The Effect of Corticosteroids on Temporal Artery Biopsy Positivity in Giant Cell Arteritis: Timing is Everything.

Objective: Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) remains the standard criterion for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Temporal artery biopsy is suggested to be performed within 2 weeks from the initiation of corticosteroids. However, the effects of TAB timing on the sensitivity of its findings still warrant further investigation.

Nanographene oxide-TiO photonic films as plasmon-free substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

The development of nanostructured semiconductors with tailored morphology and electronic properties for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been attracting significant attention as a promising alternative to conventional coinage metal SERS substrates. In this work, functionalized TiO photonic crystals by graphene oxide nanocolloids (nanoGO) are demonstrated as highly sensitive, recyclable, plasmon-free SERS substrates that combine slow-photon amplification effects with the high adsorption capacity and surface reactivity of GO nanosheets. Comparative evaluation of photonic band gap engineered nanoGO-TiO inverse opal films was performed on methylene blue SERS detection under different laser excitations in combination with rigorous theoretical simulations of the photonic band structure.

Primary nasal non-Hodgkin lymphomas presented initially as benign disease.

Background: Primary non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) of the sinonasal tract comprise a rare entity that constitutes 1.5% of all NHLs and 2.2% of extranodal lymphomas in the whites.

Rare complications of a dental abscess.

This article describes a case involving a poorly treated odontogenic infection, which was complicated by mediastinitis, thoracic empyema, pericarditis, and ascites. A posterolateral thoracotomy was necessary as incisional surgical drainage proved to be inadequate. A multidisciplinary approach of descending necrotizing mediastinitis and its complications is essential.

Management of descending necrotizing mediastinitis.

Purpose: One of the most dreaded and the most lethal form of mediastinitis is descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM).

Patients And Methods: Between January 1990 and June 2001, 6 patients (mean age, 54.5 years; age range, 19 to 72 years) with DNM were treated in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of General Hospital of Attica "K.

Excision of rhinophyma with a laser scanner handpiece--a modified technique.

Rhinophyma is a slowly progressive, benign dermatological disorder of the tip of the nose. The most widely accepted theory is that rhinophyma is the end stage result of chronic acne rosacea. The primary reason for excision of rhinophyma is cosmetic deformity.