Thermal ablation of CT 'invisible' liver tumors using MRI fusion: a case control study.

To evaluate whether 'invisible' liver tumors on CT can be treated by stereotactic radiofrequency ablation (SRFA) using fusion of pre-ablation MRI. In this retrospective case-control study, 60 patients (14 with Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 46 with metastatic liver tumors) with CT 'invisible' lesions underwent SRFA using MRI-fusion between June 2005 and June 2018 ('fusion group'). For comparison, 60 patients who underwent SRFA without image fusion were selected using nearest neighbor propensity score matching ('control group').

A low-carbohydrate diet may prevent end-stage renal failure in type 2 diabetes. A case report.

An obese patient with type 2 diabetes whose diet was changed from the recommended high-carbohydrate, low-fat type to a low-carbohydrate diet showed a significant reduction in bodyweight, improved glycemic control and a reversal of a six year long decline of renal function. The reversal of the renal function was likely caused by both improved glycemic control and elimination of the patient's obesity. Insulin treatment in type 2 diabetes patients usually leads to weight increase which may cause further injury to the kidney.

Rapid resolution of EPO-induced pure red cell aplasia after a course of immunoadsorption therapy using protein A columns.

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is a rare, but important, complication of erythropoietin (EPO) replacement therapy in patients with renal disease. There is no consensus about the best way to treat this condition; however, recent reports indicated that immunosuppressive therapy is beneficial. We report a patient with EPO-induced PRCA treated with a regimen initially designed for antifactor VIII antibodies in patients with hemophilia.

Optical studies on the action of furosemide on macula densa and cortical thick ascending limb cells. Intracellular calcium fluorescence measurements.

The present study shows the successful use of an optical technique that describes the application of both differential interference contrast (DIC) and fluorescence microscopy to the study of structure-function relationships in isolated perfused cTAL-MD segments of the nephron. Image-intensified video microscopy and digital image processing techniques were used to simultaneously and directly visualize and quantify [Ca+2]i in individual cTAL cells and MD cells. This study also indicates that no large changes in MD [Ca+2]i can be observed under maneuvers that are known to affect the autoregulatory mechanisms of single nephron glomerular filtration rate.