Multiple fluid-filled bone metastases

Bone metastases are usually seen on imaging studies as lytic lesions and less often as sclerotic or mixed lesions. We report an exceedingly unusual case of breast cancer identified after magnetic resonance imaging showed bone metastases with fluid-fluid levels in the spine and sacrum. Bone images containing fluid-fluid levels are usually solitary abnormalities produced by aneurismal bone cysts. The fluid-fluid level is due to bleeding within the tumor followed by layering of the blood components based on density differences. Only two other cases of bone metastases with multiple fluid-fluid levels have been reported. Although fluid-fluid levels are exceedingly rare, clinicians should be aware that they might indicate a malignancy, particularly when they are multiple.     

Assessing the Role of Context on the Relationship Between Adolescent Marijuana Use and Property Crimes in Mexico

Background: A limited amount of research has been conducted on the association between marijuana use and adolescent crime in developing countries such as Mexico, where crime rates are high and marijuana use is increasing. Objectives: To examine the association between the frequency of marijuana use and the likelihood of committing of a property crime, and to identify contextual factors explaining individual differences in the likelihood of committing a property crime. Methods: The contribution of marijuana use to property crimes was examined based on two nationwide probabilistic surveys of public high school students, using a multilevel mixed effects logistic regression model. Results: Marijuana use significantly increased the odds of committing a property crime. Differences between schools were observed in the random effects of marijuana use, suggesting that the likelihood of committing a property crime was differentially affected by contextual factors. In addition, students who were victims of bullying by peers and who had parents that abused alcohol had higher odds of committing a property crime. Perceived disorder in students' schools and neighborhoods also increased students' odds of reporting that they had committed a property crime. Conclusions: The importance of the effect of school context on the relationship between marijuana use and the commission of a property crime among Mexican public high school students seemed to increase over time. However, these results may also be due to changes in sampling designs over time.     

Neural correlates of scent marking behavior in C57BL/6J mice: detection and recognition of a social stimulus

Mice show urinary scent marking behavior as a form of social communication. Marking to a conspecific stimulus mouse or odor varies with stimulus familiarity, indicating discrimination of novel and familiar animals. This study investigated Fos immunoreactivity in inbred C57BL/6J (C57) males following scent marking behavior in response to detection of a social stimulus, or discrimination between a familiar and an unfamiliar conspecific. In Experiment 1 C57 mice were exposed for four daily trials to an empty chamber; on a test day they were exposed to the same chamber or to a male CD-1 mouse in that chamber. Increased scent marking to the CD-1 mouse was associated with increased Fos-immunoreactive cells in the basolateral amygdala, medial amygdala, and dorsal and ventral premammillary nuclei. In Experiment 2 C57 mice were habituated to a CD-1 male for 4 consecutive days and, on the 5th day, exposed to the same CD-1 male, or to a novel CD-1 male. Mice exposed to a novel CD-1 displayed a significant increase in scent marking compared to their last exposure to the familiar stimulus, indicating discrimination of the novelty of this social stimulus. Marking to the novel stimulus was associated with enhanced activation of several telencephalic, as well as hypothalamic and midbrain, structures in which activation had not been seen in the detection paradigm (Experiment 1). These included medial prefrontal and piriform cortices, and lateral septum; the paraventricular nuclei, ventromedial nuclei, and lateral area of the hypothalamus, and the ventrolateral column of the periaqueductal gray. These data suggest that a circumscribed group of structures largely concerned with olfaction is involved in detection of a conspecific olfactory stimulus, whereas discrimination of a novel vs. a familiar conspecific stimulus engages a wider range of forebrain structures encompassing higher-order processes and potentially providing an interface between cognitions and emotions.     

Usefulness of TrichoScan professional in the evaluation of hair loss in females. Report of 180 cases

Background TrichoScan Professional is a computerized program used for digital measurement of hair growth and hair loss. The aim of our study was to undertake an evaluation with TrichoScan Professional of female patients consulting at our hospitals for hair loss. The purpose of our study was to determine whether TrichoScan was able to identify differences in hair parameters that would correlate with the pattern of alopecia or according to the age of the patients evaluated. Material and methods One hundred‐eighty women that consulted consecutively for loss of hair were included. Patients were aged between 8 and 85 years (mean age 36 years). Data including age, the number of hairs, hair density per square centimetre, anagen and telogen percentage and percentage of terminal and miniaturized hair were analysed. Results Results observed with TrichoScan were as below: number of hairs (mean 154.9; range 34–316). Hair density per square centimetre (mean 239; range 52–486). Hair in anagen phase (mean 62.4%; range 9–93%). Hair in telogen phase (mean 37.4%; range 7–91%). Terminal hair (mean 95.2%; range 82–100%). Vellus hair (mean 4.7%; range 0–17%). Pearson′s correlation test was used to measure the strength of the association of age with the rest of parameters. The statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between age and both the number of hairs and the hair density per square centimetre. However, no significant correlation between age and rest of the parameters was observed. Conclusions TrichoScan Professional may help to quantify hair density and in our sample, this was the only parameter showing a significant decrease according to age in various types of alopecia affecting the females.     

Carcinoma de ovario: enfermedad tras citorreducción y quimioterapia adyuvante. Importancia e implicaciones terapéuticas

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed in the advanced stages. Primary cytoreduction still retains its central prognostic value. We have witnessed a general in treatment results since the appearance of the taxanes and the development of the intraperitoneal therapies. However, the latter has not been incorporated into routine clinical practice, given the difficulties it poses. After adjuvant chemotherapy the majority of our patients will recur. If we could identify high risk patients, we could study and develop better strategies for these patients.     

Surgical Treatment of Giant Intramural Left Ventricular Fibroma in an Adult Patient with Refractory Ventricular Tachycardia

Abstract Cardiac fibromas are rare benign tumors predominantly diagnosed in children and teenagers. We report a 57‐year‐old male patient with class II dyspnea and angina. During electrocardiographic assessment, recurrent ventricular tachycardia was present and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a giant (12.5 × 5 × 4 cm) intramural left ventricular tumor compatible with cardiac fibroma. After surgical biopsy and histological confirmation, open‐heart surgical resection was successfully performed. After nine months of follow up, the patient remains asymptomatic without evidence of ventricular tachycardia. (J Card Surg 2010;25:656‐658)     

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa—oral rehabilitation using stereolithography and immediate endosseous implants

Dental management of patients with epi-dermolysis bullosa (EB) is challenging because of the severe soft tissue lesions associated with this disease. A case history is presented where two immediate endosseous implants were placed in the mandible of a patient with recessive dystrophic EB using computer-aided technology to plan the surgery and prosthetic rehabilitation. After a 24-month follow-up, the prosthesis was stable with healthy asymptomatic soft tissue around the implants. The stereolithographic model provides a precise and noninvasive copy of the mandibular and maxillary arches of patients with EB for rehabilitation of the dentition with immediate endosseous implants and a prosthesis.     

Facial porokeratosis: A series of six patients

Porokeratosis is a disorder of epidermal keratinization characterized by annular plaques with an atrophic centre and hyperkeratotic edges, and includes a heterogeneous group of disorders that are mostly inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. Facial porokeratosis is rare and is not well documented. We present six cases of facial porokeratosis seen over a period of 15 years in a hospital in Lima, Peru. In most of the cases, porokeratosis was found in younger women without any significant past medical history. Oral isotretinoin showed moderate improvement in two of our patients.