Low-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasm Presenting as a Surgical Emergency: A Case Report

We present the case of a female patient admitted to our University Hospital with acute abdominal pain mimicking an intraperitoneal septic condition caused possibly by acute appendicitis. CT and ultrasound scan showed a mass situated in the right iliac fossa. The patient was submitted to laparotomy and right hemicolectomy. The operative findings were suggestive of an appendiceal mucocele. The histology report revealed a low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm. The patient had no clinical, biochemical or visual signs of disease recurrence 6 months postoperatively

Acute occlusion of the celiac axis and its branches with perforation of gastric fundus and splenic infarction, findings on spiral computed tomography: a case report

We present the contrast-enhanced spiral CT findings in a case of acute celiac artery occlusion with gastric perforation and total splenic infarction. Spiral CT depicted thrombus in the celiac axis and its branches, stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery, splenic infarction and lack of enhancement of the gastric wall with a large necrotic gap. Spiral CT enabled prompt diagnosis and therapy in this rare condition in a patient with suspicion of acute mesenteric ischemia

Vitamin D Levels as a Marker of Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The SARS-CoV-2 virus may cause severe infection, which is associated with diverse clinical manifestations. Vitamin D has immunomodulating properties and may enhance the body’s defense system against invading pathogenic organisms. The aim was to assess 25(OH)D3 levels in patients hospitalized for severe infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus and explore the relationship between 25(OH)D3 and outcomes. In a group of 88 patients hospitalized for severe infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus and a control group matched for age and sex, the levels of 25(OH)D3 were analyzed. Levels of 25(OH)D3 were 17.36 ± 8.80 ng/mL (mean ± SD) compared with 24.34 ± 10.34 ng/mL in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and the control group, respectively, p t-test). 25(OH)D3 levels were significantly related to outcomes, i.e., survival as opposed to non-survival, as more patients with 25(OH)D3 deficiency (0–10 ng/mL) and insufficiency (10–20 ng/mL) had a fatal outcome as compared with those with vitamin D sufficiency (p p p < 0.001, linear regression analysis, beta coefficient of variation, −0.176, −0.160, −0.178, and −0.158, respectively). Vitamin D deficiency observed in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection was related to disease outcomes

Practical approaches to effective management of intestinal radiation injury: Benefit of resectional surgery

AIM: To study the outcome of patients undergoing surgical resection of the bowel for sustained radiation-induced damage intractable to conservative management

Parylene C Surface Functionalization and Patterning with pH-Responsive Microgels

Parylene C is a polymer well-known for its inertness and chemical resistance, thus ideal for covering and sealing 3D substrates and structures by conformal coating. In the present study, the Parylene C surface is modified by functionalization with pH-responsive poly­(methacrylic acid) microgels either over the whole surface, or in a pattern through a poly­(dimethylsiloxane) stamp. The surface functionalization consists of two phases: first, an oxygen plasma treatment is used to make the surface superhydrophilic, inducing the formation of polar functional groups and surface topography modifications; then, the plasma-treated samples are functionalized by drop casting a solution of pH-responsive microgels, or in a pattern via microcontact printing of the same solution. While both techniques, namely, drop casting and microcontact printing, are easy to use, fast, and cheap, the microcontact printing was found to provide a more homogeneous functionalization and to be applicable to any shape of substrate. The functionalization effectiveness was tested by the repeated uptake and release of a fluorescent labeled monoclonal CD4 antibody at different pH values, thus suggesting a new sensing approach

Potential use of procalcitonin as a diagnostic criterion in febrile neutropenia: Experience from a multicentre study

In order to assess the diagnostic value of procalcitonin, 158 patients with febrile neutropenia from centres across Europe were studied. Patients with fever were diagnosed on the basis of either: (1) clinical, radiological and microbiological criteria; or (2) the procalcitonin value. In the latter case, concentrations of 0.5-1.0 ng/mL were considered diagnostic of localised infection, concentrations of 1.0-5.0 ng/mL of bacteraemia, and concentrations of > 5.0 ng/mL of severe sepsis. Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein were estimated daily in serum by immunochemiluminescence and nephelometry, respectively. Overall, the sensitivity (specificity) of procalcitonin for bacteraemia. was 44.2% (64.3%) at concentrations of 1.0-5.0 ng/mL, and 83.3% (100%) for severe sepsis at concentrations of > 5.0 ng/mL. It was concluded that procalcitonin is a marker strongly suggestive of severe sepsis at concentrations of > 5.0 ng/mL. Estimated concentrations of < 0.5 ng/mL indicate that infection is unlikely, but it was observed that bacteraemia associated with coagulase-negative staphylococci may fail to elevate serum procalcitonin levels. © 2004 Copyright by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe