A Review of the Pharmacology and Anesthetic Implications of Cannabis.

Cannabis is now legalized, for medical and/or recreational use, in numerous states. Although the cultural shift in acceptance of cannabis is apparent in the public, that sentiment has not necessarily translated to healthcare professionals. As anesthesia providers, we must understand the pharmacology of cannabis and its effects on physiology to provide safe anesthetic care to patients who consume it.

Subcutaneous nodules and joint deformity in leprosy: case report and review.

Leprosy (Hansen's disease), known to be caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is a well-known illness with multiple rheumatologic manifestations. This chronic granulomatous infection has clinical features that are variable, depending on the immune response of the host. Manifestations consist mainly of involvement of the peripheral nerves, skin, upper respiratory system, eyes, and testes, as well as joints.

Pattern of hospitalizations for angioedema in New York between 1990 and 2003.

Background: The epidemiologic characteristics of angioedema have not been well described in the United States, especially regarding hospitalization patterns. This fact is particularly relevant given the increased use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, a known cause of angioedema.

Objective: To profile hospital admissions for angioedema in New York State with respect to age, sex, race, comorbidities, and year.

Treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum with methotrexate.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is an ulcerative skin condition of unknown cause. It is often refractory to treatment, requiring high dosages of immunosuppressive medications. A patient with idiopathic pyoderma gangrenosum was successfully treated with methotrexate and weaned off steroids for the first time in four years.

Apurpuric henoch-schönlein vasculitis.

Case reports of Henoch-Schönlein syndrome invariably note the presence of purpura at the time of the vasculitic syndrome. We document an unusual recurrence of Henoch-Schönlein syndrome in the absence of purpura. A 29-year-old man with a history of Henoch-Schönlein vasculitis with several typical purpuric recurrences was admitted with hemoptysis, pulmonary hemorrhage and no cutaneous lesions.

Laryngeal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Laryngeal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can range from mild ulcerations, vocal cord paralysis, and edema to necrotizing vasculitis with airway obstruction. In this report, four cases showing the range of severity of this disease manifestation are presented, accompanied by a comprehensive review of the literature. The clinical course of 97 patients with laryngeal involvement with SLE are reviewed, of whom 28% had laryngeal edema and 11% had vocal cord paralysis.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies in Wegener's granulomatosis recognize conformational epitope(s) on proteinase 3.

Although proteinase 3 (PR3) has been identified as a major autoantigen in Wegener's granulomatosis, the precise antibody specificity(ies) and requirements for epitope recognition have not been characterized. We analyzed 11 sera containing antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (cANCA) for binding to azurophilic granule proteins extracted from neutrophils under various conditions and for binding to native or rPR3. Ten of 11 (91%) of the cANCA sera bound to PR3 extracted by nonionic detergents when tested by immunoprecipitation or by IEF followed by capillary immunoblotting.