Non alcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of incident diabetes in subjects who are not obese

Background and aims

It is not known whether non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a risk factor for diabetes in non obese, non centrally-obese subjects. Our aim was to investigate relationships between fatty liver, insulin resistance and a biomarker score for liver fibrosis with incident diabetes at follow up, in subjects who were neither obese nor centrally-obese.

Clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease in female SLE patients: Interplay between body mass index and bone mineral density

Background and aims

Since accelerated atherosclerosis has been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), predictive biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are needed. Among non-traditional risk factors, bone mineral density (BMD) has been related to CVD. However, its role in SLE remains controversial. This study aims to analyze the associations of subclinical atherosclerosis with traditional and non-traditional CV risk factors.

Knowledge of the Brain Death Concept in Dominican Immigration Residents in Spain and Florida

The Latin American population has a double way of immigration, one toward the United States by proximity and another toward Spain by sociocultural affinity. This population increase is affecting organ donation and transplantation in receiving countries.

Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels inversely correlate with lung function improvement (delta FEV1) in cystic fibrosis patients receiving ivacaftor treatment

Background

We have recently shown that human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels correlate with the severity of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. However, there are no data on how HE4 levels alter in patients receiving CFTR modulating therapy.

Clinical outcomes of bypass-first versus endovascular-first strategy in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia due to infrageniculate arterial disease

Background

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), defined as ischemic rest pain or tissue loss secondary to arterial insufficiency, is caused by multilevel arterial disease with frequent, severe infrageniculate disease. The rise in CLTI is in part the result of increasing worldwide prevalence of diabetes, renal insufficiency, and advanced aging of the population. The aim of this study was to compare a bypass-first with an endovascular-first revascularization strategy in patients with CLTI due to infrageniculate arterial disease.

软组织损伤引起慢性疼痛的治疗

目的：综述运动系统软组织损伤引起慢性疼痛的各种治疗方法的研究进展。资料来源：应用计算机检索Medline1980—01／2006—04与运动系统软组织损伤引起慢性疼痛的治疗相关文章，检索词“Soft tissue injury，pain．chronic，comprehensive therapy”，并限定文章语言种类为“English”；同时计算机检索中国期刊全文数据库1994—01／2006-04期间的相关文章，检索词“软组织损伤、慢性疼痛、治疗方法”，并限定语言种类为中文。同时手工查阅相关书籍。资料选择：对资料进行初审，所选文献内容符合：①软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛药物治疗的研究。②软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛微创治疗的研究。③软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛运动疗法的研究。④软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛心理治疗的研究。⑤软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛其他疗法的研究。排除重复性研究的文献。资料提炼：共收集到40篇关于软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛治疗方法的文献，均为全文，23篇符合纳入标准，排除17篇重复性研究。同时录入书籍3本。资料综合：软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛的产生是生理、心理及社会因素复杂结合的结果，个体表现差异较大，目前尚无特效治疗方法，常用的治疗方法有：药物治疗、微创治疗、运动疗法、心理治疗、物理疗法及其他疗法。结论：对于软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛的治疗必须以整体的观点对其进行合理的评估和个体化治疗，才能收到良好的效果。     

Diabetes im Kindes- und Jugendalter

Type 1 diabetes is one of the commonest chronic disorders encountered in children and adolescents. When it first becomes apparent in children, approximately 20% of them have clinical and biochemical signs of ketoacidosis (DKA). In the presence of unusual clinical symptoms it is necessary to consider the possibility of associated conditions, such as coeliac disease, immunothyroiditis and Addison’s disease. Children with diabetes must be treated by a multidisciplinary team made up of paediatrician, paediatric diabetes specialist, psychologist, social worker, ophthalmologist, dietitian, nurse and diabetes counsellor, making it essential for them to be treated in regional specialised centres. They are treated in their own psychosocial environment and their families are involved in the therapy. Comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment strategies have now made it possible for these patients to enjoy normal physical wellbeing and near-normal psychosocial development. Prevention and early treatment of of disturbances associated with diabetes remain an important concern. The fact that type 2 diabetes must now be looked for in overweight children and adolescents is a new aspect of diabetes medicine.     

Littoral‐cell angioma as a rare cause of splenomegaly

We report the case of a littoral‐cell angioma of the spleen, a recently described benign vascular tumour, whose imaging and pathological characteristics have been discussed only by a few authors. The diagnosis was made after elective splenectomy. The CT images, scintigraphy and histological specimens are presented, and differential diagnoses discussed.     

Optimal SPECT processing and display: Making bad studies look good to get the right answer

Conclusion  Several quality-control measures take place before (patient and camera preparation) and during SPECT acquisition to achieve high-quality images. Not uncommonly, technologists and physicians are left with suboptimal images that have to be addressed to reach the “right answer” for patient diagnosis and hence management. In many cases patients may be reimaged, especially if the problem is detected early, but in other cases either the patient has left the nuclear laboratory or there is an inevitable problem that, even with reimaging, will not be resolved. In these situations the technologist and physician have to seek the available techniques to obtain the best images possible. These resources are discussed in this issue as an aid in quality control to obtain the best possible images.