Adult Kawasaki disease in a European patient: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Kawasaki disease is an acute necrotising vasculitis of the medium- and small-sized vessels, occurring mainly in Japanese and Korean babies and children, aged 6 months to 5 years. Its main complication is damage of coronary arteries, which has the potential to be fatal. Here we report a rare case of Kawasaki disease that occurred in a 20-year-old Greek adult.

Automated office blood pressure is associated with urine albumin excretion in hypertensive subjects.

Background: We aimed to investigate the association between automated office blood pressure (AOBP) readings and urine albumin excretion (UAE), and to assess if this association is as close as that between 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and UAE. A strong association would suggest that AOBP may serve as an indicator of early renal impairment.

Methods: In a sample of 162 hypertensives, we compared AOBP with ABP measurements and their associations with UAE in two consecutive 24-h urine collections measured by an immunoturbidimetric assay.

Automated office versus home measurement of blood pressure in the assessment of morning hypertension.

Objective: To compare the quality and accuracy of morning blood pressure (BP) readings as taken by automated office BP (AOBP) and morning home BP (mHBP) techniques using morning ambulatory BP (mABP) measurements as the gold standard.

Methods: A total of 139 individuals were included, 70 men and 69 women, mean age 53±13 years. The average AOBP readings as measured using a Microlife Watch BP office device taking triplicate automated simultaneous readings of both arms were compared with mHBP monitored on 6 routine days, using a validated automated electronic device.

Why use automated office blood pressure measurements in clinical practice?

Automated office blood pressure (AOBP) measurement with the patient resting alone in a quiet examining room can eliminate the white-coat effect associated with conventional readings taken by manual sphygmomanometer. The key to reducing the white-coat response appears to be multiple blood pressure (BP) readings taken in a non-observer office setting, thus eliminating any interaction that could provoke an office-induced increase in BP. Furthermore, AOBP readings have shown a higher correlation with the mean awake ambulatory BP compared with BP readings recorded in routine clinical practice.

Automated office blood pressure and 24-h ambulatory measurements are equally associated with left ventricular mass index.

Background: To determine whether automated office blood pressure (AOBP) readings are associated with left ventricular mass (LVM) index as closely as those of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and also to confirm that the values of the two methods are comparable in the appraisal of blood pressure in a European population referred for suspected hypertension.

Methods: In a sample of 90 individuals with office hypertension, we compared AOBP to awake systolic ABP measurements (ABPM) values and their associations with LVM indices, expressed as LVM divided by body surface area (LVMI(BSA)) and by height(2.7) (LVMI(H)).

Leptospirosis presenting in a woman with fulminant hepatic failure from Wilson's disease: a case report.

Introduction: We report an unusual case of Wilson's disease that was revealed by presentation of leptospirosis. The prompt detection of this potentially life-threatening disease highlights the importance of careful investigation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of leptospirosis involving the development of fulminant liver failure due to Wilson's disease.