HYPERCALCEMIA DUE TO POLYMETHYLMETHACRYLATE INJECTIONS? (LITERATURE REVIEW AND CASE REPORTS)

Hypercalcemia is a common feature of malignancy, bone metabolic conditions and granulomatous disorders. In the latter, hypercalcemia is usually calcitriol-related. As eventual association of silicone and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) injections with granulomatous disease and hypercalcemia the condition has become an issue of recent interest. Authors report on two cases of calcitriol-related hypercalcemia where PMMA injections had been previously administered. The association, even though intriguing, requires additional confirmation by follow-up studies.

Infective endocarditis, rheumatoid factor, and anticardiolipin antibodies

Serum samples from 22 patients with infective endocarditis were analysed for the presence of antibodies to cardiolipin, false positive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test, and rheumatoid factor in order to determine the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies, their level, and to ascertain whether there was any correlation with the presence of rheumatoid factor. Although the latex test was positive in 10/22 (45%) patients, anticardiolipin antibodies, usually of a low level, were raised in only four (18%), and the VDRL test was positive in two patients in whom other antibodies were negative. These results show a clear discordance between these three tests, indicating that B cell production of these antibodies is separate and distinct. As with other infections which result in anticardiolipin antibody production, no thrombotic events were encountered.

Transient global amnesia and antiphospholipid antibodies

The patient, a 55 year-old man, developed an episode of transient global amnesia. He was a smoker and had hypercholesterolemia. He was found to have a positive rapid plasma reagin test and high levels of anticardiolipin antibodies. Other investigations were negative. The presence in this patient of antiphospholipid antibodies suggests a vascular mechanism for transient global amnesia.

Precursor prothrombin status in patients receiving anticonvulsant drugs

Protein induced by vitamin K absence (PIVKA) is the circulating prothrombin precursor found in considerable concentrations when carboxylation of prothrombin is impaired. In this study PIVKA-positivity was assessed in adult epileptic patients receiving a variety of anticonvulsant drugs. Mean PIVKA (+/- SD) concentration was 4.6 +/- 2.3% in 16 epileptics vs 1.1 +/- 0.7% in 10 age-matched controls (p less than 0.001). 13 of the 16 (81%) epileptics had PIVKA values above the highest value recorded for the controls (Fisher exact test, p less than 0.001). Other indices of coagulation were normal. There was no correlation between PIVKA concentration and the particular anticonvulsant taken. This study therefore shows that most epileptics on anticonvulsant therapy have a subclinical coagulation defect. These data, together with previous findings of raised PIVKA concentrations in maternal-infant pairs exposed to gestational anticonvulsants and reports of neonatal haemorrhage in infants of epileptics, strengthen the case for antenatal vitamin K supplementation in pregnancies complicated by anticonvulsant therapy.

Treatment of acute post-infective polyneuropathy by means of plasma exchange

15 patients with acute post-infective polyneuropathy of the Guillain-Barré type have been treated by means of plasma exchange. The clinical course and outcome of these patients is compared to that in a retrospectively matched control series who were treated with supportive therapy only. All patients had severe rapidly evolving muscle weakness and approximately half the patients in each group required ventilatory assistance. Both the duration of muscle weakness and the hospitalisation time was significantly shorter in the patients treated by means of plasma exchange. These results suggest that plasma exchange is of significant benefit in the treatment of patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome.