Cardiotrophin-1 in Asymptomatic Hypertensive Patients With Mild Diastolic Dysfunction: Potential Prognostic Value in Early Stages of Hypertensive Heart Disease.

Background: Regardless of the advancements in modern technology and treatment options, heart failure (HF) exhibits impervious mortality and morbidity rates. Arterial hypertension poses one of the greatest risks for developing HF, yet the exact pathophysiological path and changes that lead from isolated hypertension to HF are still unclear. Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) serves as a promising prognostic biomarker for the onset of HF in hypertensive patients.

Collision tumor of malignant tumors of the skin: dermal squamomelanocytic tumor coexisting with basal cell carcinoma-a rare case.

Collision tumors are neoplasms coexisting in the some anatomical area. The most common combination is melanocytic nevus with basal cell carcinoma. Melanocytic nevus with basal cell carcinoma constitutes the most common cutaneous combination.

Detection of L265P MYD-88 mutation in a series of clonal B-cell lymphocytosis of marginal zone origin (CBL-MZ).

Clonal B-cell lymphocytosis of marginal zone origin (CBL-MZ) is a recently described entity characterized by the presence of clonal B cells in the blood and/or bone marrow (BM) with morphologic and immunophenotypic features consistent with marginal zone derivation in otherwise healthy individuals. CBL-MZ is commonly associated with paraproteinemia, usually immunoglobulin M (IgM), raising diagnostic difficulties from Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of MYD-88 L265P mutation in a well-characterized series of CBL-MZ to identify cases that may in fact represent WM.

Greek results of the "ENERGIB" European study on non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: Non-variceal upper gastro-intestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is a common and challenging emergency situation. We aimed to describe the characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with NVUGIB in Greece.

Methods: ENERGIB (NCT00797641) was an epidemiological survey conducted in 7 European countries including Greece.

Bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract after Mason's vertical banded gastroplasty.

Background: Gastric bleeding is a rare complication after a vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). Only a few cases of gastric bleeding after a VBG have been reported, and there is discussion about its etiology. We present two cases of gastric bleeding after a VBG, and discuss the etiology, diagnostic approach and management.

Late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus presenting as polymyalgia rheumatica.

Two patients (male, 60 and 66 years of age) who developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the 6th decade are described. Both patients presented with a polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) syndrome. In both cases there was an underlying muscle involvement (nonspecific in the first case and true myositis in the second case) as well as findings compatible with nonclassic type of temporal arteritis.