In vivo
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Case Reports
Incidentally discovered asymptomatic splenic hamartoma with rapidly expansive growth: a case report.
Splenic hamartoma (SH) is a very rare benign vascular lesion, usually asymptomatic. Although infrequent, it must be differentiated from malignant lesions, such as lymphoma or metastases, or other vascular neoplasms of the spleen. We present the case of a solid lesion of the spleen discovered incidentally in a 42-year-ol women, characterized by an unusual rapid expansive growth during four-month follow-up. ⋯ On immunohistochemical staining the tissue was CD34 - and CD8 + and the final diagnosis was SH. In conclusion, when SH is suspected and malignancy cannot be ruled out, hand-assisted splenectomy should be considered the procedure of choice. Partial splenectomy should be preferred in children, to avoid potential risks of total splenectomy.
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The Glutatione-S-transferases (GSTs) comprise a family of enzymes closely associated with the cell detoxification of xenobiotics. GSTs exist as homo- or heterodimers and have been grouped into at least seven distinct classes. The main function of GSTs is to catalyze the conjugation of reduced glutathione (GSH) to an electrophilic site of a broad range of potentially toxic and carcinogenic compounds, thereby making such compounds less dangerous and enabling their ready-excretion. ⋯ During development, GST-P 7-7 decreases in concentration and is absent in adult tissues. Interestingly, GST-P 7-7 expression has been detected in adult tissues after exposure to carcinogenic agents in several experimental test systems, being considered a reliable biomarker of exposure and susceptibility in early phases of carcinogenesis. In this article, we review a series of studies involving GST-P 7-7 expression as a suitable tool for understanding cancer pathogenesis, especially cancer risk.
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Case Reports
Extensive sublingual epidermoid cyst--diagnosis by immunohistological analysis and proof by podoplanin.
We present the case of a surgically treated 39-year-old man with diagnosis of a giant sublingual internal epidermoid cyst. Usually, such dermoid or epidermoid cysts are caused by aberrant ectodermal tissues or by acquired aberrant epithelial tissues arising from the foetal period, or from trauma or surgery. The incidence of oral dermoid or epidermoid cysts is about 1.6%; most occur at the mouth floor but they nevertheless are very rare. ⋯ Sublingually situated extensive epidermoid cysts are rare findings in the oral cavity. In such cases, surgical excision remains the only treatment. We demonstrated that cystic epithelia were normally not immunoreactive for D2-40 but strong immunoreactivity was observed in the basal epithelial cell layer, in areas of ruptured cyst wall associated with secondary inflammatory changes.
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Clinical Trial
Usefulness of history-taking in non-specific abdominal pain: a prospective study of 1333 patients with acute abdominal pain in Finland.
Nonspecific abdominal pain is the commonest cause of a patient presenting to a doctor with abdominal pain of less than one week's duration. The differential diagnosis of NSAP is not always easy due to many similarities in the clinical presentation at onset and many cases may be misdiagnosed in the initial situation. To the Authors' knowledge, the diagnostic accuracy of history-taking is rarely considered in NSAP, and therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of history-taking to correctly diagnosing NSAP in the clinical situation. ⋯ The results of this study do not support a specific link between any one clinical symptom and NSAP diagnosis. However, patients with midline pain, without any increase in pain and without vomiting, and those with weak or moderate pain tended to be at risk for NSAP.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Serotonergic descending inhibition in chronic pain: design, preliminary results and early cessation of a randomized controlled trial.
We examined whether activation of serotonergic descending pathways improves pain inhibition during exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and comorbid fibromyalgia (FM) in comparison with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and sedentary, healthy controls in a double-blind randomized controlled trial with cross-over design. ⋯ It was decided that proceeding with the study would be unethical. No conclusion could be made regarding pain inhibition during exercise in CFS/FM compared to RA and controls.