Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint successfully treated with arthroscopic lysis and lavage: case report and review of the literature.

Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is infrequently reported. We present a case of septic arthritis of the TMJ following the extraction of the left upper second molar that occurred 1 week before beginning of symptoms. No evident predisposing factors were detected. Arthroscopic diagnosis of septic arthritis, lysis and lavage, and capsular stretch were performed. Cultures taken from the TMJ space grew Streptococcus sp. After 1 month of antimicrobial therapy the patient was asymptomatic and mandibular function was normal. Literature related to septic arthritis of TMJ and its treatment was reviewed. Different surgical procedures are available to treat this condition. Arthroscopy should be preferred as initial treatment on account of the possibility of drainage and accurate lavage under direct visualization of joint space, at the same time allowing confirmation of diagnostic hypotheses. Improving joint mobility with lysis of adhesions and capsular stretch in an early stage of disease may be helpful in stopping the fibrosis process.     

Association between the HOXA1 A218G polymorphism and increased head circumference in patients with autism.

BACKGROUND: The HOXA1 gene plays a major role in brainstem and cranial morphogenesis. The G allele of the HOXA1 A218G polymorphism has been previously found associated with autism. METHODS: We performed case-control and family-based association analyses, contrasting 127 autistic patients with 174 ethnically matched controls, and assessing for allelic transmission disequilibrium in 189 complete trios. RESULTS: A, and not G, alleles were associated with autism using both case-control (chi(2) = 8.96 and 5.71, 1 df, p <.005 and <.025 for genotypes and alleles, respectively), and family-based (transmission/disequilibrium test chi(2) = 8.80, 1 df, p <.005) association analyses. The head circumference of 31 patients carrying one or two copies of the G allele displayed significantly larger median values (95.0th vs. 82.5th percentile, p <.05) and dramatically reduced interindividual variability (p <.0001), compared with 166 patients carrying the A/A genotype. CONCLUSIONS: The HOXA1 A218G polymorphism explains approximately 5% of the variance in the head circumference of autistic patients and represents to our knowledge the first known gene variant providing sizable contributions to cranial morphology. The disease specificity of this finding is currently being investigated. Nonreplications in genetic linkage/association studies could partly stem from the dyshomogeneous distribution of an endophenotype morphologically defined by cranial circumference.     

P300 and contingent negative variation in migraine

We reviewed P300 and contingent negative variation (CNV) studies performed in migraine in order to identify their relevance in migraine and the role of neurophysiology in migraine. Publications available to us were completed by a Medline search. There is experimental and clinical evidence for loss of cognitive habituation in migraine which may serve as a specific diagnostic tool; therefore, we reviewed studies on migraine that analyzed habituation and lack of habituation by P300 and CNV, performing short-term habituation (STH) and long-term habituation (LTH). Finally, we described the two components of P300 (a and b) and of CNV (early and late wave) and the two abnormalities reported from the majority of studies on event-related potential in migraine: increased amplitude of average event-related potential and lack of habituation. These abnormalities are especially related to the early component characterizing orienting activity.     

Induced hypoglycemia. A unusual case of child battering

We describe a case of Munchausen's syndrome by proxy in a 12 years old child. The administration of glibenclamide by the mother led to severe hypoglycemias in the child, who underwent various instrumental researches and a subtotal pancreatectomy before the final diagnosis could be reached. The diagnosis also was possible with the substantial help of an accurate psychological survey. The case solution, with disappearance of hypoglycemias, was made possible by the removal of the maternal presence settled by the juvenile court.     

Effect of bezafibrate on low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol in normolipidemia. Study in coronary patients and their first degree relatives

A pharmacological study was carried out in a group of 20 subjects composed of 13 coronary patients and 7 normal close relatives (first degree) who were considered at a high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) because of their low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLch) (mean +/- SD: 34.1 +/- 5.2 mg/dl) and their high total cholesterol/HDLch (Tch/HDLch) ratio (mean +/- SD:6.7 +/- 1.1), despite their normal serum lipid values. With the purpose of normalizing these parameters they were submitted to a 4-month treatment with bezafibrate, a hypolipidemic agent which has a known effect in increasing HDLch and in decreasing the Tch/HDLch ratio. At the end of the study total serum cholesterol and triglycerides decreased significantly by 10 and 30%, respectively (p less than 0.01). HDL increased in its cholesterol content by 33% reaching a value of 45.4 +/- 9.8 mg/dl (mean +/- SD, p less than 0.01) as well as in its apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1) content (13%, p less than 0.02). HDL2 subfraction also rose in cholesterol and in Apo A1: by 90 and 38%, respectively (p less than 0.01). HDL3 subfraction rised only its cholesterol content by 24% (p less than 0.01). Tch/HDLch ratio was significantly reduced (p less than 0.01) to a value of 4.6 +/- 0.9 (mean +/- SD). Total serum Apo B diminished by 14% (p less than 0.01). No adverse effects were observed during the follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Mifepristone in Italy: the case of a drug trapped between ethics and clinical practice

In Italy mifepristone is not yet marketed. Gynaecologists in our hospital asked to use this medication as a less traumatic method for voluntary abortions. We followed the standard procedure defined by the Italian Health Ministry (IMH) for purchasing drugs from abroad but encountered several unexpected barriers. Starting from this case, this paper is aimed at identifying these barriers which we found to be not only professional, but also ethical, religious and moral.     

Free insulin-like growth factor-I and cognitive function in older persons living in community.

CONTEXT: Increasing evidences from experimental and human studies suggest that the activity of the growth hormone (GH/insulin-like growth factor-I) axis may contribute to the age-related cognitive decline and poor cognition in late life. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of total serum free IGF-I and its binding protein-3 with cognitive performance in older persons aged 80 years or older. DESIGN: Data are from baseline evaluation of the ilSIRENTE study (n=353). Cognitive performance was evaluated using five items enclosed in the Minimum Data Set for Home Care assessment form: short-term memory, procedural memory, cognitive skills in daily decision making, verbal expression, comprehension. Free insulin-like growth factor-I (free IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in blood were measured. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to examine the relationship between cognitive impairment and the serum free IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations, after adjustment for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounders, which included age, gender, education, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, depression, Parkinson diseases, thyroid diseases, smoking status, alcohol abuse, body mass index, and number of medications, individuals with verbal expression problems (n=20) and individuals with comprehension problems (n=24) had a significantly lower serum levels of readily dissociable IGF-I than participants without cognitive impairments. The serum IGFBP-3 presented the same behavior of free IGF-I. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that among old-old subjects living in the community lower levels of total serum free IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are associated with impairment of cognitive performance. This finding suggests that the GH/IGF-I axis may play an important role in the age-related decline of cognitive performance.     

阶段性健康教育对老年食管癌患者术后配合行为的影响

目的探讨阶段性健康教育对老年食管癌患者术后配合行为的影响。方法将51例患者按入院先后分为观察组（26例）和对照组（25例）。观察组实施阶段性健康教育，即住院当日、术前1～3d、术后回病房、术后第1天、拔除胃管当日、出院前1d，由管床护士实施不同内容的健康教育；对照组实施传统健康教育。术后1周评价两组患者术后的配合行为及术后并发症的发生率。结果观察组术后配合行为显著优于对照组（均P〈0．01）；并发症发生率显著低于对照组（P〈0．05）。结论对老年食管癌手术患者实施阶段性健康教育，可提高患者的术后配合行为，降低并发症的发生。     

Buprenorphine in balanced anesthesia

Buprenorphine was administered for the balanced general anaesthesia in 300 patients during several operations. The results obtained, the good features of analgesia, morphine-like, the absence of cardiovascular and respiratory side effects are presented.