ABSTRACT: We and the Editorial Board acknowledge and thank all reviewers for their active participation and contribution during 2012. We greatly appreciate their dedication and behind the scenes contribution. It is largely due to their support and expertise that we have been able to publish high-standard manuscripts. We would also ...

Context:Morgagni-Stewart-Morel syndrome is defined as the presence of hyperostosis frontalis interna, variably associated with metabolic, endocrine, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The possible cause-effect relationship of these associations remains uncertain.Case Presentation:A 75-year-old woman presented with severe frontal headache and a history of psychotic disorders. On instrumental examination she was found to have ...

This paper presents the first reported case of risedronate-associated scleritis and conducts a review of bisphosphonates and inflammatory eye diseases. A case of scleritis associated with risedronate use in a 73-year-old Chinese woman is reported. The English medical literature was reviewed for bisphosphonates and their association with inflammatory eye diseases. ...

PURPOSE: Review all the individualized cases of adverse drug reaction (ADR) potentially related to buflomedil, a vasodilator with the indication for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), marketed in Europe since the 1970s but recently suspended by the European Medicines Agency. METHODS: A review of all available individualised case safety data relating ...

Background: Acute otitis media is very common, but diagnostic criteria and treatment recommendations vary considerably. Methods: Medline, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched using the key words 'acute otitis media' AND 'diagnosis' OR 'diagnostic criteria' OR 'definition', and by combining ...

Lichen planus-like drug eruptions (LDE) can appear similar or identical to idiopathic lichen planus. We present a 45-year-old man with a widespread, violaceous, papular, generalized exanthema with histologic features of a lichenoid reaction, which subsequently resolved with the cessation of labetatol. We found 29 cases of previously reported β-adrenoceptor antagonist ...

Leuprolide acetate represents a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, used as part of the treatment of prostate cancer. We report an unusual case of disseminated urticarial rash following leuprolide injection in a 67-year-old man that histopathologically and immunohistochemically resembled mycosis-fungoides, including the presence of follicular mucinosis and eosinophils in the follicles. This ...

Background:  Cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs) are the most common type of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported in the paediatric population, but they are rarely considered serious, despite that serious cases have been reported. Objective:  To characterise CADRs reported to the Danish national ADR database from 1998 to 2007. Methods:  ...

What is known and Objective:  Various factors have been reported to be associated with the duration of regulatory review of new drug applications (NDAs). We investigated potential links between the review times in Japan and the attributes of NDAs, the regulatory agency and pharmaceutical companies. Methods:  We analysed new drugs ...

Context. The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), particularly herbal medicine and their derived products, have been increasing. However, sporadic reports of serious adverse effects associated with the use of these products have become a source of concern. Spontaneous adverse event reporting may be used to monitor the safety ...

PURPOSE: Underreporting is a major limitation of spontaneous reporting systems for suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Several interventions to increase the ADR reporting rate have been proposed, but their efficacy remains poorly investigated. METHODS: This was a questionnaire study aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of general practitioners ...

PURPOSE: Medicinal solutions for injection are frequently applied in anthroposophic medicine and homeopathy. Despite their extensive use, there is little data published on the safety of these products. Therefore, we investigated the safety of anthroposophic and homeopathic solutions for injection through a systematic evaluation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). METHODS: ...

Propionic acidemia (PA) is a rare organic acidemia that is due to deficiency in the enzyme propionyl-coA carboxylase. Complications are currently described mostly in the form of case reports. We sampled a population of affected individuals in order to estimate the frequency of complications amongst the sample. The study is ...

The impact of mandatory reporting laws on domestic violence reports is unclear. In 2006, the Department of Defense removed its requirement for mandatory reporting of domestic violence against adults. Our objective was to determine if there was a change in the incidence of domestic violence reports to the Navy's Family ...

Torsades de pointes (Tdp) is a polymorphic form of ventricular tachycardia and a life-threatening event. A variety of non-cardiovascular drugs, including fluoroquinolone antibiotics, have been shown to possess arrhythmogenic properties. However, only 25 cases of ventricular tachycardia associated with the use of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, and moxifloxacin have been ...

BACKGROUND: The mass media are often criticized for oversimplifying the causes of suicide and overlooking some of the risk factors. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support this assertion. The study aims to examine the accuracy of news reports in Hong Kong (HK) and in particular whether ...

We report a case of methotrexate toxicity potentially induced by a drug interaction between methotrexate and omeprazole in a 25-year-old man with osteosarcoma. The patient was placed on omeprazole after his first cycle of high-dose methotrexate for stress ulcer prophylaxis, and it was discontinued before the start of the first ...

Little research has been conducted on the predictors of self-report or patient awareness of heart failure (HF) in a population-based survey. The objective of this study was to (1) test the agreement between Medicare administrative and Health and Retirement Study (HRS) survey data and (2) determine predictors associated with self-report ...

ObjectivesMany residential fire deaths occur in homes with no or non-functioning smoke alarms (SAs). Self-reported SA coverage is high, but studies have found varying validity for self-report measures. The authors aim to: (1) determine over-reporting of coverage, (2) describe socio-demographic correlates of over-reporting and (3) report reasons for over-reporting.MethodsThe authors ...

The central nervous system (CNS) toxicity of fluoroquinolones is well known but usually occurs benign. In the literature, there are a few number of severe CNS toxicity cases related to fluoroquinolones. Levofloxacin is a third-generation fluorinated quinolone antibiotic, is the active levo stereoisomer of ofloxacin, and has one of the ...

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent malignant brain tumor in adults. Its established first-line adjuvant treatment is radiotherapy in combination with temozolomide (TZM). Hematotoxicity is listed as a frequent adverse drug reaction in the US prescribing information and hepatotoxicity has been reported infrequently in the postmarketing period. We here ...

Although amiodarone is the most commonly prescribed anti-arrhythmic drug, its use is limited by serious toxicities, including optic neuropathy. Current reports of amiodarone-associated optic neuropathy identified from the Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System and published case reports were reviewed. A total of 296 reports were identified: 214 ...

Dapsone is widely used in the treatment of leprosy and several chronic inflammatory dermatological conditions. Hypersensitivity reactions to dapsone are potentially fatal adverse drug reactions with unknown prevalence and risk factors. We performed a systematic review covering all reported cases of hypersensitivity reactions, in order to systematically summarize the published ...

Adverse events are poor patient outcomes caused by medical care. Their identification requires the peer-review of poor outcomes, which may be unreliable. Combining physician ratings might improve the accuracy of adverse event classification. To evaluate the variation in peer-reviewer ratings of adverse outcomes; determine the impact of this variation on ...

Dystrophic calcification is deposition of calcium salt in degenerated tissues in the presence of normal calcium and phosphorous metabolism. It usually occurs in injured tissues. The condition may be associated with a variety of systemic disorders. The pathophysiology is still unclear. The case of a 17-year-old boy with dystrophic calcifications ...

A 45-year-old male presented with subacute onset of a right-sided hemiparesis, right homonymous hemianopsia, and slurred speech. The brain imaging revealed two separate intraparenchymal enhancing lesions. The cerebrospinal fluid rapid plasma reagin and venereal disease research laboratory test were positive and consistent with syphilitic gumma, and the patient responded dramatically ...

Plasma cell balanitis (PCB), also knows as Zoon balanitis, is a benign asymptomatic but chronic and erosive inflammatory condition of the glans penis and prepuce that generally affects uncircumcised men in later years. Clinical presentation involves a single, shiny, well defined reddish patch. We describe the first case of PCB ...

The purpose of this study was to summarize adverse drug event (ADE) reporting and to characterize the type of healthcare practitioners involved in reporting over a 10-year period at a 120-bed university-affiliated children's hospital. The University of Virginia Children's Hospital ADE database was analyzed for records involving pediatric patients. Data ...

An intraperitoneal leech, which entered through vagina and uterus in a 2-year-old girl is reported. The child presented with intraperitoneal hemorrhage and shock. A leech inside the peritoneal cavity has never been reported in the literature.

Two cases are reported of patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis who presented with peritonitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes. They were successfully treated with intraperitoneal and intravenous administration of amoxicillin. In patients on peritoneal dialysis, Listeria monocytogenes is a very rare cause of peritonitis, with only 11 cases reported to ...

Oncogenic osteomalacia is a rare cause that makes abnormalities of bone metabolism. Our case arose in a 47-year-old woman presenting a nasal mass associated with osteomalacia. We excised the mass carefully. After surgery, it was diagnosed as hemangiopericytoma and her symptoms related with osteomalacia were relieved and biochemical abnormalities were ...

Primary peritonitis is defined as peritoneal infection without an evident intraperitoneal septic focus. This is a rare condition and few cases are reported in the literature. We report a case of primary peritonitis in a 23-year-old female that was diagnosed and treated laparoscopically. The challenge for the surgeon is to ...

Psoriasis lesions typically are classified by their morphologic appearance and include plaque, guttate, pustular, and erythrodermic forms. Few review articles on psoriasis discuss the rare variant termed psoriasis rupioides. We report a case of psoriasis rupioides and discuss the unique features of this unusual form of psoriasis.

This review summarizes key clinical findings from 5 guidelines and 21 systematic reviews on psoriasis published or indexed in the period November 2009 to October 2010. The highlights include the British Association of Dermatologists guidelines on the use of biological interventions in psoriasis, and guidelines on the efficacy and use ...

Peritoneal involvement continues to be a rare manifestation of sarcoidosis: its involvement is not always isolated and sarcoid granulomas are also found elsewhere. Peritoneal diseases tend to have an increased incidence in women. Peritoneal involvement presents as ascites, as peritoneal thickening and multiple soft tissue nodules, and can often simulate ...

OBJECTIVES: Report and discuss acute neurological deterioration of Chiari I malformation (CMI), surgical treatment and timing, clinical outcome and literature review. CASE REPORT: We report a recent case of a 15-year-old girl admitted for an acute neurological deterioration caused by an undiagnosed hindbrain herniation that required an urgent foramen magnum ...

To report the case of a child with severe autoimmune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) resistant to plasma exchange and steroids who was successfully treated with rituximab. Case report and review of the literature on pediatric acquired TTP. The report was approved by an independent local ethics committee. Pediatric intensive care ...

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Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is a rare cause of paediatric stroke that may result in severe neurological disability including a 'locked-in' state. Acute interventional therapy for paediatric BAO is limited to a small number of published case reports. Of 13 previously published cases that have undergone acute intravascular therapy, six ...

Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM), also known as multilocular peritoneal inclusion cyst, is a rare tumour that occurs mainly in women at their reproductive age. The aetiology and pathogenesis are controversial. It originates from any abdominal peritoneal or pleural surface. The biological behaviour of BMPM is usually clinically benign. Here ...

We report a 36-year-old woman presenting with hypertensive encephalopathy followed by bulbar palsy and quadriplegia. After an extensive screening for secondary causes of hypertension, the patient was suspected of having pheochromocytoma due to increased levels of catecholamines in the plasma and the urine, and positive (131)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) accumulation in the ...

The authors present a case of optic neuritis in an adult patient who had been self-prescribing extraordinarily large dosages of chloramphenicol for chronic prostatitis over several years. The visual symptoms resolved upon cessation of the drug and prescription of B group vitamins. Chloramphenicol optic neuritis has not been described in ...

Russell's vipers (Daboia russelii and D. siamensis) inhabit 10 South and South East Asian countries. People envenomed by these snakes suffer coagulopathy, bleeding, shock, neurotoxicity, acute kidney injury and local tissue damage leading to severe morbidity and mortality. An unusual complication of Russell's viper bite envenoming in Burma (D. siamensis) ...

Hyperkalemia has been described as a rare and under recognized cause of acute quadriplegia. A 52-year-old man with end-stage renal disease presented with ascending quadriplegia and dyspnea for 2 days. He had life-threatening hyperkalemia (9.0 mEq/L). His electrocardiogram showed typical features of hyperkalemia. His symptoms improved in 30 minutes and ...

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the most common vasculitis occurring in childhood. Clinical presentation involves the classic tetrad of abdominal pain, nonthrombocytopenic purpura, arthritis, and renal involvement. Dermatological manifestations of HSP are characteristic of the condition and consist of palpable purpura and edema of the lower extremities and buttocks. The clinical ...

Legionella spp. rarely cause soft tissue infections, with only a few cases reported and usually in the setting of immunocompromise. We report a case of L. pneumophila cellulitis, without pneumonia, in a 65-year-old immunocompromised woman. The patient had a history of interstitial lung disease and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, for which ...

Headache is one of the most common neurological symptoms reported by patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Reports of headache characteristics in patients with TTP are rare. We report 2 cases of headache in a setting of TTP and review previous reports. Headache in TTP can have features in common ...

Urinary tract obstruction resulting from Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is an extremely rare urologic entity. If the genitourinary system is involved, it is primarily in the form of a focal proliferative glomerulonephritis. Stenosing disease has received little attention in the literature and treatment options are limited. Despite early intervention renal loss ...

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in children is rare and is often thought to be due to congenital ADAMTS13 deficiency. We report seven new cases of noncongenital TTP in children and adolescents and perform a review of the literature where ADAMTS13 assays have been performed in paediatric acquired TTP. All new ...

Omental infarction is a rare and often misdiagnosed clinical event with unspecific symptoms. It affects predominantly young and middle aged women. This is a case report of a 26-year-old Caucasian woman with spontaneous omental infarction two weeks after normal vaginal delivery. Omental infarction is a differential diagnosis in the postpartum ...