Basal cell nevus syndrome: guidelines for early detection

Basal cell nevus syndrome is an autosomal dominant condition with complete penetrance and variable expressivity. It is characterized by five major components, including multiple nevoid basal cell carcinomas, jaw cysts, congenital skeletal abnormalities, ectopic calcifications, and plantar or palmar pits. Other features include a host of benign tumors, ocular defects, and cleft lip and palate. Guidelines for diagnosis include a family history, careful oral and skin examinations, chest and skull radiographs, panoramic radiographs of the jaw, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and pelvic ultrasonography in women.     

Parental smoking, closeness to parents, and youth smoking

OBJECTIVES: To examine parent closeness and its effect in predicting youth smoking when 0, 1, or 2 parents smoked. METHODS: Youth and parent smoking, closeness to parents, family structure, and gender and ethnicity among middle (n=17,468) and high school (n=5457) students were measured using a questionnaire. RESULTS: Number of parents smoking incrementally moderated the protective effect of all 4 measures of parent closeness, in predicting youth smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing parent smoking and strengthening family relationships need significantly greater emphasis in interventions to further reduce youth smoking.     

A simple technique for laparoscopic removal of silicone adjustable gastric banding

Laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding is currently among the most common surgical procedures performed in morbidly obese patients. The safety, reversibility, and technical simplicity of this procedure account for its wide and rapid diffusion. Concern still exists about the long term efficacy of the procedure in achieving weight loss and mechanical complications continue to represent the Achilles' heel of the procedure. Little or no attention has been given in the literature to the technical aspects of band removal. The surgical technique must be as simple and minimally invasive as possible. We report the technique we currently use to remove failed bands.     

Efficacy of the current investigational drugs for the treatment of COVID-19: a scoping review

To date, there is no final FDA-approved treatment for COVID-19. There are thousands of studies published on the available treatments for COVID-19 virus in the past year. Therefore, it is crucial to synthesize and summarize the evidence from published studies on the safety and efficacy of experimental treatments of COVID-19. We conducted a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, GHL, OpenGrey, ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases through April 2020. We obtained 2699 studies from the initial literature search. Of them, we included 28 eligible studies that met our eligibility criteria. The sample size of the included studies is 2079 individuals. We extracted and pooled the available data and conducted a quality assessment for the eligible studies. From the 28 studies, only 13 studies provide strong evidence. Our results showed that Favipiravir and Hydroxycholoroquine shorten viral clearance and clinical recovery time and promote pneumonia absorption. On the other hand, Lopinavir-ritonavir either alone or combined with arbidol or interferons has no significant difference superior to the standard care. Corticosteroids, Convalescent plasma transfusion, and anticoagulant therapies provide a better prognosis. Remedsivir, Tocilizumab, Immunoglobulin, Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation showed effective treatment results, but further confirmatory studies are needed. In conclusion, Favipiravir and Remedsivir might be promising drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.      

Impact of Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on Metabolic Syndrome, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance in Super Versus Morbidly Obese Women

Background  Although Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) is one of the preferred bariatric procedures in obese individuals, the efficacy of this procedure in the setting of super-obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥50] is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of laparoscopic (L) RYGBP to reverse metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and insulin resistance in super-obese women compared to morbidly obese women. Methods  Seventy-three consecutive women were enrolled in this prospective study. Anthropometric, metabolic, and inflammatory biological parameters were assessed in 18 super-obese and 55 morbidly obese women before LRYGBP and 1 year after surgery. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation definition. Results  Before surgery, super-obese women had a higher BMI, fat mass, blood insulin, and HOMA1-IR than morbidly obese women. Both groups had similar serum levels of C-reactive protein and orosomucoid. The incidence of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and increased liver enzymes was comparable in the two groups. One year after LRYGBP, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, metabolic and inflammatory biological parameters were improved in the whole study population. A similar degree of improvement was observed in super-obese and morbidly obese women, although BMI and fat mass were persistently higher in super-obese patients. Conclusions  One year after surgery, LRYGBP was equally effective at reversing metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and insulin resistance in morbidly obese and super-obese women.