Determinants of the Magnitude of Interaction Between Tacrolimus and Voriconazole/Posaconazole in Solid Organ Recipients.

Administration of azole antifungals to tacrolimus-treated solid organ recipients results in a major drug-drug interaction characterized by increased exposure to tacrolimus. The magnitude of this interaction is highly variable but cannot currently be predicted. We performed a retrospective analysis of 126 solid organ recipients (95 lung, 31 kidney) co-treated with tacrolimus and voriconazole (n = 100) or posaconazole (n = 26).

Epidemiology and management of hypertension in paediatric and young adult kidney transplant recipients in The Netherlands.

Introduction: Hypertension in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) is a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and graft loss. Data on the prevalence of hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension (uHT) in paediatric and young adult KTRs are scarce. Also, it is unknown whether 'transition' (the transfer from paediatric to adult care) influences control of hypertension.

Cerebral Critical Closing Pressure During Infusion Tests.

We studied possible correlations between cerebral hemodynamic indices based on critical closing pressure (CrCP) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compensatory dynamics, as assessed during lumbar infusion tests. Our data consisted of 34 patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus who undertook an infusion test, in conjunction with simultaneous transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) monitoring of blood flow velocity (FV). CrCP was calculated from the monitored signals of ICP, arterial blood pressure (ABP), and FV, whereas vascular wall tension (WT) was estimated as CrCP - ICP.

Revisiting guidelines for integration of flow cytometry results in the WHO classification of myelodysplastic syndromes-proposal from the International/European LeukemiaNet Working Group for Flow Cytometry in MDS.

Definite progress has been made in the exploration of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) by flow cytometry (FCM) since the publication of the World Health Organization 2008 classification of myeloid neoplasms. An international working party initiated within the European LeukemiaNet and extended to include members from Australia, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and the United States has, through several workshops, developed and subsequently published consensus recommendations. The latter deal with preanalytical precautions, and propose small and large panels, which allow evaluating immunophenotypic anomalies and calculating myelodysplasia scores.

A case of esophageal duplication cyst with a 13-year follow-up period.

Benign esophageal cysts are very rare embryonic malformations. In adults, esophageal cysts are mostly asymptomatic. Complications can occur due to mass effects.

Dual site coronary sinus pacing in a patient with an artificial tricuspid valve prosthesis.

For safety reasons, two leads for left ventricular pacing were implanted in the coronary sinus of a pacemaker dependent patient with an artificial tricuspid valve prosthesis.

New advances in the biochemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma: moving beyond catecholamines.

Pheochromocytomas are dangerous tumors that, although a rare cause of hypertension, require consideration among large numbers of patients. The resulting low prevalence of the tumor among tested populations and the inadequacies of commonly used biochemical tests make excluding or confirming the tumor an often difficult and time-consuming task. Recognition that catecholamines are metabolized to free metanephrines within pheochromocytoma tumor cells, and that this process is independent of catecholamine release, provides a rationale for use of these metabolites in the biochemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.

Biochemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma: which test is best?

Context: Diagnosis of pheochromocytoma depends on biochemical evidence of catecholamine production by the tumor. However, the best test to establish the diagnosis has not been determined.

Objective: To determine the biochemical test or combination of tests that provides the best method for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.