Interstitial and vascular pancreas rejection in relation to graft survival

To examine the incidence of interstitial and vascular rejection in pancreas allografts and its impact on graft survival, we studied 36 percutaneous pancreas biopsies and 10 pancreas transplantectomy specimens from 32 patients who had undergone simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation. Interstitial rejection (IR) was predominantly found in the biopsies, while vascular rejection (VR) was most prominent in the transplantectomies. Pancreas graft survival was significantly decreased for pancreas grafts that had suffered from vascular rejection when compared to those with only interstitial rejection. Potential rejection markers, i. e., serum amylase, glucose, creatinine, and urinary amylase, did not correlate with histological signs of rejection, although increased levels of serum amylase were, in all but one case, associated with rejection.We conclude that a percutaneous pancreas biopsy remains the most reliable method to determine pancreas rejection, and that by distinguishing between IR andVR, a pancreas biopsy may provide important diagnostic as well as prognostic information. Received: 6 March 1997 Received after revision: 5 June 1997 Accepted: 30 June 1997     

Comparative efficacy of Hanifin and Rajka''s criteria and the UK working party''s diagnostic criteria in diagnosis of atopic dermatitis in a hospital setting in North India

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (AD) depends on clinical features because no definitive diagnostic test exists. Criteria proposed by Hanifin and Rajka (Acta Derm Venereol (Stockh) 1980; Suppl 92: 44-47) were acceptable for hospital-based studies but were found not to be suitable for field studies. A UK working party formulated clinical diagnostic criteria that could be used in both hospital and epidemiological settings. Validation studies of the criteria showed widely variable results, probably due to different clinical settings and ethnicity. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to validate Hanifin and Rajka's criteria and to assess the comparative efficacy of their criteria and the UK working party's diagnostic criteria in the diagnosis of AD in a hospital setting in North India. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study serially included 101 patients with AD and 48 controls of paediatric age group. The study period was from July 2003 to December 2004. RESULTS: Hanifin and Rajka's criteria (sensitivity 96%, specificity 93.75%, positive predictive value 97% (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) 91.84%) had a statistical advantage over the UK working party's diagnostic criteria (sensitivity 86%, specificity 95.83%, PPV 97.75% and NPV 76.67%), with a P-value < 0.005.     

IMPOTENCE AND ITS NON-SURGICAL MANAGEMENT

SUMMARY Impotence is a common symptom which can cause considerable distress to both the sufferer and his partner. The use of pharmacotherapy to improve erectile function will continue to increase as safe and effective drugs are developed. However, restoring erectile function should not be the only treatment objective. It is also essential to address personal and emotional factors in the sufferer, conflicts in his relationship with his partner, and sexual problems in his partner, all of which may be instrumental in causing or maintaining the presenting impotence. We advocate a combined approach with appropriate medical treatment and sex and couple therapy     

Effect of serotonin re-uptake inhibition by fluoxetine on body weight and spontaneous food choice in obesity.

The effect of fluoxetine on body weight and spontaneous food choice was studied in twenty-three healthy, non-depressed, obese females on an outpatient basis. After a one week placebo run-in period, subjects were randomized to receive either fluoxetine (FXT) 60 mg daily (n = 11) or placebo (P) (n = 12) for 6 weeks in a double blind study design. BMI (35.2 +/- 0.8 vs 36.4 +/- 1.3 kg/m2, mean +/- s.e.m.) and age (38.1 +/- 239 vs 37.3 +/- 2.7 years) were not different in either group. No specific diet was prescribed. On four separate days per 14 days food records were collected. Data were analysed with the use of food composition tables. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t test for independent samples for data on body weight and calorie intake. Macro-nutrient composition of the diet was analysed using multivariate analysis of variance and post hoc Student's t test for independent samples. All subjects lost weight during fluoxetine treatment. Mean (+/- s.e.m.) weight loss in the fluoxetine treated group was 3.6 +/- 0.5 kg, compared to a mean weight gain of 0.3 +/- 0.5 kg in the placebo treated group (P less than 0.001). In all patients food intake was reduced during fluoxetine treatment and this reduction could fully account for the observed weight loss. The mean total caloric intake per day was significantly lower during fluoxetine treatment compared with placebo (FXT 1123 +/- 118 kcal vs P 1845 +/- 87 kcal, P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A midface swelling in a child – A possible diagnostic dilemma

A lump on the midface of a child can pose as a diagnostic dilemma. There is a wide variety of possible differential diagnoses, ranging from simple benign conditions such as a sebaceous cyst, dermoid cyst, lipoma, neuroma and neurofibroma, to potentially devastating conditions such as odontogenic myxoma.A case of a child in which the formulation of a definite diagnosis was clinically and histologically challenging is presented.