Congenital endophthalmitis following maternal shellfish ingestion

Purpose: To highlight an unusual organism causing a unilateral endophthalmitis by transplacental spread.
Method: We report a case of Plesiomonas shigelloides endophthalmitis, presenting in a newborn, with co-existing septicaemia and meningitis. There was a significant maternal history of diarrhoea associated with the ingestion of oysters 2 weeks prior to delivery.
Result: The endophthalmitis was treated with parenteral antibiotics and topical mydriatics with complete resolution, although subsequent assessment of the affected eye suggests a poor visual outcome.
Conclusion: Endophthalmitis in the newborn is an unusual clinical finding and usually presents with other manifestations of bacteraemia. Plesiomonas shigelloides is fortunately an infrequent cause of neonatal infection, but is associated with a high degree of morbidity and mortality. We postulate that this neonate acquired P. shigelloides via the transplacental route, and suggest that this organism be included in the list of 'other' causes of transplacental infection that has been abbreviated to 'O' in the acronym TORCH.     

正常腹内压影响因素的临床研究

目的　探讨正常腹内压的影响因素 ,建立腹内压回归方程。方法　应用膀胱测压法测定 10 6例住院患者的腹内压 ,并对年龄、性别、身高、体重、体质指数、既往和近期腹部手术史、住院原因、合并症情况及数量等 14项因子与腹内压的关系进行分析。结果　住院患者平均腹内压为 5 .5mmHg( 1mmHg =0 .133kPa) ,范围为 0 .4～12 .8mmHg。各级体质指数相应的腹内压差异有显著性意义 (F =5 .5 5 0 ,P<0 .0 1)。男性腹内压比女性高 2 .0mmHg ,差异有显著性意义 (t=3.12 2 ,P<0 .0 1)。其他 12种因素对腹内压无明显影响 (P>0 .0 5 )。结论　正常腹内压可能受性别和体质指数影响 ,存在明显的个体差异     

Factors Affecting Cardiac Catheterization Rates in Elders with Acute Coronary Syndromes

Background: Elder patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are less likely to receive cardiac catheterization. The reasons for this are unclear.
Objectives: To assess whether elder patients who had a documented history of dementia, lived in extended care facilities, or had do not intubate–do not resuscitate (DNR-DNI) advance directives were less likely to receive cardiac catheterization, despite having ACS with high-risk features.
Methods: This was a medical record review conducted at an urban teaching hospital. DNR-DNI status before hospitalization, extended care facility (nursing home or assisted living) residence, and a previous diagnosis of dementia were obtained from the medical record. Patients 65 years and older who presented to the emergency department with acute myocardial infarction or with unstable angina with ST segment deviation were included. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed, and odds ratios (ORs) were reported with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results: Of the 201 eligible patients, 66 (32.8%) patients did not undergo cardiac catheterization. In the univariate analysis, patients who had dementia, resided in extended care facilities, or were DNR-DNI were less likely to receive cardiac catheterization. Only extended care facility residence (OR, 0.18; 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.83) and DNR-DNI status (OR, 0.19; 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.92) remained significantly associated with decreased cardiac catheterization in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusions: Elder patients with ACS residing in extended care facilities or who are DNR-DNI are less likely to receive cardiac catheterization. Future studies concerning the quality of ACS care for elders should take these variables into account.     

Correlation between bone marrow karyotype and the occurrence of erythroblast micronuclei and nuclear budding in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes

147 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes were investigated for the presence of micronuclei and nuclear budding in bone marrow erythroblasts. The patients were divided into subgroups on the basis of bone marrow karyotype, 31 healthy bone marrow donors constituted a control group. Patients with monosomy 7 or 7q- and patients with major karyotypic abnormalities (MAKA) had significantly more erythroblasts with micronuclei and nuclear budding than the control group. Patients with a 5q- chromosome as the sole karyotypic aberration had more micronuclei than the controls. For other patients with MDS the differences were statistically nonsignificant.     

超敏C反应蛋白及血脂水平与急性冠状动脉综合征患者6个月内预后的关系

目的:探讨超敏C-反应蛋白(hs-CRP)、血脂水平与急性冠状动脉综合征(ACS)患者6个月内预后的关系。方法:分别测定201例非ST段抬高的ACS患者入院时的hs-CRP和血脂水平,随访6个月,终点为冠状动脉事件(冠心病性死亡、非致死性急性心肌梗死、急诊再血管化、因不稳定型心绞痛引起的再住院)。hs-CRP≥3mg/L、总胆固醇(TC)/高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)≥4.7mmol/L为异常。结果:201例患者中发生冠心病猝死5例,非致死性心肌梗死16例,急诊再血管化4例,不稳定型心绞痛所致再住院27例。hs-CRP异常组较hs-CRP正常组冠状动脉事件发生率显著增高(RR1.90,95%CI1.09~3.32,P<0.05)。血脂异常组较正常组冠状动脉事件发生率亦显著增高(RR1.70,95%CI1.02~2.83,P<0.05)。血脂及hs-CRP均异常组较均正常组冠状动脉事件发生率显著升高(RR3.43,95%CI1.35~8.73,P<0.01)。结论:hs-CRP或(和)血脂水平异常的ACS患者6个月内冠状动脉事件发生率显著升高,并以二者均异常者为著,因此联合检测可能有助于识别冠心病二级预防中的高危个体。     

Genetic abnormalities and CNS tumors: report of two cases of ependymoma associated with Klinefelter’s Syndrome (KS)

Objects Genetic syndromes associated with ependymoma are uncommon, with the exception of NF2. We describe two cases of ependymoma presenting with Klinefelter’s Syndrome (KS) as co-morbid condition. Materials and methods The first patient was diagnosed for KS during pregnancy; he also presented a thyroid agenesis and a deficit of methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR); at 30 months of age he was operated on for a grade II ependymoma of IV ventricle; after a multiple-stage surgery, he underwent oral chemotherapy and stereotactic radiotherapy, but after 15 months he presented a local recurrence and died. The second patient was diagnosed for KS at the age of 16 months; at 10 years of age, due to back pain, he underwent an MRI, which showed a cauda equine tumor. He underwent surgery and radiotherapy. Histology was of mixopapillary ependymoma. Conclusion In a review of literature, various neoplasms have been described in association with KS. To our knowledge, these are the first two cases reported of ependymoma associated to KS. A retrospective study of 44 monoinstitutional ependymoma cases demonstrated association with genetic syndromes in 22%.     

Temporary closure of the abdominal wall (laparostomy)

The definitive closure of the abdominal wall, i.e., a closure of the fascial layer and skin may not be favorable in the treatment of numerous surgical conditions, e.g., peritonitis, trauma, or mesenteric ischemia. In these cases, the abdominal wall is temporarily closed, and a laparostomy is created to facilitate re-exploration or to prevent abdominal compartment syndrome. Regarding the technique and material used for the temporary closure, no prospective randomized data exists, but mesh materials are commonly used. They provide drainage of infectious material, permit visual control of the underlying viscera, facilitate access to the abdominal wall, preserve the fascial margin, enable healing by secondary intention, and allow mobilization of the patient. In the case of decreasing intra-abdominal pressure, meshes can be trimmed to centralize the rectus muscle and to facilitate definitive closure. Non-absorbable meshes have been frequently reported to cause enteric fistulae and persistent infection necessitating mesh explantation. While these infectious complications appear to occur less frequently with the use of absorbable materials, these meshes will finally lead to an incisional hernia, requiring repair with non-absorbable mesh after a period of 6–12 months. Nevertheless, in the complex situation requiring a temporary abdominal wall closure, use of absorbable mesh material is common and represents the state of the art. Electronic Publication     

Computation of Time-Constant Histograms from the Forced Expired Volume-Time Curves

An efficient BASIC program was established on Apple-Ⅱmicrocomputer with the CHESTAC-35F pulmonary function testing system tocalculate the time-constant histogram from the spirogram.By a set of analogousstudies,we confirmed that the recovered time-constant histogram was within onecompartment of the assumed one and that the root of mean square values of theresiduals between the experimental and model volume-time curves was 0.02.Infour healthy adult subjects,the mean value of time-constant histograms(TCx)hadthe variation coefficient 6.6％.The results show that our method is reliable andreproducible,and it can be used for clinical investigation.     

Sarcoidosis and primary biliary cirrhosis

Summary An unusual case of a woman with primary biliary cirrhosis and cutaneous sarcoidosis is described. The factors that allow a specific diagnosis of each condition are presented and the literature pertaining to such complex and unusual cases is presented.This work was supported in part by a grant from the Gastroenterology Medical Research Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania.