BACKGROUND: Anencephaly has been associated frequently with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), consistently with adrenal hypoplasia, and occasionally with an enlarged thymus. Few studies have analyzed the relationship between gestational age (GA), IUGR, associated anomalies and thymomegaly in anencephaly. The aims of our study were to evaluate this relationship and to ...

Debate continues about whether and to what extent travel predisposes to venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE). Almost certainly, the strength of any association was greatly exaggerated in recent press reports. Conclusions from case-control studies vary, with some finding no excess of recent travel among patients with venous thromboembolism and ...

We took the opportunity provided by a large outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in the North West of England to investigate the potential impact of recall bias on strength of association and on estimates of outbreak size. We conducted a community-based survey of 4 towns within the outbreak area and 4 control ...

The combined investigation of environmental and genetic risk-factors in complex traits will refocus attention on the case-control study. Endometriosis is an example of a complex trait for which most case-control studies have not followed the basic criteria of epidemiological study design. Appropriate control selection has been a particular problem. This ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the validity of information about employment obtained from self-respondents and proxies in a nested case-control study. METHODS: We interviewed 230 self-respondents and 652 proxies covering 237 cancer cases and 645 controls. Questions about employment as a bus driver, other jobs, and residence were asked. Golden standard was ...

In a family-matched case-control study, a population-based sample of cases is selected from a well-defined geographic region over a fixed period of time. For diseases of adult onset, the control is generally a sibling or cousin who is matched on sex and age without regard to location of residence. Such ...

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal manifestations are seen in systemic sclerosis and mixed connective tissue disorders but are rare in pure polymyositis. CASE REPORT: A 44 year old woman with polymyositis who developed total gut failure requiring treatment with total parenteral nutrition is described. RESULTS: The patient's polymyositis is now fully controlled biochemically, ...

Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA) may complicate the advanced lung disease that is associated with cystic fibrosis, resulting in severe joint pain and early-morning stiffness. Symptoms are usually controlled with the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, and, on occasions, oral corticosteroids. This report describes a case of refractory HPOA with ...

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors influencing the development of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in a population-based, inception cohort of psoriasis (PS) patients. METHODS: Using the population-based data resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project. which ensures virtually complete ascertainment of all clinically defined conditions, we previously identified all incident cases of PsA and ...

OBJECTIVES: (1) To investigate the significance of assessment of serum levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) beside other biomarkers of myocardial injury in scorpion envenomed children. (2) To find the correlation between these biochemical indices with clinical status, prognosis and outcome of these cases. METHODS: Forty-one children ...

This study addressed methodological issues of epidemiologic studies on venous thromboembolism (VTE) to show how design decisions can affect the results. It examines the influence of a restricting to hospitalized and to "idiopathic" cases of VTE in case-control studies on VTE risk and oral contraceptive (OC) use and thereby the ...

Although low participation in case-control studies may threaten their validity, it is difficult to evaluate the potential problem of nonresponse across studies because the level of participation among subjects is not reported in a consistent manner. This commentary presents a proposal for standard reporting of the process by which control ...

Many reports have described loss of neurons in the substantia nigra in Pick's disease (PiD). In those reports, however, "Pick's disease" includes PiD without Pick bodies (PB), and there is only limited data available on regional nigral pathology in PiD with PB. To elucidate the pathological changes of the substantia ...

BACKGROUND: Case-control studies have been proposed as an appropriate tool for health impact evaluation of insecticide-treated nets (ITN) programmes. METHODS: A dispensary-based case-control study was carried out in one village in Tanzania. Each case of fever and parasitaemia in a child under 5 years was paired with one community and ...

The New Zealand Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme (IMMP) undertakes prospective observational cohort studies on selected new drugs in the early postmarketing period using prescription-event monitoring (PEM) methodology with the purpose of identifying signals of previously unrecognised ADRs and establishing risk profiles for each drug. Events are reviewed by a physician ...

Dams are controversial: their positive results include electricity generation, flood control, and irrigation; negative effects include population displacement and ecological impacts. A fair assessment can only be made on a case by case basis, judging individual projects in their individual context, and using holistic and interdisciplinary approaches. Decisions can no ...

The first modern case-control study was Janet Lane-Claypon's study of breast cancer in 1926, but the design was used only sporadically in medicine and the social sciences until 1950, when four published case-control studies linked smoking and lung cancer. These 1950 studies synthesized the essential elements of the case-control comparison, ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate quality of life and social problems in long-term survivors of testicular cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 1998, 71 testicular cancer survivors (cases) identified from the Calvados General Tumor Registry were enrolled onto a case-control study. One hundred nineteen healthy control subjects (controls), matched by age and location ...

Much of our understanding of the epidemiologic features of infection with Blastomyces dermatitidis has come from cluster and outbreak investigations which have established the association of human disease with recreational pursuits and the presence of infectious microfoci in areas of moist soil with high organic content. This report describes the ...

BACKGROUND: Of all chemical plaque control agents, chlorhexidine digluconate has proven to be the most effective and safe. Since 1964, varnishes have been used for local delivery of fluor and are reported to be an effective and easy to use vehicle. During the past decade, varnishes for local delivery of ...

Paragonimiasis in Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province, China, has been of such public health concern that a specialized Institute for Paragonimiasis Control has been established there. The study reported here involved both parasitological research on Paragonimus westermani in the endemic areas and a clinical analysis of 94 cases of paragonimiasis. Eggs ...

We report three cases of survivors of chronic stroke who were treated with active repetitive movement training of the paretic finger extensors mediated by intramuscular electromyographically controlled neuromuscular electrical stimulation for the purpose of motor relearning. These case reports demonstrate the feasibility of using intramuscular electromyographically controlled neuromuscular electrical stimulation ...

To identify potential environmental and travel factors related to leptospirosis, we conducted an unmatched case controlled study and household assessment of cases and controls in Nakhon Ratchasima province (north-eastern, Thailand) from August to December, 1998. Fifty-six cases and 145 controls were included in the study. Cases were hospitalized patients who ...

To establish whether intensive case management reduces violence in patients with psychosis in comparison with standard case management. Randomised controlled trial with two year follow up. Four inner city community mental health services. 708 patients with established psychotic illness allocated at random to intervention (353) or control (355) group. Intensive ...

An association between the use of Viadent toothpaste and/or mouthwash and the development of leukoplakia oral mucosal lesions has been described recently. Discontinuing the Viadent products may result in resolution of the leukoplakia, although frequently this is not the case. In order to corroborate the earlier study and to provide ...

We report three cases of survivors of chronic stroke treated with active repetitive movement training of the paretic ankle dorsiflexors mediated by intramuscular electromyographically controlled neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). These case reports demonstrate the feasibility of using intramuscular electromyographically controlled NMES for facilitating ankle dorsiflexion recovery among survivors chronic stroke ...

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic (primary) insomnia can be difficult to treat; only two prior cases responsive to opiate therapy have been reported. A case is now presented of severe, idiopathic, childhood-onset, familial insomnia, with increased libido, absence of psychopathology, tardive emergence of restless legs syndrome (RLS), and selective response to opiate therapy. ...

BACKGROUND: Outcomes studies often need a level of detail that is not present in administrative data, therefore requiring abstraction of medical charts. Case-control methods may be used to improve statistical power and reduce abstraction costs, but limitations of exact matching often preclude the use of many covariates. Unlike exact matching, ...

BACKGROUND: In this research, the 'natural history' of cannabis dependence is probed, using data from a large epidemiological sample of cannabis users followed from 1981 through 1996, until most of these users had passed through the empirically derived period of risk for developing cannabis dependence. METHODS: The Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment ...

Ixodiphagus   wasps (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) have been known as parasitoids of ticks since the beginning of the 20th Century. Currently, there are seven recognized species: Ixodiphagus texanus   Howard, Ixodiphagus hookeri   (Howard), Ixodiphagus mysorensis   Mani, Ixodiphagus hirtus   Nikolskaya, Ixodiphagus theilerae   (Fielder), Ixodiphagus biroi   Erdos, and ...

Cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA), synonymous with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, is probably a disease entity of increasing frequency. Epidemiological investigations into the aetiology of CFA are at an early age; yet there are several indications that exposures associated with traditionally male manufacturing occupations may be a cause of CFA. Specifically, metal ...

The number of cases of endophthalmitis following cataract surgery caused considerable concern in a West of Scotland hospital throughout 1998 and early 1999. A multi-disciplinary team including infection control nurses, doctors, public health officials,epidemiologists and statisticians was set up to investigate the situation. This paper examines the statistical issues surrounding ...

AIMS: To determine long term neurodevelopmental outcome following the spectrum of meningococcal infection. METHODS: Between 1988 and 1990, 152 cases of meningococcal disease were recruited; 139 survived. Between 1998 and 1999, 115 survivors (83%) were evaluated, together with 115 sex and age matched controls. Standard measures of neurological function, coordination, ...

Eleven cases of legionnaires' disease, all patients living in the same municipality, were admitted to a district hospital in northern Portugal. Preliminary investigations suggested an association with the events of the annual festivities in that municipality. Legionella pneumophila was not isolated from any of the suspected sources, but evidence from ...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association of polymorphisms in the tau gene with pathologically confirmed corticobasal degeneration (CBD). BACKGROUND: The authors previously described an extended tau haplotype (H1) that covers the human tau gene and is associated with the development of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). The authors now extend this analysis ...

PURPOSE: Process Capability Analysis (PCA) is a quality control tool that can be applied to how resident cases are allocated. PCA measures how close an output is to its target (Cp) and its location (K) in relation to Cp. For resident cases, the statistics of Cp and K measure variability ...

From December 1997 to April 1998, 1060 laboratory-confirmed cryptosporidiosis cases were reported in New South Wales, Australia. In a case-control study, compared with 200 controls, the 100 cases were younger (mean age 42 versus 71 years; P < 0.0001), more likely to report swimming at a public pool (59% versus ...

Children with idiopathic congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) have a complex phenotype consistent with an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Since CCHS may be genetic in origin, we hypothesized that relatives of individuals with CCHS may exhibit symptoms of ANS dysfunction (ANSD), albeit in a milder form. We ...

Case report of Baclofen pump catheter failure investigated by radioisotope injection. To report a safe and reliable method for evaluating catheter dysfunction. France. Single case report of failure of Baclofen pump investigated by radioisotope injection. The injection demonstrated the block in the catheter. The catheter failure was not visualised by ...

Cortical synapse loss, the probable substrate of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer disease (AD), has not previously been evaluated in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Hypothesizing that synapse loss would be greater in demented than non-demented PSP patients, we examined synaptophysin concentrations in 8 cases of PSP (5 demented and 3 nondemented ...

BACKGROUND: The Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities was established in 1980. This article describes how the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities was first organized and is currently maintained. The baseline statistics are provided and potential venues of postmarketing surveillance of drug teratogenicity and other public health tasks and ...

In May 1998, a compulsory eradication programme for BHV1 started in the Netherlands. In December 1999 approximately 24% of Dutch dairy farms were certified BHV1-free (Animal Health Service (AHS)). Ninety-three certified BHV1-free dairy farms participated in a cohort study that investigated the probability of introduction of infectious diseases. The probability ...

We evaluated the clonality of seborrheic keratoses using a polymorphism due to the random inactivation of one of two X chromosomes in females. Thirty-eight seborrheic keratoses obtained from the skin of females with polymorphism of the human androgen receptor (HUMARA) locus were examined by a fluorescent polymerase chain reaction procedure, ...

Three cases of Legionella pneumophila infection were identified in Sydney's west in November 1998. Epidemiological investigations identified an association with one workplace. Environmental sampling revealed that the cooling towers in the workplace, and at 2 other premises within a 1 km radius of the workplace, were positive for L. pneumophila ...

Leishmaniasis is caused by a wide range of parasites that are transmitted by an even wider range of sand fly vectors. The phlebotomine vectors of Leishmaniasis are in some cases only permissive to the complete development of the species of Leishmania that they transmit in nature. The parasite-sand fly interactions ...

An outbreak of Salmonella serotype Thompson in California was identified through laboratory-based surveillance and investigated with case-control, traceback, and laboratory studies. There were 35 "sporadic" cases and a restaurant-associated outbreak of 41 cases with onset between 6 March and 31 March 1999. Three case patients were hospitalized. A case-control study ...

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and nature of infection control, radiation control and handling of mercury, reported by dentists in southern Thailand. METHOD: A cross-sectional study with self-report questionnaire to all 220 dentists working in 14 provinces in southern Thailand in 1997. RESULTS: 178 ...

A case-control study was carried out to evaluate risk factors for clinical mastitis occurring in dairy heifers between 1 and 14 d postpartum. Case and control heifers were matched on herd; the control was the heifer that calved closest in time, before or after, the particular case. Data were analyzed ...

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare form of parkinsonism. The incidence rates are about 0.3-1.1 cases per 100,000 persons. The only two case-control studies performed up to now show conflictual results as regards education and residence in rural areas. Recently, a cluster of PSP and atypical parkinsonism has been ...

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a form of atypical parkinsonism with unknown etiology. The epidemiological studies conducted up to now on this disease are scarce. The incidence rate is about 0.6 cases per 100,000 persons per year. The prevalence rates show 4-5 cases per 100,000 persons. In Italy, about 4,900 ...