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Klin Lab Diagn 2018 ;63(12):783-787

«Galen», 125373, Moscow, Russian Federation.

The main objective of laboratory diagnosis of a diphtheria is identification of the causative agent by means of the minimum quantity of diagnostic tests for obtaining the authentic answer in the most short time. One of the major stages is capture and delivery of pathological material on which the efficiency of carrying out and timeliness of issue of the final answer depends. Considering emergence in the market of commercial liquid transport mediums, assessment of their efficiency for diagnosis of diphtheria is advisable. Read More

New Microbiol 2019 Feb 20;42(1). Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Dipartimento di Pediatria Sistematica, Pediatria 1, AORN "Santobono-Pausilipon", Napoli, Italy.

Pertussis is quite frequent and severe among infants; therefore, rapid diagnosis and timely targeted therapy are essential. Although a molecular test for etiological diagnosis is now available, it may not be available everywhere, and therefore adjunctive diagnostic tests are still useful for presumptive diagnosis. We describe the use of procalcitonin (PCT) and lymphocyte count to discriminate among pertussis, bacterial and viral infections. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2019 Mar;41(3):388-395

Sherbrooke, QC.

Objective: This guideline reviews the clinical indications for first trimester ultrasound.

Outcome: Proven clinical benefit has been reported from first trimester ultrasound.

Evidence: A Medline search and bibliography reviews in relevant literature provided the evidence. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2019 Mar;41(3):363-374.e1

Toronto, ON.

Objective: To review the evidence and provide an opinion as to whether universal cervical length screening to prevent preterm birth should be adopted across Canada.

Outcomes: Outcomes evaluated include prevention of preterm birth.

Evidence: Literature searches using Knowledge Finder, Medline and Cochrane databases were searched for articles published up to April 2018 on cervical length screening for prevention of preterm birth. Read More

J Feline Med Surg 2019 Feb 20:1098612X19829910. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

2 Valley Fever Center for Excellence, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of coccidioidomycosis in cats residing in a region endemic for Coccidioides species.

Methods: A retrospective review of records was performed at both primary and tertiary care veterinary practices in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. Data collected included signalment, clinical signs, physical examination findings, diagnostic test results, treatment and outcome. Read More

Psychogeriatrics 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Medical Affairs, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

Background: We performed a questionnaire survey of medical doctors engaged in the management of dementia to identify the actual status of treatment for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in Japan.

Methods: Among participating medical doctors, we selected neurologists (Group N) and psychiatrists (Group P) because these physicians are usually involved in the management of DLB patients. The two groups were compared based on their diagnosis and treatment of DLB and in particular, parkinsonism. Read More

Hum Cell 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Integrative Physiology and Bio-Nano Medicine, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan.

Renal hypouricemia (RHUC) is a disease caused by dysfunction of renal urate reabsorption transporters; however, diagnostic guidance and guidelines for RHUC have been lacking, partly due to the low evidence level of studies on RHUC. This review describes a world-first clinical practice guideline (CPG) and its first version in English for this condition. It was developed following the "MINDS Manual for Guideline Development" methodology, which prioritizes evidence-based medicine. Read More

Intern Emerg Med 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

The role of laboratory medicine is essential in healthcare, since in vitro diagnostic testing represents now an unavoidable part of reasoning and clinical decision making. Laboratory tests are an essential part of most care pathways, aimed at optimizing resource utilization and improving patient outcome. The activity of laboratory professionals is interconnected with all medical disciplines, and provides a crucial support for ordering the right test, for the right patient and at the right time, but also helps interpreting and using laboratory data. Read More

J Med Ultrason (2001) 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey.

Purpose: There are close relationships between major coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors and Achilles tendon thickness (AT-T) and AT strain ratio (AT-SR). Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic importance of AT-T and AT-SR as obtained by ultrasonography (USG) and strain elastography (SE) for predicting CAD.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and eighty-four patients scheduled to undergo coronary angiography were included in the study. Read More

Calcif Tissue Int 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul Jensens Boulevard 99, G317, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.

Patients suffering a low-energy fracture are at high risk of subsequent fractures. Investigation of all fragility fracture patients above the age of 50 years is recommended in order to prevent further fractures. The aim of this study was to investigate alternative strategies including known risk factors (age, sex, and body weight) for selecting fracture patients for osteoporosis assessment and investigate how these strategies would affect the proportion of patients with osteoporosis identified and the number of patients referred for Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) compared with the original FLS strategy. Read More

Exp Ther Med 2019 Mar 17;17(3):1728-1736. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Department of Preventive Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathological and Physiological Technology, Medical School of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have a great potential as clinical biomarkers; however, specific circRNAs with a diagnostic value for essential hypertension (EH) largely remain to be identified. In the present study, the potential application of (hsa)_circ_0014243, which was identified to be significantly upregulated in whole blood samples of EH patients in a previous microarray profiling study by our group, in the diagnosis of EH was evaluated. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of hsa_circ_0014243 and hsa-microRNA (miR)-10a-5p in a total of 178 blood samples collected from 89 healthy controls and 89 patients diagnosed with EH. Read More

Ann Nutr Metab 2018 19;73 Suppl 4:39-46. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris,

Several disorders related to the ingestion of gluten are well recognized despite overlapping clinical presentations: celiac disease, an autoimmune enteropathy triggered by gluten ingestions in susceptible individuals, allergy to wheat, and more recently non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). While celiac disease and wheat allergy are well-known disorders with a clear-cut diagnosis based on clinical tests and biological parameters, NCGS is a more difficult diagnosis, especially in children with functional gastrointestinal (GI) complaints. NCGS is considered a syndrome of intestinal but also extraintestinal symptoms occurring within hours, but sometimes even after several days of gluten ingestion. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Glasgow, G12 8LT Glasgow, United Kingdom;

Rapid, low-cost, species-specific diagnosis, based upon DNA testing, is becoming important in the treatment of patients with infectious diseases. Here, we demonstrate an innovation that uses origami to enable multiplexed, sensitive assays that rival polymerase chain reactions (PCR) laboratory assays and provide high-quality, fast precision diagnostics for malaria. The paper-based microfluidic technology proposed here combines vertical flow sample-processing steps, including paper folding for whole-blood sample preparation, with an isothermal amplification and a lateral flow detection, incorporating a simple visualization system. Read More

Anal Chim Acta 2019 May 23;1055:140-147. Epub 2018 Dec 23.

Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of New Molecular Diagnosis Technologies for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, 100850, PR China. Electronic address:

Simple, inexpensive, and rapid diagnostic tests in low-resource settings with limited laboratory equipment and technical expertise are instrumental in reducing morbidity and mortality from epidemic infectious diseases. We developed a smartphone-based fluorescent lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) platform for the highly sensitive point-of-care detection of Zika virus nonstructural protein 1 (ZIKV NS1). An attachment was designed and 3D-printed to integrate the smartphone with external optical and electrical components, enabling the miniaturization of the instrument and reduction in cost and complexity. Read More

J Nanobiotechnology 2019 Feb 19;17(1):31. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) comprise the high metastatic potential population of cancer cells in the blood circulation of humans; they have become the established biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, individualized cancer therapy, and cancer development. Technologies for the isolation and recovery of CTCs can be powerful cancer diagnostic tools for liquid biopsies, allowing the identification of malignancies and guiding cancer treatments for precision medicine.

Methods: We have used an electrospinning process to prepare poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanofibrous arrays in random or aligned orientations on glass slips. Read More

J Headache Pain 2019 Feb 19;20(1):20. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University, Viale Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy.

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia is one of the most characteristic and difficult to treat neuropathic pain conditions in patients with multiple sclerosis. The present narrative review addresses the current evidence on diagnostic tests and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia secondary to multiple sclerosis.

Methods: We searched for relevant papers within PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, taking into account publications up to December 2018. Read More

Plant Dis 2007 Apr;91(4):469

Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Agricultural Research Center, ARS, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705.

First described in the early 1930s, the limited distribution of potato "gothic" disease made it of little economic significance in European Russia until the early 1970s when meristem-tip culture was widely adopted throughout the former USSR to increase production of virus-free seed potatoes. Shortly thereafter, the yield and quality of Russian seed potatoes began a dramatic decline. Symptoms of potato "gothic" resemble those of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) (3), and initial suspicions that in vitro plantlets and seed potatoes might be viroid-infected were later proved correct when Kastalyeva et al. Read More

Plant Dis 2007 May;91(5):637

Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7616.

Asian soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi H. Sydow & Sydow, was first detected in the continental United States in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 Feb 19;13(2):e0007189. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom.

Human and animal African trypanosomiasis (HAT & AAT, respectively) remain a significant health and economic issue across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Effective control of AAT and potential eradication of HAT requires affordable, sensitive and specific diagnostic tests that can be used in the field. Small RNAs in the blood or serum are attractive disease biomarkers due to their stability, accessibility and available technologies for detection. Read More

Ann Glob Health 2018 Nov 5;84(4):736-742. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, CA.

Background: Short-term, primary care medical service trips (MSTs) frequently use inexpensive, portable point of care (POC) tests to guide diagnosis and treatment of patients in low-resource settings. However, the degree to which different POC tests are carried by organizations serving remote communities is currently unknown.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of various POC tests used by MST-sending organizations operating in Latin America. Read More

Am J Emerg Med 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Education and Research Hospital University of Health Science, İstanbul, Turkey.

Introduction: HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme levels, low platelet counts)-syndrome is a rare but dramatic pregnancy-related illness. The difficult part of this syndrome is the lack of standardised diagnostic criterias and tests to be used to predict it. The aim of this study is determining the role of APRI score in the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome. Read More

Eur J Radiol 2019 Mar 8;112:82-87. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Mid Yorkshire NHS Hospitals Trust, Wakefield, UK.

Introduction: Although the risks associated with iodinated contrast administration are acknowledged to be very low, screening of kidney function prior to administration is still standard practice in many hospitals. This study has evaluated the feasibility of implementing a screening form in conjunction with point of care (PoC) creatinine testing as a method to manage the risks of post contrast acute kidney injury (PC-AKI) within the CT imaging pathway.

Method: Over an eight-week period 300 adult outpatients attending a UK CT department for contrast-enhanced scans were approached. Read More

Med Clin (Barc) 2019 Mar 7;152(5):174-180. Epub 2018 Jul 7.

Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, España.

Background And Objectives: Although there is scientific evidence demonstrating causation of human papilloma virus (HPV) on squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck, its percentage of causality on the anatomic region remains in dispute. This study was developed with the objectives of evaluating the relationship between HPV and oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OOSCC), and of studying the correlation between HPV detection tests (PCR and p16).

Material And Method: Retrospective study of patients treated for OOSCC during 2011, with a follow-up of 6 years. Read More

Orphanet J Rare Dis 2019 Feb 18;14(1):46. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

Program for the Study of Neurodevelopment in Rare Disorders and Center for Rare Disease Therapy, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15144, USA.

Background: Krabbe disease is a rare neurological disorder caused by a deficiency in the lysosomal enzyme, β-galactocerebrosidase, resulting in demyelination of the central and peripheral nervous systems. If left without treatment, Krabbe disease results in progressive neurodegeneration with reduced quality of life and early death. The purpose of this prospective study was to describe the natural progression of early onset Krabbe disease in a large cohort of patients. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2019 Feb 19;13(1):37. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Cardiac Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Ofra s/n, La Cuesta, 38320, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.

Background: Approximately half of pulmonary embolism cases are diagnosed in an emergency context. The classic symptoms of pulmonary embolism are absent in intensive care unit patients who are under sedation and on mechanical ventilation. In this scenario, after the development of sudden, severe hypotension, pulmonary embolism must be considered and included in a differential diagnosis according to the cause of admission. Read More

Open Forum Infect Dis 2019 Feb 17;6(2):ofz002. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Departments of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Background: Pauci-bacillary pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) can be delayed to diagnose and start anti-TB therapy, especially in immunocompromised patients. We therefore evaluated the clinical and radiologic features of these delayed cases.

Methods: Immunocompromised adult patients with pauci-bacillary pulmonary TB were retrospectively enrolled in a tertiary hospital in an intermediate-TB burden country over a 5-year period. Read More

ERJ Open Res 2019 Feb 11;5(1). Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Dept of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Tuberculosis (TB) is considered the most onerous of infectious diseases according to recent reports from the World Health Organization. Available tests for TB diagnosis present severe limitations, and a reliable point-of-care (POC) diagnostic test does not exist. Neither is there a test to discern between the different stages of TB, and in particular to predict which patients with infection and no clinical signs are more at risk of advancing to overt disease. Read More

Asian J Urol 2019 Jan 8;6(1):114-121. Epub 2018 Jun 8.

Department of Urology, The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of fluorescence hybridization (FISH) in bladder cancer.

Methods: We enrolled healthy volunteers and patients who were clinically suspected to have bladder cancer and conducted FISH tests and cytology examinations from August 2007 to December 2008. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed and the area under curve (AUC) values were calculated for both the FISH and urine cytology tests. Read More

Iran J Pathol 2018 25;13(4):429-437. Epub 2018 Sep 25.

Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Background And Objectives: The incidence of rifampin-resistant strains of has attracted more attention than the tuberculosis infection due to laborious treatment and control. Recognizing the genotypes involving in drug resistance via multiplex PCR, a simple and rapid genotyping method, is an emergency for better treatment and control of tuberculosis. This study was designed to specify the frequency of rifampin-resistant strains of isolated from patients by multiplex allele-specific Polymerase Chain Reaction assay (MAS-PCR). Read More

Acta Trop 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Brazil. Electronic address:

In Brazil, the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by Leishmania infantum, while the tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) etiological agents are mainly Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania amazonensis. The canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) diagnosis is an important step of the VL control program in Brazil, which involves the elimination of infected dogs, the main urban VL reservoirs. The current serology-based diagnostic tests have shown cross-reactivity between these three species, whereas molecular diagnosis allows high sensitivity and specie identification. Read More

Prev Vet Med 2019 Mar 5;164:72-77. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Accurate diagnosis of failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in newborn calves is an essential component of dairy farm management plan. Several methods (direct and indirect) are available for diagnosis of FTPI in dairy calves. However, the indirect methods offer an advantage over the direct methods in not requiring an experienced veterinarian, rapid, cost efficient and can be performed under field-setting. Read More

Curr Infect Dis Rep 2019 Feb 15;21(2). Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Pediatrics Department, "Dana-Dwek" Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman Street, 6423906, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Purpose Of Review: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis is a relatively common end-organ infectious complication in immunocompromised hosts which negatively affects clinical outcomes. This paper presents the contemporary approaches to the diagnosis and management of CMV colitis and discusses some of the controversies of this condition, focusing on methods of diagnosis.

Recent Findings: While certain risk factors for CMV colitis are well recognized, the clinical as well as endoscopic features of this condition are nonspecific. Read More

Br J Ophthalmol 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Glaucoma Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Aims: To evaluate agreement between ocular findings of a telemedicine eye screening (visit 1) with diagnoses of a comprehensive eye examination (visit 2).

Methods: A primary care practice (PCP)-based telemedicine screening programme incorporating fundus photography, intraocular pressure (IOP) and clinical information was conducted. Eligible individuals were African American, Hispanic/Latino or Asian over the age of 40; Caucasian individuals over age 65; and adults of any ethnicity over age 40 with a family history of glaucoma or diabetes. Read More

Arthroscopy 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department for Orthopaedic Surgery, Universitäts- und Rehabilitationskliniken Ulm, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.

Purpose: To analyze and compare the diagnostic value and interpretation of 6 established clinical tests for infraspinatus tendon tears; to assess their ability to distinguish between partial- and full-thickness tears of the infraspinatus tendon; and to investigate whether conducting multiple tests increases the precision of diagnosis.

Methods: A total of 91 patients scheduled for shoulder arthroscopy from March 2015 to April 2017 were included in the present study. To assess the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, accuracy, diagnostic odds ratio, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and the area under the curve (AUC), intraoperative findings were compared with the results of 6 established clinical infraspinatus tests: the hornblower's test, the drop sign, the Patte sign, the external rotation lag sign (ERLS), the resisted external rotation test (RERT), and the infraspinatus scapular retraction test. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Feb 14;20(4). Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), 2400 Mol, Belgium.

Diagnostic methods currently used for bladder cancer are cystoscopy and urine cytology. Cystoscopy is an invasive tool and has low sensitivity for carcinoma in situ. Urine cytology is non-invasive, is a low-cost method, and has a high specificity but low sensitivity for low-grade urothelial tumors. Read More

Int J Emerg Med 2018 16;11:49. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

4Department of Pediatric Emergency, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAUHS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Pharyngitis is one of the major and commonly seen presentations in pediatric emergency departments. While it could be caused by both bacterial and viral pathogens, antibiotics are improperly prescribed regardless of the pathogen. Inappropriate usage of antibiotics has risen the concern of microbial resistance and the need for stricter guidelines. Read More

Acta Otolaryngol 2019 Feb 15:1-11. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

a Peking University Aerospace School of Clinical Medicine , Beijing , P.R. China.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of eye movements and vestibular function tests in PCI patients.

Methods: Thirty-eight PCI patients and 31 patients with unilateral vestibular neuritis (UVN) were enrolled and underwent eye movement tests and vestibular function tests (spontaneous nystagmus [SN], head-shaking nystagmus [HSN]).

Results: The rates of eye movement abnormality were 78. Read More

Curr Infect Dis Rep 2019 Feb 15;21(1). Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Medicine-Pediatric Residency Training Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Tuberculosis is leading cause of global morbidity and mortality and a significant proportion of the burden of disease occurs in children. In the past 5 years, a number of innovations have improved the diagnosis and treatment for children with both latent tuberculosis infection and active disease.

Recent Findings: This review discusses three key areas of innovation. Read More

Wideochir Inne Tech Maloinwazyjne 2019 Jan 1;14(1):107-113. Epub 2018 Jun 1.

Department of Neurosurgery and Neurotraumatology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.

Introduction: Selection of the optimal treatment method of intra- and paraventricular tumors often requires histopathological verification that can be obtained by endoscopic biopsy.

Aim: To discuss the usefulness of the method in their own experience.

Material And Methods: The results of 32 biopsies carried out during a 15-year period were reviewed retrospectively. Read More

J Clin Exp Hepatol 2019 Jan-Feb;9(1):112-116. Epub 2018 May 4.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.

Minimal or Covert Hepatic Encephalopathy (MHE/CHE), the preclinical phase of Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE), is strongly associated with poorer Quality of Life (QOL), Overt HE (OHE), and death. Several diagnostic tests have been developed that have prognostic value in predicting clinical outcomes such as OHE, cirrhosis progression, and death. However, dispute among clinicians and HE researchers have kept its application largely underutilized. Read More

Med Mal Infect 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France.

Bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, responsible for Lyme disease, are members of the spirochetes phylum. Diagnostic difficulties of Lyme disease are partly due to the characteristics of spirochetes as their culture is tedious or even impossible for some of them. We performed a literature review to assess the value of the various diagnostic tests of spirochetes infections of medical interest such as Lyme borreliosis, relapsing fever borreliae, syphilis, and leptospirosis. Read More

Respir Res 2019 Feb 14;20(1):34. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Division of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Viale Golgi 19, 27100, Pavia, Italy.

Background: After successful pulmonary endoarterectomy (PEA), patients may still suffer from exercise limitation, despite normal pulmonary vascular resistance. We sought to assess the proportion of these patients after the extension of PEA to frail patients, and the determinants of exercise limitation.

Methods: Out of 553 patients treated with PEA from 2008 to 2016 at our institution, a cohort of 261 patients was followed up at 12 months. Read More

Hamostaseologie 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Institute for Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.

Although the detection of a characteristic autoantibody can prove immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), this diagnosis is often based on the exclusion of other causes of thrombocytopenia. Direct glycoprotein (GP)-specific tests have the property required to demonstrate such a characteristic autoantibody. In contrast, platelet-associated immunoglobulin G or antibody detection in plasma or serum is an insufficient diagnostic test. Read More

J Ultrason 2018 ;18(75):325-331

North Cumbria University Hospital NHS Trust , Carlisle , United Kingdom.

Ultrasonography is widely utilized by emergency physicians and radiologists to diagnose various orthopaedic diseases, including fractures. We aim to derive a definitive estimate of the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in clinically suspected scaphoid fractures. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of included diagnostic cohort studies that discussed the use of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of occult scaphoid fractures. Read More

J Thromb Haemost 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center and Fondazione Luigi Villa, Milan, Italy.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an acute life-threatening disorder characterized by multiple organ ischemia due to disseminated thrombi formation in the microvasculature. The congenital form of the disease (Upshaw-Schulman syndrome) is related to ADAMTS13 mutations. Adulthood-onset of TTP does not exclude the congenital form of the disease and a diagnostic delay may account for a great morbidity burden in these patients. Read More

Allergy 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.

Background: Although pollen-related food allergy occurs in all European populations, Lipid Transfer Protein (LTP) allergy is considered to manifests mainly in Mediterranean countries. We aimed to characterise adults presenting with LTP allergy in a Northern European country.

Method: The clinical history and sensitisation patterns of subjects born and residing in the United Kingdom (UK), with a prior diagnosis of LTP allergy and sensitisation to the peach LTP allergen Pru p 3, were compared to UK subjects with pollen food syndrome (PFS). Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(7):e14599

Izmir Katip Celebi University, School of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Maternal - Fetal Medicine Unit.

Background: Prenatal screening for aneuploidies has seen great changes over the last 2 decades. But there is still no non-invasive diagnostic test. Therefore, prenatal invasive procedures are still being routinely performed due to maternal anxiety. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(7):e14514

Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Via Vincenzo Gallucci 4, Padua, Italy.

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering skin disease immunologically defined by autoantibodies directed against basement membrane zone antigens, the main of which is BP180. Laboratory tests are essential for diagnosis and include direct immunofluorescence and serologic assessments with indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA. Serology may be performed on blister fluid, in alternative to blood serum. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(7):e14470

Department of Neurology.

Rationale: Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a type of malignant lymphoma in which neoplastic B cells proliferate selectively within the lumina of small- and medium-sized vessels. Patients with IVLBCL frequently develop neurological manifestations during their disease course. Patients are known to often develop various neurological manifestations, but there are only a few reports of IVLBCL whose initial symptoms are deafness and/or disequilibrium. Read More

Behav Res Methods 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Severe developmental deficits in face recognition ability (developmental prosopagnosia, or DP) have been vigorously studied over the past decade, yet many questions remain unanswered about their origins, nature, and social consequences. A rate-limiting factor in answering such questions is the challenge of recruiting rare DP participants. Although self-reported experiences have long played a role in efforts to identify DPs, much remains unknown about how such self-reports can or should contribute to screening or diagnosis. Read More