Medicine
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Case Reports
Neuroblastoma metastasized to the mandible and the spinal extradural regions: A case report.
Neuroblastoma (NB) metastasized into the mandible and spinal extradural region was rarely reported. We present a case with metastatic NB to the mandible and the spinal extradural regions. The patient received chemotherapy using NB 97 regimen and was tumor free after 8 months, but 9 months after the treatment, the patient presented with lower limb paralysis and persistent pain in maxillofacial region as well as swelling in the left mandibular area. ⋯ For the management of the maxillofacial pain, tumor in the maxillofacial region was subject to a density of 50 Gy (25 fractions). The maxillofacial pain disappeared after a density of 10 Gy and soft tissue tumefaction was eliminated after a density of 50 Gy, and the maxillofacial appearance was much better than before. Finally, the patient died from tumor progression 2 years after diagnosis for NB.
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rbBNP has positive cardiac effects in patients with acute decompensated heart failure, but its effects on the systemic venous circulation are not known. A single-center retrospective, self-controlled study was conducted on 14 patients undergone recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP) treatment between January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018. The cardiac output (CO) significantly increased from 3.75 ± 1.14 L min-1 to 4.24 ± 0.97 L min-1 30 minutes after rbBNP infusion, and to 4.20 ± 1.19 L min-1 3 hours later. ⋯ The mean systemic filling pressure significantly decreased from 32.71 ± 20.00 mm Hg to 28.254 ± 6.09 mm Hg 3 hours later. The role of rhBNP on CO was to reduce the peripheral circulation resistance at 30 minutes after rhBNP infusion and to reduce the resistance to VR at 3 hours later. This trial is registered at ChiCTR: ID ChiCTR1900024562.
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The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was first isolated in a Tanzanian epidemic area between 1952 and 1953. The best description of the CHIKV transmission during pregnancy can be found in a well-documented epidemic in 2005, in the "La Reunion" island, a French territory located in the Indian Ocean, in which about one-third of the population was infected. Reports of arbovirus infections in pregnancy are increasing over time, but the spectrum of clinical findings remains an incognita among researchers, including CHIKV. ⋯ Based on the cases presented, we can conclude that clinical symptoms of CHIKV maternal infection may occur late in new-borns and can affect their development.
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Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common chronic complications of diabetes. As apelin is an adipocytokine closely associated with diabetes, this study explored the clinical significance of serum apelin levels in patients with type 2 DPN before and after treatment. ⋯ Our results show that the increase in serum apelin levels is an important clinical reference index for DPN, while a decrease indicates that the DPN treatment is effective.
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Patients with cardiac amyloidosis light chain (AL) present with negative Tc-99m pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy (absent or mild heart uptake). On the contrary, patients with cardiac amyloidosis transthyretin (ATTR) present with positive Tc-99m PYP scanning (intensive heart uptake). We present a false positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy (grade 2, the heart-to-contralateral ratio is 1.65) in a patient with AL. ⋯ False positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy may rarely presented in patients with cardiac amyloidosis light chain. So, the clonal plasma cell process based on the FLCs and immunofixation is a base to rule out AL cardiac amyloidosis when we interpret a positive Tc-99m PYP scintigraphy.