Skin picking disorder in 97 Italian and Spanish Cri du chat patients

Skin picking (SP) disorder is characterized by recurrent SP resulting in skin lesions. Several studies estimated its prevalence as approximately 2–4 % of the general population. It is also present in a high percentage of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as Cri du chat (CdC) syndrome, a rare genetic disorder caused by variable size deletions of the short arm of chromosome 5. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in 97 patients with CdC syndrome, the following data: frequency of SP, patient's age at onset, type, and topographic–anatomic distribution of the lesions presented. The results show that 85% of patients confirm a SP disorder, usually concentrated on the hands, fingers, and the face, with onset between 6 and 10 years of age, regardless of patient's sex. Evidence for early appearance of SP behavior, high prevalence in stressful circumstances, and efficacy of distracting actions immediately suggest the possibility that proper parental information about SP behavior and parental education concerning the methods to deal with this problem may result in its efficient reduction already in childhood.     

Study of the antigenic structure of human serum albumin with monoclonal antibodies

Analysis of the antigenic structure of human serum albumin was undertaken using monoclonal antibodies. Nineteen antibodies were prepared and their specificities were studied using fragments which encompass the whole sequence of the albumin molecule. These antibodies recognized 13 different epitopes which are different from the one previously identified with two other monoclonal antibodies [Doyen et al., Immun. Lett. 3, 365-370 (1981)]. Among those 13 different epitopes, six were overlapping. Four epitopes were located on the N-terminal half of the albumin molecule. One of these required integrity of methionine 87 and the other three were overlapping and located around methionine 123. Eight epitopes were located on the C-terminal half of the albumin. Two of them were within the sequence, 330-422 and 299-496 respectively; the other six appeared to be topographic determinants which were altered or lost in the albumin fragments. A last epitope could not be located on any region of albumin. Four monoclonal antibodies directed against a given portion of the albumin molecule reacted slightly with another part of albumin, thus confirming the existence of an intramolecular cross-reactivity between the different domains of human albumin.     

火针治疗双侧面肌痉挛合并耳鸣1例

给予1例双侧面肌痉挛合并耳鸣的患者以火针治疗,主穴取长强、大椎、百会、双侧肝俞、脾俞、膈俞;配穴取双侧丝竹空、四白、颧髎、地仓、颊车、耳门穴等。隔日治疗1次,每诊后观察其疗效。12诊后面部无牵拉抽动,跳动停止,形态正常,双侧无耳鸣症状,患者随访半年无复发,已痊愈。火针疗效显著,稳定性及持续性好,提高患者的生活质量,值得临床推广。     

山东省实施世行贷款项目效果分析

目的　分析山东省实施世行贷款项目控制结核病的成效。方法 1992～1998年,各市(地)上报省项目办公室的季报资料。结果 1992～1998年,新发现涂阳肺结核病人的新登记率由3.2/10万上升到16.1/10万;治愈率由87.8%上升到96.7%;复治涂阳病人治愈率由77.5%上升到94.6%;结核病的综合控制效果由10.8%上升到88.1%。结论 实施世行贷款结核病控制项目取得了阶段性效果,获得了可行经验,从而更好地促进本省结核病的控制工作。     

Outcome of radiotherapy for invasive bladder cancer in older patients – not candidates for or decline cystectomy

PurposeRetrospective study to assess the role of radiotherapy (RT) in bladder cancer (BC) in patients who decline cystectomy or for whom it was contraindicated, regarding BC related events.Materials and MethodsA cross-sectional study, of patients with BC treated with RT, with or without chemotherapy was carried out, during the period March 2005 to March 2017, excluding patients who performed cystectomy. BC-related events were defined as haematuria, episodes requiring intravesical irrigations or transurethral resection or admission in Urology Department caused by symptoms related to BC.ResultsFifty-eight patients were included, 44 men and 14 women, whose median age at diagnosis was 78.3 years. Nine patients were treated with a RT dose below 50 Gy (20-45 Gy), in relation with non-resectable disease, nodal involvement, presence of metastasis or poor performance status. Forty-nine patients were treated with a RT dose above 50 Gy (maximum 60.4 Gy). The median follow-up time was 24 months, with BC-specific survival at 1/5 years of 87.5%/0.0% and 83.1%/33.9% in the group treated with RT dose below 50 Gy and above 50 Gy, respectively. Results revealed that the number of events decreased significantly after RT for both groups. For the two groups, the median of events before RT was 2.0, decreasing for 1.0 after RT (RT dose < 50 Gy: P = 0.011; RT dose ≥ 50 Gy: P = 0.026).ConclusionThis therapeutic approach can have an important role in older patients with bladder cancer, in terms of reducing disease related events. Symptom control was significantly achieved in both therapeutic groups.     

Liver rupture in peripartum: about 8 cases

Objectives

Subcapsular liver hematoma (SLH) is a serious complication of the preeclampsia and HELLP syndrom. We report eight cases, and we'll precise circumstances of occurrence of this complication, its management and its prognosis.

Materials and methods

Between January 2000 and December 2005, we enrolled eight patients with SLH cases in the intensive care unit of maternity's Ibn Rochd university hospital in Casablanca, Morocco.

Results

The patients are 22 to 41-years-old; six are multiparous, without prenatal care. All are preeclamptic. We diagnosed the SLH in prepartum stage in one case, in operating room in five cases and in post partum stage in two cases. We established blood pressure and homeostasis disturbances, the surgeon made packing for six patients with hepatic artery ligature in two cases. In two other patients, we did only medical care. We noted five deaths, four after hematoma rupture.

Conclusion

These results were compared with literature, we need to look for this complication in all-severe preeclampsia with HELLP syndrome, and treat all haemostatic disorders.     

L'œdème aigu du poumon chez des patientes en menace d'accouchement prématuré traitées par inhibiteurs calciques : place de facteurs prédisposants ou pharmacologiques spécifiques ?

Calcium channel blockers of the dihydropyridin's family have been associated with the onset of an acute pulmonary edema when they are used as a treatment of preterm labor. We report here four cases of pulmonary edema in pregnant women treated with nicardipine (Loxen) for preterm labor. The physiopathology of pulmonary edema, the pharmacology of calcium channel blockers of dihydropyridin's family and the detailed analysis of our cases and those of the literature make us discuss of the role of these agents and associated population and risk factors in such complication.