Post-mortem studies of multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients have shown widespread subcortical neurodegeneration. In this study, we have used (18)F-dopa PET, a marker of monoaminergic nerve terminal function, to explore in vivo changes in striatal and extrastriatal dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin transmission for a cohort of patients with MSA with ...

Background:Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a cause of persistent hypoglycemia due to unregulated insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. Histologically, there are two major subgroups, focal and diffuse. Focal CHI is typically unresponsive to diazoxide and can be cured with surgical removal of the focal lesion.Aims:We report on three patients with focal ...

OBJECTIVE: l-Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) is a hereditary dystonia characterized by an excellent response to low dosages of levodopa. DRD patients may also develop Parkinsonism which resembles idiopathic Parkinson's disease. In classical DRD no changes in the dopaminergic uptake have been observed. METHODS: A 65-year old woman presented with clinically remarkably ...

In Parkinson's disease (PD), the effects of deep brain stimulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPTg-DBS) on gait has been object of international debate. Some evidence demonstrated that, in the late swing-early stance phase of gait cycle, a reduced surface electromyographic activation (sEMG) of tibialis anterior (TA) is linked to the ...

EWO (Epidemiology of Wearing-Off symptoms among the population of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients on L-DOPA) is a multicentric, non-interventional, epidemiological and exploratory trial, focused on patients with PD who are treated with L-DOPA. The primary objective is the estimation of wearing-off symptoms (based on WOQ-9 questionnaire and assessment by neurologists) ...

A retrospective clinical study. To show the prevalence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) after spinal surgery using a D-dimer assay followed by screening with computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography and CT venography. A few studies on DVT development after spinal surgery have been reported. A complete ...

Study Type - Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Lymphocele formation after open pelvic lymph-node dissection is a known complication. However, reported incidences using the robotic approach are unclear and likely underestimated. The present study aims to better understand ...

The enumeration of circulating tumour cells (CTC) has prognostic significance in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and monitoring of CTC levels over time has considerable potential to guide treatment decisions. However, little is known on CTC kinetics in the human bloodstream. In this study, we compared the number of ...

BACKGROUND: Gammadelta T lymphocytes are an important component of innate immunity. Previous studies have shown their role in the development of Crohn's-like colitis in mice. AIMS: The aim of this study was to measure the γδ T lymphocyte levels in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. METHODS: A prospective study of 40 ...

Low lymphocyte count has been considered a predictive marker of unfavorable outcomes for patients with heart failure (HF). Baseline blood samples for complete blood counts, differential counts, renal function tests. and lipid profile were prospectively obtained to assess the association between lymphocyte count and clinical outcomes in 305 patients with ...

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) often present as advanced tumours requiring aggressive local and regional therapy and result in significant functional impairment. The objective is to develop pre-symptomatic screening detection of OSCC by a brush biopsy method which is less invasive than the conventional biopsy for histology. Given the molecular ...

PTEN Hamartoma Tumour Syndrome (PHTS) includes Cowden syndrome (CS), Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome (BRRS), and other conditions resulting from germline mutation of the PTEN tumour suppressor gene. Although macrocephaly, presumably due to megencephaly, is found in both CS and BRRS, the prevalence and degree have not been formally assessed in PHTS. We ...

A 28-year-old Costa Rican woman presented with a 6-year history of an asymptomatic progressive localized livedo racemosa on her limbs. Histological examination revealed a lymphocytic vasculitis targeting the arterioles in the deep dermis. In addition, a distinct hyalinised fibrin ring was noted at the periphery of the vessel lumen. These ...

Postthrombotic syndrome (PTS) is a chronic condition in the lower extremity that develops after deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The incidence of PTS after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is not well established. We (1) determined the incidence of PTS after DVT in patients undergoing primary THA for osteoarthritis; and (2) determined ...

Patients with a personal or familial history of thromboembolism are considered at higher risk for thromboembolic disease after knee arthroplasty. While it remains unclear why some patients develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) despite similar operative procedures and the same prophylactic regimen, we presume one explanation would ...

BACKGROUND: Tumour necrosis factor-α expression may be increased in segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis. AIMS: To assess tumour necrosis factor-α expression in segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis in relation with the severity of the endoscopic damage. METHODS: 21 patients affected by segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis were studied (15 M, ...

The underlying mechanism for symptomatic recovery in patients with cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) is not clear, although post-acute recanalization and collateral formation have been proposed as possible mechanisms. To identify the occurrence of recanalization and collateral formation among survivors of CVST and explore its association with symptomatic recovery. ...

Echocardiography provides both morphological and functional information offering a potential advantage over nuclear medicine gated blood pool scans which only estimate ejection fraction. This additional information may be relevant to management of patients receiving potentially cardiotoxic cancer treatment. We retrospectively audited all prechemotherapy echocardiograms (ECHO) ordered by medical oncologists at ...

To describe the characteristics of a group of pediatric patients with Behçet's disease (BD) who presented at least 1 episode of thrombosis during their disease course. We made a retrospective chart review of the clinical, biological, and radiological data of children with BD who presented at least 1 episode of ...

Multiple myeloma (MM) is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolic (VTE) complications. Aim of this study was to measure microparticle-associated tissue factor (MP-TF) activity in patients with newly diagnosed MM before and after chemotherapy and to investigate whether MP-TF activity is associated with VTE. MP-TF activity was assessed ...

Factor XI (FXI) plays a dual role in haemostasis and thrombosis. It contributes to thrombin generation and promotes inhibition of fibrinolysis. Severe FXI deficiency was shown to confer protection against arterial and venous thrombosis in animal models without compromising haemostasis. We have previously shown that patients with severe FXI deficiency ...

To find the possible role of plasma homocysteine level as a contributing factor in venous and arterial thrombosis in patients with Behcet's disease (BD). In a case control study, two groups of BD patients were included: 47 with thrombosis and 49 without thrombosis. All patients fulfilled the International Study Group ...

To evaluate multidetector CT features of right intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt (IPSVS). Pathways of right IPSVS were evaluated from 20 patients. Diameters of right portal veins were measured in IPSVS patients, 30 cirrhotic and 30 healthy patients. Among 22 IPSVSs, shunt between posterior branch and inferior phrenic vein was most ...

The exact prevalence and etiology of exertional dyspnea in the clinical course of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) have not yet been established. A large cohort of consecutive patients diagnosed with acute PE was subjected to a dyspnea questionnaire and invited for cardiopulmonary work-up including the 6-min walk test, spirometry and ...

To determine if the mode of presentation of venous thromboembolism (VTE), as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), predicts the likelihood and type of recurrence. We carried out a patient-level meta-analysis of seven prospective studies in patients with a first VTE who were followed after anticoagulation was stopped. ...

To set-up an international cohort of patients suspected with Behçet's disease (BD). The cohort is aimed at defining an algorithm for definition of the disease in children. International experts have defined the inclusion criteria as follows: recurrent oral aphthosis (ROA) plus one of following-genital ulceration, erythema nodosum, folliculitis, pustulous/acneiform lesions, ...

In Behçet's disease, deep venous thrombosis occurs primarily in the lower extremities. Total recanalization rate is low, so thrombotic segment could be detected by imaging afterward. For disclosing vein involvement, leg swelling is commonly queried in the history taking in those patients. However, there are no data about the presence ...

In patients with a first unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE), an elevated d-dimer level after anticoagulation is stopped is a risk factor for recurrent VTE. However, questions remain about the utility of measuring d-dimer in clinical practice. To determine whether the timing of testing, patient age, and the cut point used ...

The pathogenic role of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with malignancies has not been established. From May 2006 to April 2008, 258 consecutive patients with solid-organ malignancies who developed VTE (VTE+) were recruited. A group of 142 patients matched for age, sex and ...

D-dimer measurement is a useful complementary initial diagnostic marker in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD). However, it has not been clarified whether serial measurements of D-dimer are useful during in-hospital management of Stanford type B AAD. We studied 30 patients who were admitted with diagnosis of Stanford type B ...

The pathophysiology of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is postulated to involve persistent venous obstruction and venous valvular reflux. To study the association between D-dimer level, valvular reflux and the PTS in a well-defined cohort of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients. Consecutive patients with acute symptomatic DVT were recruited at eight centers ...

Argatroban is a synthetic, small-molecule direct thrombin inhibitor that is approved in the USA, the EU and Japan for prophylaxis or treatment of thrombosis in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), and for anticoagulation of HIT patients undergoing PCI. Argatroban binds reversibly to, and inhibits both soluble and clot-bound thrombin. Argatroban ...

After a first episode of pulmonary embolism (PE), two major problems need to be considered: risk of recurrence when anticoagulation is stopped, and risk of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTPH). We followed prospectively consecutive patients who survived a first episode of PE, with or without deep vein thrombosis, to assess ...

The etiology of pectus excavatum (PE) has not been clarified. In 1944, Sweet (Sweet RH. Pectus excavatum. Ann Surg 1944;119:922-934) mentioned about the possibility of the overgrowth of costal cartilage being involved. However, no additional report that supports his hypothesis is available. In this study, we investigated whether the overgrowth ...

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study was designed to assess endovascular intervention for central venous cannulation in patients with vascular occlusion after previous catheterization. Methods: Patients referred for endovascular management of central venous occlusion during a 42-month period were identified from a regional endovascular database, providing prospective information on techniques and clinical ...

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is rare in children. It may complicate acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO). The present study assessed the incidence of DVT in community-acquired AHO, and compared clinical and laboratory characteristics with AHO without DVT. A prospective study included patients treated for community-acquired AHO between April 2007 and December ...

Introduction: To determine the relationship between fibrin D-dimer levels, symptom duration, and thrombus volume, consecutive patients with incident deep venous thrombosis (DVT) were evaluated. Methods: In a cross-sectional study design, patient symptom onset was determined by careful patient questioning. Venous thrombosis was confirmed by compression duplex ultrasonography. Thrombus volume was ...

To assess the long-term safety and effectiveness of the OptEase inferior vena cava (IVC) filter. In this Institutional Review Board-approved, retrospective study, we reviewed data of 71 patients who received an OptEase filter at our institution from 2002 to 2007. Thirty-nine (55%) patients had symptoms of venous thromboembolism before filter ...

We report on the safety and efficacy of trans-arterial and transvenous Onyx embolization in the treatment of dural arteriovenous fistulae (DAVFs) of the cavernous sinus. We reviewed the findings from a retrospectively database for 22 patients with cavernous sinus DAVFs who were treated with either transarterial Onyx embolization alone (n ...

To determine prevalence of central vein stenosis following catheterization with double-lumen temporary catheters, we performed color Doppler sonography in 100 consecutive patients. We detected central vein stenosis in 18 cases; 11 patients in subclavian vein (SCV), 4 patients in internal jugular vein (IJV) and SCV, 2 patients in SCV and ...

Activated protein C resistance (APC-R) because of clotting factor V Leiden mutation (FVL; Arg506Gln; G1691A) is a risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolic disorders (VTE). APC-R/FVL was reported to be very high in White patients with VTE (15% to 65%) and healthy populations (1% to 15%), and to ...

The PROLONG randomized study showed that patients with an abnormal D-dimer after anticoagulation suspension for a first unprovoked episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE) benefited from anticoagulation resumption. Patients with normal D-dimer after anticoagulation suspension had a low recurrence rate (4.4% patient-years) but their anticoagulation optimal duration remained uncertain. To assess ...

BACKGROUND: A normal computed tomography (CT) scan of the pulmonary arteries in the presence of parenchymal and pleural abnormalities may indicate a false-negative diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Multi-channel detector CT (MDCT) with thinner collimation may improve the detection of small peripheral PEs causing such abnormalities. PURPOSE: To investigate parenchymal ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebellar venous infarction or hemorrhage due to isolated venous thrombosis of the posterior fossa is a rare form of intracranial vein thrombosis that can be unsuspected in clinical practice. METHODS: We studied 230 patients with intracranial vein thrombosis, identifying 9 (3.9%: 7 women, mean age 34 years) ...

We designed a simple and integrated diagnostic algorithm for acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Diagnosis was based on clinical probability assessment, plasma D-dimer testing, then sequential testing to include lower limb venous compression ultrasonography, ventilation perfusion lung scan, and chest multidetector CT (MDCT) imaging. We included 321 consecutive patients presenting at ...

Microparticles (MPs) carrying active tissue factor (TF) have been detected in the plasma of cancer patients in particular in those presenting with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). Experimental studies in mice have revealed that circulating MPs carrying TF contribute to thrombus formation. To study whether unselected ...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with prothrombotic effects that could lead to venous thromboembolic disease. We performed a prospective cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of snoring and risk of OSA in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). We evaluated 270 consecutive patients who underwent a computed tomographic angiogram ...

This retrospective study was performed to determine the prevalence of lower extremity venous duplication using duplex ultrasound in the patient population of a large urban medical center. The reports of all lower extremity venous ultrasound examinations performed at our institution between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002 were reviewed. ...

Background:  Thrombotic events in essential thrombocythaemia (ET) are difficult to predict with current risk stratification based on age and prior history of thrombosis. Aims:  We aimed to assess the predictive value of the JAK2 V617F mutation (JAK2) and spontaneous erythroid colony (SEC) growth for the development of thrombotic events post ...

D-dimers are used in conjunction with clinical probability scores in the assessment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and they are elevated in other conditions, including malignancy, infection and arrhythmias. High levels of D-dimers in VTE are associated with adverse outcomes, including increased mortality. Their significance in patients without VTE has not ...