Conus ependymoma with holocord syringohydromyelia and syringobulbia.

We report a 24-year-old woman with an intramedullary conus ependymoma associated with holocord syringohydromyelia and syringobulbia. The tumor was removed and surgery for decompression of the syringohydromyelia was not considered at the first operation. In the follow-up examinations, MRI showed significant and steady improvement of syringohydromyelia. Symptoms associated with syringohydromyelia also disappeared. The cause of syringohydromyelia accompanying intradural spinal cord tumors appears to be either direct blockade of the central canal or secondary interruption of the central canal flow by compression of the perimedullary cerebrospinal fluid flow. As removal of the mass often corrects both these likely causes of the syringohydromyelia, no additional treatment for the drainage of the hydromyelia cavity syrinx is usually necessary.     

La densidad de los ganglios linfáticos en la linfadenectomía retroperitoneal como marcador novel para predecir la recurrencia en pacientes con cáncer testicular de células germinales: estudio de casos y controles y experiencia clínica a largo plazo de un hospital de referencia terciario

Introduction and objectivesIn this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate lymph node (LN) density in retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) to analyze whether residual mass after chemotherapy might behave as predicting factor for recurrence in patients with germ cell testicular cancer (GCTC).Materials and methodsThe data of 185 patients that were operated between 12/2004 and 02/2017 because of GCTC were reviewed retrospectively. LN density was calculated. The patients were compared statistically in terms of demographic features, tumor characteristics, serum tumor marker levels, treatment strategies, and pathological results according to GCTC subtypes. Correlation analysis was performed to determine the parameters related to recurrent disease.ResultsThe median follow-up was 79 (31-179) months and the median age of the patients was 23 (16-71). The median tumor size was 4 (1-18) cm. Five (2.7%) patients had metastatic disease at initial diagnosis. Seminoma, non-seminomatous-GCT and mix type-GCTC was detected in 62 (33.5%), 60 (32.4%) and 63 (34.1%) patients, respectively. Following inguinal orchiectomy, 48 (25.9%) patients underwent follow-up, 126 (68.1%) patients underwent chemotherapy and 11 (5.9%) patients underwent radiotherapy. A total of 21 (11.4%) patients underwent post-chemotherapy RPLND. Early and late recurrence was seen in 3 (1.6%) and 2 (1.1%) of the patients, respectively. A mild to moderate, negative, but significant correlation was found between the recurrence and the number of LNs containing metastatic deposits and LN density (r= –0.490, P=.024 and r= –0.450, P=.041, respectively).ConclusionsThere was a negative correlation between the number of LNs containing metastatic deposits and LN density and recurrent disease.     

Minimizing missed opportunities: an approach to decrease the unmet need for family planning.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine the participants with unmet need and to show that family planning consultancy given to women and men attending the first-level health facilities would increase contraceptive usage and reduce unmet need for family planning. METHODS: All married women aged 15-49 years and men having wives of the same age group attending the health centers for any service other than family planning were included in the study. Among 2021 attendants, a total of 1701 participated in the study (84.2%). Participants were interviewed after they took the services for which they attended. At the end of the inquiries, all willing participants were referred to the family planning unit in the same building. RESULTS: The unmet need (need for any or more effective contraceptive methods) was 43.1%. All participants with unmet need were referred to the family planning unit in the same building and willing participants were given family planning services. Of the participants, 23.9% attended the family planning unit and 17.8% took services immediately at the time of the attendance. CONCLUSIONS: Linking family planning services with other health services can be a cheap and practical way to reduce the unmet need.     

Cephalic vein thrombosis

An 83‐year‐old male patient presented to the outpatient clinic with complaint of swelling at right antecubital area. Ultrasonographic examination of the right upper extremity revealed a mass lesion within the right cephalic vein, which was consistent with thrombus. A computed tomography (CT) venography showed contrast enhancement in cephalic vein at distal arm and an aneurysmatic thrombus area displaying regular borders with a size of 28*30 mm; there was no contrast enhancement at more proximal levels at the cephalic vein.     

Social,Occupational, and Spatial Exposures and Mental Health Disparities of Working-Class Latinas in the US

Grounded in ecosocial theory, this paper discusses the mental health disparities of working-class Latinas from multiple perspectives. An overview of working-class Latinas’ prevalent mental health disorders, barriers to care and suggestions for interventions and future studies are provided.     

Does the impact of intensive lifestyle intervention on cognitive function vary depending baseline level of frailty? An ancillary study to the Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) Trial

AimsTo assess whether there is an opportune window when intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) benefits cognitive function.MethodsStandardized cognitive assessments were collected following ≥8 years of either ILI or a control condition of diabetes support and education (DSE) in 3708 individuals, ages 45-76 years at enrollment, with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity. Frailty index (FI) scores were used to group individuals at baseline into tertiles according to their age-related health status. Linear models were used to describe intervention adherence and cognitive function, with interaction terms to examine the consistency of relationships among tertiles.ResultsWorse baseline FI scores were associated with poorer subsequent performance in tests of attention, processing speed, and executive function. No differences in any measure of cognitive function were observed between intervention groups within any FI tertile (all p > 0.10). Among individuals with worse baseline FI scores, weight gain was associated with poorer global cognitive function among participants assigned to DSE. There was no association between weight changes and cognitive function among participants assigned to ILI.ConclusionsAmong adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity, we found no evidence that there is a window of opportunity based on FI when ILI benefits cognitive function.     

The effects of 12 months of growth hormone replacement therapy on cardiac autonomic tone in adults with growth hormone deficiency

OBJECTIVES: Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in adults is associated with a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. Some abnormalities of cardiac structure and function have been reported in adult patients with GHD, but there are few data related to cardiac autonomic tone. Non-invasive assessment of cardiac autonomic status can be achieved by heart rate variability (HRV), which can be measured by using time-domain or frequency-domain variables. To our knowledge, short-term (6 months) effects of GH replacement therapy (GHRT) on HRV in a limited number of patients have been evaluated prospectively in only two previous studies. The present study was therefore designed to investigate the effects of GHD and 12 months of GHRT on cardiac autonomic tone in a larger number of adult patients with severe GHD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HRV measurement, by using time-domain variables, was performed in 22 patients with GHD (eight men, 14 women; mean age 45.4 +/- 2.4 years) and 22 healthy controls (nine men, 13 women; mean age 40.8 +/- 1.8 years) at baseline. The time-domain variables (sympathetically influenced parameters SDNN and SDANN and parasympathetically influenced parameters RMSSD and PNN50) were derived from 24-h electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings. In the patient group, cardiac autonomic tone was re-evaluated after 6 and 12 months of GHRT. RESULTS: Mean baseline values of SDNN and SDANN were significantly higher (higher values mean lower sympathetic activity) in GHD patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.05), but mean baseline values of RMSSD and PNN50 did not differ significantly in healthy controls and patients. After 6 and 12 months of GHRT, mean SDNN and SDANN were decreased significantly when compared with the baseline values before GHRT (P < 0.05). However, mean RMSSD and PNN50 did not differ significantly from baseline. When SDNN and SDANN measurements were evaluated individually for each patient, after 12 months of GHRT both of the sympathetically influenced parameters decreased in 90% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that sympathetic tone is decreased in adult patients with severe GHD. Additionally, an increment in sympathetic activity and normalization of sympathovagal balance have been demonstrated after 6 and 12 months of GHRT. This result suggests that, at least at the doses used in this study, GHRT improves sympathetic tone, without an obvious arrhythmogenic effect.     

The role of imaging in the management of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage: a practical review

Emergency Radiology - The purpose of this review is to understand the role of imaging in the diagnosis and management of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). SAH is a life-threatening...