This study aimed to evaluate the presenting symptoms, the effectiveness of imaging methods, and the surgical treatment of vascular rings. Data for 44 patients (32 enrolled prospectively, 12 reviewed retrospectively) over a 10-year period in a tertiary referral center were analyzed. These patients comprised 25 patients with a left aortic ...

BACKGROUND: We report four patients who developed periodic eyelid opening following hypoxic ischemic injury. This manuscript reviews the clinical course of our patients as well as previously published cases and discusses the neuroanatomical basis of eyelid opening. METHODS: Data were collected from the patients' electronic medical record and digital electroencephalography ...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine how tympanic membrane (TM) perforations and their closure, using a paper-patch technique, affect middle-ear mechanics and, thus, conductive hearing for different sizes of the TM perforation. STUDY DESIGN: Temporal bone (TB) study and prospective clinical trial. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Nine patients with ...

Object Congenital craniovertebral anomalies are relatively common, but anomalies leading to overt craniocervical instability may be difficult to recognize and treat. The authors present a series of patients with atlantal hemi-rings, a disorder resulting in congenital craniovertebral instability. Presentation, treatment, imaging, and follow-up data obtained in patients with atlantal hemi-rings ...

Exsanguinating hemorrhage is the major cause of death in patients with pelvic ring disruption. The aim of this study was to document outcomes after the stabilization of pelvic ring injuries by a C-clamp and control of hemorrhage by pelvic packing. Physiological parameters were tested as prognostic factors. This was a ...

It is generally believed that reflex recruitment of pharyngeal dilator muscles is insufficient to open the airway of obstructive apnea (OSA) patients once it is closed and, therefore, that arousal is required. Yet, arousal promotes recurrence of obstruction. There is no information about how much dilator (Genioglossus; GG) activation is ...

Percutaneous Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation. Patients with an atrial septal defect (ASD) commonly have atrial fibrillation (AF) and closure of the ASD rarely controls the arrhythmia. We report on the management of 4 patients with recurrent medically refractory AF in the setting of an unrepaired ASD who underwent percutaneous RFA prior ...

To study, whether the association of Schatzki rings with other esophageal disorders support one of the theories about its etiology. From 1987 until 2007, all patients with newly diagnosed symptomatic Schatzki rings (SRs) were prospectively registered and followed. All of them underwent structured interviews with regards to clinical symptoms, as ...

Abstract Introduction. Aspirin is effective in the secondary prevention and high-risk primary prevention of cardiovascular events. However, clinical and laboratory evidence demonstrates diminished or no response to aspirin in some patients. This study was designed to assess aspirin response in haemodialysis patients. Methods. We prospectively enrolled 78 haemodialysis patients (28 ...

The aim of the article is fourfold; firstly, to detect the aetiology of torticollis in patients with Müllerian duct/renal aplasia-cervicothoracic somite dysplasia syndrome; secondly, spine pathology in Müllerian duct/renal aplasia-cervicothoracic somite dysplasia syndrome varies considerably from one patient to another and there are remarkable differences in severity and localization; thirdly, ...

PURPOSE.: To evaluate the influence of proteinuria on renal Doppler sonographic (US) measurements in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS.: Renal resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and maximum kidney length were measured by US in 113 patients suffering from CKD without DM ...

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of a cohort of Chinese patients with late onset lupus nephritis. Methods: Clinical, pathological and outcome data for patients with late onset lupus nephritis (onset at age ≥50 years) and early onset lupus nephritis (onset at age ...

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at higher risk for death after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but other clinical outcomes and possible associations with adverse events have not been described. METHODS: Utilizing Waves 1-5 (1999-2006) of the NHLBI Dynamic Registry, patients ...

Summary Background and objectives Most studies of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and outcomes focus on mortality and ESRD, with limited data on other adverse outcomes. This study examined the associations among proteinuria, eGFR, and adverse cardiovascular (CV) events. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This was a population-based longitudinal study with ...

It is well known that the abnormal accumulation of lipids can occur in kidneys of patients affected by some metabolic disorders due either to inherited enzymatic deficiency or to an acquired lipid alteration as in nephrotic syndrome. Lipoprotein glomerulopathy (LG), briefly described in a patient of Koitabashi in 1987 in ...

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the exact numbers of patients suffering from chronic diseases, possibly requiring costly continuous treatment, is mandatory for future health care plans. Despite some regional biopsy registries, no valid data about the epidemiology of glomerulonephritis in Germany exist, because all publications are hampered by their retrospective character and ...

OBJECTIVE: Kidney involvement secondary to psoriasis is a controversial issue. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of urinary abnormalities in patients with psoriasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five psoriasis patients (28 women, 17 men, mean age 44 ± 14 years) and 45 age- and gender-matched control subjects without hypertension or diabetes were enrolled ...

Patients with severe renal insufficiency (sRI) have been suggested to be at an increased risk of bleeding with low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH). We aimed at assessing the benefits and risks of certoparin in comparison to unfractionated heparin (UFH) in these patients. In this subgroup analysis of the CERTIFY trial, acutely ill, ...

INTRODUCTION: To diagnose and assess chronic respiratory failure in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the measurement of arterial blood gases (ABG) is required. It has been suggested that ABG be determined for this purpose when FEV1 ranges between 50% and 30% predicted, but these thresholds are not evidence-based. OBJECTIVE: ...

Abstract: Background. Nephropathy associated with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) has been proposed as a risk factor of worse renal prognosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of aPL-associated nephropathy (aPLN) among patients with lupus nephritis and to describe their ...

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) with and/or without treatment by hemodialysis (HD) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis, leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD) including acute coronary syndromes. Therefore, the regulation of CVD is a crucial issue for ESRD patients. Given the recent reports that paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) could predict ...

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) in unselected critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). Methods: Prospective, observational cohort study in 25 intensive care units in Finland. This study included a total of 602 patients with ...

Abstract Enhanced oxidative stress partly resulting from an over-production of superoxide anion (O(2)(•-)) represents a novel and particular risk factor in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. This study was therefore designed to evaluate O(2)(•-) determinants in this population. O(2)(•-) production was evaluated using chemiluminescence method in 136 CKD patients (79M/57F, ...

Transferrin (Tf) is a glycoprotein responsible for iron transport in the human body. Physiologically in reaction with Concanavalin A, Tf occurs in four distinct variants Tf1, Tf2, Tf3 (apo-Tf) and Tf4. It was reported recently that Tf is changing, particularly during acute phase response, taking place among others in end-stage ...

Spiral enteroscopy (SE) has emerged as a new alternative for deep intubation of the small intestine. SE is most often used to evaluate abnormal findings on capsule endoscopy (CE). Investigate the ability of SE to reproduce abnormal findings detected on preceding CE. Prospective study. Two academic tertiary care centers. Consecutive ...

ABSTRACTObjectives:To determine the occurrence of hearing loss and to establish audiometric profiles and patterns of hearing impairment in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF).Methods:A retrospective study examined the relationship between the different stages of CRF and corresponding audiologic findings in those patients. Twenty-three subjects (46 ears) in the age range ...

Abstract Objective. Isotope glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measurement is invasive, time-consuming and expensive. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is used as a surrogate, but has not been validated in patients whose lower urinary tract (LUT) is replaced with bowel. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between the Modification of ...

PURPOSE Pneumonitis has occurred in patients treated with inhibitors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). In a phase III study of patients with previously untreated, poor-prognosis, advanced renal cell carcinoma (ARCC), the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus improved survival compared with interferon. We performed a retrospective, independent, blinded radiographic review of ...

BACKGROUND: Measuring glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is an important assessment in peritoneal dialysis patients. In clinical practice, it is commonly measured by calculating the mean of the urinary clearance of urea and creatinine (GFR(UrCl)) but this process is time consuming and unreliable. We wished to compare several estimates of GFR ...

Impaired kidney function and subsequent skeletal responses play a critical role in disrupting phosphate balance in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD). In patients with CKD-MBD, the inability of the kidney to maintain normal mineral ion balance affects bone remodeling to induce skeletal fracture and ...

Summary Background and objectives Primary vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) can coexist with reflux nephropathy (RN) and impaired renal function. VUR appears to be an inherited condition and is reported in approximately one third of siblings of index cases. The objective was to establish a DNA collection and clinical database from U.K. ...

Summary Background and objectives Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare primary glomerular disease. Most previously reported cases were idiopathic. To better define the clinical-pathologic spectrum and prognosis, we report the largest single-center series with the longest follow-up. Design, setting, participants, & measurements The characteristics of 66 FGN patients who were ...

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in end-stage renal failure is high, with an increased risk of stroke among these patients with AF compared with the AF population without severe renal impairment. Many trials have shown the net clinical benefit of oral anticoagulation therapy for primary and secondary prevention of ...

In sickle cell disease (SCD), vigorous reticulocytosis is required to partially compensate for chronic hemolytic anaemia. Consequently, early renal damage, insufficient to cause azotemia but sufficient to cause erythropoietin deficiency and chronic relative reticulocytopenia (chRR), could have severe clinical consequences. chRR was defined as reticulocytes <250 × 10(9) /l despite haemoglobin <9 g/dl ...

BACKGROUND: Although originally described in dialysis patients treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO), haemoglobin variability has recently also been noted to be increased in patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) without dialysis. In our country, pre-dialysis CKD patients generally would not receive rHuEPO treatment. We studied the degree of ...

BACKGROUND: Abnormalities in auditory system are frequent in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). There is not yet any consensus for the effect of renal failure and hemodialysis on auditory complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the auditory abnormalities in pediatric ESRD patients undergoing long term ...

BACKGROUND: The objective of the present study was to verify whether chronic renal patients on hemodialysis (HD) with residual diuresis who were using small doses of furosemide present different levels of urinary volume and sodium excretion compared to patients with residual diuresis who do not use this drug. METHODS: We ...

In established acute kidney injury (AKI), serum creatinine poorly differentiates prerenal from intrinsic AKI. In this study, we tested whether urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) distinguishes between intrinsic and prerenal AKI, and tested its performance in predicting a composite outcome that included progression to a higher RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, ...

Lacosamide (LCM) is a novel anticonvulsant that modulates voltage-dependent sodium channels. Although it is known to cause a slight, dose-dependent prolongation of the PR interval on the ECG, third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block has been described as an adverse event in only a few patients participating in diabetic neuropathic pain studies ...

BACKGROUND: The pathological characteristics of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) are highly variable. Urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) is a sensitive biomarker for proximal tubule injury. The aim of the study is to investigate the value of KIM-1 as a biomarker for assessing the renal injury in IgAN. METHODS: The levels of ...

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and debilitating disease. Cor pulmonale, characterized by right ventricular (RV) failure, can severely influence prognosis in these patients. Hence, early recognition might be important for tailoring therapy. An old biomarker, CA-125, seems to be associated with the right heart. We aimed ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that serum cystatin C (CysC) is a more sensitive marker of renal functions than serum creatinine (Cr). AIM: Evaluation of the clinical significance of cystatin C as a predictor of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) in patients with liver cirrhosis, ascites, and normal serum Cr level. METHODS: Eighty ...

Summary Background and objectives Several factors might alter serum phosphate homeostasis and induce hyperhosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) not requiring dialysis. However, whether and to what extent hyperphosphatemia is associated with a poor prognosis in different CKD patient groups remain to be elucidated. Design, setting, participants & ...

Summary Background and objectives We compared the decline of RRF in patients starting dialysis on APD with those starting on CAPD, because a faster decline on APD has been suggested. Design, setting, participants, & measurements NECOSAD patients starting dialysis on APD or CAPD with RRF at baseline were included and ...

INTRODUCTION: The slope-only technique for measuring glomerular filtration rate (GFR) relies on extracellular fluid volume (ECV) remaining within narrow limits. Although this requirement is met in healthy individuals, ECV may deviate or vary more in patients with abnormal renal function. METHODS: We examined the correlation between surface area-scaled ECV and ...

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type II is a rare renal disease, associated with uncontrolled activation of the complement alternative pathway because of C3 nephritic factor. Abnormalities in factor H have been rarely described in patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type II. We report the clinical history, molecular defect, and histologic description of 3 ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of argatroban as a procedural and bridging anticoagulant in a patient with a previous history of heparin allergy and atrial fibrillation undergoing carotid endarterectomy. CASE SUMMARY: A 78-year-old female with a history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and multiple medical comorbidities, including atrial fibrillation requiring chronic ...

BACKGROUND: Cryofibrinogenaemia (CryoFg) is an under-recognized cryoprotein that can be life-threatening when untreated. Symptoms are mainly thrombotic cutaneous manifestations, but other thrombotic localizations may occur. In patients with end-stage renal disease, thromboses are common. However, the implication of CryoFg was never assessed. The aim of this study is to describe ...

BACKGROUND: South African guidelines for early detection and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) recommend using the Cockcroft-Gault (CG) or Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equations for calculating estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with the correction factor, 1.212, included for MDRD-eGFR in black patients. We compared eGFR against ...

INTRODUCTION: Residual renal function and erectile dysfunction are important parameters of quality of life in dialysis patients. GOAL: The purpose of our investigation was to determine correlations between erectile dysfunction and residual diuresis in patients on hemodialysis. METHODS: The survey was organized as a cross-sectional study in men aged up ...