Routine chest radiographs in psychiatric patients

The routine chest radiographs of 178 psychiatric patients were reviewed. 67 patients had abnormalities found on their chest radiographs. 22 (32.8 pc) of these were significant abnormalities while 45 (67.2 pc) were non-significant. There was no significant abnormality detected on the chest radiographs of any patient in whom abnormality had not been suspected clinically. No significant abnormality was found in patients below the age of 40 years. This study suggests that chest radiography should be performed only on psychiatric patients who are above the age of 40 years and especially those who have clinical evidence of chest disease.     

Corneal chromoblastomycosis caused by Cladophialophora carrionii after cataract surgery

We describe a case of corneal chromoblastomycosis with Cladophialophora carrionii in a 69-year-old woman 4 weeks after clear corneal cataract surgery. The patient presented with right eye pain and decreased visual acuity of 20/100. Examination showed a deep posterior stromal keratitis accompanied by a dense fibrinous anterior chamber reaction. An aqueous tap was performed, and the patient was treated with topical, systemic, and intracameral antifungal and antibiotic agents. The infection was resistant to medical therapy and the course further complicated by secondary pupillary block glaucoma. After 10 days, a therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty was performed. The patient remained asymptomatic 20 months after the initial presentation, with corrected distance visual acuity restored to 20/40. To our knowledge, is the first reported case of corneal chromoblastomycosis with C carrionii. Early surgical treatment may be necessary to eradicate Cladophialophora species.     

Procedures used for correction of isolated penile torsion: are they competitive or complementary?

International Urology and Nephrology - To report our experience in starting the correction of penile torsion, whatever its degree (moderate or severe) with one or more simple procedures either...     

Melatonin and/or rowatinex attenuate streptozotocin-induced diabetic renal injury in rats

The study aimed to explore the prophylactic effect of melatonin, rowatinex; a naturally occurring renal drug, and its combination on diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of streptozotocin (50 mg/g body weight). Three days before diabetes induction, rats were daily treated with melatonin, rowatinex and their combination continuously for 8 weeks. Evaluation was done through measuring blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum uric acid, serum creatinine, urine creatinine, creatinine clearance, nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70), caspase-3, transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), DNA degradation by the comet assay and total protein contents. Histopathologic study was also done for the kidney and the pancreas. Drastic changes in all measured parameters of the diabetic rats were observed. Treatment with melatonin and rowatinex showed amelioration to variable degrees. In conclusion, melatonin showed the most potent effect on protecting rats from deleterious action of diabetic nephropathy followed by its combination with rowatinex.