Bell's phenomenon during screening examination for retinopathy of prematurity

Purpose

Bell''s phenomenon (BP), which may disturb screening examinations for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), is known to present infrequently in premature babies. Stress associated with the examinations can influence expression of BP. The authors of the present study evaluated BP during examinations for ROP.

Methods

The present study included 102 eyes of 51 premature babies. Expression of BP was assessed at 3 steps of the examination in the following order: after insertion of a speculum, after illumination of an indirect ophthalmoscope and after scleral depression. The relationship between the expression of BP and the gestational age at the examination was analyzed in each step of the examination.

Results

The frequency of BP after the speculum insertion and the illumination was 77% to 92% in infants 32 weeks of age or younger, and decreased significantly to 16% to 57% in infants 42 weeks of age or older (p < 0.005). BP after the scleral depression had no significant association with the gestational age. Frequency of BP increased significantly as the steps of the examination proceeded (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

BP was frequent in premature infants during ROP examination in spite of neurological immaturity. The examiner should take BP into consideration, which frequently occurs in younger infants.     

Hodgkin's disease presenting with spinal cord compression

INTRODUCTION: Hematological neoplasms may be complicated by signs of neurological compression. Most cases reported in the literature have described advanced-stage non-Hodgkin lymphomas. We report a case of spinal cord compression revealing an isolated vertebral localization of Hodgkin lymphoma. CASE REPORT: Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spine in a 54-year-old man who presented with spastic paraplegia revealed a vertebral and extradural mass. After laminectomy, histology and immunohistochemistry showed Hodgkin's disease. Post-operative staging did not reveal any other localization. The patient responded favorably after decompressive surgery and ABVD regimen. CONCLUSION: Spinal cord compression is a rare complication of Hodgkin's disease, occurring in only 5p.cent of cases, usually in the setting of progressive, advanced disease. As the initial symptom of Hodgkin's disease, it is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. Significant results may be obtained with decompressive surgery and chemotherapy when the disease is promptly diagnosed. Spinal cord compression by primary Hodgkin's disease is a very infrequent situation. We urge this diagnosis be considered in all patients presenting with spinal cord compression attributed to malignancy.     

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia

INTRODUCTION: Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia is a rare affection. CASE REPORT: A 36 years-old woman presented an angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia manifesting by erythematous nodular lesions on the face and the forearms, severe neuropathy, visual loss and eosinophilia. Corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs and interferon-alpha were unsuccessful. DISCUSSION: Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia is a dermatological disease with possible systemic features. Differential diagnosis with Kimura disease is based on clinical presentation and histological findings. Etiopathology remains unknown and the treatment is not codified.     

Determinants of skilled birth attendance in rural Cambodia

OBJECTIVE: To identify the determinants of skilled and unskilled birth attendance. METHOD: Population-based survey in a rural area in Cambodia, of women aged 15-49 years who had delivered during the previous 3-month period. An analytical framework based on Andersen's behavioural model served to identify determinants according to delivery place (facility vs. non-facility), birth attendant at home births (skilled vs. unskilled), and change of birth attendant during delivery (changed vs. unchanged). We used logistic regression to analyse the data. RESULTS: Of 980 women included in the analyses, 19.8% had skilled attendants present during delivery. The determinants of facility delivery were different from those for having skilled attendants assisting in home births. In case of facility deliveries, previous contact with a skilled attendant through antenatal care was a significant determinant. In case of home births, the type of birth attendant (i.e. skilled or unskilled) at the preceding delivery was a significant determinant. CONCLUSION: Community-based programmes need to reach primiparas, because once a woman has delivered with the aid of an unskilled attendant, she is five to seven times less likely to seek skilled help than a primipara.     

Emergence of Enterococcus species in the infectious microorganisms cultured from patients with endophthalmitis in South Korea

Purpose

To investigate the microorganisms in culture-proven endophthalmitis and their susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents commonly used in South Korea.

Methods

Medical records of consecutive patients with culture-proven endophthalmitis at eight institutions between 1 January 2004 and 31 July 31 2010 were reviewed. Four categories of endophthalmitis were studied: postoperative, posttraumatic, endogenous, and unspecified. Outcome measures were culture-proven infectious organisms, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and final visual acuity in the patients.

Results

A total of 93 microorganisms were identified from 103 patients during the study period. The positive culture rate was 59.2 % (103/174). The most common organisms identified were Enterococcus faecalis (in 20.8 % of patients, 20/96), Staphylococcus epidermidis (18.8 %, 18/96), other coagulase-negative staphylococci (10.4 %, 10/96), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.3 %, 6/96), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.3 %, 6/96). Two cases of Enterococcus faecium (2.1 %) were recognized. Overall, 70 of 96 (73.0 %) isolates were Gram-positive bacteria, 22 (23.0 %) were Gram-negative bacteria, and 4 (4.2 %) were fungi. The most common organisms resulting in reduced light perception were E. faecalis and K. pneumoniae.

Conclusions

The emergence of E. faecalis in endophthalmitis is mainly caused by the high incidence of E. faecalis in postoperative endophthalmitis. This increase also impacts the final visual acuity of the patients.     

Painful ophthalmoplegia secondary to nasopharyngeal carcinoma--a case report

A case of painful ophthalmoplegia with unilateral ocular pain, fixed eyeball to all directions of gaze, and loss of vision is presented. After intensive steroid therapy, conjunctival chemosis subsided markedly, but no improvement was seen in other clinical signs. We took a CT scan of orbit brain and performed nasopharyngeal biopsy and open biopsy through craniectomy. Based on the results of clinical features and findings of the CT scan and tissues, we diagnosed painful ophthalmoplegia secondary to nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasized to orbital apex and brain.     

Improved PCR for detection of the highly leukotoxic JP2 clone of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in subgingival plaque samples

The JP2 clone of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is associated with early-onset periodontitis in certain ethnic populations of African origin. Here, we describe and evaluate a set of primers for PCR to assay for the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans and to discriminate between JP2-like strains and other genotypes in subgingival plaque samples.     

De novo acute myeloid leukemia risk factors: A Texas case-control study

BACKGROUND:

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is comprised of several bone marrow‐based cancers and is the most common type of leukemia in the United States. The etiology of AML is not well understood. A case‐control study was conducted at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to investigate associations between lifestyle characteristics and the risk of AML in Texas.

METHODS:

This study included 638 adult patients with de novo AML (cases) and a group of 636 matched controls. Interviewer‐administered questionnaires were used to collect demographic and occupational data. The distribution of cases by World Health Organization (WHO) subtype was 71 patients (11%) with recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities (AML‐RCA), 134 patients (21%) with multilineage dysplasia (AML‐MD), and 389 patients (61%) with AML not otherwise categorized (AML‐NOC). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed among all AML cases and among both sexes and each WHO subgroup.

RESULTS:

Among men, heavy smoking (≥30 pack‐years; odds ratio [OR], 1.86) and occupational solvent exposure at low levels (OR, 2.87) or moderate/high levels (OR, 4.13) statistically significantly increased the risk of AML. Among women, obesity (OR, 1.62) and solvent exposure to low levels (OR, 2.73) or moderate/high levels (OR, 3.90) increased the risk of AML. Across WHO subtypes, obesity was associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of AML‐RCA (OR, 3.15), whereas solvent exposure increased the risk in all subtypes at low levels (AML‐RCA: OR, 4.11; AML‐MD: OR, 2.54) and moderate/high levels (AML‐RCA: OR, 5.13; AML‐MD: OR, 3.02). A joint effect between smoking and solvent exposure was observed, and the highest risk was observed among smokers who had solvent exposure (OR, 4.51).

CONCLUSIONS:

The current results suggested that several factors play a role in AML predisposition with possible joint effects. Risk profiles for AML differed by sex and WHO subtype. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.     

Clinical efficacy of the polyurethane stent without fluoroscopic guidance in the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the polyurethane (Song) stent in the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction without fluoroscopic guidance, especially at the junction between the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct or at the nasolacrimal duct. DESIGN: Retrospective noncomparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: This study evaluated 59 cases of nasolacrimal duct obstruction in 53 patients, with mean epiphora of 36 months (range, 2 months-17 years). METHODS: Without the assistance of a radiologist, a polyurethane nasolacrimal stent was placed by introducing a guidewire through the superior or inferior punctum into the canaliculus and advancing it across the obstruction into the opening of the inferior meatus of the nasal cavity. The mean follow-up period was 22 months (range, 12 months-48 months). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patency of the lacrimal passage to irrigation and the duration of this procedure. RESULTS: Complete resolution of epiphora was accomplished in 55 (93.2%) of the 59 eyes. There was recurrence of epiphora in four cases because of obstruction of the stent in three cases and obstruction of the common canaliculus by recurrent dacryocystitis in one case. CONCLUSIONS: Polyurethane stenting without fluoroscopic guidance seems to be a valuable technique for primary management of nasolacrimal duct obstruction before dacryocystorhinostomy.