Irish journal of medical science
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Pachydermodactyly is a rare, benign fibromatosis located around the proximal interphalangeal joints. It is often misdiagnosed as juvenile idiopathic arthritis and may cause unnecessary treatments and anxiety in patients. The goal of this paper is to describe this condition through all the existing information in the scientific literature. ⋯ Diagnosis can be established in asymptomatic young patients through a congruent physical exam, regular analytic results and imaging tests that simply show swelling of soft tissue-a biopsy is generally not required for diagnosis. As pachydermodactyly's course is asymptomatic and benign, knowledge about this condition is limited, which increases the likelihood of its underdiagnosis-it is important that clinicians know of pachydermodactyly in order to avoid misdiagnosis.
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COVID-19 is a new disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The olfactory dysfunction linked to COVID-19 is not associated with rhinorrhea but there is no objective evaluation. ⋯ Olfactory dysfunction and gustatory dysfunction are the two of the unknown for this disease. We evaluated the nasal mucosa secretions in COVID-19 patients with anosmia objectively to evaluate if there is inflammation in the nasal mucosa. We found no difference between healthy individuals. According to our study, SARS-CoV-2 causes anosmia without causing nasal mucosal inflammation. Invasion of the olfactory bulb and central nervous system by SARS-CoV-2 may lead to anosmia in COVID-19, which may cause olfactory dysfunction.
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With among the lowest urologist per population ratios in Europe, the demand for urology specialist review in Ireland far exceeds supply. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) account for a significant number of referrals. The traditional paradigm of every patient being reviewed in a consultant-led clinic is unsustainable. New models of care with nurse-led clinics represent an opportunity to optimise limited resources. ⋯ Introduction of a CNS-led LUTS clinic has significantly reduced the number of patients requiring follow-up in general urology clinics, representing a quality improvement in service provision.
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Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a benign and rare chronic inflammatory disease of the breast with unknown etiology. While there is no consensus regarding its post-diagnosis management, there are different treatment alternatives. ⋯ For IGM, the "watch and wait" approach is an effective option. A chance should be given to the self-limiting nature of the disease with the addition of drainage when necessary.
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Alopecia areata (AA) is considered an organ-specific autoimmune disease of hair follicles. Adipose tissue plays a role in lipid metabolism and glucose metabolism and secretes adipokines such as leptin and adiponectin. Dysregulation in the adipokine balance may be associated with metabolic syndrome. We aimed to determine serum adipokine levels in AA patients and compare them with healthy controls, and to determine whether there was metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in the AA patients. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that adiponectin and leptin probably has a role in the pathogenesis of AA with scalp hair involvement.