Diffuse diabetic glomerulosclerosis in a patient with impaired glucose tolerance: report on a patient who later develops diabetes mellitus

Diabetic glomerulosclerosis might be seen in diabetics but its presence in patients with impaired glucose tolerance is quite rare. A 31-year-old woman who was admitted to our department was diagnosed with hypertension, nephrotic syndrome and impaired glucose tolerance. Her renal biopsy was compatible with diabetic glomerulosclerosis. She developed overt diabetes mellitus (DM) after one year of impaired glucose tolerance. Hypertension might have accelerated the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Chylous ascites after liver transplantation with mesentero-portal jump graft

Chylous effusions and lymphatic leaks occur after trauma, malignant disease, primary lymphatic disorders, and parasitosis, and rarely after abdominal surgery. Chylous ascites after orthotopic liver transplantation is a rare complication. We report a case of chylous ascites occurring after hepatic transplantation with a mesentero-portal venous jump graft, successfully treated with conservative management.

Losartan-induced hepatic injury

Losartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, is widely used for the treatment of hypertension. Clinical experience with this drug has demonstrated that it is safe. Losartan-induced hepatic toxicity is extremely rare. We report a case of severe hepatic toxicity and fibrosis caused by losartan use, and we review four previously reported cases. Drug-induced hepatic injury may be seen during the treatment of hypertension by losartan and the clinician should be aware of this toxicity, especially during the initial phase of treatment.

Therapeutic vaccination in chronic hepatitis B

AIMS

The aim was to test the efficacy of a pre-S2-containing vaccine (Genhevac-B) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Twenty-five naive patients (22 male, three female; median age 35; range: 6-69 years) with CHB were recruited. The inclusion criteria were: hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive or HBV-DNA detectable with liquid hybridization; alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is at least 1.5-fold the upper normal limit and histological evidence of chronic hepatitis.

METHODS

In the first period, all patients received monthly injections of 20, 40 and 60 microg of the vaccine. One month after the last injection, patients who still had HBV-DNA were divided into two randomly assigned groups. While the patients in the first group and the patients who lost HBV-DNA in the first period continued to receive monthly injections of 20 microg vaccine for a further 6 months, the patients in the second group received 9 MU interferon alpha-2b (Roferon-A), three times per week using the same method as for the first group. Patients were followed up after 12 months without treatment. Response was defined as the loss of HBV-DNA and normalization of ALT.

RESULTS

Six of the 25 patients lost HBV-DNA after 3 months. Nine of the remainder were randomly placed in the first group (vaccine-only) and 10 were placed in the second group (vaccine + interferon). End-of-treatment response was achieved, overall, 8/15 from the vaccine group and 6/10 from the combination. One patient from each group relapsed during the follow up. Overall, the sustained response (SR) rate was 46% (7/15) in the vaccine group, and 50% (5/10) in the combination group. Histological improvement was achieved in 6/7 SR with vaccine-only and all five with combination treatment, while 1/8 of failures of vaccine and 2/5 of failures of combination improved.

CONCLUSIONS

It was concluded that Genhevac-B decreases serum HBV-DNA levels in the majority of patients with CHB and sustained clearance was achieved in some patients. Combination of interferon-alpha with Genhevac-B is effective for the vaccine failures and may increase sustained response compared to interferon-alpha alone. However, the mechanism of action is yet to be explained.

Intermittent mode reversion to VOO of a dual chamber pacemaker model

This report describes an asymptomatic patient with a DDDR pacemaker system (Inos Cls, Biotronik) that showed intermittent mode reversion to VOO and sometimes to VVI without a detectable source of electromagnetic interference and oversensing. Patients with this Biotronik model should be carefully assessed along with a surface ECG before placing the programming head.

Follow-up of a patient with chronic hepatitis C-associated cryoglobulinemia during four and a half years of maintenance interferon treatment

In this report, we present a patient with chronic hepatitis C-associated cryoglobulinemia who was kept on maintenance interferon treatment because of flare-ups in cryoglobulinemia-associated signs and hepatitis after withdrawal, dose reduction, and increase in dose intervals of interferon. This type of interferon use for treatment of cryoglobulinemia gave us a chance to observe the long-term effects of interferon on cryoglobulinemia and chronic hepatitis C remission for biochemical, virologic, and histologic aspects.

Right ventricular aneurysm complicating right ventricular infarction

Right ventricular (RV) involvement commonly occurs in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction and is associated with high mortality and morbidity. RV dysfunction and dilatation commonly recover in survivors; chronic RV dyskinesia and failure are rare complications. This case report presents a patient in whom an isolated RV aneurysm complicates a RV involvement of acute inferior-posterior myocardial infarction.

Amantadine monotherapy of chronic hepatitis C patients infected with genotype lb

We aimed to test the efficacy of amantadine in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients infected with genotype b. Twenty patients completed treatment with amantadine HCl, 100 mg b.i.d., for 6 months. Non-sustained biochemical improvement was observed without loss of HCV-RNA. We conclude that amantadine monotherapy is not effective in CHC.

[Quantitative ultrasonic myocardial texture analysis of the diabetic heart]

OBJECTIVE

Contraction and relaxation of the heart cause decrease and increase in myocardial video intensity (MVI) recorded from echocardiographic images, respectively. The present study was planned to compare this physiological cyclic variations of MVI in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and healthy subjects.

METHODS

For this purpose, standard echocardiographic examination was performed to 18 young patients (age 23.2+6.4; range: 15-37 years) with insulin dependent type 1 diabetes mellitus (diabetes duration: 7.8+5.6; range: 1-17 years) and 14 age and sex matched controls. In all subjects, end-diastolic and end-systolic 2D echocardiographic images of 3 consecutive beats that had been recorded on videotapes were digitized. The quantitative analysis of digitized imaging was performed with the help of a calibrated digitization system in order to calculate the septum and the posterior wall textural parameters. The cyclic variation index (CVI) of the mean gray level (MGL) was calculated according the formula: (MGL dias- MGL diast x 100.

RESULTS

Among the groups, left ventricular diastolic dimension-index, fractional shortening, E/A ratio, and isovolumic relaxation time showed no statistically significant differences, while septum and (8.3+1.1 vs. 7.3+0.9 mm; p=0.016) and posterior wall thickness (8+0.6 vs. 6.8+1.1mm; p=0.004) and E-deceleration time (167+23 vs. 140=19 msec.; p=0.003) were significantly higher in diabetics. The diabetic patients showed significantly lower CVI both for septum (18.2+11.5% vs. 39.3+11.5%; p=0.0001) and posterior wall (16.4+16% vs. 40.5+9.2%; p=0.0001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Altered videoensitometric parameters possibly represent a preclinical alteration, conceivably related to the myocardial collagen content increase, which does not necessarily indicate an actual disease but may be considered an early marker of the histopathologic findings of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

The prevalence of hereditary thrombophilia in the Trakya region of Turkey

The prevalences of deficiencies in antithrombin III (AT III), protein C (PC), protein S (PS) and in the activated protein C (APC) resistance in the thrombotic population of the Trakya region, Turkey were investigated. 37 patients with venous thrombosis (VT) and 17 patients with arterial thrombosis (ArT) were included in this study. The mean ages of the patients with VT and ArT were 46 years (range 20-70) and 38 years (range 32-40), respectively. The activity of AT III was measured by commercially available immuno-turbidimetric assay. The activities of PC and PS were determined by coagulometric assay. The APC resistance was measured using a modified APTT-based clotting assay. Among the VT patients, there were 2 cases (5.4%) with AT III, 5 (13.51%) with PC deficiency, 5 (13.51%) with PS deficiency and 2 (5.4%) with APC resistance. In the ArT patient group, there was 1 patient (5.88%) with AT III, 3 (17.64%) with PC deficiency, 1 (5.88%) with PS deficiency and no APC resistant patients, while there was one (2.08%) with PC deficiency and one (2.08%) with APC resistance in the control group (49 persons, mean age 41 years). The relative risk of thrombosis (odds ratio) was 1.7 in the deficiency of PC and 5.6 in the deficiency of PS. The data presented suggests that the prevalences of AT III, PC and PS deficiencies causing thrombophilia in the Trakya region of Turkey are higher than in other reported studies while the APC resistance is lower than in others. Further studies including more patients would be required to clarify these discrepancies.

Heart failure during first inferior acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Inferior acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) have better in-hospital prognosis than do anterior AMI. Authors of several studies reported that patients with inferior AMI complicated by atrioventricular block, concomitant precordial ST-segment depression and involvement of right ventricle have larger infarctions and a worse prognoses than do patients without these features.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the incidence, clinical course and in-hospital prognosis of patients with heart failure and first inferior AMI.

METHODS

We analysed in 257 consecutive patients with first inferior AMI who had been admitted to the coronary care unit during January 1991 and March 1995. The clinical and electrocardiographic characteristics, as well as the morbidities and in-hospital mortalities, of groups of patients with and without heart failure during inferior AMI were compared.

RESULTS

Symptoms and signs of heart failure were noted for 49 patients (19%). We found that patients who had suffered heart failure during inferior AMI were older (62.1 +/- 9.86 versus 58.78 +/- 10.58 years, P < 0.05) than those who had not suffered heart failure. There was no significant difference between patients' sex, history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking status, thrombolytic therapy, involvement of right ventricle and QRS score for these two groups. We found a greater prevalence of ST-segment depression (ST-segment depression > or = 1 mV in more than one precordial lead with maximal ST-segment depression in leads V4-V6) of V4-V6 precordial leads (57 versus 26%, P = 0.00002) and a lesser prevalence of no ST-segment depression (ST-segment depression < 0.1 mV in each precordial lead; 14 versus 38%, P = 0.001) among patients who had suffered heart failure. We found greater incidences of serious ventricular arrhythmias (53 versus 26, P = 0.0002) and ventricular tachycardiafibrillation (16 versus 7%, P = 0.03) among patients who had suffered heart failure than we did among those who had not. Third-degree atrioventricular block was more often found in patients who had suffered heart failure (23 versus 12%, P = 0.07) but this difference was not statistically significant. We found that the in-hospital mortality among patients who had suffered heart failure was much higher than that among those who had not (24.5 versus 3.8%, P = 0.000001).

CONCLUSION

We found that heart failure occurs primarily in old patients, and in those with precordial ST-segment depression, especially in leads V4-V6. The patients who suffer heart failure have worse in-hospital prognosis due to serious ventricular arrhythmias and cardiogenic shock.

Multilocular cystic nephroma: an unusual localization

We present a case of multilocular cystic nephroma with an unusual localization treated by a nephron-sparing procedure. A 21-year-old white woman presented with a history of hematuria and right lumbar pain. Imaging techniques revealed a multilocular cystic mass originating from the renal parenchyma but mainly involving the renal pelvis. The lesion was localized almost entirely within the renal pelvis at surgery and was treated by excision. Pathologic analysis was consistent with multilocular cystic nephroma. The patient remains free of recurrence with 10 years of follow-up. We conclude that multilocular cystic nephroma may present as a cystic lesion localized within the renal pelvis, and we advocate simple excision of these lesions.

Effect of aminophylline in patients with atropine-resistant late advanced atrioventricular block during acute inferior myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Advanced atrioventricular (AV) block is a frequent complication in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction (AIMI). This conduction abnormality is associated with narrow QRS complex in conducted or junctional escape beats, suggesting that the site of block is the AV node; however, its pathophysiology has not been properly established.

HYPOTHESIS

This study investigated the effect of aminophylline in eight patients (5 men, 3 women, age range 51 to 78 years, mean 67.5 +/- 8.8 years) with atropine-resistant late advanced AV block during AIMI.

METHODS

Advanced AV block was late in appearance in all patients, starting 2 to 5 days after AIMI, and consisted of second-degree Mobitz II type in two patients and of complete AV block in six patients; all patients had narrow QRS complexes. Before aminophylline administration, all patients had a temporary pacemaker installed which was switched off throughout the study. They were given intravenous atropine (1 mg) that was found to be ineffective. One-half h after atropine, the first aminophylline injection (240 mg) was given intravenously over 10 min. One h following the first injection, a second aminophylline dose (240 mg) was administered. Electrocardiographic rhythm strips were obtained before and after drug administration, and the type of AV block and atrial and ventricular rate were noted.

RESULTS

Aminophylline restored 1:1 conduction with first-degree AV block in six patients, Mobitz I AV block in one patient, and normal sinus rhythm in one patient. Mean atrial and ventricular rates before aminophylline were 104 +/- 16 beats/min and 57 +/- 9 beats/min, respectively, and after drug administration 95 +/- 25 beats/min and 89 +/- 17 beats/min, respectively, (p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that aminophylline improves AV conduction in atropine-resistant late advanced AV block complicating AIMI.