A Comparative Assessment of Cardiovascular Autonomic Reflex Testing and Cardiac I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine Imaging in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus without Complications or Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

Aim: To compare the cardiovascular autonomic reflex tests (CARTs) with cardiac sympathetic innervation imaging with I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Patients And Methods: Forty-nine patients (29 males, mean age 36 ± 10 years, mean T1DM duration 19 ± 6 years) without cardiovascular risk factors were prospectively enrolled. Participants were evaluated for autonomic dysfunction by assessing the mean circular resultant (MCR), Valsalva maneuver (Vals), postural index (PI), and orthostatic hypotension (OH).

Reactivation of resolved hepatitis B virus infection after immunosuppression: is it time to adopt pre-emptive therapy?

New therapeutic options like monoclonal antibodies (anti-CD20/rituximab) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have increased both the effectiveness of therapies and the risk for reactivation of Hepatitis B virus (HBV). We describe two cases with serological evidence of resolved HBV infection (hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative/antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) positive), who developed reverse seroconversion (clearance of HBsAb/appearance of HBsAg) with active HBV infection after treatment with combination of conventional chemotherapy, rituximab and autologous HSCT for hematological malignancies. Review of the literature highlights the increasing incidence of HBV reactivation in patients with resolved infection and raises concerns as to whether current guidelines for pre-chemotherapy screening with sensitive HBV-DNA assays and serial monitoring for anti-HBs titres should be implemented also for patients with resolved infection.

Hematogenous spinal infection in central Greece.

Study Design: We retrospectively analyzed spinal infection (SpI), in a teaching Hospital, in Central Greece.

Objective: To study presentation, etiology, and outcome of SpI in Central Greece.

Summary Of Background Data: SpI most frequently involves the intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebral bodies and can cause neurologic impairment.

Immunological features of visceral leishmaniasis may mimic systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by the intracellular parasite Leishmania, can present with fever, splenomegaly, pancytopenias, hypergammaglobulinemia, and autoantibody production. These features may mimic systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The objective was to study features of VL that shared with and differed from SLE.

Two episodes of hemoperitoneum from luteal cysts rupture in a patient with congenital factor X deficiency.

The clinical manifestation of two episodes of hemoperitoneum from ruptured corpus luteum cysts, during the luteal phase of the cycle in a young patient with the rare congenital factor X deficiency, is reported for the first time in literature. The correct diagnosis of the underlying disorder, the gynecological management and the regular follow-up can minimize the risks of this potentially life-threatening hematological disorder.