Metastases to the penis from carcinoma of the prostate

A 58-year-old man presented with dysuria at the Osaka Medical College Hospital in November 1996. Laboratory examination revealed elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to > 100 ng/mL. Adenocarcinoma of the prostate with metastasis to the bone was diagnosed after a biopsy of the prostate and bone scintigraphy; hormonal therapy was administered. Although bone metastasis was well controlled and the serum PSA level declined to within normal levels (2.0 ng/mL), several painless nodules were found on the penile glans. Biopsy of the nodules showed that the penile tumor was a metastasis from the prostate cancer. The patient underwent partial penectomy for relief from penile pain. The serum PSA level showed no elevation 3 months after the partial penectomy, suggesting that careful observation of prostate cancer patients is necessary, even when oseous metastasis is well controlled and serum PSA levels are kept within normal ranges by hormonal therapy. The case also indicates that urologists should consider the possibility of metastasis to the penis from prostate cancer.     

Predictors of course completion for the U.S. Army pharmacy specialist course

The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of successful completion of the U.S. Army Medical Department pharmacy specialist (91Q) training program. The sample consisted of 143 students from four course iterations, and only students enrolled in the course for the first time were included for analysis. The relationship between 16 predictor variables and successful completion was assessed. Five variables, the ranks of private (E1) and specialist (E4), cross-trainee status, gender, and Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) general technical (GT) score, were found to be significant predictors using simple linear regression. Using hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, three variables, service component, gender, and ASVAB GT score, were found to have a significant unique shared variance with success. The results of this study indicate that ASVAB GT scores are predictive of success (p < 0.01) in the 91Q training program. Using these predictors, the selection process may be modified to improve the likelihood of student success in the course.     

Case report of instantaneous resolution of juvenile macular degeneration blindness after proximal intercessory prayer

An 18-year-old female lost the majority of her central vision over the course of three months in 1959. Medical records from 1960 indicate visual acuities (VA) of less than 20/400 for both eyes corresponding to legal blindness. On fundus examination of the eye there were dense yellowish-white areas of atrophy in each fovea and the individual was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration (JMD). In 1971, another examination recorded her uncorrected VA as finger counting on the right and hand motion on the left. She was diagnosed with macular degeneration (MD) and declared legally blind. In 1972, having been blind for over 12 years, the individual reportedly regained her vision instantaneously after receiving proximal-intercessory-prayer (PIP). Subsequent medical records document repeated substantial improvement; including uncorrected VA of 20/100 in each eye in 1974 and corrected VAs of 20/30 to 20/40 were recorded from 2001 to 2017. To date, her eyesight has remained intact for forty-seven years.     

Non-invasive imaging in a rare case of main pulmonary artery aneurysm

Report of an incidental chest X-ray finding of a large vessel dilation at the root of the ascending aorta in a 65-year-old female patient while pre-operative routine diagnostic. Due to prior allergic reaction to iodine contrast agent, non-invasive imaging was performed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where the rare finding of a large aneurysm of the left pulmonary artery was diagnosed. Initial considerations of a surgical intervention were turned down as no clinical symptoms or risk factors were apparent.     

Interferon alpha prevents spontaneous apoptosis of clonal Th2 cells associated with chronic hypereosinophilia

A recent study identified a clonal expansion of CD3(-)CD4(+)cells secreting Th2-type cytokines in 4 patients with chronic hypereosinophilia. Because interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) is used in the therapy of the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, the effects of this cytokine on the survival of clonal Th2 cells isolated from the blood of 2 patients were determined. First, these cells displayed a high rate of spontaneous apoptosis on culture in cytokine-free medium and were also sensitive to Fas-mediated apoptosis induced by soluble Fas ligand. Addition of IFN-alpha or interleukin-2 (IL-2) to culture medium resulted in significant protection against spontaneous but not Fas-induced apoptosis. Although spontaneous apoptosis of the clonal Th2 cells was clearly associated with down-regulation of both bcl-2 and bcl-x(L) levels, IFN-alpha had no significant effect on the expression of these antiapoptotic proteins, whereas addition of IL-2 resulted in higher levels of bcl-2. On the other hand, IFN-alpha decreased the numbers of cells with disrupted mitochondrial transmembrane potential both during spontaneous apoptosis and after exposure to protoporphyrin IX. Thus, IFN-alpha might promote the survival of clonal Th2 cells, an effect that could be relevant to the therapeutic approach for patients with chronic hypereosinophilia caused by clonal expansion of Th2-type cells. (Blood. 2000;96:4285-4292)     

Optimal Disinfection Times for Needleless Intravenous Connectors

BackgroundElimination of catheter-related bloodstream infections is a major focus in health care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Infusion Nurses Society, the optimal time for needleless connector disinfection has not yet been empirically established.MethodsUsing experimental design and established lab procedure, a 0.5 MacFarland suspension was used to inoculate 172 needleless connectors with bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and allowed to dry for 18 hours. Five groups of connectors (n = 27 per group) were disinfected using 70% isopropyl alcohol with friction for 5, 8, 10, 12, and 15 seconds, and flushed with 0.5 mL nonbacteriostatic sterile normal saline onto sheep-blood agar plates for incubation at 35°C for 48 hours. Bacterial growth (1 colony) was noted on 2 negative controls; therefore, a second sample (n = 172) was tested as above using additional precautions of masking, gloving, and gowning. A third group of connectors was tested using a 0.5 MacFarland suspension containing yeast (Candida albicans).ResultsGroup 1 showed significant (χ²₄ = 37.93; P = .00) and strong (Cramér's V = 0.53; P = .00) associations between scrub time and growth status. Although not statistically significant, Groups 2 and 3 demonstrated clinically significant associations between these factors.ConclusionsAlthough additional research is warranted, our study showed that disinfection times of 5 and 8 seconds were inadequate for reducing bacterial transfer. However, disinfection times of 10, 12, and 15 seconds resulted in comparable, decreased rates of bacterial migration.     

Evaluation of sodium T1 relaxation times in human heart

PURPOSE: To evaluate the sodium longitudinal relaxation (T(1)) characteristics for myocardium and blood in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven healthy volunteers were examined by using a (23)Na heart surface coil at a 1.5 T clinical scanner equipped with a broadband spectroscopy option. (23)Na MR measurements were performed by using a three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequence (in-plane resolution, 3.5 mm x 7 mm; slice thickness, 24 mm; TE, 3.1 msec; bandwidth, 65 Hz/pixel; TR, 21 to 150 msec). RESULTS: Longitudinal T(1) relaxation time components were 31.6+/-7.0 msec and 31.1+/-7.5 msec for myocardium and blood, respectively. CONCLUSION: (23)Na T(1) relaxation times of myocardium and blood can be determined in humans. The results are in agreement with values obtained from animal studies.