Generalized pixel profiling and comparative segmentation with application to arteriovenous malformation segmentation.

Extraction of structural and geometric information from 3-D images of blood vessels is a well known and widely addressed segmentation problem. The segmentation of cerebral blood vessels is of great importance in diagnostic and clinical applications, with a special application in diagnostics and surgery on arteriovenous malformations (AVM). However, the techniques addressing the problem of the AVM inner structure segmentation are rare.

IL-5 in post-traumatic eosinophilic pleural effusion.

Thoracic trauma or pneumothorax can result in pleural fluid eosinophilia. In this study we investigated the role of the eosinophilopoietic cytokine IL-5 in three cases of post-traumatic eosinophilic pleural effusions (EPE). Using a specific immunoenzymatic assay, significant levels of IL-5 were found in EPE (range 100-3000 pg/ml), while IL-5 was undetectable (< 25 pg/ml) in corresponding serum samples and in non-eosinophilic pleural fluids.

Therapeutic effect of human recombinant interferon-alpha-2C in essential thrombocythaemia.

Human recombinant interferon-alpha 2C was given to 4 patients with essential thrombocythaemia. Three patients achieved a complete remission on day 19 +/- 1 and the 4th achieved a partial remission. After 4 weeks of induction therapy, a maintenance therapy of twice weekly intramuscular injections of 5 X 10(6) or 10 X 10(6) IU was instituted but did not maintain the remission.

Study of the influence of nifedipine on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of propranolol, metoprolol and atenolol.

The influence of chronic therapy with nifedipine on the pharmacokinetics of propranolol 80 mg twice daily, metoprolol 100 mg twice daily and atenolol 100 mg once daily was investigated in eight healthy volunteers. Nifedipine 10 mg three times daily did not affect the pharmacokinetics of metoprolol and atenolol whereas nifedipine shortened the time to peak plasma concentration for propranolol by about 1 h. Propranolol, metoprolol and atenolol provoked comparable decreases in heart rate measured at rest and during exercise.

Rectus sheath hematoma mimicking acute splenic disease.

In patients with hematological malignancies and splenomegaly, acute abdominal pain in the left upper quadrant is highly suspicious of splenic disease (i.e., hematoma, infarction, or rupture).