The Scimitar syndrome: CT findings in partial anomalous pulmonary venous return

An anomalous pulmonary vein draining into the subdiaphragmatic inferior vena cava was initially demonstrated on computed tomographic (CT) scans. The diagnosis of scimitar syndrome was confirmed with digital subtraction angiography. In retrospect, the anomalous vein and dextroposition of the heart were shown on chest radiographs.     

Psychological Assessment of the Headache Patient

Most clinicians agree that psychological factors are important considerations in the evaluation and treatment of headache patients. There has been a lack of systematic research, however, that has examined the relationship between these variables. Attention to such factors may become a greater concern as the frequency of a patient's headaches increases, there is increased disability secondary to headaches, and/or there is an inadequate response to usually effective treatment. In addition, there is no consensus as to the proper method to assess psychopathology in headache patients.     

A Comparison of Depressive Symptoms in Stroke and Primary Care: Applying Rasch Models to Evaluate the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale

OBJECTIVES: Clinical trials and community-based studies often include the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) as a measure of depression outcome. We compared responses to symptom-related items on the CES-D by depressed stroke and primary-care patients for several purposes: 1) to illustrate the use of Item Response Theory (IRT)-based (Rasch) models for comparing scale functioning across different patient subgroups; and 2) to inform clinicians and outcome researchers about scale functioning and depressive symptomatology in stroke- compared with primary care-based depression. METHODS: Two data sources were analyzed, including 32 depressed patients who were 3 months poststroke, and 366 depressed primary-care patients. Presence of depression was based on a CES-D score 16 or higher. Rasch models were used to assess item fit and compare item hierarchies between depressed primary-care and stroke patients. RESULTS: Item hierarchies were similar for poststroke depression and primary care-based depression. Interpersonal disruption items were the most difficult to endorse for both groups. No items misfit the scale in primary-care depression. Items relating to restless sleep, unfriendliness, and crying slightly misfit the scale in stroke patients, that is, may measure a different trait. Differential item functioning (DIF) between the groups was identified for items relating to appetite, restless sleep, crying, and feeling disliked. CONCLUSIONS: Results generally supported the use of the CES-D as measure of depression outcome, particularly in primary care-based depression. DIF may imply that slightly different clusters of depressive symptoms are reported by depressed stroke patients compared with primary care, but this is conjectural given the small stroke sample size and the same items have been previously associated with bias in studies of large nonstroke samples. This study found Rasch models to be useful tools to investigate scale performance for different clinical applications.     

经尿道膀胱肿瘤切除专用手术刀具的临床应用

目的对经尿道膀胱肿瘤切除专用手术刀具治疗浅表性膀胱肿瘤进行临床应用评价。方法在传统电切刀的远端添加保护襻组成膀胱肿瘤切除专用手术刀具。使用该种手术刀具治疗浅表性膀胱肿瘤48例,使用方法与普通电切刀近似。男26例,女22例。年龄23~76岁,平均43岁。肿瘤分期Tis者1例,T0~T1者47例。肿瘤分级G1~G2者36例,G3~G4者12例。瘤体直径0.5~8.0 cm。肿瘤位于膀胱顶部4例,左侧壁11例,右侧壁9例,前壁4例,后壁13例,颈部7例。肿瘤单发31例,多发17例。术后常规卡介苗膀胱灌注1年,每3个月行膀胱镜检查1次。结果48例平均手术时间(23±10)m in。术中18例(37.5%)发生闭孔神经反射,未出现膀胱穿孔病例;无瘤体后部的正常膀胱黏膜误切。46例术后随访1年,14例复发,均为远位新生膀胱肿瘤,术后3个月时发现1例,4~6个月时3例,7~9个月时6例,10~12个月时4例。结论使用该专用手术刀具治疗浅表性膀胱肿瘤容易控制切除深度,可最大限度地避免膀胱穿孔,并可保护大体积肿瘤后部盲区的正常黏膜以免误切。     

Molecular Pharmacology of Topiramate: Managing Seizures and Preventing Migraine

Topiramate is a neuromodulatory compound with stabilizing properties that was initially introduced for the management of partial seizures. Topiramate has been demonstrated to modify several receptor-gated and voltage-sensitive ion channels, including voltage-activated Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ channels and non-NMDA receptors. These receptors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of both epilepsy and migraine. The pharmacological mechanisms of action for topiramate that may explain its antiepileptic and migraine preventive activities will be discussed in this review. In addition, the potential relationship between the molecular activities of topiramate and its efficacy in epilepsy and migraine prevention will be emphasized.