Pyogenic infections of the central nervous system secondary to dental affections—a report of six cases

Pyogenic infections of the central nervous system of dental origin are quite uncommon in industrialized countries. We report six cases with intracerebral (n=4) and intraspinal (n=2) infections treated in our hospital. The microbial pathogen was successfully isolated in all patients. Fusobacterium nucleatum as well as Streptococcus species were found in three cases. Bacillus species were identified in two patients. Actinomyces was the etiologic agent in one case. All patients suffered from dental pathologies, so that after clinical and radiological exclusion of other sources an oral focus was presumed. Therapeutic management consisted of an operative procedure in order to obtain decompression, as well as evacuation of the pus on the one hand, followed by targeted antibiotics on the other. Clinical improvement was achieved in all patients, with one patient lost to follow-up. On magnetic resonance tomography, the inflammatory changes also disappeared in all cases. We recommend that oral infection with recurrent bacteraemia should always be considered in the pathogenesis of the so-called “cryptic” intracerebral and intraspinal infections.     

INVASIVE MUCORMYCOSIS WITH GASTRIC INVOLVEMENT IN A PATIENT WITH SEVERE ATHEROMATOUS VASCULAR DISEASE

Gastric mucormycosis involvement is a rare condition that usually occurs in inmunocompromised patients and frequently has a fatal outcome. We report the case of a 73‐year‐old woman admitted to the intensive care unit with severe bleeding after an acute pulmonary disease. Upper endoscopy disclosed wide and deep necrotic ulcers in the body and fundus of the stomach and greenish exudates with the antrum and the duodenum undamaged. Autopsy revealed an invasive mucormycosis and a severe atheromatosis. Several predisposing factors for mucormycosis infection have been reported until now. We postulate that ischemic gastritis could be a predisposing factor for colonization of zygomycete.     

双语教学Powerpoint课件制作探讨

针对Powerpoint软件在课件制作上常存在的屏幕背景与文字色彩对比不当、文字数量太多及字体太小、文字动画太多且乱、声音混杂等问题,结合实践就如何制作课件,尤其是双语教学课件,从总体布局、屏幕文字安排、背景与版式的设计、声音与动画等方面进行了探讨,并介绍了多种特殊效果的应用技巧.     

Candida albicans osteomyelitis of the spine: progressive clinical and radiological features and surgical management in three cases

Candida albicans vertebral osteomyelitis is rare. Three cases are presented. Without antifungal treatment, they developed spinal collapse and neurological deterioration within 3–6 months from the onset of symptoms. There was a delay of 4.5 and 7.5 months between the onset of symptoms and surgery. All patients were managed with surgical debridement and reconstruction and 12-week fluconazole treatment. The neurological deficits resolved completely. The infection has not recurred clinically or radiologically at 5–6 years follow-up. Although rare, Candida should be suspected as a causative pathogen in cases of spinal osteomyelitis. Without treatment the disease is progressive. As soon as osteomyelitis is suspected, investigations with MRI and percutaneous biopsy should be performed followed by medical therapy. This may prevent the need for surgery. However, if vertebral collapse and spinal cord compression occurs, surgical debridement, fusion and stabilisation combined with antifungal medications can successfully eradicate the infection and resolve the neurological deficits.     

An epidemiological study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from medical staff, inpatients, and hospital environment in one ward at our hospital.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important causative microorganisms for nosocomial infections. Recently, the incidence of isolation of MRSA has been increasing every year in Japan and is, notably, much more frequently found in inpatients than in outpatients. Therefore, we have done epidemiological studies of MRSA isolated from medical staff, inpatients, and the hospital environment in one ward of our hospital. Thereafter, we examined the antibiotic susceptibility (ABPC, DMPPC, CET, CMZ, IPM, GM, MINO, OFLX, EM, CLDM, VCM), phage typing, and coagulase typing of these MRSA. MRSA were isolated more frequently from anterior nares of inpatients than from doctors and nurses. MRSA were isolated more frequently from the environment near carriers of MRSA. Coagulase type II and phage type N.T. (not typable) were the dominant types of MRSA in our hospital (69% and 61%). MRSA strains were resistant to most antibiotics with a few exceptions (VCM, IPM, CMZ, CET). The high isolation frequency of MRSA in our hospital seems to suggest that inpatients who are carrying MRSA spread MRSA throughout the hospital environment and that the anterior nares of inpatients are the major MRSA harbor.     

Detection of Epstein Barr virus in an hepatic leiomyomatous neoplasm in an adult human immunodeficiency virus 1-infected patient

We report the first case of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related primary hepatic leiomyoma in an adult patient. The diagnosis was made at autopsy and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Epstein Barr virus (EBV) was identified in tumour cells by in situ hybridization. Review of the literature revealed 13 cases of visceral myogenic tumours occuring in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome children, and only 2 cases in adults. One was a spinal epidural leiomyoma, the other multiple smooth muscle tumours of the colon and adrenal gland. This is the first report of EBV in smooth muscle neoplastic cells in an HIV-infected adult patient.     

Patterns of asbestosis in New Jersey.

Hospital discharge data from New Jersey were used to identify cases of asbestosis for the 8 years 1979-1986. Multiple admissions were deleted so that each individual was counted once at the time of his/her first hospitalization with an asbestosis diagnosis. White males had the highest age-adjusted average annual discharge rate of 19.3 cases/100,000 population, followed by black males (12.3 cases/100,000) and white females (1.2 cases/100,000). The discharge rate was positively associated with age in each race/sex category. The relationship between rates for black males and white males depended on age: under 65 years, the rates were almost equal, and at 65 years and older, the white rates were nearly twice the black rates. There were two areas of the state where the rates were highest: the north-central and southwest regions. These two areas represent manufacturing and shipbuilding applications of asbestos, respectively. During the years 1979-1986, the annual percentage increase in asbestosis rates was 20% for white males, 17% for black males, and 8% for white females. Continued surveillance will reveal when the rates for asbestosis stop increasing.     

Infection dynamics and virus-induced apoptosis in cell culture-based influenza vaccine production—Flow cytometry and mathematical modeling

Cell culture-based influenza vaccine manufacturing is of growing importance. Depending on virus strains, differences in infection dynamics, virus-induced apoptosis, cell lysis and virus yields are observed. Comparatively little is known concerning details of virus–host cell interaction on a cellular level and virus spreading in a population of cells in bioreactors. In this study, the infection of MDCK cells with different influenza A virus strains in lab-scale microcarrier culture was investigated by flow cytometry. Together with the infection status of cells, virus-induced apoptosis was monitored. A mathematical model has been formulated to describe changes in the concentration of uninfected and infected adherent cells, dynamics of virus particle release (infectious virions, hemagglutinin content), and the time course of the percentage composition of the cell population.     

老年患者尿路感染菌群分布及其耐药性分析

目的 :了解老年患者尿路感染致病菌的菌群分布及其对抗生素的耐药情况 ,为临床合理使用抗生素提供依据。方法 :收集湖北省 15所三级甲等医院 2 0 0 2年尿路感染老年患者清洁中段尿细菌培养分离的 5 34株致病菌 ,对其进行耐药性监测。药敏采用K B法 ,用WHONET 5软件进行数据分析。结果 :共收集致病菌 5 34株 ,其中革兰阴性菌 4 0 9株 (76 .6 % ) ,革兰阳性菌 12 5株(2 3.4 % )。革兰阴性菌中大肠埃希菌检出率最高 (2 6 4株 ,4 9.4 % ) ,其次为克雷白杆菌 (44株 ,8.2 % )。 16 .7%的大肠埃希菌和 2 2 .7%的克雷白杆菌产超广谱 β 内酰胺酶。亚胺培南、阿米卡星、头孢他啶对革兰阴性菌的抗菌活性最强 ,而革兰阴性菌对环丙沙星、庆大霉素、哌拉西林的耐药率均在 5 0 %以上。革兰阳性菌以肠球菌最多见 (6 4株 ,12 % ) ,其次为葡萄球菌属 (43株 ,8.1% )。革兰阳性菌对SMZco、红霉素等的耐药率均在 4 0 %以上 ,但对万古霉素均敏感。结论 :老年患者尿路感染以革兰阴性菌为优势菌株 ,且耐药性日益严重 ,对亚胺培南、阿米卡星、头孢他啶最为敏感。革兰阳性菌宜以万古霉素为首选。