Primary cardiac lymphoma: two cases and a review of literature.

Background: Primary cardiac lymphoma is one of the rarest tumours of the heart. It belongs to the extra-nodal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The most common type of this tumour is diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Incidence and natural history of hen's egg allergy in the first 2 years of life-the EuroPrevall birth cohort study.

Background: Parents and health staff perceive hen's egg allergy (HEA) as a common food allergy in early childhood, but the true incidence is unclear because population-based studies with gold-standard diagnostic criteria are lacking.

Objective: To establish the incidence and course of challenge-confirmed HEA in children, from birth until the age of 24 months, in different European regions.

Methods: In the EuroPrevall birth cohort study, children with a suspected HEA and their age-matched controls were evaluated in 9 countries, using a standardized protocol including measurement of HE-specific immunoglobulin E-antibodies in serum, skin prick tests, and double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFC).

Uterine size and ovarian size in adolescents with functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea.

Introduction: Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA) is a condition characterised by the absence of menses due to suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to estimate uterine and ovarian sizes in adolescents with FHA and to compare these results with findings in peers having regular menstrual cycles.

Design: Prospective case-controlled study.

Impact of malnutrition on postoperative delirium development after on pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background & Aims: Even though malnutrition is frequently observed in cardiac population outcome data after cardiac surgery in malnourished patients is very rare. No thorough research was done concerning the impact of malnutrition on neuropsychological outcomes after cardiac surgery. The aim of our study was to analyze the incidence of postoperative delirium development in malnourished patients undergoing on pump bypass grafting.

The significance of fetal inflammatory response syndrome in early and later adaptation of premature infants.

Purpose: Intrauterine infection may induce the fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) and may cause cerebral palsy and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in newborns. The aim of the study was to evaluate the importance of FIRS for the early and later adaptation of preterms.

Methods: Hundred and fifty-eight preterm infants, born at 22-34 weeks of gestation, were investigated at Vilnius University Children hospital in 2007-2009.

Integrated care pathways for airway diseases (AIRWAYS-ICPs).

The objective of Integrated Care Pathways for Airway Diseases (AIRWAYS-ICPs) is to launch a collaboration to develop multi-sectoral care pathways for chronic respiratory diseases in European countries and regions. AIRWAYS-ICPs has strategic relevance to the European Union Health Strategy and will add value to existing public health knowledge by: 1) proposing a common framework of care pathways for chronic respiratory diseases, which will facilitate comparability and trans-national initiatives; 2) informing cost-effective policy development, strengthening in particular those on smoking and environmental exposure; 3) aiding risk stratification in chronic disease patients, using a common strategy; 4) having a significant impact on the health of citizens in the short term (reduction of morbidity, improvement of education in children and of work in adults) and in the long-term (healthy ageing); 5) proposing a common simulation tool to assist physicians; and 6) ultimately reducing the healthcare burden (emergency visits, avoidable hospitalisations, disability and costs) while improving quality of life. In the longer term, the incidence of disease may be reduced by innovative prevention strategies.

Advantages and disadvantages of over-the-counter availability of emergency contraception.

Objectives: To compare usage patterns, accessibility and knowledge about over-the counter (OTC) emergency contraception (EC) in comparison to prescription-only EC.

Design And Setting: Self-designed, paper-based validated questionnaires containing 26 questions were distributed among students and high school pupils in Poland (PL) - 1000 questionnaires and in Lithuania (LT) - 650. In Lithuania EC is available OTC, whereas in Poland EC is a prescription-only drug.

Microbiological findings of vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls.

Objective: To compare vaginal culture results between prepubertal girls with and without vulvovaginitis, and obtain an overview of the most commonly encountered microbes.

Design: Prospective descriptive study.

Setting: Outpatient clinic of Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Klinikos during September 2011-December 2012.

Age-related changes in corneal thickness and endothelial characteristics.

Purpose: To determine the influence of age on central corneal thickness (CCT), endothelial cell density (ECD), average cell size, coefficient of variation in cell size, and percentage of regular hexagonal cells; and to estimate the average ECD and CCT in seven age groups.

Materials And Methods: After obtaining informed consent, 211 Caucasian patients (358 eyes) were examined using a noncontact specular microscope at the Center of Eye Diseases in Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Clinic. The main corneal parameters were: ECD, average cell size, coefficient of variation in cell size, percentage of regular hexagonal cells, and CCT.

Metabolic changes one year after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding operation in morbidly obese subjects.

Introduction: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is effective for weight reduction in severely obese patients. However, the data about its effect on metabolic syndrome (MS) are limited.

Aim: To assess weight loss and changes of metabolic parameters 1 year after LAGB in a prospective, nonrandomized single center cohort study in morbidly obese subjects.

Is diagrammatic goniometry feasible for finger ROM evaluation and self-evaluation?

Background: While "diagrammatic" evaluation of finger joint angles using two folded paper strips as goniometric arms has been proposed and could be an alternative to standard goniometry and a means for self-evaluation, the measurement differences and reliability are unknown.

Questions/purposes: This study assessed the standard and diagrammatic finger goniometry performed by an experienced examiner on patients in terms of (1) intragoniometer and intergoniometer (ie, intrarater) differences and reliability; (2) interrater differences and reliability relative to patients' diagrammatic self-evaluation; and (3) the interrater differences related to patient's hand dominance.

Methods: Sixty-one patients without previous training self-evaluated active extension of all joints of the fifth finger of one hand once using two rectangular strips of paper.

Central corneal thickness and corneal endothelial characteristics in healthy, cataract, and glaucoma patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe and compare endothelial cell parameters and central corneal thickness (CCT) in four different groups of patients (patients with cataract, patients with glaucoma, elderly healthy subjects, and young healthy subjects) and identify correlations between these characteristics, patient age, and sex.

Methods: Before conducting invasive procedures, 104 patients were examined using a non-contact specular microscope. Parameters examined included endothelial cell density (ECD), percentage of regular hexagonal cells (6A), average size of endothelial cells (Ave), and CCT.

Studies on early allergic sensitization in the Lithuanian birth cohort.

Cohort studies are of great importance in defining the mechanism responsible for the development of allergy-associated diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Although these disorders share genetic and environmental risk factors, it is still under debate whether they are linked or develop sequentially along an atopic pathway. The current study was aimed to determine the pattern of allergy sensitization in the Lithuanian birth cohort "Alergemol" (n = 1558) established as a part of the multicenter European birth cohort "EuroPrevall".

Sexual behavior and high-risk human papillomavirus in 15- to 22-year-old Lithuanian women.

We determined the risk of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection in 169 15- to 22-year-old sexually active Lithuanian women attending two outpatient clinics in Vilnius. The Digene(®) Hybrid Capture II DNA test was used to test for HR-HPV infection on material collected by cervical swabs. The findings were compared with the pattern of sexual behavior as given in questionnaire replies.

Digital pathology evaluation of complement C4d component deposition in the kidney allograft biopsies is a useful tool to improve reproducibility of the scoring.

Complement C4d component deposition in kidney allograft biopsies is an established marker of antibody-mediated rejection. In the Banff 07 classification of renal allograft pathology, semi-quantitative evaluation of the proportion of C4d-positive peritubular capilaries (PTC) is used. We aimed to explore the potential of digital pathology tools to obtain quantitative and reproducible measure of C4d deposition in the renal allograft tissue.

Pre-operative high sensitive C-reactive protein predicts cardiovascular events after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: a prospective observational study.

C-reactive protein is a powerful independent predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. The relation between C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and in-hospital outcome, after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), has not yet been established. The study aims to evaluate the predictive value of pre-operative CRP for in-hospital cardiovascular events after CABG surgery.

[Evaluation and treatment of adolescent girls with hirsutism].

Clinical manifestations of androgen excess which are skin and hair related (hirsutism, acne, alopecia) are common and distressing symptoms for an adolescent girls. During puberty and at the time of the first menstruation cycles, physiological hyperandrogenism can be observed. The causes of hirsutism can be various, including familial, idiopathic, and those, caused by excess androgen secretion by the ovary (PCOS, tumors), or by adrenal glands (congenital adrenal hyperplasia, tumor), or exogenous pharmacologic sources of androgens.

A technique of direct tracing for recording digital range of motion.

This report describes a technique for recording range of motion of digital joints. The technique involves tracing digital outlines with an angled marker on a sheet of paper attached to a special interray pad. A complete dorsal silhouette of the entire ray can be obtained by mounting the pad and the paper astride the palm parallel to the ray of the digit being evaluated.

Dementia and art: neuronal intermediate filament inclusion disease and dissolution of artistic creativity.

The paper presents a new case of neuronal intermediate filament inclusion disease (NIFID), a recently described new variant of early-onset frontotemporal dementia. Documented with repetitive brain images, morphologically proven cases additionally endorse evolving the clinical and pathological phenotype of NIFID. For the first time the paper describes the probable influence of NIFID on the artistic creativity of an accomplished artist showing rapid dissolution of artistic talent.

A portrait of myasthenia gravis?

The paper presents a work of art showing a presumably myasthenic patient painted more than 50 years before the disease was first described.

Neurological eponyms derived from literature and visual art.

Eponyms are common in medicine, and neurology is not an exception. Most neurological eponyms originate from the names of those who first described a disease or pathological condition, as well as from the names of characters from the literature and mythical or biblical heroes. The article describes en block both widespread and nowadays seldom used or even forgotten neurological eponyms derived from literature and visual art.