Serum lidocaine levels and cutaneous side effects after application of 23% lidocaine 7% tetracaine ointment to the face.

Background: Few published studies have analyzed serum lidocaine levels and individual patient characteristics affecting metabolism after application of compounded topical anesthetics.

Objective: To measure serum lidocaine levels during and cutaneous side effects after standardized application of 23% lidocaine/7% tetracaine compounded anesthetic to the face of healthy volunteers.

Methods And Materials: Fifty-two volunteers were enrolled, and compounded 23% lidocaine/7% tetracaine ointment was applied to their faces for 2 hours.

Pleural findings in a patient with persistent pulmonary effusions from systemic amyloidosis.

Persistent pleural effusions (PPE) occur in 1-2% of cases of systemic amyloidosis and have been postulated to result from direct disruption of the pleura by amyloid deposits. Patients are typically treated with percutaneous pleural drainage techniques. Pleural biopsies, done most commonly via percutaneous techniques, are infrequently obtained.