Thyroid orbitopathy: an update

Two typical findings in thyroid orbitopathy have traditional explanations which are not wholly acceptable in many cases of the disease. Eyelid retraction is attributed to superstimulation of Mueller's palpebral muscle, while vertical muscle imbalances are attributed to preferential involvement of the vertically acting muscles in the myositic process. Clinical and experimental ultrasonographic evidence recently gathered indicates that endocrine orbitopathy is panmyositis involving all of the muscles of the orbit simultaneously. In light of this improved understanding of the muscular involvement in this disease, we propose alternate explanations for the signs and symptoms of thyroid orbitopathy which are based upon physiologic, anatomic, and pathologic facts.     

Fatal community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia in an immunocompetent young adult

Severe pneumonia caused by community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was reported in children soon after this pathogen emerged in the United States in the 1990s. Genes for Panton Valentine leukocidin, which are present in the majority of community-associated MRSA, are thought to enhance the ability of S aureus to cause necrotizing pneumonia. Despite the rapid spread throughout the United States of community-associated MRSA and related skin and soft-tissue infections, reports of severe pneumonia in adults have been rare. We describe a case of a healthy young adult who initially was treated as an outpatient with levofloxacin for what appeared to be typical community-acquired pneumonia. He soon returned to the emergency department (ED) with rapidly fatal necrotizing pneumonia, associated with hemoptysis, leukopenia, and sepsis syndrome, that was caused by community-associated MRSA carrying genes for Panton Valentine leukocidin. This case highlights the typical features of this form of pneumonia and the need to consider MRSA when evaluating and treating severe pneumonia in the ED. It also raises the question of whether the incidence of this form of pneumonia might be increasing in communities with a high prevalence of community-associated MRSA and whether current pneumonia treatment guidelines should be modified.     

Guglielmi detachable coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms: 11 years' experience

OBJECT: The authors report on their 11 years' experience with embolization of cerebral aneurysms using Guglielmi Detachable Coil (GDC) technology and on the attendant anatomical and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Since December 1990, 818 patients harboring 916 aneurysms were treated with GDC embolization at University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center. For comparative purposes, the patients were divided into two groups: Group A included their initial 5 years' experience with 230 patients harboring 251 aneurysms and Group B included the later 6 years' experience with 588 patients harboring 665 aneurysms. Angiographically demonstrated complete occlusion was achieved in 55% of aneurysms and a neck remnant was displayed in 35.4% of lesions. Incomplete embolization was performed in 3.5% of aneurysms, and in 5% occlusion was attempted unsuccessfully. A comparison between the two groups revealed a higher complete embolization rate in patients in Group B compared with that in Group A patients (56.8 and 50.2%, respectively). The overall morbidity/mortality rate was 9.4%. Angiographic follow ups were obtained in 53.4% of cases of aneurysms, and recanalization was exhibited in 26.1% of aneurysms in Group A and 17.2% of those in Group B. The overall recanalization rate was 20.9%. Note that recanalization was related to the size of the dome and neck of the aneurysm. Overall incidence of delayed aneurysm rupture was 1.6%, a rate that improved in the past 5 years to 0.5%. Ten of 12 delayed ruptures occurred in large or giant aneurysms. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and postembolization outcomes in patients treated with the GDC system have improved in the past 5 years. Aneurysm recanalization, however, is still a major limitation of current GDC therapy. Follow-up angiography is mandatory after GDC embolization of cerebral aneurysms. Further technical and device improvements are mandatory to overcome current GDC limitations.     

慢性乙肝患者肝组织纤维化程度与HBV-DNA复制水平的相关性研究

目的:探讨HBV-DNA复制水平与肝纤维化之间的相关性。方法:对210例慢性乙型肝炎患者进行HBV-DNA和肝纤维化血清学标志透明质酸(HA)、层粘蛋白(LN)、III型前胶原(PCIII)、IV型胶原(IV-C)进行定量检测。应用SPSS10.0统计软件对结果数据进行分析处理。结果:随慢性乙肝临床类型的加重,肝纤维化血清学标志逐渐升高(P<0.01),而肝纤维化血清学标志与HBV复制水平呈正相关(P<0.05);结论:HBV复制水平与肝纤维化之间呈正相关。