A warm and moist environment is a common risk factor for erythrasma, a condition characterized by pruritic, scaly and erythematous tan patches on the skin. Here we report on a 13-year-old athletic student presenting with pruritus and mild burning on her left medial thigh, and subsequently diagnosed with erythrasma. The ...

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to evaluate whether antiplatelet therapy increases the occurrence and severity of percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB)-related hemoptysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Our institutional review board approved this retrospective study, with waiver of informed consent. From May 2007 to December 2009, 1251 patients undergoing 1346 ...

OBJECTIVE: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies have revolutionized the treatment of clinically significant diabetic macular edema (CSDME); yet these agents are expensive, and whether they are cost-effective is unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the most cost-effective treatment option for patients with newly diagnosed CSDME: focal laser ...

Thermotherapy is an accepted alternative therapy for new-world cutaneous leishmaniasis, but current heat-delivery modalities are too costly to be made widely available to endemic populations. We adapted a low-cost heat pack named the HECT-CL device that delivers safe, reliable, and renewable conduction heat. 25 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis completed treatment ...

Background: The standard triple therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori consists of a combination of a proton pump inhibitor at a standard dose together with two antibiotics (amoxicillin 1000 mg plus either clarithromycin 500 mg or metronidazole 400 mg) all given twice daily for a period of 7-14 days. ...

BACKGROUND: & Aims: Immunomodulator therapy is effective for patients with Crohn's disease, but has not been shown to affect disease progression-presumably because it is given too late after diagnosis. We compared the efficacy of early treatment (within 6 mo after diagnosis) with azathioprine vs conventional management of patients at high ...

PURPOSE: To develop a patient-based educational video to address the information needs of women considering sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) for overactive bladder (OAB.) MATERIALS AND METHODS: 5 semi-structured focus groups were used to identify patient knowledge gaps, information needs, patient-acceptable terminology, and video content preferences for a patient-based SNS educational ...

Objective The objective of this paper is to report the clinical outcome of B cell depletion therapy in 18 patients with refractory lupus nephritis (LN).MethodsEighteen patients received rituximab on an open-label basis with prospective evaluations. All patients had renal disease refractory to conventional immunosuppressive therapy, including intravenous cyclophosphamide (CyC). All ...

PURPOSE: To test whether D-mannose powder is effective for recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After initial antibiotic treatment of acute cystitis, 308 women with history of recurrent UTI and no other significant comorbidities were randomly allocated to three groups. The first group (n = 103) received prophylaxis with ...

BACKGROUND: Continuous maintenance therapy with infliximab 5 mg/kg every 8 weeks is effective for moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated efficacy and safety of continuous versus intermittent infliximab maintenance therapy. METHODS: RESTORE2 was a long-term extension of RESTORE1. At baseline of RESTORE2, eligible patients who had received infliximab for ...

Prosthetic valve thrombosis is an uncommon, life-threatening complication that often mandates urgent repeat surgery or thrombolytic therapy. We present an alternative approach in a patient with rheumatic heart disease who presented with subacute thrombosis of a recently implanted On-X mechanical mitral valve (On-X Life Technologies Inc, Austin, TX), diagnosed on ...

BACKGROUND: Acne affects many adolescents. Conventional therapy often results in side effects and poor adherence, and the treatment does not consider the psychological effect of acne on patients, which is comparable with that of disabling diseases. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a peel (30% salicylic acid, triethyl ...

INTRODUCTION: In non-valvular atrial fibrillation 90% of thrombi originate in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Percutaneous LAA closure has been shown to be non-inferior to warfarin for prevention of thromboembolism. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the initial experience of a single center in percutaneous LAA closure in patients with high thromboembolic risk ...

OBJECTIVESAcute kidney injury (AKI) following cardiac surgery is a common complication associated with serious morbidity and mortality. Activation of inflammatory cascade and vascular endothelial dysfunction plays a vital role during the perioperative period leading to AKI. Statins are known to suppress inflammation and improve endothelial dysfunction over and above the ...

Minimal objective evidence exists regarding management of Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA). Antioxidant and recombinant human erythropoietin therapies have been considered potential treatments to slow progression of FRDA in a small number of studies. The primary objective of the current study was to test the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of triple therapy-darbepoetin ...

In multinodular goitre (MNG), low radioiodine (RAI) activity after recombinant human (rh) TSH is able to reduce thyroid volume (TV) and improve symptoms. Our aim was to evaluate the long-term outcome of RAI after rhTSH treatment in patients who were divided according to their baseline TSH levels. Eighteen patients (69.2 ± 6.1 year) ...

AIM: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a worldwide problem despite its rare incidence because of its extremely high mortality. There are no beneficial therapies except for emergency liver transplantation for ALF. However, in Japan where the problem of a shortage of donor livers still remains, therapies other than transplantation must ...

Early responses to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in CML-CP are associated with improved outcome. We analyze the impact of such response on outcomes among patients treated with 4 TKI modalities as frontline therapy in CML-CP. A total of 483 patients who received imatinib 400 mg (n=71), imatinib 800 mg (n=204), ...

Abstract Purpose: To report an experience with infliximab in severe corticosteroid-resistant Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease. Design: Interventional case series. Methods: The medical records of 2 adult patients were reviewed. Results: Both patients had a visual acuity reduced to hand motion perception bilaterally after 1 month of high-dose corticosteroid therapy, due to ...

OBJECTIVE: Silymarin, a flavonolignan complex isolated from milk thistle, is a cytoprotective, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective agent. The present study was designed to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of orally administered silymarin in patients with β-thalassemia major. METHODS: The immunomodulatory effects of silymarin were investigated in a 12-week clinical trial in two ...

BACKGROUND: The medical management of refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) remains a significant challenge. Two randomised controlled studies have demonstrated tacrolimus therapy is effective for the induction of remission of moderate to severe UC. However, the long term outcomes of UC patients treated with tacrolimus as maintenance therapy are not certain. ...

The Nordic Myeloma Study Group (NMSG) conducted an open randomized trial to compare bortezomib as consolidation therapy given after high-dose therapy (HDT) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) to no consolidation in bortezomib naïve patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Overall, 370 patients were centrally randomly assigned three months after ...

BACKGROUND:: Pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) care is variable with a lack of appropriate guidelines to guide practice until recently. METHODS:: UC inpatients <17 years old admitted to 23 U.K. pediatric hospitals had clinical details collected between September 2010 and 2011. Comparative data for 248 patients were available from a previous ...

Objective:The aim of this study is to evaluate dentoskeletal effects of Herbst and Twin Block (TB) appliance therapies in Skeletal Class II malocclusion.Subjects and Methods:Herbst group consisted of 11 girls and 9 boys (mean age = 12.74±1.43 years), TB group comprised of 10 girls and 10 boys (mean age = ...

PURPOSE: Information on predisposing risk factors influencing long-term survival after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support remains scarce. In critically ill patients chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor for mortality and morbidity. We assessed the influence of COPD on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in patients undergoing ECMO ...

BACKGROUND: Recently, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that therapy with new oral activated factor X (Xa) inhibitors in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) yielded a reduction of ischemic events. However, this therapy was associated with a dose-related increase in major bleeding complications. We aimed to perform a systematic review and ...

Abstract Background: Withdrawal of oral antiplatelet therapy (OAT) is a major risk factor for stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and cerebral strokes. In order to minimize the risk for thrombotic complications, since 2007 robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) has taken place under continuous OAT with aspirin at our institution. In this ...

BACKGROUND:: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease who are refractory to standard therapies frequently require surgery. The long-term efficacy of tacrolimus in patients who fail standard immunosuppressive and antitumor necrosis factor α therapy is unknown. METHODS:: Thirty-five patients (11 Crohn's disease and 24 ulcerative colitis) with medication-resistant disease were treated with ...

BACKGROUND:: Globus Pallidus Interna (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for DYT1-associated dystonia, but long-term results are lacking. OBJECTIVE:: To evaluate the long-term effects of GPi DBS in patients with DYT1 dystonia. METHODS:: Retrospective chart review (cohort study) of 47 consecutive DYT1+ patients treated by a single ...

Several studies have shown the effectiveness of sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, for type 2 diabetes, with a hypoglycemic effect being demonstrated both when it is administered alone or in combination with other oral antidiabetic agents. However, there are few reports about its long-term efficacy, although medications for diabetes need ...

BACKGROUND: Octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, may be beneficial in the treatment of paragangliomas of the head and neck (HNPGLs). METHODS: Non-blinded, prospective intervention study. During one year, patients received a monthly intramuscular injection of 30 mg Sandostatin LAR(®) . Pre- and post-treatment tumor volumes were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, ...

Abstract Background: Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is restricted to the skin, mostly the face, often chronic and disfiguring. Standard medical therapies include topical corticosteroids and antimalarials.. This is a retrospective long-term follow up of refractory DLE treated with different lasers and intense pulsed light (IPL). Methods and materials: Sixteen patients ...

AIM: There were only a few trials demonstrated additional effects of human serum albumin (HSA) on diuretic therapy in patients with cirrhotic ascites. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of recombinant HSA, KD-294, treatment in patients with cirrhotic ascites. METHODS: The inclusion criteria were patients 20 to 75 ...

BACKGROUND: . This study aimed to clarify the combinatorial treatment effect of agents as aspirin and ticlopidine associated with vincristine in the management of Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP), a severe thrombocytopenic coagulopathy that occurs in the presence of an enlarging vascular tumor such as kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) and tufted angioma (TA). ...

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy is a common cause of pain and shoulder dysfunction. The literature evidence suggests that a combination of overuse and extrinsic compression may induce chronic RC tendinopathy. Aim of the current study was to compare the results of subacromial sodium hyaluronate injections with rehabilitation therapy. MATERIALS ...

Purpose:  To evaluate the density of conjunctival goblet cells (GCs) in glaucomatous patients treated with preservative-free (PF) tafluprost, using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and impression cytology (IC). Methods:  Thirty glaucomatous patients (30 eyes) naive for therapy and thirty healthy subjects (30 eyes) were enrolled. Conjunctiva was examined by means ...

The aim of the study was to assess the role of patient counselling, nurse assistance and effects of biochemical examinations in adherence of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis to alendronate 70 administration over 12 months of therapy. Compliance and persistence to alendronate 70 therapy were assessed in a prospective study of ...

BACKGROUND: We assessed the clinical features and outcome of morbidly obese patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for management of postoperative peritonitis (POP) following bariatric surgery (BS). METHODS: In a prospective, observational, surgical ICU cohort, we compared the clinical features, empiric antibiotic therapy, and prognosis of BS patients ...

BACKGROUND: Choroidal neovascularisation is often associated with pathological myopia. Bisphosphonates (BP), the preferred drug for treatment of osteoporosis, are known to have anti-angiogenic effects. OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects of oral BP with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy (anti-VEGF) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) for myopic choroidal neovascularisation (mCNV) over ...

AIMS: Prophylactic catheter ablation (CA) has been established to reduce the incidence of appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy (anti-tachycardia pacing or shock) in secondary prevention patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether prophylactic CA for induced ventricular tachycardia (VT) reduces the incidence of appropriate ICD therapy in ...

The most effective pharmacological management of frequent ventricular tachyarrhythmia events in patients with an implantable defibrillator who failed or did not tolerate amiodarone is unknown. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of mexiletine in such patients. The patients served as self-controls. The ...

The knowledge about safety and efficacy of thrombolysis in paediatric stroke is limited, especially for very young children. We present an infant with cardioembolic stroke treated with alteplase. He had hypoplastic left heart syndrome since birth. He underwent Norwood operation, followed by bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis at 3 months. On aspirin ...

BACKGROUND:Cell therapies are hampered by the difficulty of delivering cells to and retaining them in target tissues long enough to repair or regenerate local tissues. HYPOTHESIS:Magnetic-assisted delivery of magnetically labeled mesenchymal stem cells (m-MSCs) would be rapid, allowing for chondrogenic differentiation and functional joint repair without replacement. STUDY DESIGN:Controlled laboratory ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute intraprocedural thrombus formation complicating endovascular cerebral aneurysm treatment is often treated with intra-arterial or intravenous administration of thrombolytic agents or glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GpIIb/IIIa) inhibitors. We sought to evaluate the morbidity and mortality associated with such treatments using a large multihospital database. METHODS: Using the Premier Perspective ...

PURPOSE: To assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of treating normal tension glaucoma (NTG). METHODS: A Markov decision-analytic health model was developed to determine the cost-effectiveness of treating NTG with intraocular pressure lowering therapy to prevent progressive visual field loss. Transitional probabilities were derived from the Collaborative Normal Tension Glaucoma Study and ...

IMPORTANCE Patients who undergo radiographic studies with contrast receive an enormous bolus of iodine. This can delay subsequent use of radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy because the iodine can compete for uptake. There is a paucity of literature on the minimum interval between contrast administration and RAI therapy. OBJECTIVE To better ...

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis is a rare disease in the pediatric population. We sought to define patient characteristics and outcomes of surgical therapy for endocarditis in children. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all patients with infective endocarditis who received surgical therapy between January 1, 1990, and March 1. 2011. ...

BACKGROUND: The use of plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptides (BNPs) to guide treatment of patients with chronic heart failure (HF) has been investigated in a number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, the benefits have been variable. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to examine the overall effect of BNP-guided ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical course and treatment of a patient presenting with thrombophlebitis of the head and the neck with eosinophilic otitis media (EOM). PATIENT: The patient was a 32-year-old woman with bronchial asthma and chronic sinusitis. She was treated for EOM, which presented as intractable otitis media with ...

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to investigate the differences in the characteristics of short- and long-term surviving dogs, and the factors that predict poor outcome in Shiba dogs with chronic enteropathies (CE). METHODS: A total of 25 Shiba dogs were included in this study, and classified as either ...