Labially displaced ectopically erupting maxillary permanent canine: interceptive treatment and long-term results.

This case report demonstrates how extracting a maxillary deciduous canine affects the eruption path of a labially displaced ectopically erupting permanent canine. A long-term follow-up is presented, and the biologic mechanisms are discussed.     

Automation of pharmaceutical dissolution testing by flow injection analysis

The different types of instruments used for monitoring pharmaceutical dissolution testing are presented. Their features and the need for automation are critically discussed. The advantages of flow injection analysis in this respect are illustrated by a variety of examples clearly showing its adaptability to the different problems posed by other automatic and non-automatic alternatives.     

Splenic abscess in patients on hemodialysis

We describe two patients on hemodialysis who developed staphylococcal splenic abscesses. Both patients previously had staphylococcal septicemia secondary to infection at the dialysis access site. We postulate that access-site infections may predispose hemodialysis patients to splenic abscess, and that these patients should be investigated for a splenic abscess if they should develop unexplained fever.     

Aminotriazole effects on lung and heart H2O2 detoxifying enzymes and TBA-RS at two pO2

In order to clarify the physiological role in vivo of H2O2-detoxifying enzymes at low and high levels of O2 tension we studied catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidases (GP), and in vivo peroxidation (TBA-RS) in the lung and heart of Rana perezi frogs chronically treated with hyperoxia, aminotriazole (AT) -a CAT inhibitor-, or both. Hyperoxia did not change CAT, GP or TBA-RS. Aminotriazole caused an almost complete depletion of CAT, a 30% decrease of GP and a 132% (lung) to 200% (heart) increase of TBA-RS. Changes similar to these were found in the group treated with AT in hyperoxia. No mortality or changes in total or organ weight occurred in the experimental groups. Main conclusions are: (1) The maximal hyperoxia tolerance showed by frogs among vertebrates does not need antioxidant enzyme induction from lung or heart and is probably related to the presence of high constitutive levels of GP in relation to metabolic rate. (2) Even in normoxia the tissues present significant amounts of H2O2, and CAT is needed to avoid oxidative damage. GP does not compensate its absence. The implications of these results in relation to oxygen toxicity in man is discussed.     

Temporal lobe epilepsy caused by domoic acid intoxication: Evidence for glutamate receptor–mediated excitotoxicity in humans

We describe the development of temporal lobe epilepsy in an 84-year-old man who had suffered domoic acid intoxication. Following intoxication he had nausea, vomiting, confusion, and coma. Generalized convulsions and complex partial status epilepticus progressively developed. After 3 weeks he improved and was seizure free with severe residual memory deficit. Electroencephalograms initially showed periodic epileptiform discharges, later evolving to epileptic abnormalities over frontotemporal regions with diffuse slow waves. Eight months after the intoxication the electroencephalogram was normal. One year after the acute episode, complex partial seizures developed. Electroencephalograms showed epileptic discharges independently over both temporal lobes, with left-sided predominance. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a hyperintense T2-weighted signal and atrophy of both hippocampi; a positron emission tomographic scan showed bitemporal decreased glucose metabolism. Pneumonia developed and the patient died 31/4 years after the intoxication. Autopsy disclosed severe bilateral hippocampal sclerosis. The seizures following acute domoic acid intoxication, the postmortem pathology, and the fact that temprol lobe epilepsy developed 1 year after intoxication indicate that the human hippcampus is also vulnerable to kainate receptor excitotoxicity, and provide strong evidence supporting the role of excitotoxic injury in epileptogenesis. This report provides a unique human parallel to, and validates the animal model of, Kainate-induced epilepsy as an important tool for studying temporal lobe epilepsy.     

Unusual central chorioretinitis as the first manifestation of early secondary syphilis

Three young, otherwise healthy patients had a similar picture of unilateral central chorioretinitis associated with severe visual loss. Fluorescein angiography disclosed diffuse leakage under the neurosensory retina in the posterior pole, associated with multifocal areas of staining along the retinal vessels. Systemic examination showed a positive fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test and a sharp increase in VDRL titers, indicative of active secondary syphilis. The patients responded dramatically to penicillin treatment, with visual recovery and resolution of the fundus lesions.     

Clinicopathologic correlation of pigmented epiretinal membranes

We performed clinicopathologic correlation on ten surgically removed pigmented epiretinal membranes causing macular pucker. All cases occurred in eyes with existing retinal holes or tears, including eight cases of macular pucker after previous retinal detachment. These cases probably represented a limited form of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. All membranes contained pigment epithelial cells with polarity, basement membrane, and melanosomes. Cytoplasmic melanin granules accounted for the clinical feature of pigmentation in these eyes.     

Analysis of the degree of precision of a computer-assisted dietary survey method

A computer-assisted method for the registration of food intakes in real time according to a concise and simple procedure was subjected to a series of controls in order to assess precision. The method employs the 'portion' of a composite dish as unit of measure. The constancy of the portion was tested. The results show that the recipes of the diet of a subject may be stored and utilized in deferred time without loss of precision: data to be recorded in real time are then very limited. The length of period of analysis was also studied. The time of investigation should not be shorter than two weeks to obtain precise information on the feeding habits of an individual subject, whereas for a group of subjects the diary of a single day provides information of sufficient precision.