Iodine-131 treatment of hyperthyroidism in a patient on dialysis for chronic renal failure

A 7- to 8-cm diffuse toxic goiter with associated symptoms of hyperthyroidism developed in a 38-year-old black female undergoing regular hemodialysis for renal failure. Our treatment of choice was an ablative dose of radioactive iodine in the form of sodium iodide (Na-131I). To our knowledge, this is only the 4th documented case of hyperthyroidism in a patient with renal failure. Detailed monitoring of 131I radioactivity in the blood, thyroid gland and the dialysate demonstrated that there was no radiation hazard to personnel involved in the patient management.

DNA ploidy, proliferation, and neu-oncogene protein overexpression in breast carcinoma

DNA content, proliferative activity (Ki-67 immuno-staining and S-phase fraction by flow cytometry), and neu-oncogene overexpression were studied in 135 patients with invasive breast carcinoma. Image analysis and flow cytometry of fresh tumors showed good correlation between the two methods and yielded 39% diploid tumors and 61% aneuploid tumors. Aneuploidy, including tetraploidy, was significantly related to the loss of estrogen (p = 0.0002) and progesterone (p = 0.03) receptors, high histologic (p = 0.014) and nuclear (p less than 0.0001) grades, and mitotic rate (p = 0.0001). Immunohistochemical evaluation of proliferation by staining with Ki-67 monoclonal antibody and of neu-oncogene protein overexpression was performed in fresh frozen tissue from 83 tumors. The Ki-67 score, quantitated by the CAS-200 image analyzer, correlated only moderately with S-phase fraction obtained by flow cytometry by linear regression analysis (r = 0.39, p less than 0.001). However, both of these proliferation markers correlated strongly with the mitotic rate (p less than 0.0001). Aneuploid and tetraploid tumors demonstrated higher Ki-67 scores and S-phase fractions than diploid tumors. Neu-oncogene protein overexpression was seen in 24 tumors (29%) overall and was much higher in aneuploid tumors (38%) and tetraploid tumors (50%) than in diploid tumors (7%). However, the concentration of neu-oncogene protein positive tumors in the tetraploid region reported by others was not observed. Neu-oncogene protein overexpression was also associated with higher Ki-67 scores (p = 0.016) and S-phase fractions (p = 0.037).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Foot and ankle disorders resulting from Lyme disease

Ten cases of Lyme disease involving the foot and ankle are reported. Onset of symptoms was months to years before diagnosis. A variety of clinical foot and ankle problems resulted. Careful case histories and serologic testing resulted in proper diagnosis and treatment.

Clinical diagnosis of tamponade in Malawi

A consecutive series of 25 Malawian patients with tamponade secondary to tuberculosis were compared to 25 patients with congestive cardiac failure, without pericardial effusion in a retrospective study. More patients with tamponade had an impalpable apex beat (21/1), pulsus paradoxus (13/0), soft heart sounds (13/2), paradoxical rise in jugular venous pressure (6/0), and fewer had a murmur (1/14). All these results are significant (p less than 0.05) by the chi 2 test with Yates' correction. The presence of two or more of these discriminating physical signs has a positive predictive value of 75 per cent, and a negative predictive value of 99.5 per cent for the diagnosis of tamponade. Clinical diagnosis of tamponade by primary health care personnel in Malawi should be possible, and lead to earlier treatment.

A multicenter comparison of adhesion, preference, tolerability, and safety characteristics of two transdermal nitroglycerin delivery systems: Transderm-Nitro and Deponit

One hundred forty-two patients with stable angina were enrolled in a four-week, multicenter, office-based study to compare the adhesion properties, patient preference, and tolerability of two commercially available transdermal nitroglycerin patches. Data from 139 patients were analyzed. Each patient simultaneously wore one 5-mg Transderm-Nitro (TDN) patch and one 5-mg Deponit (DPT) patch. Patients daily recorded the following information in a diary format: number of angina attacks, frequency of sublingual nitroglycerin use, patch adhesion, and problems at the adhesion site or other medical problems. At the end of the study, patients rated their patch preferences based on ease of application and removal, ease of removing backing, overall adhesion, and adhesion under specific conditions, such as showering, swimming, exercise, hot weather, high humidity, and perspiration. They also specified which patch they would choose for their next prescription. Differences in adhesion properties (P less than 0.0001) and tolerability at the site of application favored TDN over DPT. In addition, significantly more patients (P less than 0.0001) specified TDN as their next prescription choice (83% vs 11%).

Glucagonoma presenting as morbid obesity

A case is described that represents the only reported patient with glucagonoma syndrome and morbid obesity. The diagnosis of glucagonoma should be considered in any patient with the classic criteria despite weight gain. The criteria for diagnosis of glucagonoma are 1) the presence of a glucagon-secreting tumor, 2) hyperglucagonemia, and 3) the clinical manifestations of either necrolytic migratory erythema, glucose intolerance, or hypoaminoacidemia.

Methemoglobinemia and hemolytic anemia associated with Campylobacter jejuni enteritis

A 7-week-old infant with methemoglobinemia, hemolytic anemia, and inadequate weight gain was found to have a Campylobacter jejuni gastrointestinal tract infection. Known etiologies of methemoglobinemia such as oxidative drug exposure, deficiency of NADH-methemoglobin reductase, and hemoglobin M disorder were excluded. The patient had a twin brother (probably identical) who had neither methemoglobinemia nor stool cultures positive for C. jejuni. The twin essentially served as an experimental control, making other environmental or genetic causes of methemoglobinemia unlikely in the patient. Both the methemoglobinemia and the C. jejuni infection responded to adequate treatment with erythromycin. The association of a C. jejuni infection with methemoglobinemia is discussed in light of previous associations of enteritis and methemoglobinemia in infants.

Streptococcus pneumoniae endocarditis

We have reported a case of Streptococcus pneumoniae endocarditis involving the aortic valve of a 61-year-old alcoholic man. Antibiotic therapy with vancomycin sterilized the blood and valve, but aortic valve replacement was required for progressive congestive heart failure resulting from a ruptured valve leaflet.

Sex hormone priming prior to the combined hypoglycaemia test

The insulin hypoglycaemia test (IHT) was performed on 3 groups of short stature children. One group was unprimed with sex steroid hormones, a second group received 17 beta-oestradiol, while a third group received testosterone. The dosage of insulin was adjusted to produce a nadir in blood glucose of reversible 1 mmol/L. When this level is achieved plasma growth hormone (GH) responses less than 10 mU/L are not improved by either priming procedure. It is suggested from the data that there is no place for a diagnosis of a partial GH deficiency state. When the IHT is combined with Gn-RH and TRH infusion the data derived may indicate GH-RH deficiency alone or additionally a CRF deficiency. Alternatively a pituitary insensitivity to these releasing substances or a pituitary synthetic failure of all trophic hormones may be adduced. Unless a releasing hormone is deficient and the pituitary is shown to be able to respond to its synthetic analogue, treatment with the available analogues will fail to give the desired clinical response.

[Intraoperative monitoring using transesophageal 2-dimensional echocardiography]

Currently used monitoring techniques, such as measurements of blood pressure and heart rate, provide incomplete information about cardiac function during surgery. Invasive monitoring like intraoperative pulmonary artery pressure measurement with flow-directed balloon catheters may be more sensitive to detect cardiac instability, but they are associated with potentially fatal complications such as dysrhythmias and pulmonary artery rupture. In search of a more informative and yet safe intraoperative hemodynamic monitoring system, we have investigated the use of 2-D transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). So far more than 400 patients were studied by TEE for up to 12 hours during elective surgery without any complications. High quality recordings of the left ventricle (LV) could be obtained in 87% of all patients. On the basis of the results presented below, we believe that TEE holds three fundamental advantages over the existing monitoring systems: it is inherently safer than intravascular measures, it allows direct assessment of LV filing, and it provides direct information on global and regional LV wall motion.

Edge-light pupil cycle time and optic nerve disease

Edge-light pupil cycle time is a quantitative measure of pupil reaction to light, dependent on the functioning of the afferent arm of the pupillary reflex arc. It has been used as an objective assessment of optic nerve function in various neuroophthalmic diseases. In this study, pupil cycle times were determined on 60 eyes of 30 normal subjects, and a mean value of 814 ms with an upper limit of normal at 935 ms was established. The average difference between the two eyes was 34 ms, and the upper limit of normal was 79 ms. Pupil cycle times were then performed on ten eyes with optic atrophy, and all ten (100%) had abnormal values. Nine patients with multiple sclerosis were tested and abnormal cycle times were found in 15 of 18 eyes (83%). Five additional patients with questionable diagnoses were tested, and all but one had abnormal pupil cycle times. A discussion of pupil reactions in optic nerve disease is presented, and the value of edge-light pupil cycle time as a quantitative measure of nerve function is assessed.