Paraganglioma of the thoracic spine

PubMed ID: 18440817A 49-year-old man was admitted to hospital for treatment of a T10-11 paraspinal lesion, which was detected incidentally. He had suffered from facial flushing and palpitations associated with hypertension for many years. MRI confirmed the presence of a large, well-demarcated tumour in the left paraspinal area of the T10-11 vertebral bodies. Grossly complete excision was achieved without neurological complications. Post-operatively, the patient was normotensive with no adrenergic symptoms. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Acute acetaminophen nephrotoxicity and urinary gamma-glutamyl transferase activity in rats

PubMed ID: 9713578In order to determine the relationship between the nephrotoxicity of acetaminophen and urinary gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) excretion, a single dose of 900 mg/kg acetaminophen (APAP) was administered to rats intraperitoneally. Following drug administration, 24 hour urine was collected and the kidneys were removed under ether anesthesia for histological examination. GGT activity measurements and quantitative analysis for creatinine was carried out on urine samples. Urinary GGT activity in the APAP administered group (n=12) (1.8 ± 0.21 U/mg creatinine) was significantly higher than in the control group (n=16) (0.77 ± 0.05 U/mg creatinine) (p<0.0002). Histological examination of the kidneys under light microscopy showed only very slight tissue damage. Further use of urinary GGT activity measurements in experimental nephrotoxicity studies has been suggested

In vitro permeation of diclofenac sodium from novel microemulsion formulations through rabbit skin

In order to increase topical penetration of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac sodium, new microemulsion formulations were prepared to increase drug solubility and in vitro penetration of the drug. The influence of dimethyl sulfoxide and propylene glycol were also investigated as enhancers on the in vitro penetration of diclofenac sodium using Franz diffusion cells using excised dorsal rabbit skin. Factorial randomized design was performed to analyze the results of in vitro permeation studies. Microemulsions prepared with isopropyl alcohol were superior to those prepared with propanol. Enhancers had different effects depending on the formulation. Propylene glycol was superior to dimethyl sulfoxide when incorporated into isopropyl alcohol microemulsion, whereas dimethyl sulfoxide was superior to propylene glycol in propanol microemulsions. There were no observable histopathological differences between the skin of the control group and the treated groups at the light microscope level due to swelling of the skin tissue. The present study shows that microemulsion formulations containing isopropyl alcohol as co-surfactant and propylene glycol as enhancer represent a promising approach for a topical vehicle for diclofenac sodium. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis and vasculitis or vasculary rejection in renal allografts.

PubMed ID: 11136193We describe a patient who sought treatment for acute renal allograft dysfunction 2 weeks after renal transplantation. Renal allograft biopsy (RAB) showed intimal arteritis, severe interstitial infiltration with a few eosinophils, and severe tubulitis. Pathologic diagnosis was acute rejection (grade 2b- Banff 93); however, another clinical diagnosis, drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), was not excluded. Before the RAB, his trimethaprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) treatment was discontinued. Renal function began to improve on biopsy day without antirejection therapy. Recovery of renal function without antirejection treatment and discontinuation of TMP-SMZ shows that renal pathology might be related to drug-induced dysfunction and drug-induced AIN and vasculitis. After 5 years, the patient and his renal allograft function are both well.National Kidney FoundationFrom the Department of Pathology, Section of Nephrology, Ege University, Medicine Faculty, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. Received February 28, 2000; accepted in revised form September 15, 2000. Address reprint requests to Sait S¸en, MD, Ege Üniversi-tesi Tip Fakültesi, Patoloji Anabilim Dalı Bornova Izmir, 35040 Turkey. E-mail: [email protected] © 2001 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. 1523-6838/01/3701-0027$3.00/0 doi:10.1053/ajkd.2001.20626 -

Cartilaginous hamartoma of the chest wall with secondary aneurysmal cyst-like areas in an infant: A Case Report

A case of a four-month-old Infant diagnosed as cartilaginous hamartoma of the rib Is presented. This rare tumor usually presents at birth. The patient had respiratory distress sypdrome. Swelling of the ribs was palpable on physical examination and the infant underwent surgery for excision of the ribs. Histopathologically, the tumor showed benign focal overgrowth of normal skeletal elements with cartilaginous, vascular and primitive-appearing mesenchymal elements. Additionally, secondary aneurysmal cyst formation coexisted with the tumor. The diagnosis was infantile cartilaginous hamartoma of the rib. In this entity, primitive-appearing mesenchymal stroma may be mistaken for a malignant condition. Usually a benign clinical course Is expected and treatment is by block excision

Constructive effect of exogenous melatonin against osteoporosis after ovariectomy in rats

PubMed ID: 17987812OBJECTIVE: To analyze histomorphometric, densitometric and biochemical effects of melatonin on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. STUDY DESIGN: Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups. Group C: control; Group I: bilateral ovariectomy (OVX); Group II: OVX + vehicle; Group III: OVX + 10 mg/kg/day melatonin (MLT); Group TV: OVX + 30 mg/kg/day MLT; Group V: sham + 10 mg/kg/day MLT. Cortex, trabecula, osteoblast and osteoclast numbers were evaluated on vertebra and femur histomorphometrically. Hydroxyproline analysis was used to determine collagen content of femur and vertebrae. Bone mineral density and bone mineral content were measured. RESULTS: Trabecular thickness and trabecular area of vertebra and femur and cortical thickness of femur showed remarkable decrease after OVX, but increased after MLT treatment in the OVX+MLT groups. Following OVX, no statistically significant difference was found in number of osteoblasts or osteoclasts, trabecular number or levels of hydroxyproline after treatment with MLT. OVX caused significant decrease in bone mineral density, but treatment with MLT was unable to reverse this effect. CONCLUSION: MLT may trigger microscopic changes in bone, and time of application is critical for clinical recovery. It can be effective in helping treat postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, it is contraindicated in women who have normal-functioning ovaries. © Science Printers and Publishers, Inc

Actinomycosis osteomyelitis of the jaws: Report of four cases and a review of the literature

Actinomycosis osteomyelitis of the jaw bones, particularly in the maxilla, is an extremely rare disease. This report presents two cases of maxillary and two cases of mandibular actinomycosis osteomyelitis, with the diagnosis particularly based on histological procedures. The highly diversified pathogenicity of the phenomenon and the absence of solid diagnostic criteria are discussed. Laboratory challenges are emphasized, and a comprehensive overview of the entity including treatment alternatives is given along with a review of the relevant literature. © 201

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and renal amyloidosis - Case report

Clinical renal abnormalities, including haematuria, proteinuria, abnormal urinary sediment, decreased renal functions and hypertension are relatively common in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). These findings may be due to renal amyloidosis or administration of drugs that are potentially nephrotoxic. The case of an 11 years old boy diagnosed as JRA at 4.5 months of age and treated with steroids for 10 years is presented. In his history he had hypertension for 5 years and cataract for one year. Renal biopsy was done to evaluate the aetiology for proteinuria, which was overlooked before his admission to our Department. Secondary renal amyloidosis due to JRA was found at biopsy. The importance of investigation for amyloidosis during the long-term follow-up of JRA is reemphasized. © 1995 Akadémiai Kiadó