Pain in bilateral knee osteoarthritis - correlations between clinical examination, radiological, and ultrasonographical findings.

Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlations between clinical symptoms (pain), physical examination, ultrasound (US), and radiological findings in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Material And Methods: Knee pain was appreciated during medial and lateral palpation of each knee joint and using visual analogue scale (VAS) and The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). US evaluation (osteophytes, meniscal protrusion, synovial fluid, femoral hyaline cartilage thickness) and radiological assessment (osteophytes, femoral-tibial space, Kellgren-Lawrence [K-L] score, enthesopathies) were performed by two examiners blinded to the clinical results and to each other.

Prognostic value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with suspected arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Background: Early recognition and accurate risk stratification are important in the management of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Identification of predictors of outcome by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients undergoing evaluation for ARVC is limited. We investigated the predictive value of morphological abnormalities detected by CMR for major clinical events in patients with suspected ARVC.

Prognostic role of CMR in patients presenting with ventricular arrhythmias.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to explore whether fibrosis detected by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) is an independent predictor of hard cardiovascular events in patients presenting with ventricular arrhythmia.

Background: In patients at risk of sudden cardiac death, risk stratification for device therapy remains challenging.

Methods: A total of 373 consecutive patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) (n = 204) or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) (n = 169) underwent LGE-CMR.

Effects of simvastatin in patients with viral chronic hepatitis C.

Background/aims: A geranyl-geranylated protein is synthesized during chronic hepatitis C virus replication; statins can inhibit this synthesis. We aimed at studying the effects of administrating simvastatin to patients who finished the standard antiviral therapy and who did not have hepatic cytolysis.

Methodology: A total of 101 patients were divided into 3 groups.

Right ventricular volumes and function in thalassemia major patients in the absence of myocardial iron overload.

Aim: We aimed to define reference ranges for right ventricular (RV) volumes, ejection fraction (EF) in thalassemia major patients (TM) without myocardial iron overload.

Methods And Results: RV volumes, EF and mass were measured in 80 TM patients who had no myocardial iron overload (myocardial T2* > 20 ms by cardiovascular magnetic resonance). All patients were receiving deferoxamine chelation and none had evidence of pulmonary hypertension or other cardiovascular comorbidity.

Relation of myocardial T2* to right ventricular function in thalassaemia major.

Aims: Myocardial T2* cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) provides a rapid and reproducible measure of cardiac iron loading and is being increasingly used worldwide for monitoring of transfusion-dependent thalassaemia patients. Although myocardial siderosis (T2* <20 ms) is associated with impaired left ventricular (LV) function, little is known of its relation with right ventricular (RV) function. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cardiac T2* and RV function.

Lovastatin and fluvastatin reduce viremia and the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Backgrounds/aims: Certain statins interfere with the mechanism of the hepatitis C virus replication. We aimed at studying the effect of statins on the level of viremia and of the pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Methodology: We took in our study all the patients with chronic hepatitis C placed in the evidence of the clinics of internal medicine of the Emergency County Clinical Hospitals of Braşov, Oradea and Sibiu, who had been identified with viremias.

Effects of lovastatin and pentoxyphyllin in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Background/aims: Today, there is no ideal treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. The present study intended to make a multicentric prospective study about the efficiency of lovastatin and pentoxyphyllin administered in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Methodology: 87 patients were included in the present study.

Erythropoietin and the pro-inflammatory cytokines in chronic C hepatitis.

Background/aims: Erythropoietin has an antiinflammatory action. We proposed to study its effects on patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Methodology: We studied a group of 96 hospitalized patients.

[Public access defibrillation].

Placement of automated external defibrillators (AED) in public facilities and training of the lay persons in basic life support-defibrillation (BLS-D) was recommended by the American Heart Association for the treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Immediate use of AED result in increase of survival to hospital discharge. Many observation and much less randomized trials describe clinical efficacy of this approach.

Stenosis of the esophagus in cicatricial pemphigoid resolved by colon interposition: report of a case.

We present herein the exceedingly uncommon case of a patient with cicatricial pemphigoid (CP) who gradually developed conjunctival, oral, and esophageal involvement. Despite long-term medical management with dapsone and disulone, the ocular lesions progressed to produce further scarring, which led to ankyloblepharon, symblepharon, and ultimately, blindness of the right eye. After a period of 5 years the patient developed a total esophageal stricture, intractable by dilation, necessitating esophageal reconstruction.