Hexarelin modulates lung mechanics, inflammation, and fibrosis in acute lung injury.

Introduction:: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an acute form of diffuse lung injury characterized by (i) an intense inflammatory response, (ii) increased pulmonary vascular permeability, and (iii) the loss of respiratory pulmonary tissue. In this article we explore the therapeutic potential of hexarelin, a synthetic hexapeptide growth hormone secretagogue (GHS), in an experimental model of ARDS. Hexarelin has anti-inflammatory properties and demonstrates cardiovascular-protective activities including the inhibition of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac fibrosis, both of which may involve the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) system.

C-arm cone-beam CT-guided transthoracic lung core needle biopsy as a standard diagnostic tool: an observational study.

C-arm cone-beam computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic lung core needle biopsy (CNB) is a safe and accurate procedure for the evaluation of patients with pulmonary nodules. This article will focus on the clinical features related to CNB in terms of diagnostic performance and complication rate. Moreover, the concept of categorizing pathological diagnosis into 4 categories, which could be used for clinical management, follow-up, and quality assurance is also introduced.

A donor cornea with metastatic cells from a cutaneous malignant melanoma.

Purpose: To describe the case of a donor cornea that showed hematogenous metastatic spread of cutaneous melanoma to the sclerocorneal limbus.

Methods: Corneal tissue obtained from a donor with cutaneous malignant melanoma was evaluated for endothelial cell density, corneal transparency, and epithelial morphology. Subsequently, hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical characterization using S100, HMB45, Melan-A, and CD34 antibodies were performed on the corneal sections.

Mature cystic teratoma of the pancreas. Case report and review of the literature of a rare pancreatic cystic lesion.

Context: Pancreatic cystic lesions are increasingly recognized and comprise different pathological entities. The management of these lesions is challenging, because of inadequate preoperative histological diagnosis. Among this family of lesions, mature cystic teratomas are an extremely rare finding.

Identifying the causes of stillbirth: a comparison of four classification systems.

Objective: To identify the classification protocol for stillbirth that minimizes the rate of unexplained causes.

Study Design: All stillbirths at > 22 weeks from 1995-2007 underwent a workup inclusive of fetal ultrasonography, amniocentesis for karyotype and cultures, placental histology, fetal autopsy, skin biopsy, total body X-ray, maternal testing for thrombophilias, TORCH, Parvovirus spp, thyroid function, indirect Coombs, Kleiheuer-Betke test, and genital cultures. To such a cohort, we applied the 4 most commonly used classification protocols.