Long‐standing ulcerative colitis complicated by right subclavian artery occlusion and upper limbs arteriolitis with digital ischemia

A 48‐year‐old male patient with long‐standing ulcerative colitis since February 2001 which was diagnosed by endoscopy, developed acute digital ischemia affecting both hands with fixed colour changes in the left index finger which was followed shortly by digital ulceration. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of both upper limbs showed evidence of vasculitis affecting digital arterioles on both sided and right subclavian occlusion. The patient received pulse methylprednisolone followed by cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, the latter continuing on a monthly basis for 6 months with appreciable improvement and remission of the vasculitic process; follow‐up MRA showed reperfusion of the previously occluded subcalvian artery. To the authors’ knowledge vasculitis complicating the course of ulcerative colitis is a rare association and is only sporadically reported in the literature. This rare entity should be diagnosed early and aggressively treated; MRA is a very promising diagnostic tool that is suitable for both diagnosis and follow‐up of patients with this rare entity.     

Detection of HLA-A*24 null alleles by DNA typing methods

Abstract: A number of cases have been identified (seven unrelated individuals from the Northern Ireland bone marrow donor registry and two family groups) where an HLA-A*24 allele fails to express the normal HLA-A24 antigen. Family information has revealed common haplotypes with respect to each non-expressed allele indicating that the occurrence of these mutations has been a recent event. Two methods for the clinical typing of these alleles have been evaluated - PCR-SSOP and PCR-SSCP analysis.     

Testicular tumors: findings with color Doppler US.

A study of 28 patients with surgically proved testicular tumors was performed to determine the appearance at color Doppler ultrasound (US) scanning. There was a general correlation of tumor size and vascularity. Twenty of 21 (95%) tumors larger than 1.6 cm were hypervascular. Six of seven (86%) tumors smaller than 1.6 cm were hypovascular. One small, 1.1-cm-diameter seminoma was hypervascular, and one 2.8-cm-diameter seminoma was hypovascular. The histologic findings of the tumor did not correlate with the vascularity of the lesion as seen at color Doppler US. Resistive indexes ranged from .476 to 1.0 (mean, 0.70). Peak systolic velocities ranged from 8.4 cm/sec to 64.9 cm/sec (mean, 9.8 cm/sec). Venous flow was detected in eight tumors. The gray-scale findings, as well as history and physical examination findings, correctly suggested a neoplasm in all cases. The findings at color Doppler US were prospectively interpreted as indicative of neoplasm in 27 cases and as indicative of inflammation in one case. The authors conclude that color Doppler US scanning has only a limited role in the evaluation of testicular tumors.     

Solid-phase radioimmunoassay for the detection of rotavirus.

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay method has been developed for the detection of rotavirus in the form of a purified antigen and in stool. The parameters of the radioimmunoassay were examined and optimized to give high sensitivity and same-day results. Compared with electron microscopy, the assay is up to 10 times as sensitive for detection of the virus in stool and up to 128 times as sensitive for detection of a purified virus antigen. In a field study on stool specimens it was at least as efficient as electron microscopy.