Fasciitis, perimyositis, myositis, polymyositis, and eosinophilia

Several groups of cases of fasciitis and myositis with eosinophilia are reported. The common features are inflammation into fascia and/or perimysium, and/or muscle fibers; eosinophilia in blood and/or in muscle biopsy. The following classification of 24 cases is suggested: at one end of the spectrum are fasciitis with eosinophilia: diffuse fasciitis (Shulman syndrome): 10 cases (3 with hematological complications); 2 cases of diffuse fasciitis with muscle atrophy; 3 cases of restricted fasciitis. Relapsing perimyositis with eosinophilia belong to the same spectrum, either diffuse (5 cases) with myalgias, or localized (2 cases). Other cases are focal myositis or multiple myositis, polymyositis with eosinophilia. The relationship among these cases is discussed. There is a continuum among the different groups. The pathophysiology remains unknown.     

Customer, Client, Consumer, Recipient, or Patient

Since the arrival of managed care, there has been a trend toward changing the basic terminology used to address clinicians and patients. Instead of the term patient, third party payors frequently use terms such as customer, client, consumer or recipient. One study demonstrated that patients prefer to be called patients. To investigate the preferred term to refer to patients and to be referred to by patients, we mailed a questionnaire to 100 physicians in four medical specialties each and to 100 psychologists. The overall response rate was 61%. Physicians overwhelmingly preferred to refer to patients by the patient's last name, their second preference was the patient's first name. Psychologists preferred to refer to the patients by first name, their second preference was the patient's last name. No group favored using terms such as client, customer, consumer, or recipient. Most physicians and psychologists preferred being referred to as doctors and nobody favored the term provider.     

高海拔地区缺血性卒中患者单核 细胞/HDL-C比值与脑动脉粥样硬化性狭窄的相关性

目的 研究高海拔地区缺血性卒中患者单核细胞/HDL-C比值（monocyte/HDL-C ratio,MHR）与颅内动脉粥样硬化性狭窄（intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis,ICSA）程度的相关性。 方法 回顾性连续纳入2017年6月-2021年6月在青海省人民医院住院治疗的高海拔地区（海拔2260～4080?m）的急性缺血性卒中患者,依据DSA上脑血管狭窄程度（以狭窄最严重的动脉为准）分为无狭窄组、轻度狭窄（狭窄率≤50%）组、中度狭窄（狭窄率50%～70%）组、重度狭窄（狭窄率≥70%）组及闭塞（100%）组。比较5组患者的临床资料、实验室检查指标和MHR,并采用logistic回归模型计算不同程度血管狭窄的独立危险因素。 结果 共纳入349例患者,其中无狭窄组69例、轻度狭窄组78例、中度狭窄组41例、重度狭窄组84例、闭塞组77例。5组中年龄、性别分布、吸烟、饮酒、高血压、糖尿病比例方面差异均有统计学意义,实验室检查中白细胞、单核细胞、中性粒细胞、血小板计数以及血红蛋白、HDL-C水平和MHR差异也有统计学意义。多因素logistic回归分析显示,相对于无动脉狭窄,高龄为脑血管轻度狭窄（OR?1.061,95%CI?1.027～1.097,P＜0.001）,中度狭窄（OR?1.057,95%CI?1.017～1.099,P＝0.005）,重度狭窄（OR?1.096,95%CI?1.057～1.137,P＜0.001）,闭塞（OR?1.036,95%CI?1.001～1.072,P＝0.046）的独立危险因素;相对于无动脉狭窄,高MHR为轻度狭窄（OR?1.041,95%CI?1.009～1.074,P＝0.011）,中度狭窄（OR?1.082,95%CI?1.045～1.119,P＜0.001）,重度狭窄（OR?1.096,95%CI?1.062～1.131,P＜0.001）,闭塞（OR?1.101,95%CI?1.067～1.136,P＜0.001）的独立危险因素;相对于无动脉狭窄,单核细胞计数升高是中度狭窄（OR?1.684,95%CI?1.569～2.725,P=0.027）、重度狭窄（OR?3.529,95%CI?1.541～5.766,P=0.002 ）和闭塞（OR?5.446,95%CI?4.453～6.917,P=0.002）的独立危险因素。 结论 高龄、高MHR和单核细胞计数升高在高海拔地区对急性缺血性卒中患者的脑动脉粥样硬化性狭窄程度具有一定预测价值。     

Pregabalin effect on steady-state pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, topiramate, valproate, and tiagabine

By reducing neuronal excitability through selective binding to the α(2)δ subunit of voltage-dependent calcium channels, pregabalin effectively treats epilepsy, chronic pain, and anxiety disorders. To evaluate if pregabalin coadministration affects pharmacokinetics of other antiepileptic drugs, population pharmacokinetic analyses using NONMEM software were performed on data from three epilepsy trials involving seven antiepileptic drugs with pregabalin as add-on therapy. Results demonstrated that pregabalin did not alter the steady-state plasma concentrations of carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, tiagabine, topiramate, and valproate. Furthermore, the small percent change in the population estimate of antiepileptic drug plasma clearance values (-2% to +7%) suggests that pregabalin coadministration exerted no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of these antiepileptic drugs, with the possible exception of tiagabine (+34.9%). These findings are in agreement with those of previously published reports. A further clarification study is necessary for tiagabine. In conclusion, it appears that pregabalin can be coadministered with other antiepileptic drugs without concern for significantly altering their pharmacokinetic profiles.     

Consecutive Gas Chromatographic Determination of Phenytoin, Phenobarbital, Primidone, Phenylethylmalondiamide, Carbamazepine, Trimethadione, Dimethadione, Ethosuximide, and Valproate from the Same Serum Specimen

A quantitative gas-liquid chromatographic procedure is described for the consecutive determination of phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, phenylethylmalondiamide, carbamazepine, trimethadione, dimethadione, ethosuximide and valproate from a single serum specimen of 1.2 ml. After extraction from serum by two different procedures, the anticonvulsants are chromatographed without further purification on a 3% OV 17 column either with or without derivative formation by means of "on-column" methylation. Multiple internal standards are employed in order to enhance the reproducibility of drug-concentration measurement.     

中国汉族人群SCA1、2、3、6、7、8、10、12、17亚型和齿状核-红核-苍白球-路易体萎缩亚型频率分布

目的 研究中国汉族人群中脊髓小脑性共济失调(SCAs)不同基因亚型的频率分布.方法 运用聚合酶链反应、变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳、Southern blot、T载体克隆重组DNA技术结合直接测序等技术对559例临床诊断为SCA的患者(363例常染色体显性遗传先证者,196例散发患者)进行了SCA1、SCA2、SCA3/MJD、SCA6、SCA7、SCA8、SCA10、SCA12、SCA17和齿状核-红核-苍白球-路易体萎缩(DRPLA)致病基因多核苷酸病理重复突变检测分析.结果 在363个常染色体显性遗传的SCA(AD-SCA)家系中,发现有15个SCA1家系(4.13%),26个SCA2家系(7.16%),187个SCA3/MJD家系(51.52%),6个SCA6家系(1.65%),7个SCA7家系(1.93%),1个SCA12家系(0.28%)和1个SCA17家系(0.28%),120个SCA家系未明确基因分型(33.06%);在196例散发SCA患者中,发现有2例SCAI患者(1.02%),3例SCA2患者(1.53%),15例SCA3/MJD患者(7.65%),3例SCA6患者(1.53%),173例SCA患者未明确基因分型(88.27%);未发现SCA8、SCA10和DRPLA型患者.结论 在中国汉族人群中SCA3/MJD为最常见的SCA亚型,其次为SCA2、SCA1、SCA7和SCA6,SCA12和SCA17比较少见,SCA8、SCA10和DRPLA罕见,SCA17亚型为国内首次报道.部分AD-SCA家系存在其他致病基因的作用,大部分散发SCA患者除遗传因素外还存在其他致病因素.     

Frontal lobe psychopathology: mania, depression, confabulation, catatonia, perseveration, obsessive compulsions, and schizophrenia

The frontal lobes can be subdivided into major functional neuroanatomical domains, which, when injured, surgically destroyed, or reduced in activity or volume, give rise to signature pathological and psychiatric symptomology. A review of case reports and over 50 years of research, including magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and single photon emission computed tomography scans, indicates that apathy, "blunted" schizophrenia, major depression, and aphasic-perseverative disturbance of speech and thought are associated with left lateral as well as bilateral frontal (and striatal) abnormalities. Impulsiveness, confabulatory verbosity, grandiosity, increased sexuality, and mania are associated with right frontal (as well as bilateral) disturbances. Gegenhalten, catatonia, and disturbances of "will" are indicative of medial frontal injuries. Disinhibitory states and obsessive-compulsive perseverative abnormalities are more frequently observed with orbital frontal lobe dysfunction, including frontal-striatal disturbances. These associations, however, are not always clear-cut as patients with the same diagnosis may demonstrate different symptoms that may be due to an additional abnormality in a different region of the brain. Moreover, as the frontal subdivisions are richly interconnected, and as frontal lobe abnormalities are not always discrete or well localized, a wide array of seemingly divergent waxing and waning symptoms may be manifest, sometimes simultaneously, including manic depression and what has been referred to as the "frontal lobe personality."     

Clobazam, Oxcarbazepine, Tiagabine, Topiramate, and Other New Antiepileptic Drugs

Summary: Clinical investigators recently have studied at least 21 new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in people with epilepsy. This review briefly examines 15 of these new AEDs: clobazam (CLB), dezinamide, flunarizine (FNR), loreclezole, milacemide (MLM), MK-801, nafimidone, ORG-6370, oxcarbazepine (OCBZ), progabide (PGB), ralitoline, stiripentol, tiagabine (TGB), topiramate (TPM), and zonisamide (ZNS). CLB, PGB, and TGB represent agents that act on the GABA system, and MLM acts on the glycine system. MK-801 and ZNS (in part) are excitatory amino acid antagonists, and FNR is a calcium-channel antagonist. OCBZ is a keto analogue of carbam-azepine, which is not metabolized to the epoxide and may have fewer side effects. The remaining agents are novel compounds with a variety of suspected mechanisms. TPM appears especially effective for intractable partial seizures but has a high incidence of cognitive side effects. None of these new AEDs is useful for all patients with inadequate seizure control or ongoing toxicity. The role of each will require further clinical study and experience.     

Alteration of proteins regulating apoptosis, Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Bax, Bak, Bad, ICH-1 and CPP32, in Alzheimer''s disease

Recently, apoptosis has been implicated in the selective neuronal loss of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Apoptosis is regulated by the B cell leukemia-2 gene product (Bcl-2) family (Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Bax, Bak and Bad) and the caspase family (ICH-1 and CPP32), with apoptosis being prevented by Bcl-2 and Bcl-x, and promoted by Bax, Bak, Bad, ICH-1 and CPP32. In the present study, we examined the levels of these proteins in the membranous and cytosolic fractions of temporal cortex in AD and control brain. In the membranous fraction, the levels of Bcl-2, Bcl-x_L, Bcl-x_β, Bak and Bad were increased in AD. In the cytosolic fractions, the level of Bcl-x_β was increased, while Bcl-x_L, Bax, Bak, Bad and ICH-1_L were unchanged. CPP32 was not detected in AD or control brain. These findings demonstrate a differential involvement of cell death-regulatory proteins in AD and suggest that Bak, Bad, Bcl-2 and Bcl-x are upregulated in AD brains.     

Flamboyant,erratic, dramatic,borderline, antisocial,sadistic, narcissistic,histrionic and impulsive personality disorders: who cares which?

Psychiatrists have responded to the challenge of abandoning the adjective ‘psychopathic’ in current disease classification systems. This paper nevertheless advocates caution in the application of the consequent diagnostic criteria. Comorbidity — the presence of two or more diseases at the same time — may be as indicative of confusion as of extensive pathology. Furthermore, the diagnoses of most interest (because of their association with repeated violence or other antisocial behaviour) show poor agreement between people using the instrument for measuring them, and poor stability over time. However, studies support the existence of a relatively distinct group, broadly referred to as erratic or flamboyant, who are often dangerous and for whom the short-term prognosis is poor. Much more work is needed to improve the clarity of diagnosis of personality disorders.     

Alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and mental disorders

Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are the most widely consumed psychotropic drugs worldwide. They are largely consumed by normal individuals, but their use is even more frequent in psychiatric patients, Thus, patients with schizophrenia tend to abuse all three substances. The interrelationships between depression and alcohol are complex. These drugs can all create dependence, as understood in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Alcohol abuse is clearly deleterious to the brain, provoking acute and chronic mental disorders, ranging from intoxication with impairment of cognition, to delirium tremens, halluosis, and dementia. In contrast, the main health consequences of nicotine, notably cancer and cardiovascular disases, lie outside the realm of psychiatry However, the mes of nicotine dependence and motivation to smoke or quit are of concern to psychiatrists.