Effects of benidipine, a long-acting T-type calcium channel blocker, on home blood pressure and renal function in patients with essential hypertension: a retrospective, 'real-world' comparison with amlodipine.

Background And Objective: Calcium channel antagonists (calcium channel blockers [CCBs]) are often used in the treatment of patients with hypertension to achieve strict blood pressure (BP) targets. In the present study, we compared the antihypertensive effects (determined by home BP [HBP] measurements) and the effects on renal function of benidipine (hydrochloride) and amlodipine (mesylate), a commonly used CCB.

Methods: Changes in HBP and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) were investigated in 47 benidipine and 37 amlodipine recipients with essential hypertension and albuminuria between January 2007 and December 2007.

Sporadic adult-onset hypophosphatemic osteomalacia caused by excessive action of fibroblast growth factor 23.

A 50-year-old man without family history of metabolic bone disease was referred to our hospital with a 5-year history of progressively worsening spinal and bilateral diffuse leg pain and proximal muscle weakness. Two years before admission, he was diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis by a rheumatologist and was maintained on low-dose prednisone therapy without benefit. He developed progressive spinal and thoracic deformities, resulting in a 10 cm loss in height in the preceding 2 years.

Community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia accompanied by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and hemophagocytic syndrome.

A 59-year-old woman without underlying disease was admitted to a local hospital because of lung abscess, cytopenias and renal failure. 3 days before admission, she was diagnosed as influenza infection and was under antiviral therapy. Blood cultures were positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).

Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis complicated by narrowing of the internal carotid artery, subarachnoid abscess and multiple pulmonary septic emboli.

A 56-year-old woman was admitted because of a high fever, right ptosis, chemosis, proptosis and ocular muscle palsy. Cranial MRI revealed a cavernous sinus thrombosis and a subarachnoid abscess. Carotid angio-gram demonstrated marked stenosis as well as aneurismal formation of the right internal carotid artery at the intracavernous portion.