Hemorrhagic Bullae After Cryosurgery in a Patient With Hemophilia A

BACKGROUND: A case of hemorrhagic bullae and blisters on the hand of a patient with hemophilia A after cryosurgery for verruca vulgaris is reported. OBJECTIVE: To discuss a hemorrhagic complication in a patient with hemophilia A after cutaneous cryosurgery. METHODS: This is an observatory case report. RESULTS: Even minimal cryosurgery can induce hemorrhagic bullae in patients with hemophilia A. CONCLUSION: The risks and benefits of cryosurgery should be weighed carefully in patients with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia.     

Development of a dot-blot system to detect gluten in food

We have designed a quick, easy, and reliable enzyme immunoassay system based on dot-blot methodology, capable of determining the presence of gluten or its derivatives in food. We also describe a new solution to extract the prolamin from flours. The sensitivity of the system is less than 5 ppm using a maximum volume of 2 μl.     

Differentiated thyroid cancer on the thyroglossal duct]

Over one hundred cases of carcinomas located on the thyroglossal duct have been reported worldwide. Most of these tumors originally were differentiated thyroid cancers. Their biological behavior is the same as that of tumors of the thyroid gland itself. On the basis of one case discovered in an 11-year-old girl, who presented with regional and systemic metastases, we discuss the various aspects of their origin, diagnosis and treatment. As far as the latter is concerned, we think that these tumors can not always be treated by exeresis of the thyroglossal duct. On the basis of the analysis of situations in which these tumors may be encountered, we propose a carcinological surgery, which might possibly be more aggressive, on the thyroid and cervical lymphatic tissues.     

Malignant testicular tumors in identical twins

Two cases of testicular malignancy in a pair of identical twins are reported. The literature is also reviewed. The tumors appeared within 7 years of each other. The histology was different in both cases.     

The cerebrovascular effects of curare and histamine in the rat

The effects of histamine and curare on cerebral blood flow (CBF) were measured in rats with an intact blood-brain barrier (BBB) and in rats in which the BBB was disrupted by hypertonic urea. Using radioactive microspheres cortical and subcortical CBF were measured in paralyzed ventilated rats anesthetized with 70% N2O, 30% oxygen. Blood gas tensions were controlled by mechanical ventilation. In rats with an intact BBB, neither histamine infusion (10 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1) nor curare (1 and 5 mg/kg) increased CBF. Twenty minutes after the BBB was disrupted by 2 M urea, histamine (10 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1) produced an increase in cortical (180-210 ml X 100 g-1 X min-1) and subcortical CBF (103 to 124 ml X 10 g-1 X min-1). Twenty minutes after BBB disruption, curare also produced a significant increase in cortical CBF (1 mg/kg: 176-201 ml X 100 g-1 X min-1, 5 mg/kg: 190-209 ml X 100 g-1 X min-1). The increases in CBF produced by curare were completely blocked by pretreatment with 30 mg/kg cimetidine, a histamine H2 receptor antagonist, 3 min before curare. The results indicate that curare may produce cerebrovasodilation and increases in CBF by release of histamine and stimulation of central nervous system H2 receptors. These effects occur only when the BBB is disrupted and circulating histamine has access to brain perivascular tissue.     

Effects of Acute Benzene Exposure on Brain Enkephalin Immunostaining and Degradation

Benzene is a widely used industrial neurotoxin. Its action in the brain is not completely clear. Acute exposure to benzene in vivo reduces aminopeptidase activity in the hypothalamus and in the brain stem, and in vitro treatment with this toxicant generates a dose-related inhibition of this enzyme, notably in the brain stem. Enkephalin immunostaining shows a significant increase in substantia nigra, central gray (dorsal, lateral and pontine), and tegmental nuclei in acute in vivo benzene-treated rats with respect to controls. In summary, this work shows an effect of benzene on the enkephalinergic system, which could be related to the naloxone-reversible analgesia induced by the aromatic hydrocarbon.     

Efficacy of spectacles in persons with albinism

INTRODUCTION: Patients with albinism have varying degrees of reduced vision, strabismus, iris transillumination, nystagmus, fundus hypopigmentation, and foveal hypoplasia. High refractive errors are common, but reduced vision persists due to nonrefractive factors, causing reluctance by some clinicians to prescribe spectacles. We sought to evaluate the effect of spectacle correction of refractive error on clinical findings and recorded compliance with refractive corrections, as little detailed data exist. METHODS: We prospectively examined 35 consecutive patients with albinism for whom glasses had been prescribed to determine if objective improvement in recognition visual acuity (VA), strabismus, anomalous head posture (AHP), fusion, or stereoacuity occurred with refractive correction. Parents or patients reported compliance with glasses wear (excellent: >75% of awake hours; good: 50-75% of awake hours; fair: 26-50% of awake hours; poor: <25%). RESULTS: Median age was 9.5 years (range: 3 to 30). Median refractive correction was 1.875 D spherical equivalent (range: -9.75 to +8.88 D). Glasses wear was initiated at a median age of 14 months (range: 3 months to 14 years). Mean binocular VA at distance was 20/80.9 corrected and 20/107.6 uncorrected ( P < 0.001). Mean VA at near was 20/28.4 corrected and 20/41 uncorrected ( P < 0.001). Mean strabismic deviation was 7.2 PD with glasses and 10.0 PD without glasses at distance ( P = 0.006) and 10.8 PD with glasses and 14 PD without glasses at near ( P = 0.042). Mean AHP at distance was 8.3 degrees with glasses and 7.3 degrees without glasses at distance ( P = 0.327) and 4.7 degrees both with and without glasses at near ( P = 0.308). Twenty-one patients had fusion with or without glasses, two had fusion only with glasses, and one patient had fusion only without glasses. The other patients did not have any detectable degree of fusion. Twenty-seven individuals had no stereoacuity with or without glasses, five had gross stereoacuity of 3000 seconds of arc both with and without glasses, and three had gross stereoacuity only while wearing glasses. Compliance was excellent in 29 patients, fair in four, and poor in two. CONCLUSION: This prospective study showed a significant improvement in corrected VA and alignment in persons with albinism, despite overall subnormal acuity. Some individuals also experienced improvement in binocular alignment and AHP. Compliance with spectacles was generally good. Therefore, refractive correction should be encouraged in persons with albinism as improvement in visual function is likely to occur.