Postgraduate medical journal
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A case of Behçet's syndrome with mucosal ulcerations of the ascending colon and three perforations of the caecum is described. It is the first documented case of this syndrome where colitis has occurred without concomitant rectal lesions. The reported cases of Behçet's syndrome with associated colonic lesions make up a heterogeneous group. It is suggested that the different patients may have suffered from pathogenetically different diseases.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Studies on the concomitant use of carbamazepine and clomipramine for the relief of post-herpetic neuralgia.
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A 71-year-old woman with myxoedema coma presenting in status epilepticus is reported. Although this complication of myxoedema coma is considered to be fatal the patient described responded dramatically to treatment and remains in good health.
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The growth-inhibiting effect of exogenous corticosteroids has been reported in many papers. Most of them have concerned the clinical problems of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis but it is probable that the underlying disease is relatively unimportant in determining the effect on growth. ⋯ Although the mechanisms are uncertain it seems likely that the action is peripheral and certainly exogenous growth hormone does not prevent the steroid effect. A minimal dosage of corticosteroids should always be used in replacement therapy for hypopituitarism.
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The anti-inflammatory action of corticosteroids is complex. At a cellular level, they cause redistribution of granulocytes, resulting in increased circulating granulocytes and reduced tissue pools. They also cause lymphopenia. ⋯ They cause adrenergically mediated vasoconstriction and non-competitive antagonism of vasodilation due to prostaglanin E and bradykinin. Prostaglandin formation is inhibited by corticosteroids but whether this is due to an effect on enzymic synthesis or release is uncertain. Corticosteroids stabilize the lysosomal membrane preventing release of lysosomal enzymes in vitro but the significance of this in vivo is debatable.