Recurrent herpes simplex virus type 2 meningitis in elderly persons.

Objective: To review the ages of patients with recurrent herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) meningitis.

Design: Case report and literature review back to 1970.

Setting: Referral Veterans Affairs hospital.

Radionuclide and radiation protection data handbook 2nd edition (2002).

This handbook is a reference source of radionuclide and radiation protection information. Its purpose is to provide users of radionuclides in medicine, research and industry with consolidated and appropriate information and data to handle and transport radioactive substances safely. It is mainly intended for users in low and intermediate activity laboratories.

Laboratory medicine in France. A jeopardized situation.

The expenses for health care in France have risen considerably during the present decade, ranking third after USA and Canada in the Western world. In spite of the very low cost of laboratory medicine (2.4% of the total expenditure in 1995), clinical laboratories have undergone a severe squeeze, due to two limiting factors; a decrease in the ordering of laboratory tests from private physicians and a reduction in the total expenses for laboratory services from the Social Security.

[Sclerosing peritonitis. A series of 10 cases and review of the literature].

Objective And Methods: The aim of this study was to describe the main features of sclerosing peritonitis, using a retrospective study in 10 patients.

Results: The main causes of sclerosing peritonitis were continual ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (n = 3), peritoneal chemotherapy (n = 2) and liver cirrhosis (n = 2). Sclerosing peritonitis was revealed by acute or chronic bowel obstruction (n = 8).

Antibiotic versus maintenance therapy in the prevention of duodenal ulcer recurrence. Results of a multicentric double-blind randomized trial.

Objectives: Reduction of gastric acid secretion by maintenance therapy and eradication of Helicobacter pylori by antibiotic treatment have been shown to reduce duodenal ulcer relapse. This study compared the effect of two regimens, a 6-month maintenance on an H2 receptor antagonist versus a one-week antibiotic therapy, on the rate of duodenal ulcer relapse in duodenal ulcer patients with gastric H. pylori infection.

N-nitroso compounds, nitrite and pH in human fasting gastric juice.

Total N-nitroso compounds, ethyl acetate-extractable N-nitroso compounds and nitrite were measured in 146 samples of fasting gastric juice to investigate their relationship with pH. A positive correlation was found between pH and extractable N-nitroso compounds (r = 0.206, P < 0.

Motilin agonist erythromycin increases human lower esophageal sphincter pressure by stimulation of cholinergic nerves.

During phases II and III of the migrating motor complex, there is an increase in plasma motilin level that is synchronous with phasic and tonic contractile activity of the lower esophageal sphincter and of the stomach. The action of motilin on human lower esophageal sphincter is proposed to be mediated by cholinergic mechanisms. Recently, it has been shown that erythromycin was a motilin agonist.

[Comparative effects of ricinoleic acid and senna on orocecal and oroanal transit time in healthy subjects. Application of the salacylazosulfapyridine method].

The appearance in plasma of sulphapyridine after oral administration of salicylazosulphapyridine (Salazopyrin) was shown to be useful for measuring the orocecal transit time in normal subjects. The purpose of this study was to use this method in diarrhea with accelerated intestinal transit time. A two-step study was performed in 12 healthy volunteers: a) under resting conditions; b) 2 weeks later with ricinoleic acid 40 ml (n = 6) or senna 19 mg (X-Prep = 1.

Presence of PAF-acether in stool of patients with pouch ileoanal anastomosis and pouchitis.

Platelet-activating factor is an endogenous phospholipid produced by a wide variety of inflammatory cells. Platelet-activating factor induces severe pathological changes in various organs and, among numerous potent effects, causes bowel necrosis. Pouchitis is a poorly understood complication of ileoanal pouch anastomosis which occurs in patients who undergo surgery for ulcerative colitis.

The effect of cisapride on gastro-oesophageal dysfunction in systemic sclerosis: a controlled manometric study.

1. Cisapride is a novel prokinetic drug which facilitates or restores motility throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Its mechanism of action is thought to involve enhancement of acetylcholine release in the myenteric plexus of the gut.

[Role of giardiasis in non-ulcer dyspepsia].

In 1987 and 1988, 340 consecutive patients attended the endoscopy centre of Cochin hospital, Paris, and underwent oesophago-gastroduodenal endoscopy in a search for Giardia lamblia parasitology and histology. Two-hundred and eight of these patients presented with non-ulcer dyspepsia and entered a prospective study aimed at determining the advisability of a systematic search for Giardia lamblia in this population. Six biopsies were positive for giardiasis, including 3 in patients with acquired immunodeficiency, 1 in a case of chronic diarrhoea with atrophic villi and 2 in dyspeptic patients.

Clinical and physiological study of anal sphincter and ileal J pouch before preileostomy closure and 6 and 12 months after closure of loop ileostomy.

Spontaneous evolution of pouch and anal function, and absorption features has been assessed in 15 patients who underwent proctocolectomy with J ileal pouch anastomosis without conservation of a rectal muscular cuff. All the patients were studied before preileostomy closure and six and 12 months after the closure of the protection loop ileostomy. Stool frequency was identical at six and 12 months (mean +/- SEM: 5.

[Intestinal motility in patients with small bowel diverticulosis].

It has been demonstrated that motility disorders may be responsible for esophageal and colon diverticulosis. Recently anatomic alterations of both small bowel muscular layers and myenteric plexus have been described in patients with small bowel diverticulosis. Such pathological features could be responsible for motility disorders and small bowel diverticulosis formation.

[Helicobacter pylori infection and the surgically treated stomach].

In 38 patients who had been operated for peptic ulcer (32) or gastric cancer (6), we performed upper GI endoscopy with biopsies. HP was found in the mucosa in 8 out of 10 patients with highly selective vagotomy, 5 out of 11 patients with gastrectomy for ulcer, 6 out of 11 patients with vagotomy-pyloroplasty and in only 1 case out of 6 with gastrectomy for cancer. These results are in agreement with other publications.

[Simplified defecography technique. Description and results].

Defecography is a useful paraclinical examination to explore disturbances of continence or defecation. The purpose of this study was to present a simplified defecography technique and assess its validity in subjects without defecation problems (n = 10) and in patients complaining of idiopathic chronic constipation (n = 35). The anorectal angle at rest (RAA) and when straining at stool was not significantly different in constipated patients and in controls.

[Retrorectal tumor in adults. Combination of computed tomography and endorectal echography].

A retrorectal tumor was identified by presacral palpation in a 41-year old woman. Combined preoperative computed tomography and intrarectal ultrasound accurately delineated regional and local spread, respectively. This combined approach confirmed diagnosis and provided guidance for total ablation of a mature cystic teratoma.

[Protein-losing enteropathy syndrome caused by a localization of Kaposi's sarcoma in AIDS].

A 35-year-old HIV positive patient with skin and gastrointestinal localization of a Kaposi's sarcoma was admitted for severe diffuse edema. Increased alpha-I-antitrypsin clearance (150 ml/24 h) allowed us to confirm the diagnosis of protein loosing enteropathy resulting from sarcoma infiltration in the stomach, the duodenum and the entire small bowel. At autopsy, ileal ulcerations were found.