Medicine
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Observational Study
Application of MR diffusion imaging for non-invasive assessment of acute kidney injury after lung transplantation.
To assess whether MR diffusion imaging may be applied for non-invasive detection of renal changes correlating with clinical diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients after lung transplantation (lutx). Fifty-four patients (mean age 49.6, range 26-64 years) after lutx were enrolled in a prospective clinical study and underwent functional MR imaging of the kidneys in the early postoperative period. Baseline s-creatinine ranged from 39 to 112 μmol/L. ⋯ Reduction of renal ADC correlated significantly with acute loss of renal function after lutx (decrease of renal function in the postoperative period and glomerular filtration rate on the day of MRI). MR diffusion imaging enables non-invasive assessment of renal changes correlating with AKI early after lutx. Reduction of diffusion anisotropy was present in all patients after lutx, whereas marked reduction of renal ADC was observed only in the group of lutx recipients with AKI and correlated with renal function impairment.
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Understanding the association between Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) and malignancy is essential for early diagnosis and treatment of the potential lethal disease. To the best of our knowledge, there has been only one published case of HSP coexisting with oesophageal cancer. Here, we report another patient diagnosed with HSP and oesophageal squamous carcinoma simultaneously. ⋯ We report a rare case of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma initially presented as HSP. This case suggests the importance of evaluating adult patients with HSP for an underlying malignancy.
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Case Reports
Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the nasal cavity with epiphora as the first symptom: A case report.
Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are rare malignancies that originate from the hormone-producing cells of the neuroendocrine system. They can grow in most organs of the body but are commonly found in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. The nasal cavity is a rare site for NECs. ⋯ Diagnosing nasal neuroendocrine carcinoma is clinically challenging. It must be distinguished from other orbital masses, such as chronic dacryocystitis or nasal polyps. The treatment should be further investigated for this rare malignancy in near future.
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Observational Study
A retrospective study of ulinastatin for the treatment of severe sepsis.
This retrospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of existing approach of ulinastatin for the treatment of severe sepsis (SS). A total of 130 eligible patients with SS were included in this study. We divided them into an intervention group (n = 65) and a control group (n = 65). ⋯ There are similar safety profiles between both groups. This study suggests that ulinastatin may be beneficial for SS. Future studies are still needed to warrant the results of this study.
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Case Reports
Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita as an adverse effect from rituximab therapy: A case report.
Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody directed against B cells and is a first-line agent for the treatment of B cell lymphoma and a second-line agent for the treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). It has also been used for the treatment of several other autoimmune diseases. Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) has never been reported as an adverse effect resulted from rituximab therapy. ⋯ Physicians should consider this diagnosis when a patient develops bullous skin eruptions while undergoing Rituximab therapy.