Predictors of Spontaneous Echo Contrast in Left Heart Chambers in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Slowing Down Might not Always Mean Enjoying Life.

Introduction: Spontaneous echo contrast(SEC) is usually detected in heart chambers as a result of reduced flow velocity in the cavity. The clinical importance of SEC lies in its association with embolic events. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of SEC in left heart chambers in sinus rhythm patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and predictors for its emergence.

Divergent immunohistochemical expression of CD21 and CD23 by follicular dendritic cells with increasing grade of follicular lymphoma.

Background: Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical differences have been described in FDCs of primary and secondary follicles, illustrating the highly compartmentalized structure of lymph follicles. Differences in FDC immunophenotype in different grades of FL may reflect some parallelism between reactive and neoplastic conditions in terms of FDC-B cell interaction and may be used as a valuable additional tool for grading FL.

Methods: A total of 60 paraffin blocks from patients with follicular lymphoma, 30 cases each of grade 1 and 3, were retrieved from our archive.

Proton Pump Inhibitors Intake and Iron and Vitamin B12 Status: A Prospective Comparative Study with a Follow up of 12 Months.

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) represent the most widely prescribed antisecretory agents, but their prolonged use, may influence iron and vitamin B12 status, which could have important implications for clinical practice.

Aim: We undertook this study aiming to investigate the association between PPIs use for 12 months and potential changes in iron and vitamin B12 status, as well as whether this potential association varies among four specific PPI drugs used in the study.

Methods: A total of 250 adult subjects were recruited into this study, of which 200 subjects were PPIs users while 50 subjects belonged to the control group.

Age-related Epstein-Barr virus-positive cutaneous ulcer arising after a self-limited subcutaneous abscess: a case report.

Introduction: Epstein-Barr virus-positive mucocutaneous ulcer is a newly recognized clinicopathologic entity in the spectrum of Epstein-Barr virus-positive lymphoproliferative disorders. This entity is characterized by a self-limited, indolent course.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 74-year-old, type 2 diabetic man who presented with an ulceroinfiltrative skin lesion on the left side of his neck.

Left and right ventricular diastolic function in hemodialysis patients.

The aim of this prospective study was the assessment of left ventricular and right ventricular diastolic function in patients on hemodialysis (HD) and the correlation of this function with the duration of HD. The study included 42 patients (22 females and 20 males) with chronic renal failure (CRF), treated with HD, and 40 healthy subjects (24 females and 16 males) with no history of cardiovascular disease and with normal renal function, who constituted the control group. The groups were matched for age and sex.