Xanthogranulomatous orchitis: Review of the published work and report of one case

Xanthogranulomatous orchitis is an extremely rare inflammatory non-neoplastic destructive lesion of the testis. We report a 44-year-old man who presented with right scrotal swelling and two discharging sinuses. Testicular tumor markers were normal. Scrotal ultrasound showed heterogeneous testicular areas and irregular margin of the tunica. Surgical exploration revealed infected, unhealthy testicular tissue with necrosis and tumor-like lesion. Orchidectomy was done and histopathology showed xanthogranulomatous orchitis.     

International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 2005; Vol.14, No.3, 158–166

The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 2005; Vol.14, No.3, 158–166. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Penile malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (schwannoma) in a three-year-old child without evidence of neurofibromatosis.

Malignant schwannoma (malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour, MPNST) is a rare high-grade tumour arising from peripheral nerves. We report the case of a 3-year-old male who presented with a non-tender lesion on the dorsum of his penis. The lesion was excised and a formal circumcision performed. Histology of the lesion revealed a spindle cell tumour. Immunohistochemistry showed the tumour cells to be strongly positive for S100 and Vimentin. A diagnosis of intermediate grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour was made. Malignant schwannoma is rare in children and is previously unreported in the penis in the paediatric age group without evidence of neurofibromatosis.     

Schwannoma of submandibular region

Tumours of the nerve sheath origin in the head and neck are not common. Schwannomas are rare. Only a few cases have been reported so far. We report a rare case of Schwannoma of Submandibular region arising from the lingual nerve.     

The efficacy of nasal septal surgery.

Nasal septal deformity is a frequent clinical entity, and septoplasty comprises one of the most common procedures performed by otolaryngologists today. Its efficacy seems intuitive, however the literature reveals relatively few papers confirming its utility. In this study, all patients undergoing septal reconstruction (excluding septorhinoplasty) at three major teaching hospitals in Vancouver during the years 1988 to 1990 were reviewed retrospectively in a two-pronged study. Information was collected concerning symptoms, physical findings and surgical technique. In the second phase, patients were contacted by telephone in a blinded fashion. Data was collected concerning patient satisfaction regarding various parameters including initial and ultimate symptom resolution, acceptance of nasal packing and postoperative complications. The following conclusions may be drawn: 1) Septoplasty was successful in relieving nasal obstruction in 70.5% of patients. 2) Turbinate surgery including outfracturing appears to significantly improve the outcome of surgery. 3) Rhinitis, including allergy, congestion, postnasal drip and rhinorrhea did not significantly affect success in relieving nasal obstruction. 4) Nasal packing did not significantly affect the outcome, but was the most frequently complained of aspect of the surgery. Therefore, we do not feel nasal packing is necessary.     

Recombinant activated factor VII for intractable bleeding post splenectomy in a patient with myeloproliferative disorder.

Recombinant activated factor VII has been Food and Drug Administration approved to treat hemorrhages in hemophiliac patients with inhibitors and in acquired hemophilia patients. Recombinant activated factor VII use has also been considered for the management of uncontrolled bleeding in a number of congenital and acquired hemostatic abnormalities. The myeloproliferative disorders are a group of clonal hematologic diseases where, frequently, abnormal platelet function is considered a hallmark. This is the first case report addressing the clinical benefit of off-label use of recombinant activated factor VII in an attempt to control intractable bleeding in a patient with a myeloproliferative disorder after splenectomy.     

An Alternative Surgical Technique in Orthotopic Cardiac Transplantation

A bstract Forty patients underwent orthotopic cardiac transplantation at Wythenshawe Hospital between May 1991 and November 1992. Twenty patients had transplantation using an alternative technique that preserves the shape of the left atrium and leaves the right atrium intact (group A). The remaining twenty had conventional transplantation using the technique described by Lower and Shumway (group B). The patients were randomized to either the new or the conventional technique on an alternate basis. There was no mortality in group A, but two patients in group B developed right ventricular failure and died. Two patients in each group developed nodal rhythm and all four recovered sinus rhythm. Echocardiography and Doppler velocimetry at the transvalvular level confirmed normal atrial function in group A with erratic atrial contraction wave in group B. There was also slightly lower incidence of mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation in group A than in group B. The improved atrial function in group A may play a part in the prevention of right sided failure following cardiac transplantation.     

The control of chloride conductance in rat parotid isolated acinar cells investigated by photorelease of caged compounds

The control of Cl^– conductance in rat parotid isolated acinar cells was studied by combined use of whole-cell recording and flash photolysis techniques. Cells were voltage-clamped either at a membrane potential of –40 mV or stepped between –85 mV and 0 mV. Bath-applied carbachol and noradrenaline evoked Cl^– current at –85 mV and K⁺ current at 0 mV. Similar current activations resulted from the photolytic release of either inositol trisphosphate (InsP ₃) or Ca²⁺ by a brief near-UV flash. The peak amplitudes of the Cl^– conductance (at –85 mV), measured relative to the K⁺ conductance (at 0 mV), evoked by application of carbachol, noradrenaline or direct manipulation of cytosolic free calcium ([Ca²⁺]_i), were very similar, being 0.56±0.09 (mean±SEM,n=9), 0.52 ± 0.01 (n=7) and 0.46±0.06 (n=7). In contrast, the relative amplitude of the Cl^– conductance evoked by InsP₃ was much larger: 1.49±0.24 (n=9). Neither bath application of isoprenaline nor photolysis of caged cAMP induced any detectable membrane current. The most probable interpretation of these results is that the observed activation of Cl^– conductance by agonists can be explained by the elevation of [Ca²⁺]_i alone. In addition, the present results provide further support for the previously reported suggestion that the Cl^– channels and the Ca²⁺-release sites are co-localised [10].     

Acute hepatitis B virus infection by genotype F despite successful vaccination in an immune-competent German patient.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis worldwide, and efficient protection can usually be achieved by vaccination that is based on recombinant HBsAg protein from HBV genotype A and D. RESULTS: Here we report the case of a fully immune-competent German patient that acquired a symptomatic acute HBV infection during adulthood despite a complete and formally successful vaccination, which had resulted in anti-HBs titers considered protective. Further phylogentic analysis identified an infection with the rare genotype F of HBV, possibly acquired in Spain, without apparent aberrations in the immunodominant 'a' determinant domain of the envelope gene. However, sequence comparisons revealed that all reported genotype F isolates display marked differences from the other genotypes in this domain which serves as an epitope for humoral immune responses. CONCLUSIONS: The rare HBV genotype F, as detected in this immune-competent, previously vaccinated patient, has marked sequences differences in the envelope/polymerase gene. Therefore, current HBV vaccines based on genotype A and D may not result in full protective immunity towards viral strains from genotype F.     

Adult-onset type II citrullinemia and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis caused by citrin deficiency: involvement of the aspartate glutamate carrier for urea synthesis and maintenance of the urea cycle

Citrin is a mitochondrial aspartate glutamate carrier primarily expressed in the liver, heart, and kidney. We found that adult-onset type II citrullinemia is caused by mutations in the SLC25A13 gene that encodes for citrin. In this report, we describe the frequency of SLC25A13 mutations, the roles of citrin as a member of the urea cycle and as a member of the malate-aspartate shuttle, the relationship between its functions and symptoms of citrin deficiency, and therapeutic issues.