Urethral caruncle in a male: a case report

Urethral caruncle in a 60-year-old male labourer is being reported. Its occurrence in male urethra has not been reported so far in the literature.     

Hand and forearm dermatoses among veterinarians

BACKGROUND: Infectious and non-infectious hand and forearm dermatoses are frequent in daily veterinary medicine. In this specific occupation there is a serious impact of skin disease on the lives and careers of veterinarians. OBJECTIVE: In this study we clarify the different occupational dermatoses on hands and forearms among veterinarians, using data collected in different dermatological patch-test expert centres in Belgium and the Netherlands. METHODS: Instead of questioning veterinarians themselves, which has been done in different studies in the past, we contacted dermatologists in Belgium and the Netherlands, questioning them about their experiences with dermatoses among veterinarians. RESULTS: Seven dermatologists described a total of 58 veterinarians. Infectious dermatoses were described in 12 cases (20.7%). The non-infectious dermatoses (46 cases, 79.3%) can be classified as contact urticaria and as irritant or allergic contact dermatitis. CONCLUSION: While irritant contact dermatitis accounts for the vast majority of hand and forearm dermatoses among veterinarians, contact urticaria and allergic contact dermatitis also significantly contribute to the occupational morbidity. Repeated hand washing, occlusion under rubber gloves, contact with animal protein fluids during obstetric procedures and contact with antiseptic agents, systemic and topical corticosteroids and antibiotics are the most likely causes of hand and forearm dermatoses among veterinarians.     

Surgical options for Ebstein’s anomaly for optimal functional outcome

Background Ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve is a complex malformation. Historically, because valve replacement yielded poor results, surgical treatment has focused on valvuloplasties with or without associated procedures. An individualised combination of surgical procedures was practised over three years and forms the subject of this presentation. Method Between November 1995 and September 1999, 7 patients with Ebstein’s anomaly underwent surgical repair (age 3.5 to 40 years). Cyanosis with severe tricuspid regurgitation was present in all. Surgical repair, individualised according to the morphology of the tricuspid valve and right ventricle to provide maximum possible symptom free survival, included, (1) Tricuspid valve: Replacement (n=1); Repair (Carpentier type n=1, Unicuspid repair n=5), (2) Atrial septal defect: left open (n=1), closed partially (n=1), closed compeletely (n=5), and (3) Bidirectional Cavopulmonary Shunt (BCPS)-4 Results There was no hospital death. Intraoperative transoesophageal echocardiography showed only mild tricuspid regurgitation in all, following repair. There were no late deaths at a mean follow up of 29 months. All but one patient were in functional Class 1 New York Heart Association(NYHA). Complications included a thrombus in the right ventricular cavity six months postoperatively in one patient. Conclusion Individualisation of surgical management in Ebstein’s anomaly provides optimal results.     

Prostacyclin production by perturbed bovine aortic endothelial cells in culture

This study reports that endotoxin (Escherichia coli serotype 026:B6) and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate stimulate cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells to generate prostacyclin. The prostacyclin concentration of the culture medium was measured indirectly by radioimmunoassay for 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. The amount of prostacyclin generated depended on the concentration of endotoxin or phorbol diester. Prostacyclin generation was not immediate, but occurred slowly after a six-hour lag period. The perturbed cells contracted and showed marked shape changes that correlated temporally with the start of enhanced prostacyclin production. Cytochalasins B and D, vinblastine, and colchicine inhibited prostacyclin production, indicating involvement of the cytoskeleton in the cellular response to endotoxin and phorbol diester. The increase in prostacyclin production was prevented by trifluoperazine, an inhibitor of the Ca++-calmodulin system, which is known to be involved in cytoskeletal function. Generation of prostacyclin was inhibited by cycloheximide and actinomycin D, indicating dependence on protein and ribonucleic acid synthesis. It is postulated that exposure to endotoxin or phorbol diester leads, via a series of reactions that involve RNA and protein synthesis and require intact cytoskeletal function, to the generation of toxic active intermediate(s) that stimulate the enzymes necessary for prostacyclin production.