Teratoma tongue: Case report and review of literature

Teratomas are true neoplasms composed of tissues from all three germinal layers and may exhibit variable levels of maturity. They have an unknown origin and eccentric microscopic appearance. Teratomas arising from the oral cavity are rare in the newborn; only 22 cases have been reported in the literature. We describe a female neonate with an oral teratoma originating from the tongue that was successfully treated with surgery.     

Therapeutic effect of posture in sleep apnea

Four patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea were monitored first in the supine posture to establish a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (apnea indices 33, 12, 22, 36). A second polysomnogram, obtained while the patients slept in the lateral posture, showed a dramatic decrease in apnea (apnea indices 5, 0, 0.2, and 0) and snoring. Each patient had an enlarged uvula, which moved to the side in the lateral posture. We conclude that sleeping in the lateral posture may be therapeutic in some patients with obstructive sleep apneas.     

Serum ionic fluoride levels in haemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients

High serum fluoride (F-) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with risk of renal osteodystrophy and other bone changes. This study was done to determine F- in normal healthy controls and patients with ESRD on haemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). Seventeen healthy controls (12 males, 5 females) and 39 ESRD patients on dialysis (17 males, 22 females) were recruited in the study in a community with 47.4 +/- 3.28 microM/l (range 44-51 microM/l) of F- content in drinking water. Control subjects showed a mean serum F- concentration of 1.08 +/- 0.350 microM/l. Males in control group showed slightly higher F- levels (1.15 +/- 0.334, range 0.55-1.9 microM/l) than females (0.92 +/- 0.370, range 0.6-1.5 microM/l). Mean serum F- concentration did not correlate significantly with age and sex among control subjects, whereas such correlation was observed in patients with ESRD on dialysis. Mean serum F- concentration was significantly higher in patients on dialysis (2.67 +/- 1.09, range 0.8-5.2 microM/l) than normal controls. When grouped according to sex, the mean serum F- concentration in males (3.05 +/- 1.04, range 1.8-5.2 microM/l) was significantly higher than females (2.38 +/- 1.08, range 0.8-5.2 microM/l). When patients were grouped according to age, it was observed that F- concentration was significantly higher in patients with age groups 21-70 (2.86 +/- 1.05) than those with age group 13-20 years (1.42 +/- 0.531). Thus F- concentration correlated with age and sex, being higher in males and above 20 years. Despite appreciable clearance of F- (39-90%) across the peritoneum, patients on CAPD showed higher serum F- concentration than those on HD (3.1 +/- 1.97 vs 2.5 +/- 1.137 microM/l). Of the total 39 patients on dialysis 39% had their serum F- concentration above 3.0 microM/l, posing the risk of renal osteodystrophy.      

Treatment of post-cholecystectomy bile duct strictures--push or sidestep?

Management of post-cholecystectomy bile duct strictures can be complex.Traditional treatment has been surgical reconstruction. In recent years endoscopic stenting has been successful in a selected subgroup of patients with iatrogenic bile duct strictures. Adequate information about long-term results of endoscopic stenting as definite treatment for such strictures is still awaited. Surgery is a reliable and time-tested method and results of numerous studies show its long-term success in relieving biliary obstruction with minimal morbidity.     

Multipoint determination of pressure-volume curves in human intervertebral discs.

To gain further insight into the biomechanics of the human intervertebral disc and to determine a potential mechanism for causation and relief of symptoms related to a herniated disc, the pressure-volume relation was determined within the nucleus pulposus. Pressure was measured continuously within the nucleus pulposus in 17 intact lumbar discs from human cadavers by means of a miniature strain gauge at the tip of a size 4 French (1.3 mm) catheter inserted into the nucleus pulposus. The volume of the nucleus pulposus was increased at the slow, continuous rate of 0.034 ml/min by the pump regulated infusion of saline coloured with methylene blue. In 12 unloaded discs, nucleus pulposus pressure rose in a linear fashion (linear r = 0.96) from an initial mean pressure of 174 (SD 81) kPa. The mean rate of pressure rise was 327 (SD 109) kPa/ml volume increase. The peak pressure measured was 550 kPa; this was slightly higher than the capability of the transducer. Similar linear relations were obtained during infusion of saline into five vertically loaded discs fixed at the deformation produced by a 9.1 kg weight. The data define the pressure-volume relation within the disc and show that the nucleus pulposus, surrounded by the relatively inelastic annulus and the solid vertebral end plates, has the properties of a tight hydraulic space in which a large pressure rise will regularly result from a small increase in volume. Presumably the opposite is also true. The data may provide a biomechanical basis for the physiological variation in symptoms related to the disc, and for any benefits obtained from interventions designed to remove disc tissue.     

DC‐SIGN and DC‐SIGNR polymorphic variants in Northern Asian Indians

Dendritic cell‐specific intercellular adhesion molecule‐grabbing nonintegrin‐related protein (DC‐SIGNR), along with DC‐SIGN, is suggested to facilitate HIV infection of T cells in trans through binding with HIV gp120. We studied the repeat region polymorphisms in DC‐SIGN and DC‐SIGNR in 100 healthy HIV‐1 seronegative individuals among Northern Asian Indians. Each variant polymorphism obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was confirmed by cloning and sequencing. Fifty‐four per cent of the healthy seronegative individuals were homozygous for the DC‐SIGNR 7/7 repeat. The heterozygous 7/5 variant was found in 25%, while the 5/5 homozygous genotype was found in 17% of the subjects. Allele 8 was rare and accounted for 4% of the heterozygous genotype (8/7) in the sample population. DC‐SIGN polymorphism was rare, and the genotype 7/7 was most frequent in this study population. Further studies are warranted in a large sample size including high‐risk and seropositive HIV patients to confirm the association of DC‐SIGNR polymorphisms with HIV‐1 susceptibility.