Abnormal sweat test in patient with Diabetes Insipidus unresponsive to ADH

Increased sweat concentrations (92, 76 and 80 mEq/l) were observed in a 7-year-old boy with pitressin-resistant diabetes insipidus. All previous observations of elevated sweat electrolytes in diabetes insipidus have been in infants less than 10 months of age. The sweat test is an exceptionally reliable, sensitive and specific test for the diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis. Pitressin-resistant diabetes insipidus is one of the diseases associated with elevated sweat test results.     

Odontogenic osteomyelitis of the maxillary bone

The authors present the case of a two-year and eleven month old boy with gray skin who had chronic focal suppurative osteomyelitis diagnosed by clinical, surgical and histopathological examination. Its probable dental origin is commented as well as its therapeutics and evolution.     

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis

A four years-old boy with Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis was surgically treated at the Pediatric Surgery Unit of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia of Maceió. Comments are made upon pathology, pre-operative diagnostic difficulties, differential diagnosis, and the rare occurrence in children.     

Correlation of activity of 2-(X-benzyloxy)-4,6-dimethoxyacetophenones with topological indices and with the Hansch equation.

The antispasmodic activities of the 2-(X-benzyloxy)-4,6-dimethoxyacetophenones (X = H, 4'-F, 4'-NO2, 4'-CH3, 4'-Cl, 3',4'-(CH3)2, 4'-OCH3, 4'-Br, 4'-C(CH3)3, 4'-OCH2C6H5) against acetylcholine-induced contraction of the guinea pig ileum were correlated with different topological indices. Good correlations were obtained through a simple regression equation with electrotopological state indices (Si) for the carbon atoms S(C1) and S(C6). Using multiple linear regression with two variables the best correlations were obtained with carbons in the 6- and 1-positions with sigma. Such results indicate that the corresponding carbon atoms play an important role in the biological activity. The equation of Hansch showed that the activity of these compounds increases when the ring substituent in the benzyloxy group are more highly electron-releasing and hydrophobic.     

Post-parotitis myocarditis: case report

In November, 1993,M.G., a 6 year and 11 month-old girl, was admitted at Hospital Infantil Joana de Gusm?o--Florianópolis, SC, Brazil--with post-parotitis myocarditis and congestive heart failure. Three days after admission it was evidenced, on an echocardiogram, a thrombus in the left ventricle apex which, despite of correct treatment, embolized to iliac and small mesenteric arteries. Epidemic parotitis (mumps) is very common, being endemic around the world. Complications are rare and myocarditis, one of them, is more common than diagnosed because of its poor and benign manifestations, generally transient abnormalities of cardiac rhythm and conduction. This case was astonishing because of its rare subsequent event, that is, the formation of a ventricular mural thrombus during an acute myocarditis.     

Bronchodilators in asthma: bypassing controversies

Inhaled bronchodilators are used in acute asthma for relief of airway obstruction. Continuous monotherapy with beta 2 adrenergic can increase hyperresponsiveness because these drugs do not control inflammation. Asthma mortality and morbidity have been related to an increased beta 2-agonists use. Epidemiologic data however do not show a cause/effect relationship. Until controversies are cleared on, beta 2-agonists should be used for relieving acute asthma attacks, for preventing exercise-induced bronchospasm and eventually on an as needed basis. Long acting beta 2-agonists can be effective in moderate/severe asthma. Daily short acting beta 2 use by inhalation, a partial clinical response and its overuse in acute asthma suggest the need for antiinflammatory treatment.     

Myrcene mimics the peripheral analgesic activity of lemongrass tea.

Oral administration of an infusion of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) fresh leaves to rats produced a dose-dependent analgesia for the hyperalgesia induced by subplantar injections of either carrageenin or prostaglandin E2, but did not affect that induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. These results indicate a peripheral site of action which was confirmed with the essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. Silica gel column fractionation of the essential oil allowed the identification of myrcene as the major analgesic component in the oil. Identification of the components was made by thin-layer chromatography and checked by mass spectrometry. The peripheral analgesic effect of myrcene was confirmed by testing a standard commercial preparation on the hyperalgesia induced by prostaglandin in the rat paw test and upon the contortions induced by intraperitoneal injections of iloprost in mice. In contrast to the central analgesic effect of morphine, myrcene did not cause tolerance on repeated injection in rats. This analgesic activity supports the use of lemongrass tea as a "sedative" in folk medicine. Terpenes such as myrcene may constitute a lead for the development of new peripheral analgesics with a profile of action different from that of the aspirin-like drugs.     

Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis cervical infection: a comparison of Papanicolaou and immunofluorescent staining in smears obtained by Ayre's spatula and cytobrush.

Two methods of staining (Papanicolaou versus direct immunofluorescence) and two methods of collection of the samples (Ayre's wooden spatula versus cervical Cytobrush) were compared in order to verify the efficiency in detecting Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections in the female genital tract. Out of 166 asymptomatic patients, 59 were positive for CT by means of direct immunofluorescence: 36 were detected in Cytobrush samples, 16 in Ayre's spatula samples, and 7 in the samples collected by both methods. Papanicolaou smears showed "moth-eaten" features suggestive of CT infection in a great number of metaplastic cells present in 35 cases: 24 collected by Cytobrush, 4 by Ayre's spatula and 7 by both methods. Our data show that Cytobrush is more efficient that Ayre's spatula in concentrating cellular material. It is thus possible to detect CT infection with more accuracy by means of direct immunofluorescence, and to suspect CT infection in smears collected by means of Cytobrush and stained by Papanicolaou's method.