Submucosal Hemangioma of the Trachea in an Infant: Diagnosis and Follow-Up with 3D-CT/Bronchoscopy

Introduction:

Infantile hemangiomas of the airway are diagnosed at bronchoscopy as part of the investigation of stridor or other respiratory symptoms. Here, we present three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT)/bronchoscopy findings of submucosal subglottic hemangioma missed at bronchoscopy.

Case Presentation:

We report on the clinical usefulness of 3D-CT/bronchoscopy as the primary diagnostic tool and follow-up method in the evaluation of suspected airway infantile hemangiomas, especially when the hemangioma is the submucosal type.

Conclusions:

3D-CT/bronchoscopy will reduce the need for invasive laryngoscopic studies and help to diagnose submucosal hemangiomas undetected on laryngoscope. Additionally, 3D-CT/bronchoscopy will help evaluating the extent of the lesion, degree of airway narrowing, and treatment response.     

Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma of the liver: clinicopathological and immunohistochemical findings

Patients with primary small cell carcinoma of the liver have rarely been described in medical literature. Knowledge of clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical properties remains limited. We described an 82-year-old female patient with primary small cell carcinoma of the liver. Histologically, the tumor showed typical morphology of a pulmonary small cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor revealed neuroendocrine differentiation; positive reaction for chromogranin, synaptophysin, CD56, and neuron specific enolase. The tumor was also positive for TTF-1 and c-kit but completely negative for hepatocyte, carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin 7; 19; and 20. Herein, we discussed the clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical findings of extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma of the liver and reviewed the relevant literature.     

Changes in choroidal vascular parameters following pan-retinal photocoagulation using swept-source optical coherence tomography

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - To assess the effect of pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) on choroidal vascular parameters in eyes with advanced diabetic...     

Anti‐inflammatory effect of platelet‐rich plasma on nucleus pulposus cells with response of TNF‐α and IL‐1

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti‐inflammatory effect of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) with collagen matrix on human nucleus pulposus (NP) cell in response to pro‐inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1 (IL‐1). NP cells from human disks were cultured in a monolayer and maintained in the collagen matrix prior to the addition of recombinant human IL‐1 and TNF‐α. After applying IL‐1 and TNF‐α, PRP prepared by using a commercially available platelet concentration system was added. The response was investigated using real‐time PCR for mRNA expression of type II collagen, aggrecan, matrix metalloproteinase‐3 (MMP‐3), and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2). The combination of IL‐1β and TNF‐α led to decrease of matrix synthesis gene expression such as collagen type II and aggrecan and increase of the degradation gene expression of COX‐2 and MMP‐3, compared to the control. Consecutive PRP exposure significantly recovered the down‐regulated gene expression of collagen type II and aggrecan and significantly reduced the increased MMP‐3 and COX‐2 gene expression, compared to that of control groups with pro‐inflammatory cytokines. The administration of PRP with collagen matrix markedly suppressed cytokine‐induced pro‐inflammatory degrading enzymes and mediators in the NP cell. It also rescued gene expression concerning matrix synthesis, thereby stabilizing NP cell differentiation. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:551–556, 2014.     

Role of cues and contexts on drug-seeking behaviour

Environmental stimuli are powerful mediators of craving and relapse in substance-abuse disorders. This review examined how animal models have been used to investigate the cognitive mechanisms through which cues are able to affect drug-seeking behaviour. We address how animal models can describe the way drug-associated cues come to facilitate the development and persistence of drug taking, as well as how these cues are critical to the tendency to relapse that characterizes substance-abuse disorders. Drug-associated cues acquire properties of conditioned reinforcement, incentive motivation and discriminative control, which allow them to influence drug-seeking behaviour. Using these models, researchers have been able to investigate the pharmacology subserving the behavioural impact of environmental stimuli, some of which we highlight. Subsequently, we examine whether the impact of drug-associated stimuli can be attenuated via a process of extinction, and how this question is addressed in the laboratory. We discuss how preclinical research has been translated into behavioural therapies targeting substance abuse, as well as highlight potential developments to therapies that might produce more enduring changes in behaviour.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Animal Models in Psychiatry Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-20