Venous thromboembolic complications with and without intermittent intraoperative and postoperative pneumatic compression in patients with glioblastoma multiforme using intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging. A retrospective study.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of intraoperative and postoperative intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) as a method used to decrease the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), in comparison to the standard use of graduated compression stockings, low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and physiotherapy during the hospital stay. All patients in this study underwent intracranial surgery for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) using intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance.

Patients And Methods: We performed a single center retrospective study of a cohort of 153 patients who underwent surgery for GBM aided by intraoperative MRI from October of 2009 to January of 2015 at the International Neuroscience Institute (INI), Hannover, Germany.

Prevention of venous thromboembolic complications with and without intermittent pneumatic compression in neurosurgical cranial procedures using intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging. A retrospective analysis.

Object: To evaluate the introduction of intraoperative and postoperative pneumatic compression additionally to the use of compression stockings, low molecular weight heparin-LMWH and early mobilization, a retrospective study in cranial neurosurgery using intraoperative MRI was performed.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 207 neurosurgical patients using intraoperative MRI was performed. A group of 86 patients was treated with the additional use of intraoperative and postoperative pneumatic compression until mobilization out of bed.

Of guinea pigs and men--an unusual case of jaundice.

A 21-year-old male presented at the emergency room with jaundice, itching, dry cough, malaise and weight loss of 10 kg during the preceding four weeks. Eighteen months earlier, the patient had suffered an automobile accident leading to polytrauma. Serological markers for viral or other causes of hepatitis were absent.

Role of endotoxin in the pathogenesis of critical illness polyneuropathy.

Critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) occurs in association with sepsis and multiple organ failure; however, little is known about the pathomechanisms of CIP and its therapy. In order to determine the parameters which interfere with development of CIP, electrophysiological investigations of peripheral nerves and biochemical measures were correlated to each other. The present study includes 20 consecutive patients in an intensive care unit developing severe sepsis or septic shock.

Making sense of muscle fatigue and liver lesions.

Muscle weakness is a common complaint in clinical practice. If this symptom is combined with focal liver lesions there is a broad spectrum of differential diagnoses for the gastroenterologist to consider. Tumors of neuroendocrine origin such as small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) produce a wide array of peptide hormones and are common causes of paraneoplastic syndromes.

[New medications for treatment of systemic mycoses].

The past few years have seen the advent of several new antifungal agents. The echinocandin, caspofungin, has greatly expanded the antifungal armamentarium by providing a cell wall-active agent with candidacidal activity as well as demonstrated clinical efficacy in the therapy of aspergillosis refractory to available therapy. In addition, in clinical trials, caspofungin exhibited efficacy comparable to amphotericin B for invasive and/or fluconazole-resistant Candida infections.

[Fever after travel return].

Between 20 and 70 percent of the 50 million people who travel from the industrialized world to the developing world each year report some illness associated with their travel. Approximately 3 percent of people traveling internationally for short periods (<2 weeks) report fever even after travel. Careful assessment of the travel history, likely incubation period, exposure history, associated signs and symptoms, duration of fever, immunization status use or nonuse of antimalarial chemoprophylaxis, and degree of compliance with a chemoprophylactic regimen, if used, helps to establish the diagnosis.

Acute CMV-colitis in a patient with a history of ulcerative colitis.

A symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection usually occurs in patients with debilitating diseases, immunosuppression, transplantations and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Gastrointestinal infections with CMV, especially colitis, are usually found in immunocompromised patients and rarely affect immunocompetent subjects. Here we report the case of a young female patient with a history of ulcerative colitis (UC) who presented with an acute attack of colitis caused by CMV infection.

Acute CMV-Colitis in a Patient with a History of Ulcerative Colitis.

A symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection usually occurs in patients with debilitating diseases, immunosuppression, transplantations and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Gastrointestinal infections with CMV, especially colitis, are usually found in immunocompromised patients and rarely affect immunocompetent subjects. Here we report the case of a young female patient with a history of ulcerative colitis (UC) who presented with an acute attack of colitis caused by CMV infection.

COACH syndrome associated with multifocal liver tumors.

Here, we describe a 20-yr-old woman with COACH syndome (hypoplasia of Cerebellar vermis, Oligophrenia, congenital Ataxia, Coloboma, and Hepatic fibrosis) developing multiple liver lesions. Epigastric and right upper abdominal pain and lack of appetite led to clinical evaluation. Liver function tests showed an increase in transaminases and cholestatic parameters; alpha-fetoprotein was in the normal range.

[Intestinal tuberculosis: Easier overlooked than diagnosed].

Intestinal tuberculosis: Easier overlooked than diagnosed. The medical history of two Asian immigrants suffering from intestinal tuberculosis demonstrates the difficulties in finding the correct diagnosis. Intestinal tuberculosis resembles Crohn's disease with regard to clinical symptoms, macroscopic and microscopic intestinal findings.

Levels of antibodies to endotoxin and cytokine release in patients with severe trauma: does posttraumatic dysergy contribute to organ failure?

Background: We conducted a prospective study in patients with multiple injuries investigating the time course of trauma-related changes of systemic immunologic defense mechanisms.

Methods: Patients with multiple injuries with Injury Severity Scores of more than 20 were included if they survived for more than 4 days after injury. Further inclusion criteria were no local or systemic infection (pneumonia, sepsis, soft-tissue infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, tuberculosis, etc.

Phase II study of anti-CD4 idiotype vaccination in HIV positive volunteers.

A clinical phase II trial of postinfectional idiotype vaccination was performed in early stage HIV + volunteers. The mAb 13B8.2 is directed against the CDR3-homologous CD4/D1 region implicated in HIV-gp120 binding.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in AIDS and control patients: risks and outcome.

Objectives: Wasting is a major feature of advanced HIV infection. Enteral nutrition via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a safe and efficient therapy in malnutrition, but limited experience exists in wasted HIV patients. Here we report on outcome and risk of PEG-feeding in HIV patients compared with HIV-seronegative patients and with HIV patients without PEG.

[The therapy of gram-negative septicotoxic diseases with pentaglobin, an immunoglobulin with an elevated IgM content (a prospective, randomized clinical study)].

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of pentaglobin, a polyclonal polyvalent immunoglobulin containing IgG, IgM, and IgA, in therapy of septicotoxic diseases. Fifty-five patients with sepsis were divided into 2 perspective randomized groups. Group 1 (27 patients) were infused pentaglobin containing specific antibodies to bacterial endotoxin determinant.

CD4-imitating human antibodies in HIV infection and anti-idiotypic vaccination.

Anti-idiotypic vaccination against HIV infection aims at inducing an anti-gp120 immune response through anti-CD4 Abs mimicking epitopes of the gp120 molecule. The mAb IOT4a induces anti-gp120 Abs in rabbits. This study investigates the presence of human serum Abs cross-reacting with anti-CD4 mAbs and gp120 during HIV infection and after parenteral vaccination with IOT4a.

Ketotifen in HIV-infected patients: effects on body weight and release of TNF-alpha.

Objective: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is involved in the genesis of HIV-associated malnutrition. We performed an open-label trial on the effects of ketotifen, an in vitro inhibitor of TNF-alpha release from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), on the nutritional status and TNF-alpha release of HIV-infected subjects.

Patients: Six HIV-infected subjects received oral ketotifen 4 mg per day for 84 days and were followed up for an additional 70-day period.

Human papillomavirus is associated with the frequent detection of warty and basaloid high-grade neoplasia of the vulva and cervical neoplasia among immunocompromised women.

A total of 158 women who either HIV-infected or under iatrogenic immunosuppression were examined regularly during a 4-year period to evaluate if certain vulvar neoplasms and cervical neoplasia have similar associated risk factors. Patients with CIN were matched prospectively with immunocompetent controls with CIN. Forty-eight cervical lesions were detected among patients, including 2 invasive carcinoma and 15 CIN-3 lesions, compared to 11 vulvar lesions, including 2 invasive carcinoma and 7 VIN-3 lesions.

Cellular immunodeficiency enhances the progression of human papillomavirus-associated cervical lesions.

Most cases of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) associated with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) types regress spontaneously within years. Unknown co-factors seem to be necessary for a progression to malignancy. To determine the possible role of cellular immunodeficiency as such a co-factor in the genesis of genital neoplasia, 48 HIV-infected women and 52 allograft recipients were examined periodically during a 3-year period.