Preliminary evidence for a role of apolipoprotein E alleles in identifying haemodialysis patients at high vascular risk

Conventional risk factors have very low predictive power in identifying haemodialysis patients at high risk of vascular accidents. A role for apolipoprotein E isotypes was looked for in a small, but rigorously defined, cohort of longterm haemodialysis patients. In individuals with high vascular risk, as identified by higher common carotid intima/media thickness, we found an excess of apolipoprotein E4 alleles. This preliminary result requires confirmation in large patient cohorts.      

Hodgkin disease: CT of the thymus

The computed tomography (CT) scans in two groups of patients with Hodgkin disease were reviewed to determine the frequency of thymic enlargement. In 50 CT scans from 50 patients with evidence of thoracic disease on CT scans who were examined for primary staging, the thymus was enlarged in 15 of 50 (30%). Fifty CT scans were obtained from 44 patients at the time of 50 separate episodes of known or suspected relapse. Relapse occurred in the mediastinum in 12 episodes, lung parenchyma in five, and both sites in one. Thymic enlargement thought to be due to involvement by disease was present in seven of 18 (38%). Mediastinal disease was associated with thymic enlargement in all but one patient in whom a thymic cyst developed after radiation therapy. Differentiation of thymic enlargement from enlarged superior mediastinal lymph nodes was easily made in all but two patients. Thymic enlargement in the absence of lymph node enlargement may indicate a different disease, since isolated Hodgkin disease of the thymus is uncommon. Primary thymic tumor should be considered initially, whereas after treatment, rebound hyperplasia of the thymus may be the cause of enlargement.     

Solitary bronchioloalveolar carcinoma: CT criteria

The computed tomographic (CT) scans of 30 patients with solitary bronchioloalveolar carcinoma were reviewed. Common features at CT included the peripheral or subpleural location of a pulmonary mass (25 cases), pseudocavitation (18 cases), heterogeneous attenuation (17 cases), irregular margins forming a star pattern (22 cases), and pleural tags (21 cases). Using these CT criteria, four independent observers attempted to identify cases of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma from a larger sample of lung cancers and benign lesions by categorizing a series of test cases into four probability categories. Although the bronchioloalveolar carcinomas were correctly ranked in the two highest probability categories 75% of the time (in 45 of 60 cases), there was considerable overlap with other lung lesions, particularly with adenocarcinoma and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma. However, even though the typical features of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma are not invariable or highly specific, they are characteristic enough to suggest the diagnosis.     

Bone disorders following total gastrectomy

Bone disorders following gastrectomy were studied by measuring absolute and relative bone mineral density of the Wards triangle, serum 1,25-(OH)₂-D, alkaline phosphatase, and total serum calcium. The subjects were 20 males who had undergone total gastrectomy not more than three months previously (group A₁). Seventeen of these patients were reviewed three years later (group A₂). Absolute and relative bone density were significantly lower in group A₂ than in A₁ (0.52 ± 0.011 g/cm² versus 0.6 ± 0.014 g/cm²,P<0.01 and 85.5 ± 1.4% age-matched control versus 95 ± 1.3%,P<0.01). 1,25-(OH)₂-D was significantly lower in group A₂ than in group A₁ (14.3 ± 0.97 pg/ml versus 20.6 ± 1.02 pg/ml,P<0.01). There was no difference in alkaline phosphatase and calcium serum concentration. The mean weight loss was 6.26 ± 0.57% over the follow-up period, and weight loss correlated with absolute and relative bone density (r=–0.74,P<0.01). There was a positive correlation between 1,25-(OH)₂-D and absolute or relative bone density (r=0.67,r=0.62 andP<0.01). These data suggest that bone density decrease has already occurred three years after total gastrectomy and is positively correlated to 1,25-(OH)₂-D deficiency. As no differences in serum alkaline phosphatase and serum calcium concentration were found, these factors are of little value for the early detection of postgastrectomy bone disorders, whereas weight loss is a valuable screening parameter.     

Cor pulmonale caused by recurrent pulmonary emboli

A 53-year-old black man developed femoral thrombophlebitis in 1983 following a Harrington nail implantation in his first lumbar vertebral region. There was evidence of pulmonary embolization at that time and recurrently until he developed ventricular fibrillation and died in 1987. The terminal event followed a hypotensive episode during the course of a right ventricular catheterization. Autopsy confirmed the clinical impression that he had multiple recurrent thromboemboli to his lungs. After several years of embolization, the pulmonary arterial circulation was sufficiently occluded to result in pulmonary hypertension. Cor pulmonale was produced, with congestive heart failure leading to a progressively downhill course in the 4 months before his death.