Hemotropic mycoplasmas in cats, part 2: case report

An eight-month-old apathic cat was referred to the Department of Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals of the Ghent University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Merelbeke, Belgium. The cat had a severe case of non-regenerative anemia with a hematocrit of only 2.9%. Cytological examination of a bone marrow aspirate led to the diagnosis of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). Additionally, a PCR assay for "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" ("Candidatus M. haemominutum") DNA was positive. Although unproven, an infection with "Candidatus M. haemominutum" could have contributed to the immune-mediated destruction of red blood cell precursors. The cat recovered completely after treatment, which consisted of multiple blood transfusions, antimicrobial agents, and long-term prednisolone therapy (10 months). There were no signs of clinical relapse at 20 months after cessation of therapy

De behandeling van een omvangrijke ribtumor bij een hond

A 12-year-old English Cocker spaniel was referred because of front leg lameness due to a mass on the right cranioventral thoracic wall. Radiographic examination showed that the limited external mass had a large intrathoracic component. The patient was staged, and based on the results of computed tomography, surgery was planned and the tumor was removed en bloc. An osteosarcoma with metastasis in the regional lymph nodes was diagnosed on histopathology. Consequently, chemotherapy was instituted. The disease-free period lasted four months, after which respiratory discomfort developed due to pulmonary metastases. The dog was euthanized five months after surgery. This case illustrates that a sufficiently aggressive, multimodal treatment may prolong life expectancy in case of an advanced, malignant tumor

Influence of cryopreservation on the pulpal tissue of immature third molars in vitro.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vitro the viability of isolated and non-isolated pulpal tissue of immature third molars after cryopreservation. This study was divided in three different experiments. Experiment 1: Pulpal tissue isolated from 19 third molars was divided in horizontal segments. Each segment was cultured separately in order to evaluate whether differences in growth capacity within the tissue could be found. Experiment 2: Pulpal tissue isolated from 27 third molars was divided in a mesial and a distal part. One part was cryopreserved before culturing, the other part was cultured immediately. Growth capacity of cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved tissue was evaluated and compared. Experiment 3: 43 third molars were cryopreserved. After thawing, the dimension of the apical foramen was measured and the pulp was isolated and segmented horizontally. The different parts were cultured and growth capacity was evaluated and compared. Results of experiment 1 and 2 showed no significant difference in growth capacity between fibroblasts originating from different pulpal segments of the same tooth without cryopreservation and between fibroblasts originating from cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved isolated pulpal tissue. In experiment 3 it was demonstrated that the dimension of the apical foramen and pulpal viability after cryopreservation are positively correlated. A minimum dimension of 9.42 mm(2) enables the cryoprotective agent to penetrate sufficiently and to protect the pulpal tissue from apex to crown. This study proved that cryopreservation of human pulpal tissue is possible if the cryoprotective agent can reach the entire pulp

Factors associated with failure of surface-modified implants up to four years of function

Objectives: The relative impact of innovative treatment concepts on the failure of surface-modified implants is not well-understood. This retrospective study aimed to explore this using data obtained in a university postgraduate training centre. Material & methods: Patients treated with implants for a variety of indications over a 3-year period were included. All implants had been at least one year in function. Clinical records were evaluated for implant failure and in reference to implant length/diameter/location, time from tooth loss to implant placement, bone condition (native/grafted), surgical protocol (two-/one-stage), loading protocol (delayed/early/immediate), type of prosthesis (removable/fixed), surgeon’s experience level (resident/trainee) and specialty (periodontist/oral surgeon). The impact of each covariate on failure was tested using the Fisher’s exact test. Kaplan-Meier survival functions were constructed and Mantel-Cox logrank tests were used to compare survival functions. To correct for possible interaction Cox proportional Hazards regression was adopted. Results: 41/1180 (3.5%) implants were lost in 34/461 (7.4%) patients (245 ♀, 216 ♂; mean age 51, range 18-90). Factors showing significant impact on failure on the basis of univariate analyses were implant location (p=0.015), surgical protocol (p=0.002), loading protocol (p=0.002), surgeon’s experience level (p=0.035) and specialty (p=0.001). When controlling for other covariates, only the loading protocol had a significant influence (p=0.049) with early loading more prone to failure (p=0.014) when compared to delayed loading. Immediate loading and delayed loading showed comparable implant survival (p=0.311). Conclusions: Implant therapy may be highly successful in a training centre where inexperienced clinicians are strictly monitored and personally guided. Implant specific variables do not affect implant survival but early loading is a risk indicator for implant failure, whereas immediate loading is not

Intestinal levodopa infusion : the Belgian experience

Data concerning efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction of levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG, Duodopa, AbbVie, Wavre, Belgium) infusion in routine clinical practice were needed to maintain reimbursement of the drug in Belgium. Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease in 27 neurology centers across Belgium were included. Of 100 patients who underwent naso-intestinal (NI) evaluation with LCIG, 67 received permanent treatment with LCIG via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and jejunal tube (PEG/J). Efficacy was evaluated at baseline (on levodopa) and during a follow-up (FU) visit (on LCIG) using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) IV. Patient appraisal of the Duodopa system was evaluated using a visual analog scale for therapy compliance, user-friendliness, and global appreciation. Safety was assessed by reporting suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and medical device-related complaints. FU evaluations were conducted in 37 patients. Significant improvement at FU was observed for motor complications (UPDRS IV) as the mean change from baseline to FU was -6.3 (95 % CI -8.1 to -4.5). Patient appraisal showed high scores for hospital delivery, user-friendliness, and patient global appreciation, as well as family appreciation of the system on daily life. Few ADRs and system malfunctions were reported, with no unexpected ADRs. In conclusion, the symptoms and impact of Parkinsonism improved markedly when LCIG PEG/J was initiated. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Intestinal levodopa infusion: The Belgian experience

Data concerning efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction of levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG, Duodopa, AbbVie, Wavre, Belgium) infusion in routine clinical practice were needed to maintain reimbursement of the drug in Belgium. Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease in 27 neurology centers across Belgium were included. Of 100 patients who underwent naso-intestinal (NI) evaluation with LCIG, 67 received permanent treatment with LCIG via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and jejunal tube (PEG/J). Efficacy was evaluated at baseline (on levodopa) and during a follow-up (FU) visit (on LCIG) using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) IV. Patient appraisal of the Duodopa system was evaluated using a visual analog scale for therapy compliance, user-friendliness, and global appreciation. Safety was assessed by reporting suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and medical device-related complaints. FU evaluations were conducted in 37 patients. Significant improvement at FU was observed for motor complications (UPDRS IV) as the mean change from baseline to FU was -6.3 (95 % CI -8.1 to -4.5). Patient appraisal showed high scores for hospital delivery, user-friendliness, and patient global appreciation, as well as family appreciation of the system on daily life. Few ADRs and system malfunctions were reported, with no unexpected ADRs. In conclusion, the symptoms and impact of Parkinsonism improved markedly when LCIG PEG/J was initiated. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

IgE-mediated gastroallergic anisakiasis with eosinophilic oesophagitis : a case report.

Background Anisakiasis is an emerging zoonosis caused by the fish parasitic nematode Anisakis infecting the gastrointestinal tract. Case presentation We describe a case of a 58-year-old woman diagnosed with gastro-allergic anisakiasis, in which the patient developed an acute food-induced IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction as well as concurrent gastro-intestinal manifestations after consumption of raw fish. The patient presented with epigastric pain, anaphylaxis and acute dysphagia caused by eosinophilic oesophagitis. Discussion Anisakis allergy should be considered as causative agent in patients presenting with acute urticarial rash, anaphylaxis and/or abdominal manifestations, especially when symptoms occur after consumption of seafood. Moreover, eosinophilic oesophagitis may be a rare but important complication of Anisakis infection. Endoscopic evaluation with esophageal biopsies should therefore be considered if suggestive symptoms are present. Patients with confirmed gastroallergic anisakiasis are advised to properly freeze or cook fish prior to consumption, although caution is advised, since heat-stable allergen proteins have been described. An adrenaline auto-injector should be prescribed

Influence of cryopreservation on human periodontal ligament cells in vitro

Cryopreservation of teeth before autotransplantation may create new possibilities in dentistry. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a standardised cryopreservation procedure on human periodontal ligament (PDL) cell cultures. Human PDL fibroblasts obtained from immature third molars of I I patients were cultured and divided into two groups. The experimental group was cryopreserved and cultured after thawing. The control group was cultured without cryopreservation. A comparison was made between cryopreserved and control cells. To evaluate possible differences in the characteristics of the fibroblasts, the cells in both groups were tested for viability (membrane integrity), growth capacity and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression. The Wilcoxon test for paired comparison between cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved cells was performed for each characteristic. The results showed that membrane integrity of cells was not influenced by cryopreservation. There was no statistically significant difference in growth capacity between cryopreserved and control cells. Non-cryopreserved cells were slightly stronger positive for ALP, but the difference was not statistically significant. From these experiments it can be concluded that the observed parameters are not influenced by cryopreservation