18. Diagnostic yield of MRI for audiovestibular dysfunction using contemporary referral criteria: correlation with presenting symptoms and impact on clinical management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vandervelde, C. [Department of Radiology, Guy' s and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (United Kingdom)], E-mail: clivevandervelde@gmail.com; Connor, S E.J. [Department of Radiology, Guy' s and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (United Kingdom); Department of Neuroradiology, King' s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom)

    2009-02-15

    Aim: To investigate the diagnostic yield of T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening for vestibular schwannoma and other relevant conditions in the setting of audiovestibular symptoms, given the more liberal contemporary referral criteria. To determine whether presenting clinical symptoms correlate with imaging outcome in order to guide future protocols for MRI referral. Materials and methods: Eight hundred and eighty-one consecutive MRI examinations performed in patients with audiovestibular dysfunction were reviewed. Clinical indications and findings were recorded. Case notes were reviewed in patients with positive imaging findings. Two-way, cross-tabulation, Chi-square analysis was performed to assess the relationship between presenting symptoms and imaging outcome. Results: Twelve of the 881 (1.4%) were positive for vestibular schwannoma. A further four of 881 (0.4%) revealed other relevant conditions. Incidental conditions, felt to be irrelevant to the presenting symptoms, were noted in 12 of the 881 (1.4%). In all 12 cases that were positive for vestibular schwannoma, either tinnitus or hearing loss was present. Conclusion: The yield for T2-weighted MRI to diagnose vestibular schwannoma and other relevant retrocochlear conditions was lower than for previous studies, which is likely to reflect trends in referral criteria. No single audiovestibular symptom or combination of symptoms is a statistically significant predictor of imaging outcome.

  19. Diagnostic yield of MRI for audiovestibular dysfunction using contemporary referral criteria: correlation with presenting symptoms and impact on clinical management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vandervelde, C.; Connor, S.E.J.

    2009-01-01

    Aim: To investigate the diagnostic yield of T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening for vestibular schwannoma and other relevant conditions in the setting of audiovestibular symptoms, given the more liberal contemporary referral criteria. To determine whether presenting clinical symptoms correlate with imaging outcome in order to guide future protocols for MRI referral. Materials and methods: Eight hundred and eighty-one consecutive MRI examinations performed in patients with audiovestibular dysfunction were reviewed. Clinical indications and findings were recorded. Case notes were reviewed in patients with positive imaging findings. Two-way, cross-tabulation, Chi-square analysis was performed to assess the relationship between presenting symptoms and imaging outcome. Results: Twelve of the 881 (1.4%) were positive for vestibular schwannoma. A further four of 881 (0.4%) revealed other relevant conditions. Incidental conditions, felt to be irrelevant to the presenting symptoms, were noted in 12 of the 881 (1.4%). In all 12 cases that were positive for vestibular schwannoma, either tinnitus or hearing loss was present. Conclusion: The yield for T2-weighted MRI to diagnose vestibular schwannoma and other relevant retrocochlear conditions was lower than for previous studies, which is likely to reflect trends in referral criteria. No single audiovestibular symptom or combination of symptoms is a statistically significant predictor of imaging outcome

  20. RETINOBLASTOMA IN INDIA: Clinical Presentation and Outcome in 1,457 Patients (2,074 Eyes).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaliki, Swathi; Patel, Anamika; Iram, Sadiya; Ramappa, George; Mohamed, Ashik; Palkonda, Vijay A R

    2017-11-23

    To study the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of patients with retinoblastoma (RB) in India. Retrospective study of 1,457 patients with RB (2,074 eyes). The mean age at presentation of RB was 29 months (median, 24 months; range, presentation of RB in 57% (n = 834) and bilateral in 43% (n = 623). Familial RB was present in 4% (n = 55). The most common presenting complaints included leukocoria (n = 1,100; 75%), proptosis (n = 91; 6%), strabismus (n = 77; 5%), and red eye (n = 68; 5%). Most (n = 1,889; 91%) tumors were intraocular in location, and 185 (n = 185; 9%) had extraocular tumor extension at presentation. The most common modalities of primary treatment-included systemic chemotherapy (n = 1,171; 60%) and enucleation (n = 674; 35%). At a mean follow-up period of 44 months (median, 30 months; range, 3-234 months), 92% (n = 1,206) were alive, and 108 (8%) patients died because of RB. Based on Kaplan-Meier analysis, the survival at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years was 94%, 91%, 90%, and 89%, respectively. The most common presenting signs of RB in Asian Indian population are leukocoria and proptosis. With appropriate treatment, the survival rate is favorable at 92%.

  1. Toxoplasmosis of spinal cord in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patient presenting as paraparesis: A rare entity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sachin R Agrawal

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Although brain has been the most common site for toxoplasma infection in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients, involvement of spinal cord by toxoplasma has been rarely found. Spinal cord toxoplasmosis can present as acute onset weakness in both lower limbs associated with sensory and bladder dysfunction. A presumptive diagnosis can be made in patients with CD4 count <100/mm 3 based on a positive serum Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies, no recent prophylaxis against toxoplasmosis, intramedullary ring enhancing lesion in spinal cord supported by similar lesions in brain parenchyma. Institutions of antitoxoplasma treatment in such patients result in prompt clinical response and therefore avoiding the need of unnecessary invasive diagnostic tests. Here, we report a case of toxoplasmic myelitis in immunocompromised patient presenting as myelopathy who showed significant clinical improvement after starting antitoxoplasma treatment. Hence toxoplasmic myelitis should be considered in toxoplasma seropositive immunocompromised patients presenting as myelopathy and imaging studies showing ring enhancing intramedullary lesion.

  2. THE ELM SURVEY. II. TWELVE BINARY WHITE DWARF MERGER SYSTEMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilic, Mukremin; Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, S. J.; Prieto, Carlos Allende; Agueeros, M. A.; Heinke, Craig

    2011-01-01

    We describe new radial velocity and X-ray observations of extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM WDs, ∼0.2 M sun ) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 and the MMT Hypervelocity Star survey. We identify four new short period binaries, including two merger systems. These observations bring the total number of short period binary systems identified in our survey to 20. No main-sequence or neutron star companions are visible in the available optical photometry, radio, and X-ray data. Thus, the companions are most likely WDs. Twelve of these systems will merge within a Hubble time due to gravitational wave radiation. We have now tripled the number of known merging WD systems. We discuss the characteristics of this merger sample and potential links to underluminous supernovae, extreme helium stars, AM CVn systems, and other merger products. We provide new observational tests of the WD mass-period distribution and cooling models for ELM WDs. We also find evidence for a new formation channel for single low-mass WDs through binary mergers of two lower mass objects.

  3. Magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients presenting with (sub)acute cerebellar ataxia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schneider, Tanja [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hamburg (Germany); The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Division of Neuroradiology, Baltimore, MD (United States); Thomalla, Goetz [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurology, Hamburg (Germany); Goebell, Einar [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hamburg (Germany); Piotrowski, Anna [The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD (United States); Yousem, David Mark [The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Division of Neuroradiology, Baltimore, MD (United States)

    2015-02-17

    Acute or subacute cerebellar inflammation is mainly caused by postinfectious, toxic, neoplastic, vascular, or idiopathic processes and can result in cerebellar ataxia. Previous magnetic resonance (MR) studies in single patients who developed acute or subacute ataxia showed varying imaging features. Eighteen patients presenting with acute and subacute onset of ataxia were included in this study. Cases of chronic-progressive/hereditary and noncerebellar causes (ischemia, multiple sclerosis lesions, metastasis, bleedings) were excluded. MR imaging findings were then matched with the clinical history of the patient. An underlying etiology for ataxic symptoms were found in 14/18 patients (postinfectious/infectious, paraneoplastic, autoimmune, drug-induced). In two of five patients without MR imaging findings and three of eight patients with minimal imaging features (cerebellar atrophy, slight signal alterations, and small areas of restricted diffusion), adverse clinical outcomes were documented. Of the five patients with prominent MR findings (cerebellar swelling, contrast enhancement, or broad signal abnormalities), two were lost to follow-up and two showed long-term sequelae. No correlation was found between the presence of initial MRI findings in subacute or acute ataxia patients and their long-term clinical outcome. MR imaging was more flagrantly positive in cases due to encephalitis. (orig.)

  4. Magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients presenting with (sub)acute cerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Tanja; Thomalla, Götz; Goebell, Einar; Piotrowski, Anna; Yousem, David Mark

    2015-06-01

    Acute or subacute cerebellar inflammation is mainly caused by postinfectious, toxic, neoplastic, vascular, or idiopathic processes and can result in cerebellar ataxia. Previous magnetic resonance (MR) studies in single patients who developed acute or subacute ataxia showed varying imaging features. Eighteen patients presenting with acute and subacute onset of ataxia were included in this study. Cases of chronic-progressive/hereditary and noncerebellar causes (ischemia, multiple sclerosis lesions, metastasis, bleedings) were excluded. MR imaging findings were then matched with the clinical history of the patient. An underlying etiology for ataxic symptoms were found in 14/18 patients (postinfectious/infectious, paraneoplastic, autoimmune, drug-induced). In two of five patients without MR imaging findings and three of eight patients with minimal imaging features (cerebellar atrophy, slight signal alterations, and small areas of restricted diffusion), adverse clinical outcomes were documented. Of the five patients with prominent MR findings (cerebellar swelling, contrast enhancement, or broad signal abnormalities), two were lost to follow-up and two showed long-term sequelae. No correlation was found between the presence of initial MRI findings in subacute or acute ataxia patients and their long-term clinical outcome. MR imaging was more flagrantly positive in cases due to encephalitis.

  5. Electrocardiographic Findings in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Presenting With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarak, Bradley; Goodman, Shaun G; Brieger, David; Gale, Chris P; Tan, Nigel S; Budaj, Andrzej; Wong, Graham C; Huynh, Thao; Tan, Mary K; Udell, Jacob A; Bagai, Akshay; Fox, Keith A A; Yan, Andrew T

    2018-02-01

    We sought to characterize presenting electrocardiographic findings in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). In the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events and Canadian ACS Registry I, we examined presenting and 24- to 48-hour follow-up ECGs (electrocardiogram) of ACS patients who survived to hospital admission, stratified by presentation with OHCA. We assessed the prevalence of ST-segment deviation and bundle branch blocks (assessed by an independent ECG core laboratory) and their association with in-hospital and 6-month mortality among those with OHCA. Of the 12,040 ACS patients, 215 (1.8%) survived to hospital admission after OHCA. Those with OHCA had higher presenting rates of ST-segment elevation, ST-segment depression, T-wave inversion, precordial Q-waves, left bundle branch block (LBBB), and right bundle branch block (RBBB) than those without. Among patients with OHCA, those with ST-segment elevation had significantly lower in-hospital mortality (20.9% vs 33.0%, p = 0.044) and a trend toward lower 6-month mortality (27% vs 39%, p = 0.060) compared with those without ST-segment elevation. Conversely, among OCHA patients, LBBB was associated with significantly higher in-hospital and 6-month mortality rates (58% vs 22%, p presenting ECG resolved by 24 to 48 hours. In conclusion, compared with ACS patients without cardiac arrest, those with OHCA had higher rates of ST-segment elevation, LBBB, and RBBB on admission. Among OHCA patients, ST-segment elevation was associated with lower in-hospital mortality, whereas LBBB was associated with higher in-hospital and 6-month mortality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Superficial femoral artery TASC D Registry: twelve-month effectiveness analysis of the Pulsar-18 SE nitinol stent in patients with critical limb ischemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichtenberg, M; Stahlhoff, W; Boese, D

    2013-08-01

    Single center observational study analyzing the primary patency rate and freedom from target lesions revascularization rate of the Pulsar-18 nitinol stent after recanalization of long superficial femoral artery (SFA) occlusions (TASC D) in 22 patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). Between 1/2011 and 7/2011, 22 consecutive patients (9 male, 13 female) with chronic total occlusions (CTO) of the femoro-popliteal arteries presenting with CLI (17 patients with Rutherford 4 score, and 5 patients with Rutherford 5 score) were enrolled and successfully recanalized using the Pulsar-18 self-expanding (SE) nitinol stent (BIOTRONIK AG, Buelach, Switzerland). Primary patency at 12 months was defined as no binary restenosis (>50%) on Duplex ultrasound (PSVRPulsar-18 SE nitinol stent was 77% with a per protocol restenosis in 5 of 22 patients. Seventeen patients showed a walking capacity on treadmill test >300 meters (Rutherford II). Two patients with a documented restenosis were Rutherford, these patients were treated conservatively. Three patients with restenosis and a Rutherford III score were scheduled for an endovascular target lesion revascularization leading to a freedom from target lesion revascularization rate of 86%. Endovascular intervention of long SFA occlusions using subintimal or intraluminal recanalization technique with implantation of the Pulsar-18 SE nitinol stent in CLI patients is safe and clinically effective with a primary patency rate after 12 months of 77% and a freedom from target lesion revascularization rate of 86%.

  7. Dialysis-related amyloidosis of the hip joints in long-term hemodialysis patients. MRI findings of hip joints in twelve female hemodialysis patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Hitoe; Shibuya, Asuka; Ando, Minoru; Akiba, Takashi; Nitta, Kosaku

    2007-01-01

    We report a female with amyloid arthropathy of the hip joints. She was a 67-year-old woman who had been treated by hemodialysis for 22 years. She had demonstrated a 5-month history of continuous low-grade fever and pain in her left hip and she was finally unable to walk by herself. Findings on X-ray films and MRI of the hip joints suggested avascular necrosis in both femur heads. To palliate symptoms, bipolar surgery on the left hip joint was performed. Pathological examination of bone tissue specimen demonstrated that there was some , β 2 -microglobulin (β 2 -MG)-related amyloid accumulation in the femur head. Based on this clinical experience, we performed MRI screening for amyloid lesions of the hip joints in another 11 asymptomatic female patients undergoing hemodialysis for 20 years or more. Cystic lesions of the hip joints were observed in 8 patients, amyloid arthropathy in 2 patients, and fluid trapped in the joint in 1 patient. Patients with amyloidosis had significantly lower serum β 2 -MG levels than patients without amyloidosis (28.6 mg/L versus 41.4 mg/L; p=0.0339). Our findings show that dialysis-related amyloidosis of the hip joints is one of the potential and significant problems in female patients on long-term hemodialysis therapy. It may be important to screen for this pathological condition in long-term hemodialysis patients. (author)

  8. Risk of complications in coeliac patients depends on age at diagnosis and type of clinical presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biagi, Federico; Schiepatti, Annalisa; Maiorano, Gregorio; Fraternale, Giacomo; Agazzi, Simona; Zingone, Fabiana; Ciacci, Carolina; Volta, Umberto; Caio, Giacomo; Tortora, Raffaella; Klersy, Catherine; Corazza, Gino R

    2018-06-01

    Coeliac disease is characterised by an increased mortality mostly due to its complications. To study the risk of developing complications according to clinical presentation and age at diagnosis, a combined retrospective-prospective longitudinal study was performed in three Italian centres. Incidence of complications and mortality rates were calculated using type and age at diagnosis of coeliac disease, sex, and centre of diagnosis as predictors. Patients referred after being found to suffer from coeliac disease elsewhere were excluded. Between 01/1999 and 06/2015, 2225 adult coeliac patients were directly diagnosed in our centres. 17 of them developed a complication and 29 died. In patients older than 60 years at diagnosis of coeliac disease, the risk of complication is 18 times higher than in patients diagnosed at 18-40 years and 9 times higher than in patients diagnosed at 40-60 years. Classical presentation increases the risk of complications by 7 times compared to non-classical presentation; in asymptomatic patients the risk of complication is virtually absent. The risk of developing complications in coeliac patients is linked to age at diagnosis of coeliac disease and type of clinical presentation. Follow-up methods of coeliac patients should be tailored according to these parameters. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Treatment Results and Prognostic Indicators in Thymic Epithelial Tumors: A Clinicopathological Analysis of 45 Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansour Ansari

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Thymomas are rare epithelial tumors arising from thymus gland. This study aims at investigating the clinical presentation, prognostic factors and treatment outcome of forty five patients with thymoma and thymic carcinoma. Methods: Forty-five patients being histologically diagnosed with thymoma or thymic carcinoma that were treated and followed-up at a tertiary academic hospital during January 1987 and December 2008 were selected for the present study. Twelve patients were solely treated with surgery, 14 with surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy, 12 with sequential combined treatment of surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy and 7 with non-surgical approach including radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Tumors were classified based on the new World Health Organization (WHO histological classification. Results: There were 18 women and 27 men with a median age of 43 years. Twelve patients (26.7% had stage I, 7 (17.8% had stage II, 23 (51% had stage III and 2 (4.5% had stage IV disease. Tumors types were categorized as type A (n=4, type AB (n=10, type B1 (n=9, type B2 (n=10, type B3 (n=5 and type C (n=7. In univariate analysis for overall survival, disease stage (P=0.001, tumor size (P=0.017 and the extent of surgical resection (P<0.001 were prognostic factors. Regarding the multivariate analysis, only the extent of the surgical resection (P<0.001 was the independent prognostic factor and non-surgical treatment had a negative influence on the survival. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 70.8% and 62.9%, respectively. Conclusion: Complete surgical resection is the most important prognostic factor in patients with thymic epithelial tumors.

  10. Twelve Tips for teaching medical professionalism at all levels of medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Eraky, Mohamed Mostafa

    2015-01-01

    Review of studies published in medical education journals over the last decade reveals that teaching medical professionalism is essential, yet challenging. According to a recent Best Evidence in Medical Education (BEME) guide, there is no consensus on a theoretical or practical model to integrate the teaching of professionalism into medical education. The aim of this article is to outline a practical manual for teaching professionalism at all levels of medical education. Drawing from research literature and author's experience, Twelve Tips are listed and organised in four clusters with relevance to (1) the context, (2) the teachers, (3) the curriculum, and (4) the networking. With a better understanding of the guiding educational principles for teaching medical professionalism, medical educators will be able to teach one of the most challenging constructs in medical education.

  11. Breast cancer screening for severely disabled patients. Present status and future problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuo, Kaneyuki

    2007-01-01

    Recently, the attendance rate for breast screening has been increasing in Japan. However, little is known about how to conduct effective breast cancer screening, especially for patients with mental disability. The purpose of this study was to clarify the present status of breast cancer screening for severely disabled patients. Breast screening was performed for 160 disabled patients by physical examination and ultrasound from 2002 to 2005. The patients included 158 women and two men, with an average age of 59 years old. Ten disabled patients (10/160; 6.3%) showed abnormal findings on physical examination and four (4/160; 2.5%) showed probably benign findings by ultrasound examination. Mammography (MMG) screening was performed for only 33 patients (33/160; 21%), one of whom needed further examination. One lesion was diagnosed as breast cancer (1/160; 0.63%). Breast ultrasound is useful for severely disabled patients because it is painless, easy and rapid to perform. On the other hand, it is sometimes difficult for such patients to participate in MMG screening because of their inability to adapt to the examination. Therefore, some psychological method, for example operant conditioning, will be necessary for breast screening of patients with severe mental disability. (author)

  12. Clinical presentation and biochemical profile of horses during induction and treatment of hypocalcemia

    OpenAIRE

    Barrêto-Júnior, Raimundo A.; Minervino, Antonio H.; Rodrigues, Federico A.; Meira Júnior, Enoch B.; Lima, Alessandra; Sousa, Rejane; Mori, Clara; Araújo, Carolina A.; R.Fernandes, Wilson; Ortolani, Enrico

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to examine the clinical presentation, biochemical profile and response to treatment among horses with experimentally-induced hypocalcemia. Twelve adult, mixed breed mares were used. A 5% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium (Na2EDTA) solution was infused into all the mares until the animals presented clinical signs of hypocalcemia, at which point they were divided into a control group (n = 5) and a treatment group (n = 7). The treated group received an ...

  13. Electroencephalography findings in patients presenting to the ED for evaluation of seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadambi, Pooja; Hart, Kimberly W; Adeoye, Opeolu M; Lindsell, Christopher J; Knight, William A

    2015-01-01

    Status epilepticus is a life-threatening, time-sensitive emergency. Acquiring an electroencephalogram (EEG) in the emergency department (ED) could impact therapeutic and disposition decisions for patients with suspected status epilepticus. The objective of this study is to estimate the proportion of EEGs diagnostic for seizures in patients presenting to an ED with a complaint of seizures. This retrospective chart review included adults presenting to the ED of an urban, academic, tertiary care hospital with suspected seizures or status epilepticus, who received an EEG within 24 hours of hospital admission. Data abstraction was performed by a single, trained, nonblinded abstractor. Seizures were defined as an epileptologist's diagnosis of either seizures or status epilepticus on EEG. The proportion of patients with seizures is given with confidence interval95 (CI95). Of 120 included patients, 67 (56%) had a history of epilepsy. Mean age was 52 years (SD, 16), 58% were White, and 61% were male. Within 24 hours, 3% had an EEG diagnostic for seizures. Electroencephalogram was obtained in the ED in 32 (27%) of 120 (CI95, 19%-35%), and 2 (6%) of 32 (CI95, 1%-19%) had seizures. Electroencephalogram was performed inpatient for 88 (73%) of 120 (CI95, 65%-81%), and 2 (2%) of 88 (CI95, 0.5%-7.1%) had seizures. Only 3% of ED patients with suspected seizures or status epilepticus had EEG confirmation of seizures within 24 hours. Early EEG acquisition in the ED may identify a group of patients amenable to ED observation and subsequent discharge from the hospital. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Impact of delay in clinical presentation on the diagnostic management and prognosis of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    den Exter, Paul L; van Es, Josien; Erkens, Petra M G; van Roosmalen, Mark J G; van den Hoven, Pim; Hovens, Marcel M C; Kamphuisen, Pieter W; Klok, Frederikus A; Huisman, Menno V

    2013-06-15

    The nonspecific clinical presentation of pulmonary embolism (PE) frequently leads to delay in its diagnosis. This study aimed to assess the impact of delay in presentation on the diagnostic management and clinical outcome of patients with suspected PE. In 4,044 consecutive patients with suspected PE, patients presenting more than 7 days from the onset of symptoms were contrasted with those presenting within 7 days as regards the safety of excluding PE on the basis of a clinical decision rule combined with D-dimer testing. Patients were followed for 3 months to assess the rates of recurrent venous thromboembolism and mortality. A delayed presentation (presentation >7 d) was present in 754 (18.6%) of the patients. The failure rate of an unlikely clinical probability and normal D-dimer test was 0.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01-2.7) for patients with and 0.5% (95% CI, 0.2-1.2) for those without diagnostic delay. D-dimer testing yielded a sensitivity of 99% (95% CI, 96-99%) and 98% (95% CI, 97-99%) in these groups, respectively. Patients with PE with diagnostic delay more frequently had centrally located PE (41% vs. 26%; P presentation. PE can be safely excluded based on a clinical decision rule and D-dimer testing in patients with a delayed clinical presentation. A delayed presentation for patients who survived acute PE was associated with a more central PE location, although this did not affect the clinical outcome at 3 months.

  15. Does age really matter? Recall of information presented to newly referred patients with cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jansen, Jesse; Butow, Phyllis N; van Weert, Julia C M; van Dulmen, Sandra; Devine, Rhonda J; Heeren, Thea J; Bensing, Jozien M; Tattersall, Martin H N

    2008-11-20

    To examine age- and age-related differences in recall of information provided during oncology consultations. Two hundred sixty patients with cancer diagnosed with heterogeneous cancers, seeing a medical or radiation oncologist for the first time, participated in the study. Patients completed questionnaires assessing information needs and anxiety. Recall of information provided was measured using a structured telephone interview in which patients were prompted to remember details physicians gave about diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Recall was checked against the actual communication in audio-recordings of the consultations. Recall decreased significantly with age, but only when total amount of information presented was taken into account. This indicates that if more information is discussed, older patients have more trouble remembering the information than younger ones. In addition, recall was selectively influenced by prognosis. First, patients with a poorer prognosis recalled less. Next, the more information was provided about prognosis, the less information patients recalled, regardless of their actual prognosis. Recall is not simply a function of patient age. Age only predicts recall when controlling for amount of information presented. Both prognosis and information about prognosis are better predictors of recall than age. These results provide important insights into intervention strategies to improve information recall in patients with cancer.

  16. An atypical presentation of sinus mucopyocele in a pediatric cystic fibrosis patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Horesh E

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Elan Horesh, Andrew A Colin, Roy Casiano, Sara T WesterBascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USAAbstract: This case report details an association of chronic allergic conjunctivitis and respiratory tract colonization in a cystic fibrosis (CF patient due to an ethmoidal mucocele infected with Escherichia coli. A 3-year-old CF patient presented for evaluation with complaints of chronic periocular erythema, conjunctival injection, and irritation for 2 years. He was treated for presumed allergic conjunctivitis with no improvement and continued to have overall worsening of symptoms on the right greater than the left eye in a waxing and waning pattern. On presentation to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, he was noted to have telecanthus and prominent erythema in the region of the medial canthus. Orbital imaging disclosed a mucocele in the right ethmoid sinus. The patient underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery, with successful marsupialization of the ethmoidal mucocele, which was found on culture to be infected with E. coli. Post-operatively with continuous pulmonary care, the patient remains free of allergic conjunctivitis and E. coli colonization of the upper airway. This case highlights the importance of analyzing the adjacent sinus in patients with chronic, relapsing allergic conjunctivitis refractory to medical management, particularly in patients with underlying systemic diseases such as CF.Keywords: allergic conjuncitivitis, Escherichia Coli, cystic fibrosis, mucocele

  17. A comparison between transabdominal ultrasonographic and cystourethroscopy findings in adult Sudanese patients presenting with haematuria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Feras O; Hamdan, Hamdan Z; Abdelgalil, Hani B; Sharfi, Abdulrauf A

    2015-02-01

    Gross and microscopic haematuria both are a common cause of referral to urology clinics. It has a wide spectrum of differential. In many occasions, it is a presentation of underlining serious urological problems. Evaluation of gross and significant microscopic haematuria is of paramount importance. This study was conducted to assess and compare the findings and diagnostic competency of transabdominal ultrasonography (US) versus cystourethroscopy in patients with haematuria of lower urinary tract origin. Prospective hospital-based study done at Ibn Sina Specialized and Omdurman Military Hospitals from June 2012 to March 2013. The study included 109 patients. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from patients. All patients were evaluated by transabdominal US before cystourethroscopy examination. One hundred and nine patients were studied. Patients' mean (SD) age was 57.9 (18.8) years. Fifty-four patients (49.5 %) presented with macroscopic haematuria, while 55 patients presented with microscopic haematuria. The sensitivity and specificity of the US in detecting prostate enlargement, vesical stones, bladder wall tumour, cystitis and schistosomiasis were [(84, 80 %); (82.6, 97.7 %); (64.7, 92.1 %); (15.3, 96.8 %); and (15.3, 98.9 %)], respectively, as compared to cystoscopic finding as the gold standard. Ultrasonography is accepted only as a first-line imaging tool for evaluation of haematuria in poor settings, but cannot replace or became as good as cystoscopy, which remains the gold standard.

  18. Validating a pragmatic definition of shock in adult patients presenting to the ED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yan-ling; Chan, Cangel Pui-yee; Sin, King-keung; Chan, Stewart S W; Lin, Pei-yi; Chen, Xiao-hui; Smith, Brendan E; Joynt, Gavin M; Graham, Colin A; Rainer, Timothy H

    2014-11-01

    The importance of the early recognition of shock in patients presenting to emergency departments is well recognized, but at present, there is no agreed practical definition for undifferentiated shock. The main aim of this study was to validate an a priori clinical definition of shock against 28-day mortality. This prospective, observational, cross-sectional, single-center study was conducted in Hong Kong, China. Data were collected between July 1, 2012, and January 31, 2013. An a priori definition of shock was designed, whereby patients admitted to the resuscitation room or high dependency area of the emergency department were divided into 1 of 3 groups-no shock, possible shock, and shock. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality or admission to the intensive or coronary care unit. A total of 111 patients (mean age, 67.2 ± 17.1 years; male = 69 [62%]) were recruited, of which 22 were classified as no shock, 54 as possible shock, and 35 as shock. Systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, lactate, and base deficit correlated well with shock classifications (P definition of undifferentiated shock has been proposed and validated in a group of patients presenting to an emergency department in Hong Kong. This definition needs further validation in a larger population and other settings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Patients' Experiences of Cancer Diagnosis as a Result of an Emergency Presentation: A Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, Georgia; Sheringham, Jessica; Spencer-Hughes, Vicki; Ridge, Melanie; Lyons, Mairead; Williams, Charlotte; Fulop, Naomi; Pritchard-Jones, Kathy

    2015-01-01

    Cancers diagnosed following visits to emergency departments (ED) or emergency admissions (emergency presentations) are associated with poor survival and may result from preventable diagnostic delay. To improve outcomes for these patients, a better understanding is needed about how emergency presentations arise. This study sought to capture patients' experiences of this diagnostic pathway in the English NHS. Eligible patients were identified in a service evaluation of emergency presentations and invited to participate. Interviews, using an open-ended biographical structure, captured participants' experiences of healthcare services before diagnosis and were analysed thematically, informed by the Walter model of Pathways to Treatment and NICE guidance in an iterative process. Twenty-seven interviews were conducted. Three typologies were identified: A: Rapid investigation and diagnosis, and B: Repeated cycles of healthcare seeking and appraisal without resolution, with two variants where B1 appears consistent with guidance and B2 has evidence that management was not consistent with guidance. Most patients' (23/27) experiences fitted types B1 and B2. Potentially avoidable breakdowns in diagnostic pathways caused delays when patients were conflicted by escalating symptoms and a benign diagnosis given earlier by doctors. ED was sometimes used as a conduit to rapid testing by primary care clinicians, although this pathway was not always successful. This study draws on patients' experiences of their diagnosis to provide novel insights into how emergency presentations arise. Through these typologies, we show that the typical experience of patients diagnosed through an emergency presentation diverges significantly from normative pathways even when there is no evidence of serious service failures. Consultations were not a conduit to diagnosis when they inhibited patients' capacity to appraise their own symptoms appropriately and when they resulted in a reluctance to seek

  20. Results of primary central nervous system lymphoma treated by radiation and chemotherapy. Retrospective analysis of twelve institutions in the Tokai district of Japan, 1995-1999

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawamura, Toshiki; Ishiguchi, Tsuneo; Shibamoto, Yuta

    2006-01-01

    We analyzed the therapeutic results and prognostic factors of 46 primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) patients who were treated at twelve institutions in the Tokai district of Japan between 1995 and 1999. We compared the results with those of a Japanese nationwide survey performed in the past. We sent each institution a questionnaire about the state of patients' disease, pathological type, method and doses of radiotherapy, regimen and intensity of chemotherapy, and patients' prognoses. The range of patients' ages was 33 to 93 years (median, 61 years). Thirty-one were men and 15 were women. The most prevalent histology was diffuse large B cell type (33 patients). We used the Kaplan-Meier method to calculate the survival rate and Cox's proportional hazards model to analyze the prognostic factors. The five-year cumulative survival rate was 25%, and the median survival time was 22.7 months. The five-year disease-free survival rate was 23%. In monovariate analysis, patients who were both younger than 60 years old and had a World Health Organization (WHO) performance status (PS) score equal to or less than 2 showed a better survival rate. Furthermore, the patients receiving systemic chemotherapy showed a significantly better local control rate. In addition, patients who received systemic chemotherapy achieved a higher complete remission rate than those not receiving it. However, no factors that significantly influenced survival rate were identified in multivariate analysis. We demonstrated that the therapeutic outcome of PCNSL patients has recently improved. In particular, patients with good PS showed better local control than those with poor PS. However, we could not identify any significant prognostic factors in PCNSL patients. (author)

  1. Neuromusculoskeletal disorders in patients with Type 2 diabetes ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Usual line of management of diabetes patients is drug and diet with their physical needs usually receiving minimal attention. Among the physical needs, requiring attention is their neuromusculoskeletal disorders. This study was designed to investigate the effect of a twelve-week therapeutic exercise on ...

  2. Long-term survival of patients with multiple myeloma and acute renal failure at presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazarus, H M; Adelstein, D J; Herzig, R H; Smith, M C

    1983-03-01

    Eight patients presented with simultaneous multiple myeloma and acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis. Patients had no known pre-existing renal disease nor exposure to nephrotoxic agents or x-ray contrast dye. Renal failure was attributed to light chain nephropathy in all cases. In 4 of these patients the diagnosis of myeloma was initially unsuspected. Renal biopsies in 3 of these patients, and post-mortem material in a fourth revealed the changes of "myeloma kidney." No patient regained renal function and all required chronic hemodialysis. Among these eight patients, three survived for periods greater than 21 months.

  3. E. coli Meningitis Presenting in a Patient with Disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez, Juliana B; Maque, Yvan; Moquillaza, Manuel A; Anicama, William E

    2013-01-01

    Introduction. Spontaneous Escherichia coli meningitis is an infrequent condition in adults and is associated with some predisposing factors, including severe Strongyloides stercoralis (SS) infections. Case Presentation. A 43-year-old Hispanic man, with history of travelling to the jungle regions of Peru and Brazil two decades ago, and who received prednisone due to Bell's palsy for three weeks before admission, presented to the Emergency Department with diarrhea, fever, and hematochezia. A week after admission he developed drowsiness, meningeal signs, abdominal distension, and constipation. A cerebrospinal fluid culture showed extended spectrum β -lactamase producing E. coli. A colonoscopy was performed and showed pancolitis. Three days after the procedure the patient became unstable and developed peritoneal signs. He underwent a laparotomy, which ended up in a total colectomy and partial proctectomy due to toxic megacolon. Three days later the patient died in the intensive care unit due to septic shock. Autopsy was performed and microscopic examination revealed the presence of multiple Strongyloides larvae throughout the body. Conclusion. Strongyloides stercoralis infection should be excluded in adults with spontaneous E. coli meningitis, especially, if gastrointestinal symptoms and history of travelling to an endemic area are present. Even with a proper diagnosis and management, disseminated strongyloidiasis has a poor prognosis.

  4. E. coli Meningitis Presenting in a Patient with Disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana B. Gomez

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Spontaneous Escherichia coli meningitis is an infrequent condition in adults and is associated with some predisposing factors, including severe Strongyloides stercoralis (SS infections. Case Presentation. A 43-year-old Hispanic man, with history of travelling to the jungle regions of Peru and Brazil two decades ago, and who received prednisone due to Bell’s palsy for three weeks before admission, presented to the Emergency Department with diarrhea, fever, and hematochezia. A week after admission he developed drowsiness, meningeal signs, abdominal distension, and constipation. A cerebrospinal fluid culture showed extended spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli. A colonoscopy was performed and showed pancolitis. Three days after the procedure the patient became unstable and developed peritoneal signs. He underwent a laparotomy, which ended up in a total colectomy and partial proctectomy due to toxic megacolon. Three days later the patient died in the intensive care unit due to septic shock. Autopsy was performed and microscopic examination revealed the presence of multiple Strongyloides larvae throughout the body. Conclusion. Strongyloides stercoralis infection should be excluded in adults with spontaneous E. coli meningitis, especially, if gastrointestinal symptoms and history of travelling to an endemic area are present. Even with a proper diagnosis and management, disseminated strongyloidiasis has a poor prognosis.

  5. Serum levels of immunoglobulin free light chains in patients with chronic hepatitis C presenting cryoglobulinemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabela S. Oliveira

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Hepatitis C virus (HCV infects B-lymphocytes, provokes cellular dysfunction and causes lymphoproliferative diseases such as cryoglobulinemia and non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma. In the present study, we investigated the serum levels of kappa and lambda free light chains (FLC of immunoglobulins and the kappa/lambda FLC ratio in Brazilian patients with chronic HCV infection and cryoglobulinemia. We also analyzed the immunochemical composition of the cryoglobulins in these patients. Twenty-eight cryoglobulinemic HCV patients composed the target group, while 37 HCV patients without cryoglobulinemia were included as controls. The median levels of kappa and lambda FLC were higher in patients with cryoglobulinemia compared to controls (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively, but the kappa/lambda FLC ratio was similar in patients with and without cryoglobulinemia (p > 0.05. The median FLC ratio was higher in HCV patients presenting with advanced fibrosis of the liver compared to HCV patients without fibrosis (p = 0.004. Kappa and lambda FLC levels were strongly correlated with the IgA, IgG and IgM levels in the patients with cryoglobulinemia. In patients without cryoglobulinemia, the kappa FLC level was only correlated with the IgG level, whereas the lambda FLC were weakly correlated with the IgA, IgG and IgM levels. An immunochemical pattern of mixed cryoglobulins (MC, predominantly IgM, IgG, IgA and kappa light chain, was verified in these immune complexes. We concluded that HCV-infected patients presenting cryoglobulinemia have vigorous polyclonal B-lymphocyte activation due to chronic HCV infection and persistent immune stimulation.

  6. The role of fungal sensitisation in clinical presentation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Kshitij; Gaur, Shailendra Nath; Chowdhary, Anuradha

    2015-09-01

    Atopic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) demonstrate more severe symptoms than their non-atopic counterparts. Also, Aspergillus hypersensitivity is known in COPD. However, allergic sensitisation to non-Aspergillus fungi has never been studied in COPD patients. To evaluate the prevalence of fungal sensitisation and its impact on the clinical presentation and outcome of COPD patients. Sensitisation to 17 fungi was studied in 55 COPD patients through skin prick tests, fungus-specific IgE, precipitating antibodies, total IgE and eosinophil counts. The clinical symptoms of patients were monitored thorough a patient-administered questionnaire. Overall, 5.4% (n = 3) of COPD patients were fungus sensitive. The sensitisation was noted to Alternaria alternata and Schizophyllum commune in two patients each, whereas another was sensitive to A. tamarii, Rhizopus spp. and Aspergillus fumigatus. Eosinophils were higher in fungus-sensitised patients (P = 0.001 vs. 0.003). No differences were noted in the clinical presentation of patients sensitised to fungi compared to those not sensitised to fungi or non-atopic. Although low, fungal sensitisation occurs in COPD but it is not limited to Aspergilli alone. Fungus-sensitised patients exhibit greater eosinophilia, implying more severe inflammation. Thus, such patients should be followed up regularly to recognise clinical worsening or development of ABPM. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  7. Profile of conventional risk factors in patients presenting for coronary angiography in a tertiary care hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qureshi, N.S.

    2014-01-01

    The conventional risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia and cigarette smoking(1). There is a large body of evidence, which implicates these factors in the causation of coronary artery disease. Objective: To study the attern of the above-mentioned as well as additional risk factors including age, gender, family history, obesity and hepatitis B and C seropositivity in the population of patients undergoing coronary angiography at our tertiary care hospital.Methodology:In this cross-sectional survey, 465 patients undergoing coronary angiography were studied using a questionnaire as well as clinical and laboratory data. The information obtained included age, sex, clinical presentation, past medical history, family history, the presence or absence of previous ischemic heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and a history of smoking. A history of duration of diabetes and hypertension, their treatment and the presence or absence of complications was also noted. A proportion of patients had their fasting blood lipid levels measured. Height, weight and waist circumference as well as HepBsAg and anti-HCV levels were also determined.Results: The 465 patients studied included 383 males and 82 females. The mean age of all patients was 49.68 +- 0.464 years and the difference between genders was not significant. A past history of ischaemic heart disease was present in 31% of patients. Diabetes mellitus was present in 23% of males and 45% of females. A history of hypertension was present in 30.8% males and 70.7% of the females. Of the patients who could be studied, the mean LDL was 110.29 +- 1.706 mg/dL, the mean HDL was 41.01 +- 0.319 mg/dL and the mean TG was 189.67 +- 4.21 mg/dL. The difference in lipid profile values between male and female patients was not significant (p-value >0.05). Waist circumference was increased in 69.7% males and 93.9% females and here the difference between genders was significant, Hep

  8. Mercosur: past, present, and future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Paiva

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available In March 2003, the Southern Common Market (Mercosur celebrated its twelfth anniversary. In twelve years, the bloc went from a substantially restricted trade structure to a practically free-trade area, with additional efforts in establishing a customs union and progressing toward a common market. Despite these advances, the integration process has experienced setbacks as the result of such different economic phenomena as the Asian financial crisis, Brazil's currency devaluation and, later, economic uncertainty in Argentina. Setbacks to the integration process create credibility issues and could jeopardize the future of the process. This paper discusses the current level of economic integration of Mercosur, the speed of the process, and the resulting mixed level of different stages of economic integration. It also discusses the main achievements in the last twelve years, identifies the shortcomings as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the bloc in the near future.

  9. The poetics of comic in the «The Twelve Chairs» novel (to the problem of a funny word

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kildyaeva Yu.I.

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available the article deals with the role of a funny word in the comic structure of «The Twelve Chairs» by I. Ilf and E. Petrov. The researcher reveals its different functions taking into account authors’ strategy, directed to the creation of a special type of comic.

  10. Influence of Resistance Training on Neuromuscular Function and Physical Capacity in ALS Patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Line; Djurtoft, J.B.; Bech, Rune Dueholm

    2017-01-01

    Objectives. The present study aimed to explore the effect of resistance training in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease characterized by progressive motor neuron loss and muscle weakness. Materials and Methods. Following a 12-week “lead-in” control period, a population...... of ALS patients from Funen, Denmark, completed a 12-week resistance training program consisting of 2-3 sessions/week. Neuromuscular function (strength and power) and voluntary muscle activation (superimposed twitch technique) were evaluated before and after both control and training periods. Physical...... capacity tests (chair rise and timed up and go), the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) scores, and muscle cross sectional area (histology) were also assessed. Results. Of twelve ALS patients assessed for eligibility, six were included and five completed the study. Training did...

  11. Pattern of clinical features in patients with hypothyroidism presenting to Khartoum hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohamed, Salwa Babiker

    1999-01-01

    Objectives: to determine the pattern of clinical manifestations in patients with hypothyroidism and to document the clinical state, the laboratory findings and the effect of therapy on those who restrict themselves to the long term medication and follow up. Design: a prospective study on all patients in whom a clinical suspicious of being hypothyroidism,this was during a period from the first of june 1997 to the end of december 1998 (18 months). Subjects: the study population comprised two groups of patients: a) patients presenting for the first time (n:20). b) patients previously known to be hypothyroidism but stopped the medication for a while from 6 months up to one year or more (n:16). Methods: data was collected through a questionnaire detailing the medical history, medical examination and the laboratory investigations which were performed. Results: hypothyroidism is a disease of female although it's rare but can be encountered, the diagnosis is delayed because of the wide range of symptoms, the commonest were fatigue (88.9%), myalgia (75%), hoarseness of voice (72.2%), dry skin (63.9%), these patients may present with constipation (44.4%) or to the gyne because of menorrhagia (47.2%),or to the psychiatry because of change in mood (41.7%) signs such as delayed relaxation of the knee jerk (83.3%),proximal myopathy (38.9%), perorbital swelling (50%) or loss of eye brows (27.8%) can help in the diagnosis. Conclusion: hypothyroidism is rare in the Sudan, for the diagnosis not to be delayed one should be familiar with the different manifestations in order to be able to elicit appropriate signs. The treatment is satisfactory, responsive to thyroxine which should be life long therapy

  12. A Prospective Analysis of Patients Presenting for Medical Attention at a Large Electronic Dance Music Festival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Matt S; Plocki, Alex; Likourezos, Antonios; Pushkar, Illya; Bazos, Andrew N; Fromm, Christian; Friedman, Benjamin W

    2017-02-01

    Mass-Gathering Medicine studies have identified variables that predict greater patient presentation rates (PPRs) and transport to hospital rates (TTHRs). This is a descriptive report of patients who presented for medical attention at an annual electronic dance music festival (EDMF). At this large, single EDMF in New York City (NYC; New York, USA), the frequency of patient presentation, the range of presentations, and interventions performed were identified. This descriptive report examined consecutive patients who presented to the medical tent of a summertime EDMF held at an outdoor venue with an active, mobile, bounded crowd. Alcohol was available for sale. Entry was restricted to persons 18 years and older. The festival occurred on three consecutive days with a total cumulative attendance of 58,000. Medical staffing included two Emergency Medicine physicians, four registered nurses, and 86 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. Data collected included demographics, past medical history, vital signs, physical exam, drug and alcohol use, interventions performed, and transport decisions. Eighty-four patients were enrolled over 2.5 days. Six were transported and zero died. The ages of the subjects ranged from 17 to 61 years. Forty-three (51%) were male. Thirty-eight (45%) initially presented with abnormal vital signs; four (5%) were hyperthermic. Of these latter patients, 34 (90%) reported ingestions with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or other drugs. Eleven (65%) patients were diaphoretic or mydriatic. The most common prehospital interventions were intravenous normal saline (8/84; 10%), ondansetron (6/84; 7%), and midazolam (3/84; 4%). Electronic dance music festivals are a growing trend and a new challenge for Mass-Gathering Medicine as new strategies must be employed to decrease TTHR and mortality. Addressing common and expected medical emergencies at mass-gathering events through awareness, preparation, and early, focused medical interventions may

  13. Pre- and postoperative memory of dichotically presented words in patients with complex partial seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christianson, S A; Nilsson, L G; Silfvenius, H

    1989-01-01

    Dichotic listening tests were used to determine cerebral hemisphere memory functions in patients with complex partial seizures before, 10 days after, and 1-3 yr after right (RTE) or left (LTE) temporal-lobe excisions. Control subjects were also tested on two occasions. The tests consisted of presenting a series of 12-word lists and 7-word lists alternately to the two ears while backward speech was presented to the other ear. Measures of immediate free recall, final free recall, final cued recall, and serial recall were employed. The results revealed: (a) that both groups of patients were inferior the control group in tests tapping long-term memory functions rather than short-term memory functions, (b) a right-ear advantage for RTE patients at postoperative testing, (c) that the LTE group was more affected by surgery than the RTE group, and (d) a general improvement in recall performance from early to late postoperative testing. Taken together, these results indicate that the present dichotic test can be used as a non-invasive hemisphere memory test to complement invasive techniques for diagnosis of patients considered for epilepsy surgery.

  14. A survey of innovation through duplication in the reduced genomes of twelve parasites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy D DeBarry

    Full Text Available We characterize the prevalence, distribution, divergence, and putative functions of detectable two-copy paralogs and segmental duplications in the Apicomplexa, a phylum of parasitic protists. Apicomplexans are mostly obligate intracellular parasites responsible for human and animal diseases (e.g. malaria and toxoplasmosis. Gene loss is a major force in the phylum. Genomes are small and protein-encoding gene repertoires are reduced. Despite this genomic streamlining, duplications and gene family amplifications are present. The potential for innovation introduced by duplications is of particular interest. We compared genomes of twelve apicomplexans across four lineages and used orthology and genome cartography to map distributions of duplications against genome architectures. Segmental duplications appear limited to five species. Where present, they correspond to regions enriched for multi-copy and species-specific genes, pointing toward roles in adaptation and innovation. We found a phylum-wide association of duplications with dynamic chromosome regions and syntenic breakpoints. Trends in the distribution of duplicated genes indicate that recent, species-specific duplicates are often tandem while most others have been dispersed by genome rearrangements. These trends show a relationship between genome architecture and gene duplication. Functional analysis reveals: proteases, which are vital to a parasitic lifecycle, to be prominent in putative recent duplications; a pair of paralogous genes in Toxoplasma gondii previously shown to produce the rate-limiting step in dopamine synthesis in mammalian cells, a possible link to the modification of host behavior; and phylum-wide differences in expression and subcellular localization, indicative of modes of divergence. We have uncovered trends in multiple modes of duplicate divergence including sequence, intron content, expression, subcellular localization, and functions of putative recent duplicates that

  15. Relationship of time to presentation after onset of upper GI bleeding with patient characteristics and outcomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laine, Loren; Laursen, Stig B; Dalton, Harry R

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND & AIMS: We performed a prospective multi-national study of patients presenting to the emergency department with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) and assessed the relationship of time to presentation after onset of UGIB symptoms with patient characteristics and outcomes. METHODS...

  16. Initial post marketing experience with lacosamide in adult patients with epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harden, Cynthia L; Cohn, Aaron; Lowe, Merredith; Serrano, Enrique

    2012-02-01

    The outcomes of adult epilepsy patients prescribed lacosamide for additional seizure control. Responders were defined as having at least a 50% decrease in seizure frequency Sixty-seven patients were evaluated. Forty-six out of 67 patients (69%) were responders. Twelve of 14 patients not taking sodium channel-acting AEDs were responders (86%) and 34/53 patients taking sodium channel-acting AEDs were responders (64%) (difference not significant). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Weight of preterm newborns during the first twelve weeks of life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.M. Anchieta

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available A longitudinal and prospective study was carried out at two state-operated maternity hospitals in Belo Horizonte during 1996 in order to assess the weight of preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age newborns during the first twelve weeks of life. Two hundred and sixty appropriate-for-gestational-age preterm infants with birth weight <2500 g were evaluated weekly. The infants were divided into groups based on birth weight at 250-g intervals. Using weight means, somatic growth curves were constructed and adjusted to Count's model. Absolute (g/day and relative (g kg-1 day-1 velocity curves were obtained from a derivative of this model. The growth curve was characterized by weight loss during the 1st week (4-6 days ranging from 5.9 to 13.3% (the greater the percentage, the lower the birth weight, recovery of birth weight within 17 and 21 days, and increasingly higher rates of weight gain after the 3rd week. These rates were proportional to birth weight when expressed as g/day (the lowest and the highest birth weight neonates gained 15.9 and 30.1 g/day, respectively. However, if expressed as g kg-1 day-1, the rates were inversely proportional to birth weight (during the 3rd week, the lowest and the highest weight newborns gained 18.0 and 11.5 g kg-1 day-1, respectively. During the 12th week the rates were similar for all groups (7.5 to 10.2 g kg-1 day-1. The relative velocity accurately reflects weight gain of preterm infants who are appropriate for gestational age and, in the present study, it was inversely proportional to birth weight, with a peak during the 3rd week of life, and a homogeneous behavior during the 12th week for all weight groups.

  18. Evaluation of coronary features of HIV patients presenting with ACS: The CUORE, a multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peyracchia, Mattia; De Lio, Giulia; Montrucchio, Chiara; Omedè, Pierluigi; d'Ettore, Gabriella; Calcagno, Andrea; Vullo, Vincenzo; Cerrato, Enrico; Pennacchi, Mauro; Sardella, Gennaro; Manga, Pravin; GrossoMarra, Walter; Vullo, Francesco; Fedele, Francesco; Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe; Moretti, Claudio; Vachiat, Ahmed; Bonora, Stefano; Rinaldi, Mauro; Mancone, Massimo; D'Ascenzo, Fabrizio

    2018-05-05

    The risk of recurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) in HIV patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is well known, but there is limited evidence about potential differences in coronary plaques compared to non-HIV patients. In this multicenter case-control study, HIV patients presenting with ACS, with intravascular-ultrasound (IVUS) data, enrolled between February 2015 and June 2017, and undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), were retrospectively compared to non-HIV patients presenting with ACS, before and after propensity score with matching, randomly selected from included centers. Primary end-point was the prevalence of multivessel disease. Secondary end-points were the prevalence of abnormal features at IVUS, the incidence of major-acute-cardiovascular-events (MACE), a composite end point of cardiovascular death, MI, target lesion revascularization (TLR), stent thrombosis (ST), non-cardiac death and target vessel revascularization (TVR). For each end-point, a subgroup analysis was conducted in HIV patients with CD4 cell count <200/mm 3 . Before propensity score, 66 HIV patients and 120 non-HIV patients were selected, resulting in 20 and 40 after propensity score. Patients with multivessel disease were 11 and 17, respectively (p = 0.56). IVUS showed a lower plaque burden (71% vs. 75%, p < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of hyperechoic non-calcified plaques (100% vs. 35%, p < 0.05) in HIV patients; a higher prevalence of hypoechoic plaques (7% vs. 0%, p < 0.05), a higher incidence of MACE (17.4% vs. 9.1% vs. l'8.0%, p < 0.05), MI recurrence (17.2% vs. 0.0% vs. 2.3%, p < 0.05), and ST (6.7% vs. 0.3% vs. 03%, p < 0.05) in HIV patients with CD4 < 200/mm 3 . Our study may provide a part of the pathophysiological basis of the differences in coronary arteries between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients, suggesting that the former present with peculiar morphological features at IVUS, even after adjustment for clinical variables

  19. Transient ischemic attack presenting in an elderly patient with transient ophthalmic manifestations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sparshi Jain

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Transient ischemic attack (TIA is a transient neurological deficit of cerebrovascular origin without infarction which may last only for a short period and can have varying presentations. We report a case of 58-year-old male with presenting features of sudden onset transient vertical diplopia and transient rotatory nystagmus which self-resolved within 12 h. Patient had no history of any systemic illness. On investigating, hematological investigations and neuroimaging could not explain these sudden and transient findings. A TIA could possibly explain these sudden and transient ocular findings in our patient. This case report aims to highlight the importance of TIA for ophthalmologists. We must not ignore these findings as these could be warning signs of an impending stroke which may or may not be detected on neuroimaging. Thus, early recognition, primary prevention strategies, and timely intervention are needed.

  20. A Retrospective Analysis of 5,195 Patient Treatment Sessions in an Integrative Veterinary Medicine Service: Patient Characteristics, Presenting Complaints, and Therapeutic Interventions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justin Shmalberg

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Integrative veterinary medicine, the combination of complementary and alternative therapies with conventional care, is increasingly prevalent in veterinary practice and a focus of clinical instruction in many academic teaching institutions. However, the presenting complaints, therapeutic modalities, and patient population in an integrative medicine service have not been described. A retrospective analysis of 5,195 integrative patient treatment sessions in a veterinary academic teaching hospital demonstrated that patients most commonly received a combination of therapeutic modalities (39% of all treatment sessions. The 274 patients receiving multiple modalities were most frequently treated for neurologic and orthopedic disease (50.7% versus 49.6% of all presenting complaints, resp.. Older neutered or spayed dogs (mean age = 9.0 years and Dachshunds were treated more often than expected based on general population statistics. Acupuncture, laser therapy, electroacupuncture, and hydrotherapy were frequently administered (>50% patients. Neurologic patients were more likely to receive acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and therapeutic exercises but less likely than orthopedic patients to receive laser, hydrotherapy, or therapeutic ultrasound treatments (P<0.05. The results suggest that the application of these specific modalities to orthopedic and neurologic diseases should be subjected to increased evidence-based investigations. A review of current knowledge in core areas is presented.

  1. Pretibial Located Stewart-Treves Syndrome: Uncommon Presentation in a Bulgarian Patient!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tchernev, Georgi; Yungareva, Irina; Mangarov, Hristo; Stavrov, Konstantin; Lozev, Ilia; Temelkova, Ivanka; Chernin, Svetoslav; Pidakev, Ivan; Tronnier, Michael

    2018-04-15

    The Stewart-Treves syndrome with localisation in the region of the lower extremities is not something unusual as clinical pathology, but the clinical diagnostics is rather difficult, and it can be further complicated maximally because of: the similar locoregional findings in patients with other cutaneous malignancies. Presented is a rare form of an epithelioid variant of the Stewart Treves syndrome in a woman, aged 81, localised in the region of the lower leg and significantly advanced only for 2 months. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically and immunohistochemically. Amputation of the affected extremity was planned. Discussed are important etiopathogenetic aspects regarding the approach in patients with lymphedema and possibility for development of the Stewart Treves syndrome. Analyzing the evidence from the literature worldwide, we concluded that perhaps the only reliable (to some extent) therapeutic option in patients with Stewart Treves Syndrome is 1) the early diagnostics and 2) the following inevitable radical excision or amputation with the maximal field of surgical security in the proximal direction.

  2. Radiologic and tomographic presentation of pneumatosis intestinalis in a patient with mesenteric ischemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antunes, Luciano Magrini; Medeiros, Sergio Cainelli; Fraga, Rafael; Friedrich, Mariangela Gheller; Abreu, Marcelo; Furtado, Alvaro Porto Alegre

    1998-01-01

    The authors report a case of bowel infarction consequent to sudden occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, with classical clinical and radiological presentation. The outcome, death of the patient, exemplified the usual difficulty in the early diagnosis. It is important, therefore, the urgent use of arteriography in patients with suspection of mesenteric ischemia, because the time of vascular injury predisposes to necrosis, the main prognostic factor. (author)

  3. Severe congestive heart failure patient on amiodarone presenting with myxedemic coma: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaheen, Mazen

    2009-01-01

    This is a case report of myxedema coma secondary to amiodarone-induced hypothyroidism in a patient with severe congestive heart failure (CHF). To our knowledge and after reviewing the literature there is one case report of myxedema coma during long term amiodarone therapy. Myxedema coma is a life threatening condition that carries a mortality reaching as high as 20% with treatment. The condition is treated with intravenous thyroxine (T4) or intravenous tri-iodo-thyronine (T3). Patients with CHF on amiodarone may suffer serious morbidity and mortality from hypothyroidism, and thus may deserve closer follow up for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. This case report carries an important clinical application given the frequent usage of amiodarone among CHF patients. The myriad clinical presentation of myxedema coma and its serious morbidity and mortality stresses the need to suspect this clinical syndrome among CHF patients presenting with hypotension, weakness or other unexplained symptoms.

  4. A Case Report of a Neurobrucellosis Patient Presenting Prolonged Nausea and Vomiting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheikholeslami N

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with various misleading clinical manifestations. One of them is the involvement of central nervous system which has a broad range of clinical manifestations. Improvement of knowledge among medical professionals about its different clinical presentation can lead them to better diagnosis and treatment. Case Report: In this report, we presented a neurobrucellosis patient with chief complaint of 4 month-nausea and vomiting.

  5. Osteomalacia: a case series of patients with atypical clinical orthopaedic presentations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fok, A W M; Ng, T P

    2010-12-01

    Osteomalacia is uncommon in an affluent subtropical city like Hong Kong, where sunlight exposure is adequate and nutritional support is good. We present three patients who had osteomalacia with different presentations. A 74-year-old male with oncogenic osteomalacia presented with multiple bone pain. His biochemical markers returned to normal 4 days postoperatively after resection of a second toe giant cell tumour of tendon sheath. A 62-year-old woman with a history of liver problem and proximal muscle weakness was admitted with atraumatic fracture of the left distal humerus due to osteomalacia. An 81-year-old vegetarian woman with inadequate sun exposure complained of multiple bone pains. Subsequent investigation revealed dietary- and sunlight-deficient osteomalacia with multiple bony abnormalities including marked femur bowing.

  6. Brain Tuberculomas Mimicking Intracranial Metastasis in a Patient Presenting with Fits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gondal, M.; Hussain, T.; Mushtaq, S.

    2013-01-01

    Brain tuberculosis is still prevalent in many developing countries, especially Asian countries. Tuberculomas should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of enhancing intra-axial lesions of the brain. Brain tuberculomas can present in many different clinical and radiological patterns clinically like headache, fits, cranial nerve palsies and very rarely as brain tuberculomas. We describe the case of a 48 years old male patient presenting with persistent headache and fits, referred for workup of brain metastasis or primary brain neoplasm. On further imaging, it turned out to be multiple tuberculomas of brain which resolved on anti-tuberculous treatment along with symptoms relief. (author)

  7. Pleuropulmonary blastoma--case report of a patient presenting in a moribund state.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chauke, Risenga Frank; Muthuphei, M Nelson

    2003-11-01

    A 4-year-old girl presented with an intrathoracic tumour that was pleural in origin, invading the right lower lobe. The patient underwent urgent right thoracotomy and surgical excision of the tumour and right lower lobectomy as the tumour was invading that lobe. The histological report initially reported it as a rhabdomyosarcoma, embryonal type, but after consultation it was changed to type III pleuropulmonary blastoma. The patient was treated with chemotherapy but succumbed to the disease 12 months after the diagnosis. Relevant literature on pleuropulmonary blastoma is reviewed.

  8. STUDY OF CLINICAL PRESENTATIONS OF PATIENTS WITH HYPERPROLACTINAEMIA VISITING A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Binoy Kumar Mohanty

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Hyperprolactinaemia is one of the common endocrine disorders seen in clinical practice. It may result due to various causes and elucidating the exact cause is necessary to formulate the right therapy. OBJECTIVE To study the various aetiologies and clinical presentation of patients presenting with hyperprolactinaemia to a tertiary care hospital. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. MATERIAL AND METHODS We collected and analysed the clinical data including hormonal status of 74 consecutive patients who presented to our department from June 2015 to May 2016 for evaluation of hyperprolactinaemia. RESULTS Majority of the subjects studied belonged to 20-29 years group (47.29% followed by 30-39 years age group (24.32%. The most common cause in our population was due to drug-induced causes (35.13%. The next common causes included idiopathic group (20.4% followed by pituitary adenomas (16.21%. There was significant female predominance (83.78% among total cases. Among women who presented with hyperprolactinaemia, menstrual irregularity (69.35% followed by galactorrhoea (35.48% were the most common presentations. CONCLUSIONS Hyperprolactinaemia is frequently seen among women who presented with either menstrual irregularity or galactorrhoea or both. Drug-induced hyperprolactinaemia is the most common cause seen in our study population.

  9. Outcome and Risk Factors Presented in Old Patients Above 80 Years of Age Versus Younger Patients After Ischemic Stroke

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentsen, Line; Christensen, Louisa; Christensen, Anders

    2014-01-01

    . METHODS: The analysis was based on consecutive patients admitted within 6 hours after stroke onset and discharged with ischemic stroke, surviving at least 3 months after ictus. To prevent bias, the analysis was based on a registry from before implementation of tissue plasminogen activator treatment; all...... of age or older presented with significantly more severe strokes than younger patients, median Scandinavian Stroke Scale score 39 vs 42 (P = .003). Median mRS score before stroke was significantly higher in patients aged 80 years or older (P ictus (P...

  10. A structure-function analysis in patients with prekallikrein deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girolami, Antonio; Ferrari, Silvia; Cosi, Elisabetta; Lombardi, Anna Maria

    2017-11-22

    To investigate the structure-function relation in prekallikrein (PK) deficiency. PK is one of the proteins of the contact phase of blood coagulation which at the present time is the object of a revival of interest. All patients with PK deficiency who had been investigated by molecular biology techniques are the object of the present investigation. Details of patients were obtained from personal files and a time-unlimited PubMed search. Only cases with a molecular-biology-based diagnosis were included. Twelve families were included. The total number of missense mutation was 10, together with 3 stop codons and 2 insertions. These mutations involved mainly exons 11 and 14. There were eight proved homozygotes and three compound heterozygotes. In one instance, homozygosity was probable but not proved. In nine cases, the defect was Type I, whereas it was Type II in the remaining three. No bleeding manifestations were present in 11 of the 12 probands. One proband had epistaxis, but she had hypertension. Altogether, four patients had hypertension and one of them had also two myocardial infarctions. Despite the paucity of cases, it was established that the majority of mutations involved the catalytic domain. It is auspicable that future reports of patients with this disorder should include molecular studies. This would certainly contribute to the understanding of the contact phase of blood coagulation.

  11. A therapy for oral cancer. The present status and prospects of surgical therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukutake, Kimio; Ohtsuru, Hiroshi

    1995-01-01

    Surgery for carcinoma of the oral cavity has developed rapidly with recent advances in reconstruction. Particularly, in radical surgery for progressive and recurrent disease, safe and adequate resection has been made possible and postoperative cosmetic and functional recovery has been achieved. We reviewed 64 patients with progressive and recurrent cancer who had undergone reconstruction using microvascular techniques during the 12 years from 1983 to 1994. There were 19 patients with T3 disease, 25 with T4 disease, and 20 with recurrence. The free grafts used were radial forearm flaps, the jejunum, rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flaps, and scapular flaps. The survival of free flap grafts was 95.3%. The primary tumor control rate was 85.9%, and the 5-year cumulative survival rate was 61.1%, 60.1%, and 62.9% for patients with T3, T4, and recurrent disease, respectively. Twelve patients with T4 disease of the tongue and the floor of the mouth were treated with combined preoperative brachytherapy and surgery to alleviate postoperative dysfunction, and this treatment was found to be exceedingly effective for improving the postoperative quality of life. There are still many problems with mandibular reconstruction. Since cancer patients commonly undergo preoperative radiotherapy, transplantation of living vascularized bone grafts is frequently performed and is believed to be effective. Since it is important to reconstruct masticatory function as well as to achieve cosmetic improvement, various techniques have recently been used to fit the reconstructed mandible with dental prostheses in order to restore masticatory function. This paper describes the present status and the prospects of surgical therapy for oral cancer. (author)

  12. Clinical and ultrasonographic study of patients presenting with transvaginal mesh complications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manonai, Jittima; Rostaminia, Ghazaleh; Denson, Lindsay; Shobeiri, S Abbas

    2016-03-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical and ultrasonographic findings of women who had three-dimensional endovaginal ultrasound (EVUS) for the management of vaginal mesh complications. This was a retrospective study of patients that had EVUS due to mesh complications at a tertiary care center. The clinical charts were reviewed. The stored 3D volumes were reviewed regarding mesh information by two examiners independently. The predictive value of physical examination for detection of vaginal mesh was calculated. Patient outcomes were reviewed. Seventy-nine patients presented to our center because of their, or their physicians' concern regarding mesh complications. Forty-one (51.9%) had vaginal/pelvic pain, and 51/62 (82.2%) of sexually active women experienced dyspareunia. According to ultrasonographic findings, mesh or sling was not demonstrated in six patients who believed they have had mesh/sling implantation. The positive predictive value for vaginal examination was 94.5% (95% CI: 84.9%-98.8%), negative predictive value was 12.5% (95% CI: 2.8%-32.4%), sensitivity was 72.2% (95% CI: 59.4%-81.2%), and specificity was 50.0% (95% CI: 12.4%-87.6%). Fifty-four patients were indicated for surgical treatment. Median postoperative review was 12 (range, 3-18) months and 38/53 (71.7%) patients were satisfied. The most common complaints of vaginal mesh complications were pain and dyspareunia. EVUS appeared to be helpful for assessing mesh presence, location, and extent including planning for surgical intervention. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. An Assessment of Twelve Cases of HELLP Syndrome Treated at the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Prominent presenting clinical features included preeclampsia (proteinuria and hypertension), eclampsia, jaundice, epigastric pain, anorexia and malaise. Relevant laboratory profiles on all patients met the criteria for confirmation of the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome. Important complications were disseminated intravascular ...

  14. Reversion of methacholine induced bronchoconstriction with inhaled diazepam in patients with asthma

    OpenAIRE

    Miric, Mirjana; Ristic, Sinisa; Joksimovic, Bojan N; Medenica, Snezana; Racic, Maja; Ristic, Slavica; Joksimovic, Vedrana R; Skipina, Mirjana

    2016-01-01

    Background: Benzodiazepines have a direct bronchodilatory effect. Methacholine is a non-selective muscarinic receptor agonist causing bronchoconstriction. Aim: To examine the effects of inhaled benzodiazepines, modulating bronchoconstriction induced by methacholine in patients with asthma. Patients and Methods: Twelve patients with well controlled asthma were studied. On the first day, after determining the initial values of pulmonary function, a dose response curve was carried out with progr...

  15. Dual-resolution Raman spectroscopy for measurements of temperature and twelve species in hydrocarbon–air flames

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Magnotti, Gaetano; Barlow, Robert S.

    2016-07-12

    This study introduces dual-resolution Raman spectroscopy as a novel diagnostics approach for measurements of temperature and species in flames where multiple hydrocarbons are present. Simultaneous measurement of multiple hydrocarbons is challenging because their vibrational Raman spectra in the C–H stretch region are closely overlapped and are not well known over the range of temperature encountered in flames. Overlap between the hydrocarbon spectra is mitigated by adding a second spectrometer, with a higher dispersion grating, to collect the Raman spectra in the C–H stretch region. A dual-resolution Raman spectroscopy instrument has been developed and optimized for measurements of major species (N2, O2, H2O, CO2, CO, H2, DME) and major combustion intermediates (CH4, CH2O, C2H2, C2H4 and C2H6) in DME–air flames. The temperature dependences of the hydrocarbon Raman spectra over fixed spectral regions have been determined through a series of measurements in laminar Bunsen-burner flames, and have been used to extend a library of previously acquired Raman spectra up to flame temperature. The paper presents the first Raman measurements of up to twelve species in hydrocarbon flames, and the first quantitative Raman measurements of formaldehyde in flames. Lastly, the accuracy and precision of the instrument are determined from measurements in laminar flames and the applicability of the instrument to turbulent DME–air flames is discussed.

  16. Medical conditions and body pain in patients presenting orofacial pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franco, Ana Lúcia; Runho, Gabriel Henrique Farto; Siqueira, José Tadeu Tesseroli de; Camparis, Cinara Maria

    2012-05-01

    To verify the frequency of self-reported medical conditions and pain areas in orofacial pain patients, comparing them with patients from the routine dental care. Data were collected from archives of the Orofacial Pain Clinic (Group A, n=319) and of the routine dental care clinics (Group B, n=84) at Faculdade de Odontologia de Araraquara, São Paulo, in Brazil. All individuals answered a standardized clinical questionnaire and completed a body map indicating their pain areas. The Mann-Whitney's test demonstrated that Group A presented a higher mean number of medical reports than Group B (p=0.004). In both groups, Pearson's correlation test showed that the highest frequencies of medical conditions were positively correlated to highest frequencies of painful areas (0.478, p=0.001 and 0.246, p=0.000, respectively). Group A tended to report more medical conditions and there was a positive correlation between the number of medical conditions and the one of pain areas for both groups.

  17. Idiopathic membranous nephropathy in pediatric patients: presentation, response to therapy, and long-term outcome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valderrama Elsa

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN is one of the most common causes of primary nephrotic syndrome in adults. However, it is a relatively rare entity in the pediatric population and there is a paucity of data about the incidence, prognosis, and optimal treatment of IMN in children and adolescents. We conducted this study to evaluate pediatric patients with IMN in order to clarify the presentation, response to therapy, and clinical outcome. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on patients identified with biopsy-proven IMN between 1988–2005. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or hepatitis-related lesions were excluded. The following data were tabulated: age, gender, ethnicity, presenting clinical and laboratory findings, proteinuria in a first morning urine specimen, estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFRe, histopathology, type and duration of treatment, and clinical status at final evaluation. Results 13 cases of IMN were identified out of 460 renal biopsies performed for evaluation of primary kidney disease during the study interval. Mean age was 9.6 ± 4.6, gender 6 M:7 F, ethnicity 8 W:2 B:3 H. At the initial visit hematuria was present in 9 patients, edema in 5, nephrotic-range proteinuria in 5, and hypertension in 3. Mean urinary protein:creatinine ratio 3.3 ± 2.5 and all patients had a normal GFRe. Classic glomerular findings of IMN were seen in all renal specimens, with concomitant interstitial changes in 2 cases. Treatment included an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker in 11 cases. Most patients were also given immunosuppressive medications – prednisone in 10, a calcineurin inhibitor in 5, and mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine in 3 patients. At the last follow-up, 42 ± 35 months after the diagnostic biopsy, 7 children were hypertensive and the urine protein:creatinine ratio was 2.3 ± 3.1. The mean GFRe was 127 ± 57 mL/min/m2. Three patients

  18. Management and outcomes of severe dengue patients presenting with sepsis in a tropical country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teparrukkul, Prapit; Hantrakun, Viriya; Day, Nicholas P J; West, T Eoin; Limmathurotsakul, Direk

    2017-01-01

    Dengue is a common cause of infection in adults in tropical countries. Sepsis is a syndrome of systemic manifestations induced by infection of any organisms; including bacterial, fungal and viral agents. Here, we investigated the diagnosis, management and outcomes of dengue patients presenting with sepsis in a prospective study of community-acquired sepsis in Thailand. From June to December 2015, 874 adult patients (age≥18 years) with suspected or documented community-acquired infection, with ≥3 diagnostic criteria for sepsis according to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2012, and within 24 hours of admission were evaluated. Serum was stored and later tested for dengue PCR assays. A total of 126 patients had dengue PCR assays positive (2 DENV-1, 12 DENV-2, 24 DENV-3 and 88 DENV-4), and 5 of them (4%) died. We found that attending physicians suspected dengue infection on admission in 84 patients (67%), and recorded dengue infection as the final diagnosis in 96 patients (76%). Four of five fatal cases were diagnosed and treated as septic shock not due to dengue. In multivariable analysis, there was a trend showing that age≥60 years, hypoxemia and misdiagnosis of dengue by attending physicians were associated with 28-day mortality. A number of adult patients who died of dengue are misdiagnosed as severe sepsis and septic shock. Diagnosis of dengue based on clinical features alone is difficult. Rapid diagnostic tests for dengue may need to be routinely used in adult patients presenting with sepsis and septic shock in tropical countries. This approach could improve diagnosis and management of those patients.

  19. Disk degenerative disease in childhood: Scheuermann's disease, Schmorl's nodes, and the limbus vertebra: MRI findings in 12 patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swischuk, L.E.; John, S.D.; Allbery, S.

    1998-01-01

    Twelve pediatric patients were studied with MRI. All had various disk problems including Scheuermann's disease, Schmorl's nodes and limbus vertebrae. All patients shared loss of disk height, altered disk hydration and variable herniation of nuclear material. (orig.)

  20. Evidence for Treatable Inborn Errors of Metabolism in a Cohort of 187 Greek Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martha eSpilioti

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available We screened for the presence of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM in 187 children (105 males; 82 females, ages 4 -14 years old who presented with confirmed features of ASD. Twelve patients (7% manifested increased 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid (3-OH-IVA excretion in urine, and minor to significant improvement in autistic features was observed in seven patients following supplementation with biotin. Five diagnoses included: Lesch Nyhan syndrome (2, succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH deficiency (2 and phenylketonuria (1 (2.7%. Additional metabolic disturbances suggestive of IEMs included two patients whose increased urine 3-OH-IVA was accompanied by elevated methylcitrate and lactate in sera, and 30 patients that showed abnormal glucose-loading tests. In the latter group, 16/30 patients manifested increased sera beta hydroxybutyrate (b-OH-b production and 18/30 had a paradoxical increase of sera lactate. Six patients with elevated b-OH-b in sera showed improved autistic features following implementation of a ketogenic diet. Five patients showed decreased serum ketone body production with glucose loading. Twelve of 187 patients demonstrated nonspecific MRI pathology, while 25/187 had abnormal EEG findings. Finally, family history was positive for 22/187 patients (1st or 2nd degree relative with comparable symptomatology and consanguinity was documented for 12/187 patients. Our data provide evidence for a new biomarker (3-OH-IVA and novel treatment approaches in ASD patients.Concise 1 sentence take-home message: Detailed metabolic screening in a Greek cohort of autismspectrum disorder (ASD patients revealed biomarkers (urine 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid and serum b-OH-b in 7% (13/187 of patients for whom biotin supplementation or institution of a ketogenic diet resulted in mild to significant clinical improvement in autistic features.

  1. Presentation patterns and outcomes of patients with cancer accessing care in emergency departments in Victoria, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Meer, Dania M; Weiland, Tracey J; Philip, Jennifer; Jelinek, George A; Boughey, Mark; Knott, Jonathan; Marck, Claudia H; Weil, Jennifer L; Lane, Heather P; Dowling, Anthony J; Kelly, Anne-Maree

    2016-03-01

    People with cancer attend emergency departments (EDs) for many reasons. Improved understanding of the specific needs of these patients may assist in optimizing health service delivery. ED presentation and hospital utilization characteristics were explored for people with cancer and compared with those patients without cancer. This descriptive, retrospective, multicentre cohort study used hospital administrative data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarise and compare ED presentation characteristics amongst cancer and non-cancer groups. Predictive analyses were used to identify ED presentation features predictive of hospital admission for cancer patients. Outcomes of interest were level of acuity, ED and inpatient length of stay, re-presentation rates and admission rates amongst cancer patients and non-cancer patients. ED (529,377) presentations occurred over the 36 months, of which 2.4% (n = 12,489) were cancer-related. Compared with all other attendances, cancer-related attendances had a higher level of acuity, requiring longer management time and length of stay in ED. Re-presentation rates for people with cancer were nearly double those of others (64 vs 33%, p < 0.001), with twice the rate of hospital admission (90 vs 46%, p < 0.001), longer inpatient length of stay (5.6 vs 2.8 days, p < 0.001) and had higher inpatient mortality (7.9 vs 1.0%, p < 0.001). Acuity and arriving by ambulance were significant predictors of hospital admission, with cancer-related attendances having ten times the odds of admission compared to other attendances (OR = 10.4, 95% CI 9.8-11.1). ED presentations by people with cancer represent a more urgent, complex caseload frequently requiring hospital admission when compared to other presentations, suggesting that for optimal cancer care, close collaboration and integration of oncology, palliative care and emergency medicine providers are needed to improve pathways of care.

  2. Disturbance of serotonin 5HT2 receptors in remitted patients suffering from hereditary depressive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larisch, R; Klimke, A; Mayoral, F; Hamacher, K; Herzog, H R; Vosberg, H; Tosch, M; Gaebel, W; Rivas, F; Coenen, H H; Müller-Gärtner, H W

    2001-08-01

    The characteristics of 5HT2 receptor binding were investigated in major depression in vivo using positron emission tomography and the radioligand F-18-altanserin. Twelve patients from families with high loading of depression living in a geographically restricted region were examined and compared with normal control subjects. At the time of the PET measurement all patients were remitted; in some of them remission was sustained by antidepressive medication. Binding potential was assessed by Logan's graphical analysis method. The binding of F-18-altanserin was about 38% lower in patients than in healthy controls (p depression rather than by medication. The data suggest that 5HT2 receptors are altered in depression. We present evidence for a reduction of the receptor density, which might be usable as trait marker of subjects susceptible for depressive illness.

  3. Disturbance of serotonin 5HT2 receptors in remitted patients suffering from hereditary depressive disorder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larisch, R.; Vosberg, H.; Tosch, M.; Mueller-Gaertner, H.W.; Klimke, A.; Gaebel, W.; Mayoral, F.; Rivas, F.; Hamacher, K.; Coenen, H.H.; Herzog, H.R.

    2001-01-01

    Aim: The characteristics of 5HT 2 receptor binding were investigated in major depression in vivo using positron emission tomography and the radioligand F-18-altanserin. Methods: Twelve patients from families with high loading of depression living in a geographically restricted region were examined and compared with normal control subjects. At the time of the PET measurement all patients were remitted; in some of them remission was sustained by antidepressive medication. Binding potential was assessed by Logan's graphical analysis method. Results: The binding of F-18-altanserin was about 38% lower in patients than in healthy controls (p 2 receptors are altered in depression. We present evidence for a reduction of the receptor density, which might be usable as trait marker of subjects susceptible for depressive illness. (orig.) [de

  4. Presenting symptoms and clinical findings in HPV-positive and HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpén, Timo; Sjöblom, Anni; Lundberg, Marie; Haglund, Caj; Markkola, Antti; Syrjänen, Stina; Tarkkanen, Jussi; Mäkitie, Antti; Hagström, Jaana; Mattila, Petri

    2018-05-01

    Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is divided in two different disease entities depending on HPV involvement. We investigated differences in presenting symptoms and clinical findings in patients with HPV-positive and -negative OPSCC tumors. Altogether 118 consecutive patients diagnosed with primary OPSCC between 2012 and 2014 at the Helsinki University Hospital were included. HPV-status of the tumors was assessed by PCR detection of HPV DNA and immunostaining with p16-INK4a antibody. Fifty-one (47.7%) of the patients had HPV-positive and 56 (52.3%) HPV-negative tumors. Forty-nine (49/51, 96.1%) of the HPV+ tumors were also p16+ showing high concordance. The most common presenting symptom among HPV+/p16+ patients was a neck mass (53.1%), whereas any sort of pain in the head and neck area was more frequently related to the HPV-/p16- (60.0%) group. HPV+/p16+ tumors had a tendency to locate in the tonsillar complex and more likely had already spread into regional lymph nodes compared with HPV-/p16- tumors. Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption were significantly more common among HPV-/p16- patients but also rather common among HPV+/p16+ patients. This analysis of symptoms and signs confirm that OPSCC can be dichotomized in two distinct disease entities as defined by HPV status.

  5. MRI in patients with tuberculous spondylitis presenting as vertebra plana: A retrospective analysis and review of literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sureka, J.; Samuel, S.; Keshava, S.N.; Venkatesh, K.; Sundararaj, G.D.

    2013-01-01

    Aim: To present the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of 10 patients with histopathologically proven tuberculous spondylitis (TS) presenting as vertebra plana (VP) on radiographs. Material and methods: Radiographs of 451 adult TS patients were reviewed. In this consecutive series, there were 11 patients who presented as VP. MRI of 10 of these patients was available for review. Results: VP-like collapse of a single vertebral body of the dorsal spine with preserved endplates and disc was seen in all cases. Epidural, pre- and para-vertebral soft tissue was found in all patients. Epidural soft tissue presenting on sagittal images as a convexity of the posterior longitudinal ligament was also found in all the signal of which was different from the involved vertebra on axial images. All patients showed posterior element involvement, which was characterized by preserved cortical outline without expansion. Conclusion: TS presenting with VP-like collapse of the bone is rare, accounting for 2.4% of the cases in the present series. MRI may show a collapsed vertebra with preserved endplates and disc. MRI findings that are suggestive of TS include: (1) signal intensity of the epidural soft-tissue mass on axial images, which is different from the vertebral body; (2) presence of a thin, T2-weighted hypointense capsule of the para-vertebral soft tissue; (3) posterior element involvement characterized by intact hypointense cortical outline without expansion; and (4) involvement of the costovertebral joint.

  6. Discordance of exercise thallium testing with coronary arteriography in patients with atypical presentations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bungo, M.W.; Leland, O.S. Jr.

    1983-01-01

    Eighty-one patients with diagnostically difficult clinical presentations suggesting coronary artery disease underwent symptom-limited maximal-exercise treadmill testing (ETT) and exercise radionuclide scanning with thallium-201 followed by coronary angiography. Results showed that in nearly half of the patients (47%) these tests were in agreement, while either exercise thallium or ETT was positive in 94% of patients with coronary artery disease. It was found that agreement between exercise thallium and ETT tests predicted disease in 92% of the instances or excluded disease in 82% of the instances. It is concluded that despite frequent discord between these two tests in 53% of the cases, a significant gain in exclusive diagnostic capability is realized when applied to a patient population anticipated to have a disease prevalence equal to the 67% encountered in this study

  7. The Prevalence of Occult Celiac Disease among Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: A Study from the Western Region of Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Asghar Keshavarz

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. The prevalence of Celiac Disease (CD is high in Iran, and evaluation of CD is not part of the routine screening procedure for dyspeptic patients; therefore, cases of occult CD may be missed. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of occult CD among dyspeptic patients who presented at a gastroenterology clinic in the Western region of Iran. Methods. In this descriptive, cross-sectional prospective study, patients who had a history of at least 12 weeks of upper abdominal discomfort were eligible to participate in the study during a 14-month recruitment period. Patients with a clinical or paraclinical data in favor of organic causes were excluded from the study. Enrolled patients were screened for IgA antiendomysium antibody (EMA and IgA antitissue transglutaminase antibody (tTG. Those who screened positive for EMA/tTG received a confirmatory diagnostic biopsy for Marsh classification of CD. Results. From 225 potential participants with dyspepsia, 55 patients were excluded due to having explainable organic causes. The study sample included 170 patients with “functional dyspepsia.” Mean age of participants was 31 years and 55.8% were female. Twelve patients (7% had positive tests (EMA/tTG, of which 10 were female (83.4%. According to Rome II criteria, all twelve patients with positive tests had “dysmotility type dyspepsia.” Based on Marsh classification, six patients were consistent with “Marsh I,” four with “Marsh II,” and two with the “Marsh III” classification. Conclusions. In this study, the prevalence of CD in dyspeptic patients was high. As a result, this study suggests that screening by serology tests (EMA/tTG is justifiable for the detection of CD among functional dyspeptic patients in the tertiary centers in our country.

  8. [The influence of general magnetic therapy on the psychological status of the patients presenting with osteoarthrosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degtiarev, V K; Aleksandrov, A V; Nenasheva, N V; Cherkashina, I V; Nikitin, M V

    2013-01-01

    The present study was designed to estimate the influence of general magnetic therapy on the psychical conditions of 151 patients presenting with degenerative joint diseases including osteoarthritis (OA). It was shown that the application of general magnetic therapy for the rehabilitative treatment of osteoarthrosis promotes the improvement of the psycho-emotional state of the patients. It is concluded that prescription of general magnetic therapy to the patients with OA suffering from serious psycho-emotional disorders brings about beneficial changes in their anxiety- and depression-related personality traits.

  9. Changes in concentrations of perfluorinated compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polychlorinated biphenyls in Norwegian breast-milk during twelve months of lactation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomsen, Cathrine; Haug, Line S; Stigum, Hein; Frøshaug, May; Broadwell, Sharon L; Becher, Georg

    2010-12-15

    At present, scientific knowledge on depuration rates of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is limited and the previous assumptions of considerable reduction of body burdens through breast-feeding have recently been challenged. We therefore studied elimination rates of important POPs in nine Norwegian primiparous mothers and one mother breast-feeding her second child by collecting breast-milk samples (n = 70) monthly from about two weeks to up to twelve months after birth. Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in the breast-milk samples. Linear mixed effect models were established for selected compounds, and significant decreases in the range of 1.2-4.7% in breast-milk concentrations per month were observed for a wide range of PCBs and PBDEs. For the first time, depuration rates for perfluorooctylsulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are presented, being 3.8 and 7.8% per month, respectively (p changes during the lactation period. After a year of nursing the breast-milk concentrations of PFCs, PBDEs, and PCBs were reduced by 15-94%.

  10. DOME-SHAPED MACULA IN MYOPIC EYES: Twelve-Month Follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenzo, Daniel; Arias, Luis; Choudhry, Netan; Millan, Eduard; Flores, Ignacio; Rubio, Marcos J; Cobos, Estefanía; García-Bru, Pere; Filloy, Alejandro; Caminal, Josep M

    2017-04-01

    To study the long-term clinical course of dome-shaped macula in myopic eyes and to evaluate treatment efficacy for subretinal fluid (SRF) as a related complication. A retrospective, single-center consecutive case series study was conducted. The authors analyzed myopic eyes with dome-shaped macula in patients who presented for evaluation of decreased vision. Dome-shaped macula was defined as a convexity of the retina-choroidal macular complex seen on spectral domain optical coherence tomography images. All patients were followed for at least 12 months (mean, 25 months). Fluorescein angiography and/or indocyanine green angiography were performed in cases with SRF to rule out choroidal neovascularization. A total of 56 dome-shaped macula eyes from 36 patients were included in the study (bilateral in 55% of patients). Mean patient age was 56.9 ± 13.1 years. The mean spherical equivalent was -9.1 ± 6.0 diopters; 53% of eyes were considered highly myopic (>-6 diopters) and 47% of eyes were mildly myopic. In most cases (37 eyes; 66.1%), the dome-shaped macula was detected on vertical spectral domain optical coherence tomography scan patterns. No significant changes (P ≥ 0.1) were observed in mean best-corrected visual acuity or mean central foveal thickness from baseline to final follow-up. Subretinal fluid was present in 29 eyes (51.8%) at baseline, with no differences in best-corrected visual acuity in eyes with and without SRF (P ≥ 0.05). Nineteen of the 29 SRF eyes were treated: 8 underwent low-fluence photodynamic therapy, whereas 7 received bevacizumab, and 4 ranibizumab. No significant differences were found between treated and untreated SRF eyes in best-corrected visual acuity improvement (P ≥ 0.1), or complete resolution of SRF (P ≥ 0.1). Likewise, photodynamic therapy did not yield any significant benefit versus untreated eyes in best-corrected visual acuity or improvement of SRF. Dome-shaped macula is a condition associated with myopic eyes that seems

  11. Cryptococcoma mimicking a brain tumor in an immunocompetent patient: case report of an extremely rare presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paiva, Aline Lariessy Campos; Aguiar, Guilherme Brasileiro de; Lovato, Renan Maximilian; Zanetti, Arthus Vilar Deolindo; Panagopoulos, Alexandros Theodoros; Veiga, José Carlos Esteves

    2017-11-06

    Central nervous system (CNS) infectious diseases have high prevalence in developing countries and their proper diagnosis and treatment are very important for public health planning. Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungus that may cause several CNS manifestations, especially in immunocompromised patients. Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common type of involvement. Mass-effect lesions are uncommon: they are described as cryptococcomas and their prevalence is even lower among immunocompetent patients. The aim here was to report an extremely rare case of cryptococcoma causing a mass effect and mimicking a brain tumor in an immunocompetent patient. The literature on CNS cryptococcal infections was reviewed with emphasis on cryptococcomas. Clinical, surgical and radiological data on a female patient with this rare presentation of cryptococcoma mimicking a brain tumor are described. A 54-year-old female patient presented to the emergency department with a rapid-onset progressive history of confusion and completely dependency for basic activities. Neuroimaging showed a left occipital lesion and neurosurgical treatment was proposed. From histopathological evaluation, a diagnosis of cryptococcoma was established. She received clinical support with antifungals, but despite optimal clinical treatment, her condition evolved to death. Cryptococcal infections have several forms of presentation and, in immunocompetent patients, their manifestation may be even more different. Cryptococcoma is an extremely rare presentation in which proper surgical and clinical treatment should be instituted as quickly as possible, but even so, there is a high mortality rate.

  12. Clinical pathological characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital - a single centre study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiram, S.A.; Ahmed, M.; Nisar, S.

    2018-01-01

    Objective: To determine the frequency of clinopathological characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients presenting to Military Hospital (MH) Rawalpindi. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at MH Rawalpindi, from Jan 2011 to Dec 2013. Material and Methods: All patients presenting to Rheumatology department, MH Rawalpindi with a diagnosis of SLE were included in this study. Presenting features, clinical profile and laboratory parameters of patients were recorded. Results: A total of 76 patients were included in this study, 70 (92.1%) were females and 6 (7.9%) male patients with female- male ratio of 11.6:1. Mean age at presentation was 33 ± 8.31 years. Seventy two patients (94.7%) were anti nuclear antibody (ANA) positive, 63 (83%) were positive for anti-double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA) antibody and 6 (7.9%) were anti Smith positive. Seventy (92.1%) patients had musculoskeletal symptoms, 65 patients (85.5%) had fever, 36 (47.4%) patients had cutaneous symptoms, and 20 patients (26.3%) had oral ulcers. About 13 patients (17.1%) had alopecia and 15 patients (19.7%) had serositis. Forty two patients (55.3%) had nephritis, 20 patients (26.3%) had lupus cerebritis, 57 patients (75%) had hematological involvement, 9 patients (11.83%) had pulmonary involvement, 8 patients (10.5%) had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) factor positive and 7 patients (9.2%) had overlap syndrome. Conclusion: Renal and hematological involvement was more common in this study population while mucocutaneous features and neuropsychiatric features were comparable to many local studies with exception to that of Lahore based study that showed much higher percentage of these features. These results reflect the need to have a high index of suspicion for kidney and hematological involvement in SLE patients. (author)

  13. Noninvasive treatment choice for an aged down syndrome patient presenting a residual periapical cyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperandio, Felipe Fornias; Carli, Marina Lara de; Guimaräes, Eduardo Pereira; Pereira, Alessandro Antônio Costa; Hanemann, Joäo Adolfo Costa

    2014-03-01

    This is the first report to illustrate the marsupialization as an effective treatment for a Down Syndrome (DS) patient presenting a residual periapical cyst. These cysts occur within the alveolar ridge, usually at the local site of a previously extracted tooth that did not received proper curettage; usually the surgical excision of a cyst and also the vigorous curettage of a socket is very simple, if not for the fact that mentally disabled patients require rapid and non-stressful procedures. The 54-year-old DS patient represented herein received a minimally invasive marsupialization under local anesthesia. Due to the large extent of the lesion, the acrylic resin drain was maintained for 30 days. Through the following period, a daily irrigation of the cystic cavity with saline solution was carried out to prevent a secondary infection within the cystic cavity. A follow-up of 16 months showed no signs of recurrence. Marsupialization of residual periapical cyst is completely effective and safe, even for a DS patient that is considered to be at an advanced age. Marsupialization poses as a minimally invasive choice for mentally disabled patients, even when presenting advanced ages; treatment success was stated by the easy clinical conduct, uneventful postoperative situation and the lack of recurrence along 16 months of follow-up.

  14. Comparison of buying behavior in depressed patients presenting with or without compulsive buying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lejoyeux, M; Haberman, N; Solomon, J; Adès, J

    1999-01-01

    Compulsive buying is defined as repetitive impulsive and excessive buying leading to personal and familial distress. This study compares the buying behavior of depressed patients presenting with or without compulsive buying. The weight of promotional factors such as sales and advertising campaigns was systematically assessed. The impulsive nature of compulsive buying and the choice of items purchased were also investigated. For this purpose, we studied buying behavior among 52 inpatients diagnosed for major depressive episode with DSM-IV criteria. None of the patients presented mania or hypomania, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or alcohol or drug abuse or dependence disorder. We assessed the prevalence of compulsive buying and compared the "buying style" among patients with (CB+) and without (CB-) compulsive buying. The diagnosis of depression was assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The diagnosis of compulsive buying was made using standardized criteria and a specific rating scale. All patients answered a specific questionnaire assessing the phenomenology of the buying behavior. Twenty-one of 52 depressives presented with compulsive buying. The CB+ group was not more sensitive to promotional factors. They did not seek sales or use loans significantly more than others. Upon entering a shop, the CB+ subjects did not change their choice more often than others. CB+ subjects were significantly more often alone while shopping (85% of cases v61% of CB- group, p = .05). Most purchases from the CB+ group were self-gifts or gifts to others (50.4% v 23.5%, p = .003); 14.4% of purchases in the CB+ group (v 2.2% in CB- group, P = .045) were made because the patients believed their social status requires acquisition. Items to be bought were more often considered by CB+ subjects as occasions not to be missed (31.4% v15.1%, P = .03). Purchases were significantly (57% v 16%) less often used than expected by the CB+ group (P = .002). Most

  15. Mode of presentation of patients of dissociative (conversion) disorder at the armed forces institute of mental health

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jan, A.U.; Jehangir, S.

    2015-01-01

    To determine the mode of presentation of dissociative disorders presenting at Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health (AFIMH) Rawalpindi from 1st June 2013 to 31st August 2013. Patients and Methods: Fifty four patients of dissociative disorders were included in the study by using consecutive non-probability sampling. Category of presentation of dissociative disorders in the participants was determined by the primary mode of presentation and by using international classification of diseases (ICD)-10 diagnostic guidelines. Results: The commonest type of presentation of dissociative disorders was mutism (40.7%), possession state (18.5%), pseudo fits (12.9%) followed by paraparesis (9.2%). Conclusion: Predominantly the patients presented with mutism (dissociative motor disorder). (author)

  16. Genetic variants in post myocardial infarction patients presenting with electrical storm of unstable ventricular tachycardia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rangaraju, Advithi; Krishnan, Shuba; Aparna, G; Sankaran, Satish; Mannan, Ashraf U; Rao, B Hygriv

    2018-01-30

    Electrical storm (ES) is a life threatening clinical situation. Though a few clinical pointers exist, the occurrence of ES in a patient with remote myocardial infarction (MI) is generally unpredictable. Genetic markers for this entity have not been studied. In the present study, we carried out genetic screening in patients with remote myocardial infarction presenting with ES by next generation sequencing and identified 25 rare variants in 19 genes predominantly in RYR2, SCN5A, KCNJ11, KCNE1 and KCNH2, CACNA1B, CACNA1C, CACNA1D and desmosomal genes - DSP and DSG2 that could potentially be implicated in electrical storm. These genes have been previously reported to be associated with inherited syndromes of Sudden Cardiac Death. The present study suggests that the genetic architecture in patients with remote MI and ES of unstable ventricular tachycardia may be similar to that of Ion channelopathies. Identification of these variants may identify post MI patients who are predisposed to develop electrical storm and help in risk stratification. Copyright © 2018 Indian Heart Rhythm Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Isolated Torticollis May Present as an Atypical Presentation of Meningitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roger Chirurgi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires urgent diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis is infrequently missed if the patient presents with the classic symptoms of fever, headache, rash, nuchal rigidity, or Kernig or Brudzinski sign. However, it may be less obvious in neonates, elderly, or immunocompromised patients. Meningitis which presents as isolated torticollis, without any other signs or symptoms, is exceedingly rare. Objective. To identify an abnormal presentation of meningitis in an adult immunocompromised patient. Case Report. We present a case of an adult diabetic male who presented multiple times to the ED with complaint of isolated torticollis, who ultimately was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Conclusion. We propose that in the absence of sufficient explanation for acute painful torticollis in an immunocompromised adult patient, further evaluation, possibly including a lumbar puncture may be warranted.

  18. Hepatoprotective activity of twelve novel 7'-hydroxy lignan glucosides from Arctii Fructus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ya-Nan; Huang, Xiao-Ying; Feng, Zi-Ming; Jiang, Jian-Shuang; Zhang, Pei-Cheng

    2014-09-17

    Twelve novel 7'-hydroxy lignan glucosides (1-12), including two benzofuran-type neolignans, two 8-O-4' neolignans, two dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans, and six tetrahydrofuranoid lignans, together with six known lignan glucosides (13-18), were isolated from the fruit of Arctium lappa L. (Asteraceae), commonly known as Arctii Fructus. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopy (1D and 2D NMR, MS, IR, ORD, and UV) and on the basis of chemical evidence. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-12 were confirmed using rotating frame nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY), the circular dichroic (CD) exciton chirality method, and Rh2(OCOCF3)4-induced CD spectrum analysis. All of the isolated compounds were tested for hepatoprotective effects against D-galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity in HL-7702 hepatic cells. Compounds 1, 2, 7-12, and 17 showed significantly stronger hepatoprotective activity than the positive control bicyclol at a concentration of 1 × 10(-5) M.

  19. The Impact of Endocrine Therapy on Cognitive Functions of Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakoyiannis, Ioannis; Tsigka, Eleousa-Alexandra; Perrea, Despina; Pergialiotis, Vasilios

    2016-02-01

    The purpose of the present review was to study the impact of endocrine therapy (ET) on the cognitive outcomes of breast cancer patients. We systematically searched the literature using the MEDLINE (1966-2015), Scopus (2004-2015), ClinicalTrials.gov (2008-2015) and Cochrane Central Register (CENTRAL) databases, as well as the references of the electronically retrieved articles. Twelve studies were included in the present systematic review, which assessed the cognitive function of 2756 patients. Among these patients, 2381 received ET, whereas the remaining 375 served as controls (placebo or no therapy). The majority of patients were postmenopausal, and the minimum follow-up period was 3 months and the maximum 2 years. Treatment with ET seems to be accompanied by altered cognitive abilities, including verbal memory, verbal fluency, motor speed, attention and working memory. Tamoxifen seems to be related to decreased cognitive performances compared with treatment with an aromatase inhibitor. ET among breast cancer patients seems to negatively alter the cognitive outcomes of breast cancer patients. However, the methodological heterogeneity of the included studies, as well as the relatively small follow-up period, render imperative the conduct of further studies in the field.

  20. Commercializing Government-sponsored Innovations: Twelve Successful Buildings Case Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, M. A.; Berry, L. G.; Goel, R. K.

    1989-01-01

    This report examines the commercialization and use of R and D results funded by DOE's Office of Buildings and Community Systems (OBCS), an office that is dedicated to improving the energy efficiency of the nation's buildings. Three goals guided the research described in this report: to improve understanding of the factors that hinder or facilitate the transfer of OBCS R and D results, to determine which technology transfer strategies are most effective and under what circumstances each is appropriate, and to document the market penetration and energy savings achieved by successfully-commercialized innovations that have received OBCS support. Twelve successfully-commercialized innovations are discussed here. The methodology employed involved a review of the literature, interviews with innovation program managers and industry personnel, and data collection from secondary sources. Six generic technology transfer strategies are also described. Of these, contracting R and D to industrial partners is found to be the most commonly used strategy in our case studies. The market penetration achieved to date by the innovations studied ranges from less than 1% to 100%. For the three innovations with the highest predicted levels of energy savings (i.e., the flame retention head oil burner, low-E windows, and solid-state ballasts), combined cumulative savings by the year 2000 are likely to approach 2 quads. To date the energy savings for these three innovations have been about 0.2 quads. Our case studies illustrate the important role federal agencies can play in commercializing new technologies.

  1. Male patients presenting with rapidly progressive puberty associated with malignant tumors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soo Jung Kim

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In males, precocious puberty (PP is defined as the development of secondary sexual characteristics before age 9 years. PP is usually idiopathic; though, organic abnormalities including tumors are more frequently found in male patients with PP. However, advanced puberty in male also can be an important clinical manifestation in tumors. We report 2 cases of rapidly progressive puberty in males, each associated with a germ-cell tumor. First, an 11-year-old boy presented with mild fever and weight loss for 1 month. Physical examination revealed a pubertal stage of G3P3 with 10-mL testes. Investigations revealed advanced bone age (16 years with elevated basal luteinizing hormone and testosterone levels. An anterior mediastinal tumor was identified by chest radiography and computed tomography, and elevated α-fetoprotein (AFP and β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG levels were noted. Histopathologic analysis confirmed a yolk-sac tumor. Second, a 12-year-old boy presented with diplopia, polydipsia, and polyuria for 4 months. Physical examination revealed a pubertal stage of G3P3 with 8-mL testes. Bone age was advanced (16 years and laboratory tests indicated panhypopituitarism with elevated testosterone level. A mixed germ-cell tumor was diagnosed with elevated AFP and β-hCG levels. Of course, these patients also have other symptoms of suspecting tumors, however, rapidly progressive puberty can be the more earlier screening sign of tumors. Therefore, in male patients with accelerated or advanced puberty, malignancy should be considered, with evaluation of tumor markers. In addition, advanced puberty in male should be recognized more widely as a unique sign of neoplasm.

  2. Characteristics of a nationwide cohort of patients presenting with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonomi, Marco; Vezzoli, Valeria; Krausz, Csilla; Guizzardi, Fabiana; Vezzani, Silvia; Simoni, Manuela; Bassi, Ivan; Duminuco, Paolo; Di Iorgi, Natascia; Giavoli, Claudia; Pizzocaro, Alessandro; Russo, Gianni; Moro, Mirella; Fatti, Letizia; Ferlin, Alberto; Mazzanti, Laura; Zatelli, Maria Chiara; Cannavò, Salvo; Isidori, Andrea M; Pincelli, Angela Ida; Prodam, Flavia; Mancini, Antonio; Limone, Paolo; Tanda, Maria Laura; Gaudino, Rossella; Salerno, Mariacarolina; Francesca, Pregnolato; Maghnie, Mohamad; Maggi, Mario; Persani, Luca

    2018-01-01

    Isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is a rare disorder with pubertal delay, normal (normoosmic-IHH, nIHH) or defective sense of smell (Kallmann syndrome, KS). Other reproductive and non-reproductive anomalies might be present although information on their frequency are scanty, particularly according to the age of presentation. Observational cohort study carried out between January 2008 and June 2016 within a national network of academic or general hospitals. We performed a detailed phenotyping of 503 IHH patients with: (1) manifestations of hypogonadism with low sex steroid hormone and low/normal gonadotropins; (2) absence of expansive hypothalamic/pituitary lesions or multiple pituitary hormone defects. Cohort was divided on IHH onset (PPO, pre-pubertal onset or AO, adult onset) and olfactory function: PPO-nIHH ( n  = 275), KS ( n  = 184), AO-nIHH ( n  = 36) and AO-doIHH (AO-IHH with defective olfaction, n  = 8). 90% of patients were classified as PPO and 10% as AO. Typical midline and olfactory defects, bimanual synkinesis and familiarity for pubertal delay were also found among the AO-IHH. Mean age at diagnosis was significantly earlier and more frequently associated with congenital hypogonadism stigmata in patients with Kallmann's syndrome (KS). Synkinesis, renal and male genital tract anomalies were enriched in KS. Overweight/obesity are significantly associated with AO-IHH rather than PPO-IHH. Patients with KS are more prone to develop a severe and complex phenotype than nIHH. The presence of typical extra-gonadal defects and familiarity for PPO-IHH among the AO-IHH patients indicates a common predisposition with variable clinical expression. Overall, these findings improve the understanding of IHH and may have a positive impact on the management of patients and their families. © 2018 European Society of Endocrinology.

  3. Juror Judgments and Discussion: Effect of Presentation and Memory Factors on Polarization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Martin F.; Miller, Charles E.

    Mock juries of six females each listened to a tape-recording of facts in a courtroom trial. Twelve juries heard guilt-appearing facts, and twelve heard innocent-appearing facts. In half the juries hearing each type of trial, jurors heard the facts in the same (Homogeneous) order; in the remaining juries, each of the six jurors heard the facts in a…

  4. Patient Safety, Present and Future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amalberti, R.

    2016-01-01

    Health care tends to oversimplify patient safety concepts. We tend to think about patient safety as a linear dimension that is only associated with the progressive reduction in the number of errors and accidents, with the simple notion that fewer are always better. We consider figures in isolation from the underlying context and prerequisites that drive safety models and the reality of the clinical fields. There is no one ultimate reference model of safety, but many models that can be adapted to fit the various clinical fields requirements and constraints. It is therefore not necessarily a bad result to observe a lower safety figure in a medical domain compared to the figures obtained in nonmedical ultra-safe models. The poor figures may represent the best local safety optimization while coping with the special health care requirements such as a high frequency of unplanned and nonstandard challenges. The paper distinguishes three classes of safety models that fit different field demands: the resilient and adaptive model, the high reliability (HRO) model, and the ultra-safe model. The lecture benchmarks the traits of each model while highlighting the specific dimensions for optimization. The conclusion is that firstly, that since the task requirements dictate the relevance and choice of the model and not the other way around, it is counterproductive to impose a model that is inadequate for the task requirements. Either you move the requirements and change the model, or you keep the constraints, and try to locally optimize the model to the clinical and organizational needs. (author)

  5. Patients radiation protection in medical imaging. Conference proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-12-01

    This document brings together the available presentations given at the conference organised by the French society of radiation protection about patients radiation protection in medical imaging. Twelve presentations (slides) are compiled in this document and deal with: 1 - Medical exposure of the French population: methodology and results (Bernard Aubert, IRSN); 2 - What indicators for the medical exposure? (Cecile Etard, IRSN); 3 - Guidebook of correct usage of medical imaging examination (Philippe Grenier, Pitie-Salpetriere hospital); 4 - Radiation protection optimization in pediatric imaging (Hubert Ducou-Le-Pointe, Aurelien Bouette (Armand-Trousseau children hospital); 5 - Children's exposure to image scanners: epidemiological survey (Marie-Odile Bernier, IRSN); 6 - Management of patient's irradiation: from image quality to good practice (Thierry Solaire, General Electric); 7 - Dose optimization in radiology (Cecile Salvat (Lariboisiere hospital); 8 - Cancer detection in the breast cancer planned screening program - 2004-2009 era (Agnes Rogel, InVS); 9 - Mammographic exposures - radiobiological effects - radio-induced DNA damages (Catherine Colin, Lyon Sud hospital); 10 - Breast cancer screening program - importance of non-irradiating techniques (Anne Tardivon, Institut Curie); 11 - Radiation protection justification for the medical imaging of patients over the age of 50 (Michel Bourguignon, ASN); 12 - Search for a molecular imprint for the discrimination between radio-induced and sporadic tumors (Sylvie Chevillard, CEA)

  6. Esophageal Lichen Planus: Clinical and Radiographic Findings in Eight Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rauschecker, Andreas M; Levine, Marc S; Whitson, Matthew J; Tondon, Rashmi; Rubesin, Stephen E; Furth, Emma E; Metz, David C

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to present the clinical and radiographic findings of esophageal lichen planus. A search of computerized medical records identified 15 patients with pathologic findings of esophageal lichen planus on endoscopic biopsy specimens. Three other patients had presumed esophageal lichen planus, although no biopsy specimens were obtained. Twelve of these 18 patients (67%) had double-contrast esophagography performed at our institution; for eight of the 12 patients (67%), the studies revealed abnormalities in the esophagus. These eight patients constituted our study group. The barium esophagrams and medical records of these eight patients were reviewed to determine the clinical, radiographic, and endoscopic findings of esophageal lichen planus as well as the treatment and patient outcome. All eight patients were women (median age, 66.5 years), and all eight presented with dysphagia (mean duration, 3.2 years). Four patients had previous lichen planus that involved the skin (n = 1), the oral cavity (n = 2), or both (n = 1), and one patient later had lichen planus that involved the vagina. Five patients had a small-caliber esophagus with diffuse esophageal narrowing. The remaining three patients had segmental strictures in the cervical (n = 1), upper thoracic (n = 1), and distal thoracic (n = 1) esophagus. Esophageal lichen planus typically occurs in older women with longstanding dysphagia and often develops in the absence of extraesophageal disease. Barium esophagrams may reveal a small-caliber esophagus or, less commonly, segmental esophageal strictures. Greater awareness of the radiographic findings of esophageal lichen planus hopefully will lead to earlier diagnosis and better management of this condition.

  7. Alcoholics Anonymous and twelve-step recovery: a model based on social and cognitive neuroscience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galanter, Marc

    2014-01-01

    In the course of achieving abstinence from alcohol, longstanding members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) typically experience a change in their addiction-related attitudes and behaviors. These changes are reflective of physiologically grounded mechanisms which can be investigated within the disciplines of social and cognitive neuroscience. This article is designed to examine recent findings associated with these disciplines that may shed light on the mechanisms underlying this change. Literature review and hypothesis development. Pertinent aspects of the neural impact of drugs of abuse are summarized. After this, research regarding specific brain sites, elucidated primarily by imaging techniques, is reviewed relative to the following: Mirroring and mentalizing are described in relation to experimentally modeled studies on empathy and mutuality, which may parallel the experiences of social interaction and influence on AA members. Integration and retrieval of memories acquired in a setting like AA are described, and are related to studies on storytelling, models of self-schema development, and value formation. A model for ascription to a Higher Power is presented. The phenomena associated with AA reflect greater complexity than the empirical studies on which this article is based, and certainly require further elucidation. Despite this substantial limitation in currently available findings, there is heuristic value in considering the relationship between the brain-based and clinical phenomena described here. There are opportunities for the study of neuroscientific correlates of Twelve-Step-based recovery, and these can potentially enhance our understanding of related clinical phenomena. © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

  8. Multiple cavernous malformations presenting in a patient with Poland syndrome: A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Salles Antonio AF

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Poland syndrome is a congenital disorder related to chest and hand anomalies on one side of the body. Its etiology remains unclear, with an ipsilateral vascular alteration (of unknown origin to the subclavian artery in early embryogenesis being the currently accepted theory. Cavernous malformations are vascular hamartomas, which have been linked to a genetic etiology, particularly in familial cases, which commonly present with multiple lesions. Our case report is the first to describe multiple cavernous malformations associated with Poland syndrome, further supporting the vascular etiology theory, but pointing to a genetic rather than a mechanistic factor disrupting blood flow in the corresponding vessels. Case presentation A 41-year-old Caucasian man with Poland syndrome on the right side of his body presented to our hospital with a secondary generalized seizure and was found to have multiple cavernous malformations distributed in his brain, cerebellum, and brain stem, with a predominance of lesions in the left hemisphere. Conclusion The distribution of cavernous malformations in the left hemisphere and the right-sided Poland syndrome in our patient could not be explained by a mechanistic disruption of one of the subclavian arteries. A genetic alteration, as in familial cavernous malformations, would be a more appropriate etiologic diagnosis of Poland syndrome in our patient. Further genetic and pathological studies of the involved blood vessels in patients with Poland syndrome could lead to a better understanding of the disease.

  9. Portal Hypertension Complications Are Frequently the First Presentation of NAFLD in Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagpal, Sajan Jiv Singh; Kabbany, Mohammad Nasser; Mohamad, Bashar; Lopez, Rocio; Zein, Nizar N; Alkhouri, Naim

    2016-07-01

    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is likely to replace Hepatitis C as the leading cause of cirrhosis resulting in liver transplantation (LT) within a few years. Unfortunately, due to the lack of established guidelines for the screening of NAFLD in high-risk populations, many patients present with portal hypertension complications as their first manifestation of NAFLD require a LT evaluation. We aimed to investigate what proportion of patients who underwent LT for NAFLD-cirrhosis had knowledge of their liver disease prior to presenting with portal hypertension complications and to identify differences in clinical parameters between those with and without knowledge of preexisting NAFLD. Consecutive patients who underwent LT for NAFLD-cirrhosis at a tertiary referral center were included in the study. Demographic and clinical data at the time of the first LT evaluation visit were collected, and patient knowledge of previous NAFLD was documented. Ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, and thrombocytopenia leading to diagnosis of underlying cirrhosis were considered as the presenting symptoms of portal hypertension. A p portal hypertension. The presenting symptoms were new-onset ascites in 61 %, hepatic encephalopathy in 25 %, variceal bleeding in 18 %, thrombocytopenia in 9 %, and other in 9 % (non-exclusive). Patients with no prior knowledge of NAFLD were less likely to have a diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia (30 vs. 50 %, p = 0.035) and had a trend toward having higher MELD scores at the time of the first LT evaluation visit (15 vs. 13.5, p = 0.05) and presenting with encephalopathy (25 vs. 10 %, p = 0.06) compared to those with previous knowledge of NAFLD diagnosis. The majority of patients undergoing liver transplant evaluation for NAFLD-cirrhosis are not aware of underlying NAFLD until they present with features of portal hypertension. New guidelines should consider screening for NAFLD in certain high-risk groups as more

  10. Secondary Sclerosing Cholangitis in Critically Ill Patients: Clinical Presentation, Cholangiographic Features, Natural History, and Outcome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonhardt, Silke; Veltzke-Schlieker, Wilfried; Adler, Andreas; Schott, Eckart; Eurich, Dennis; Faber, Wladimir; Neuhaus, Peter; Seehofer, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Secondary sclerosing cholangitis in critically ill patients (SSC-CIP) is an important differential diagnosis in patients presenting with cholestasis and PSC-like cholangiographic changes in endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). As a relatively newly described entity, SSC-CIP is still underdiagnosed, and the diagnosis is often delayed. The present study aims to improve the early detection of SSC-CIP and the identification of its complications. A total of 2633 records of patients who underwent or were listed for orthotopic liver transplantation at the University Hospital Charité, Berlin, were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical presentation and outcome (mean follow-up 62.7 months) of the 16 identified SSC-CIP cases were reviewed. Cholestasis was the first sign of SSC-CIP. GGT was the predominant enzyme of cholestasis. Hypercholesterolemia occurred in at least 75% of the patients. SSC-CIP provoked a profound weight loss (mean 18 kg) in 94% of our patients. SSC-CIP was diagnosed by ERC in all patients. The 3 different cholangiographic features detected correspond roughly to the following stages: (I) evidence of biliary casts, (II) progressive destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts, and (III) picture of pruned tree. Biliary cast formation is a hallmark of SSC-CIP and was seen in 87% of our cases. In 75% of the patients, the clinical course was complicated by cholangiosepsis, cholangitic liver abscesses, acalculous cholecystitis, or gallbladder perforation. SSC-CIP was associated with worse prognosis; transplant-free survival was ∼40 months (mean). Because of its high rate of serious complications and unfavorable prognosis, it is imperative to diagnose SSC-CIP early and to differentiate SSC-CIP from other types of sclerosing cholangitis. Specific characteristics enable identification of SSC-CIP. Early cooperation with a transplant center and special attention to biliary complications are required after diagnosis of SSC-CIP. PMID:26656347

  11. Screening for psychiatric distress and low self-esteem in patients presenting for excimer laser surgery for myopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kidd, B; Stark, C; McGhee, C N

    1997-01-01

    Patients presenting for photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) may have unusual psychological profiles. Certain psychological variables may impact treatment outcome, making early identification crucial. We report a controlled questionnaire study of psychiatric "anxiety/distress" and self-esteem in myopic patients who presented for excimer laser treatment. Ninety consecutive myopic individuals (patients) who presented for excimer laser PRK and 50 consecutive myopic individuals who presented to an optometrist for contact lens fitting (controls) were assessed using two self-completion questionnaires-the GHQ30 and Hudson Index of Self-Esteem ISE. The questionnaires were distributed during assessment for treatment. PRK patients had a 90% response rate for both questionnaires and control patients, 98% for GHQ30 and 100% for Hudson ISE. PRK patients were significantly older (p = 0.000003), had a greater myopic spherical equivalent refraction (p = 0.012) and had better spectacle-corrected visual acuity (p = 0.0096). No significant differences were demonstrated with regard to anxiety/distress in terms of absolute scores (p = 0.07), or the proportion of patients being positive or negative (p = 0.10). Similarly, self-esteem was not significantly different between the two groups (absolute scores p = 0.69; positive/negative p = 0.29). The high response rate shows that the GHQ30 and Hudson ISE are easy to use and well tolerated by myopes in a busy clinic setting. The fact that the patients were older, with a greater refractive error, may partly reflect the onset of contact lens intolerance. The psychological findings suggest that PRK patients cannot be considered more distressed or anxious than other myopic individuals. There is no evidence that their decision to undergo surgery is driven by abnormally low self-esteem.

  12. Description of Common Clinical Presentations and Associated Short-Term Physical Therapy Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Neck Pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, Maggie E; Brennan, Gerard P; George, Steven Z; Harman, Jeffrey S; Bishop, Mark D

    2015-10-01

    To determine the effect of clinical presentations of neck pain on short-term physical therapy outcomes. Retrospective analysis of pair-matched groups from a clinical cohort. Thirteen outpatient physical therapy clinics in 1 health care system. Patients (N=1069) grouped by common clinical presentations of neck pain: nonspecific neck pain (NSNP) with duration 4 weeks; neck pain with arm pain; neck pain with headache; and neck pain from whiplash. Conservative interventions provided by physical therapists. Neck Disability Index (NDI) and numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) recorded at the initial and last visits. The main outcome of interest was achieving recovery status on the NDI. Changes in NDI and NPRS were compared between clinical presentation groups. Compared with patients presenting with NSNP >4 weeks, patients with NSNP neck pain and arm pain demonstrated an increased odds of achieving recovery status on the NDI (P=.04) compared with patients presenting with NSNP >4 weeks. Treating patients with NSNP within <4 weeks of onset of symptoms may lead to improved clinical outcomes from physical therapy compared with other common clinical presentations. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Exercise tolerance test in patients presenting with chest pain and normal electrocardiogram

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharieff, S.; Khan, Shah-e-Zaman

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To report the prevalence of abnormal exercise tolerance test (ETT) responses and to assess the risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD) in a population referred for the evaluation of chest pain with a normal baseline electrocardiogram (ECG). Design: A prospective study. The study was conducted at the National Institute of cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi, Pakistan between 1st January 2000 and 31 December 2000. Subjects and Methods: One thousand one hundred and twenty-seven consecutive adult patients presenting in the outpatient department (OPD) with history of chest pain and having a normal baseline ECG were the subjects of the study after excluding patients with indeterminate or inconclusive test response. All these subjects underwent ETT and were screened for risk factor for IHD. Results: Of the patients studied 56.6% had abnormal ETT response. Male to female ratio of all patients was 4.85:1 Overall mean age was 50.3 +- 8.8 years. 65.9% of diabetic patients had ETT Suggestive of silent myocardial ischemia (p=0.012). Age > 50 year (p= <0.0001), male sex (p=0.015), diabetes mellitus (p=0.0033) and positive family history of IHD (p=0.0014) were the risk factor found in patient with abnormal ETT response. Conclusion: Age of more than 50 years, male gender, diabetes mellitus and positive family history of IHD are the significant risk factors for the development of ischemic heart disease in our population. Silent myocardial ischemic is common in diabetics. (author)

  14. Short and long-term mortality of patients presenting with bleeding events to the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conti, Alberto; Renzi, Noemi; Molesti, Daniele; Bianchi, Simone; Bogazzi, Irene; Bongini, Giada; Pepe, Giuseppe; Frosini, Fabiana; Bertini, Alessio; Santini, Massimo

    2017-12-01

    Death of patients presenting with bleeding events to the Emergency Department still represent a major problem. We sought to analyze clinical characteristics associated with worse outcomes including short- and long-term death, beyond antithombotic treatment strategy. Patients presenting with any bleeding events during 2016-2017years were enrolled. Clinical parameters, site of bleeding, major bleeding, ongoing anti-thrombotic treatment strategy and death were collected. Hard 5:1 propensity score matching was performed to adjust dead patients in baseline characteristics. Endpoints were one-month and one-year death. Out of 166,000 visits to the Emergency Department, 3.050 patients (1.8%) were enrolled and eventually 429 were analyzed after propensity. Overall, anticoagulants or antiplatelets were given to 234(54%). Major bleeding account for 111(26%) patients, without differences between those taking anticoagulants or antiplatelets versus others. Death at one-month and one-year was 26(6%) and 72(17%), respectively. Independent predictors of one-month death were major bleeding (Odds Ratio, OR 26, pbleeding (OR 7, pbleeding where higher than others (pbleeding and age (0.75 and 0.72, respectively) over others; pbleeding events, death rate was driven by major bleeding on short-term and older age on long-term. Among dead patients mortality was approximately 40% on one-month; 60% in older patients, and 80% in female gender. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. New Eyes on the Universe Twelve Cosmic Mysteries and the Tools We Need to Solve Them

    CERN Document Server

    Webb, Stephen

    2012-01-01

    "New Eyes on the Universe -- Twelve Cosmic Mysteries and the Tools We Need to Solve Them" gives an up-to-date broad overview of some of the key issues in modern astronomy and cosmology. It describes the vast amount of observational data that the new generation of observatories and telescopes are currently producing, and how that data might solve some of the outstanding puzzles inherent in our emerging world view. Included are questions such as: What is causing the Universe to blow itself apart? What could be powering the luminous gamma-ray bursters? Where is all the matter in the Uni

  16. A pilot cross-sectional study of patients presenting with cellulitis to emergency departments.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Quirke, M

    2014-11-01

    To characterise the Emergency Department (ED) prevalence of cellulitis, factors predicting oral antibiotic therapy and the utility of the Clinical Resource Efficiency Support Team (CREST) guideline in predicting patient management in the ED setting, a prospective, cross-sectional study of consecutive adult patients presenting to 3 Irish EDs was performed. The overall prevalence of cellulitis was 12 per 1,000 ED visits. Of 59 patients enrolled, 45.8% were discharged. Predictors of treatment with oral antibiotics were: CREST, Class 1 allocation (odds ratio (OR) 6.81, 95% Cl =1.5-30.1, p=0.012), patient self-referral (OR= 6.2, 95% Cl 1.9- 20.0, p=0.03) and symptom duration longer than 48 hours (OR 1.2, 95% Cl = 1.0-1.5,p=0.049). In conflict with guideline recommendation, 43% of patients in CREST Class 1 received IV therapy. Treatment with oral antibiotics was predicted by CREST Class 1 allocation, self-referral, symptom duration of more than 48 hours and absence of pre-EO antibiotic therapy.

  17. Slowing down Presentation of Facial Movements and Vocal Sounds Enhances Facial Expression Recognition and Induces Facial-Vocal Imitation in Children with Autism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tardif, Carole; Laine, France; Rodriguez, Melissa; Gepner, Bruno

    2007-01-01

    This study examined the effects of slowing down presentation of facial expressions and their corresponding vocal sounds on facial expression recognition and facial and/or vocal imitation in children with autism. Twelve autistic children and twenty-four normal control children were presented with emotional and non-emotional facial expressions on…

  18. Twelve-year experience of radioembolization for colorectal hepatic metastases in 214 patients: survival by era and chemotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lewandowski, Robert J.; Memon, Khairuddin; Hickey, Ryan; Gates, Vanessa L.; Atassi, Bassel; Vouche, Michael; Atassi, Rohi; Desai, Kush; Hohlastos, Elias; Sato, Kent; Habib, Ali [Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL (United States); Mulcahy, Mary F.; Kircher, Sheetal; Newman, Steven B.; Nimeiri, Halla; Benson, Al B. [Northwestern University, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL (United States); Marshall, Karen; Williams, Melissa; Salzig, Krystina; Salem, Riad [Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL (United States); Northwestern University, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL (United States)

    2014-10-15

    The aim of this study was to analyze the safety, treatment characteristics and survival outcomes of Yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization for unresectable colorectal carcinoma (CRC) liver metastases refractory to standard of care therapy. A total of 214 patients with CRC metastases were treated with Y90 radioembolization over 12 years. Toxicity was assessed using National Cancer Institute common terminology criteria. Overall survival was analyzed from date of diagnosis of primary cancer, hepatic metastases and from the first Y90. Uni/multivariate analyses were performed. Substratification by era of chemotherapeutics was performed. Most patients were male (60 %) and <65 years old (61 %). Of them, 98 % had been exposed to chemotherapy. Grade 3 lymphocyte, bilirubin, albumin, ALP and AST toxicities were observed in 39 %, 11 %, 10 %, 8 % and 4 % of patients, respectively. Grade 4 lymphocyte and ALP toxicities were observed in 5 % and 3 % of patients, respectively. Median overall survival was 43.0, 34.6, and 10.6 months from date of diagnosis of primary cancer, hepatic metastases and first Y90, respectively. Survival was significantly longer in patients: (1) who received ≤2 cytotoxic drugs (n = 104) than those who received 3 (n = 110) (15.2 vs. 7.5 months, p = 0.0001); and (2) who received no biologic agents (n = 52) compared with those that did (n = 162) (18.6 vs. 9.4 months, p = 0.0001). Multivariate analyses identified ≤2 cytotoxic agents, no exposure to biologics, ECOG 0, tumor burden <25 %, lack of extrahepatic disease and albumin >3 g/dL as independent predictors of survival. In this largest metastatic CRC series published to date, Y90 radioembolization was found to be safe; survival varied by prior therapy. Further studies are required to further refine the role of Y90 in metastatic CRC. (orig.)

  19. Characteristics of cancer patients presenting to an integrative medicine practice-based research network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edman, Joel S; Roberts, Rhonda S; Dusek, Jeffery A; Dolor, Rowena; Wolever, Ruth Q; Abrams, Donald I

    2014-09-01

    To assess psychosocial characteristics, symptoms and reasons for seeking integrative medicine (IM) care in cancer patients presenting to IM clinical practices. A survey of 3940 patients was conducted at 8 IM sites. Patient reported outcome measures were collected and clinicians provided health status data. This analysis compares 353 participants self-identified as cancer patients with the larger noncancer cohort. Mean age of the cancer cohort was 55.0 years. Participants were predominantly white (85.9%), female (76.4%), and well educated (80.5% completed college). For 15.2% of cancer patients, depression scores were consistent with depressive symptoms, and average scores for perceived stress were higher than normal, but neither were significantly different from noncancer patients. The most prevalent comorbid symptoms were chronic pain (39.8%), fatigue (33.5%), and insomnia (23.3%). In the cancer cohort, perceived stress was significantly associated with depression, fatigue, insomnia, pain, and QOL. Cancer patients who chose an IM clinical practice "seeking healthcare settings that address spirituality as an aspect of care" had significantly higher levels of perceived stress, depression, and pain than those not selecting this reason. Demographic characteristics, depression scores, perceived stress scores, and reasons for seeking integrative cancer care were not significantly different between cancer patients and noncancer patients. Perceived stress may be an important indicator of QOL. The association of perceived stress, depression and pain with seeking spirituality suggests that providing IM interventions, such as effective stress management techniques and pastoral or spiritual counseling, may be helpful to patients living with cancer. © The Author(s) 2014.

  20. Conservative surgery and radiotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer. Preliminary results of 148 patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faria, S.L.; Chiminazzo Junior, H.; Koseki, N.; Oliveira Filho, J.A. de

    1986-01-01

    The combination of tumoral resection and radiotherapy with preservation of the breast is called conservative treatment of breast cancer. The literature considers this treatment a good option if used by an experient team and with appropriate equipment. This paper shows the results of 148 cases of breast cancer treated by this conservative approach at Centro de Oncologia Campinas. Follow-up varied from 3 to 87 months (mean 28) considered by the histological diagnosis. Overall actuarial survival of 5 years was 77% disease-free survival 55%. Twelve patients (8%) presented local relapse and 13 (9%) had distant metastases as the first therapeutic failure. Cosmetic results were considered good and fair in 89% of patients. These results are similar to others published in the literature (Author) [pt

  1. Statin induced myopathy presenting as mechanical musculoskeletal pain observed in two chiropractic patients

    OpenAIRE

    Rodine, Robert J; Tibbles, Anthony C; Kim, Peter SY; Alikhan, Neetan

    2010-01-01

    Lipid lowering drugs, such as statins, are commonly used to treat approximately 10 million Canadians affected by hypercholesterolemia. The most commonly experienced side-effect of statin medication is muscle pain. Statin induced myopathy consists of a spectrum of myopathic disorders ranging from mild myalgia to fatal rhabdomyolysis. The following is a presentation of 2 cases of statin induced myopathy in patients presenting in a chiropractic setting. In addition, discussion will surround the ...

  2. Long-Term Serological Follow-Up of Acute Q-Fever Patients after a Large Epidemic.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cornelia C H Wielders

    Full Text Available Serological follow-up of acute Q-fever patients is important for detection of chronic infection but there is no consensus on its frequency and duration. The 2007-2009 Q-fever epidemic in the Netherlands allowed for long-term follow-up of a large cohort of acute Q-fever patients. The aim of this study was to validate the current follow-up strategy targeted to identify patients with chronic Q-fever.A cohort of adult acute Q-fever patients, diagnosed between 2007 and 2009, for whom a twelve-month follow-up sample was available, was invited to complete a questionnaire and provide a blood sample, four years after the acute episode. Antibody profiles, determined by immunofluorescence assay in serum, were investigated with a special focus on high titres of IgG antibodies against phase I of Coxiella burnetii, as these are considered indicative for possible chronic Q-fever.Of the invited 1,907 patients fulfilling inclusion criteria, 1,289 (67.6% were included in the analysis. At any time during the four-year follow-up period, 58 (4.5% patients were classified as possible, probable, or proven chronic Q-fever according to the Dutch Q-fever Consensus Group criteria (which uses IgG phase I ≥1:1,024 to as serologic criterion for chronic Q-fever. Fifty-two (89.7% of these were identified within the first year after the acute episode. Of the six patients that were detected for the first time at four-year follow-up, five had an IgG phase I titre of 1:512 at twelve months.A twelve-month follow-up check after acute Q-fever is recommended as it adequately detects chronic Q-fever in patients without known risk factors. Additional serological and clinical follow-up is recommended for patients with IgG phase I ≥1:512, as they showed the highest risk to progress to chronic Q-fever.

  3. The role of sonography in patients with breast cancer presenting as an axillary mass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Sun Young; Kim, Eun Kyung; Oh, Ki Keun; Lee, Kyong Sik; Park, Byeong Woo

    2002-01-01

    To compare sonography and mammography in terms of their diagnostic value in breast cancer cases which initially presented as an axillary mass without a palpable mass or other clinical symptoms. Seven patients with enlarged axillary lymph nodes who first presented with no evidence of palpable breast lesions and who underwent both mammography and sonography were enrolled in this study. In six of the seven, the presence of metastatic adenocarcinoma was confirmed preoperatively by axillary needle aspiration biopsy; in four, subsequent sonographically guided breast core biopsy performed after careful examination of the primary site indicated that primary breast cancer was present. In each case, the radiologic findings were evaluated by both breast sonography and mammography. Breast lesions were detected mammographically in four of seven cases (57%); in three of the four, the lesion presented as a mass, and in one as microcalcification. In three of these four detected cases, fatty or scattered fibroglandular breast parenchyma was present; in one, the parenchyma was dense. In the three cases in which lesions were not detected, mammography revealed the presence of heterogeneously dense parenchyma. Breast sonography showed that lesions were present in six of seven cases (86%); in the remaining patient, malignant microcalcification was detected at mammography. Final pathologic examination indicated that all breast lesions except one, which was a ductal carcinoma in situ, with microinvasion, were infiltrating ductal carcinomas whose size ranged from microscopic to greater than 3 cm. At the time of this study, all seven patients were alive and well, having been disease free for up to 61 months after surgery. In women with a palpable axillary mass confirmed as metastatic adenocarcinoma, breast sonography may be a valuable adjunct to mammography

  4. Model of twelve properties of a set of organic solvents with graph-theoretical and/or experimental parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pogliani, Lionello

    2010-01-30

    Twelve properties of a highly heterogeneous class of organic solvents have been modeled with a graph-theoretical molecular connectivity modified (MC) method, which allows to encode the core electrons and the hydrogen atoms. The graph-theoretical method uses the concepts of simple, general, and complete graphs, where these last types of graphs are used to encode the core electrons. The hydrogen atoms have been encoded by the aid of a graph-theoretical perturbation parameter, which contributes to the definition of the valence delta, delta(v), a key parameter in molecular connectivity studies. The model of the twelve properties done with a stepwise search algorithm is always satisfactory, and it allows to check the influence of the hydrogen content of the solvent molecules on the choice of the type of descriptor. A similar argument holds for the influence of the halogen atoms on the type of core electron representation. In some cases the molar mass, and in a minor way, special "ad hoc" parameters have been used to improve the model. A very good model of the surface tension could be obtained by the aid of five experimental parameters. A mixed model method based on experimental parameters plus molecular connectivity indices achieved, instead, to consistently improve the model quality of five properties. To underline is the importance of the boiling point temperatures as descriptors in these last two model methodologies. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Scintigraphic Evaluation of Esophageal Motility and Gastroesophageal Reflux in Patients Presenting with Upper Respiratory Tract Symptoms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amalachandran, Jaykanth; Simon, Shelley; Elangoven, Indirani; Jain, Avani; Sivathapandi, Thangalakshmi

    2018-01-01

    Purpose of Study: The purpose is to evaluate the findings and utility of esophageal transit scintigraphy (ETS) and gastroesophageal reflux scintigraphy (GES) in patients presenting with upper respiratory tract (URT) symptoms suspected to be due to gastroesophageal reflux (GER) disease. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients aged between 19 and 60 years underwent nasopharyngolaryngoscopy (NPL), ETS, and GES. Correlation between GER, esophageal motility, and NPL was evaluated. Inclusion criteria include patients with recurrent URT symptoms such as chronic dry cough/hoarseness of voice and itching/foreign body sensation in throat. Those with typical gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms of GER, URT symptoms relieved by antibiotics, surgical intervention in abdomen, cardiac/hepatobiliary diseases, etc. were excluded from the study. Results: Significant correlation was found between GER and NPL in 28/30 patients. More the grade of reflux, more severe was the NPL findings. Two patients with Grade II reflux had normal NPL suggesting structural inflammatory changes due to acidic pH of refluxate which have not yet manifested or symptoms could be due to nonacid refluxate. Incidence of esophageal motility disorder was statistically significant in patients with GER disease (GERD). Patients who had symptoms, but no demonstrable GER showed delayed ET in supine position suggesting the presence of esophageal motility disorder even before GERD. Conclusion: GES demonstrated GER in patients presenting with URT symptoms without typical GI symptoms. ETS showed coexistence of esophageal motility disorder in most patients presenting with URT symptoms even without an associated reflux disease. We hypothesize that primary abnormal esophageal motility leads to delayed esophageal clearance and consequently to URT symptoms. Addition of ETS to GES is easily feasible with no significant additional cost, time, or radiation burden. PMID:29430111

  6. [The impact of psychological variables on the presentation and progress of asthma and patient's cognitive functions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talarowska, Monika; Florkowski, Antoni; Gałecki, Piotr; Szemraj, Janusz; Zboralski, Krzysztof; Pietras, Tadeusz; Górski, Paweł

    2009-01-01

    Chronic respiratory system diseases become serious public health problem all over the world. The most prevalent are obstructive diseases (asthma and COPD). The prevalence of asthma is still high and concern patients representing wide range of age and socio-economic status. Despite progress in diagnostic and therapeutic options several studies showed that asthma has an impact on health-related quality of life and patients' coping. Asthma as chronic condition results in limitations of patients activity and social relations. Thus psychosocial variables, which may have an impact on asthma symptoms presentation and disease progress, should be considered. There are only few reports concerning cognitive functions in asthma. The aim of the study was to assess the potential impact of psychosocial factors on asthma symptoms presentation, and cognitive function in asthma patients.

  7. Atypical Presentation of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection Refractory to Treatment With Acyclovir in 2 Hematologic Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieto Rodríguez, D; Sendagorta Cudós, E; Rueda Carnero, J M; Herranz Pinto, P

    2017-12-01

    Herpesvirus infections are not uncommon in hematologic patients. Our first patient, diagnosed with chronic lymphatic leukemia, presented extensive genital herpes infection refractory to treatment with acyclovir and with a partial response to foscarnet, which had to be withdrawn due to systemic adverse effects. The second patient, diagnosed with follicular Hodgkin lymphoma, presented hypertrophic herpes infection refractory to treatment with acyclovir but that responded to intralesional cidofovir and topical imiquimod. As in other immunodepressed patients, herpesvirus infection in hematologic patients can present atypical manifestations, as well as resistance to treatments that act via the viral thymidine kinase. A high level of clinical suspicion is therefore needed to make an early diagnosis, together with extensive knowledge of the different treatments available. Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. Commercializing government-sponsored innovations: Twelve successful buildings case studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, M.A.; Berry, L.G.; Goel, R.K.

    1989-01-01

    This report examines the commercialization and use of R and D results funded by DOE's Office of Buildings and Community Systems (OBCS), an office that is dedicated to improving the energy efficiency of the nation's buildings. Three goals guided the research described in this report: to improve understanding of the factors that hinder or facilitate the transfer of OBCS R and D results, to determine which technology transfer strategies are most effective and under what circumstances each is appropriate, and to document the market penetration and energy savings achieved by successfully-commercialized innovations that have received OBCS support. Twelve successfully-commercialized innovations are discussed here. The methodology employed involved a review of the literature, interviews with innovation program managers and industry personnel, and data collection from secondary sources. Six generic technology transfer strategies are also described. Of these, contracting R and D to industrial partners is found to be the most commonly used strategy in our case studies. The market penetration achieved to date by the innovations studied ranges from less than 1% to 100%. For the three innovations with the highest predicted levels of energy savings (i.e., the flame retention head oil burner, low-E windows, and solid-state ballasts), combined cumulative savings by the year 2000 are likely to approach 2 quads. To date the energy savings for these three innovations have been about 0.2 quads. Our case studies illustrate the important role federal agencies can play in commercializing new technologies. 27 refs., 21 figs., 4 tabs.

  9. Frequency of brain MRI abnormalities in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder at presentation: A cohort of Latin American patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carnero Contentti, Edgar; Daccach Marques, Vanessa; Soto de Castillo, Ibis; Tkachuk, Veronica; Antunes Barreira, Amilton; Armas, Elizabeth; Chiganer, Edson; de Aquino Cruz, Camila; Di Pace, José Luis; Hryb, Javier Pablo; Lavigne Moreira, Carolina; Lessa, Carmen; Molina, Omaira; Perassolo, Monica; Soto, Arnoldo; Caride, Alejandro

    2018-01-01

    Brain magnetic resonance imaging (BMRI) lesions were classically not reported in neuromyelitis optica (NMO). However, BMRI lesions are not uncommon in NMO spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients. To report BMRI characteristic abnormalities (location and configuration) in NMOSD patients at presentation. Medical records and BMRI characteristics of 79 patients with NMOSD (during the first documented attack) in Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela were reviewed retrospectively. BMRI abnormalities were observed in 81.02% of NMOSD patients at presentation. Forty-two patients (53.1%) showed typical-NMOSD abnormalities. We found BMRI abnormalities at presentation in the brainstem/cerebellum (n = 26; 32.9%), optic chiasm (n = 16; 20.2%), area postrema (n = 13; 16.4%), thalamus/hypothalamus (n = 11; 13.9%), corpus callosum (n = 11; 13.9%), periependymal-third ventricle (n = 9; 11.3%), corticospinal tract (n = 7; 8.8%), hemispheric white matter (n = 1; 1.2%) and nonspecific areas (n = 49; 62.03%). Asymptomatic BMRI lesions were more common. The frequency of brain MRI abnormalities did not differ between patients who were positive and negative for aquaporin 4 antibodies at presentation. Typical brain MRI abnormalities are frequent in NMOSD at disease onset. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Masturbation in infancy and early childhood presenting as a movement disorder: 12 cases and a review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Michele L; Fullwood, Erika; Goldstein, Joshua; Mink, Jonathan W

    2005-12-01

    Infantile masturbation (gratification behavior) is not commonly identified as a cause of recurrent paroxysmal movements. Extensive and fruitless investigations may be pursued before establishing this diagnosis. Sparse literature is available regarding masturbatory behavior as a whole, but literature available as case reports describes common features. The purpose of this case series is to describe consistent features in young children with posturing accompanying masturbation. Twelve patients presenting to a pediatric movement disorders clinic with a suspected movement disorder were determined to have postures and movements associated with masturbation. We reviewed the clinical history, examination, and home videotapes of these patients. Our patients had several features in common: (1) onset after the age of 3 months and before 3 years; (2) stereotyped episodes of variable duration; (3) vocalizations with quiet grunting; (4) facial flushing with diaphoresis; (5) pressure on the perineum with characteristic posturing of the lower extremities; (6) no alteration of consciousness; (7) cessation with distraction; (8) normal examination; and (9) normal laboratory studies. The identification of these common features by primary care providers should assist in making this diagnosis and eliminate the need for extensive, unnecessary testing. Direct observation of the events is crucial, and the video camera is a useful tool that may help in the identification of masturbatory behavior.

  11. Cardiac output determined by echocardiography in patients with cirrhosis: comparison with the indicator dilution technique

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Ulrik B; Møller, Søren; Bendtsen, Flemming

    2003-01-01

    technique (CO(I)). METHODS: Twelve patients with cirrhosis were studied. CO(d) was measured as the spatial mean velocity of the left ventricular outflow tract, multiplied by the cross-sectional area and the heart rate. CO(I) was determined by the standard indicator dilution technique after injection of 125I...... albumin and 99mTc albumin into the right atrium and subsequent sampling from the femoral artery. RESULTS: The mean CO(d) and CO(I) were similar (7.20 vs 7.15 l/min, NS). A highly significant correlation was present between CO(d) and CO(I) (r = 0.86, P

  12. Linac-based radiosurgery of cerebral melanoma metastases. Analysis of 122 metastases treated in 64 patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herfarth, K.K.; Pirzkall, A.; Izwekowa, O.; Wannenmacher, M.; Thilmann, C.; Debus, J.; Delorme, S.; Hofmann, U.; Schadendorf, D.; Zierhut, D.

    2003-01-01

    Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery is an alternative option to neurosurgical excision in the management of patients with brain metastases. We retrospectively analyzed patients with brain metastases of malignant melanoma who were treated at our institution for outcome and prognostic factors. Patients and Methods: 64 patients with 122 cerebral metastases were treated with stereotactic radiosurgery between 1986 and 2000. Twelve patients (19%) showed neurologic symptoms at the time of treatment, and 46 patients (72%) had extracerebral tumor manifestation at that time. The median dose to the 80% isodose line, prescribed to encompass the tumor margin, was 20 Gy (range, 15-22 Gy). Results: Neurologic symptoms improved in five of twelve symptomatic patients. 41 patients remained asymptomatic or unchanged in their neurologic symptoms. Only five patients (8%) temporarily worsened neurologically after therapy despite no signs of tumor progression. With a mean follow-up time of 9.4 months, actuarial local control was 81% after 1 year. There was a statistically significant dose and size dependency of local tumor control. Median actuarial survival after treatment was 10.6 months. Patients without extracerebral tumor manifestation showed a superior survival (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Despite high local tumor control rates, the prognosis of patients with cerebral metastases of malignant melanoma remains poor. Stereotactic radiosurgery has the potential of stabilizing or improving neurologic symptoms in these patients in a palliative setting. (orig.)

  13. Assessment of diabetes among tuberculosis patients presenting at a tertiary care facility in Pakistan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Irfan

    2016-01-01

    Conclusion: This study identified 11.4% diabetics among TB patients presenting to a tertiary care facility. Despite the high diabetes incidence in Pakistan, 71% of the diabetics in the group studied did not know their status. Given the negative impact of diabetes on treatment outcomes of TB, it is important that screening for diabetes be included as initial workup for TB patients. Identification and management of diabetes would result in improved outcomes for TB treatment.

  14. AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF DIABETIC EYE DISEASE AMONG DIABETIC PATIENTS PRESENTING TO EYE OPD IN CENTRAL INDIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pranav Saluja

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Diabetic eye disease can lead to permanent visual impairment or blindness if medical attention is delayed. Awareness and knowledge of diabetes-related eye complications is important for early medical presentation and maximisation of visual prognosis. The aim of the study is to study the level of awareness and knowledge of diabetic eye disease among diabetic patients presenting to eye OPD in central India. MATERIALS AND METHODS A hospital-based study was conducted on 300 diabetic patients presenting to eye OPD. A questionnaire was provided to the patients based on their awareness and knowledge of diabetic eye disease. On the basis of their response, answers were categorised into three groups for awareness (fully, partially and not aware and for knowledge (good, fair and poor knowledge. RESULTS Out of 300, the mean age of participants was 50.3 ± 12.4 years (range 20-79 years from which 123 (41% were males and 177 (59% were females. 106 (35.3% were from rural area and 194 (64.7% were from urban area. 164 (54.7% were literate and 136 (45.3% were illiterate. Maximum patients 172 (57.3% were diabetic since last 5 years with the average duration being 5.9 ± 4.1 years. Out of 300 patients, only 89 (29.7% were found to be fully aware and only 66 (22.0% had good knowledge (p<0.001. There was little knowledge of retinopathy risk factors or the need for routine eye examination. Most of the patients 152 (50.7% were not advised by their physician for screening. CONCLUSION The present study showed that there is poor awareness and knowledge among a larger portion of the sample among the illiterate patients, patients from rural area and those who were recently diagnosed diabetics. There is therefore a need for increasing awareness about diabetes in patients and physicians and providing access to retinopathy screening services to the patients.

  15. Leser-Trélat sign presenting in a patient with ovarian cancer: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bölke Edwin

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Seborrheic keratoses are very common findings in elderly patients. However, a sudden onset and dramatic increase in the number and size of these benign lesions deserves special attention, since this may represent the Leser Trélat sign, a rare paraneoplastic cutaneous syndrome. Case presentation A 92-year-old female presented to our clinic with multiple eruptive seborrheic keratoses, which had dramatically increased in size and number over the past two years. A diagnostic work-up revealed an ovarian carcinoma. Hence, cutaneous findings in our patient were consistent with the diagnosis of the Leser-Trélat sign. Conclusion The Leser-Trélat sign may coincide with the diagnosis of occult cancer or follow or precede it by months or years. Practitioners should take cases of eruptive seborrheic keratoses seriously and perform thorough patient examinations.

  16. Splenic tuberculosis. Report of twelve cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adil, A.; Chikhaoui, N.; Ousehal, A.; Kadiri, R.

    1995-01-01

    Tuberculosis of the spleen is not exceptional. The authors report ten cases which occurred with a predominance in young male adults. All patients had at least one other site of tuberculosis without any HIV infection. All patients had focal splenic lesions in the form of scattered hypo-echogenic and hypodense nodules. These nodules had a pseudo-tumor appearance in one case. CT-guided puncture was performed in one case. Splenic tuberculosis is not as rare as is sometimes thought. The CT-guided splenic puncture is now performed routinely and remains the ideal diagnostic approach. (authors). 9 refs., 5 figs

  17. I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine cardiac scintigraphy in patients with an implanted permanent pacemaker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakata, Akio; Hirota, Satoshi; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Takazakura, Eisuke

    1995-01-01

    Tl scintigraphic abnormalities have been reported in patients with an implanted permanent pacemaker, but little is known about the MIBG scintigraphic findings in such patients. This study was performed to assess the MIBG scintigraphic findings in patients with an implanted permanent pacemaker, and to test the hypothesis that imaging characteristics of MIBG scintigraphy differ according to its mode. Twelve patients (4 men and 8 women, mean age: 72.4±9.5 years), who had undergone the implantation of a permanent pacemaker for bradyarrhythmias, underwent MIBG scintigraphy. The patients were divided into VVI pacemaker and DDD pacemaker groups. The tomograms were divided into nine segments and the MIBG defect in each segment scored on a scale ranging from 0 (normal uptake) to 3 (no uptake). Total MIBG defect scores were generated by summing the scores for the nine segments in each patient. MIBG scintigraphic abnormalities were found in ten of the twelve patients. The six patients with the VVI pacemaker manifested MIBG scintigraphic abnormalities. These MIBG scintigraphic abnormalities were observed in all segments, particularly in the posterior segments. The mean total defect score of the VVI group was higher than that of the DDD group (14.8±9.8 vs 3.0±3.5, respectively p<0.05). Therefore, we conclude that despite several limitations of the study, MIBG scintigraphic abnormalities occur in patients with implanted permanent pacemakers, and that such abnormalities are more prominent with the VVI than DDD pacemaker. (author)

  18. Fournier gangrene: a series of 12 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseini, Seyed Jalil; Rahmani, Mohammadreza; Razzaghi, Mohammadreza; Barghi, Mohammadreza; Hosseini Moghaddam, Seyed Mohammad Mehdi

    2006-01-01

    Fournier gangrene is a rare, rapidly progressive, necrotizing fasciitis of the external genitalia, the perineum, or the abdominal wall that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. In this series, we describe 12 patients with Fournier gangrene who had presented to our medical center. Twelve men had been diagnosed with Fournier gangrene in Shohada-e-Tajrish hospital between March 2002 and September 2005. Their medical records were reviewed and the Fournier Gangrene Severity Index scores before and after the treatment were determined. Fifty percent of the patients were diabetic and their mean age was 58.2 +/- 17.8 years. The mean delay between the onset of the disease and the admission was 4.9 days and the mortality rate was 16.6%. The median Fournier Gangrene Severity Index scores before the admission and at the time of discharge were 4.5 (range, 0 to 11) and 0 (range, 0 to 9), respectively (P = .005). One of the patients who died had the scores of 11 and 9, respectively. Split-thickness skin graft was performed for 5 patients (41.7%). In Fournier gangrene, a rapid diagnosis and emergent surgical intervention is crucial. The Fournier Gangrene Severity Index seems to be an excellent tool for outcome prediction.

  19. Change in platelet count in patients with hypersplenism subjected to liver transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Júlio Cezar Uili Coelho

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXT: Most patients subjected to liver transplantation presents hypersplenism, which is reversed after the operation. However, some patients remain with moderate to intense hypersplenism. OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of liver transplantation on platelet count in patients with hypersplenism. METHOD: Of a total of 233 patients who underwent liver transplantation, 162 were excluded from the present study because of occurrence of steroid-resistant rejection, absence of hypersplenism before the transplantation, absence of follow-up for at least 2 years or incomplete exams data. The electronic study protocols of the remaining 71 patients were reviewed to determine the demographics, etiology of cirrhosis, and results of pathologic examination of the explanted liver. Serial platelet count was obtained from the study protocol on the day before liver transplantation and 1, 2, 4, and 6 months and 1 year after liver transplantation. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test, chi-square test, and Spearman's correlation test. RESULTS: Posttransplant platelet count at all time intervals was significantly higher than the pretransplant value (P100,000/mm³ in 58 patients (81.7% 1 month after liver transplantation. Twelve patients (16.9% remained with thrombocytopenia 1 year after liver transplantation. Three patients (4.2% had recurrence of thrombocytopenia within 1 year after liver transplantation. There was no correlation between pretransplant platelet count and the Child-Pugh class or the MELD score. CONCLUSION: Liver transplantation reverses hypersplenism in most patients.

  20. Viral respiratory tract infections among patients with acute undifferentiated fever in Vietnam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Phuong, Hoang Lan; Nga, Tran T. T.; van Doornum, Gerard J.; Groen, Jan; Binh, Tran Q.; Giao, Phan T.; Hung, Le Q.; Nams, Nguyen V.; Kager, P. A.; de Vries, Peter J.

    2010-01-01

    To investigate the proportion of viral respiratory tract infections among acute undifferentiated fevers (AUFs) at primary health facilities in southern Vietnam during 2001-2005, patients with AUF not caused by malaria were enrolled at twelve primary health facilities and a clinic for malaria control

  1. Predictive ability of an early diagnostic guess in patients presenting with chest pain; a longitudinal descriptive study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verdon, François; Junod, Michel; Herzig, Lilli; Vaucher, Paul; Burnand, Bernard; Bischoff, Thomas; Pécoud, Alain; Favrat, Bernard

    2010-02-21

    The intuitive early diagnostic guess could play an important role in reaching a final diagnosis. However, no study to date has attempted to quantify the importance of general practitioners' (GPs) ability to correctly appraise the origin of chest pain within the first minutes of an encounter. The validation study was nested in a multicentre cohort study with a one year follow-up and included 626 successive patients who presented with chest pain and were attended by 58 GPs in Western Switzerland. The early diagnostic guess was assessed prior to a patient's history being taken by a GP and was then compared to a diagnosis of chest pain observed over the next year. Using summary measures clustered at the GP's level, the early diagnostic guess was confirmed by further investigation in 51.0% (CI 95%; 49.4% to 52.5%) of patients presenting with chest pain. The early diagnostic guess was more accurate in patients with a life threatening illness (65.4%; CI 95% 64.5% to 66.3%) and in patients who did not feel anxious (62.9%; CI 95% 62.5% to 63.3%). The predictive abilities of an early diagnostic guess were consistent among GPs. The GPs early diagnostic guess was correct in one out of two patients presenting with chest pain. The probability of a correct guess was higher in patients with a life-threatening illness and in patients not feeling anxious about their pain.

  2. Predictive ability of an early diagnostic guess in patients presenting with chest pain; a longitudinal descriptive study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bischoff Thomas

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The intuitive early diagnostic guess could play an important role in reaching a final diagnosis. However, no study to date has attempted to quantify the importance of general practitioners' (GPs ability to correctly appraise the origin of chest pain within the first minutes of an encounter. Methods The validation study was nested in a multicentre cohort study with a one year follow-up and included 626 successive patients who presented with chest pain and were attended by 58 GPs in Western Switzerland. The early diagnostic guess was assessed prior to a patient's history being taken by a GP and was then compared to a diagnosis of chest pain observed over the next year. Results Using summary measures clustered at the GP's level, the early diagnostic guess was confirmed by further investigation in 51.0% (CI 95%; 49.4% to 52.5% of patients presenting with chest pain. The early diagnostic guess was more accurate in patients with a life threatening illness (65.4%; CI 95% 64.5% to 66.3% and in patients who did not feel anxious (62.9%; CI 95% 62.5% to 63.3%. The predictive abilities of an early diagnostic guess were consistent among GPs. Conclusions The GPs early diagnostic guess was correct in one out of two patients presenting with chest pain. The probability of a correct guess was higher in patients with a life-threatening illness and in patients not feeling anxious about their pain.

  3. Risk factors in young patients of acute myocardial infarction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faisal, A.W.; Khan, R.A.A.T.; Ayub, M.; Husnain, S.S.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of death throughout the world. CAD has been recognized among younger age group more frequently in recent years. Very limited data is available regarding the prevalence of various risk factors in our younger patients that is why this study was planed. Objectives of the study were to look for the risk factors most prevalent in our young patient of first Acute Myocardial Infarction. And to also look for the number of Risk Factors present in each patient. Methods: We studied 100 consecutive patients from 16-45 years of age presenting with first acute MI. Twelve risk factors were studied namely, gender, family history of premature CAD, smoking hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, mental stress (type A personality), alcohol, oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), physical activity, and diet. We divided the patients into two groups. Group A with patients 35 years of age or less and group B with patients 36-45 years of age. All risk factors were compared in both the groups. Results: Smoking, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and hypertension were statistically different between the two groups. Frequency wise risk factors were lined up as male sex (91%) Diet (66%), Dyslipidemia (62%), smoking (46%), Type A personality(46%), family history (32%), diabetes mellitus (28%), sedentary lifestyle (26%), hypertension (22%), obesity (17%), alcohol (3%), and OCPs (0%) Most of the patients that is 94% had 3 or more risk factors. Conclusion: Smoking, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia are the major modifiable risk factors in our young adults. If a young male who is smoker or a young female who is diabetic, presents in emergency room with chest pain, always suspect coronary artery disease. Other conventional risk factors are also prevalent but alcohol and OCPs are not a major health problem for us. (author)

  4. Risk factors in young patients of acute myocardial infarction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faisal, A W; Khan, R A.A.T. [General Physician Minir Hospital, Sargodha (Pakistan); Ayub, M [Munir Hospital, Sargodha (Pakistan); Husnain, S S [Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore (Pakistan)

    2011-07-15

    Background: Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of death throughout the world. CAD has been recognized among younger age group more frequently in recent years. Very limited data is available regarding the prevalence of various risk factors in our younger patients that is why this study was planed. Objectives of the study were to look for the risk factors most prevalent in our young patient of first Acute Myocardial Infarction. And to also look for the number of Risk Factors present in each patient. Methods: We studied 100 consecutive patients from 16-45 years of age presenting with first acute MI. Twelve risk factors were studied namely, gender, family history of premature CAD, smoking hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, mental stress (type A personality), alcohol, oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), physical activity, and diet. We divided the patients into two groups. Group A with patients 35 years of age or less and group B with patients 36-45 years of age. All risk factors were compared in both the groups. Results: Smoking, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and hypertension were statistically different between the two groups. Frequency wise risk factors were lined up as male sex (91%) Diet (66%), Dyslipidemia (62%), smoking (46%), Type A personality(46%), family history (32%), diabetes mellitus (28%), sedentary lifestyle (26%), hypertension (22%), obesity (17%), alcohol (3%), and OCPs (0%) Most of the patients that is 94% had 3 or more risk factors. Conclusion: Smoking, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia are the major modifiable risk factors in our young adults. If a young male who is smoker or a young female who is diabetic, presents in emergency room with chest pain, always suspect coronary artery disease. Other conventional risk factors are also prevalent but alcohol and OCPs are not a major health problem for us. (author)

  5. Discordance of exercise thallium testing with coronary arteriography in patients with atypical presentations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bungo, M.W.; Leland, O.S. Jr.

    1983-01-01

    Eighty-one patients with diagnostically difficult clinical presentations suggesting coronary disease underwent symptom-limited maximal-exercise treadmill testing (ETT) and exercise radionuclide scanning with 201 Tl. Results of these tests were in agreement in only 47 percent of the cases. Either exercise thallium or ETT was positive in 94 percent of patients with disease. Among a population with a disease prevalence of 67 percent, agreement between exercise thallium an ETT predicted disease in 92 percent of instances or excluded disease in 82 percent of instances. Frequent discordance between these two tests in 53 percent of the cases unfortunately limits this usefulness

  6. Metabolic status of 1088 patients after renal transplantation: assessment of twelve years monitoring in Algiers Mustapha Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yargui, Lyece; Chettouh, Houria; Boukni, Hamama; Mokhtari, Nassima; Berhoune, Arezki

    2014-01-01

    Since the introduction of monitoring levels of immunosuppressive medications in our service in July 2000, 1088 kidney transplant patients were received for therapeutic drug monitoring and regular follow-up. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the data on these renal graft patients in Algeria and correlate with our 12 years' experience with calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) measurements. In addition, during this period, we also examined other bioche-mical parameters. The analysis was focused on the difference of effect of cyclosporin A (CsA; 623 patients) and Tacrolimus (Tac; 465 patients) on lipid and glucose metabolism and their side-effects, if any, on the renal function. The mean age at the time of transplantation was 36.1 years. A great majority of the transplanted kidneys had been taken from living related donors (88.6%). Three-quarters of all grafts were transplanted in our country (79.5%). Dyslipidemia and renal dysfunction were the most common adverse effects of CsA and Tac exposure, with a frequency of 21.4% and 10.3%, respectively. Both the CNIs had a similar effect on the lipid levels. The highest incidence occurred at 3-12 months after renal graft. Tac seemed to have more side-effects on glycemia, causing the onset of diabetes mellitus more than two-fold than CsA (6.9% vs. 3.1%). A significant difference was observed during 12-24 months after transplantation. However, Tac was associated with the most favorable effects on renal function estimated with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula.

  7. pattern of distribution of patients presenting with osteogenesis

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Conclusions: Most of these patients come from Eastern region of Kenya. Majority of patients with OI were of Kamba origin followed by the Kikuyu tribe. A larger epidemiological study needs to be carried out to more conclusively determine the relative prevalence and genetic patterns of osteogenesis imperfecta in. Kenya.

  8. Twelve-month quality of life improvement and all-cause mortality in elderly patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleczyński, Paweł; Bagieński, Maciej; Dziewierz, Artur; Rzeszutko, Łukasz; Sorysz, Danuta; Trębacz, Jarosław; Sobczyński, Robert; Tomala, Marek; Stąpór, Maciej; Dudek, Dariusz

    2016-10-10

    Restoration of quality of life (QoL) and improvement of clinical outcomes is crucial in elderly patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We sought to evaluate changes in QoL and all-cause mortality 12 months after TAVI. A total of 101 patients who underwent TAVI were included. Patients were followed for 12 months. QoL was assessed at baseline and at 1, 6 and 12 months after TAVI using EQ-5D-3L with a visual analog scale (VAS). Patients who reported some problems with mobility at baseline showed better mobility after 12 months (p = 0.001). On the other hand, those who reported issues with self-care, usual activity or pain did not show significant improvement (p = 0.41; p = 0.12; p = 0.27, respectively). Patients reporting anxiety at baseline improved 12 months later (p = 0.003). VAS score showed an incremental increase during follow-up (p<0.001). Transfemoral access was associated with higher VAS score values after 1 month (median (IQR): 65.0 (50.0-75.0) vs. 54.0 (50.0-60.0); p = 0.019) but not after 12 months (70.0 (62.5-80.0) vs. 67.5 (55.0-70.0); p = 0.07) as compared to non-transfemoral access. In multivariable regression analysis, only age and the presence of coronary chronic total occlusion were independently associated with VAS score at 12 months. In-hospital, 1-, 6- and 12-month mortality rates were 6.9%, 10.9%, 15.8 and 17.8%, respectively. TAVI provides improved QoL with relatively good clinical outcomes. However, not all components of QoL may be improved. Patients treated with transfemoral access might have better QoL than those who had non-transfemoral access, especially early after TAVI.

  9. Distribution of inhalant allergies in pediatric patients presenting with allergic complaints in the Eastern Anatolia Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilic, Mehmet; Taskin, Erdal

    2016-08-01

    The objective of this study was to define the distribution of inhalant allergens in pediatric patients in whom sensitization was diagnosed with a skin prick test (SPT) who had presented with allergic complaints. In addition, the correlation between the inhalant allergens detected on the SPT and the patients' demographic features, diagnosis, and laboratory findings was defined. A total of 1415 children among the 4056 patients who presented at a clinic in the Eastern Anatolia region with allergic complaints and who had undergone an SPT were included in this study. On the SPT, sensitization to grass pollens was found in 60.1%, cereals pollens in 57.2%, and Dermatophagoides farinae in 21.8% of the patients. Furthermore, on the SPT, incidence of asthma development was 3.96 times higher (odds ratio 3.96, 95% CI: 1.77-6.83; P=0.001) in patients who were allergic to Dermatophagoides farinae. In our study, differences were found in the study region compared to data from around the world and other regions in Turkey in terms of the distribution of allergies and variations in allergens in patients diagnosed due to variations in climate and plants.

  10. Effects of 12-week supervised treadmill training on spatio-temporal gait parameters in patients with claudication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konik, Anita; Kuklewicz, Stanisław; Rosłoniec, Ewelina; Zając, Marcin; Spannbauer, Anna; Nowobilski, Roman; Mika, Piotr

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to evaluate selected temporal and spatial gait parameters in patients with intermittent claudication after completion of 12-week supervised treadmill walking training. The study included 36 patients (26 males and 10 females) aged: mean 64 (SD 7.7) with intermittent claudication. All patients were tested on treadmill (Gait Trainer, Biodex). Before the programme and after its completion, the following gait biomechanical parameters were tested: step length (cm), step cycle (cycle/s), leg support time (%), coefficient of step variation (%) as well as pain-free walking time (PFWT) and maximal walking time (MWT) were measured. Training was conducted in accordance with the current TASC II guidelines. After 12 weeks of training, patients showed significant change in gait biomechanics consisting in decreased frequency of step cycle (p gait was more regular, which was expressed via statistically significant decrease of coefficient of variation (p 0.05). Twelve-week treadmill walking training programme may lead to significant improvement of temporal and spatial gait parameters in patients with intermittent claudication. Twelve-week treadmill walking training programme may lead to significant improvement of pain-free walking time and maximum walking time in patients with intermittent claudication.

  11. Presentation of a patient carrying a progressive supra-nuclear paralysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arredondo Bruce, Alfredo; Huerta Ramírez, Janet; Domínguez Calderón, Tomás; Pérez Zayas, Jesús

    2016-01-01

    The progressive supra-nuclear paralysis (PSP) or Steele-Richardson-Olszewsky’s syndrome is a strange, degenerative illness produced by the deterioration and gradual death of brain selected areas. We present the case of a female patient, aged 80 years, who refers postural instability, frequent falls and cognitive dysfunctions. She also presents stiffness in retrocollis in the back of the neck, fall of eyelids, left hand shaking, dysarthric and incoherent language, and shaking of both hands in coins counting. The cardiovascular examination showed 2nd increased beat, systolic murmur III/IV in mitral focus, AT 160/90 mm of Hg, edemas in both inferior members, hearth frequency of 110 beats/min., and jugular ingurgitation. The rest of the physical examination was normal. The etiologic diagnosis was progressive supranuclear paralysis and dilated cardiomyopathy. The tau protein is important in the maintenance of the neuronal morphology through microtubules formation, the different proportions and locations, causing the Richardson’s syndrome. The most common symptoms of this entity are postural instability and frequent falls, dysarthria, hypokinesia and visual alterations. Magnetic resonance and functional neuroimaging help the diagnosis. (author)

  12. Total body irradiation therapy for thymectomized myasthenic patients and immunological evaluations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamanaka, Nobukazu; Tanaka, Masayuki; Kurihara, Teruyuki (Miyazaki Medical College (Japan))

    1983-06-01

    Three patients with intractable myasthenia gravis (MG) were treated with total body irradiation (TBI). All the three patients had been unstable after extended thymectomy and poorly responding to prednisolone therapy. Radiation therapy consisted of 10 doses of 10 rads/day given over five weeks. After the radiation therapy the three patients improved clinically, and an objective parameter, area of M-waves also improved. No significant side effects were noted. TBI therapy can be considered as a safe method to induce selective reduction of circulating lymphocytes. This was indeed achieved, as evidenced by a drop of the lymphocyte counts to the levels of 20-40 % of the pretreatment level. The effects were persistent over twelve weeks. Early radiosensitivity of B lymphocytes were recognized. The levels of T..gamma.. cells were low before TBI therapy, increasing gradually during TBI therapy and returned to normal range after twelve weeks. Serum anti-AChR antibody titers decreased in all the cases, but it was impossible to determine whether the decrement was due to the therapy or natural course after thymectomy. Two of our three cases had a significant percentage decrement of the titers after TBI therapy. We suggest that TBI therapy is a safe method of immunosupperssive treatment for the myasthenic patients after thymectomy.

  13. Total body irradiation therapy for thymectomized myasthenic patients and immunological evaluations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamanaka, Nobukazu; Tanaka, Masayuki; Kurihara, Teruyuki

    1983-01-01

    Three patients with intractable myasthenia gravis (MG) were treated with total body irradiation (TBI). All the three patients had been unstable after extended thymectomy and poorly responding to prednisolone therapy. Radiation therapy consisted of 10 doses of 10 rads/day given over five weeks. After the radiation therapy the three patients improved clinically, and an objective parameter, area of M-waves also improved. No significant side effects were noted. TBI therapy can be considered as a safe method to induce selective reduction of circulating lymphocytes. This was indeed achieved, as evidenced by a drop of the lymphocyte counts to the levels of 20-40 % of the pretreatment level. The effects were persistent over twelve weeks. Early radiosensitivity of B lymphocytes were recognized. The levels of Tγ cells were low before TBI therapy, increasing gradually during TBI therapy and returned to normal range after twelve weeks. Serum anti-AChR antibody titers decreased in all the cases, but it was impossible to determine whether the decrement was due to the therapy or natural course after thymectomy. Tow of our three cases had a significant percentage decrement of the titers after TBI therapy. We suggest that TBI therapy is a safe method of immunosupperssive treatment for the myasthenic patients after thymectomy. (author)

  14. Nocardia yamanashiensis in an immunocompromised patient presenting as an indurated nodule on the dorsal hand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anzalone, C Lane; Cohen, Philip R; Tarrand, Jeffrey J; Diwan, Abdul H; Prieto, Victor G

    2013-01-01

    Nocardia are ubiquitous, aerobic, gram-positive actinomycetes. Nocardiosis typically occurs in immunocompromised patients, although immunocompetent individuals can also be affected. The purpose of this case study is to review the clinical characteristics and treatments of a unique form of cutaneous nocardiosis. We retrospectively reviewed the medical literature using PubMed, searching the terms cutaneous, host, immunocompromised, Nocardia, primary, yamanashiensis. Patient reports and previous reviews of the subject were critically assessed and the salient features are presented. Cutaneous nocardiosis typically presents as pustular nodules and the lesions may progress to become abscesses, cellulitis, granulomas or keloid-like tumors. N. brasiliensis is the predominant species involved in primary cutaneous nocardiosis; other common Nocardia species involved in human disease are N. farcinica, N. abscessus, N. cyriacigeorgica, and N. nova. Only two individuals (including the patient presented here) with primary cutaneous infection by N. yamanashiensis have been described in the literature; a third clinical isolate was recovered from a lung biopsy. Nocardia yamanashiensis is a rare clinical form of primary cutaneous nocardiosis. 16S ribosomal gene sequencing, as well as Gram stain and modified Fite acid-fast stain, play a vital role in identifying this clinical variant.

  15. Iris abscess as an unusual presentation of endogenous endophthalmitis in a patient with bacterial endocarditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramonas, Krista M; Freilich, Benjamin D

    2003-02-01

    To report the clinical findings and management of a case of endogenous endophthalmitis in a patient with bacterial endocarditis presenting with a septic metastasis to the iris. Observational case report. Review of clinical findings and treatment. A 37-year-old intravenous drug user hospitalized with bacterial endocarditis secondary to methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia presented with a painful red left eye, hypopyon, and iris abscess. Roth spots were noted in the fundus of the right eye. Aqueous culture was positive for methicillin-sensitive S aureus. The patient was treated with intravitreal, topical, and intravenous antibiotics. The hypopyon and iris abscess resolved within 2 weeks, and the patient achieved a final visual acuity of 20/25 in the left eye. Septic metastasis to the iris is a rare occurrence. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of an iris abscess secondary to bacterial endocarditis.

  16. LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY A PATIENT WITH ACUTE CALCULOSE CHOLECYSTITIS AND RECIPROCALLY TRANSPOSED INTERNAL ORGANS – CASE PRESENTATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor Černi

    2003-07-01

    Full Text Available Background. Situs inversus viscerum totalis (reciprocally reversed position of internal organs is a rare case with genetic predisposition, inherited autosomnously recessive. The presented case involves an older patient with complete transposition of internal organs having acute calculous cholecystitis, which was successfully performed the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Whilst the production of biliary stones in a case of transposed internal organs is very rare, it may well represent a diagnostic problem. It is not, however, the contraindication for laparoscopic surgery.Patients and methods. The case presents a 64-year-old patient, whose persistent biliary colic trouble eventually resulted in acute cholecystitis. Following routine diagnostics, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed and the patient was released in domestic care after three day hospitalization.Conclusions. The laparoscopic cholecystectomy may also be safely performed in a patient with reciprocal transposition of all internal organs, but it is imperative to consider the fact that the extra-hepatic anatomy of gall bladder and vascular system is the mirror image of normal, right-hand positioned liver.

  17. Clinical profile of newly presenting diabetic patients at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Unadike, B.C.; Akpan, N.A.; Essien, I.O.

    2010-01-01

    Diabetes Mellitus is emerging as a major health challenge with the incidence and prevalence of the disease on the increase. It also contributes to overall morbidity and mortality with complications like cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy and lower extremity amputation. There are few local studies on the clinical characteristics of the disease in our wet up and this study therefore set out to characterize the clinical profile of newly presenting diabetic patients in a health facility in Nigeria. It is a cross sectional, descriptive study carried out at the diabetes clinic of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital between January 2007 and September 2008. Data obtained included age, sex, anthropometric indices, symptomatology, co-morbidities, complications and treatment of diabetes. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 10. A total of two hundred and seventy patients were studied (120 males, 150 females). About 89.2% were Type 2 DM patients and majority of the study subjects were overweight. Diabetic neuropathy was the commonest complication present in 38.8% of the subjects. Polyuria was the commonest symptom and hypertension the commonest comorbidity. Majority of the subjects were on oral hypolgycaemic agents for the management of their disease with the sulphonyureas and biguanides being the most common medication that was taken by them. A few of the patients were also taking herbal medication for treatment of their disease. Majority of the patients presenting in our facility have Type 2 diabetes, were hypertensive and overweight. Hypertension was the commonest co-morbidity and diabetic neuropathy the commonest complication. Adequate health education, subsidies on medications and proper funding of the health sector is necessary to stem the tide of the burden attributable to the disease. (author)

  18. Atypical presentation of syphilis in an HTLV-I infected patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carnaúba Jr Dimas

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the case of a 44 year-old female, who presented a long-lasting, clinically atypical, secondary syphilis ("malignant syphilis" in the right foot, which started six months before medical evaluation. The patient had a serological diagnosis of HTLV-I infection and syphilis two years before the onset of the skin lesions, following a blood donation. As she believed she was allergic to penicillin, she initially received sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim, without any improvement of the clinical picture. After failure of this first treatment regimen, she was given penicillin, which promoted complete healing of the lesion. We found evidence that infection by HTLV-I is capable of modifying the clinical course of secondary syphilis.

  19. A delayed presentation of ameloblastic fibrosarcoma in an African patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chauke, Nkhensani Yvonne; Sofianos, Chrysis; Liakos, Dimitri; Ndobe, Elias

    2017-08-01

    A 24-year-old womanpresented with ameloblastic fibrosarcoma arising from ameloblastic fibroma. The delayed presentation accounted for the extensive destruction of the mandible and complete occlusion of her oral cavity. This resulted in an inability to eat and maintain oral hygiene. A multidisciplinary team management approach involved nutritional optimisation, segmental mandibulectomy, reconstruction with a reconstructive plate and a free anterolateral thigh flap to line the the floor of mouth. Functional and aesthetic outcome was acceptable, and the patient is planned for secondary free fibular flap bony reconstruction. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. Clinical Presentation and Outcome in a Contemporary Cohort of Patients with Acute Myocarditis: The Multicenter Lombardy Registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ammirati, Enrico; Cipriani, Manlio; Moro, Claudio; Raineri, Claudia; Pini, Daniela; Sormani, Paola; Mantovani, Riccardo; Varrenti, Marisa; Pedrotti, Patrizia; Conca, Cristina; Mafrici, Antonio; Grosu, Aurelia; Briguglia, Daniele; Guglielmetto, Silvia; Battista Perego, Giovanni; Colombo, Stefania; Caico, Salvatore Ivan; Giannattasio, Cristina; Maestroni, Alberto; Carubelli, Valentina; Metra, Marco; Lombardi, Carlo; Campodonico, Jeness; Agostoni, Piergiuseppe; Peretto, Giovanni; Scelsi, Laura; Turco, Annalisa; Di Tano, Giuseppe; Campana, Carlo; Belloni, Armando; Morandi, Fabrizio; Mortara, Andrea; Cirò, Antonio; Senni, Michele; Gavazzi, Antonello; Frigerio, Maria; Oliva, Fabrizio; Camici, Paolo G

    2018-05-15

    Background -There is controversy regarding outcome of patients with acute myocarditis (AM), and lack of data on how patients admitted with suspected AM are managed. We report characteristics, in-hospital management and long-term outcome of patients with AM based on a retrospective multi-center registry from 19 Italian hospitals. Methods -A total of 684 patients with suspected AM and recent onset of symptoms (70 years and those older than 50 years without coronary angiography were excluded. The final study population comprised 443 patients (median age 34 years, 19.4% female) with AM diagnosed either by endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) or increased troponin plus edema and late gadolinium enhancement at cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Results -At presentation, 118 patients (26.6%) had either left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) presentation and 0% in uncomplicated cases (Log-rank ppresentation had LVEFpresentation. Conclusions -In this contemporary study, overall serious adverse events after AM were lower than previously reported. However, patients with LVEFpresentation were at higher risk compared with uncomplicated cases that had a benign prognosis and low risk of subsequent LV systolic dysfunction.

  1. Clinical outcomes according to symptom presentation in patients with acute myocardial infarction: Results from the FAST-MI 2010 registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puymirat, Etienne; Aissaoui, Nadia; Bonello, Laurent; Cayla, Guillaume; Labèque, Jean-Noel; Nallet, Olivier; Motreff, Pascal; Varenne, Olivier; Schiele, François; Ferrières, Jean; Simon, Tabassome; Danchin, Nicolas

    2017-12-01

    Atypical clinical presentation in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients is not uncommon; most studies suggest that it is associated with unfavorable prognosis. Long-term clinical impact differs according to predominant symptom presentation (typical chest pain, atypical chest pain, syncope, cardiac arrest, or dyspnea) in AMI patients. FAST-MI 2010, a nationwide French registry, included 4169 patients with AMI in 213 centers at the end of 2010 (76% of active centers). Demographics, medical history, hospital management, and outcomes were compared according to predominant symptom presentation. Typical chest pain with no other symptom was reported in 3020 patients (68% in STEMI patients, 76% in NSTEMI patients). Atypical chest pain, dyspnea, syncope, and cardiac arrest were reported in 11%, 11%, 5%, and 1%, respectively. Patients with atypical clinical presentation had a higher cardiovascular risk profile and received fewer medications and a less invasive strategy. Using Cox multivariate analysis, atypical chest pain was not associated with higher death rate at 3 years (HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.69-1.33, P = 0.78), whereas cardiac arrest (HR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.00-5.97, P = 0.05), syncope (HR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.18-2.46, P = 0.005), and dyspnea (HR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.31-2.10, P clinical presentation is observed in about 20% of AMI patients. Cardiac arrest, dyspnea, and syncope represent independent predictors of long-term mortality in STEMI and NSTEMI populations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Epidemiology of road traffic injury patients presenting to a tertiary hospital in Hyderabad, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howley, Isaac W; Gupta, Shivam; Tetali, Shailaja; Josyula, Lakshmi K; Wadhwaniya, Shirin; Gururaj, Gopalkrishna; Rao, Mohan; Hyder, Adnan A

    2017-12-01

    Road traffic injuries kill more people in India than in any other country in the world, and these numbers are rising with increasing population density and motorization. Official statistics regarding road traffic injuries are likely subject to underreporting. This study presents results of a surveillance program based at a public tertiary hospital in Hyderabad, India. All consenting patients who presented to the casualty ward after a road traffic injury over a 9-month period were enrolled. Interviews were performed and data abstracted from clinical records by trained research assistants. Data included demographics, injury characteristics, risk factors, safety behaviors, and outcomes. A total of 5,298 patients were enrolled; their mean age was 32.4 years (standard deviation 13.8) and 87.3% were men; 58.2% of patients were injured while riding a motorcycle or scooter, 22.5% were pedestrians, and 9.2% used motorized rickshaws. The most frequent collision type was skid or rollover (40.9%). Male victims were younger than female victims and were overrepresented among motorized 2-wheeler users. Patients were most frequently injured from 1600 to 2400. A total of 27.3% of patients were admitted. Hospital mortality was 5.3%, and 48.2% of deaths were among motorized 2-wheeler users. This is one of the few prospective, hospital-based studies of road traffic injury epidemiology in India. The patient population in this study was similar to prior hospital-based studies. When compared to government surveillance systems, this study showed motorized 2-wheeler users to be more frequently represented among the overall population and among fatalities. Further research should be done to develop interventions to decrease mortality associated with 2-wheeled vehicles in India. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  3. Frequency of dual tuberculosis/human immunodeficiency virus infection in patients presenting at tertiary care centers at karachi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mamon, A.R.; Zuberi, B.F.; Afsar, S.; Altaf, A.; Shah, A.

    2007-01-01

    To determine the frequency of dual infection of Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and document the sexual practices of infected patients. Patients were recruited in the study at both centers and tested for both HIV and TB if any one disease was identified. Diagnosis of TB was based on positive sputum AFB smear / caseous granulomatous lesion on histopathology. Diagnosis of HIV was based on positive anti-HIV serology by LISA technique. A questionnaire was also administered to all the study participants regarding demographics, sexual practices, blood transfusion and intravenous drug abuse. A total of 196 patients of HIV and TB were screened for the presence of dual infection (TB/HIV). Dual infection was present in 38 (19.39%) of patients. Out of 126 patients of HIV, evidence of TB was detected in 38 (30.16%). During the same duration, 70 patients of tuberculosis were screened for HIV and none was tested positive for HIV. History of illicit sexual relationship was found in 121 (96.03%) patients and 5 of these were homosexuals. Dual infection was present in patients of HIV with TB but vice versa was not documented in this study. (author)

  4. Osteoporosis and Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeynep Ozdemir

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Bone disorders such as osteopenia or osteoporosis are the most common clinical manifestations seen in sickle cell disease (SCD with a high of morbidity. There are many reasons, including vitamin D deficiency for the appearance of bone problems. In the present study we aimed to evaluate osteopathy in patients with SCD using bone mineral densitometry (BMD and biochemical indices. Material and Method: 61 patients (29 female, 32 male were included in the study. The age, gender, and biochemical parameters with BMD were evaluated using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry from lumbar vertebrae. According to Z scores, [-2] was considered as osteoporosis. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing BMD. Results: There were a total of 61 SCD patients. The average age was 21.06±5.06 (15-27 years and the mean BMI was 19.15±2.98 kg/m2. 23 patients were osteopenic (11 female, 12 male (37.7% and 26 were osteoporotic (12 female, 13 male (44.3%. Twelve patients (6 female and 6 male (18% had normal Z scores. Vitamin D was found severely deficient (

  5. Rehabilitation of discharged patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morsø, Lars; Sall Jensen, Morten; von Plessen, Christian

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation after hospital stay implies several benefits for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); still few patients are referred and participate in rehabilitation programs. We conducted a case study to investigate the effects of interventions targeting...... the referral, uptake, and completion for a program of early rehabilitation in the primary health-care sector. METHODS: We undertook targeted initiatives to make patients participate in an individualized rehabilitation program with gradual increased intensity. After discharge, primary care COPD nurses....... RESULTS: Sixteen (23% of discharged patients) patients were referred to rehabilitation. In comparison, only 1 (0.8%) in 131 patients from Vejle hospital was referred to Vejle hospital. Twelve patients completed rehabilitation, all having severe COPD. All started the program within 2 weeks and proceeded...

  6. Quantitative thallium-201 myocardial exercise scintigraphy in normal subjects and patients with normal coronary arteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niemeyer, M.G.; St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein; Laarman, G.J.; Lelbach, S.; Cramer, M.J.; Ascoop, C.A.P.L.; Verzijlbergen, J.F.; Wall, E.E. van der; Zwinderman, A.H.; Pauwels, E.K.J.

    1990-01-01

    Quantitative thallium-201 myocardial exercise scintigraphy was tested in two patient populations representing alternative standards for cardiac normality: group I comprised 18 male uncatherized patients with a low likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD); group II contained 41 patients with normal coronary arteriograms. Group I patients were younger, they achieved a higher rate-pressure product than group II patients; all had normal findings by phisical examination and electrocardiography at rest and exercise. Group II patients comprised 21 females, 11 patients showed abnormal electrocardiography at rest, and five patients showed ischemic ST depression during exercise. Twelve patients had sign of minimal CAD. Twelve patients revealed abnormal visual and quantitative thallium findings, three of these patients had minimal CAD. Profiles of uptake and washout of thallium-201 were derived from both patient groups, and compared with normal limits developed by Maddahi et al. Furthermore, low likelihood and angiographically normal patients may differ substantially, and both sets of normal patients should be considered when establishing criteria of abnormality in exercise thallium imaging. When commercial software containing normal limits for quantitative analysis of exercise thallium-201 imaging is used in clinical practice, it is mandatory to compare these with normal limits of uptake and washout of thallium-201, derived from the less heterogeneous group of low-likelihood subjects, which should be used in selecting a normal population to define normality. (author). 37 refs.; 3 figs; 1 tab

  7. Osseous involvement in AIDS patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marchiori, Edson; Pereira, Abercio Arantes

    1995-01-01

    The radiological findings of eight patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who developed bone lesions were analyzed in conjunction with twelve similar published cases. Our series included three patients with lymphoma, two with bacillary angiomatosis, two with tuberculosis and one with staphylococcal osteomyelitis. All the lesions were lithic regardless of the etiology. Both in our cases and in those previously published bone repair was only seen in cases of bacillary angiomatosis treated with erythromycin. No pathognomonic findings were observed. However, the association of skin and bone lesions in immuno deficient patients should always bring the consideration of bacillary angiomatosis in the differential diagnosis. This is particularly relevant since this a condition amenable to treatment once correctly identified. The radiological findings in the lymphoma and tuberculosis patients have not been described previously. (author). 9 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs

  8. Twelve Years of the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys : Calibration Update

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grogin, Norman A.

    2014-06-01

    The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) has been a workhorse HST imager for over twelve years, subsequent to its Servicing Mission 3B installation. The once defunct ACS Wide Field Channel (WFC) has now been operating longer since its Servicing Mission 4 repair than it had originally operated prior to its 2007 failure. Despite the accumulating radiation damage to the WFC CCDs during their long stay in low Earth orbit, ACS continues to be heavily exploited by the HST community as both a prime and a parallel detector. Conspicuous examples include the recently completed HST Multi-cycle Treasury programs, and the ongoing HST Frontier Fields (HFF) program.We review recent developments in ACS calibration that enable the continued high performance of this instrument, with particular attention the to the Wide Field Channel. Highlights include: 1) the refinement of the WFC geometric distortion solution and its time dependency; 2) the efficacy of both pixel-based and catalog-based corrections for the worsening WFC charge-transfer efficiency (CTE); 3) the extension of pixel-based CTE correction to the WFC 2K subarray mode; and 4) a novel "self-calibration" technique appropriate for large-number stacks of deep WFC exposures (such as the HFF targets) that provides superior reductions compared to the standard CALACS reduction pipeline.

  9. Whole-Proteome Analysis of Twelve Species of Alphaproteobacteria Links Four Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunyun Zhou

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Thousands of whole-genome and whole-proteome sequences have been made available through advances in sequencing technology, and sequences of millions more organisms will become available in the coming years. This wealth of genetic information will provide numerous opportunities to enhance our understanding of these organisms including a greater understanding of relationships among species. Researchers have used 16S rRNA and other gene sequences to study the evolutionary origins of bacteria, but these strategies do not provide insight into the sharing of genes among bacteria via horizontal transfer. In this work we use an open source software program called pClust to cluster proteins from the complete proteomes of twelve species of Alphaproteobacteria and generate a dendrogram from the resulting orthologous protein clusters. We compare the results with dendrograms constructed using the 16S rRNA gene and multiple sequence alignment of seven housekeeping genes. Analysis of the whole proteomes of these pathogens grouped Rickettsia typhi with three other animal pathogens whereas conventional sequence analysis failed to group these pathogens together. We conclude that whole-proteome analysis can give insight into relationships among species beyond their phylogeny, perhaps reflecting the effects of horizontal gene transfer and potentially providing insight into the functions of shared genes by means of shared phenotypes.

  10. Clinical Presentation, Management, and Outcome of Patients with Incidental Renal Angiomyolipoma in Qatar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Al-Thani

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Our study aimed to analyze the clinical presentation, management, and outcome of renal angiomyolipoma patients incidentally detected upon computed tomography (CT examination. Methods: Between 2004 and 2008, all patients who underwent abdominal CT examination for any reason at the radiology department at Hamad General Hospital, Qatar were retrospectively reviewed. The diagnosis of renal angiomyolipoma was based on abdominal CT evaluation. Angiomyolipoma patients were followed-up by CT evaluation as per standard care for three years to observe any change in size and outcome. Results: A total of 13,115 patients were screened, of which 56 (40 females and 16 males had renal angiomyolipoma. The mean age of patients was 52±13 years with 46% Qatar nationals. The majority (95% of cases had unilateral tumors (52% right-sided and 43% left-sided. Twenty-six cases showed increase in tumor size and the median increase was 0.5cm (0.1–3.6. Surgical intervention was required in four (7% cases with tumor size ≥4cm. The overall mortality on follow-up was 7%. The cause of death included metastasis, renal failure, hepatic failure and mesenteric thromboembolism. Conclusion: Renal angiomyolipoma is an uncommon benign tumor with an overall prevalence of 0.4% in Qatar. It has characteristic clinical features and its recognition is often challenging for proper clinical diagnosis and treatment in asymptomatic patients. Asymptomatic patients need regular radiological surveillance. In contrast, surgical interventions are mainly required in symptomatic patients with increased tumor size (≥4cm. Timely diagnosis and treatment is necessary to avoid complications such retroperitoneal hemorrhage and renal impairment.

  11. Clinical presentation of acute coronary syndrome in patients previously treated with nitrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latour-Pérez, Jaime; Gómez-Tello, Vicente; Fuset-Cabanes, María Paz; Balsa, Eva de Miguel; Sáez, Frutos Del Nogal; Orts, Francisco Javier Coves; Rodríguez, Carmen Martín; Pino-Izquierdo, Karel; Pesquera, María de la Concepción Pavía; Rodríguez, Antonio José Montón

    2013-11-01

    Several reports have suggested that nitrates limit acute ischaemic damage by a mechanism similar to preconditioning. This study aims to evaluate the effect of chronic oral nitrates on the clinical presentation and short-term outcomes of patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients with ACS admitted to 62 acute care units from 2010 to 2011. A propensity score-matched samples analysis was performed. We analysed 3171 consecutive patients, of whom 298 (9.4%) were chronically treated with nitrates. Patients previously treated with nitrates had higher comorbidity and disease severity at admission, lower prevalence of ACS with ST elevation, lower troponin elevation, higher prevalence of initial Killip class 2-4 and higher hospital mortality. The propensity score-matched analysis confirmed that previous use of nitrates is independently associated with a lower prevalence of ST-elevation ACS [odds ratio (OR) 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36-0.78; P = 0.0014] and a lower troponin elevation (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.41-0.92) but not with Killip class on admission (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.83-1.67, P = 0.3697) or mortality (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.37-1.38, P = 0.3196). The results support the hypothesis that nitrates have a protective effect on acute ischaemic injury.

  12. Predictors of a variceal source among patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alharbi, Ahmad; Almadi, Majid; Barkun, Alan; Martel, Myriam

    2012-04-01

    Patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) require an early, tailored approach best guided by knowledge of the bleeding lesion, especially a variceal versus a nonvariceal source. To identify, by investigating a large national registry, variables that would be predictive of a variceal origin of UGIB using clinical parameters before endoscopic evaluation. A retrospective study was conducted in 21 Canadian hospitals during the period from January 2004 until the end of May 2005. Consecutive charts for hospitalized patients with a primary or secondary discharge diagnosis of UGIB were reviewed. Data regarding demographics, including historical, physical examination, initial laboratory investigations, endoscopic and pharmacological therapies administered, as well as clinical outcomes, were collected. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was performed to identify clinical predictors of a variceal source of bleeding. The patient population included 2020 patients (mean [± SD] age 66.3±16.4 years; 38.4% female). Overall, 215 (10.6%) were found to be bleeding from upper gastrointestinal varices. Among 26 patient characteristics, variables predicting a variceal source of bleeding included history of liver disease (OR 6.36 [95% CI 3.59 to 11.3]), excessive alcohol use (OR 2.28 [95% CI 1.37 to 3.77]), hematemesis (OR 2.65 [95% CI 1.61 to 4.36]), hematochezia (OR 3.02 [95% CI 1.46 to 6.22]) and stigmata of chronic liver disease (OR 2.49 [95% CI 1.46 to 4.25]). Patients treated with antithrombotic therapy were more likely to experience other causes of hemorrhage (OR 0.44 [95% CI 0.35 to 0.78]). Presenting historical and physical examination data, and initial laboratory tests carry significant predictive ability in discriminating variceal versus nonvariceal sources of bleeding.

  13. [The application of impulse magnetic therapy for the treatment of the patients presenting with lymphedema of the lower extremities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulchitskaya, D B; Gerasimenko, M Yu; Aphanova, T V; Konchugova, T V

    The principal objective of the present work was to evaluate the influence of impulse magnetic therapy on the state of the microcirculatory system in the patients presenting with lymphedema of the lower extremities. The study included 59 patients with stage of 1 and 2 lymphedema who were divided into two groups. Those comprising the first group had impulse magnetic therapy applied to their lower extremities while the patients making up the second group served as controls. All the patients were examined with the use of the laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) that revealed the initially present pathological changes in the microcirculatory system of their lower extremities. The study has demonstrated that the application of impulse magnetic therapy produced a positive effect on all the constituent components of the microcirculatory blood stream of the patients suffering from lymphedema of the lower extremities. Specifically, the initially increased arteriolar tonus was decreased, the blood flow in the capillary vessels was improved, and congestive phenomena in the venular segments of the microcirculation blood stream were markedly reduced. The results of the LDF examination in the control group gave no evidence of significant changes in the patients' microcirculatory system. The results of the LDF examination of the patients of the control group suggested the absence of any appreciable changes in the microcirculatory system. The present study has demonstrated the advisability of the application of impulse magnetic therapy for the treatment of the patients presenting with lymphedema of the lower extremities as a minimally invasive technique for the evaluation of the condition of the microcirculatory system and the objective assessment of the effectiveness of the outcomes of physiotherapy in the patients with vascular pathology.

  14. Patient response to awake craniotomy - a summary overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milian, Monika; Tatagiba, Marcos; Feigl, Guenther C

    2014-06-01

    Awake craniotomy is a valuable procedure since it allows brain mapping and live monitoring of eloquent brain functions. The advantage of minimizing resource utilization is also emphasized by some physicians in North America. Data on how well an awake craniotomy is tolerated by patients and how much stress it creates is available from different studies, but this topic has not consequently been summarized in a review of the available literature. Therefore, it is the purpose of this review to shed more light on the still controversially discussed aspect of an awake craniotomy. We reviewed the available English literature published until December 2013 searching for studies that investigated patients' responses to awake craniotomies. Twelve studies, published between 1998 and 2013, including 396 patients with awake surgery were identified. Eleven of these 12 studies set the focus on the perioperative time, one study focused on the later postoperative time. The vast majority of patients felt well prepared and overall satisfaction with the procedure was high. In the majority of studies up to 30 % of the patients recalled considerable pain and 10-14 % experienced strong anxiety during the procedure. The majority of patients reported that they would undergo an awake craniotomy again. A post traumatic stress disorder was present neither shortly nor years after surgery. However, a normal human response to such an exceptional situation can for instance be the delayed appearance of unintentional distressing recollections of the event despite the patients' satisfaction concerning the procedure. For selected patients, an awake craniotomy presents the best possible way to reduce the risk of surgery related neurological deficits. However, benefits and burdens of this type of procedure should be carefully considered when planning an awake craniotomy and the decision should serve the interests of the patient.

  15. Risk factors for deliberate self-harm in patients presenting to the emergency departments of karachi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shahid, M.; Iqbal, R.

    2015-01-01

    To determine the risk factors for Deliberate Self-Harm (DSH) in patients presenting to the Emergency Departments (EDs) of three tertiary care hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. Study Design: Multicentre matched case control study. Place and Duration of Study: EDs of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Civil Hospital, Karachi and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, from March 2011 to February 2012. Methodology: A total of 201 cases and 201 matched controls were taken from three hospitals situated in Karachi. All patients of 16 years and above presenting to the EDs of the hospitals with DSH attempt were invited to participate in the study. Controls were ED patients with complaints other than DSH. A control was matched with case for hospital, gender and age. Two questionnaires were used to collect information on the risk factors of DSH. Conditional Logistic Regression (CLR) was used to assess the association of various risk factors with DSH. Results: Risk factors of DSH in Karachi included current history of mental disorder (OR = 4.53, 95% CI = 1.59 - 12.92), not sharing problems with someone (OR = 4.67, 95% CI = 2.4 - 9.0), living in rented houses (OR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.37 - 4.84), Pathan ethnicity (OR = 5.05, 95% CI = 1.01-25.38) followed by others (OR = 3.88, 95% CI = 0.77 - 19.69) and Urdu speaking (OR = 2.71, 95% CI = 0.59 - 12.45). Absence of physical illness in the past month had an inverse association with DSH (OR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.07 - 0.37). Conclusion: Mental illnesses, low socio-economic status and loneliness were the risk factors of DSH patients presenting to the three EDs of Karachi. Physical illness in the last month was protective against DSH in these patients. Psychiatric evaluation of DSH patients in the ED is important for early diagnosis and management of mental disorders. (author)

  16. [Beneficial effect of preferred music on cognitive functions in minimally conscious state patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verger, J; Ruiz, S; Tillmann, B; Ben Romdhane, M; De Quelen, M; Castro, M; Tell, L; Luauté, J; Perrin, F

    2014-11-01

    Several studies have shown that music can boost cognitive functions in normal and brain-damaged subjects. A few studies have suggested a beneficial effect of music in patients with a disorder of consciousness but it is difficult to conclude since they did not use quantified measures and a control condition/group. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of music to that of a continuous sound on the relational behavior of patients in a minimally conscious state (MCS). Behavioral responses of six MCS patients were evaluated using items from the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. Weekly evaluation sessions were carried out, over four weeks, under two conditions: following the presentation of either the patient's preferred music, or following a continuous sound (control condition). Qualitative and quantitative analyses showed that twelve of the eighteen sessions (66.6%) showed a better result for the music condition than for the control condition. This new protocol suggests that preferred music has a beneficial effect on the cognitive abilities of MCS patients. The results further suggest that cerebral plasticity may be enhanced in autobiographical (emotional and familiar) contexts. These findings should now be further extended with an increased number of patients to further validate the hypothesis of the beneficial effect of music on cognitive recovery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. Evaluation of therapeutically induced hypertension in patients with delayed cerebral vasospasm by xenon-enhanced computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Touho, Hajime; Karasawa, Jun; Ohnishi, Hideyuki; Shishido, Hisashi; Yamada, Keisuke; Shibamoto, Keiji [Osaka Neurological Inst., Toyonaka (Japan)

    1992-08-01

    Serial cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement were made with stable xenon-enhanced computed tomography in 20 patients with angiographically confirmed reputerd intracranial aneurysms, before and during induced hypertension with continuous infusion of dopamine. All patients showed angiogaphic vasospasm during their course. Twelve patients without symptomatic vasospasm (Group 1) had the lowest hemispheric CBF on the craniotomy side of 31.6[+-]6.8 ml/100 gm/min on days 4-9 (control value, 40.1[+-]2.0 ml/100 gm/min), while the other eight patients with symptomatic vasopsasm (Group 2) had the lowest hemispheric CBF on the craniotomy side of 25.0[+-]7.6 ml/100 gm/min on days 10-14. The critical hemispheric CBF inducing neurological deficits was about 20 ml/ 100 gm/min in Group 2. Dysautoregulation was usually present in Groups 1 and 2, but therapeutically induced hypertension could reverse the delayed neurological deficits, it begun early at the stage of delayed vasospasm. (author).

  18. Management of brain metastasis in a patient with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma by gamma-knife radiosurgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolaoul, Marinos; Stamenković, Srdjan; Stergiou, Christos; Skarleas, Christos; Torrens, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Brain metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are rare events. We present a rare case of single ovarian cancer metastasis to the brain treated with gamma-knife radiosurgery (GKRS). A 65-year-old woman with advanced EOC presented with severe neurologic symptoms. A single brain metastasis of 3.2 cm with surrounding edema in the left parietal lobe was detected by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan during the work-up. The decision to perform GKRS was due to a surgical inaccessibility of intracranial lesion. Twelve weeks after the procedure, the MRI scan showed reduction in the diameter of brain metastasis and surrounding edema and the patient returned to good mental and motor performance.The patient survived for 22 months following treatment and died from a progressive intra-abdominal disease. Prognosis of ovarian cancer patients with brain metastases is generally poor regardless of treatment. Our case shows that GKRS as primary treatment modality for the control of ovarian cancer metastases to the brain was effective and can be considered as a treatment of choice if international selection criteria are followed.

  19. Delayed Presentation of a Cervical Spinal Epidural Abscess of Dental Origin after a Fall in an Elderly Patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodman, Alexa; Riordan, Margaret; Chin, Lawrence S

    2016-05-23

    Spinal epidural abscesses are an uncommon cause of spinal cord injury but, depending on the size and presence of neurological deficits, urgent neurosurgical intervention may be required. We present a unique case of a patient presenting with a spinal epidural collection several days after a fall. While a spinal epidural hematoma was suspected based on the patient's history and MRI findings, a spinal epidural abscess was found during surgery. The patient underwent laminectomy and instrumented fusion with successful treatment of her infection.

  20. Clinical presentation and outcome in patients treated for papillary and follicular carcinoma of the thyroid : patterns in Johannesburg

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vangu, M.D.T.H.W.; Perumal, N.S.; Hersmen, G.; Botha, J.R.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: Purpose: To look at the clinical presentation and treatment outcome of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and those with follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) in our institution. Methods: The records of all patients with papillary or follicular thyroid carcinoma seen at our institution were retrieved. Patients were excluded from this study if they underwent thyroid surgery outside a teaching hospital or presented to us more than 6 months post surgery, had deep external beam therapy (DXT) following surgery or a follow up of less than 3 years. This left clinical data and treatment outcomes of 140 patients available for a retrospective review. Results: One hundred and seventeen patients were females and 23 were males (5.1:1) with a median follow up of 10,5 years. The differences noted were as follow: there was a higher incidence of PTC than FTC (2.9:1); patients with PTC were younger at presentation (mean age 40 vs 49); more patients with PTC had metastases (60% vs 40%) and were much younger at presentation as compared to those with FTC (mean age 38 vs 63); at presentation eighty percent of FTC metastases were localized in bones whereas 60% of PTC metastases went to the lungs and 36% were confined to local lymph nodes. Similar pattern was found in those who developed metastases later. A significant percentage of ablation failure (41% vs 59% success rate) after the first high dose (2.96-3.7 GBq) of radioactive iodine (RAI) was noted. The total success rate increased to 80% after the second dose of RAI (3.7- 7.4 GBq). The majority of the patients ablated by the second dose had PTC and most had inadequate initial surgery ranging from unilateral lobectomy (10 patients), subtotal thyroidectomy (10 patients), and bilateral lobar resection (1 ). Conclusion: The predominance of PTC over FCT may indicate the conversion to an iodine repletion state in the country as a whole. Similar studies in other regions seem necessary to support this statement. The high

  1. Intracranial toxoplasmosis presenting as panhypopituitarism in an immunocompromised patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamdeh, Shadi; Abbas, Anum; Fraker, Jessica; Lambrecht, J E

    2015-12-01

    A 37-year-old man presented with worsening headache, vomiting, and right-sided weakness over the last few weeks. A head computed tomography showed a left hemispheric posterior medial parietal lobe lesion with surrounding edema. Further imaging with magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple enhancing mass lesions. The largest lesion measured 2.4 cm within the left occipital parietal region (Figure A and B). Laboratory data showed reactive HIV antibodies, confirmed by Western blot. An absolute CD4 count was 22 cells/μL. Other laboratory test results showed low sodium, thyrotropin, FT4, FT3, cortisol levels, corticotropin, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone. Based on these findings, the brain lesions were believed to be causing his panhypopituitarism. A brain biopsy confirmed the presence of Toxoplasma gondii by polymerase chain reaction. The patient was started on pyrimethamine and clindamycin for toxoplasmosis treatment, and azithromycin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprime for appropriate prophylaxis. He was also started on hormone supplementation. His symptoms were completely resolved at the time of discharge.

  2. Thallium - 201 miocardial perfusion scintigraphy in patients with mitral valve prolapse, with and without coronary artery disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraes, A.G. de; Sousa, J.E.M.R.; Thom, A.F.; Martins, L.R.F.; Meneghelo, R.S.; Pimentel Filho, W.A.; Marioni Filho, H.; Gimenes, V.M.L.; Pontes Junior, S.C.

    1981-01-01

    Thirty patients with precordial pain and mitral valve prolapse diagnosed by cineangiography and M-mode echocardiography were submitted to Thallium-201 myocardial stress perfusion scintillography. They were divided into two groups: group I - eighteen patients with mitral valve prolapse and normal coronary arteries, of which ten presented positive exercise stress test (55.6%); eight patients had a negative exercise test. Thallium-201 myocardial stress perfusion scintillagraphy was normal in 14 (77.8%) patients, and four with positive stress perfursion scintillography, (three with inferior perfusion defects and one with a lateral one); group II - twelve patients with mitral valve prolapse and severe coronary artery disease (stenosis >= 60% in at least one main vessel of the coronary circulation), of which nine presented positive exercise stress test (75%) and three negative. Thallium-201 exercise myocardial perfusion scintillography was abnormal in nine (75%), six with stress induced ischemia and three with resting defect. Myocardial perfusion scintillography with Thallium-201 was more sensitive to detect the presence of coronary artery disease in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) than the exercise stress test in spite of the fact that a small number of patients (22%) with MVP and normal coronary arteries exhibited abnormal myocardial stress perfusion during scintillography. (Author) [pt

  3. A prospective cohort-study of 122 adult patients presenting to an otolaryngologist's office with globus pharyngeus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Eva Rye; Schnack, Didde Traerup; Ravn, Andreas Tomaas

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the epidemiology of globus pharyngeus in adult patients presenting to the otolaryngologist's office. Also the predictors of persisting symptoms, prevalence of anxiety and the effect of clinical assessment were analyzed. DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study. Follow......-up was done using a postal questionnaire. SETTING: One otolaryngologists' office comprising three medical doctors. PARTICIPANTS: 122 consecutive globus patients presenting to one otolaryngology office in a one-year period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Globus incidence, gender- and age-distribution, predictors...... of persisting symptoms and the patient's health related concerns. RESULTS: 3.8% of first-time visits were regarding globus. The mean age was 48 years [range 20-88 y] and a female predominance was found (ratio 1.49). 84% experienced anxiety, mainly due to fear of cancer. The most common pathological findings...

  4. The great controversy : the individual's struggle between good and evil in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and in their Jewish and Christian contexts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bruin, Tom de

    2013-01-01

    The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs are an early Christian work. The argumentation in this work finds its foundation in the struggle between good and evil. In the Testaments this struggle is applied individually, which is a theme found only in Christian works.

  5. Disk degenerative disease in childhood: Scheuermann`s disease, Schmorl`s nodes, and the limbus vertebra: MRI findings in 12 patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swischuk, L.E. [Departments of Radiology and Pediatrics, Children`s Hospital, University of Texas, Galveston, TX (United States); John, S.D.; Allbery, S. [Children`s Hospital, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (United States)

    1998-05-01

    Twelve pediatric patients were studied with MRI. All had various disk problems including Scheuermann`s disease, Schmorl`s nodes and limbus vertebrae. All patients shared loss of disk height, altered disk hydration and variable herniation of nuclear material. (orig.) With 6 figs., 1 tab., 14 refs.

  6. Diagnostic outcome of patients presenting with severe thunderclap headache at saidu teaching hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, A.; Khan, P.; Ahmad, K.; Syed, A.

    2008-01-01

    To find out the frequency of patients attending Casualty department of a Teaching Hospital with sudden severe thunderclap headache, their diagnostic out-come and follow up. The study was conducted in Casualty and Medical, Departments of Saidu Teaching Hospital, Saidu Sharif, from January 2006 to December 2006. Out of 22,000 patients with different Medical problems attended Casualty department during study period of which 128 cases had acute severe thunderclap headache. Age range was 15 to 80 years with mean age of 46+-10 years. Seventy eight patients (61%) were female and fifty (39%) were male. Protocol included proper clinical examination, basic laboratory investigations, admission to the General medical ward / Intensive care unit for observation, treatment and follow-up. CT scan of brain and or lumber puncture was performed in all the studied patients. The in-hospital follow up period was from two to fourteen days. The patients were reviewed one month later after discharge from hospital. Out of 120 patients twenty cases (15.6%) had Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) seven patients (5.4%) had Cerebral infarction, five patients (3.9%) had an Intracerebral Haematoma. Five patients (3.9%) had aseptic meningitis. Two cases (1.5%) were reported as cerebral edema. One case (0.8%) had venous sinus thrombosis. As there was no specific finding on investigations and follow up of 88 cases (69%): these were labeled as idiopathic thunder-clap headache. Past history of not more than three similar episodes was present in 33 cases (25.78%). Out of these 33 cases, thirty belonged to the benign group of 88; other three cases had organic causes. Clinical diagnosis of Migraine was made in 37 cases out of these 88 cases. Attack of severe thunderclap headache is not an un-common emergency. Attack due to Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) or other serious underlying disease cannot be distinguished from non specific headaches on clinical grounds alone. It is recommended that all such patients be

  7. Psychiatric symptoms are present in most of the patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matheus F. Oliveira

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH is characterized by gait disturbance, dementia and/or urinary incontinence associated with dilation of ventricular system with normal opening cerebrospinal fluid pressure. Wide scientifical evidence confirms association between NPH and psychiatric symptoms. We selected 35 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus from January 2010 to January 2012 in a Brazilian tertiary hospital and performed a formal psychiatric evaluation to identify psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders were present in 71% of these patients, especially anxiety, depression and psychotic syndromes. NPH patients may develop symptoms with frontal dominance, such as personality changes, anxiety, depression, psychotic syndromes, obsessive compulsive disorder, Othello syndrome; shoplifting and mania. Unusual appearances of NPH symptoms may hinder early diagnosis and consequently proper treatment.

  8. "Prevalence of Thyrotoxicosis: Clinical presentation and results of treatment in 384 patients with Goiter under 18 years "

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    "Moayeri H

    2002-08-01

    Full Text Available Goiter is common among growing children and adolescents but thyrotoxicosis is a rare thyroid disorder in this age prevalence of thyrotoxicosis and clinical presentation in prevalence of thyrotoxicosis and clinical presentation of the disease among children and adolescents of the disease among children and adolescents presenting for goiter at the clinics of pediatric presenting for goiter at the clinics of pediatric Endocrinology of Tehran and Iran University of medical sciences and private offices. In a retrospective study the medical records of 424 patients with goiter were studied of whom 384 (285F, 99M and goiter and records available for review. All patients were examined by pediatric endocrinologist and their goiters were classified according to WHO criteria. Total T4, TSH, T3 and T3RU were measured. Out of the 384 cases that were diagnosed as goiter, 320 were euthyroid (83.4%, 49 were hypothyroid (12.7% and 15 were hyperthyroid (3.9%. Ninety-three percent of the hyperthyroid patients had graves’ disease and seven percent of them had toxic adenoma. The most common presenting feature in thyrotoxic patients was goiter. Sustained remission with medical treatment alone was attained in 46% with a mean treatment duration of 2.9 years. The comparison was made between the findings of this study and those of western countries indicating that the incidence of hyperthyroidism in Iranian pediatric population is not as high as in North America but is higher than in Europe. Clinical presentation, response to treatment and etiologic causes of the disease in our study was similar to other studies.

  9. Long-term follow-up in sacroiliac joint pain patients treated with radiofrequency ablative therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávio Ramalho Romero

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Sacroiliac joint (SIJ pain is responsible for up to 40% of all cases of lumbar back pain. Objective Report the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency denervation for sacroiliac joint pain at six, twelve and eighteen months.Method Third-two adults’ patients with sacroiliac join pain diagnosis were included for a prospective study. Primary outcome measure was pain intensity on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS. Secondary outcome measure was Patient Global Impression of Change Scale (PGIC.Results Short-term pain relief was observed, with the mean NRS pain score decreasing from 7.7 ± 1.8 at baseline to 2.8 ± 1.2 at one month and to 3.1 ± 1.9 at six months post-procedure (p < 0.001. Long-term pain relief was sustained at twelve and eighteen months post-procedure, with NRS pain remaining at 3.4 ± 2.1 and 4.0 ± 2.7, respectively.Conclusion Radiofrequency denervation of the SIJ can significantly reduce pain in selected patients with sacroiliac syndrome.

  10. A Systematic Review of Barriers to Breast Cancer Care in Developing Countries Resulting in Delayed Patient Presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ketan Sharma

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Within the developing world, many personal, sociocultural, and economic factors cause delayed patient presentation, a prolonged interval from initial symptom discovery to provider presentation. Understanding these barriers to care is crucial to optimizing interventions that pre-empt patient delay. Methods. A systematic review was conducted querying: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, J East, CAB, African Index Medicus, and LiLACS. Of 763 unique abstracts, 122 were extracted for full review and 13 included in final analysis. Results. Studies posed variable risks of bias and produced mixed results. There is strong evidence that lower education level and lesser income status contribute to patient delay. There is weaker and, sometimes, contradictory evidence that other factors may also contribute. Discussion. Poverty emerges as the underlying common denominator preventing earlier presentation in these settings. The evidence for sociocultural variables is less strong, but may reflect current paucity of high-quality research. Conflicting results may be due to heterogeneity of the developing world itself. Conclusion. Future research is required that includes patients with and without delay, utilizes a validated questionnaire, and controls for potential confounders. Current evidence suggests that interventions should primarily increase proximal and affordable healthcare access and secondarily enhance breast cancer awareness, to productively reduce patient delay.

  11. Computed tomographic scanning in patients presenting with chief complaint of headache without focal neurological signs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halim, A.; Khalid, W.; Haq, A.U.

    2017-01-01

    To determine the frequency of positive computed tomographic (CT)scan findings in patients presenting at PNS Shifa Hospital Karachi with chief complaint of headache without focal neurological signs. Study Design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Radiology department, PNS Shifa Hospital Karachi from Dec 2011 to Jun 2012. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included referred patients with complaint of headache of one month duration or more without focal neurological signs. No gender restriction was considered and patients of age more than 14 years were included. Patients with headache due to other known clinical disorders such as intracranial neoplasm and stroke were excluded. Patients with focal neurological signs such as hemiparesis, cerebellar signs and cranial nerve palsies were also excluded from the study. A total of 105 patients were included in the study through non probability consecutive sampling. Informed written consent was taken from the patients by explaining all the risks and benefits of the study and use of data for research and publication. Plain CT scan brain was done by trained CT technician and reporting of CT scan was done by consultant radiologist. CT scan was done on Toshiba Scanner Aquilion-64 CT Scan machine. The imaging protocol consisted of appropriately angled continuous 5mm thick axial slices for the posterior fossa and 10 mm thick slices for the rest of brain from the base of skull to the vertex. Data was collected through a specially structured proforma. Confidentiality of the patients record was maintained. Results: Majority of the patients were between 31-40 years of age i.e. 29.52 percent (n=31) and mean and SD was calculated as 34.24 +- 8.72 years, 54.29 percent (n=57) females and 45.71 percent (n=48) male patients, frequency of positive CT scan findings in patients with chief complaint of headache without focal neurological signs was recorded as

  12. Prognostic value of exercise thallium-201 imaging in patients presenting for evaluation of chest pain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, K.A.; Boucher, C.A.; Okada, R.D.; Guiney, T.E.; Newell, J.B.; Strauss, H.W.; Pohost, G.M.

    1983-01-01

    Accurate prognostic information is important in determining optimal management of patients presenting for evaluation of chest pain. In this study, the ability of exercise thallium-201 myocardial imaging to predict future cardiac events (cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction) was correlated with clinical, coronary and left ventricular angiographic and exercise electrocardiographic data in 139 consecutive, nonsurgically managed patients followed-up over a 3 to 5 year period (mean follow-up, 3.7 +/- 0.9), using a logistic regression analysis. Among patients without prior myocardial infarction (100 of 139), the number of myocardial segments with transient thallium-201 defects was the only statistically significant predictor of future cardiac events when all patient variables were evaluated. Among patients with myocardial infarction before evaluation (39 of 139), angiographic ejection fraction was the only significant predictor of future cardiac events when all variables were considered. This study suggests an approach to evaluate the risk of future cardiac events in patients with possible ischemic heart disease

  13. Presentation of laboratory test results in patient portals: influence of interface design on risk interpretation and visual search behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraccaro, Paolo; Vigo, Markel; Balatsoukas, Panagiotis; van der Veer, Sabine N; Hassan, Lamiece; Williams, Richard; Wood, Grahame; Sinha, Smeeta; Buchan, Iain; Peek, Niels

    2018-02-12

    Patient portals are considered valuable instruments for self-management of long term conditions, however, there are concerns over how patients might interpret and act on the clinical information they access. We hypothesized that visual cues improve patients' abilities to correctly interpret laboratory test results presented through patient portals. We also assessed, by applying eye-tracking methods, the relationship between risk interpretation and visual search behaviour. We conducted a controlled study with 20 kidney transplant patients. Participants viewed three different graphical presentations in each of low, medium, and high risk clinical scenarios composed of results for 28 laboratory tests. After viewing each clinical scenario, patients were asked how they would have acted in real life if the results were their own, as a proxy of their risk interpretation. They could choose between: 1) Calling their doctor immediately (high interpreted risk); 2) Trying to arrange an appointment within the next 4 weeks (medium interpreted risk); 3) Waiting for the next appointment in 3 months (low interpreted risk). For each presentation, we assessed accuracy of patients' risk interpretation, and employed eye tracking to assess and compare visual search behaviour. Misinterpretation of risk was common, with 65% of participants underestimating the need for action across all presentations at least once. Participants found it particularly difficult to interpret medium risk clinical scenarios. Participants who consistently understood when action was needed showed a higher visual search efficiency, suggesting a better strategy to cope with information overload that helped them to focus on the laboratory tests most relevant to their condition. This study confirms patients' difficulties in interpreting laboratories test results, with many patients underestimating the need for action, even when abnormal values were highlighted or grouped together. Our findings raise patient safety

  14. Evaluation of the prevalence of stress and its phases in acute myocardial infarction in patients active in the labor market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciane Boreki Lucinda

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction is a social health problem of epidemiological relevance, with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Stress is one of the modifiable risk factors that triggers acute myocardial infarction. Stress is a result of a set of physiological reactions, which when exaggerated in intensity or duration can lead to imbalances in one's organism, resulting in vulnerability to diseases. Objective: To identify the presence of stress and its phases in hospitalized and active labor market patients with unstable myocardial infarction and observe its correlation with the life of this population with stress. Methods: The methodology used was a quantitative, descriptive and transversal research approach conducted with a total of 43 patients, who were still active in the labor market, presenting or not morbidities. Data collection occurred on the fourth day of their hospitalization and patients responded to Lipp's Stress Symptom Inventory for adults. Results: Thirty-one patients (72.1% presented stress and twelve (27.8% did not. In patients with stress, the identified phases were: alert - one patient (3.2%; resistance -twenty-two patients (71.0%; quasi-exhaustion - six patients (19.4% and exhaustion - two patients (6.5%. All women researched presented stress. Conclusion: The results suggest a high level of stress, especially in the resistance phase, in the male infarcted population, hospitalized and active in the labor market.

  15. Lung abscess presenting as tension pyopneumothorax in a gastrointestinal cancer patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okita, Riki; Miyata, Yoshihiro; Hamai, Yoichi; Hihara, Jun; Okada, Morihito

    2014-01-01

    We report a surgical case of tension pyopneumothorax in a patient who was receiving chemotherapy for esophageal cancer. A 68-year-old man who had undergone total gastrectomy with splenectomy for gastric cancer and was receiving chemotherapy for esophageal cancer was presented to our hospital with dyspnea. Left tension pyopneumothorax was diagnosed, and he received left lower lobectomy after pleural drainage. His postoperative course was uneventful, and he is alive without any cancer recurrences 5 years after the lobectomy. Once tension pyopneumothorax has developed from lung abscess, emergent lobectomy may be a useful option to prevent lethal aspiration pneumonia.

  16. Atypical presentation of acute idiopathic megacolon in a 14-year-old patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Barakat

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In clinical practice the term “megacolon” is used to indicate a marked dilatation of the cecum and the sigmoid colon (>12 and 6.5 cm, respectively (1. From a clinical standpoint, a megacolon can be classified as chronic or acute depending on its clinical presentation. Chronic megacolon typically refers to a congenital disorder in which the enteric nervous system (ENS supplying the colon does not develop properly, thereby leaving the distal segments of the viscus without myenteric and submucosal ganglia (i.e. Hirschsprung’s disease (2. Other cases of non-aganglionic chronic megacolon can be secondary to variety of conditions such as Chagas’ disease and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, leading to or associated with ENS abnormalities (3. The acute form of megacolon, also referred to as Ogilvie’s syndrome, is characterized by a predominant involvement of the cecum and right colon usually affecting elderly patients undergoing surgery (e.g. orthopedic procedures or taking medications altering gut motility (e.g. opioids or antidepressants (4. Some forms of acute megacolon, however, can be idiopathic in origin since no underlying etiology can be identified. Patients with acute idiopathic megacolon usually have a longstanding history of constipation, often accompanied by laxative abuse, and their clinical presentation is characterized by abdominal distension and severe pain with radiological evidence of stool impacted in the colon and rectum (1, 4. The case herein reported represents an unusual form of acute idiopathic megacolon characterized by massive descending and sigmoid colon distension complicated with a volvulus in a 14-year-old boy with no Hirschsprung’s disease. In addition, just to increase the peculiarity of this case report, the patient had an unremarkable clinical record, and never suffered from chronic constipation in the past.

  17. Determination of frequency and treatment outcome in patients of fundal varices presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naseer, M.; Khan, A.U.; Gillani, F.M.; Saeed, F.; Ahmed, S.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To determine the frequency of fundal varices and treatment outcome with histoacryl in patients presenting with upper GI bleeding. Design: Single centre, retrospective study. Place and duration of study: Military Hospital Rawalpindi from Jan 2009 to July 2011. Methods: Total 1327 patients were included in the study. In 41(3.1%) patients fundal varices were diagnosed on upper GI endoscopy. The mean age of the patients was 48.1+-16.96 years. Minimum age was 12 years and maximum age was 85 years. Out of 41 patients 29 (70.73%) were male and 12 (29.3%) were female. GOV1 was seen in 28 (68.3%) patients, GOV2 in 10 (24.4%) patients, IGV1 in 2 (4.87%) patients, and IGV2 in 1 patient (2.43%). Conclusion: The frequency of fundal varices in our study was 3.1%, diagnosed on upper GI endoscopy. N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate sclerotherapy was found to be highly effective for the treatment of active bleeding gastric varices. (author)

  18. Lymphogranuloma venereum among patients presenting at the HIV/STI clinic in Antwerp, Belgium : a case series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apers, Ludwig; Florence, Eric; Crucitti, Tania; Anwar, Nabila

    2017-01-01

    Objective of this study was to describe the patient characteristics and clinical presentation of laboratory confirmed lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) cases, diagnosed at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium. Demographic and biomedical characteristics of all patients with chlamydia-positive sample results were retrieved for the years 2013 and 2014. Samples were obtained from both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients who consulted at the HIV/STI clinic. Fifty four patients with laboratory confirmed LGV were detected among 3885 nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) performed for the detection of chlamydia during the two years under review. Fifty three were men and equally fifty three had sex with men only (MSM). HIV (87%) and HCV (31.5%) were common concomitant infections, whilst anal gonorrhoea and syphilis were detected at the moment of the LGV diagnosis among 19 (35.2%) and 6 (11.0%) cases respectively. All cases were symptomatic, except one. The most frequent symptoms that were recorded could be categorised as proctitis (in 40 patients (74%)). Lymphadenopathy, anal and genital ulcers were signs that were present in 7 (13.0%), 4 (7.4%) and 2 patients (3.7%) respectively. LGV remains an important sexually transmitted disease among MSM. In this retrospective study, the far majority of LGV was detected amongst symptomatic persons. HCV, HIV, anal gonorrhoea and syphilis were associated co-infections. Proctitis in a high risk patient should alert the clinician for the possibility of an STI. © Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica.

  19. Therapeutic strategy for granulomatous lobular mastitis: a clinicopathological study of 12 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akahane, Kazuhisa; Tsunoda, Nobuyuki; Kato, Masamichi; Noda, Sumiyo; Shimoyama, Yoshie; Ishigakis, Satoko; Satake, Hiroko; Nakamura, Shigeo; Nagino, Masato

    2013-08-01

    Granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) is a rare inflammatory pseudotumor. No therapeutic modality for this disease has been established because of its rarity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the treatment strategies of GLM. Twelve women who met the histological criteria for GLM were retrospectively studied. The clinical data and the presentation, histopathology, and management of the disease were analyzed by reviewing the patients' medical records. The diagnosis of GLM was confirmed histologically by core needle biopsy in 9 cases, by vacuum-assisted biopsy in 2 cases, and by excisional biopsy in 1 case. Ten patients received corticosteroid treatment and another two patients were treated with local excision or incision and drainage. The median initial dosage of corticosteroid (Prednisolone) was 30 mg/day (range: 15-60 mg/day), and the dosages were tapered according to improvement. The median duration of corticosteroid treatment was 5 months (range: 1-12 months). The median follow-up period was 22 months (range: 6-104 months), and no patient treated with corticosteroid demonstrated recurrence. However, patients treated with excision or incision and drainage had recurrences. These results suggest that steroid treatment may be the first choice in treatment strategies for GLM.

  20. Twelve tips for developing and delivering a massive open online course in medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pickering, James D; Henningsohn, Lars; DeRuiter, Marco C; de Jong, Peter G M; Reinders, Marlies E J

    2017-07-01

    Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a novel mode of online learning. They are typically based on higher education courses and can attract a high number of learners, often in the thousands. They are distinct from on-campus education and deliver the learning objectives through a series of short videos, recommended readings and discussion fora, alongside automated assessments. Within medical education the role of MOOCs remains unclear, with recent proposals including continuing professional development, interprofessional education or integration into campus-based blended learning curricula. In this twelve tips article, we aim to provide a framework for readers to use when developing, delivering and evaluating a MOOC within medical education based on the literature and our own experience. Practical advice is provided on how to design the appropriate curriculum, engage with learners on the platform, select suitable assessments, and comprehensively evaluate the impact of your course.

  1. Classic Kaposi's sarcoma presenting in the oral cavity of two HIV-negative Quechua patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanna, Salim; Bravo, Francisco; Ferrufino, Juan Carlos; Sanchez, Juvenal; Gotuzzo, Eduardo

    2007-09-01

    Traditionally, classic KS lesions have a general distribution, often involving the skin of the feet and legs, and to a lesser extent, that of the hands, arms, and trunk. Oral involvement is a rare manifestation. Initial oral involvement is an even rarer occurrence. We report two unusual cases of classic KS presenting in the oral cavity of two patients from indigenous origin; the first patient with primary oral KS lesion on the hard palate, with no other signs of the condition in any other region of the body; the second patient with generalized dermal KS lesions with lymph node and lower lip involvement. In conclusion, clinicians and pathologists should be aware of the typical clinical, gross, and histologic features of KS. Moreover, we would like to emphasize that oral KS may affect patients without AIDS or exposure to immunosuppression. The awareness of oral classic KS as a diagnostic possibility is important in the work-up of vascular lesions in the oral cavity of non-immunosuppressed individuals.

  2. Emergency arterial embolization of upper gastrointestinal and jejunal tumors: An analysis of 12 patients with severe bleeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zandrino, F; Tettoni, S M; Gallesio, I; Summa, M

    2017-01-01

    The goal of this study was to retrospectively assess the efficacy of emergency percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization in patients with severe bleeding due to upper gastrointestinal or jejunal tumor. Twelve patients (7 men, 5 women; mean age, 74 years±14 (SD); range: 54-86 years) with severe bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract, with failed endoscopic treatment not eligible for emergency surgery were treated by emergency percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization. The bleeding cause was gastric tumor in 7 patients, duodenal tumor in 4 patients and jejunal tumor in one patient. Procedure details and follow-up were reviewed. Twelve embolization procedures were performed using various embolic agents. Embolization was achieved and bleeding was stopped in all patients. Five patients underwent surgery within the 30 days following embolization. In the remaining 7 patients, no bleeding occurred at 1 month follow-up in 6 patients and bleeding recurred in one patient at 1 month. In this later patient, endoscopic treatment was successful. The results of our study suggest that transcatheter arterial embolization is safe and effective in patients with severe arterial bleeding due to upper gastrointestinal or jejunal tumor. In some patients, transcatheter arterial embolization can be used as a bridge to surgery. Copyright © 2016 Éditions françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Frequency of co-existence of dengue and malaria in patients presenting with acute febrile illness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hisam, A.; Rahman, M.; Kadir, E.; Ezam, N.; Khan, M.B.

    2014-01-01

    To find out the frequency of co-existence of malaria and dengue fever in patients presenting with acute febrile illness. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Military Hospital Rawalpindi from June to November 2012. A total of 500 patients with complaint of acute febrile illness were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Preliminary data was collected on a pretested proforma. Blood samples of patients were tested for dengue serology and malaria parasite. Results were entered in respective proforma. Co-existence was considered present when a patient had both dengue serology and malaria parasite slide positive. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. Result: Of the total, 349 (69.8%) were males and 151 (30.2%) females. Dengue serology was positive in 16 (3.2%); 81(16.2%) had malaria parasite slide positive; 403 (80.4%) had none of the two findings. Co-existence of both dengue and malaria was nil among the whole sample. In males, 67 (13.4%) had malaria, while 11 (2.2%) had dengue. In females, 14 (2.8%) had malaria, while 5 (1%) suffered from dengue fever. Conclusion: Co-existence of dengue and malaria was zero per cent in 500 patients visiting Military Hospital Rawalpindi. More studies shall be conducted to find out whether the reason of having zero per cent co-existence is that dengue or/and malaria epidemic did not occur in 2012 or whether there are some other factors involved. (author)

  4. Presentation of self and symptoms in primary care consultations involving patients from non-English speaking backgrounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Celia; Sarangi, Srikant; Moss, Becky

    2004-01-01

    This paper draws on the PLEDGE research project (Patients with Limited English and Doctors in General Practice) 1 The Patients with Limited English and Doctors in General Practice (PLEDGE) project was funded by Sir Siegmund Warburg's Voluntary Settlement (2001-2003). The research team was: Celia Roberts, Roger Jones, Becky Moss, Srikant Sarangi and Val Wass. which has a database of 232 video-recorded interactions from GP surgeries in South East London. We focus on the opening episodes-the first opportunity the patient has to report on why they have come to see the doctor-to explore some of the contrasts in self presentation and the interactional work that doctors do when faced with the unexpected. Patients who speak a local London or standard variety of English present three aspects: a description of symptoms, the context in which they occurred, and an affective or epistemic stance. These 'micro discourse routines' are accomplished interactionally through the design of figure/ground relationships, framing and metacommunication and presentation of the 'moral self'. Although some patients from non-English speaking backgrounds use broadly similar 'micro discourse routines', the majority configure the relationship between medically salient facts, adequate contextual information and the stance which conveys the 'moral self' in different and apparently less 'orderly' ways. So openings often become protracted and harder work interactionally for both sides. While conversation analytic studies and communication skills textbooks represent the medical consultations as orderly, we suggest that such apparent orderliness must, at least, be partly the result of ironing out linguistic and cultural diversity. Interactional sociolinguistic analysis is used to shed light on the design of these routines and to provide analytic frameworks for doctors in reflecting on their own practice in ways which challenge patient-centred models.

  5. Long-term prognosis of patients presenting first-ever vestibular symptoms in a community-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felgueiras, Rui; Magalhães, Rui; Correia, Manuel; Silva, Maria Carolina

    2014-09-01

    Vestibular symptoms (VSs) are frequent complaints in patients attending ambulatory care and the emergency room. They may represent a peripheral vestibular disorder or a stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), yet many patients have VSs that cannot be clearly classified at presentation. This study aims to characterize and determine the long-term prognosis of these patients. In a prospective community-based study involving 104,700 individuals registered at 4 health centers of Northern Portugal, patients with a first-ever-in-lifetime focal neurologic symptom (FNS) were ascertained using comprehensive methods, including referrals from physicians working in the study area and data retrieved from emergency/discharge records. Physicians were encouraged to report/notify any patient who might have experienced an FNS, including those with vertigo or vertigo-like symptoms, imbalance, presyncope, or nonspecific dizziness. After neurologic assessment patients were classified as having a peripheral vestibular symptom (pVS), a stroke/TIA, or an unclassified vestibular symptom (uVS). They were followed up 7 years after the index event at the outpatient clinic; predictors of survival free from stroke or vascular events were determined using Cox proportional hazards models. Of the 1163 patients with an FNS, 360 (31.0%) were included, 16.7% had a stroke/TIA, 57.8% had pVS, and 25.6% had uVS. Most patients presented only isolated VSs (62.8%); 63% were women and mean age was 60.1 years (standard deviation = 16); hypertension (47.8%), hypercholesterolemia (41.9%), and diabetes (19.2%) were the most prevalent vascular risk factors (VRFs). Cranial computed tomography (CT) scan was performed in 63.3%. Adjusting for age, sex, VRFs, and diagnosis (TIA, pVS and uVS), the long-term risk of stroke was higher when CT showed silent infarctions (hazard rate [HR] = 3.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.63-9.60) and the risk of vascular events (stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death) was

  6. Developing and Testing Twelve-Step Facilitation for Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder: Manual Development and Preliminary Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John F. Kelly

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Adolescent substance use disorder treatment programs are often based on the 12-step philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous and/or link adolescents to these free resources. Despite this, no studies have developed and rigorously tested a twelve-step facilitation (TSF intervention for young people, leaving a significant evidence gap. This study describes the first systematic development of an outpatient adolescent TSF treatment. An integrated twelve-step facilitation (iTSF treatment incorporated TSF, motivational enhancement therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy elements and was developed in an iterative manner with weekly feedback provided by 36 adolescents ( M age 17 years [SD = 1.4]; 52.8% white with DSM-IV substance use disorder recruited from the community. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at three and six months. Participants completed 6 of 10 sessions on average (8 participants completed all 10. Notable treatment developments were the inclusion of “in-services” led by Marijuana Anonymous members, including parents in a portion of individual sessions to provide a rationale for TSF, and use of a Socratic therapeutic interaction style. Acceptability and feasibility of the treatment were excellent (treatment satisfaction was 4.29 [SD = 0.59] out of 5. In keeping with TSF theory, the intervention substantially increased 12-step participation, and greater participation related to greater abstinence. iTSF is a replicable manualized treatment that can be implemented and tested in outpatient settings. Given the widespread compatibility of iTSF with the current adolescent treatment, if found efficacious, iTSF could be relatively easily adopted, implemented, and sustained and could provide an evidence-based option that could undergird current practice.

  7. CLINICORADIOLOGICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION OF LUNG CANCER PATIENTS PRESENTING TO A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE

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    Mehak Sawhney

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide since 1985, both in terms of incidence and mortality. Globally, lung cancer is the largest contributor to new cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths. The aim of the study is to study the clinical, radiological and pathological features of patients diagnosed with lung carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS This observational and cross-sectional study was conducted at Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS, which is a large tertiary centre of Uttarakhand on 77 patients of proven lung carcinoma diagnosed over a period of February 2015 to March 2016. The clinical history of the patients was recorded in detail along with the radiological and pathological findings. Ethical clearance certificate was obtained from the ethical committee. RESULTS The study included a total of 77 patients of proven lung carcinoma. Out of the total patients, 70 were males and 7 were females. Cough was the most common symptom. Smoking was the commonest addiction (89.61% in the patients. Non-small cell carcinoma was seen in 59 patients while small cell carcinoma was seen in 23.38% of the cases. Amongst the total patients of non-small cell carcinoma, the maximum number of patients had squamous cell carcinoma (56%. CONCLUSION This study showed that smoking is a principle risk factor in causation of lung carcinoma. Lung cancer should be suspected in an old person presenting with cough and other symptoms such as malaise, weight loss etc. Squamous cell carcinoma is still the most common histological type of lung cancer in India.

  8. Presentation of a Patient with Neurocysticercosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leyva Rojas, Kersting María; Rubio Rodríguez, Abelardo; Pérez Hernández, Guillermo; Consuegra Gómez, René; Gil Martínez, Milernis

    2015-01-01

    Cysticercosis is the most common and significant parasites borne disease of the nervous system of man and represents a public health problem of immense magnitude. A 65- year- old male patient, worker of Meat Company of Holguin which ingested raw porkmeat and blood, was brought to the Internal Medicine emergency ward, of 'Vladimir Ilich Lenin' General University Hospital, Holguin Province, Cuba, complaining of lack of muscle strength of the left side of the body. Active neurocysticercosis was diagnosed by history and confirmed by neuroimaging studies: computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance. (author)

  9. Aphasic Dystextia as Presenting Feature of Ischemic Stroke in a Pediatric Patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arpita Lakhotia

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Aphasia is an important presenting symptom of acute stroke. With increasing reliance on electronic communication, incoherent texting or “dystextia,” which is a subset of aphasia that is reflected in text messages, can be a useful tool for symptom recognition and analysis. It can be a red flag for the family and therefore can help in early identification of an acute neurological deficit. It is also useful for providers to reliably analyze the deficit as well as establish a timeline of evolution of symptoms. There have been case reports where dystextia has been the presenting feature of stroke or complicated migraine and in one case of meningioma. We present the case of a teenage patient that in our knowledge is the youngest reported case of dystextia, whose aphasia recorded in a text message assisted with stroke localization. This also adds to the literature of dystextia which so far has only seven other cases reported.

  10. Delayed Presentation of Submucosal Retained Toothbrush from Self-Inflicted Injury in Patient with Schizophrenia

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    Caleb H. Creswell

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Foreign body ingestion occurs in not only children but also adults, particularly those with history of neurologic disease, alcohol use, or psychiatric disease. We present the case of a 40-year-old male with schizophrenia who presented to the emergency room with a long history of pharyngeal foreign body sensation which had recently progressed to include trismus, odynophagia, and dyspnea. Flexible laryngoscopy demonstrated fullness of the right posterior pharyngeal wall and computed tomography (CT showed a linear opaque foreign body extending from the level of the oropharynx to the thyroid ala. Further history elicited that he stabbed himself in the pharynx two years prior with a toothbrush following a command hallucination. The toothbrush was removed uneventfully via an external approach. The patient was discharged with psychiatry follow-up. This case is unusual due to the submucosal location of the foreign body and the length of retention. It demonstrates the atypical nature which patients with comorbid psychiatric illness may present following foreign body injury and the use of an external surgical approach for the removal of a retained foreign body based on CT reconstruction.

  11. Decrease in specific micronutrient intake in colorectal cancer patients with tumors presenting Ki-ras mutation

    OpenAIRE

    JORDI SALAS; NURIA LASO; SERGI MAS; M. JOSE LAFUENTE; XAVIER CASTERAD; MANUEL TRIAS; ANTONIO BALLESTA; RAFAEL MOLINA; CARLOS ASCASO; SHICHUN ZHENG; JOHN K. WIENCKE; AMALIA LAFUENTE

    2004-01-01

    Decrease in specific micronutrient intake in colorectal cancer patients with tumors presenting Ki-ras mutation BACKGROUND: The diversity of the Mediterranean diet and the heterogeneity of acquired genetic alterations in colorectal cancer (CRC) led us to examine the possible association between dietary factors and mutations, such as Ki-ras mutations, in genes implicated in the pathogenesis of these neoplasms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was based on 246 cases and 296 controls. For th...

  12. A dark past, a restrained present, and an apocalyptic future: time perspective, personality, and life satisfaction among anorexia nervosa patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Danilo; Granjard, Alexandre; Lundblad, Suzanna; Archer, Trevor

    2017-01-01

    Despite reporting low levels of well-being, anorexia nervosa patients express temperament traits (e.g., extraversion and persistence) necessary for high levels of life satisfaction. Nevertheless, among individuals without eating disorders, a balanced organization of the flow of time, influences life satisfaction beyond temperamental dispositions. A balanced time perspective is defined as: high past positive, low past negative, high present hedonistic, low present fatalistic, and high future. We investigated differences in time perspective dimensions, personality traits, and life satisfaction between anorexia nervosa patients and matched controls. We also investigated if the personality traits and the outlook on time associated to positive levels of life satisfaction among controls also predicted anorexia patients' life satisfaction. Additionally, we investigated if time perspective dimensions predicted life satisfaction beyond personality traits among both patients and controls. A total of 88 anorexia nervosa patients from a clinic in the West of Sweden and 111 gender-age matched controls from a university in the West of Sweden participated in the Study. All participants responded to the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, the Ten Item Personality Inventory, and the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale. A t -test showed that patients scored higher in the past negative, the present fatalistic, and the future dimensions, lower in the past positive and the present hedonistic dimensions, higher in conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness, and lower in life satisfaction. Regression analyses showed that life satisfaction was predicted by openness to experience and emotional stability for controls and by emotional stability among patients. When time dimensions were entered in the regression, emotional stability and the past negative and past positive time dimensions predicted life satisfaction among controls, but only the past positive and present hedonistic

  13. Acute pancreatitis induced by mycophenolate mofetil in a kidney transplant patient

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    Einollahi Behzad

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Acute pancreatitis is a rare life-threatening complication in patients after kidney transplantation. Here we described a 56-year-old man who had received a living related kidney transplant for an end-stage renal disease. In his regular follow-up, his serum creatinine was gradually increased and he underwent an allograft biopsy, which revealed an interstitial nephritis/tubular atrophy grade II. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF was prescribed to control chronic allograft nephropathy. He presented with complaints of severe abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of appetite and fever requiring hospital admission twelve days later. Acute pancreatitis was diagnosed on the basis of laboratory data and imaging findings during hospital admission. There was no history of alcohol consumption in our patient. Unfortunately he died one week later and autopsy findings demonstrated acute necrotizing pancreatitis. The bladder drainage of this patients was normal. Laboratory findings in this patient did not endorse infections and other possibilities regarding the etiology of acute pancreatitis in this patient. Therefore, we concluded that acute pancreatitis in near the patient was induced by drugs and basis on our evidence, MMF is the most important suspect. This study suggests that acute pancreatitis can be considered as a side effect of MMF.

  14. PREVALENCE OF MEIBOMIAN GLAND DISEASE IN TYPE II DIABETIC PATIENTS & ITS CLINICAL PRESENTATIONS

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    Reshma Pathan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available AIMS : To study the prevalence of the meibomian gland disease in typ e 2 diabetic patients and its clinical presentations. SETTING AND DESIGN : A hospital based cross sectional descriptive study of 100 type 2 diabetic patients attending a medical college was conducted. METHODS : Detailed diabetic history was recorded. Assessment of ocular surface i.e. the lid margins , conjunctiva , corneal surface was done via slit lamp biomicroscopy. Meibomian gland disease (MGD severity was assessed by the quality and expressibility of the meibomian secretion. Dry eye tests like schir mer’s test and tear film breakup time were done. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED : SPSS statistical software version 17 was used. RESULTS : 56% of the patients out of 100 diabetic patients had MGD. The most common symptom was burning (46.9% , followed by dryness ( 23.5% , 5.6% had conjunctival injection , 7.14% had corneal erosions , 25% had mucus debris , 53.65% had dry eye which was statistically significant (p=0.001 , 56.25% males and 72.2% females had the disease which was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION : The prevalence of Meibomian gland disease in the diabetic population was 56% which is more than the general population prevalence. Apart from other disorders diabetics are also more prone for ocular surface diseases like Meibomian gland disease. MGD is an important pre disposer for severe diseases like Dry eye in this subgroup of patients which can lead to complications like conjunctival keratinisations , corneal erosions and perforations. Careful examination of these patients for ocular surface disease and prompt treatment is required.

  15. Coronary Angiography Findings and Its Determinants in Patients Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Descriptive Analysis from Asian Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chourasiya, M; Satheesh, S; Selvaraj, R; Jayaraman, B; Pillai, A A

    2017-10-01

    The aim was to study the angiographic profile in patients presented as acute coronary syndrome and its relation with risk factors and comparison between genders. This prospective observational study was performed on total 352 patients of acute coronary syndrome were analyzed for various risk factors, angiographic pattern in Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, South India from January 2015 to July 2016. Mean age of presentation was 52.62±11.63 years. Male were 271(77.0%) and female were 81(23.0%). Majority of patients were STEMI (67.6%) followed by UA (24.4%) and NSTEMI (8%). Smoker was 117(33.3%) patients. Hypertensive were 124(35.2%) of patients and 149(42.3%) were diabetics. Family history of CAD was positive in 45(12.8%). On angiographic evaluation left main reference diameter was lower in females (4.02±0.72) than males (4.07±0.82). LAD was most commonly involved followed by RCA and LCX among all three group of acute coronary syndrome. Left main was least involved (8.3%). In STEMI SVD (40.3%) was most common presentation, after that DVD was seen in 22.3%, TVD in 10.5%, non-obstructive coronary was seen in 16% of patients and normal coronary was seen in 11% of patients. In UA 28%, 22.8%, 13.2%, 15.8%, 20.2% was seen in SVD, DVD, TVD, non-obstructive and normal coronary respectively. Long length coronary lesions (>20mm) were seen in majority in all type of acute coronary syndrome. Coronary lesion length was not associated with presentation acute coronary syndrome and genders. Male were most commonly presented as acute coronary syndrome. STEMI was most common presentation. Diabetic was most prevalent risk factor. SVD was most common angiographic pattern and LAD was most common involved arteries.

  16. DOES PRESENTING PATIENT'S BMI INCREASE DOCUMENTATION OF OBESITY?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norm Clothier, MD, M. Kim Marvel, PhD, Courtney S. Cruickshank, MS

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Despite the associated health consequences, obesity is infrequently documented as a problem in medical charts. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a simple intervention (routine listing of the BMI on the medical chart will increase physician documentation of obesity in the medical record. Methods: Participants were resident physicians in a family medicine residency program. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. For experimental group physicians, the Body Mass Index was listed alongside other vital signs of patients seen in an ambulatory setting. Physician documentation of patient obesity was assessed by chart review after patient visits. Documentation was defined as inclusion of obesity on the problem list or in the progress note. Results: The intervention did not significantly increase the rate of documentation of obesity in the medical chart. Several reasons for the lack of change are explored, including the difficulty of treating obesity successfully.

  17. Gender differences in patients presenting with a single depressive episode according to ICD-10

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kessing, Lars Vedel

    2005-01-01

    .4%). In outpatient settings, women slightly more often presented with milder types of depression than with severe depression, but no gender difference was found in the severity of depressive episodes among hospitalised patients. No differences were found between genders in the prevalence of depression with vs...

  18. Antigen Expression on Blast Cells and Hematological Parameters at Presentation in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naeem, S.; Bukhari, M. H.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To analyze the expression of various antigens on the leukemic blasts and to determine the hematological parameters, in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) patients at presentation. Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of Study: King Edward Medical University, Lahore and Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore, from February 2013 to March 2014. Methodology: A total of 50 newly diagnosed and untreated patients of ALL were selected from Mayo Hospital and Hameed Latif Hospital. These patients included both genders and all age groups. Hemoglobin, total leukocyte count and platelet count were determined on hematology analyser-Sysmex-Kx-2I. Blast cell percentage was estimated on Giemsa stained blood smears. Immuno phenotyping was done on bone marrow samples by 5 colour flow cytometery on Beckman Counter Navious Flow cytometer. An acute leukemia panel of 23 antibodies was used. The data was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 22. Results: Of the 50 ALL patients, 36 (72 percentage) were B-ALL and 14 (28 percentage) T-ALL. There were 18 (36 percentage) children and 32 (64 percentage) adults. T-ALL included 22 percentage of the childhood and 31 percentage of the adult cases. Immuno phenotypic analysis showed that CD19, CD79a and CD20 were B-lineage specific markers whereas cCD3, CD3 and CD5 were T-lineage specific. CD10 was the most sensitive marker for B-ALL and CD7 was the most sensitive marker of T-ALL. TdT was expressed in 92 percentage B-ALL and 71 percentage T-ALL cases, CD34 in 58 percentage and 43 percentage cases and CD45 in 83 percentage and 100 percentage respectively. High leukocyte count (> 50 x 109/L) was present in 58 percentage cases. Hemoglobin was < 10 g/dl in 74 percentage patients and platelet count was below 20 x 109/Lin 12 percentage patients. Leukocyte count, hemoglobin, platelet count and blast cell percentage did not show a significant difference in the two ALL immuno types. Conclusion: The frequency of T-ALL is higher in childhood

  19. Granulocytic sarcoma of the ovary in a nonleukemic patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguiar, R C; Pozzi, D H; Chamone, D A

    1993-01-01

    We report a case of granulocytic sarcoma of the ovary preceding acute myeloid leukemia by twelve months, with no evidence of any hematological involvement at the time of first diagnosis. The patient was initially treated with surgery and chemotherapy for undifferentiated lymphoma and, although this aggressive protocol resulted in a complete response, granulocytic sarcoma recurred as extramedullary disease, followed by the appearance of acute myeloid leukemia. We discuss the clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical features of the disease, the differential diagnosis and, in particular, the role of early aggressive treatment on the outcome of the patient.

  20. What about Gender in Climate Change? Twelve Feminist Lessons from Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Jerneck

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Adaptation and mitigation are two key responses to climate change. In the global South they prompt many questions: what is the direction and degree of change needed? How can new climate change policies be aligned with existing development initiatives? How are core social relations such as gender understood and prioritized in relation to technical and other solutions? In search of synergies between adaptation, development and mitigation, this article asks a pertinent question for sub-Saharan small-scale agriculture in particular: what can adaptation and mitigation learn from development debates on social goal setting, institutional change and gender equality? From the perspective of sustainability science and feminist literature, three main findings emerge. First, as regards social goal setting, adaptation and mitigation should, like development, support the escape out of poverty, ill-health and food-insecurity. Second, as regards institutions, adaptation and mitigation should address how gender regulates access to, use of and control over resources in terms of labor, land and strategic decision-making power. Third, as regards gender equality, adaptation and mitigation should learn from how development in theory and practice has addressed gender, women, nature and the environment. At its core, the analysis contributes twelve salient themes that can significantly inform adaptation and mitigation in research, policy and practice, thus serving as inspiration for a critical debate on much needed synergetic trajectories.

  1. Effect of music on pain, anxiety, and patient satisfaction in patients who present to the emergency department in Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parlar Kilic, Serap; Karadag, Gulendam; Oyucu, Serpil; Kale, Ozlem; Zengin, Suat; Ozdemir, Emine; Korhan, Esra Akin

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of music therapy on pain, anxiety, and patient satisfaction in patients who present to the emergency department in Turkey. This controlled and experimental study was conducted in the emergency department of a hospital in Turkey between July and October 2012. The study sample consisted of 200 patients in total, 100 forming the intervention group and 100 being the control group, who fell under color code green in the triage system and came with complaints of pain due to nausea/vomiting and diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches, and joint pain. A questionnaire, the State Anxiety Scale, and the Visual Analog Scale to measure the patients' level of pain were used in the study. The questionnaires of the intervention group were administered after playing the music. When the intervention and control groups were compared, it was observed that there was a significant decrease in the VASP and STAI-S scores in favor of the intervention group. It was observed that 21.0% of the patients in the intervention group were very pleased to hear music in the emergency department, 58% of them were moderately or at least a little pleased, and 21.0% were not pleased at all. The results showed that music therapy had a positive effect in terms of reducing the severity of pain and the level of anxiety in patients, that only a very small portion of the patients were not pleased to listen to music in the emergency department. © 2014 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2014 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

  2. Hip fracture fixation in a patient with below-knee amputation presents a surgical dilemma: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rethnam Ulfin

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Hip fracture fixation surgery in patients with below-knee amputations poses a challenging problem to the surgeon in terms of obtaining traction for reduction of the fracture. The absence of the foot and part of the leg in these patients makes positioning on the fracture table difficult. We highlight this difficult problem and suggest techniques to overcome it. Case presentation A 73-year-old man with bilateral below-knee amputations presented with a history of fall. Radiographs revealed an inter-trochanteric fracture of the femur. A dynamic hip screw fixation was planned for the fracture but the dilemma was on how to position the patient on the fracture table for the surgery. Special attention was needed in positioning the patient and in surgical fixation of the fracture. Conclusion Hip fracture fixation in patients with below-knee amputations poses a special problem in positioning for fracture reduction and fixation. In this case report, we share our experience and suggest techniques to use when encountering this difficult problem.

  3. Recurrent dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with pulmonary metastases presenting twelve years after initial diagnosis: 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suman, Sudhir; Sharma, Punit; Jain, Tarun Kumar; Sahoo, Manas Kumar; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Kumar, Rakesh

    2014-01-01

    Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare cutaneous tumor that is locally aggressive and has a high rate of recurrence after surgical excision. The tumor grows slowly, typically over years. On rare occasions, metastasis to distant sites (especially the lung) or regional lymph nodes may occur. Here, we present F-FDG PET/CT imaging findings of a 52-year-old man with a local recurrence of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in the anterior abdominal wall with metastases to bilateral lungs.

  4. Dyspnoea in-patient with antiphospholipid syndrome; case Presentation and literature revision

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Restrepo, Lucas; Londono, Maria Carlota; Anaya, Juan Manuel

    2001-01-01

    The antiphospholipid syndrome (AFS) is characterized by vascular thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity associated to presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (anticardiolipin and/or lupus anticoagulant), This syndrome may occur alone primary -PAFS-) or in association with systemic lupus erythematosus (secondary -SAFS, Both primary and secondary AFS can be responsible for systemic manifestations other than vascular, among them pulmonary, Here is presented a patient with dyspnoea due to pulmonary hypertension (PHT) and interstitial pulmonary disease (IPD), in whom a diagnostic of SAFS was done, The pulmonary manifestations of the AFS are revised including pulmonary thromboembolism, PHT, IPD, pulmonary hemorrhage, and adult respiratory syndrome with multisystemic failure

  5. Variations in the presentation of aphasia in patients with closed head injuries.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Kavanagh, Dara Oliver

    2012-01-31

    Impairments of speech and language are important consequences of head injury as they compromise interaction between the patient and others. A large spectrum of communication deficits can occur. There are few reports in the literature of aphasia following closed head injury despite the common presentation of closed head injury. Herein we report two cases of closed head injuries with differing forms of aphasia. We discuss their management and rehabilitation and present a detailed literature review on the topic. In a busy acute surgical unit one can dismiss aphasia following head injury as behaviour related to intoxication. Early recognition with prolonged and intensive speech and language rehabilitation therapy yields a favourable outcome as highlighted in our experience. These may serve as a reference for clinicians faced with this unusual outcome.

  6. Variations in the Presentation of Aphasia in Patients with Closed Head Injuries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dara Oliver Kavanagh

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Impairments of speech and language are important consequences of head injury as they compromise interaction between the patient and others. A large spectrum of communication deficits can occur. There are few reports in the literature of aphasia following closed head injury despite the common presentation of closed head injury. Herein we report two cases of closed head injuries with differing forms of aphasia. We discuss their management and rehabilitation and present a detailed literature review on the topic. In a busy acute surgical unit one can dismiss aphasia following head injury as behaviour related to intoxication. Early recognition with prolonged and intensive speech and language rehabilitation therapy yields a favourable outcome as highlighted in our experience. These may serve as a reference for clinicians faced with this unusual outcome.

  7. MRI findings of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in patients presenting with ocular sings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Bin; Wang Zhenchang; Xian Junfang

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To study the MRI features of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in patients who presented with ocular abnormalities. Methods: The clinical signs and MRI features of Ⅲ, Ⅳ and/or Ⅵ cranial nerve involvement in 22 cases of histologically proved nasopharyngeal carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed. Results: All 22 cases showed perineural tumor spread along the course of Ⅲ, Ⅳ and Ⅵ cranial nerve, Diplopia was the most common sign, occurred in 14/22 patients. The incidence of incomplete palsy of Ⅲ, Ⅳ and Ⅵ cranial nerve were 16/44, 7/44 and 4/44, respectively. There were four types of abnormal MRI findings: cavernous sinus thickening (10/44) and mass (16/44), superior orbital fissure enlargement (4/44) and abnormal signals (9/44), thickened oculomotor muscles with obscured adjacent fatty space and abnormal enhancement (10/44). The dynamic contrast enhancement patterns of the masses in cavernous sinus and orbital were the same as that of nasopharynx lesions; all appeared as rapid initial enhancement followed by a plateau phase. Conclusion: Oculomotor nerve involvement can be the first clinical signs of NPC, and MRI can show the perineural extension along the Ⅲ, Ⅳ and Ⅵ cranial nerve in NPC. (authors)

  8. Patients presenting with acute poisoning to an outpatient emergency clinic: a one-year observational study in Oslo, Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallersnes, Odd Martin; Jacobsen, Dag; Ekeberg, Øivind; Brekke, Mette

    2015-08-13

    In Oslo, the majority of patients with acute poisoning are treated in primary care, at an emergency outpatient clinic with limited diagnostic and treatment resources. We describe the poisonings currently seen in this setting. We compare our findings with previous studies, with special concern for the appearance of new toxic agents, and changes in overall numbers and patterns of poisoning. Observational study. Patients above the age of 12 years presenting at Oslo Accident and Emergency Outpatient Clinic (Oslo Legevakt) with acute poisoning were included consecutively from October 2011 through September 2012. Physicians and nurses registered data on preset forms. Main outcome measures were toxic agents, age, sex, intention, referral and time of presentation. There were 2923 episodes of acute poisoning in 2261 patients. Median age of the patients was 32 years, and 1430 (63%) were males. The most frequent toxic agents were ethanol in 1684 (58%) episodes, heroin in 542 (19 %), benzodiazepines in 521 (18%), amphetamine in 275 (9%), fire smoke in 192 (7%), gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) in 144 (5%), and cannabis in 143 (5%). In 904 (31%) poisonings there were more than one toxic agent. In 493 episodes (17%), the patient was hospitalised, and in 60 episodes (2%) admitted to a psychiatric ward. Most poisonings, 2328 (80%), were accidental overdoses with substances of abuse, 276 (9%) were suicide attempts, and 312 (11%) were accidents. Among ethanol poisonings in patients above the age of 26 years, 685/934 (73%) were in males, and 339/934 (36%) presented during weekends. However, among ethanol poisonings in patients under the age of 26 years, 221/451 (49 ) were in females, and 297/451 (66%) presented during weekends. The poisonings treated in this primary care setting were mostly due to accidental overdoses with ethanol or other substances of abuse. There is a disconcerting weekend drinking pattern among adolescents and young adults, with young females presenting as often as

  9. Clinical predictors for Legionella in patients presenting with community-acquired pneumonia to the emergency department

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frei Reno

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Legionella species cause severe forms of pneumonia with high mortality and complication rates. Accurate clinical predictors to assess the likelihood of Legionella community-acquired pneumonia (CAP in patients presenting to the emergency department are lacking. Methods We retrospectively compared clinical and laboratory data of 82 consecutive patients with Legionella CAP with 368 consecutive patients with non-Legionella CAP included in two studies at the same institution. Results In multivariate logistic regression analysis we identified six parameters, namely high body temperature (OR 1.67, p Legionella CAP. Using optimal cut off values of these six parameters, we calculated a diagnostic score for Legionella CAP. The median score was significantly higher in Legionella CAP as compared to patients without Legionella (4 (IQR 3–4 vs 2 (IQR 1–2, p Legionella pneumonia. Conversely, of the 73 patients (16% with ≥4 points, 66% of patients had Legionella CAP. Conclusion Six clinical and laboratory parameters embedded in a simple diagnostic score accurately identified patients with Legionella CAP. If validated in future studies, this score might aid in the management of suspected Legionella CAP.

  10. Effect of Ankle-foot Orthosis on Lower Limb Muscle Activities and Static Balance of Stroke Patients Authors’ Names

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Youngmin; Her, Jin Gang; Choi, Youngeun; Kim, Heesoo

    2014-01-01

    [Purpose] This study examined the effects of an ankle-foot orthosis worn during balance training on lower limb muscle activity and static balance of chronic stroke patients. [Subjects] The subjects were twenty-five inpatients receiving physical therapy for chronic stroke. [Methods] The chronic stroke patients were divided into two groups: thirteen patients were assigned to the ankle-foot orthosis group, while the remaining twelve patients wore only their shoes. Each group performed balance tr...

  11. The influence of punctural millimeter wave therapy on clinical presentation of patients with essential hypertention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kotenko К.V.

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: to estimate the influence of punctural millimeter wave therapy on clinical presentation. Material and methods. This study includes 102 patients with essential hypertension the I and II stage. Patients were divided into three equal groups depending on the method of treatment: some of them received procedures of punctural millimeter wave therapy, some of them received these procedures as the "placebo" and those who had not received specified procedures. Dynamics of clinical symptomatology and condition of eye bottom vessels was estimated. It was shown that addition of punctural millimeter wave therapy in complex therapy of patients with essential hypertension promotes the expressed regress of clinical symptomatology and state normalization the retinal vessels at these patients. Results. Addition of punctural millimeter wave therapy into the complex therapy was shown to lead to pronounced regress of clinical symptoms. Conclusion. The received results allow to recommend this method to be used in clinical practice for treating patients with essential hypertension.

  12. Annual economic burden of hepatitis B virus-related diseases among hospitalized patients in twelve cities in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, S; Ma, Q; Liang, S; Xiao, H; Zhuang, G; Zou, Y; Tan, H; Liu, J; Zhang, Y; Zhang, L; Feng, X; Xue, L; Hu, D; Cui, F; Liang, X

    2016-03-01

    A nationwide survey of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated economic burden has not previously been performed in China. The purpose of this study was to examine the direct, indirect, and intangible costs of HBV-related diseases within the span of one year. A random sample was taken from specialty and general hospitals across 12 cities in six provinces of China. Intangible costs were estimated based on willingness to pay or open-ended answers provided by patients. The results showed that 27 hospitals were enrolled, with a sample population of 4726 patients (77.7% response rate). The average annual costs were $4454.0 (direct), $924.3 (indirect), and $6611.10 (intangible), corresponding to 37.3%, 7.7%, and 55.1% of the total costs, respectively. The direct medical fees were substantially greater than the non-medical fees. Annual indirect costs were divided into outpatient ($112.9) and inpatient ($811.40) loss of income. The intangible costs of chronic HBV were notably higher than either the direct or indirect costs, consistent with the social stigma in China. The comparison amongst individual cities for the average ratio of direct to indirect costs revealed that the sizes of ratios were negatively correlated with the socioeconomic status of the regions. This study suggested that as a whole in China, the HBV-related diseases caused a heavy financial burden which was positively associated with disease severity. Although the intangible costs coincided with a high prevalence of discrimination against CHB patients in Chinese society, our study may serve as future reference for detailed exploration. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. IV Dexketoprofen vs. IV Paracetamol in Patients Presented with Dysmenorrhea to Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serinken, Mustafa; Eken, Cenker; Karcıoğlu, Özgür

    2018-02-02

    Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common acute pain disorders among women of reproductive age. The present study aimed to compare the effects of IV paracetamol to dexketoprofen in patients presented with primary dysmenorrhea to the emergency department. Randomized Controlled Trial. Patients over 18 years old presented with pelvic pain related to menstruation were accepted as eligible for the study. Study patients received 1 gr paracetamol or 50 mg dexketoprofen in 100 ml normal saline with a 4-5 minutes infusion via intravenous route. Pain intensity was measured by visual analogue scale at 15 and 30 minutes. Patients were randomized and assigned to either of the two study arms via sealed envelopes. The study drugs were identical in color and thus the personnel and the patients were blinded to the study drug. Dexketoprofen group comprised 49 patients and paracetamol group 50 patients in the final analysis. The mean age of the study subjects was 20.9±2.5 and the mean duration of the pain was 1.9±1.7 (median: 1, IQR: 1 to 2) hours. Both dexketoprofen (median change: 33, 95% CI 24 to 38) and paracetamol (median change: 21, 95% CI: 12 to 32) effectively reduced the pain at 15 minutes, which was repeated at 30th minutes (median change: 63, 95% CI: 57 to 65 vs 55.5, 95% CI: 50 to 59; respectively). Pain improvement in dexketoprofen group was better than paracetamol group at 15 (median difference: 8; 95% CI: 0 to 16, p:0.048) and 30 (median difference: 6; 95% CI: 1 to 12, p:0.028) minutes, which reached to statistically significance but not clinically significance. Intravenous dexketoprofen has better VAS scores at 15 and 30 minutes compared to intravenous paracetamol but with clinical insignificance.

  14. Phantom shocks in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Selina Kikkenborg; Moons, Philip; Zwisler, Ann-Dorthe

    2013-01-01

    of phantom shocks.METHODS AND RESULTS: The design was secondary explorative analyses of data from a randomized controlled trial. One hundred and ninety-six patients with first-time ICD implantation (79% male, mean age 58 years) were randomized (1 : 1) to either combined rehabilitation or a control group...... questions regarding the experience of phantom shocks, date, time, and place. Twelve patients (9.4%) experienced a phantom shock, 7 in the intervention group and 5 in the control group (NS). Neither age, sex, quality of life nor perceived health at baseline was significantly related to the probability...

  15. Development of twelve microsatellite loci in the red tree corals Primnoa resedaeformis and Primnoa pacifica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, Cheryl L.; Springmann, Marcus J.; Shroades, Kelsey; Stone, Robert P.

    2015-01-01

    A suite of tetra-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide microsatellite loci were developed from Roche 454 pyrosequencing data for the cold-water octocorals Primnoa resedaeformis and P. pacifica. Twelve of 98 primer sets tested consistently amplified in 30 P. resedaeformis samples from Baltimore Canyon (western North Atlantic Ocean) and in 24 P. pacifica samples (Shutter Ridge, eastern Gulf of Alaska). The loci displayed moderate levels of allelic diversity (average 7.5 alleles/locus) and heterozygosity (average 47 %). Levels of genetic diversity were sufficient to produce unique multi-locus genotypes and to distinguish species. These common species are long-lived (hundreds of years) and provide essential fish habitat (P. pacifica), yet populations are provided little protection from human activities. These loci will be used to determine regional patterns of population connectivity to inform effective marine spatial planning and ecosystem-based fisheries management.

  16. Impact of an intensive dynamic exercise program on oxidative stress and on the outcome in patients with fibromyalgia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amal F Soliman

    2016-01-01

    Conclusion Twelve weeks of intensive dynamic exercise program should be recommended to patients with FM as it was effective in decreasing the oxidative stress parameters, increasing the antioxidant parameters, and improving the clinical outcome of this disease.

  17. Is there just one lesion? The need for whole body skin examination in patients presenting with non-melanocytic skin cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terrill, Patricia Jane; Fairbanks, Sian; Bailey, Michael

    2009-10-01

    In patients presenting with non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) the frequency of concurrently presenting tumours is poorly documented. Whole body skin examination is recommended but in a recent survey of Australian General Practitioners and skin cancer clinics doctors it was infrequently performed. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of concurrent skin cancer at initial presentation and therefore to examine the need for whole body skin examination for NMSC presentations. One hundred consecutive patients with a referral diagnosis indicative of NMSC were examined. Data was analysed as to the referring doctor's diagnosis, whole body skin examination findings and histology of excised lesions. Epidemiological data was obtained by patient questionnaire. One hundred patients, 41 males and 59 females, with a mean age of 70 years (range 39-91 years) underwent whole body skin examination. Sixty-seven per cent of patients were found to have additional lesions requiring treatment, 46% sin cancers (30 patients basal cell carcinomas, five squamous cell carcinomas, seven basal and squamous cell carcinomas, two lentigo maligna, two adenexal tumours) and 21% solar keratoses. Thirty-four of the additional lesions detected were in areas covered by clothing. Sixty-eight patients had a past history of skin cancer excision. In the Australian patient population, the need for whole body skin examination is essential to avoid missing concurrent lesions. Ongoing surveillance is also essential as these patients have a high risk of developing future NMSC.

  18. Analysis of the parameters relating to failures above the clavicles in patients treated by postoperative irradiation for squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity or oropharynx

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feldman, M.; Fletcher, G.H.

    1982-01-01

    One hundred and two patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx were treated from January 1955 through August 1976 with surgical excision followed by irradiation. Twelve patients had T 2 lesions and 90 had T 3 or T 4 lesions. Failures above the clavicles were associated with disease present at the margins of resection, location of the recurrence close to the periphery, or outside of the irradiated portals. Failures in the neck essentially were a result of no elective irradiation. In patients with disease present at the margins of resection, there is a risk both of gross residual disease and hypoxic microscopic disease left behind; 4500 to 5000 rad is not adequate for a significant control rate. In situations where there is definite disease at the margin of resection, 6500 rad, or in specific situations, 7000 rad, should be given through reduced fields

  19. [Lacrimal sac tumors presenting as lacrimal obstruction. Retrospective study in Mexican patients 2007-2012].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coloma-González, I; Flores-Preciado, J; Ceriotto, A; Corredor-Casas, S; Salcedo-Casillas, G

    2014-06-01

    To determine the demographic and clinical data of primary tumors of the lacrimal sac presenting as lacrimal obstruction. Retrospective and descriptive study was conducted between the years 2007 to 2012 on all patients undergoing surgery for low lacrimal obstruction at Dr. Luis Sanchez Bulnes Hospital, an Association for the prevention of blindness in Mexico IAP. Primary tumors of the lacrimal sac represented 2.5% of all lacrimal obstructions, being more common in women than in men (8:1). The large majority (89%) of the cases were non-epithelial, with lymphoid lesions being the most frequent. Benign tumors were presented at a younger age (50 years old) than malignant (70 years old). One-third (33%) of cases were unexpected findings during surgery (100% benign). Just over half (55%) were malignant tumors (1.4% of obstructions), all of them lymphoproliferative lesions. The most frequent clinical tumor was in the inner edge, either with or without epiphora. The progression time varied according to the degree of aggressiveness of the lymphoma (3 months-10 years). Lacrimal sac tumors are rare, but they must be taken into account in patients with an unusual clinical presentation of lacrimal obstruction. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  20. Relationship Between Physiological Parameters and Acute Coronary Syndrome in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department With Undifferentiated Chest Pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenslade, Jaimi H; Beamish, Daniel; Parsonage, William; Hawkins, Tracey; Schluter, Jessica; Dalton, Emily; Parker, Kate; Than, Martin; Hammett, Christopher; Lamanna, Arvin; Cullen, Louise

    2016-01-01

    The investigators of this study sought to examine whether abnormal physiological parameters are associated with increased risk for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain. We used prospectively collected data on adult patients presenting with suspected ACS in 2 EDs in Australia and New Zealand. Trained research nurses collected physiological data including temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) on presentation to the ED. The primary endpoint was ACS within 30 days of presentation, as adjudicated by cardiologists using standardized guidelines. The prognostic utility of physiological parameters for ACS was examined using risk ratios. Acute coronary syndrome was diagnosed in 384 of the 1951 patients (20%) recruited. Compared with patients whose SBP was between 100 and 140 mm Hg, patients with an SBP of lower than 100 mm Hg or higher than 140 mm Hg were 1.4 times (95% confidence interval, 1.2-1.7) more likely to have ACS. Similarly, compared with patients whose temperature was between 36.5°C and 37.5°C, patients with temperature of lower than 36.5°C or higher than 37.5°C were 1.4 times (95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.6) more likely to have ACS. Heart rate and respiratory rate were not predictors of ACS. Patients with abnormal temperature or SBP were slightly more likely to have ACS, but such risk was of too small a magnitude to be useful in clinical decision making. Other physiological parameters (heart rate and respiratory rate) had no prognostic value. The use of physiological parameters cannot reliably confirm or rule out ACS.

  1. A dark past, a restrained present, and an apocalyptic future: time perspective, personality, and life satisfaction among anorexia nervosa patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danilo Garcia

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background Despite reporting low levels of well-being, anorexia nervosa patients express temperament traits (e.g., extraversion and persistence necessary for high levels of life satisfaction. Nevertheless, among individuals without eating disorders, a balanced organization of the flow of time, influences life satisfaction beyond temperamental dispositions. A balanced time perspective is defined as: high past positive, low past negative, high present hedonistic, low present fatalistic, and high future. We investigated differences in time perspective dimensions, personality traits, and life satisfaction between anorexia nervosa patients and matched controls. We also investigated if the personality traits and the outlook on time associated to positive levels of life satisfaction among controls also predicted anorexia patients’ life satisfaction. Additionally, we investigated if time perspective dimensions predicted life satisfaction beyond personality traits among both patients and controls. Method A total of 88 anorexia nervosa patients from a clinic in the West of Sweden and 111 gender-age matched controls from a university in the West of Sweden participated in the Study. All participants responded to the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, the Ten Item Personality Inventory, and the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results A t-test showed that patients scored higher in the past negative, the present fatalistic, and the future dimensions, lower in the past positive and the present hedonistic dimensions, higher in conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness, and lower in life satisfaction. Regression analyses showed that life satisfaction was predicted by openness to experience and emotional stability for controls and by emotional stability among patients. When time dimensions were entered in the regression, emotional stability and the past negative and past positive time dimensions predicted life satisfaction among controls, but

  2. Frequency of unsafe storage, use, and disposal practices of opioids among cancer patients presenting to the emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestre, Julio; Reddy, Akhila; de la Cruz, Maxine; Wu, Jimin; Liu, Diane; Bruera, Eduardo; Todd, Knox H

    2017-12-01

    Approximately 75% of prescription opioid abusers obtain the drug from an acquaintance, which may be a consequence of improper opioid storage, use, disposal, and lack of patient education. We aimed to determine the opioid storage, use, and disposal patterns in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) of a comprehensive cancer center. We surveyed 113 patients receiving opioids for at least 2 months upon presenting to the ED and collected information regarding opioid use, storage, and disposal. Unsafe storage was defined as storing opioids in plain sight, and unsafe use was defined as sharing or losing opioids. The median age was 53 years, 55% were female, 64% were white, and 86% had advanced cancer. Of those surveyed, 36% stored opioids in plain sight, 53% kept them hidden but unlocked, and only 15% locked their opioids. However, 73% agreed that they would use a lockbox if given one. Patients who reported that others had asked them for their pain medications (p = 0.004) and those who would use a lockbox if given one (p = 0.019) were more likely to keep them locked. Some 13 patients (12%) used opioids unsafely by either sharing (5%) or losing (8%) them. Patients who reported being prescribed more pain pills than required (p = 0.032) were more likely to practice unsafe use. Most (78%) were unaware of proper opioid disposal methods, 6% believed they were prescribed more medication than required, and 67% had unused opioids at home. Only 13% previously received education about safe disposal of opioids. Overall, 77% (87) of patients reported unsafe storage, unsafe use, or possessed unused opioids at home. Many cancer patients presenting to the ED improperly and unsafely store, use, or dispose of opioids, thus highlighting a need to investigate the impact of patient education on such practices.

  3. Axillary sentinel node identification in breast cancer patients: degree of radioactivity present at biopsy is critical

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Kristina R; Oturai, Peter S; Friis, Esbern

    2011-01-01

    The radioactivity present in the patient (Act(rem) ) at sentinel node (SN) biopsy will depend on injected activity amount as well as on the time interval from tracer injection to biopsy, which both show great variations in the literature. The purpose of this study was to analyse the influence...... of varying Act(rem) levels on the outcome of axillary SN biopsy in patients with breast cancer (BC)....

  4. HRCT in AIDS patients presenting with acute pulmonary conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diehl, S.J.; Lehmann, K.J.; Georgi, M.; Thienel, F.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical value of HRCT of the lung in patients with known HIV-infection and acute lung disease. In a prospective study a HRCT was performed in 31 patients infected with the HIV-1 virus, mainly stage C (CDC), who had acute pulmonary symptoms. Precondition for the HRCT examination was a normal or non-specific chest radiograph. A provoked sputum as well as bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and/or transbronchial biopsy were performed concurrently. In 24 out of 31 cases a pathogenic organism was identified. 19 of these 24 patients showed abnormal HRCT findings. The most frequent pathogenic organism was Pneumocystis carinii (n=12). 9 out of these 12 patients (75%) showed pathological HRCT findings consisting of ground-glass opacity. Specific patterns of attenuation could not be worked out except for Pneumocystis carinii infection. Compared to bronchoalveolar lavage, the diagnostic value of HRCT is inferior; it is however helpful in the early stage of disease, when the pathogenic organism has not yet been identified, HRCT may demonstrate parenchymal abnormalities in patients with normal radiographic findings. Compared to bronchoalveolar lavage and induced sputum, HRCT can provide conclusive results within a short time. (orig.) [de

  5. Late presentation and management of South Asian breast cancer patients in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajan, Sreekumar Sundara; Lim, Jennifer N W; Haq, Anwar

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this study was to bridge the knowledge gap and improve our understanding of the late presentation and management of breast cancer among South Asian women of non-oriental origin (SA) living in the United Kingdom. Retrospective review of the breast cancer waiting list data-base held at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS trust was undertaken to identify SA women diagnosed with breast cancer from January 2000 to August 2007. We identified 41 (2.5%) SA women among 1,630 patients diagnosed with breast cancer during this period and 36 were included (median age=53.5 years, range=32-84). Only 19% (n=7) were screen detected and 81% (n=29) presented thorough symptomatic breast clinic. In the latter, 66% (n=19) were in the screening age group and 45% (n=13) presented beyond 8 weeks (late presentation). In our cohort, 91% (n=29) patients had advanced disease (TNM stage 2 and 3) resulting in a high mastectomy rate of 61% (n=22). 19% (n=7) died as a direct result of cancer and the remaining 78% (n=28) remains disease free following treatment thus far. The delay in presentation and poor national breast screening programme uptake among the SA women resulted in advanced disease at diagnosis. There is need for increasing the breast cancer awareness as well as encouraging breast screening among SA women in the UK.

  6. Prosthetic Management of Patients Presenting with Juvenile ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Eighteen were referred for prosthetic replacement. Their age ranged between 18 and 36 years. A total of 24 removable partial dentures were fabricated, 17[70.8%] were kennedy class III type, of which 11[64.7%] had the bounded saddle located in the anterior segment. Majority 8[44.4%] of the patients had 2-4 teeth replaced ...

  7. Bilateral Intracavernous Carotid Artery Aneurysms Presenting as Diplopia in a Young Patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolaos Kopsachilis

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Bilateral intracavernous carotid artery aneurysms (ICAAs are extremely rare and difficult to treat. Case Report. A 26-year-old female presented in our clinic with acute diplopia due to oculomotor nerve palsy on the left side. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed two heterogeneously enhanced masses indicating bilateral ICAA. An endovascular coil embolization was performed on the left side successfully, resulting in resolution of her symptoms. Conclusion. Thorough systemic evaluation in young patients with diplopia can reveal life-threatening underlying pathology and prevent major complications.

  8. Two patients with osteoporosis : initial presentation of systemic mastocytosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Donker, Marjolein L.; Bakker, Nicolaas A.; Jaspers, Wim J. M.; Verhage, Albert H.

    In two patients with osteoporosis, systemic mastocytosis ultimately turned out to be the underlying disease. Both patients had a history of anaphylactic reactions caused by wasp stings but did not have any skin or other symptoms. This observation reflects the need for careful history taking and

  9. Late presentation of acromegaly in medically controlled prolactinoma patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekaterina Manuylova

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Co-secretion of growth hormone (GH and prolactin (PRL from a single pituitary adenoma is common. In fact, up to 25% of patients with acromegaly may have PRL co-secretion. The prevalence of acromegaly among patients with a newly diagnosed prolactinoma is unknown. Given the possibility of mixed GH and PRL co-secretion, the current recommendation is to obtain an insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1 in patients with prolactinoma at the initial diagnosis. Long-term follow-up of IGF-1 is not routinely done. Here, we report two cases of well-controlled prolactinoma on dopamine agonists with the development of acromegaly 10–20 years after the initial diagnoses. In both patients, a mixed PRL/GH-cosecreting adenoma was confirmed on the pathology examination after transsphenoidal surgery (TSS. Therefore, periodic routine measurements of IGF-1 should be considered regardless of the duration and biochemical control of prolactinoma.

  10. Twelve clinically significant points in medulloblastoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiyama, Kazuhiko; Yamasaki, Fumiyuki; Kajiwara, Yoshinori; Watanabe, Yosuke; Takayasu, Takeshi; Kurisu, Kaoru

    2011-01-01

    Though medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor during childhood, only 80 newly-diagnosed tumors develos every year, as the annual incidence is extremely rare with an occurrence of 0.5 per 100,000 children younger than 15-year-old and of 0.7 per 100,000 for the entire population. Images obtained of medulloblastoma are characterized by a round heterogeously-enhanced mass in or adjacent to the VIth ventricle. Objectives of surgical treatment are the maximum resectioning of the main mass and the relief of the obstructive hydrocephalus. Cerebellar mutism occurs a few days after one fourth of medulloblastoma surgery, and lasts approximately for 50 days followed by subsequent dysarthria. Pathological subtypes include classic medulloblastoma, desmoplastic/nodular medulloblastoma, medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity, large cell/anaplastic medulloblastoma, all corresponding to World Health Organization (WHO) grade IV. According to age, residual tumor size, and disseminated staging, patients are divided into average-risk group, high-risk group, or baby-medulloblastoma after surgery. Standard treatment in average-risk group includes 23.4-Gy cranio-spinal irradiation (CSI) with posterior boost followed by chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin (CDDP), alkylating agents, and vincristine. Patients in high-risk group receive over 36-Gy CSI with boost radiotherapy to nodular lesions before, concomitantly with, or followed by dose-intensity chemotherapy. In cases with gross total removal, or desmoplastic/nodular pathology radiotherapy for patients younger than 3-year-old are often delayed until they turn 3-year-old, and are able to survive for long time by appropriate chemotherapy alone. Adolescent survivors with childhood medulloblastoma have a number of late adverse effects regarding another neoplasm, neuro-cognitive function, endocrine activity, cardiovascular organs, and skeletal system. Comprehensive follow-up and support system are mandatory. (author)

  11. [The application of the preformed physical factors for the combined treatment of the patients presenting with chronic vesiculitis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiyatkin, V A; Konchugova, T V; Yakovlev, M Yu; Bobkov, A D; Kazantsev, S N; Kul'chitskaya, D B

    The problem of the development of the new efficient methods for the treatment of the patients presenting with chronic bacterial vesiculitis (CBV) is currently considered among the important priorities. The objective of the present study was to provide a scientifically sound substantiation for the application of sinusoidal modulated currents (SMC), magnetic fields, and laser radiation in the combined treatment of the patients with CBV. A total of 121 patients presenting with chronic bacterial vesiculitis were examined and treated during the latent phase of the inflammatory process. They were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (main) was comprised of 40 patients treated, in addition to basal pharmacotherapy, by supravascular contact laser irradiation of the cubital vein area followed after 2-3 hours by the application of sinusoidal modulated currents to the pubosacral region. Group 2 included 41patents given, besides basal pharmacotherapy, laser therapy in the same regimen as in group 1 supplemented after 2-3 hours by abdominal magnetic therapy. Group 3 (control) received traditional pharmacotherapy in the combination with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory medicines. It was demonstrated that the patients of group 2 exhibited the most pronounced positive dynamics of the clinical signs and symptoms estimated from the total National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and of the characteristics of the quality of life evaluated based on the QLS scale. The patients of the two former groups experienced a more conspicuous decrease in the activity of the inflammatory process in seminal vesicles, restoration of their structural and anatomical features (as shown by the transrectal ultrasound study), improvement of testosterone metabolism, and normalization of the spermogram characteristics in comparison with controls. The analysis of the spermograms revealed the tendency toward the increase in the number of actively motile spermatozoa

  12. Vibrational modes of isolated substitution impurities in twelve compounds AN B8-N with the blende structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plumelle, Pierre

    1979-01-01

    We have studied a particular point defect, the isolated substitution in twelve compounds CuCl, CuBr, CuI, ZnTe, CdTe, ZnS, ZnSe, GaAs, GaP, InSb, InP and GaSb. The model of the perfect lattice is a rigid ion model with eleven parameters. Infrared localized vibrational modes of impurities are observed in a series of samples. By comparison of these experimental results with the calculated values it is possible to determine the perturbation for each particular case. A relation obtained between a force constant of the perfect crystal and the force constant of the impurity suggests that no change is introduced by the isoelectronic impurities. (author) [fr

  13. Acute CT perfusion changes in seizure patients presenting to the emergency department with stroke-like symptoms: correlation with clinical and electroencephalography findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Payabvash, S.; Oswood, M.C.; Truwit, C.L.; McKinney, A.M.

    2015-01-01

    Aim: To determine acute computed tomography perfusion (CTP) changes in seizure patients presenting with stroke-like symptoms and to correlate those changes with clinical presentation and electroencephalography (EEG). Materials and methods: The medical records of all patients who presented to the emergency department with acute stroke-like symptoms and underwent CTP (n=1085) over a 5.5-year period were reviewed. Patients were included who had primary seizure as the final diagnosis, and underwent CTP within 3 hours of symptom onset. A subset of patients had a follow-up EEG within 7 days. The perfusion changes and EEG findings were compared between different clinical presentations. Results: Eighteen of 1085 patients (1.7%) who underwent CTP following an acute stroke-like presentation were included. The abnormality on CTP was usually focal, unilateral hyperperfusion — increased relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and volume (rCBV) (n=14/18), which most often affected the temporal lobe. Those patients who presented with a motor or speech deficit (n=12) had a higher temporal lobe rCBV, and rCBF, and lower relative mean transit time (rMTT) compared to those with non-focal neurological deficit at presentation. Early EEG was available in 13 patients; a sharp-spike epileptiform EEG discharge pattern (n=5) was associated with higher temporal lobe ipsilateral rCBF and rCBV, and lower rMTT on admission CTP examination. Conclusion: Seizure patients who present with a unilateral motor or speech deficit most commonly have contralateral hyperperfusion in the corresponding eloquent brain regions on the acute-stage CTP examination. In such patients, epileptiform discharges on the early follow-up EEG are associated with ipsilateral hyperperfusion on the admission CTP. -- Highlights: •Seizure patients with stroke-mimic symptoms show contralateral hyperperfusion on acute phase CTP (<3 hours of onset). •Seizure patients with unilateral paralysis/aphasia showed asymmetric perfusion

  14. Quality of life of early stage colorectal cancer patients in Morocco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mrabti, Hind; Amziren, Mounia; ElGhissassi, Ibrahim; Bensouda, Youssef; Berrada, Narjiss; Abahssain, Halima; Boutayeb, Saber; El Fakir, Samira; Nejjari, Chakib; Benider, Abdellatif; Mellas, Nawfel; El Mesbahi, Omar; Bennani, Maria; Bekkali, Rachid; Zidouh, Ahmed; Errihani, Hassan

    2016-10-12

    A multicentre cohort study was held in Morocco, designed to evaluate the quality of life of cancer patients. The aim of this paper is to report the assessment of the quality of life of early colorectal cancer patients, before and after cancer treatment, to identify other factors which are related to this quality of life. We used the third version of the QLQ-C30 questionnaire of the European organization for Research and treatment of Cancer (EORTC) after a transcultural validation. The Data collection was done at inclusion and then every twelve weeks to achieve one year of follow up. Overall 294 patients presented with early colorectal cancer, the median age was 56 years (range: 21-88). The male-female sex ratio was 1.17. At inclusion, the global health status was the most affected functional dimension. For symptoms: financial difficulties and fatigue scores were the highest ones. Emotional and social functions were significantly worse in rectal cancer. Most symptoms were more present in rectal cancer. At inclusion, global health status score was significantly worse in stage III. Anorexia was significantly more important among colorectal female patients. For Patients over 70 years-old, the difference was statistically significant for the physical function item which was lower. Overall, Functional dimensions scores were improved after chemotherapy. The symptoms scores did not differ significantly for patients treated by radiotherapy, between inclusion and at one year. Our EORTC QLQ C30 scores are overall comparable to the reference values. Neither chemotherapy, nor radiotherapy worsened the quality of life at one year.

  15. Radiation Therapy Infrastructure and Human Resources in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Present Status and Projections for 2020

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Datta, Niloy R., E-mail: niloyranjan.datta@ksa.ch [Centre for Radiation Oncology, Kantonsspital Aarau - Kantonsspital Baden, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau (Switzerland); Samiei, Massoud [Consultancy Practice, Vienna (Austria); Bodis, Stephan [Centre for Radiation Oncology, Kantonsspital Aarau - Kantonsspital Baden, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland, and Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Zurich (Switzerland)

    2014-07-01

    Purpose: Radiation therapy, a key component of cancer management, is required in more than half of new cancer patients, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The projected rise in cancer incidence over the next decades in LMICs will result in an increasing demand for radiation therapy services. Considering the present cancer incidence and that projected for 2020 (as listed in GLOBOCAN), we evaluated the current and anticipated needs for radiation therapy infrastructure and staffing by 2020 for each of the LMICs. Methods and Materials: Based on World Bank classification, 139 countries fall in the category of LMICs. Details of teletherapy, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapy technologists were available for 84 LMICs from the International Atomic Energy Agency–Directory of Radiotherapy Centres (IAEA-DIRAC) database. Present requirements and those for 2020 were estimated according to recommendations from the IAEA and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO-QUARTS). Results: Only 4 of the 139 LMICs have the requisite number of teletherapy units, and 55 (39.5%) have no radiation therapy facilities at present. Patient access to radiation therapy in the remaining 80 LMICs ranges from 2.3% to 98.8% (median: 36.7%). By 2020, these 84 LMICs would additionally need 9169 teletherapy units, 12,149 radiation oncologists, 9915 medical physicists, and 29,140 radiation therapy technologists. Moreover, de novo radiation therapy facilities would have to be considered for those with no services. Conclusions: Twelve pragmatic steps are proposed for consideration at national and international levels to narrow the gap in radiation therapy access. Multipronged and coordinated action from all national and international stakeholders is required to develop realistic strategies to curb this impending global crisis.

  16. Radiation Therapy Infrastructure and Human Resources in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Present Status and Projections for 2020

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Datta, Niloy R.; Samiei, Massoud; Bodis, Stephan

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Radiation therapy, a key component of cancer management, is required in more than half of new cancer patients, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The projected rise in cancer incidence over the next decades in LMICs will result in an increasing demand for radiation therapy services. Considering the present cancer incidence and that projected for 2020 (as listed in GLOBOCAN), we evaluated the current and anticipated needs for radiation therapy infrastructure and staffing by 2020 for each of the LMICs. Methods and Materials: Based on World Bank classification, 139 countries fall in the category of LMICs. Details of teletherapy, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapy technologists were available for 84 LMICs from the International Atomic Energy Agency–Directory of Radiotherapy Centres (IAEA-DIRAC) database. Present requirements and those for 2020 were estimated according to recommendations from the IAEA and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO-QUARTS). Results: Only 4 of the 139 LMICs have the requisite number of teletherapy units, and 55 (39.5%) have no radiation therapy facilities at present. Patient access to radiation therapy in the remaining 80 LMICs ranges from 2.3% to 98.8% (median: 36.7%). By 2020, these 84 LMICs would additionally need 9169 teletherapy units, 12,149 radiation oncologists, 9915 medical physicists, and 29,140 radiation therapy technologists. Moreover, de novo radiation therapy facilities would have to be considered for those with no services. Conclusions: Twelve pragmatic steps are proposed for consideration at national and international levels to narrow the gap in radiation therapy access. Multipronged and coordinated action from all national and international stakeholders is required to develop realistic strategies to curb this impending global crisis

  17. Guidelines for patient-specific jawline definition with titanium implants in esthetic, deformity, and malformation surgery

    OpenAIRE

    Mommaerts, Maurice Yves

    2016-01-01

    Context: Asymmetry and unfavorable esthetics of the jawline have become possible to correct in three dimensions using computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing. Aims: The aim of this study was to provide esthetic, technical, and operative guidelines for mandibular angle and border augmentation using patient-specific titanium implants made by selective laser melting. Settings and Design: University hospital - prospective registry. Subjects and Methods: Twelve patients and 17 impla...

  18. [The long-term results of the application of the combined rehabilitative treatment in the patients presenting with knee osteoarthrosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razumov, A N; Purigа, A O; Yurova, O V

    2015-01-01

    The rehabilitative treatment of the patients suffering from knee osteoarthrosis (OA) up-to-date remains one of the most important medical and social problems of modern medicine due to the high prevalence of this disease, heavy morbidity, and the significant deterioration of the quality of the patients' life. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the long-term results of the combined application of radon and extracorporeal shock-wave therapy for the rehabilitation of the patients presenting with knee OA. The study involved 75 patients at the age from 35 to 62 years with the confirmed diagnosis of stage II and III knee osteoarthrosis. They were divided into 3 groups. Those comprising the main group received extracorporeal shock-wave therapy in combination with the treatment based on the use of radon baths. The patients included in the group of comparison were given a course of radon therapy alone while the patients of the control group received the standard treatment including physiotherapy, magnetic therapy, and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The study has demonstrated the high effectiveness of the combined application of the radon baths and extracorporeal shock-wave therapy that was manifested as the substantial decrease of pain intensity, the increased range of motion in the knee joints, and the improvement of the general quality of life. These beneficial effects persisted during a period of up to 12 months. The stable remission was documented in 82% of the patients comprising the main group. The data obtained give reason to recommend the method employed in the present study for the extensive practical application at different stages of medical rehabilitation of the patients presenting with knee osteoarthrosis.

  19. Epidemiology of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with liver failure: Clinical presentation, risk factors, and outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xuan; Yang, Meifang; Hu, Jianhua; Zhao, Hong; Li, Lanjuan

    2018-02-01

    Objective Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a severe and often lethal infection. The possible risk factors, clinical presentation, and treatment of patients with simultaneous liver failure and IPA have received little attention in previous studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of IPA in patients with liver failure in an effort to reduce patient mortality. Methods The patients with liver failure (including acute liver failure , sub-acute liver failure , acute-on-chronic liver failure and chronic liver failure) were recruited from 2011 to 2016. The clinical data of these patients were retrieved for the study. Results In total, 1077 patients with liver failure were included in this study. Of the 1077 patients, 53 (4.9%) had IPA. Forty-four (83%) patients with IPA died. Independent risk factors for IPA were male sex (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.542), hepatorenal syndrome (HR = 2.463), antibiotic use (HR = 4.631), and steroid exposure (HR = 18.615). Conclusions IPA is a fatal complication in patients with liver failure. Male sex, hepatorenal syndrome, antibiotic use, and steroid exposure were independent risk factors for IPA. When patients with liver failure have these risk factors and symptoms of pneumonia such as cough or hemoptysis, clinicians should be cautious about the possibility of IPA.

  20. Mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis in a patient with Kimura′s disease presenting as Nephrotic syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surendra Singh Rathore

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Kimura′s disease is a rare chronic eosinophilic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. Majority of cases have been reported from South East Asia, while sporadic occurrences have been reported worldwide, including the Indian subcontinent. Nephrotic syndrome may be the presenting manifestation of Kimura′s disease, and a variety of renal lesions are observed histologically in such patients. We herein describe a case of steroid-responsive mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis related to kimura′s disease.

  1. European ancestry predominates in neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis patients from Brazil.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doralina Guimarães Brum

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO is considered relatively more common in non-Whites, whereas multiple sclerosis (MS presents a high prevalence rate, particularly in Whites from Western countries populations. However, no study has used ancestry informative markers (AIMs to estimate the genetic ancestry contribution to NMO patients. METHODS: Twelve AIMs were selected based on the large allele frequency differences among European, African, and Amerindian populations, in order to investigate the genetic contribution of each ancestral group in 236 patients with MS and NMO, diagnosed using the McDonald and Wingerchuck criteria, respectively. All 128 MS patients were recruited at the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (MS-RP, Southeastern Brazil, as well as 108 healthy bone marrow donors considered as healthy controls. A total of 108 NMO patients were recruited from five Neurology centers from different Brazilian regions, including Ribeirão Preto (NMO-RP. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: European ancestry contribution was higher in MS-RP than in NMO-RP (78.5% vs. 68.7% patients. In contrast, African ancestry estimates were higher in NMO-RP than in MS-RP (20.5% vs. 12.5% patients. Moreover, principal component analyses showed that groups of NMO patients from different Brazilian regions were clustered close to the European ancestral population. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that European genetic contribution predominates in NMO and MS patients from Brazil.

  2. The Stability of DSM Personality Disorders over Twelve to Eighteen Years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nestadt, Gerald; Di, Chongzhi; Samuels, J F; Bienvenu, O J; Reti, I M; Costa, P; Eaton, William W; Bandeen-Roche, Karen

    2009-01-01

    Background Stability of personality disorders is assumed in most nomenclatures; however, the evidence for this is limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study is to investigate the stability of DSM-III personality disorders in a community sample of eastern Baltimore residents unselected for treatment. Methods Two hundred ninety four participants were examined on two occasions by psychiatrists using the same standardized examination twelve to eighteen years apart. All the DSM-III criteria for personality disorders were assessed. Item-response analysis was adapted into two approaches to assess the agreement between the personality measures on the two occasions. The first approach estimated stability in the underlying disorder, correcting for error in trait measurement, and the second approach estimated stability in the measured disorder, without correcting for item unreliability. Results Five of the ten personality disorders exhibited moderate stability in individuals: antisocial, avoidant, borderline, histrionic, and schizotypal. Associated estimated ICCs for stability of underlying disorder over time ranged between approximately 0.4 and 0.7–0.8. A sixth disorder, OCPD, exhibited appreciable stability with estimated ICC of approximately 0.2–0.3. Dependent, narcissistic, paranoid, and schizoid disorders were not demonstrably stable. Conclusions The findings suggest that six of the DSM personality disorder constructs themselves are stable, but that specific traits within the DSM categories are both of lesser importance than the constructs themselves and require additional specification. PMID:19656527

  3. Health care-seeking behavior among patients with chronic kidney disease: A cross-sectional study of patients presenting at a single teaching hospital in Lagos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babawale Taslim Bello

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Health care-seeking behavior of individuals determines how early they present for appropriate care. In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD, late presentation to the nephrologist is associated with poor outcomes. This study aims to describe the health care-seeking behavior of patients with CKD attending the nephrology outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital located in Lagos, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted on 104 consecutive adult patients with CKD, presenting for the first time at the nephrology outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital located in Lagos, South West Nigeria. Information was retrieved from the study participants using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, entered into an Excel spreadsheet, and analyzed using Epi Info® statistical software version 7.0. Results: Overall, 74 (71.2% patients sought help, first from a trained health care provider, and their health care-seeking behavior was adjudged to be appropriate. Compared to patients with appropriate health care-seeking behavior, those with inappropriate health care-seeking behavior had a lower mean age (40.4 ± 13.7 years vs 47.3 ± 15.6 years;P = 0.03, were less likely to see their illness as a medical problem (46.7% vs 67.6%;P = 0.04, more likely to have a monthly income less than N25,000 ($150 (80.0% vs 59.5%;P = 0.04, and have received below tertiary level education (20.0% vs 48.6%; P < 0.01. They were also more likely to have consulted more than one health care provider before being referred to our clinic. The factors predicting inappropriate health care-seeking behavior were education below the tertiary level and age less than 45 years. Conclusion: Though health care-seeking behavior was appropriate in majority of our patients with CKD, there remains a need for improved public health awareness.

  4. Metagenomic binning reveals the functional roles of core abundant microorganisms in twelve full-scale biogas plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Campanaro, Stefano; Treu, Laura; Kougias, Panagiotis

    2018-01-01

    and environmental factors on MAGs abundance and to investigate the methanogenic performance of the biogas plants. Prediction of the functional properties of MAGs was obtained analyzing their KEGG pathways and their carbohydrate active domains. Network analysis allowed investigation of species-species associations......The aim of this work was to elucidate the microbial ecology in twelve mesophilic and thermophilic full-scale biogas plants using a genome-centric metagenomic approach. In this study both biogas plants treating manure and those treating sludge from waste water treatment plants were considered...... and shed light on syntrophic interactions between members belonging to the anaerobic digestion dark matter (phylum Fermentibacteria). By stratifying and comparing different levels of information, it was predicted that some MAGs have a crucial role in the manure-supplemented thermophilic biogas plants...

  5. Bronchoscopic findings and bleeding control predict survival in patients with solid malignancies presenting with mild hemoptysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosu, Horiana B; Casal, Roberto F; Morice, Rodolfo C; Nogueras-González, Graciela M; Eapen, Georgie A; Ost, David; Sarkiss, Mona G; Jimenez, Carlos A

    2013-08-01

    Regardless of its volume, hemoptysis is a concerning symptom. Mild hemoptysis and its significance in patients with solid malignancies has not been studied. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with solid malignancies who presented for evaluation of mild hemoptysis. In this population, we studied the impact of bronchoscopic findings and endobronchial therapies on overall survival and bleeding recurrence. Patients were categorized into four groups on the basis of the presence or absence of active bleeding and endobronchial disease at the time of initial bronchoscopy: active bleeding with endobronchial lesion (AB/EBL), active bleeding without endobronchial lesion (AB/no-EBL), absence of active bleeding but with endobronchial lesion (no-AB/EBL), and absence of active bleeding and endobronchial lesion (no-AB/no-EBL). Ninety-five of the 112 patients with solid malignancies and mild hemoptysis underwent bronchoscopies. There was a significantly lower median survival time for patients with bronchoscopic findings of active bleeding and endobronchial lesion compared with patients with no active bleeding and/or no endobronchial lesion (3.48 mo; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.14-6.05). On a multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with improved survival were higher hemoglobin values (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.91) and cessation of hemoptysis without recurrence at 48 hours (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22-0.84). Variables independently associated with worse survival were disease stage (HR, 10.8; 95% CI, 2.53-46.08) and AB/EBL (HR, 3.20; 95% CI, 1.74-5.89). In patients with solid malignancies presenting with mild hemoptysis, bronchoscopic findings of AB/EBL are associated with decreased survival. Hemoptysis control without recurrence at 48 hours after endobronchial intervention may improve survival.

  6. Two Obese Patients with Presumptive Diagnosis of Anaphylactoid Syndrome of Pregnancy Presenting at a Community Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kradel, Brian K; Hinson, Scarlett B; Smith, Carr J

    2016-07-01

    Anaphylactoid syndrome of pregnancy (ASP) is a rare but extremely serious complication, with an estimated incidence in North America of 1 in 15 200 deliveries. Despite its rarity, ASP is responsible for approximately 10% of all childbirth-associated deaths in the United States. At present, there is no validated biomarker or specific set of risk factors sufficiently predictive of ASP risk to incorporate into clinical practice. Toward the goal of developing a methodology predictive of an impending ASP event for use by obstetricians, anesthesiologists, and other practitioners participating in infant deliveries, physicians encountering an ASP event have been encouraged to report the occurrence of a case and its biologically plausible risk factors. Herein, we report on 2 patients who presented with a presumptive diagnosis of ASP to the delivery unit of a community hospital. Patient One was a 21-year-old, obese (5'11" tall, 250 lbs., BMI 34.9) white female, 1 pregnancy, no live births (G1P0), estimated gestational age (EGA) 40.2 weeks. Patient Two was a 29-year-old, obese (5'7" tall, 307 lbs., BMI 48.1) Hispanic female, second pregnancy, with 1 previous live birth via C-section (G2P1-0-0-1). Her pregnancy was at gestational age 38 weeks plus 2 days. Patient One had 2 possible risk factors: administration of Pitocin to induce labor and post-coital spotting from recent intercourse. Patient Two suffered premature rupture of the placental membranes. Both Patient One and Patient Two had very high body mass indices (BMIs), at the 97th and 99th percentiles, respectively. In the relatively few cases of anaphylactoid syndrome of pregnancy described to date, this is the first report of a possible association with high BMI.

  7. Presentations and outcomes of patients with acute decompensated heart failure admitted in the winter season.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaneko, Hidehiro; Suzuki, Shinya; Goto, Masato; Arita, Takuto; Yuzawa, Yasufumi; Yagi, Naoharu; Murata, Nobuhiro; Yajima, Junji; Oikawa, Yuji; Sagara, Koichi; Otsuka, Takayuki; Matsuno, Shunsuke; Kano, Hiroto; Uejima, Tokuhisa; Nagashima, Kazuyuki; Kirigaya, Hajime; Sawada, Hitoshi; Aizawa, Tadanori; Yamashita, Takeshi

    2014-12-01

    Seasonal variations in cardiovascular disease is well recognized. However, little is known about the presentations and outcomes of Japanese heart failure (HF) patients in the winter season. We used a single hospital-based cohort from the Shinken Database 2004-2012, comprising all new patients (n=19,994) who visited the Cardiovascular Institute Hospital. A total of 375 patients who were admitted owing to acute decompensated HF were included in the analysis. Of these patients, 136 (36%) were admitted in winter. Winter was defined as the period between December and February. The HF patients admitted in winter were older, and had a higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus than the patients admitted in other seasons. Patients with conditions categorized as clinical scenario 1 tended to be admitted more commonly in winter. HF with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was more common in HF patients admitted in winter than in those admitted in other seasons. Beta-blocker use at hospital discharge was more common in the patients admitted in other seasons. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test results indicated that the incidences of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and HF admission were comparable between the patients admitted in winter and those admitted in other seasons. HF admission was frequently observed in the winter season and HF patients admitted in the winter season were older, and had higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and preserved LVEF suggesting that we might need to pay more attention for elderly patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and HF with preserved LVEF to decrease HF admissions in the winter season. Copyright © 2014 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Early assessment and identification of posttraumatic stress disorder, satisfaction with appearance and coping in patients with burns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahl, Oili; Wickman, Marie; Björnhagen, Viveca; Friberg, Mona; Wengström, Yvonne

    2016-12-01

    The first year after severe burn is a psychologically challenging period for the patient. Patients may still struggle with burn-related physical and psychological problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and body image dissatisfaction (BID). This study investigates the presence of PTSD, BID and coping, at three, six and twelve months after discharge for early identification of patients in need of focused support during rehabilitation. Fifty-two adult patients with different degrees of burns were followed at three, six and twelve months after discharge and 36 patients completed all assessment points. A standardized clinical protocol was used for systematic assessment of PTSD (IES-R), BID (SWAP-Swe) and Coping (CBQ). The follow-up included an intervention with a burn nurse as a complement to the existing program. Approximately half of the patients had a risk of developing PTSD three months after discharge from hospital, and body image dissatisfaction was found to potentially predict risk of PTSD during follow-up. The findings suggest that it is important to include patients with less extensive burns in follow-up as this group is at risk of development of PTSD. Using standardized questionnaires in early follow-up along with assessment of body image dissatisfaction may facilitate detection of psychological problems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  9. Cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reserve capacity in patients with occlusion or severe stenosis of cerebral arterial trunk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoshinaga, Shinya; Tanaka, Akira; Nakayama, Yoshiya; Tomonaga, Masamichi [Fukuoka Univ., Chikushino (Japan). Chikushi Hospital

    1997-12-01

    The cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the cerebrovascular reserve capacity (CVRC) were sequentially measured using a xenon enhanced CT scan in patients with transient ischemic attack or minor stroke due to an occlusion or a severe stenosis of the cerebral arterial trunk. The patients consisted of twelve males and one female ranging from 37 to 71 years of age (53 years on average). The vascular lesion was located in the internal carotid artery (7 patients) and in the middle cerebral artery (6 patients). Eleven patients received antiplatelet drug therapy, while two other patients underwent STA-MCA anastomosis. The CBF measurements were initially done within one month after the attack and then from 6 to 24 months (12 months on average) after the first study. Only one of 13 patients demonstrated a reattack during the period of observation and the CVRC decreased to 0% from the 14% level observed prior to the reattack, although the CBF was preserved. In the other twelve patients without a reattack, the CVRC was found to improve to 29.4% from 9.9% with statistical significance, even though the CBF remained the same in the first study. This study suggests hemodynamic insult to be closely related to the decreased in the CVRC, while STA-MCA anastomosis does not for prevent hemodynamic reattack based on a decrease in the CVRC in the early stage. (author)

  10. SPECT with 123I - iodolisuride in patients presenting a extra-pyramidal syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribeiro, M.J.; Baulieu, J.L.; Prunier-Levilion, C.; Januario, C.; Chossat, F.; Autret, A.; Guiloteau, D.; Bekhechi, D.; Pedroso de Lima, J.J.; Besnard, J.C.

    1997-01-01

    The SPECT with 123 I - iodolisuride has been effectuated in two centers (Coimbra and Tours) using cameras of different types in 28 patients presenting a Parkinson's disease (group 1) and 17 patients presenting an extra-pyramidal syndrome by striatal affliction (group 2), equally shared out between the two centers. The scintigraphy acquisition started 1 hour after a slow i.v. injection of labelled iodolisuride (0.02 to 0.07 ng/Kg of weight) with an activity 1.7 to 2.8 MBq of iodine 123. No undesirable effect was detected. The images observed on the sections crossing the central gray nuclei (CGN) were classified into 3 types defined according to visualisation of the CGN and/or the hemispheric cortex: type 1 - visible CGN and cortex un-visible; type 2 - visible CGN and cortex visible; type 3 - CGN and cortex visible. The associations expected were: group 1 - type 1 or 3; group 2 - type 2 or 3. In each center, independently of the utilized gamma camera, the obtained scintigraphic images were of high quality and interpretable. In the group 1, 28/29 scintigraphic images were classified as type 1 or 3 and 1/29 image was classified as type 2 while in the group 2, 14/17 images were classified as type 2 or 3 and 3/17 images as type 1. Consequently, this study concluded that the SPECT with 123 I - iodolisuride is achievable with any conventional tomographic camera and permits the classification of the extra-pyramidal syndromes as a function of striatal dopaminergic receptor waiting

  11. Management of brain metastasis in a patient with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma by gamma-knife radiosurgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolaou Marinos

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Brain metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC are rare events. We present a rare case of single ovarian cancer metastasis to the brain treated with gamma-knife radiosurgery (GKRS. Case Outline. A 65-year-old woman with advanced EOC presented with severe neurologic symptoms. A single brain metastasis of 3.2 cm with surrounding edema in the left parietal lobe was detected by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan during the work-up. The decision to perform GKRS was due to a surgical inaccessibility of intracranial lesion. Twelve weeks after the procedure, the MRI scan showed reduction in the diameter of brain metastasis and surrounding edema and the patient returned to good mental and motor performance. The patient survived for 22 months following treatment and died from a progressive intra-abdominal disease. Prognosis of ovarian cancer patients with brain metastases is generally poor regardless of treatment. Conclusion. Our case shows that GKRS as primary treatment modality for the control of ovarian cancer metastases to the brain was effective and can be considered as a treatment of choice if international selection criteria are followed.

  12. Acute CT perfusion changes in seizure patients presenting to the emergency department with stroke-like symptoms: correlation with clinical and electroencephalography findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payabvash, S; Oswood, M C; Truwit, C L; McKinney, A M

    2015-10-01

    To determine acute computed tomography perfusion (CTP) changes in seizure patients presenting with stroke-like symptoms and to correlate those changes with clinical presentation and electroencephalography (EEG). The medical records of all patients who presented to the emergency department with acute stroke-like symptoms and underwent CTP (n=1085) over a 5.5-year period were reviewed. Patients were included who had primary seizure as the final diagnosis, and underwent CTP within 3 hours of symptom onset. A subset of patients had a follow-up EEG within 7 days. The perfusion changes and EEG findings were compared between different clinical presentations. Eighteen of 1085 patients (1.7%) who underwent CTP following an acute stroke-like presentation were included. The abnormality on CTP was usually focal, unilateral hyperperfusion - increased relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and volume (rCBV) (n=14/18), which most often affected the temporal lobe. Those patients who presented with a motor or speech deficit (n=12) had a higher temporal lobe rCBV, and rCBF, and lower relative mean transit time (rMTT) compared to those with non-focal neurological deficit at presentation. Early EEG was available in 13 patients; a sharp-spike epileptiform EEG discharge pattern (n=5) was associated with higher temporal lobe ipsilateral rCBF and rCBV, and lower rMTT on admission CTP examination. Seizure patients who present with a unilateral motor or speech deficit most commonly have contralateral hyperperfusion in the corresponding eloquent brain regions on the acute-stage CTP examination. In such patients, epileptiform discharges on the early follow-up EEG are associated with ipsilateral hyperperfusion on the admission CTP. Copyright © 2015 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Trends in presentation, management and survival of patients with de novo metastatic breast cancer in a Southeast Asian setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bhoo Pathy, Nirmala; Verkooijen, Helena Marieke; Tan, Ern-Yu; Miao, Hui; Taib, Nur Aishah Mohd; Brand, Judith S.; Dent, Rebecca A.; See, Mee-Hoong; Subramaniam, ShriDevi; Chan, Patrick; Lee, Soo-Chin; Hartman, Mikael; Yip, Cheng-Har

    2015-01-01

    Up to 25% of breast cancer patients in Asia present with de novo metastatic disease. We examined the survival trends of Asian patients with metastatic breast cancer over fifteen years. The impact of changes in patient's demography, tumor characteristics, tumor burden, and treatment on survival trend

  14. Young patients with colorectal cancer have poor survival in the first twenty months after operation and predictable survival in the medium and long-term: Analysis of survival and prognostic markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wickramarachchi RE

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives This study compares clinico-pathological features in young (50 years with colorectal cancer, survival in the young and the influence of pre-operative clinical and histological factors on survival. Materials and methods A twelve year prospective database of colorectal cancer was analysed. Fifty-three young patients were compared with forty seven consecutive older patients over fifty years old. An analysis of survival was undertaken in young patients using Kaplan Meier graphs, non parametric methods, Cox's Proportional Hazard Ratios and Weibull Hazard models. Results Young patients comprised 13.4 percent of 397 with colorectal cancer. Duration of symptoms and presentation in the young was similar to older patients (median, range; young patients; 6 months, 2 weeks to 2 years, older patients; 4 months, 4 weeks to 3 years, p > 0.05. In both groups, the majority presented without bowel obstruction (young - 81%, older - 94%. Cancer proximal to the splenic flexure was present more in young than in older patients. Synchronous cancers were found exclusively in the young. Mucinous tumours were seen in 16% of young and 4% of older patients (p Conclusion If patients, who are less than 40 years old with colorectal cancer, survive twenty months after operation, the prognosis improves and their survival becomes predictable.

  15. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: A typical presentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Algahtani, Hussein A.; Obeid, Tahir H.; Abuzinadah, Ahmad R.; Baeesa, Saleh S.

    2007-01-01

    Objective was to describe the clinical features of 5 patients with rare atypical presentation of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), and propose the possible mechanism of this atypical presentation. We carried out a retrospective study of 5 patients, admitted at King Khalid National Guard Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with IIH during the period from January 2001 to December 2005. All were females with their age ranges from 24 to 40 years. The clinical presentations, the laboratory and imaging studies were analyzed. The opening pressures of the lumbar puncture tests were documented. All patients were presented with headache. One had typical pain of trigeminal neuralgia and one with neck pain and radiculopathy. Facial diplegia was present in one patient and two patients had bilateral 6th cranial neuropathy. Papilledema was present in all patients except in one patient. Imaging study was normal in all patients, and they had a very high opening pressure during lumbar puncture, except in one patient. All patients achieved full recovery with medical therapy in 6 to 12 weeks with no relapse during the mean follow up of 2 years. Atypical finding in IIH are rare and require a high index of suspicion for early diagnosis. (author)

  16. Peer teaching in medical education: twelve reasons to move from theory to practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ten Cate, Olle; Durning, Steven

    2007-09-01

    To provide an estimation of how often peer teaching is applied in medical education, based on reports in the literature and to summarize reasons that support the use of this form of teaching. We surveyed the 2006 medical education literature and categorised reports of peer teaching according to educational distance between students teaching and students taught, group size, and level of formality of the teaching. Subsequently, we analysed the rationales for applying peer teaching. Most reports were published abstracts in either Medical Education's annual feature 'Really Good Stuff' or the AMEE's annual conference proceedings. We identified twelve distinct reasons to apply peer teaching, including 'alleviating faculty teaching burden', 'providing role models for junior students', 'enhancing intrinsic motivation' and 'preparing physicians for their future role as educators'. Peer teaching appears to be practiced often, but many peer teaching reports do not become full length journal articles. We conclude that specifically 'near-peer teaching' appears beneficial for student teachers and learners as well as for the organisation. The analogy of the 'journeyman', as intermediate between 'apprentice' and 'master', with both learning and teaching tasks, is a valuable but yet under-recognized source of education in the medical education continuum.

  17. Estimation of admixture of twelve quark bag state in sup 4 He nucleus

    CERN Document Server

    Mosallem, A M

    2002-01-01

    The p sup 4 He elastic scattering at the energy range from 0.695 to 393 GeV is analyzed in the framework of the Glauber theory. The Glauber amplitudes were evaluated using isospin-averaged nucleon-nucleon amplitudes and the sup 4 He wave function as a superposition of the Gaussian functions. The values of the calculated differential cross sections usually exceed the experimental ones. In order to overcome the discrepancy, it is assumed following to the paper by L. G. Dakno and N. N. Nikolaev that the ground state wave function of sup 4 He has an admixture of a twelve quark bag. Neglecting all transition amplitudes, the p - 12q bag scattering amplitude was chosen in a simple Gaussian form.The inclusion of the 12q bag leads to decreasing the p sup 4 He differential cross section and to a shift of the dip position to a large values of t what is needed for a successful description of the experimental data. While fitting the data it is found that the weight of the 12q bag state in the ground state of the sup 4 He ...

  18. Oxaliplatin-induced acquired long QT syndrome with torsades de pointes and myocardial injury in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy and rectal cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rei-Yeuh Chang

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available A 67-year-old woman presented with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure since 2003, who subsequently developed lower rectal cancer (adenocarcinoma with liver, bone, and lymph node metastasis. Abdominoperineal resection and hepatectomy were performed. The patient received two rounds of intravenous chemotherapy, including 12 and six courses of FOLFOX4 (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin; 85 mg/m2 per cycle. She underwent a third round of intravenous FOLFOX4 because of tumor progression. During the 21st course of FOLFOX4 regimen, the patient developed ST segment depression in lead II and prolongation of QT interval with polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, torsades de pointes right after the start of oxaliplatin infusion. Immediate defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation were administered, and the patient regained spontaneous circulation and consciousness. Twelve-lead electrocardiogram showed ST segment elevation in III, aVF, and ST segment depression in V4–6 after resuscitation. To our knowledge, prolongation of QT interval with torsades de pointes and coronary spasm with myocardial injury that were stabilized in one patient following oxaliplatin infusion has not been reported. We present a patient with these rare complications.

  19. Lead intoxication: a summary of the clinical presentation among Thai patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiwanitkit, Viroj; Suwansaksri, Jamsai

    2006-08-01

    Lead is an important toxic metal found in industrial communities. Due to the industrialization in the recent decade in Thailand, lead intoxication as a toxicant-related disorder becomes a new public health problem. A retrospective study on clinical presentation of hospitalized patients with diagnosis of lead intoxication during year 1990-1999 in King Chulalongkorn Memorial hospital, the largest Thai Red Cross Society Hospital, was performed. All 14 cases diagnosed with lead intoxication were identified in our series. Average age of the subjects was 25.55 +/- 21.93 years old. Male predominance was detected in our series (male:female = 12:2). Two main groups of subjects as; (1) childhood aged below 10 years old (male:female = 4:2) and (2) adult aged between 24 and 60 years old (n = 8, all male), can be identified. For the first group, the clinical presentations were convulsion (n = 3), unexplained anemia (n = 1), attention deficit (n = 1) and asymptomatic (n = 1), respectively. All of the subjects in this group presented the history of living at the old battery plant area. Five of the six cases came from the same village. For the second group, the clinical presentations were unexplained abdominal pain (n = 5), chronic renal failure (n = 1), unexplained anemia (n = 1) and asymptomatic (n = 1), respectively. Most of the subjects (75%) in this group presented the history of working in the battery plant for more than 10 years. Another case presented the history of gunshot and residual bullet in the bone marrow. The other one left is an interesting case with the history of prolonged usage of ritual pill and holy paper incineration. Like other studies, battery plant had strong relation with the lead intoxication. Although the total identified cases are rather few, there may be more undetected asymptomatic lead intoxication cases in the community. Specific control of lead resulted from battery plant and monitoring of the workers as public health strategies are still

  20. Characteristics of patients presenting to the vascular emergency department of a tertiary care hospital: a 2-year study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kotsikoris Ioannis

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The structure of health care in Greece is receiving increased attention to improve its cost-effectiveness. We sought to examine the epidemiological characteristics of patients presenting to the vascular emergency department of a Greek tertiary care hospital during a 2-year period. We studied all patients presenting to the emergency department of vascular surgery at Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Greece between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2010. Results Overall, 2452 (49.4% out of 4961 patients suffered from pathologies that should have been treated in primary health care. Only 2509 (50.6% needed vascular surgical intervention. Conclusions The emergency department of vascular surgery in a Greek tertiary care hospital has to treat a remarkably high percentage of patients suitable for the primary health care level. These results suggest that an improvement in the structure of health care is needed in Greece.

  1. Aerobic training in aquatic environment improves the position sense of stroke patients: A randomized clinical trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávia de Andrade e Souza Mazuchi

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract AIMS (Stroke patients often present sensory-motor alterations and less aerobic capacity. Joint position sense, which is crucial for balance and gait control, is also affected in stroke patients. To compare the effect of two exercise training protocols (walking in deep water and on a treadmill on the knee position sense of stroke patients. METHODS This study was designed as a randomized controlled clinical trial. Twelve adults, who suffered a stroke at least one year prior to the start of the study, were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1 pool group submitted to aerobic deep water walking training; and 2 the treadmill group which was submitted to aerobic walk on a treadmill. Measurements: The position sense, absolute error and variable error, of the knee joint was evaluated prior to and after nine weeks of aerobic training. RESULTS The pool group presented smaller absolute (13.9o versus 6.1o; p < 0.05 and variable (9.2o versus 3.9o; p < 0.05 errors after nine-weeks gait training than the treadmill group. CONCLUSIONS Nine-week aerobic exercise intervention in aquatic environment improved precision in the position sense of the knee joint of stroke patients, suggesting a possible application in a rehabilitation program.

  2. Trastuzumab (Herceptin)-associated cardiomyopathy presented as new onset of complete left bundle-branch block mimicking acute coronary syndrome: a case report and literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tu, Chung-Ming; Chu, Kai-Ming; Yang, Shin-Ping; Cheng, Shu-Mung; Wang, Wen-Been

    2009-09-01

    Trastuzumab (Herceptin) is well documented in reducing suffering and mortality from breast cancer. The clinically most important side effect of Herceptin is cardiotoxicity, which is reported in 2.6% to 4.5% of patients receiving trastuzumab alone and in as many as 27% of patients when trastuzumab is combined with an anthracycline in metastatic disease. We reported the case of a 50-year-old woman who presented to our emergency department (ED) because of chest pain and shortness of breath. On physical examination, holosystolic murmur over apex could be heard. Pulmonary and abdominal examinations were unremarkable. Twelve-lead electrocardiography showed sinus tachycardia and new onset of complete left bundle-branch block. Emergent transthoracic echocardiography revealed generalized hypokinesia of left ventricle and akinesia over interventricular septum and apex. She subsequently underwent immediate coronary angiography that revealed normal coronary angiography, and left ventriculogram revealed generalized hypokinesia with severe left ventricle dysfunction with ejection fraction of 33%. During right heart catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy, cardiac tamponade developed and was successfully relieved by pericardial window. She was discharged event-free 3 weeks later with conservative treatment. Although new onset of complete left bundle-branch block in a patient with chest pain may be acute coronary syndrome, careful review of medicine history is mandatory to avoid unnecessary procedure and complications.

  3. Diabetes Insipidus: An Unusual Presentation of Adenocarcinoma of the Lung in a Patient with no Identifiable Lung Mass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulati, Shuchi; Kiefer, Christoper; Karim, Nagla Abdel

    2015-10-01

    Lung cancers are known to metastasize to unusual sites. Despite this knowledge often times the diagnosis of a primary lung cancer gets delayed especially when the patient presents without respiratory symptoms. The patient discussed in our review is a 47-year-old female, smoker who had presented to several hospitals with months of headache, nausea and intermittent episodes of vomiting. She was noted to have hypernatremia due to diabetes insipidus and a pituitary lesion on her magnetic resonance images. The pituitary mass on biopsy was found to represent a metastatic focus from a primary lung adenocarcinoma. Clinicians should be aware of malignancies that are well known to metastasize to the posterior pituitary. Conversely, since not every patient presents with symptoms of metastasis, there is a need to recognize the clinical syndromes (e. g., diabetes insipidus-like symptoms or more subtle symptoms like cranial nerve palsies) associated with potential metastasis to the pituitary.

  4. Influence of presenting electrocardiographic findings on the treatment and outcomes of patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Jigar H; Gupta, Raghav; Roe, Matthew T; Peng, S Andrew; Wiviott, Stephen D; Saucedo, Jorge F

    2014-01-15

    The influence of the presenting electrocardiographic (ECG) findings on the treatment and outcomes of patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) has not been studied in contemporary practice. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, in-hospital management, and in-hospital outcomes of patients with NSTEMI in the Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry-Get With The Guidelines (ACTION Registry-GWTG) according to the presenting ECG findings. A total of 175,556 patients from 485 sites from January 2007 to September 2011 were stratified by the ECG findings on presentation: ST depression (n = 40,146, 22.9%), T-wave inversions (n = 24,627, 14%), transient ST-segment elevation (n = 5,050, 2.9%), and no ischemic changes (n = 105,733, 60.2%). Patients presenting with ST-segment depression were the oldest and had the greatest prevalence of major cardiac risk factors. Coronary angiography was performed most frequently in the transient ST-segment elevation group, followed by the T-wave inversion, ST-segment depression, and no ischemic changes groups. The angiogram revealed that patients with ST-segment depression had more left main, proximal left anterior descending, and 3-vessel coronary artery disease and underwent coronary artery bypass grafting most often. In contrast, patients with transient ST-segment elevation had 1-vessel CAD and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention the most. The unadjusted mortality was highest in the ST-segment depression group, followed by the no ischemic changes, transient ST-segment elevation, and T-wave inversion group. Adjusted mortality using the ACTION Registry-GWTG in-hospital mortality model with the no ischemic changes group as the reference showed that in-hospital mortality was similar in the transient ST-segment elevation (odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 0.97 to 1.37; p = 0.10), higher in the ST-segment depression group (odds ratio 1.46, 95% confidence interval 1

  5. Encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with Graves' disease: clinical manifestations, follow-up, and outcomes.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Tamagno, Gianluca

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: The encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease (EAATD) is characterized by neurological\\/psychiatric symptoms, high levels of anti-thyroid antibodies, increased cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration, non-specific electroencephalogram abnormalities, and responsiveness to the corticosteroid treatment in patients with an autoimmune thyroid disease. Almost all EAATD patients are affected by Hashimoto\\'s thyroiditis (HT), although fourteen EAATD patients with Graves\\' disease (GD) have been also reported. METHODS: We have recorded and analyzed the clinical, biological, radiological, and electrophysiological findings and the data on the therapeutic management of all GD patients with EAATD reported so far as well as the clinical outcomes in those followed-up in the long term. RESULTS: Twelve of the fourteen patients with EAATD and GD were women. The majority of GD patients with EAATD presented with mild hyperthyroidism at EAATD onset or shortly before it. Active anti-thyroid autoimmunity was detected in all cases. Most of the patients dramatically responded to corticosteroids. The long term clinical outcome was benign but EAATD can relapse, especially at the time of corticosteroid dose tapering or withdrawal. GD and HT patients with EAATD present with a similar clinical, biological, radiological, and electrophysiological picture and require an unaffected EAATD management. CONCLUSIONS: GD and HT equally represent the possible background condition for the development of EAATD, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all patients with encephalopathy of unknown origin and an autoimmune thyroid disease, regardless of the nature of the underlying autoimmune thyroid disease.

  6. Encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with Graves' disease: clinical manifestations, follow-up, and outcomes

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Tamagno, Gianluca

    2010-04-28

    Abstract Background The encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease (EAATD) is characterized by neurological\\/psychiatric symptoms, high levels of anti-thyroid antibodies, increased cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration, non-specific electroencephalogram abnormalities, and responsiveness to the corticosteroid treatment in patients with an autoimmune thyroid disease. Almost all EAATD patients are affected by Hashimoto\\'s thyroiditis (HT), although fourteen EAATD patients with Graves\\' disease (GD) have been also reported. Methods We have recorded and analyzed the clinical, biological, radiological, and electrophysiological findings and the data on the therapeutic management of all GD patients with EAATD reported so far as well as the clinical outcomes in those followed-up in the long term. Results Twelve of the fourteen patients with EAATD and GD were women. The majority of GD patients with EAATD presented with mild hyperthyroidism at EAATD onset or shortly before it. Active anti-thyroid autoimmunity was detected in all cases. Most of the patients dramatically responded to corticosteroids. The long term clinical outcome was benign but EAATD can relapse, especially at the time of corticosteroid dose tapering or withdrawal. GD and HT patients with EAATD present with a similar clinical, biological, radiological, and electrophysiological picture and require an unaffected EAATD management. Conclusions GD and HT equally represent the possible background condition for the development of EAATD, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all patients with encephalopathy of unknown origin and an autoimmune thyroid disease, regardless of the nature of the underlying autoimmune thyroid disease.

  7. Encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with Graves' disease: clinical manifestations, follow-up, and outcomes.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Tamagno, Gianluca

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease (EAATD) is characterized by neurological\\/psychiatric symptoms, high levels of anti-thyroid antibodies, increased cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration, non-specific electroencephalogram abnormalities, and responsiveness to the corticosteroid treatment in patients with an autoimmune thyroid disease. Almost all EAATD patients are affected by Hashimoto\\'s thyroiditis (HT), although fourteen EAATD patients with Graves\\' disease (GD) have been also reported. METHODS: We have recorded and analyzed the clinical, biological, radiological, and electrophysiological findings and the data on the therapeutic management of all GD patients with EAATD reported so far as well as the clinical outcomes in those followed-up in the long term. RESULTS: Twelve of the fourteen patients with EAATD and GD were women. The majority of GD patients with EAATD presented with mild hyperthyroidism at EAATD onset or shortly before it. Active anti-thyroid autoimmunity was detected in all cases. Most of the patients dramatically responded to corticosteroids. The long term clinical outcome was benign but EAATD can relapse, especially at the time of corticosteroid dose tapering or withdrawal. GD and HT patients with EAATD present with a similar clinical, biological, radiological, and electrophysiological picture and require an unaffected EAATD management. CONCLUSIONS: GD and HT equally represent the possible background condition for the development of EAATD, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all patients with encephalopathy of unknown origin and an autoimmune thyroid disease, regardless of the nature of the underlying autoimmune thyroid disease.

  8. The Danish patient safety experience: the Act on Patient Safety in the Danish Health care system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lundgaard, Mette; Rabøl, Louise; Jensen, Elisabeth Agnete Brøgger

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes the process that lead to the passing of the Act for Patient Safety in the Danisk health care sytem, the contents of the act and how the act is used in the Danish health care system. The act obligates frontline health care personnel to report adverse events, hospital owners...... to act on the reports and the National Board of Health to commuicate the learning nationally. The act protects health care providers from sanctions as a result of reporting. In January 2004, the Act on Patient Safety in the Danish health care system was put into force. In the first twelve months 5740...... adverse events were reported. the reports were analyzed locally (hospital and region), anonymized ad then sent to the National Board af Health. The Act on Patient Safety has driven the work with patient safety forward but there is room for improvement. Continuous and improved feedback from all parts...

  9. Biventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy in a Patient Presenting with New Onset Seizure: Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oghenerukevwe Odiete

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Ventricular noncompaction (VNC of the myocardium is a rare genetic cardiomyopathy caused by a disorder during endocardial morphogenesis and could be accompanied by life-threatening complications. The major clinical manifestations of VNC are heart failure, arrhythmias, and embolic events. The left ventricle is the most commonly reported affected site, but a few cases of right ventricular involvement have also been reported. We report a case of biventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy in a 31-year-old woman presenting with a new onset seizure. On the second day of her telemetry-monitored hospitalization, she suffered a witnessed ventricular fibrillation arrest requiring emergency direct-current cardioversion and induced hypothermia. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE showed isolated left ventricular (LV noncompaction and depressed LV systolic function. Subsequent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI revealed both left and right ventricular noncompaction. This unusual presentation highlights the importance of a complete and thorough evaluation of patients even when presenting with apparently noncardiac symptom(s.

  10. The social, cultural and medicinal use of kava for twelve Tongan born men living in Auckland, New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nosa, Vili; Ofanoa, Malakai

    2009-02-01

    Kava consumption is a very popular practise amongst Pacific people especially amongst the Tongan communities. The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the key cultural, social and medicinal elements of kava use amongst Tongan men. Twelve face to face interviews in this study were undertaken. The paper argues that kava drinking is strongly linked to many of the ceremonial, social and cultural obligations that are deeply embedded within the Tongan culture. The positive uses of kava include medicinal purposes, male bonding, alternative to alcohol consumption, reaffirming and establishing relationships amongst other Tongan men, The men also stated negative uses of kava such as it made them lazy, tired so they were not able to go to work, a lack of sexual activities by being too tired have sex with their partners, and very expensive to buy in New Zealand. The aim of this paper is to discuss and examine the social, cultural and medicinal kava use amongst twelve Tongan born men living in Auckland, New Zealand. The study used qualitative methods, specifically individual interviews were conducted in Tongan or English. Participants were recruited through community networks in Auckland. A number of Tongan churches, Tongan medical clinics such as Langimailie, and kava clubs were approached to recruit participants. The open ended interview schedule covered themes such as access, quantity, frequency, and problems associated with kava use. The interviews were conducted by a Tongan researcher either in English or Tongan. All interviews were translated and transcribed into English. A thematic analysis based on multiple readings of the transcripts was used The analysis identified commonalities and differences. The study was granted ethical approval by the University of Auckland Human Subjects Ethics Committee in December 2004. Interviews were conducted at the beginning of 2005. Interviews were undertaken in a place where the participants felt comfortable. Interview times

  11. Is there a role for prophylactic colectomy in Lynch syndrome patients with inflammatory bowel disease?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, Kate L; Aronson, Melyssa D; Cohen, Zane

    2016-01-01

    Lynch syndrome and chronic inflammatory bowel disease are two important risk factors for colorectal cancer. It is unclear whether Lynch syndrome patients with inflammatory bowel disease are at sufficiently increased risk for colorectal cancer to warrant prophylactic colectomy. This study aims to identify all cases of Lynch syndrome and concurrent inflammatory bowel disease in a large familial gastrointestinal cancer registry, define incidence of colorectal cancer, and characterize mismatch repair protein gene mutation status and inflammatory bowel disease-associated colorectal cancer risk factors. We retrospectively identified and collected clinical data for all cases with confirmed diagnoses of Lynch syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease in the Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Twelve cases of confirmed Lynch syndrome, and concurrent inflammatory bowel disease were identified. Four cases developed colorectal cancer. An additional five cases had colectomy; one was performed for severe colitis, and four were performed for low-grade dysplasia. None of these surgical specimens contained malignancy or high-grade dysplasia. The presentation of Lynch syndrome with inflammatory bowel disease is uncommon and not well described in the literature. This small but important series of twelve cases is the largest reported to date. In this series, patients with Lynch syndrome and concurrent inflammatory bowel disease do not appear to have sufficiently increased risk for colorectal cancer to recommend prophylactic surgery. Therefore, the decision to surgery should continue to be guided by surgical indications for each disease. Further evaluation of this important area will require multi-institutional input.

  12. Risk assessment of K Basin twelve-inch and four-inch drain valve failure from a postulated seismic initiating event

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MORGAN, R.G.

    1999-06-23

    The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project will transfer metallic SNF from the Hanford 105 K-East and 105 K-West Basins to safe interim storage in the Canister Storage Building in the 200 Area. The initial basis for design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the fuel removal systems was that the basin leak rate which could result from a postulated accident condition would not be excessive relative to reasonable recovery operations. However, an additional potential K Basin water leak path is through the K Basin drain valves. Three twelve-inch drain valves are located in the main basin bays along the north wall. Five four-inch drain valves are located in the north and south loadout pits (NLOP and SLOP), the weasel pit, the technical viewing pit, and the discharge chute pit. The sumps containing the valves are filled with concrete which covers the drain valve body. Visual observations indicate that only the valve's bonnet and stem are exposed above the basin concrete floor for the twelve-inch drain valve and that much less of the valve's bonnet and stem are exposed above the basin concrete floor for the five four-inch drain valves. It was recognized, however, that damage of the drain valve bonnet or stem during a seismic initiating event could provide a potential K Basin water leak path. The objectives of this analysis are to: (1) evaluate the likelihood of damaging the three twelve-inch drain valves located along the north wall of the main basin and the five four-inch drain valves located in the pits from a seismic initiating event, and (2) determine the likelihood of exceeding a specific consequence (initial leak rate) from a damaged valve. The analysis process is a risk-based uncertainty analysis where each variable is modeled using available information and engineering judgement. The uncertainty associated with each variable is represented by a probability distribution (probability density function). Uncertainty exists because of the inherent

  13. Increased strength of the scapular stabilizer and lumbar muscles after twelve weeks of Pilates training using the Reformer machine: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dos Santos, Núbia Tomain Otoni; Raimundo, Karoline Cipriano; da Silva, Sheila Aparecida; Souza, Lara Andrade; Ferreira, Karoline Carregal; Borges Santo Urbano, Zuleika Ferreira; Gasparini, Andréa Licre Pessina; Bertoncello, Dernival

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this work was to analyze muscle strength in Pilates novices who used the Reformer equipment during twelve training sessions. Twenty-four healthy young female volunteers, who were non-smokers and did not exercise regularly, were split into a control group (mean age 28 ± 4 years and BMI 24.55 ± 3.21 kg/m 2 ) and a training group (mean age 29 ± 4 years and BMI 22.69 ± 2.87 kgm 2 ). The data were checked for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and were then analyzed using the t-test (p Pilates group). The corresponding values for the lumbar muscles were 53.83 ± 11.66/53.28 ± 11.14 (control group) and 54.75 ± 10.27/64.80 ± 10.20 (Pilates group). After twelve sessions of Pilates with the Reformer equipment, there were improvements in lumbar extensor and scapular stabilizer strength. Several benefits are reported by practitioners of Pilates, but until now, there has been limited scientific evidence of the improvement of strength in the trunk and limbs after application of the technique. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Evaluating the practice of Iranian community pharmacists regarding oral contraceptive pills using simulated patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foroutan, Nazanin; Dabaghzadeh, Fatemeh

    2016-01-01

    As oral contraceptive pills are available over the counter in pharmacies, pharmacists are professionally responsible for checking and informing patients about every aspect of taking these drugs. Simulated patient method is a new and robust way to evaluate professional performance of pharmacists. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the pharmacy practice of Iranian pharmacists regarding over-the-counter use of oral contraceptive pills using simulated patient method. Simulated patients visited pharmacy with a prescription containing ciprofloxacin and asked for oral contraceptive pills. The pharmacist was expected to ask important questions for using these drugs and to inform the patient about them properly. Moreover, the Pharmacists should advise patients in regard to the possible interaction. Ninety four pharmacists participated in this study. In 24 (25.3%) visits, the liable pharmacist was not present at the time of purchase. Furthermore, In 13 (18.57 %) visits by the simulated patients, the liable pharmacists did not pay any attention to the simulated patients even when they asked for consultation. Twenty nine (41.43%) pharmacists did not ask any question during dispensing. Nausea was the most frequent described side effect by pharmacists (27 (38.57%)). Yet important adverse effects of oral contraceptive pills were not mentioned by the pharmacists except for few ones. Only twelve (17.14%) pharmacists mentioned the possible interaction. There was a significant relation between the pharmacists' gender and detection of possible interaction (p value= 0.048). The quality of the pharmacists' consultations regarding the over the counter use of oral contraceptive pills was not satisfactory and required improvement.

  15. [The potential of general magnetic therapy for the rehabilitation of the patients presenting with hemorrhagic forms of erysipelas].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzovleva, E V

    2014-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to evaluate the possibility and effectiveness of the application of general magnetic therapy for the combined treatment and rehabilitation of the patients presenting with hemorrhagic forms of erysipelas. A total of 102 patients were examined and treated; they were divided into two (control and study) groups matched for age and the main clinical manifestations of the disease. All the patients were given basal therapy, those in the study group were additionally treated using general magnetic therapy. It was shown that the inclusion of this procedure in the combined treatment of hemorrhagic forms of erysipelas promoted rapid and well-apparent elimination of the local inflammatory process, reduced oedema of the affected extremity, improved tissue trophicity, and stimulated microcirculation.

  16. Patient with Small Cell Lung Carcinoma and Suspected Right Upper Lobe Abscess Presenting with a Purulent Pericardial Effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goel, Khushboo; Ateeli, Huthayfa; Ampel, Neil M; L'heureux, Dena

    2016-07-22

    BACKGROUND Cardiac tamponade caused by pericardial effusion has a high mortality rate; thus, it is important to diagnose and treat this condition immediately. Specifically, bacterial pericarditis, although now very rare, is often fatal because of its fulminant process. CASE REPORT We present a case of a 61-year-old man with metastatic small cell lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy who presented with fatigue, poor appetite, and altered mental status. He was found to have a large-volume pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology. He underwent emergent pericardiocentesis. The pericardial effusion was nonmalignant, with cultures growing Streptococcus pneumoniae. It was only after his emergent pericardiocentesis that previous imaging from one month prior was able to be reviewed, which showed possible right upper lobe abscess. CONCLUSIONS Most pericardial effusions in cancer patients are related to their malignancy, either due to direct metastasis or secondary physiologic effects. This case is a unique example of a lung cancer patient presenting with a pneumococcal pericardial effusion, which in itself is a rare phenomenon. This case report demonstrates the importance of considering early antibiotic therapy in patients presenting with pericardial effusion, especially given the high mortality rates of infectious pericardial effusions.

  17. Predictors of Urgent Findings on Abdominopelvic CT in Patients with Crohn's Disease Presenting to the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Yoon Suk; Park, Dong Il; Hong, Sung Noh; Kim, Eun Ran; Kim, Young Ho; Cheon, Jae Hee; Eun, Chang Soo; Han, Dong Soo; Lee, Chang Kyun; Kim, Jae Hak; Huh, Kyu Chan; Yoon, Soon Man; Song, Hyun Joo; Shin, Jeong Eun; Jeon, Seong Ran

    2015-04-01

    Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are frequently exposed to diagnostic radiation, mainly as a result of abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT) examinations. However, there are limited data on the impact of APCT on clinical management in this population. To investigate clinical predictors of urgent findings on APCT in patients with CD who presented to the emergency department (ED). A retrospective study was performed among patients with CD presenting to 11 EDs with a gastrointestinal complaint. The primary outcome, OPAN (obstruction, perforation, abscess, or non-CD-related urgent findings), included new or worsening CD-related urgent findings or non-CD-related urgent findings that required urgent or emergency treatment. Variables with P 100 beats/min (OR 2.33, 95 % CI 1.10-4.93), leukocyte count >10,000/mm(3) (OR 4.38, 95 % CI 2.10-9.13), and CRP >2.5 mg/dL (OR 3.11, 95 % CI 1.23-7.86) were identified as the independent predictors of OPAN, whereas biologic agent use (OR 0.37; 95 % CI 0.15-0.90) was identified as the negative predictor in patients with CD. Only 39 % of the APCTs performed in the ED among patients with CD showed urgent findings. Stricturing or penetrating disease, tachycardia, leukocytosis, and high CRP level were predictors of urgent CT findings, while biologic agent use was a negative predictor. To reduce unnecessary radiation exposure, the selection process for CD patients referred for APCT must be improved.

  18. Neurofibromatosis type 1 with external genitalia involvement presentation of 4 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascual-Castroviejo, Ignacio; Lopez-Pereira, Pedro; Savasta, Salvatore; Lopez-Gutierrez, Juan Carlos; Lago, Carlos Míguelez; Cisternino, Mariangela

    2008-11-01

    Genitourinary neurofibromas with clitoral involvement in neurofibromatosis type 1 are rare, and even more infrequent are the neurofibromas involving genitalia in males. The most frequent presenting sign of neurofibroma in females is clitoromegaly with pseudopenis, and enlarged penis is the most common sign in males. Labium majus neurofibroma not associated with clitoral involvement is extremely rare. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstration of the neurofibromas has seldom been reported. We report 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy, with plexiform neurofibromas involving the external genitalia. Three of the 4 patients had histologic confirmation of neurofibroma. Two girls with clitoral hypertrophy had a neurofibroma that infiltrated the clitoris and extended unilaterally to the lower bladder wall. One girl had a plexiform neurofibroma that affected a labium. One boy with asymmetric penile hypertrophy since 2 years of age and ipsilateral gluteal hypertrophy had plexiform neurofibromas that extended between the left lumbogluteal and penile regions, infiltrating the left rectum wall and bladder with compression of both structures, the left prostate, and the left half of the cavernous corpi with hypertrophy of this part and asymmetry of the penis. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated in all patients that external genitalia and plexiform neurofibroma formed images of nondetachable structures. However, hermaphroditism was discarded by chromosomal study in all 3 girls before ratifying the diagnosis of external genitalia neurofibroma.

  19. Computed tomography-urography for upper urinary tract imaging: is it required for all patients who present with hematuria?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cauberg, Evelyne C. C.; Nio, C. Y.; de la Rosette, Jean M. C. H.; Laguna, M. Pilar; de Reijke, Theo M.

    2011-01-01

    To define in which patients who present with microscopic or macroscopic hematuria CT urography (CTU) is indicated as an imaging mode for the upper urinary tract (UUT). We conducted a prospective study on consecutive patients who attended a modern protocol-driven hematuria clinic from January 2006 to

  20. Is Routine Duodenal Biopsy Necessary for the Detection of Celiac Disease in Patients Presenting with Iron Deficiency Anemia?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Hassan Emami

    2012-01-01

    Conclusion: CD should be considered in any adult patient presenting with unexplained IDA, even if not accompanied with gastrointestinal symptoms. Routine duodenal biopsy performed during diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is worthwhile in order to investigate for CD as an underlying cause of IDA in adult patients.