[Toxic hepatitis due to the use of Ruta herbal medicine].

In recent years, the use of herbal medicine by the general population is increasing. There are many known side effects resulting from these treatments. Despite the known side effects, physicians tend to neglect the anamnesis details regarding this issue and research budgets of these drugs are relatively low compared with conventional medicine, thus causing a lack of updated information.

Sigh syndrome: is it a sign of trouble?

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify the characteristics and clinical course of patients presenting with considerable stress regarding irrepressible persistent sighing, and to determine whether any association exists between this syndrome and respiratory or other organic disease, during the acute or follow-up period.

Study Design: We conducted a case series review of patients diagnosed with a defined symptom complex and gathered relevant data.

Population: Forty patients who presented to 3 family practice clinics in Israel met our 10 criteria for sigh syndrome: recurrent sighing; shallow respiration; conviction that deep breaths are obstructed; intensity of episodes provokes stress leading to consultation; no obvious trigger; episodes last a few days to several weeks; no interference with speech; sighing absent during sleep; no correlation with physical activity or rest; self-limited.

The subcutaneous loop: a single suture technique for skin closure after superficial and subcutaneous surgery.

Background: Removal of subcutaneous skin masses and certain deep skin injuries results in defects, which demand immediate closure. Although primary closure of these defects in 2 layers is an acceptable solution, this technique has a number of drawbacks, such as extended time consumption upon performance, demand for additional suture material and occasional tissue response or foreign body reaction to retained absorbable stitches leading to infection and its sequelae.

Objective: We describe an approach intended to furnish a satisfactory solution to the needs of tissue closure in such cases.

Target organ damage in hypertensive patients of different ethnic groups.

Background: Hypertension is associated with involvement of target organs which varies among the different ethnic groups. The multiplicity of the population in Israel offers an opportunity for evaluating target organ damage in hypertensive patients of different ethnic origins.

Methods And Results: Data were collected from the computerized medical files of hypertensive patients in primary care clinics.

Welcomed triplets following gestation with retained intrauterine device.

Multiple gestations with concurrent intrauterine devices (IUDs) are rare events. We handled the case of a woman who discovered she was pregnant with triplets after the 12th week of gestation. Upon the mother's request the IUD was removed immediately and the pregnancy led a normal course until the planned caeserean delivery of three baby girls.

Neuropathic scrotal pruritus: anogenital pruritus is a symptom of lumbosacral radiculopathy.

Background: Anogenital pruritus is defined as an itch localized to the anus, perianal, and genital skin. Anogenital pruritus is usually a symptom of an underlying disorder of the skin or mucosa or a consequence of anorectal pathology. When no demonstrable cause is found, anogenital pruritus is often described as "idiopathic".

Office treatment of congenital ankyloglossia.

Background: Congenital oral adhesions may pose both aesthetic and functional disturbing ailments to wary parents. Most of these as we have experienced, are benign, easily cured and may be treated as soon as possible in the office. A local survey elucidated that these youngsters are usually advised to wait until one year of age and then taken into the operating room and incision of the adhesion is performed under general anesthesia.

Modified sleeve method treatment of ingrown toenail.

Background: Ingrown toenail is a common problem that causes inconvenience, pain, and limitation of daily function. Current conventional treatment methods are not satisfactory and have a high recurrence rate.

Objective: To evaluate a modification of an existing, although uncommonly used, method for treating ingrown toenail.