The Emergency Medical Care of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Optimizing the emergency medical care chain might shorten the time to treatment of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The initial care by a physician, and, in particular, correct ECG interpretation, are critically important factors.

Methods: From 1999 onward, data on the care of patients with myocardial infarction have been recorded and analyzed in the Berlin Myocardial Infarction Registry.

Ocular thrombosis associated with antiphospholipid antibodies.

Four patients with isolated acute ocular ischemic syndromes also had circulating antiphospholipid antibodies. Two patients had vaso-occlusive retinopathy and two, anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (which was successive in one). Extensive clinical laboratory evaluation identified vascular risk factors in two patients.

Reactive lymphohistiocytosis with recurrence in the optic chiasm.

Histiocytic infiltration of the optic chiasm is rare. We report a patient with a seizure disorder on anticonvulsant therapy, who developed systemic reactive histiocytosis. Treatment with splenectomy, corticosteroids, and anticonvulsant medication change resulted in clinical remission.

Conjugal temporal arteritis.

We report the simultaneous occurrence of biopsy-proven temporal arteritis in husband and wife. Serologic and viral studies were negative, including viral culture of the wife's temporal artery. The concurrent incidence of giant cell arteritis in a married couple would suggest a common exogenous exposure.