Localized Kaposi''s sarcoma in a patient with pemphigus vulgaris

We report the case of a patient with a 13-year history of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) treated with immunosuppressive agents, prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil who had developed lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) on a sole plaque of PV that had been previously treated with intralesional injections of steroids. The lesions were surgically removed and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) demonstrated human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) DNA. There were neither recurrences nor later dissemination of KS following gradual decrease of the immunosuppressive therapy. We suggest that the treatment with intralesional steroids may have influenced the local reactivation of a latent infection of the virus, determining the appearance of this localized KS.     

Complications of temporomandibular joint arthroscopy: a retrospective analytic study of 670 arthroscopic procedures.

PURPOSE: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthroscopy has been considered a safe surgical procedure in the treatment of TMJ derangement. However, it is not exempt from complications. This study evaluates the complications of arthroscopy in patients with internal derangement of TMJ. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred consecutive patients (670 joints) with TMJ derangement who underwent arthroscopy between 1995 and 2004 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were classified as II to V in the Wilkes classification. Lysis and lavage, electrocautery of the posterior ligament, injection of corticoids, injection of ethanolamine, myotomy of lateral pterygoid muscle attachments, myotomy and electrocautery, motor debridement, injection of sodium hyaluronate, and meniscal suture were performed in different patients. RESULTS: Complications were recognized during or immediately after the surgery. They were observed in 5 of 341 (1.26%) arthroscopies of the right TMJ and 4 of 329 (1.21%) arthroscopies of the left TMJ. A 1.34% complication rate was found in the whole series. No blood clots within the external auditory canal were observed. Bleeding within the superior TMJ space was observed in 57 cases (8.5%), 36 of them in the right TMJ and 21 in the left TMJ, but they were not considered as true complications. Lacerations of the external auditory canal were found in 2 cases (0.3%), with no cases of perforation of the tympanic membrane. Lesion of the auriculotemporal nerve was observed in a case. Paresia of the facial nerve was found in 4 cases (0.6%). Alteration of visual accuracy of the ipsilateral eye was also observed in a patient immediately after the surgery. CONCLUSION: Special care must be taken to reduce complications within the upper joint space by means of an adequate instrumentation and by paying attention to essential points of the arthroscopic technique.     

Differential effects of within-day continuous vs. transient dopamine D2 receptor occupancy in the development of vacuous chewing movements (VCMs) in rats.

Accumulating evidence suggests that antipsychotics (APs) that lead to sustained blockade of dopamine D(2) receptors are more likely to induce acute extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) compared to APs that only occupy D(2) receptors transiently. It is unclear, however, whether a similar relationship exists for long-term AP-induced motoric side effects like tardive dyskinesia (TD). The objective of this study was to ascertain whether transient (via daily subcutaneous (s.c.) injections) vs continuous (via osmotic minipump) AP-induced D(2) receptor occupancy differentially affects the development of haloperidol-induced vacuous chewing movements (VCMs), an animal model of TD. Six groups of 12 rats received 0.1, 0.25, or 1 mg/kg of haloperidol or vehicle (n=36) via osmotic minipump (to provide within-day sustained) or daily s.c. injection (within-day transient) for 8 weeks. VCMs were measured on a weekly basis and D(2) occupancy levels were measured in vivo using [(3)H]-raclopride at the end of the experiment. Minipump-treated rats developed HAL dose-dependent D(2) occupancies of 0.1 mg/kg/day (57%), 0.25 mg/kg/day (70%), and 1 mg/kg/day (88%). S.C.-treated rats also developed HAL dose-dependent D(2) occupancies of 0.1 mg/kg/day (83% peak, 3% trough), 0.25 mg/kg/day (89% peak, 0% trough), and 1 mg/kg/day (94% peak, 17% trough). A total of 43% of rats given 0.25 and 1 mg/kg/day of HAL via minipump developed high VCMs compared to only 8% of the rats given the same doses via daily s.c. injections. The 0.1 mg/kg dose did not give rise to VCMs beyond vehicle levels regardless of the route of administration. These findings support the contention that D(2) occupancy levels induced by chronic HAL must be high and sustained through the day before significant risk of VCMs, and perhaps also TD, emerges.     

A principal components analysis self-organizing map.

We propose a new self-organizing neural model that performs principal components analysis. It is also related to the adaptive subspace self-organizing map (ASSOM) network, but its training equations are simpler. Experimental results are reported, which show that the new model has better performance than the ASSOM network.     

Severe Necrosis Due to Paclitaxel Extravasation

Paclitaxel is an antineoplastic agent derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree that has activity against many tumors including breast and ovarian carcinomas. In the past, its extravasation quality has been considered to be a local irritant; however, recent reports suggest that the agent may be a vesicant. A patient experienced a delayed vesicant reaction to a paclitaxel extravasation that resulted in severe necrosis. No acute symptoms were reported at the time of extravasation from the 24-hour peripheral paclitaxel infusion. However, on day 11 the patient complained of severe and progressive pain at the site of extravasation. The site was erythematous and had areas of central necrosis requiring debridement and closure by a plastic surgeon. Because paclitaxel possesses vesicant characteristics, health care professionals should be aware of its potential extravasation hazard. Prolonged peripheral infusions should be avoided or administered with extreme caution.     

FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOME RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIAN GENERAL PRACTICE: RESULTS FROM THE ANBP2 PILOT STUDY

1. The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting a 5 year cardiovascular outcome trial of the treatment of 6000 elderly hypertensive patients in Australian general practices. 2. General practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate by mail and personal follow-up. Patient records were reviewed to identify subjects for a blood pressure (BP) screening programme. Blood pressure was measured on three occasions and eligible subjects were included if the average BP was 160 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic if systolic BP was 140 mmHg. 3. Seven hundred and forty-one GPs were approached and 89 were enrolled in the study (12% of mail invites and 75% of those receiving a personal contact). In 16 practices where screening was completed, 82 000 records were reviewed to identify 4% patients eligible for screening. Twenty-two per cent of eligible subjects attended screening. Of 1938 subjects screened, 180 (9%) had BP 5=160/90 mmHg. Forty-seven percent of subjects (n = 916) were receiving antihypertensive therapy and 184 (20%) were withdrawn from therapy. One hundred and sixteen (63%) of these subjects had BP return to study entry levels within 6 weeks. Fifty-seven newly diagnosed and 81 previously treated subjects were randomized (7% of the screened population). 4. Based on the high participation rate of GPs, the response rate of patients to attend a BP screening programme and the 7% randomization to screening ratio for entry into the study, the ANBP2 pilot study has demonstrated that it is feasible to recruit subjects from Australian general practices to a cardiovascular outcome trial.