Gastrointestinal and genitourinary symptoms in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: Prevalence and impact.

Introduction/aims: Anecdotally, patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) describe gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) symptoms. We explored the prevalence of GI and GU symptoms and their impact on quality of life (QOL) in people with FSHD compared to healthy household controls.

Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, we emailed a survey exploring GI and GU symptoms to all FSHD Society patient contacts (n = 3507).

Gastric Xylobezoar Treated with Continuous Enteral Coca-Cola® Infusion.

Xylobezoar is a rare clinical condition in which undigested paper becomes trapped in the gastrointestinal tract causing varying degrees of gastrointestinal obstruction. This condition can be suspected in children with a history of gastric surgeries, decreased gastrointestinal motility, or pica. Xylobezoar presents with symptoms ranging from chronic abdominal pain to gastrointestinal perforation.

Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor ameliorates DSS-induced experimental colitis.

Background: Sargramostim, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a hematopoietic growth factor, stimulates cells of the intestinal innate immune system. Clinical trials show that sargramostim induces clinical response and remission in patients with active Crohn's disease. To study the mechanism, we examined the effects of GM-CSF in the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute colitis model.