PurposeOrbicularis weakness is commonly associated with seventh nerve palsy or neuromuscular and myopathic conditions such as myotonic dystrophy and myasethenia gravis. We report four cases of idiopathic isolated orbicularis weakness.MethodsAll four cases were female and the presenting symptoms of ocular irritation and epiphora had been present for over 7 years ...

Objective: To define and compare the microbiologic profile of subgingival plaque in German patients with periodontitis (including aggressive and advanced chronic periodontitis) and healthy subjects and to determine significant association between isolates and clinical status. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Tannerella forsythia are major periodontal pathogens, though it is recognized ...

Context: There is no valid biomarker for severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) available until now. Objective: Therefore, we investigated (1)H-NMR spectroscopy for specific resonances as biomarkers for severity of AD. Materials and methods: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with diagnosed AD and healthy control subjects was analysed by one-dimensional water-suppressed ...

Background: The pulmonary veins (PV) and posterior left atrium (LA) may contribute to the occurrence and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). We evaluated whether simple epicardial electrophysiological mapping can predict elimination of chronic AF after the box PV isolation procedure. Methods and Results: Using a computerized 48-channel mapping system, we ...

Contactin-2 was recently identified as an autoantigen targeted by T-cells and autoantibodies in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we analyzed the frequency of antibodies to contactin-2 (contactin-2-ab) by a cell-based assay in the serum from 105 MS patients and at least 5years of follow-up (19 clinically isolated syndromes, 51 relapsing-remitting, 20 ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a vascular condition characterized by anomalies of the main extracranial cerebrospinal venous routes that interfere with normal venous outflow. Research into CCSVI will determine its sensitivity and specificity for a diagnosis of MS, its prevalence in MS patients, and its clinical, MRI, ...

The pathogenic role of Blastocystis hominis is still regarded by some as controversial. Studies have been in progress for years to evaluate the role of blastocystosis in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and demonstrated that faecal carriage of B. hominis was frequent in these patients. This study attempted to distinguish different ...

Background:  Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) can be treated with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). A spectral analysis can identify sites of high-frequency activity during atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the role of the PVs on AF perpetuation by dominant frequency (DF) analysis. Methods:  Thirty-one consecutive patients with PAF who underwent PVI ...

BACKGROUND: There is - insufficient data about the appearance of isolated pancreatic tuberculosis on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). The safety and efficacy of antitubercular therapy (ATT) in patients of pancreatic tuberculosis with cholestasis is also relatively unknown. PATIENTS & METHODS: We evaluated 6 patients of isolated pancreatic head tuberculosis retrospectively and ...

The knowledge of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) genotypes responsible for lymphadenitis is limited. We retrospectively characterized all of the MAC isolates made in our laboratory in the last 18 years by sequence-based identification and genotyping, and compared the clinical and laboratory data for lymphadenitis-associated and non-lymphadenitis-associated MAC isolates. Of 67 MAC-infected ...

OBJECTIVE: The sonographic findings of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) are used by some as selection criteria for venography. We performed a systematic review to establish the prevalence and strength of association between sonographic CCSVI and multiple sclerosis (MS). METHOD: Two reviewers searched PubMed and EMBASE from 1948 to date ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The aim was to determine the incidence of seed migration not only to the chest, but also to the abdomen and pelvis after transperineal interstitial prostate brachytherapy with loose 125I seeds. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 267 patients who underwent prostate brachytherapy with loose 125I seeds. After ...

Atrial flutter (AFL) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are "fellow-travellers". AF may be a stable, "isolated" rhythm, a bridge between sinus rhythm and AF, or both arrhythmias can coexist. Whether the characteristics of isolated AFL are different from those of patients with AFL combined with AF is still unclear. To compare ...

The patterns of motor activity that exist in isolated full length human colon have not been described. Our aim was to characterize the spontaneous motor patterns in isolated human colon and determine if these patterns are different in whole colons obtained from patients with slow transit constipation (STC). The entire ...

OBJECTIVE.: To evaluate the frequency and clinical characteristics of patients with periadventitial small-vessel vasculitis (SVV) and isolated vasa vasorum vasculitis (VVV). METHODS.: We identified 455 temporal artery biopsy (TAB) performed in Reggio Emilia (Italy) residents between 1986 and 2003. Slides of TAB specimens were reviewed by one Pathologist blinded to ...

To develop a score to estimate the risk of developing pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). We first examined the prevalence and characteristics of precapillary PH confirmed by right-heart catheterization in a cross-sectional (derivation) sample of 1,165 SSc patients, and we developed a risk prediction score (RPS) ...

Background Red flags and atypical symptoms have been described as being useful in suggesting alternative diagnoses to multiple sclerosis (MS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS); however, their diagnostic utility has not been assessed. The aim of this study was to establish the predictive value of red flags and the typicality/atypicality ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine if chronic cerebral venous insufficiency exists in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using ultrasonography and 4-dimensional color Doppler ultrasonography examination and unverified criteria proposed by Zamboni et al. DESIGN: Patients with MS and clinically isolated syndrome were matched by age and sex with subjects with migraine or ...

Metatarsus primus elevatus (MPE) has long been suggested as a primary causative factor in the pathogenesis of hallux rigidus (HR). The purpose of this investigation was to more clearly define this relationship by comparison of first ray position in patients with hallux rigidus, hallux valgus, and a control population with ...

The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence, electrophysiologic properties, and clinical implications of dissociated pulmonary vein (PV) activity after PV antrum isolation (PVAI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). One hundred seventy-three consecutive patients (61 ±10 years old, 141 men) with drug-refractory paroxysmal AF who underwent ...

Dizziness is a common symptom encountered in everyday clinical practice, affecting about 20% to 30% of the general population (1).The number is even higher in the elderly. It is estimated that around 7.5 million patients with dizziness were seen in ambulatory care setting in the U.S. (2), making it the ...

A prevalent T helper type 1 (Th1) subset of lymphocytes has been described in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), but whether a similar polarization may characterize HT when associated with non-endocrine autoimmune disorders (NEAD) is not known. The aim of the present study was to analyse the intracellular Th1 and Th2 distinctive ...

PURPOSE: Esophageal injury is a potential complication with radiofrequency ablation in the posterior wall of the left atrium (LA). The "box isolation" method isolates the posterior LA wall including the pulmonary veins without ablation on the posterior LA wall. This study compares the acute and long-term efficacy of the box ...

BACKGROUND: Although gray matter (GM) atrophy is recognized as a common feature of multiple sclerosis (MS), conflicting results have been obtained in patients with clinically isolated syndromes (CIS). Methodologic and clinical constraints may take account for literature discrepancies. METHODS: A total of 105 patients presenting with CIS and 42 normal ...

Some studies have suggested that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) may have a chemopreventive effect on the development of colorectal neoplasia in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We examined the effects of high-dose (28-30 mg/kg/day) UDCA on the development of colorectal neoplasia in patients with UC and ...

Corrosive ingestion is common in Asia and it is a frequent cause of morbidity secondary to intense fibrotic reaction and stricture formation of the oesophagus. Isolated corrosive pyloric stenosis without oesophageal involvement is an uncommon phenomenon. All consecutive patients, with corrosive ingestion in the last two decades, were reviewed and ...

In our sequential EEG study performed on 68 infants with various pre- and perinatal brain insults, we found peculiar abnormal fast activity (AFAs) in 12 patients. 9 of the 12 patients with AFAs later developed West syndrome (WS) compared with only 3 of the 56 patients without AFAs (p<0.001, χ ...

BACKGROUND: Nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has usually a benign prognosis and uneventful course; however, recent reports suggest that these patients may develop severe symptomatic vasospasm. METHODS: Description of the clinical course of one patient with nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic SAH who required intraarterial infusion of calcium antagonists and transluminal balloon angioplasty ...

Trisomy 11 (+11) as an isolated abnormality is a rare event in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is associated with poor prognosis. We describe the clinicopathologic features of 18 AML patients with isolated +11 and their mutation status of NPM1, FLT3, NRAS ,KRAS, and KIT. Fourteen patients had ...

BACKGROUND: Although dysplasia is thought to be the precursor lesion in the development of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CRC), a significant proportion of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and low-grade (LGD) or indefinite (IND) dysplasia remain cancer-free during endoscopic follow-up. There is a need for biomarkers that predict neoplastic progression. We ...

BACKGROUND: Platelet glycoprotein VI (pGPVI) expression is increased in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), reflecting platelet activation. There is no reliable method available to measure pGPVI. Our aim was to develop a bead-based sandwich immunoassay to measure soluble GPVI (sGPVI). METHODS: Based on antibodies for sGPVI developed earlier, we established and ...

Objective:  Investigate the natural history of PNH clones in patients with acquired aplastic anemia (AA). Patients and Methods:  Twenty-seven patients with AA and a detectable PNH clone were monitored for a median of 5.7 years (range1.5 to 11.5 years). Twenty-two patients received high dose cyclophosphamide (HiCy) therapy. The erythrocyte and ...

The germline JAK2 46/1 haplotype has been associated with the development of JAK2(V617F)-positive as well as JAK2(V617F)-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). In this study we examined the role of the 46/1 haplotype in the etiology and clinical presentation of patients with splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT), in which MPNs are the most ...

Aim: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by the development of thromboembolic events and is more prevalent among end-stage renal disease patients than in the general population. Vascular access thrombosis (VAT) is a major morbidity in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients; however, the association between AF and VAT is unknown.Methods: We retrospectively ...

To investigate the appropriate duration of head-up tilt test (HUTT) needed to induce a positive reaction in patients with suspected vasovagal syncope. Consecutive patients referred to the syncope unit of our centre for recurrent unexplained syncope were studied. The HUTT included a 30 min passive basic phase and a 20 ...

The identification of predictive factors of NAbs development might have a relevant impact on clinical practice. Our objective is to look after predictive factors of NAbs development in MS IFN Beta-1b-treated patients. Database was screened for patients on IFN Beta-1b treatment with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) at a ...

PURPOSE: To investigate whether patients who developed asystole during strabismus surgery under general anesthesia also develop asystole during adjustment, and whether adjustment can safely be performed under topical anesthesia in these patients. DESIGN: Retrospective, noncomparative interventional case series. METHODS: Adjustment was performed with topical anesthesia in four patients aged 28, ...

Recently, a diagnostic strategy using a clinical decision rule, D-dimer testing and spiral computed tomography (CT) was found to be effective in the evaluation of patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). However, the rate of venous thromboembolic complications in the three-month follow-up of patients with negative CT was still ...

BACKGROUND: No validated instruments have been developed to measure work disability in Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of our study was to develop and validate a CD perceived work disability questionnaire (CPWDQ). METHODS: Development phase: an initial questionnaire containing 52 items was obtained from patients' interviews plus additional sources; it ...

To study the application, validity and reliability of a Thai version of SF-36 questionnaires in Thai multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. An evaluation of quality of life using a Thai version of SF-36 was performed in 70 MS or clinical isolated syndrome (CIS) patients. Statistical analysis: Measurement of internal consistency was ...

Microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) enables genomewide investigation of copy-number changes at high resolution and has recently been implemented as a clinical diagnostic tool. In this study we evaluate the usefulness of high-resolution arrays as a diagnostic tool in our laboratory and investigate the diagnostic yield in the first 160 ...

BACKGROUND: The broad utilization of revascularization and antithrombotic therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with a substantial risk of bleeding primarily related to arterial punctures, which can lead to worse outcome. AIM: To define the characteristics and outcome of patients who develop upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) ...

Background/aim Portal cholangiopathy (PC) is identified in over 80% of patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT), but the true impact of this condition is not well known. This study investigated the relationship between cholangiographic abnormalities and clinical symptoms and their evolution over time. Patients/Methods 67 consecutive patients with non-tumoral non-cirrhotic ...

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of gastric feeding in prevention of upper gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage. A retrospective chart review of 50 consecutive burn intensive care unit patients with admission dates from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2007, was conducted. Five of 50 patients (10%) ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of psychological factors in the development of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I following the fracture of the distal radius. Fifty patients (average age 57.70 ± 13.43 years) with a distal radius fracture were enrolled in the present study. All of the ...

The aim of this study was to assess whether carotid plaque morphology is an independent predictive factor of stroke and, innovatively, of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We analyzed morphological aspects of carotid atherosclerotic plaque associated with an increased risk of ACS and stroke. We examined 72 carotid endarterectomy (CEA) specimens ...

Background: It is hypothesized that inflammatory response after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may play a relevant role in the development and maintenance of vasospasm. This research investigated the correlation between IL-6 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after SAH and the occurrence of vasospasm. Methods: We analyzed both daily clinical manifestation and laboratory ...

The HTLV-1 virus is a known agent involved in the development of HAM/TSP. Past studies have typically observed patients with autonomic dysfunction consisting of detrusor overactivity and detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, with the occasional observation of underactive detrusor or detrusor arreflexia. However, studies have not yet evaluated the progression of neurogenic bladder ...

Atrial tachycardia (AT) occurring during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is sometimes difficult to identify and eliminate. EnSite Array (EA) visualizes beat-to-beat virtual activation of AT. The aim of the present study was to characterize AT occurring during AF ablation during ongoing AF, using EA. Among 90 patients with AF (paroxysmal, ...

Percutaneous closure of an ostium secundum-type atrial septal defect is typically a safe and effective therapeutic option in the presence of significant shunting or paradoxical embolism. Infrequently, however, periprocedural sequelae occur.Herein, we report the cases of 2 patients, each of whom underwent transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect with ...