Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Nov 2008
Comparative StudyEndoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration when combined with positron emission tomography improves specificity and overall diagnostic accuracy in unexplained mediastinal lymphadenopathy and staging of non-small-cell lung cancer.
The aim of this study was to assess the incremental value of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) to positron emission tomography (PET) in the diagnosis of unexplained mediastinal lymphadenopathy and staging of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ⋯ This study suggests that EUS-guided FNA complements PET by improving the overall specificity and thereby the accuracy for diagnosis of unexplained mediastinal lymphadenopathy. It provides a minimally invasive technique to assess the mediastinum in patients with NSCLC and is particularly valuable in cases in which PET findings are equivocal.
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Internal medicine journal · Nov 2008
Case ReportsTako-tsubo-like cardiomyopathy after EpiPen administration.
Tako-tsubo-like cardiomyopathy is characterized by acute chest pain, electrocardiographic changes and increased cardiac enzymes in the absence of obstructive coronary vessel disease. We describe the development of tako-tsubo-like cardiomyopathy in an elderly woman after the use of an EpiPen for generalized urticaria and angioedema. As adrenaline may participate in the pathogenesis of this condition, the need for careful patient selection and education in the use of adrenaline self-injectors remains imperative.
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Internal medicine journal · Nov 2008
Comparative StudyEpidemiology of primary systemic vasculitis in the Australian Capital Territory and south-eastern New South Wales.
The aim of the study was to determine the epidemiology of primary systemic vasculitis in the Australian Capital Territory and the surrounding rural region between 1995 and 2005. ⋯ The overall incidence of primary systemic vasculitides is similar to that reported from other developed countries. WG is more common in south-eastern Australia than in southern Europe, whereas MPA is less common. There was a trend towards higher incidence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides in rural than urban areas.