Maternal Cardiac Function in Pregnancies with Metabolic Disorders.

The obesity epidemic is growing and poses significant risks to pregnancy. Metabolic impairment can be associated with short- and long-term maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The cardiovascular implications are known in those with metabolic disorder outside of pregnancy; however, little is known of the cardiac function in pregnancies complicated by obesity.

A Randomized Trial of Enteral Glutamine for Treatment of Burn Injuries.

Background: Glutamine is thought to have beneficial effects on the metabolic and stress response to severe injury. Clinical trials involving patients with burns and other critically ill patients have shown conflicting results regarding the benefits and risks of glutamine supplementation.

Methods: In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we assigned patients with deep second- or third-degree burns (affecting ≥10% to ≥20% of total body-surface area, depending on age) within 72 hours after hospital admission to receive 0.

Pregnancy Outcomes in Women After Arterial Switch Operation for Transposition of the Great Arteries: Results From ROPAC (Registry of Pregnancy and Cardiac Disease) of the European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme.

Background In the past 3 decades, the arterial switch procedure has replaced the atrial switch procedure as treatment of choice for transposition of the great arteries. Although survival is superior after the arterial switch procedure, data on pregnancy outcomes are scarce and transposition of the great arteries after arterial switch is not yet included in the modified World Health Organization classification of maternal cardiovascular risk. Methods and Results The ROPAC (Registry of Pregnancy and Cardiac disease) is an international prospective registry of pregnant women with cardiac disease, part of the European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme.

Comparison of guidelines for the management of rectal cancer.

A comparison between NCCN, ESMO and JSCCR Guidelines is presented, concerning the treatment of rectal cancer, with an analysis and discussion of their discrepancies. Differences indicate areas for research.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome: a diagnostic challenge.

Diagnosis of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis is challenging due to its rarity and its similar presentation to common intra-abdominal conditions, such as cholecystitis or appendicitis. In our case, the adherent cecal and omental mass felt on examination were thought to be an appendiceal mass secondary to perforation, hence the patient underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy.

Immunopathological characterization of human cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions caused by Leishmania (Viannia) spp. in Amazonian Brazil.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is a chronic infectious disease caused by different protozoan species of Leishmania, and it is endemic in both tropical and subtropical countries. Using immunohistochemistry, we investigate the density of CD68, lysozyme, CD1a, factor XIIIa, CD4, CD8, CD56, interferon (IFN)-γ, and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) cells. These cells were analyzed from 22 biopsy samples obtained from the lesions of ACL patients, whose infection was caused by Leishmania (Viannia) spp.

A microRNA-328 binding site in PAX6 is associated with centrotemporal spikes of rolandic epilepsy.

Objective: Rolandic epilepsy is a common genetic focal epilepsy of childhood characterized by centrotemporal sharp waves on electroencephalogram. In previous genome-wide analysis, we had reported linkage of centrotemporal sharp waves to chromosome 11p13, and fine mapping with 44 SNPs identified the ELP4-PAX6 locus in two independent US and Canadian case-control samples. Here, we aimed to find a causative variant for centrotemporal sharp waves using a larger sample and higher resolution genotyping array.

Current Practice: The Bilobed Flap from the Classic Indication to Cover a Small Defect on Face to Covering a Large Defect on the Chest.

A variety of flaps are available to cover skin defects after surgery or trauma in the head and neck area. The bilobed flap is a double transposition flap commonly used in reconstruction of small-to-medium skin defects of the face where skin is less mobile. However, larger defects can also be effectively treated with a bilobed flap in certain cases.

Is there a need for a histological examination of the adenoid tissue after adenoidectomy?

Objectives: In Germany there is no uniform practice regarding the histological examination of removed tissue after an adenoidectomy. In addition, the unique benefits of routine histological examination of adenoid tissue cannot be ascertained from current literature due to varying opinion and evidence.

Methods: This study was approved by the Medical Association and Ethics Committee in Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany.

Relapsing-Remitting Sixth Nerve Palsy in Association with Ollier's Disease.

Relapsing-remitting sixth nerve palsy is usually due to ophthalmoplegic migraine (recurrent cranial nerve palsy) in younger patients and microvascular disease in older patients. There have been isolated reports, however, of it occurring in the presence of a skull base tumour. We report a 20-year-old woman with Ollier's disease who presented with a relapsing-remitting sixth nerve palsy.

Value of quantitative sensory testing in neurological and pain disorders: NeuPSIG consensus.

Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a psychophysical method used to quantify somatosensory function in response to controlled stimuli in healthy subjects and patients. Although QST shares similarities with the quantitative assessment of hearing or vision, which is extensively used in clinical practice and research, it has not gained a large acceptance among clinicians for many reasons, and in significant part because of the lack of information about standards for performing QST, its potential utility, and interpretation of results. A consensus meeting was convened by the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain (NeuPSIG) to formulate recommendations for conducting QST in clinical practice and research.

A model and scoring system to predict outcome of intrauterine pregnancies of uncertain viability.

Objectives: To define the incidence and outcome of intrauterine pregnancy of uncertain viability (PUV) and to develop and assess the performance of a model and a scoring system to predict ongoing viability.

Methods: Of 1881 consecutive women undergoing transvaginal ultrasonography, a cohort of 493 women with an empty gestational sac < 20 mm in mean diameter, gestational sac < 25 mm in mean diameter and containing yolk sac only or an embryonic pole < 6 mm in maximum length and without visible heart activity were followed until the end of the first trimester. Women with multiple pregnancies or who underwent termination of pregnancy were excluded.

Pulmonary tumour embolism complicating a case of leiomyosarcoma.

Patient. A case of peripheral leiomyosarcoma presenting with features of pulmonary thromboembolism is described.Discussion.