Critical study of hair growth analysis with computer-assisted methods

BACKGROUND: Computer-assisted image analysis has been proposed for human hair growth studies. METHODS: The performances of Trichoscan, a commercially available automated system combining epiluminiscence microscopy with digital image analysis, developed for office-based hair growth measurements, have been evaluated comparatively on the same skin sites using standardized photographic equipment and calibrated processing for contrast-enhanced phototrichogram (CE-PTG) analysis. This reference method has been validated with scalp biopsies and histological examination of serial sectioning. RESULTS: Besides edge effects, hair fibres escaped the Trichoscan analysis for various reasons including, but not limited to, thickness, pigmentation, closeness and crossing. CONCLUSION: Most of these problems have been identified in the late 1980s and remain largely unsolved by the processing software that was evaluated in 2004. Therefore claims promoting the Trichoscan method for accurate hair measurements in clinical trials on scalp and body hair are not supported by the present investigation. The speed at which the analysis is performed is outweighed by the errors in signal detection. Therefore we suggest that improvements must be clearly documented before Trichoscan is established for quantified diagnostic purposes and detailed hair cycle monitoring during hair trials.     

Diagnostic difficulties of pelvic splenosis: case report.

We report the case of a 38-year-old woman who presented with chronic lower abdominal pain. Her past medical history included a splenectomy due to abdominal trauma. Ultrasound examination revealed four pelvic tumors which, upon laparotomy, were found to be the result of splenosis. Approximately 100 cases of splenosis have been reported but only a minority of them have been published in the gynecological literature. Our case indicates that those involved in pelvic scanning (even of asymptomatic women) and/or treating those complaining of lower abdominal pain or presenting with pelvic tumors should be aware of splenosis as a possible diagnosis.     

The impact of two-dimensional versus three-dimensional ultrasound exposure on maternal-fetal attachment and maternal health behavior in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of timing and type of ultrasound, particularly three-dimensional (3D), exposure on maternal-fetal attachment and maternal health behavior during pregnancy. METHODS: Subjects were 68 women aged 18 years or older expecting their first child who presented for a routine ultrasound scan at around either 12 or 18 weeks' gestation in Nepean Hospital, Western Sydney. Women completed questionnaires assessing maternal-fetal attachment and health behavior, and were then allocated arbitrarily to either two-dimensional (2D) or 3D ultrasound examination. Repeat questionnaires were completed 1 week later. RESULTS: Maternal-fetal attachment increased after both 2D and 3D ultrasound exposure, and the effect was moderated by the timing of exposure, with women receiving their first ultrasound examination at around 12 weeks showing the greatest change. Alcohol consumption was the only behavior to show significant change following ultrasound exposure, with a reduction in the reported average number of drinks per week. There was no significant difference in the pattern of change for 2D compared with 3D ultrasound exposure, and no effect of ultrasound exposure on maternal perception of the fetus. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound has a positive impact on maternal-fetal attachment, particularly in the first trimester. 3D ultrasound did not offer enhanced benefits. Associations between ultrasound exposure and alcohol consumption warrant further investigation. Larger samples are needed to clarify the moderating effects of gestational age and type of ultrasound exposure.     

Prognostic factors for surgical resection in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Although surgical lung resection could improve prognosis in some patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), there are no reports on the optimal candidates for this surgery. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the prognostic factors for surgery in patients with MDR-TB. Patients who underwent lung resection for the treatment of MDR-TB between March 1993 and December 2004 were included in the present study. Treatment failure was defined as greater than or equal to two of the five cultures recorded in the final 12 months of treatment being positive, any one of the final three cultures being positive, or the patient having died during treatment. The variables that affected treatment outcomes were identified through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. In total, 79 patients with MDR-TB were included in the present study. The treatment outcomes of 22 (27.8%) patients were classified as failure. A body mass index <18.5 kg x m(-2), primary resistance, resistance to ofloxacin and the presence of a cavitary lesion beyond the range of the surgical resection were associated with treatment failure. Low body mass index, primary resistance, resistance to ofloxacin and cavitary lesions beyond the range of resection are possible poor prognostic factors for surgical lung resection in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients.     

Altered apoptosis in bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes after allergen exposure of atopic asthmatic subjects.

The increased number of lymphocytes in airways during an asthmatic response is believed to be the result of increased recruitment of these cells. However, it is possible that a decreased apoptotic rate could also contribute to the increased number. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether allergen airway provocation influences the apoptotic phenotype of lung and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in subjects with atopic asthma. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) lymphocytes and PBL from 12 asthmatic subjects previously challenged with allergen (n = 7) or saline (n = 5) were exposed to the apoptotic stimulus tributyltin (TBT) in vitro and assayed for apoptosis. Airway allergen provocation resulted in decreased sensitivity of BAL lymphocytes to TBT-induced apoptosis, with 42.2% (range 33.9-62.5%) apoptotic cells before challenge versus 23.5% (range 15.3-42.4%) after challenge, while PBL were unaffected. The increased apoptosis resistance correlated with higher numbers of Bcl-2-expressing lymphocytes. Interestingly, baseline caspase-3-like activity was significantly elevated in viable BAL lymphocytes compared with viable PBL, and was unaltered by allergen exposure. In conclusion, allergen inhalation renders bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes more resistant to apoptosis while peripheral blood lymphocytes were not influenced at all, indicating that the apoptotic phenotype of airway lymphocytes may play a role in asthmatic inflammation.     

Neu–Laxova syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

Neu-Laxova syndrome (NLS) is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome, characterized by severe intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), microcephaly, abnormal brain development, oedema and ichthyosis. It was first reported in 1971 by Neu et al. (Pediatrics 47: 610-612) and since then no more than 60 cases have been reported. A newborn girl delivered from a 29-year-old healthy mother was admitted to hospital with a thick membrane covering her body and dismorphic appearance. The diagnosis of NLS was made according to characteristic features. The syndrome is known to have a poor prognosis and the baby lived for 9 weeks. This case is one of the longest living cases of NLS and the fourth case reported from Turkey.     

Renal Allograft Biopsies with Borderline Changes: Predictive Factors of Clinical Outcome

The clinical outcome and appropriate management for patients showing 'borderline changes' on allograft biopsy after renal transplantation is still controversial. In an attempt to identify predictive factors of clinical outcome of patients with such lesions, we reviewed the clinical course of 91 patients with borderline changes. Multivariate analysis revealed significant and independent effects of histological stage (i + t < or = or > 2) and time to borderline changes (< or = or > 3 months after transplant) on serum creatinine levels at 1 year from borderline changes episodes (respectively, p = 0.04 and p = 0.02) and only a significant effect of time to borderline changes on serum creatinine levels at 2 years (p = 0.005). Renal function at 1 year and 2 years as 5- and 8-year graft survival were not significantly different in the group of patients treated with antirejection therapy (T group, n = 49) compared with the untreated group (UT group, n = 42). This study strongly suggests that borderline changes with histological score (i + t) > 2 and late episodes of borderline changes should be considered to be of poor prognosis.     

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: a population-based cancer registry descriptive study of 66 consecutive cases diagnosed between 1982 and 2002

BACKGROUND: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare malignant tumour of the skin, with an estimated incidence of 0.8 to five cases per 1 million people per year. OBJECTIVE: To study epidemiological, immunohistochemical and clinical features, delay in diagnosis, type of treatment and outcome of DFSP from 1982 to 2002. METHODS: Using data from the population-based cancer registry, 66 patients with pathologically proved DFSP were included (fibrosarcomatous DFSP were excluded). Each patient lived in one of the four departments of Franche-Comté (overall population of 1 million people) at the time of diagnosis. The main data sources came from public and private pathology laboratories and medical records. The rules of the International Agency for Research on Cancer were applied. RESULTS: The estimated incidence of DFSP in Franche-Comté was about three new cases per 1 million people per year. Male patients were affected 1.2 times as often as female patients were. The trunk (45%) followed by the proximal extremities (38%) were the most frequent locations. DFSP occurred mainly in young adults between 20 and 39 years of age. Mean age at diagnosis was 43 years, and the mean delay in diagnosis was 10.08 years. Our 66 patients initially underwent a radical local excision. Among them, 27% experienced one or more local recurrences during 9.6 years of follow-up. There was one regional lymph node recurrence without visceral metastases. These recurrences were significantly related to the initial peripheral resection margins. We observed a local recurrence rate of 47% for margins less than 3 cm, vs. only 7% for margins ranging from 3 to 5 cm [P=0.004; OR=0.229 (95%, CI=0.103-0.510)]. The mean time to a first local recurrence was 2.65 years. Nevertheless, there was no death due to the DFSP course at the end of the follow-up, and the final outcome was favourable. CONCLUSION: Our study emphasizes the importance of wide local excision with margins of at least 3 cm in order to prevent local recurrence. However, the recent development of inhibitors of signal transduction by the PDGFB pathway should soon modify the surgical strategy, which is often too mutilating.