Glass foreign body granuloma of the nose

Almost any material may produce a foreign body granuloma. An unusual case is presented in which a foreign body granuloma of the nose was proved to be due to glass particles following an old injury. The clinical aspects of the case are discussed.     

Repair of the severely contracted socket with meshed skin graft and semi-rigid conformer.

Nine severely contracted sockets were reconstructed using a meshed skin graft in conjunction with a semi-rigid conformer-stent. Particularly useful following unsuccessful surgery with mucosal grafting, or in cases where for some reason mucosal grafts cannot be obtained, this technique is superior to current procedures utilizing nonmeshed split-thickness skin grafts.     

New technique for intralesional steroid injections

A fast, simple, and accurate method is described for intralesional injections using a laboratory repetitive pipette that was modified for this specific purpose.     

Stuttering as Reflected in Adults’ Self-Figure Drawings

This pilot study aimed to detect indicators within self-figure drawings that reflect stuttering in adults. A sample of 20 adults who stutter from childhood were given a blank sheet of A4-size paper and a pencil and were asked to draw themselves. Their drawings were compared to drawings of a nonstuttering adult group that was matched to the study group according to age, gender, and education (n = 20). Indicators included all body organs that symbolize the senses and social anxiety (based on the literature review) were selected for comparison. Findings revealed that the ears, eyes, and throat of figures drawn by the stuttering adults differed from those drawn by nonstuttering adults. In addition, stuttering adults tended to add a collar or a line within the neck to their drawings.     

The intercorrelations between blood levels of ferritin,sCD163, and IL-18 in COVID-19 patients and their association to prognosis

Immunologic Research - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with immune dysregulation, severe respiratory failure, and multiple organ dysfunction caused by a cytokine storm involving...     

Safety and efficacy of insulin detemir in clinical practice: 14-week follow-up data from type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients in the PREDICTIVE European cohort

PREDICTIVE (Predictable Results and Experience in Diabetes through Intensification and Control to Target: An International Variability Evaluation) is a large, multi-national, open-label, prospective, observational study assessing the safety and efficacy of insulin detemir in clinical practice. A total of 20,531 patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes from 11 countries were prescribed insulin detemir and followed up after a mean of 14.4 weeks. The primary endpoint was incidence of serious adverse drug reactions (SADRs), including major hypoglycaemia. Secondary endpoints were: haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), mean self-monitored fasting glucose, within-patient fasting glucose variability and body weight change. Two hundred and fourteen patients (1%) reported SADRs, including major hypoglycaemia. The incidence of major hypoglycaemic episodes was reduced from 3.0/patient-year at baseline to 0.7/patient-year at follow-up in type 1 patients (p < 0.0001), and from 0.8 to 0.1/patient-year in type 2 patients (p < 0.0001). Insulin detemir improved glycaemic control in type 1 and type 2 patients, with reductions in mean HbA(1c) (0.5% and 0.9%, respectively, p < 0.0001 for both), fasting glucose (1.7 and 2.6 mmol/l, p < 0.0001 for both) and within-patient fasting glucose variability (0.7 and 0.5 mmol/l, p < 0.0001 for both). There was a small decrease in mean body weight in both type 1 and 2 patients (-0.1 kg, p < 0.01 and -0.4 kg, p < 0.0001 respectively). Insulin detemir was used once- or twice-daily in 49% and 50% of type 1 patients, and 77% and 23% of type 2 diabetes patients, respectively. The 14-week observations from PREDICTIVE support clinical trial data showing that insulin detemir improves glycaemic control, with a lowered risk of hypoglycaemia and no weight gain.     

Does bariatric surgery improve ovarian stimulation characteristics,oocyte yield,or embryo quality?

Background

Obesity is a major global health concern associated with multiple co-morbidities. Bariatric surgery has been considered a good treatment option in cases of morbid obesity. This preliminary study aims to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on ovarian stimulation characteristics and IVF treatment cycle outcome.

Methods

A retrospective study that was performed in a tertiary, university-affiliated medical center and included all patients who underwent IVF treatment both before and after bariatric surgery. Data on ovarian stimulation variables of IVF treatment cycle prior and following the bariatric surgery were reviewed and compared.

Results

From January 2005 to June 2014, seven women fulfilled the inclusion criteria. After the operation, BMI was significantly reduced (mean?±?SD) (43.1?±?3.3 vs. 29.6?±?7.33, p?=?0.018), as was the number of gonadotropin ampoules required during stimulation (69.3?±?10.5 vs. 44.5?±?17, p?=?0.043). No between-cycle differences were observed in peak estradiol level, the number of oocytes retrieved, and percentage of mature oocytes.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this preliminary case series is the first comparison of IVF cycle characteristics prior to and following bariatric surgery. The operation seems to reduce treatment costs without affecting oocyte or embryo quality. Further large studies are required to establish the surgery’s effect on IVF outcome among infertile women.

     

Hypermobility spectrum disorders and active migraine in Israeli adolescents: A nationwide study

Objective

To assess the association between hypermobility spectrum disorders/hypermobile type Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (HSD/hEDS) and migraine in a national sample of adolescents in Israel.

Background

The association between HSD/hEDS and migraine is unclear, even more so in pediatric populations.

Methods

This population-based, cross-sectional study included 1,627,345 Israeli adolescents (945,519/1,626,407 [58%] males; mean age 17 ± 0.5 years) who were medically assessed before mandatory military service during 1998–2020. Diagnoses of migraine with at least one attack per month (active migraine) and HSD/hEDS were confirmed by certified specialists. The prevalences of active migraine in adolescents with and without HSD/hEDS were computed and the association between HSD/hEDS and active migraine was examined.

Results

Active migraine was significantly more prevalent in adolescents with HSD/hEDS (307/4686 [6.5%]) compared to those without HSD/hEDS (51,931/1,621,721 [3.2%]) (OR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.90–2.45). The association between HSD/hEDS and active migraine persisted in a multivariable analysis (OR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.85–2.34) and in several sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

We found a significant association between HSD/hEDS and active migraine in both male and female adolescents. Clinical awareness of the association can promote early diagnosis and treatment of migraine. Further research is required to identify appropriate pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic migraine treatment strategies for individuals with HSD/hEDS.