To describe the clinical features and treatment outcomes after combined endovascular and embolosclerotherapy treatment of pelvic arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). From November 1996 to May 2011, we treated 12 patients (seven males, five females; mean age, 38.1 ±14.6 years; age range, 23-70 years) with pelvic AVMs. Our treatment strategy was coil ...

The aim of this study was to determine if statin therapy improves clinical outcomes after endovascular intervention in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). A retrospective review of all patients undergoing endovascular treatment for CLI was performed. Two groups were created according to whether they were receiving statin therapy at ...

Long-term results of transluminal angioplasty (TLA) of the prevertebral subclavian artery (PVSA) are not well known. The aim of this work was to present a retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 81 TLAs of the PVSA, with a mean follow-up of approximately 7 years (82 months). From January 1984 ...

Evaluating treatment failure is critical when deciding to modify antiretroviral therapy (ART). Virologic Assessment Forms (VAFs) were implemented in July 2008 as a prerequisite for ordering viral load. The form requires assessment of clinical and immunologic status. Using the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), we retrospectively evaluated patients who met 2006 ...

OBJECTIVES: To test which is the best treatment for chronic obstructive uropathy: urinary diversion using a conventional double-J ureteral stent or the metal thermo-expandable MemokathTM 051 prosthesis. METHODS: We collected cost data of the insertion of a double-J stent taking into account preoperative and postoperative visits and surgery. Structural, medical, ...

Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine whether or not cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has a favourable effect on the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in a homogeneous population of patients with non-ischaemic idiopathic-dilated cardiomyopathy and severe heart failure. Methods:  We designed a single-centre prospective study and ...

Objectives: To compare compliance and persistence with statin and oral antihyperglycemic therapies in patients with type 2 diabetes who received concomitant therapy. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using a large US commercial claims database. Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes and dispensed prescriptions for both statin and oral antihyperglycemic therapies ...

This article discusses the preliminary results of treatment of chronic scapholunate lesions by arthroscopic dorsal capsuloligamentous repair, which does not require open exposure of the wrist capsule. Thirty six patients underwent arthroscopically assisted dorsal capsuloplasties. Sixteen had percutaneous pinning. Mean follow-up was at 11.4 months. The average arc of motion ...

Abstract Background aims. Lymphedema is a common complication with breast cancer treatment that does not have a definite cure. Our objective was to determine the efficacy of autologous stem cells (ASC) in the treatment of lymphedema secondary to mastectomy and axillary lymphadenectomy in comparison with traditional decongestive treatment with compression ...

Introduction: Melasma is a common pigmentary disorder caused by abnormal melanin deposits within the skin. Hydroquinone (HQ) is presently the most popular depigmenting agent, however the treatment of melasma remains unsatisfactory, resulting in a need to evaluate new depigmenting agents. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess, using ...

Although the range of therapeutic options has expanded dramatically in recent years, topical agents remain ubiquitous and indispensable tools for treating psoriasis at all levels of severity. The 2009 Canadian psoriasis guidelines considered evidence supporting various monotherapies and combination regimens. Here we review all approved topical agents, including corticosteroids, calcineurin ...

Background and Objective: Most patients with epilepsy require long-term medical therapy. Newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) appear to be overall similarly effective to older agents but may be better tolerated. However, most of the clinical data available for newer AEDs derive from a number of short-term studies. The objective of this ...

Actinic cheilitis (AC), a common disorder of the lower lip, should be treated early to prevent progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) activated by blue light for the treatment of AC. Fifteen patients with clinically ...

Objective: To summarize the clinical features and follow-up, the effects of melamine-tainted milk powder (MMP) consumption on kidney and body growth in children who suffered from melamine-related urinary stones (MUS) 2 years earlier were checked. Measurements: Body height and weight, kidney and bladder morphology monitored by ultrasound, urinalysis and renal ...

The aim of this study was to compare modified Widman flap surgery (MW) to coronally advanced flap surgery combined with carbon dioxide laser root conditioning (CAF + CO2) from baseline to 15 years of follow-up. Each of 25 patients participating in this study were treated using a split-mouth design: In ...

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab in the treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Methods: Three-year retrospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series. Forty eyes of 39 patients with myopic CNV were included; 15 with previous photodynamic therapy, and 25 naïve eyes. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) changes, ...

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of total knee replacement in patients receiving continuous warfarin therapy. We identified 24 consecutive patients receiving long-term warfarin therapy who underwent total knee replacement between 2006 and 2008 and compared them with a group of age- and gender-matched patients not on long-term anticoagulation. Primary ...

The use of stents for esophageal strictures has evolved rapidly over the past 10 years, from rigid plastic tubes to flexible self-expanding metal (SEMS), plastic (SEPS) and biodegradable stents. For the palliative treatment of malignant dysphagia both SEMS and SEPS effectively provide a rapid relief of dysphagia. SEMS are preferred ...

Retreatment with peginterferon alpha and ribavirin (PR) offers a limited chance of sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients who did not achieve SVR with prior PR treatment. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of telaprevir-based treatment in combination with PR in well-characterized patients who did not achieve SVR in ...

The IL28B genotype is the most important pretreatment predictor of treatment outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The impact of the rs12979860 genotype on relapse was retrospectively evaluated in genotype 1/4 patients who received response-guided therapy with peginterferon alpha-2a 180 μg/week plus ribavirin 1,000/1,200 mg/day in a large, randomized, ...

As there is currently a lack of consensus on the most appropriate dose and duration of peginterferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFNα-2a) therapy in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients, the efficacy and safety of either 24 or 48 weeks' duration and 90 μg/week or 180 μg/week doses were compared. HBeAg-positive patients (n ...

To ascertain the impact of prior antiplatelet and statin therapy on symptomatic embolic events in [corrected] infective endocarditis (IE). We studied a retrospective cohort of adult patients with a diagnosis of IE who presented to Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2006. Patients were grouped ...

To determine the treatment response and disease progression in strictly selected patients with myelodysplastic syndrome undergoing immunosuppressive therapy (IST), patients were required to have an international prognostic scoring system [corrected] (IPSS) score ≤ 1.0 and at least one of the following conditions: (1) expression of the HLA-DR15 allele, (2) bone ...

Combination antimicrobial therapy represents common practice in the treatment of febrile neutropenia aiming to broaden the antimicrobial spectrum against Gram-negative pathogens. We did a prospective, non-randomized, comparative study to evaluate ceftazidime plus either levofloxacin or once-daily amikacin as empirical regimens for febrile neutropenia in patients with solid tumor or hematopoietic ...

Abstract Conclusion: A stellate ganglion block (SGB) based on the goal of improving internal ear circulatory disturbance appears to be beneficial for the treatment of sudden hearing loss. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of SGB for sudden hearing loss. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of 49 patients ...

BACKGROUND: Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is associated with high mortality. We report a potential treatment alternative. HYPOTHESIS: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the centromedian thalamic nuclei (CMN) can be effective in the treatment of RSE. METHODS: Report of the evolution of RSE after DBS of the CMN in a 27-year-old ...

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CS injection, percutaneous pulley release and conventional open surgery for treating trigger finger in terms of cure, relapse and complication rates. One hundred and thirty-seven patients with a total of 150 fingers were randomly assigned and allocated into one ...

INTRODUCTION: Chronic oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) is of widespread use, and usually its management in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting (CAS) is through perioperative bridging heparin therapy. Aim of the present study is to analyze a single center experience of CAS in patients maintaining OAT without perioperative bridging heparin therapy. ...

PURPOSE: Secondary brain ischaemia (SBI) usually develops after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Current approaches to managing these conditions are based either on intracranial pressure-targeted therapy (ICP-targeted) with cerebral microdialysis (CM) monitoring according to the modified Lund concept or cerebral perfusion pressure-targeted therapy (CPP-targeted). We ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use and effectiveness of linezolid as an alternative treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. METHOD: Demographic, clinical and safety data were collected from hospitalised patients. The information sources were the clinical records and the pharmacy programme. RESULTS: Thirty patients were treated with linezolid (median age 69.3, 63% ...

Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) often receive long-term injectable therapy, and difficulties associated with self-injection can affect treatment adherence and efficacy. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate an investigational, ready-to-use, single-use autoinjector for self-injection of subcutaneous (sc) interferon beta-1a (IFNβ-1a). Methods: In this multicenter, open-label, single-arm ...

Background: Blastocystis is a common, enteric parasite. The pathogenicity of the organism is uncertain but subtypes (ST) 1,3 have been reported more likely to cause Irritable Bowel-like symptoms. Aims: We treated symptomatic patients positive for Blastocystis (BSP) with conventional therapy and analysed 16SSU rDNA to assess clearance and carriage rates ...

Context:Drug-based therapy is usually the initial treatment for Graves' disease (GD) hyperthyroidism in children, but there is some debate about treatment duration.Objective:Our objective was to assess the effect of long-term carbimazole therapy on GD remission in children and its determinants.Design and Setting:This was an observational prospective multicenter follow-up cohort study.Participants:Participants ...

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the intraoperative application of mitomycin C (MMC) compared to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on the outcome of trabeculectomy and to examine the balance of risk and benefit. Methods: Pertinent studies were selected through systematic searches of major literature databases, including the Cochrane ...

In the field of so-called chronic daily headache, it is not easy for migraine that worsens progressively until it becomes daily or almost daily to find a precise and universally recognized place within the current international headache classification systems. In line with the 2006 revision of the second edition of ...

Background  Adalimumab is an effective treatment for chronic plaque psoriasis. Objective  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of adalimumab for psoriasis patients who did not adequately respond to prior psoriasis therapy. Methods  PRIDE (an Open-Label Access PRogram to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of Adalimumab When Added to InaDEquate Therapy ...

This study evaluated the efficacy of adefovir (ADV) plus lamivudine (LAM) or ADV add-on therapy for patients with entecavir (ETV)-refractory hepatitis B infection. Twenty-nine ETV-resistant and 8 patients with suboptimal response to ETV were enrolled. Twenty-seven patients received ADV + LAM therapy and 10 patients received ADV + ETV therapy for >24 weeks. In ...

BACKGROUND: Lentigo maligna (LM) is the in situ phase of lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM). A wide variety of modalities has been used to manage LM, including conventional surgery, staged excision, Mohs micrographic surgery, cryotherapy, radiotherapy, laser therapy, and, recently, imiquimod. OBJECTIVES: Soft x-radiation is an accepted treatment for LM/LMM. The ...

Introduction.  There is no current consensus as to the most effective nonsurgical therapy for Peyronie's disease (PD). Aim.  This study aims to assess the benefit of penile traction therapy (PTT) when added to intralesional verapamil injections (IVIs) combined with oral L-arginine 1 g b.i.d. and pentoxifylline 400 mg t.i.d. in men with ...

Ninety-four Mayo Clinic patients with myelofibrosis (MF) participated in two consecutive clinical trials of pomalidomide (0.5-3.5 mg/day), with or without prednisone. Overall anemia response was 27% and increased to 53% in JAK2V617F-positive patients with <10 cm palpable splenomegaly and <5% circulating blasts; response rate was 0% in mutation-negative patients with ...

What is known and Objective:  Teicoplanin and vancomycin show similar clinical and bacteriological efficacy in clinical trials. Teicoplanin has been reported to have a lower adverse drug reaction (ADR) rate than vancomycin. Cross-reactivity between these two glycopeptides is controversial. Our aim was to study the cross-reactivity between teicoplanin and vancomycin ...

Cushing's disease is the result of chronic overproduction of ACTH by a pituitary tumor. Although the optimal treatment is surgical removal of the adenoma, medical treatment might be an option in selected cases. A 40-year old woman with Cushing's disease was treated with cabergoline, a neuromodulatory drug, for a corticotrophic ...

For patients requiring surgery within their first year following coronary stent placement, maximizing the prevention of stent thrombosis with antiplatelet therapy while minimizing the risk of intraoperative bleeding has become a management challenge for cardiologists, surgeons and anesthesiologists. In this manuscript, we describe a case of a patient who received ...

Background: Pemphigus is the most common and severe autoimmune bullous disease in Korea. Objective: The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the clinical features, treatment modalities and long-term prognosis of pemphigus in Korea. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 199 patients diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and ...

Background  A decrease in the Helicobacter pylori eradication rate after standard triple therapy has been suggested in recent years. Aim  To assess the efficacy of standard triple therapy in the eradication of H. pylori through an epidemiological analysis of all published Spanish trials. A secondary aim was to review the ...

Catheter ablation has been proven to be an effective treatment for patients with drug-resistant atrial fibrillation. Nevertheless its efficacy is limited to 60-80% of patients in different studies. Whether the use of pharmacological therapy after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation might increase the procedural success rate is still a matter ...

Background: In the present investigation we extracted data on hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who were enrolled in 3 studies - 2 studies of the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) olmesartan medoxomil (OLM), lasting 12 weeks and 2 years, respectively, and one of the calcium channel blocker (CCB) azelnidipine ...

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the incidence trend of listeriosis, its present epidemiology and the potential benefit of aminoglycosides during the last two decades. METHODS: We reviewed all cases of invasive listeriosis detected during a 22-year period in a large tertiary hospital. Two equal periods of 11 years were compared. RESULTS: We ...

To evaluate the efficacy of L-carnitine on alleviating anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia, and minimizing dose reductions in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) in treatment with Interferon α (IFN-α) plus ribavirin. Sixty-nine patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups. group A ...

BACKGROUND: Although hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are extensively used for the correction of facial wrinkles and folds, there is a limit to patient satisfaction, especially in patients with severe wrinkles. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential for synergistic effects with combined treatment using a nonablative infrared (IR) device and HA filler ...