Anthropometric indicators of insulin resistance.

During recent years, there have been numerous published reports associating increased circumferences of certain regions of the human body with insulin resistance or increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In the present review, we summarize the findings and conclusions of some of these publications.

Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion to Treat Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a debilitating side effect of chemotherapy, which manifests as paresthesias, dysesthesias, and numbness in the hands and feet. Numerous chemoprotective agents and treatments have been used with limited success to treat chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. We report a case in which a patient presenting with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy received an IV lidocaine infusion over the course of 60 minutes with complete symptomatic pain relief for a prolonged period of 2 weeks.

The philosopher Socrates had exophthalmos (a term coined by Plato) and probably Graves' disease.

According to a previously published theory, Socrates was afflicted with temporal lobe epilepsy since his childhood. Plato, Xenophon, and Aristoxenus described Socrates as having exophthalmos, probably diplopia, and some symptoms compatible with hyperthyroidism. Using these data, we theorize that Socrates had Graves' disease.

Post-operative alopecia after robotic surgery in steep Trendelenburg position: a restated observation of pressure alopecia.

Postoperative alopecia is an uncommon complication and its outcome is aesthetically drastic. Although its mechanism has not been clearly elucidated, a proposed risk factor is steep Trendelenburg positioning (30-40 degrees) that is frequently used during robotic gynecologic surgeries. We report a case of postoperative alopecia in 53-year-old female patient who had undergone robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy with sacrocolpopexy and cystoscopy.

An Average Body Circumference Can Be a Substitute for Body Mass Index in Women.

Introduction. Significant correlations between BMI and some body circumferences have been previously reported. In this study we investigated if the average of the sum of eight body circumferences can be a substitute for BMI.

Hyperinsulinemia during oral glucose tolerance test and high normal serum cortisol are associated with increased secretion of calcitonin in normal subjects.

Objective: Previous studies showed that insulin stimulated directly calcitonin (Ct) secretion in the pig thyroid, while dexamethasone stimulated the production of Ct and Ct mRNA in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) cell lines. The objective of this study was to investigate if hyperinsulinemia during the oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) stimulates Ct secretion in normal subjects as well as to examine the relationship between serum cortisol and Ct.

Design: In 26 normal subjects (9 men and 17 women) with detectable basal serum Ct, aged 22-70 yr [51.

Maximinus Daia, a Roman emperor who may have had Graves' disease and died of a thyrotoxic crisis.

Evidence is presented that the Roman emperor Maximinus Daia had Graves' disease and died of severe thyrotoxicosis. The information about this emperor's terminal illness is drawn from the writings of the 4th century writers Eusebius and Lactantius. An existing statue indicates that the emperor had bilateral Graves' ophthalmopathy.

The interrelationship of serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in pregnancy at term: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the relationship between circulating 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D, and 24,25(OH)2D in pregnancy at term, and to test the hypothesis that serum 25(OH)D and 24,25(OH)2D are repressed by high serum 1,25(OH)2D levels.

Design: Twenty studies in pregnant women at term and 14 studies in young non-pregnant women were selected from the electronic literature. From these studies the mean serum concentrations of 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D, and 24,25(OH)2D from 26 groups of pregnant and 14 groups of non-pregnant young women were analyzed.

Bisphosphonate-associated adverse events.

The adverse events of the nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates are reviewed. Oral bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate and ibandronate), mainly used for the treatment of osteoporosis, have been associated with adverse events from the upper gastrointestinal tract, acute phase response, hypocalcaemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism, musculoskeletal pain, osteonecrosis of the jaw and ocular events. Intravenous bisphosphonates (pamidronate, ibandronate and zoledronic acid), used in oncology and for the treatment of osteoporosis, have been associated with all the above adverse events, except those from the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Corpus callosum aplasia in a young patient with a parathyroid adenoma.

A young man with primary hyperparathyroidism due to a parathyroid adenoma and aplasia of the corpus callosum is presented. We hypothesize a possible genetic association of the two pathologies: a proportion of the sporadic parathyroid adenomas are associated with genetic abnormalities of chromosome 11 and in some cases of corpus callosum aplasia, aneuploidy or polyploidy of this chromosome has been described.

Vitamin D deficiency in the elderly in Athens, Greece.

Vitamin D deficiency characterized by low 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels has been found to be prevalent among the elderly in many regions of the world. To investigate the vitamin status in elderly community-living persons in Athens, we measured 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in elderly persons and young blood donors during the winter and summer. The changes in these parameters in a subgroup of the elderly were studied longitudinally.

Virilization caused by an ectopic adrenal tumor located behind the iliopsoas muscle.

Objective: Virilization due to androgen-secreting neoplasms in women is a result of androgen overproduction from benign or malignant tumors that are found in the ovaries or rarely in the adrenal glands. Virilizing tumors that arise from ectopic adrenal tissue are extremely rare. We describe a very rare case of an ectopic androgen-producing adrenal tumor.

Bone mineral density in hyperthyroidism.

Objective: To investigate whether previous hyperthyroidism is a cause of permanent secondary osteoporosis.

Design And Patients: In this cross-sectional study, 164 women with untreated or previously treated overt and symptomatic hyperthyroidism were examined 0-31 years after the initial episode of hyperthyroidism and its treatment, and were compared with a control group of 79 age-matched women without previous history of hyperthyroidism. Subjects with current or previous metabolic bone disease, any antiresorptive treatment for osteoporosis or treatments and habits known to affect bone metabolism were excluded.

L-thyroxine therapy attenuates the decline in serum triiodothyronine in nonthyroidal illness induced by hysterectomy.

It is controversial whether the administration of thyroid hormone to patients with nonthyroidal illness has any beneficial effect. Two groups of patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy under the same general anesthesia were studied. Group A consisted of 15 women taking chronically l-thyroxine therapy (1.

Hypercalcemia due to sun exposure in a patient with multiple myeloma and elevated parathyroid hormone-related protein.

A patient with multiple myeloma who developed hypercalcemia during three different stages of his disease, with a different hypercalcemic agent elevated in his serum on each occasion, is described. The initial episode of hypercalcemia was associated with high serum interleukin-6 (IL-6). After treatment for myeloma normocalcemia was achieved.