STAC3 related congenital myopathy: A case series of seven Comorian patients

The Bailey-Bloch congenital myopathy, also known as Native American myopathy (NAM), is an autosomal recessive congenital myopathy first reported in the Lumbee tribe people settled in North Carolina (USA), and characterized by congenital weakness and arthrogryposis, cleft palate, ptosis, short stature, kyphoscoliosis, talipes deformities, and susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia (MH) triggered by anesthesia. NAM is linked to STAC3 gene coding for a component of excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscles. A homozygous missense variant (c.851G > C; p.Trp284Ser) in STAC3 segregated with NAM in the Lumbee families. Non-Native American patients with STAC3 related congenital myopathy, and with other various variants of STAC3 have been reported. Here, we present seven patients from the Comoros Islands (located in the Mozambique Channel) diagnosed with STAC3 related congenital myopathy and having the recurrent variant identified in the Lumbee people. The series is the second largest series of patients having STAC3 related congenital myopathy with a shared ethnicity after le Lumbee series. Local history and geography may explain the overrepresentation of NAM in the Comorian Archipelago with a founder effect. Further researches would be necessary for the understanding of the onset of the NAM in Comorian population as search of the “classical” STAC3 variant in East African population, and haplotypes comparison between Comorian and Lumbee patients.     

以脾胃为中心的葛根相关配伍对糖尿病心肌病大鼠受损心肌线粒体的改善作用

目的:观察葛根及其配伍对糖尿病心肌病(DCM)大鼠心肌线粒体质量变化的影响,探寻治疗糖尿病心肌病的最优配伍及机制。方法:采用链脲佐菌素腹腔注射进行模型大鼠制备,并将60只成模大鼠随机分为模型组6.5 g/(kg·d)、达美康组16.7 mg/(kg·d)、葛根组1.04 g/(kg·d)、葛芪组2.6 g/(kg·d)、葛参组2.6 g/(kg·d)、葛蒌组4.48g/(kg·d)及葛芪参蒌组7.6 g/(kg·d)各8只,同时选取空白大鼠8只,为对照组6.5 g/(kg·d)。各组依据上述剂量,以相应药物持续灌胃9周后,对比各组心肌线粒体超微结构变化、心肌线粒体膜电位变化及心肌ATP变化情况。结果:电镜显示各药物干预组心肌线粒体超微结构较模型组均有不同程度的改善,其中葛芪参蒌组改善效果最为明显,与空白组无明显差异; 流式细胞仪检测显示:各干预组波峰均在模型组、空白组之间; 其中葛芪参蒌组、葛参组、葛根组波峰位于达美康组右侧; 葛芪组、葛蒌组则位于达美康组左侧; 以葛芪参蒌组波峰与空白组最为接近。心肌ATP浓度检测显示:各中药干预组心肌ATP浓度均较模型组有所提升(P<0.05),其中葛芪参蒌组ATP值较其余各干预组提升最为明显(P<0.05),但仍低于空白组(P>0.05)。结论:葛根相关配伍均能够对心肌线粒体结构、心肌线粒体膜电位进行正向调控,进而使因糖尿病心肌病导致的心肌线粒体受损得以恢复,其中以益气、化瘀、祛痰三法合用的组方原则进行配伍的葛芪参蒌方改善效果最优。可见其治疗机制可能是通过益气、化瘀、祛痰的协同作用,正向调控心肌线粒体质量而达到治疗目的。     

腹壁坏死性筋膜炎的认识与治疗

坏死性筋膜炎是皮肤软组织感染中最为凶险的类型，往往并发脓毒症休克和多器官功能障碍，死亡率较高。常见的坏死性筋膜炎是社区获得性感染，而临床上发生在腹壁的坏死性筋膜炎也并不罕见，如发生于经皮内镜胃造口管或者造口周围的坏死性筋膜炎，也有发生于整形手术、妇科手术、结直肠手术后的坏死性筋膜炎。腹部手术后发生消化道瘘并发腹壁坏死性筋膜炎，病死率高，值得重视。尽早诊断与及时实施包括坏死组织清除、消化道瘘引流以及腹腔开放在内的感染源控制措施至关重要。     

Intussusception in a premature neonate: A rare and often misdiagnosed clinical entity

Intussusception is a very rare cause of intestinal obstruction in neonates. It is of extremely rare occurrence among premature neonates. We present a case of 11-day-old premature neonate who presented with abdominal distension, intolerance to feeds, vomiting, significant bilious aspirate and bleeding per rectum. The initial diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) led to a delay in the diagnosis. On exploratory laparotomy, it turned out to be a case of ileo-colic intussusception with Meckel''s diverticulum as a lead point. This site of intussusception (ileo-colic) and presence of a lead point among premature neonate is of exceedingly rare occurrence and very few such cases have been reported.In this article, the published work about clinical features and management on intussusceptions in premature neonates has been reviewed. The authors intend to highlight the difficulty in distinguishing the NEC and intussusception. Subtle clinical and radiological features which can help in differentiating the two conditions have been emphasized. This can avoid the delay in diagnosis and management which can prove critical. High index of suspicion with timely intervention is the key for optimizing outcome. A diagnosis of intussusception should always be considered in any preterm infant with suspected NEC.     

伴岛叶三层现象的急性坏死性脑病一家系临床及遗传学分析

目的探讨伴岛叶三层现象(TA)的急性坏死性脑病(ANE)临床及遗传学特征。方法回顾分析1个确诊为ANE家系的临床资料。结果先证者为男性,4.5岁时以惊厥、意识障碍起病,1岁时有热性惊厥史;头颅磁共振示对称性多灶性损害,岛叶存在TA。家系中有6例患者,起病年龄6月龄至50岁,主要以发热后惊厥或惊厥持续状态及意识障碍起病,3例因惊厥持续状态死亡;免疫治疗及能量支持可改善预后。基因检测发现家系RANBP2基因变异(NM_006267;c.1754 CT[p.T585M])。结论首次报道TA可出现于岛叶。     

Interleukin-6 serum levels predict surgical intervention in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis

Background

Symptoms at suspicion of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) are often nonspecific and several biomarkers have been evaluated for their discriminative power to both diagnose and predict the course from NEC suspicion to complicated disease requiring surgical intervention. Thus, we aimed to assess the utility of interleukin-6 (IL-6) to predict surgical intervention in infants suffering from NEC and, furthermore, to discriminate infants with starting NEC or late-onset sepsis (LOS).

Facial necrotising fasciitis following rhytidectomy

Rhytidectomy is the most common surgical procedure used to rejuvenate the appearance of the aging face and neck. Necrotising fasciitis is a rapidly progressing, life-threatening, bacterial infection of the skin, the subcutaneous tissue, and the fascia. We report a case of necrotising fasciitis of the face caused by a group A streptococcal infection after rhytidectomy on a healthy female patient. An abscess on her hand that had been caused by an infection related to a venous catheter had provided a potential entry for the pathogen, and treatment combined both surgical debridement and antibiotics. The operation had resulted in large tissue losses around the ears, which we treated by healing by second intention.