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JAMA Neurol 2018 Dec 17. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.

Importance: Diagnostic errors can lead to the initial misdiagnosis of optic nerve sheath meningiomas (ONSM), which can lead to vision loss.

Objective: To identify factors contributing to the initial misdiagnosis of ONSM.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We retrospectively reviewed 35 of 39 patients with unilateral ONSM (89. Read More

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2018 Dec 17:1-12. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

d Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine , University of California-San Diego , San Diego , CA , USA.

Introduction: The spectrum of disease caused by Aspergillus spp. is dependent on the immune system of the host, and ranges from invasive aspergillosis (IA) to chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA). Early and reliable diagnosis of Aspergillus disease is important to decrease associated morbidity and mortality. Read More

Acta Neurol Belg 2018 Dec 17. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Department of Neuroradiology, AZ St Dimpna, Geel, Belgium.

Neuroborreliosis can induce a variety of neurological syndromes: e.g., cranial neuritis, plexitis, radiculitis, meningitis, cerebellitis, … We report on five cases of patients with a diagnosis of neuroborreliosis based on clinical symptoms, serologic tests and MR imaging results. Read More

Am J Hum Genet 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UK; Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UK.

Stratification of women according to their risk of breast cancer based on polygenic risk scores (PRSs) could improve screening and prevention strategies. Our aim was to develop PRSs, optimized for prediction of estrogen receptor (ER)-specific disease, from the largest available genome-wide association dataset and to empirically validate the PRSs in prospective studies. The development dataset comprised 94,075 case subjects and 75,017 control subjects of European ancestry from 69 studies, divided into training and validation sets. Read More

Rev Iberoam Micol 2018 Oct - Dec;35(4):210-216

Unidad Clínica de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Macarena, Sevilla, España.

Critically ill patients without severe immunosuppression make up a population in which invasive aspergillosis (IA) has been identified as an emergent pathology. Chronic treatment with corticosteroids, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and liver cirrhosis are repeatedly identified risk factors. However, due to the non-specificity of the symptoms and signs in the critical patient, and the relative low diagnostic capacity of the complementary tests, the diagnosis of the IA is a challenge for the specialist in critical care medicine. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2019 Jan 19;28(1):155-163. Epub 2018 Oct 19.

Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia. Electronic address:

Athletes enjoy excellent health outcomes including greater longevity relative to non-athletic counterparts. Paradoxically, however, endurance athletic conditioning is associated with an increase in some arrhythmias. This review discusses the potential mechanisms for this paradox and strategies enabling early identification of potentially serious pathologies. Read More

Clin Ter 2018 Nov-Dec;169(6):e274-e276

Department of Infectious Diseases, Military Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria.

We present a case of 68-year-old female with four months history of fever, fatigue, and weight loss. She was classified as case of fever of unknown origin. The physical examination was normal, the laboratory tests showed anemia, elevation of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fibrinogen. Read More

Nephron 2018 Dec 14:1-9. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Renal Medicine, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Preston, United Kingdom.

Background/aims: Frail patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased hospitalisation and mortality rate. However, many popular frailty screening methods have not been validated in patients with CKD. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of several frailty screening methods in patients with CKD G4-5 and those established on haemodialysis (G5D). Read More

Dig Liver Dis 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Liver Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

Significant advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection and its associated fibrosis have revolutionized treatment of these patients over the last several years. Liver biopsy, the gold standard diagnostic method for evaluating liver fibrosis level, was routinely used prior to initiation of hepatitis C therapy, placing patients at an inherent risk of adverse events. The recent advent of noninvasive serologic and nonserologic measures of hepatic fibrosis level has reduced the need for liver biopsy significantly, thereby minimizing its associated risks. Read More

J Infect Public Health 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address:

Objective: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with various clinical presentations and early diagnosis is crucial to avoid severe complications. Due to limitations of conventional diagnostic methods, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based approaches have gained importance in diagnosis.We aimed to evaluate diagnostic value of multiplex real time-PCR (mRT-PCR) in serum samples collected from brucellosis suspected patients by comparision sensitivity of mRT-PCR with those of conventional diagnostic methods. Read More

Immunol Res 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

FGBU "St. Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology" of the Ministry of Health of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Clinical and radiological features of tuberculosis and sarcoidosis are quite overlapping, and therefore, a diagnostic dilemma often persists. There are no commonly accepted criteria for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis due to the lack of data on the etiology of the disease. The exclusion of tuberculosis in every patient with suspected sarcoidosis is a mandatory stage of diagnosis, especially in countries with a high burden of tuberculosis. Read More

Children (Basel) 2018 Dec 13;5(12). Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Pediatrics Residency Joint Programs, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy.

Obesity-related non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents the most common cause of pediatric liver disease due to overweight/obesity large-scale epidemics. In clinical practice, diagnosis is usually based on clinical features, blood tests, and liver imaging. Here, we underline the need to make a correct differential diagnosis for a number of genetic, metabolic, gastrointestinal, nutritional, endocrine, muscular, and systemic disorders, and for iatrogenic/viral/autoimmune hepatitis as well. Read More

J Infect 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Ministry of Education, Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, China. Electronic address:

Objectives: Bacterial meningitis remains one of the major challenges in infectious diseases, leading to sequel in many cases. A prompt diagnosis of the causative microorganism is critical to significantly improve outcome of bacterial meningitis. Although various targeted tests for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples are available, it is a big problem for the identification of etiology of bacterial meningitis. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0200856. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, Abuja, Nigeria.

Introduction: Early diagnosis and prompt and effective treatment is one of the pillars of malaria control. Malaria case management guidelines recommend diagnostic testing before treatment using malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (mRDT) or microscopy and this was adopted in Nigeria in 2010. However, despite the deployment of mRDT, the use of mRDTs by health workers varies by settings. Read More

Otol Neurotol 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Albers-Schönberg Institute for Radiology in Hamburg, Germany.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the validity and reliability of clinically relevant tests in the diagnosis of Menière's disease (MD) according to the criteria formulated during 2015 as well as their efficacy in detecting endolymphatic hydrops (EH). The focus was on: three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery-SPectral Attenuated Inversion Recovery (3D-FLAIR-SPAIR) sequences using 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3T MRI) performed 24 hours after intratympanic Gadolinium injection (IT-Gd) in comparison with the functional tests pure tone audiometry (PTA), caloric test, video head impulse test (vHIT), and cervical-vestibular-evoked-myogenic-potentials (cVEMP).

Study Design: Retrospective study. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;32(23):1798-1803

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100730, China.

To analyze the auditory follow-up alteration of GJB2 associated hearing loss children. Forty three children aged 0-5 years with homozygous or heterozygous mutations of gene attach to the Children' s Hearing Diagnostic Center of our hospital were enrolled in this study. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions and acoustic immittance, auditory brainstem response, auditory steady state response, acoustic impedance, pediatric behavior audiometry and other audiological tests were performed. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;32(24):1860-1864

Department of Allergy, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100038, China.

The purpose of this study was to explore the sensitization feature of artemisia allergy and to assess the diagnostic value of skin prick test(SPT) compared with specific IgE(sIgE) test. One hundred and fifty-one patients with typical rhino-conjunctivitis symptoms during pollen season were enrolled and general information was recorded in this study. All subjects received SPT and sIgE test of artemisia allergen. Read More

Klin Lab Diagn 2018 ;63(1):51-54

The state budget institution of health care "The clinical center of prevention and struggle with AIDS" of the Minzdrav of the Krasnodar kraii, 350015, Krasnodar, Russia.

The purpose of study is the clinical laboratory characteristic of acquired acute cytomegalovirus infection in nonimmunocompromised adult patients. The sampling included 75 patients with acquired acute cytomegalovirus infection admitted to the specialized clinical infection hospital of the Minzdrav of the Krasnodar kraii. The verifcation of diagnosis was implemented using serological tests and polymerase chain reaction. Read More

Muscle Nerve 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Departments of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Postal Box 52, 20521, Turku, Finland.

Introduction: We evaluated diagnostic value of sensory tests during recovery from iatrogenic sensory neuropathy using intraoperatively verified nerve injury with subjective symptoms as gold standard.

Methods: Inferior alveolar nerves were monitored neurophysiologically throughout mandibular osteotomy in 19 patients. Sensory disturbance was registered and sensation tested using clinical and quantitative sensory (QST) and neurophysiologic tests postoperatively at 1, 3, 6, 12 months. Read More

Mol Genet Genomic Med 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Paediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, UZ Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.

Background: The diagnostic workup in patients with a clinical suspicion of lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) is often difficult due to the variability in the clinical phenotype. The gold standard for diagnosis of LSDs consists of enzymatic testing. However, due to the sequential nature of this methodology and inconsistent genotype-phenotype correlations of certain LSDs, finding a diagnosis can be challenging. Read More

Malar J 2018 Dec 14;17(1):468. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Worldwide Universities Network, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 13, Legon, Accra, Ghana.

Background: This study seeks to compare the performance of HRP2 (First Response) and pLDH/HRP2 (Combo) RDTs for falciparum malaria against microscopy and PCR in acutely ill febrile children at presentation and follow-up.

Methods: This is an interventional study that recruited children < 5 years who reported to health facilities with a history of fever within the past 72 h or a documented axillary temperature of 37.5 °C. Read More

J Spine Surg 2018 Sep;4(3):616-623

Neuroradiology Service, Central Military Hospital, Bogotá DC, Colombia.

Background: In 1988, Modic and his colleagues described changes in the subchondral bone marrow of the vertebral plates in patients with degenerative disease or other pathologies, which were observed in the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of the spine and were subdivided into three patterns of signal changes, called Modic type I, Modic type II and Modic type III. The main differential diagnosis of the Modic I changes of the vertebral plates due to degenerative disease in spine NMR, is infection in its early stages. In their study in 2014, Patel and collaborators, using a protocol and the concept of diffusion in spine MRI, were able to demonstrate that by means of the "claw sing", a degenerative disease with Modic type I changes, can be differentiated from an infection in early stages. Read More

Viruses 2018 Dec 8;10(12). Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Unit of Enzootic, Vector-Borne and Bee Diseases, Sciensano, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium.

Countries rely on good diagnostic tests and appropriate testing schemes to fight against economically important small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infections. We undertook an extensive comparative analysis of seven commercially available serological tests and one in-house real-time PCR (qPCR) detecting genotype A and B strains using a large panel of representative Belgian field samples and samples from experimentally infected sheep and goats. ELISAs generally performed well and detected seroconversion within three weeks post experimental infection. Read More

Clin Immunol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel; Department of Medicine 'B'; The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. Electronic address:

Background: Anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) play an important role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis. In our study, we sought to assess the potential diagnostic value of synthetically manufactured peptides that contain epitopes believed to have a pathogenic role in RA.

Methods: Serum samples from RA patients and healthy controls were obtained. Read More

N Z Med J 2018 Dec 14;131(1487):15-22. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Medical Laboratory Scientist, Microbiology, LabPLUS, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland.

New Zealand has a low burden of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB), but with increased mobility within the population, rapid detection and treatment of MDR-TB is a priority from the public health point of view. Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory in LabPLUS, Auckland City Hospital receives referred Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates from all over New Zealand for second-line drug susceptibility testing (DST) and 24-loci MIRU VNTR genotyping. Between 2002 and 2013, 38 multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) isolates were recorded by culture-based DST. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Services, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521

Diagnostic testing for Zika virus (ZIKV) or dengue virus (DENV) infection can be accomplished by a nucleic acid detection method; however, a negative result does not exclude infection due to the low virus titer during infection depending on the timing of sample collection. Therefore, a ZIKV- or DENV-specific serological assay is essential for the accurate diagnosis of patients and to mitigate potential severe health outcomes. A retrospective study design with dual approaches of collecting human serum samples for testing was developed. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Diagnostic tests for tuberculosis (TB) usually require collection of sputum, a viscous material derived from human airways. Sputum can be difficult and hazardous to collect and challenging to process in the laboratory. Oral swabs have been proposed as alternative sample types that are non-invasive and easy to collect. Read More

Gac Sanit 2018 Dec 9. Epub 2018 Dec 9.

Departamento de Enfermería Comunitaria, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública e Historia de la Ciencia, Grupo de Investigación de Salud Pública, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, España. Electronic address:

Objective: To illustrate some gender challenges and contributions which are more frequent in research and health care through a chronic disease such as spondyloarthritis.

Method: Using two of the main identified gender biases in research and health care (de-contextualization of diseases, especially in women, and problem definition and knowledge production in women's health), a cross-sectional study was used with 96 men and 54 women with spondyloarthritis of the Rheumatology Department of the Alicante University General Hospital, whose sources of information were semi-structured patient interviews and clinical records.

Results: We show how the gender perspective can contribute to contextualise the differences by sex of functional alterations and other social and health indicators, and highlight inequalities in the socioeconomic repercussions between patients of both sexes. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2018 Dec 12;18(1):644. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.

Background: Although the incidence of dengue across Africa is high, severe dengue is reported infrequently. We describe the clinical features and the outcome of dengue according to raceduring an outbreak in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania that occurred in both native and expatriate populations.

Methods: Adults with confirmed dengue (NS1 and/or IgM on rapid diagnostic test and/or PCR positive) were included between December 2013 and July 2014 in outpatient clinics. Read More

Eur Radiol 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung, Kaohsiung, 83305, Taiwan.

Introduction: To investigate the structural changes of the brain that correlate with physical frailty and cognitive impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

Methods: Sixty-one PD patients and 59 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled. For each participant, a frailty assessment using Fried's criteria and comprehensive neuropsychological testing using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III and Cognitive Ability Screening Instrument were conducted, and structural brain MR images were acquired for voxel-based morphometric analysis. Read More

J Int Med Res 2018 Dec 7:300060518814118. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

1 Department of Allergy, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wangfujing, Beijing, China.

Cefuroxime is a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic that causes immediate hypersensitivity reactions, ranging from mild urticaria to severe anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic reactions typically involve multiple systems, most notably, the skin and the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Here, we report the unusual case of a patient who presented with oral cefuroxime-induced anaphylaxis with prominent neurologic manifestations. Read More

Arq Gastroenterol 2018 Jul-Sep;55(3):267-273

Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: Hepatitis B and C are diseases with high morbimortality and constitute a global public health problem. In Brazil, the prevalence is not homogeneous, oscillating among different regions, but it is estimated that currently about 1% of the population present chronic disease related to the B virus and that there are 1.5 million infected with the C virus. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2019 ;1901:153-176

Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

ANCA testing was introduced in many laboratories throughout the world when it was recognized that a significant subset of patients with small vessel vasculopathies presented with such antibodies. Many laboratories developed and introduced in-house testing methods for antigen-specific ANCA detection complementary to indirect immune fluorescence screening. Such in-house tests have proven their merit in diagnosing vasculitis and were important to identify critical steps in the development of antigen-specific assays with high sensitivity and specificity. Read More

Int J Comput Dent 2018 ;21(4):281-294

Functional diagnostic examinations such as clinical functional analysis and manual structural analysis ('orthopedic tests') allow the dentist to establish a structured diagnosis. Previously, the process of correlating findings with the appropriate diagnoses was guided by human thought processes alone. The experimental diagnostic randomized controlled trial (RCT) in this study investigated whether computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) offers quality advantages over traditional diagnosis (TRAD). Read More

Front Psychol 2018 27;9:2325. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Faculty of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.

Researchers have suggested that the link between personality traits and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) could be a crucial factor in understanding the disorder's diatheses. The aim of our study was to contribute to research on personality differences (based on fine motor precision - a novel approach) in children with and without ADHD symptoms. The Children Sustained Attention Task (CSAT) and Proprioceptive Diagnostics of Temperament and Character (DP-TC) were administered to children with an ADHD diagnosis and age-matched controls. Read More

Infect Drug Resist 2018 21;11:2335-2344. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden,

Purpose: To further analyze a clinical isolate originally identified as methicillin-resistant (MRSA) using whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics.

Materials And Methods: Classical diagnostic methods such as cultivation, biochemical tests, and PCR were supplemented with whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics, to identify the isolate.

Results: The isolate was phenotypically similar to MRSA. Read More

Clin Chem 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Blood Sciences, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne HospitalsNHSFoundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Background: Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia is associated with the accumulation of remnant lipoproteins and premature cardiovascular disease. Identification of dysbetalipoproteinemia is important because family members may be affected. Diagnostic testing involves demonstration of β-lipoprotein in the VLDL fraction or characterization of apo E. Read More

Gut 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Cancer Screening and Prevention Research Group (CSPRG), Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Objective: The English Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) recommends 3 yearly colonoscopy surveillance for patients at intermediate risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) postpolypectomy (those with three to four small adenomas or one ≥10 mm). We investigated whether faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) could reduce surveillance burden on patients and endoscopy services.

Design: Intermediate-risk patients (60-72 years) recommended 3 yearly surveillance were recruited within the BCSP (January 2012-December 2013). Read More

BMC Biotechnol 2018 Dec 11;18(1):77. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, 6503200115084, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa.

Background: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), the causative agent of Rift Valley fever, is an enveloped single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus in the genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae. The virus is spread by infected mosquitoes and affects ruminants and humans, causing abortion storms in pregnant ruminants, high neonatal mortality in animals, and morbidity and occasional fatalities in humans. The disease is endemic in parts of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, but is described as emerging due to the wide range of mosquitoes that could spread the disease into non-endemic regions. Read More

Acta Paediatr 2018 Dec 9. Epub 2018 Dec 9.

Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Haifa, Israel.

Aim: Reading difficulties can have complex origins and diagnostic measures can be expensive and time consuming. We tested Zippy6, a six-minute screening test that we developed, to see how it compared with a battery of established screening tools.

Methods: This study was carried out at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA, from 2014-2016. Read More

Rev Neurol 2018 Dec;67(12):484-490

Hospital General Universitario de Albacete, 02006 Albacete, Espana.

Introduction: The different types of viral meningitis constitute a condition that is relatively frequent in newborn infants, although in many cases they are underdiagnosed due to the absence of pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Aims: To describe the clinical features and laboratory findings of newborn infants with viral meningitis and to highlight the importance of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the CSF to diagnose this condition.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of newborn infants hospitalised in the neonatology section who had been diagnosed with viral meningitis between May 2014 and May 2017. Read More

Ophthalmologe 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Augenklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Mathildenstr. 8, 80336, München, Deutschland.

Background: Neurotrophic keratopathy is characterized by corneal surface alterations, persistent corneal epithelial defects and/or corneal ulcerations associated with corneal sensory abnormalities. Due to the variable clinical picture neurotrophic keratopathy is often overlooked or diagnosed too late in the course of the disease.

Objective: Discussion of the clinical picture of neurotrophic keratopathy and recommendations for correct diagnosis. Read More

Med Mycol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Denmark.

1,3-β-D-glucan (BG), a cell-wall component of most fungi including Pneumocystis (PC), is recommended by international guidelines for screening for pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in hematologic patients. We retrospectively validated the BG test in our tertiary university hospital. Forty-five patients (median age 53 years, 33% female) tested for PC by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or immunoflourescence (IF)-microscopy with a stored blood sample within ±5 days of the PC test were tested by the Fungitell (cutoff <60 and >80 pg/ml). Read More

Heliyon 2018 Dec 1;4(12):e00991. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Instituto de Investigación en Salud Pública y Zoonosis, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.

The role of immunologic tests in the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NC) is controversial and few studies have made comparisons among them. The objective of this study was to compare immunological tests in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the diagnosis of NC. We conducted a case-control study in Cuenca, Ecuador, enrolling patients with NC (N = 24) and matching them with other neurosurgical patients (N = 18). Read More

Transplant Direct 2018 Nov 12;4(11):e398. Epub 2018 Oct 12.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

Background: Early diagnosis of unilateral chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is difficult because the unaffected contralateral lung functions as a reservoir in bilateral living-donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLT). We previously reported the usefulness of Xe ventilation scintigraphy for detection of unilateral change, but the supply of Xe has been stopped globally. The present study aimed to examine the usefulness of inspiratory and expiratory computed tomography (I/E CT) volumetry for detection of unilateral change in CLAD patients. Read More

Vet World 2018 Nov 8;11(10):1385-1396. Epub 2018 Oct 8.

Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

Aim: Human cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of cestodes, is a globally distributed chronic disease that is an important socioeconomic and public health problem in humans and livestock in developing countries, including Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the overall seroprevalence of hydatid infection in the general population of Iran.

Materials And Methods: This systematic review began by searching electronic databases in English (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar) and Persian (Magiran, Scientific Information Database, Iran Medex, and Iran Doc). Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 7;8(1):17708. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Clinic and Veterinary Surgery, São Paulo State University (Unesp), School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Jaboticabal, Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of B-mode, Doppler ultrasonography and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) elastography in the identification of axillary and inguinal lymph nodes metastasis in bitches with mammary neoplasms. The axillary (n = 96) and inguinal (n = 100) lymph nodes of 100 bitches were evaluated using B-Mode, Colour Doppler and ARFI-elastography. After this evaluation, mastectomy and lymph nodes excision were performed and these structures were histologically classified as free, reactive or metastatic. Read More

Curr Opin Crit Care 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Université Paris Est Créteil, Faculté de Médecine de Créteil, Groupe de Recherche Clinique CARMAS, Créteil.

Purpose Of Review: A prompt identification of the cause of acute respiratory failure (ARF)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is required in order to initiate a targeted treatment. Yet, almost 10% of ARDS patients have no identified ARDS risk factor at ARDS diagnosis. Numerous rare causes of ARF have been reported in this setting. Read More

CMAJ Open 2018 Oct-Dec;6(4):E603-E610. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Departments of Family Medicine (Singer, Kosowan, Katz, Jolin-Dahel, Appel) and Community Health Sciences (Katz, Lix), Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba; Manitoba Primary Care Research Network (Singer); Manitoba Centre for Health Policy (Katz), Winnipeg, Man.; Centre Medical Seine (Jolin-Dahel), Ste. Anne, Man.; Seven Oaks Hospital (Appel), Winnipeg, Man.

Background: Choosing Wisely Canada is an initiative to reduce overprescribing and overtesting. This study assessed adherence to 4 Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations for interventions commonly performed in primary care: (a) antibiotic prescriptions for infections that are probably viral in origin, (b) routine vitamin D tests in low-risk adults, (c) annual screening blood tests and (d) prescriptions of antipsychotic medication to treat symptoms of dementia.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of data from the electronic medical records of patients who had an encounter between 2014 and 2016 with a participating Manitoba Primary Care Research Network primary care provider in Manitoba, Canada. Read More