The radiologist as a palliative care subspecialist: providing symptom relief when cure is not possible.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of patients referred to an interventional radiology (IR) practice who need palliative care and to examine the training required for a diplomate of the American Board of Radiology (ABR) to qualify for the hospice and palliative medicine certifying examination.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study reviewed all patient referrals to an academic vascular and IR practice during the month of August 2009. The demographics, underlying diagnosis, and the type of procedures performed were ascertained from the electronic medical record.

Glucocorticoid exposure alters the pathogenesis of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus during acute infection.

Previous research has shown that chronic restraint stress exacerbates Theiler's virus infection, a murine model for CNS inflammation and multiple sclerosis. The current set of experiments was designed to evaluate the potential role of glucocorticoids in the deleterious effects of restraint stress on acute CNS inflammatory disease. Exposure to chronic restraint stress resulted in elevated levels of corticosterone as well as increased clinical scores and weight loss (Experiment 1).

Ocular findings as predictors of carotid artery occlusive disease: is carotid imaging justified?

Objectives: Hemispheric neurologic symptoms, amaurosis fugax, and Hollenhorst plaques at eye examination are standard indications for carotid imaging to identify carotid artery occlusive disease (CAOD). Previous reports have suggested that other ocular findings, such as retinal artery occlusion and anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, are associated with CAOD. However, the predictive value of ocular findings for the presence of CAOD is controversial.