Primary and secondary antibody deficiencies (PAD and SAD) are amongst the most prevalent immunodeficiency syndromes, often necessitating long-term immune globulin replacement therapy (IRT). Both intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) have demonstrated efficacy in antibody deficiency. Comparative analyses of these two routes of administration are limited to nurse-administered IVIG and home therapy with self-administered SCIG.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFcomplex is an endangered freshwater crayfish species in Europe and the assessment of the health status of its wild populations is essential for conservation purposes. The two microsporidia and have been reported to cause in complex a chronic parasitic infection, known as ‘porcelain disease’, which reduces population fitness and leads the host to death. Due to the similar macroscopic signs produced, molecular biology analyses are required to unambiguously distinguish between these microsporidia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Individuals with minor ischaemic stroke and intracranial occlusion are at increased risk of poor outcomes. Intravenous thrombolysis with tenecteplase might improve outcomes in this population. We aimed to test the superiority of intravenous tenecteplase over non-thrombolytic standard of care in patients with minor ischaemic stroke and intracranial occlusion or focal perfusion abnormality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Our aim was to compare the outcomes of treatment with endovascular thrombectomy for pre-stroke dependent versus pre-stroke independent among the very elderly ≥90 years.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on 106 patients ≥90 years who underwent endovascular thrombectomy for ischaemic stroke in Western Australia between June 2016 and September 2021. Patient, stroke and procedural details along with inpatient progress and outcome at 90 days were recorded.
Background: The treatment of vitiligo can be challenging and depends on several factors such as the subtype, disease activity, vitiligo extent, and treatment goals. Vitiligo usually requires a long-term approach. To improve the management of vitiligo worldwide, a clear and up-to-date guide based on international consensus with uniform stepwise recommendations is needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The treatment of vitiligo can be challenging. Up-to-date agreed consensus recommendations on the use of topical and systemic therapies to facilitate the clinical management of vitiligo are currently lacking.
Objectives: To develop internationally agreed-upon expert-based recommendations for the treatment of vitiligo.
Introduction Although seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is not lethal, it has a significant impact on the quality of life. Many cases of SD are managed with ketoconazole, but luliconazole has shown an equivalent or lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), but not many studies have been done for its efficacy and safety in SD. With this in mind, we set out to conduct a study comparing the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of Lulican™ (luliconazole 1% + salicylic acid 3% + ZPTO 1%) shampoo and Ketoconazole (Ketoconazole 2% + ZPTO 1%) shampoo in the treatment of SD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground The effectiveness of a nurse-led in-hospital monitoring protocol with mobile ECG (iECG) was investigated for detecting atrial fibrillation in patients post-ischemic stroke or post-transient ischemic attack. The study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of using iECG during the initial hospital stay compared with standard 24-hour Holter monitoring. Methods and Results A Markov microsimulation model was constructed to simulate the lifetime health outcomes and costs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe occurrence of the signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus in the Valla Stream was the first established population of this invasive species recorded in an Italian stream ecosystem. We evaluated the seasonality of diet and trophic niche of invasive signal crayfish in order to estimate the ecological role and effects on native communities of the stream ecosystem. We studied the differences in food source use between sexes, life stages and seasons using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExternal coloration in animals depends on the interaction of several different factors including the genetics and epigenetics processes that underlie the color expression, the mechanisms of color perception, and the general mechanisms controlling color evolution and function. Among all, camouflages from predators and conspicuousness are of particular interest because pose animal to choose between opposite adjustment in coloration. The external coloration of crustaceans is mainly due to the accumulation of carotenoids in the exoskeleton and the epidermal layer, and the trade-off between camouflage and communication had led to a variety of responses, involving signal partitioning, spectral sensibility, changing coloration, or signaling behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Purpose: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) underlying acute stroke frequently evades detection by standard practice, considered to be a combination of routine electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, and 24-hour Holter recordings. We hypothesized that nurse-led in-hospital intermittent monitoring approach would increase PAF detection rate.
Methods: We recruited patients hospitalised for stroke/transient ischemic attack, without history of atrial fibrillation (AF), in a prospective multi-centre observational study.
A 75 year-old male developed features of an acute stroke following bubble contrast echocardiography, which was shown on emergent computed tomography scanning to be a result of cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE) to the left middle cerebral artery. Ischaemic stroke symptoms have previously been reported as a rare complication of bubble contrast echocardiography. Radiologically proven CAGE from bubble contrast echocardiography had not been reported at the time this case occurred.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
June 2020
Freshwater crayfish are bioindicators of environmental pollution, often used for the assessment of heavy metal (HM) presence in the tissues, a time-consuming and expensive task. In this study, we propose the use of the vibrational spectroscopy to detect in a fast, non-destructive and sensitive way the presence of HM in the cephalothorax exoskeleton of the freshwater crayfish. Incorporation of HM into the cephalothorax exoskeleton was investigated under controlled laboratory conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Invertebr Pathol
January 2018
The microsporidiosis of the endangered white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes complex has generally been attributed to only one species, Thelohania contejeani, the agent of porcelain disease. Species identification was mostly assessed by macroscopic examination or microscopic evaluation of muscle samples rather than by molecular or ultrastructural analyses. A survey conducted on A.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To audit our institutional mechanical thrombectomy (MT) outcomes for acute anterior circulation stroke and examine the influence of workflow time metrics on patient outcomes.
Methods: A database of 100 MT cases was maintained throughout May 2010-February 2015 as part of a statewide service provided across two tertiary hospitals (H1 and H2). Patient demographics, stroke and procedural details, blinded angiographic outcomes, and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were recorded.
Alagille syndrome, also known as arteriohepatic dysplasia, is a multisystem autosomal dominant disorder characterized by chronic cholestasis due to a paucity of intrahepatic bile ducts, peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis with associated vertebral, ocular, and renal anomalies, and characteristic facies. We report a case of Alagille syndrome in a 3-year-old boy with associated pruritus, follicular keratoses, palmar pits, and keratoderma-like changes over the dorsum of the hands. There have been single isolated case reports of phrynoderma and keratoderma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStewart-Bluefarb acroangiodermatitis is the occurrence of pseudo-kaposiform changes with an underlying arterio-venous malformation. Parkes-Weber syndrome is a triad of arterio-venous malformation with varicose veins with bony and soft-tissue hypertrophy involving the extremity. A 13 year-old-female presented with ulcerated growth with bleeding episodes on right leg since past four years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae affecting the skin and the nerves. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS/Sudeck's dystrophy) is a painful and disabling condition--a triad of autonomic, sensory, and motor symptoms disproportionate to the inciting event (inflammatory, infective, or traumatic nerve damage).
Case: A 20-year-old male presented with continuous pain, aggravated by cold and emotions, loss of fine touch and temperature sensation, redness, swelling, along lateral aspect of left hand and forearm with weakness in the grip of 6 months' duration.
A 30-year-old male with Down syndrome presented to us with diffuse swelling of the lower lip of seven years duration. On examination, there was gross enlargement of his lower-lip with fissuring at places. A histopathological specimen from the lower lip showed non-caseating granulomas.
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