Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging and robust statistics for in vivo non-melanoma skin cancer and actinic keratosis characterisation.

One of the most common forms of cancer in fair skinned populations is Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC), which primarily consists of Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), and cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). Detecting NMSC early can significantly improve treatment outcomes and reduce medical costs. Similarly, Actinic Keratosis (AK) is a common skin condition that, if left untreated, can develop into more serious conditions, such as SCC. Hyperspectral imagery is at the forefront of research to develop non-invasive techniques for the study and characterisation of skin lesions. This study aims to investigate the potential of near-infrared hyperspectral imagery in the study and identification of BCC, SCC and AK samples in comparison with healthy skin. Here we use a pushbroom hyperspectral camera with a spectral range of ≈ 900 to 1600 nm for the study of these lesions. For this purpose, an ad hoc platform was developed to facilitate image acquisition. This study employed robust statistical methods for the identification of an optimal spectral window where the different samples could be differentiated. To examine these datasets, we first tested for the homogeneity of sample distributions. Depending on these results, either traditional or robust descriptive metrics were used. This was then followed by tests concerning the homoscedasticity, and finally multivariate comparisons of sample variance. The analysis revealed that the spectral regions between 900.66-1085.38 nm, 1109.06-1208.53 nm, 1236.95-1322.21 nm, and 1383.79-1454.83 nm showed the highest differences in this regard, with <1% probability of these observations being a Type I statistical error. Our findings demonstrate that hyperspectral imagery in the near-infrared spectrum is a valuable tool for analyzing, diagnosing, and evaluating non-melanoma skin lesions, contributing significantly to skin cancer research.

Quantitative 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Assay for the Rapid Detection of Pyrazinamide Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Sputum Samples.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the 10 leading killer diseases in the world. At least one-quarter of the population has been infected, and there are 1.3 million deaths annually. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains challenges TB treatments. One of the drugs widely used in first- and second-line regimens is pyrazinamide (PZA). Statistically, 50% of MDR and 90% of XDR clinical strains are resistant to PZA, and recent studies have shown that its use in patients with PZA-resistant strains is associated with higher mortality rates. Therefore, the is an urgent need for the development of an accurate and efficient PZA susceptibility assay. PZA crosses the M. tuberculosis membrane and is hydrolyzed to its active form, pyrazinoic acid (POA), by a nicotinamidase encoded by the pncA gene. Up to 99% of clinical PZA-resistant strains have mutations in this gene, suggesting that this is the most likely mechanism of resistance. However, not all pncA mutations confer PZA resistance, only the ones that lead to limited POA production. Therefore, susceptibility to PZA may be addressed simply by its ability to form, or not, POA. Here, we present a nuclear magnetic resonance method to accurately quantify POA directly in the supernatant of sputum cultures collected from TB patients. The ability of the clinical sputum culture to hydrolyze PZA was determined, and the results were correlated with the results of other biochemical and molecular PZA drug susceptibility assays. The excellent sensitivity and specificity values attained suggest that this method could become the new gold standard for the determination of PZA susceptibility.

Deep Convolutional Neural Support Vector Machines for the Classification of Basal Cell Carcinoma Hyperspectral Signatures.

Non-melanoma skin cancer, and basal cell carcinoma in particular, is one of the most common types of cancer. Although this type of malignancy has lower metastatic rates than other types of skin cancer, its locally destructive nature and the advantages of its timely treatment make early detection vital. The combination of multispectral imaging and artificial intelligence has arisen as a powerful tool for the detection and classification of skin cancer in a non-invasive manner. The present study uses hyperspectral images to discern between healthy and basal cell carcinoma hyperspectral signatures. Upon the combined use of convolutional neural networks, with a final support vector machine activation layer, the present study reaches up to 90% accuracy, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve being calculated at 0.9 as well. While the results are promising, future research should build upon a dataset with a larger number of patients.

Hyperspectral imaging and robust statistics in non-melanoma skin cancer analysis.

Non-Melanoma skin cancer is one of the most frequent types of cancer. Early detection is encouraged so as to ensure the best treatment, Hyperspectral imaging is a promising technique for non-invasive inspection of skin lesions, however, the optimal wavelengths for these purposes are yet to be conclusively determined. A visible-near infrared hyperspectral camera with an ad-hoc built platform was used for image acquisition in the present study. Robust statistical techniques were used to conclude an optimal range between 573.45 and 779.88 nm to distinguish between healthy and non-healthy skin. Wavelengths between 429.16 and 520.17 nm were additionally found to be optimal for the differentiation between cancer types.

Accidente ofídico en pacientes del Hospital Básico de Jipijapa (Manabí-Ecuador) / Snake accident in patients of the Basic Hospital of Jipijapa (Manabí-Ecuador)

Introducción: el accidente ofídico es el cuadro clínico producido por la mordedura de una serpiente venenosa. En el Ecuador se describen 41 especies de serpientes venenosas. Objetivo: caracterizar clínica y epidemiológicamente el accidente ofídico en pacientes del Hospital Básico de Jipijapa (Manabí-Ecuador). Método: se realizó un estudio observacional retrospectivo durante enero 2008 - abril 2012, a partir de las historias clínicas de los pacientes hospitalizados con diagnóstico de accidente ofídico o mordedura de serpiente en el Servicio de Medicina Interna del Hospital Básico de Jipijapa (Manabí-Ecuador). Resultados: del total de 78 pacientes, 61 (78,2%) recibieron suero antiofídico (SAO) y 17 pacientes (21,8%) no recibieron. No se encontró relación entre los días de hospitalización y el hecho de haber o no recibido SAO (p= 0,8), ni tampoco entre la prueba de coagulación positiva o negativa con el tiempo de hospitalización (p= 0,7). Se encontró una correlación baja entre la variable prueba de coagulación y el grado de mordedura, siendo estadísticamente significativo (p= 0,04). Se observó incremento de mordeduras en ciertos meses, en relación con los hábitos migratorios y reproductivos de las serpientes. Conclusiones: existió dificultad en la aplicación de protocolos de atención para accidente ofídico y si bien esto no repercutió en la morbilidad y mortalidad, puede afectar en la optimización de los recursos disponibles.

Introduction: ophidian accident is the clinical picture caused by the bite of a venomous snake. Forty one species of poisonous snakes are described in Ecuador Objective: to describe clinically and epidemiologically the ophidian accident in patients of the Basic Hospital of Jipijapa (Manabí-Ecuador). Methods: a retrospective observational, descriptive study, based on medical records of hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of snake bite in Internal Medicine Basic Hospital, Jipijapa (Manabí-Ecuador) during January 2008 - April 2012 was done. Results: of the total 78 patients, 61 (78.2%) received antivenin and 17 patients (21.8%) did not receive. There was no relationship between days of hospitalization and the fact of having or not received antivenin, p=Ns (0.8) nor between test positive or negative coagulation time found hospitalization p=Ns (0.7). A low correlation was found between the coagulation test variable and the degree of bite, being statistically significant (p = 0.04). An increase of bites in certain months, in relation to the migratory and reproductive habits of the snakes was observed. Conclusions: there was difficulty in applying protocols of care for ophidian accidents and although this did not affect morbidity and mortality, it can affect the optimization of available resources.

Hallazgos de imagen en pacientes con Neurotoxoplasmosis y VIH/SIDA en el Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín, durante el período de enero 2010 a julio 2012 / Imaging findings in patients with neurotoxoplasmosis and HIV/AIDS in Carlos Andrade Marin Hospital during the January 2010 to July 2012 period

Introducción: El síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida afecta el sistema inmune de la persona, particularmente a los linfocitos T. La toxoplasmosis cerebral constituye la infección oportunista más común en pacientes con VIH-SIDA, aparece en sujetos con menos de 100 linfocitos T CD4/mm3. Ante la sospecha clínica de neurotoxoplasmosis se deben solicitar estudios de imagen como tomografía de cráneo o resonancia magnética nuclear de encéfalo. El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir en un grupo de pacientes los hallazgos de imagen con neurotoxoplasmosis y VIH/SIDA. Materiales y métodos: Serie de casos de 27 pacientes cuyos exámenes de imagen fueron revisados conjuntamente con el contaje CD4 y las neuroimágenes (RMN), de pacientes con diagnóstico de VIH/SIDA y Toxoplasmosis, de enero 2010 a julio 2012, en el Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín. Resultados: Hubo predominio de varones (8:1) entre los pacientes con un contaje CD4 inferior a 100/mm3. El mayor porcentaje de lesiones en la RMN fueron grado 2, correspondientes a la clasificación de lesiones por imagen de toxoplasmosis cerebral, caracterizadas por ser lesiones ocupantes de espacio, que tienen realce y edema perilesional; con hipointensidad en T1 e hiperintensidad en T2. La mayor parte pertenecieron a la clase C3 de la clasificación CDC y hubo un predominio de grado 2, de la clasificación de neurotoxoplasmosis por imágenes. Discusión: Las imágenes de neurotoxoplasmosis demostradas con RMN en pacientes con VIH/SIDA son de mucha utilidad para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de esta entidad.

Abstract Introduction: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome impairs the immune system, particularly T lymphocytes. Cerebral toxoplasmosis is the leading cause of opportunistic infection of the central nervous system (CNS) in HIV/AIDS patients, when they have CD4+ counts fewer than 100 cells/mm3. Facing a patient with clinical suspicion of neurotoxoplasmosis, a CT scan or MRI should be asked. The aim of this paper was describing image findings of a group of HIV patients with neurotoxoplasmosis Methods: Case serie involving 27 patients whose medical records were analyzed. It includes the results of clinical exams, CD4 counts and MRI files with both diagnosis HIV/AIDS and toxoplasmosis, from January 2010 to July 2012, at Carlos Andrade Marin Hospital. Results: The study sample included more men than women (8:1). Most patients had a CD4 count fewer than 100 cells/mm3. Grade 2 lesions were frequent in the MRI, corresponding to h space-occupying lesions with enhancement and perilesional edema; showing hypointensity on T1 and hyperintensity on T2. Most of the patients were stratified as C3 class from CDC classification. Discusion: HIV/AIDS patients with a significant lower CD4 count should have a CT scan or MRI asked, in order to identify neurotoxoplasmosis.

Seudomixoma peritoneal como causa infrecuente de ascitis mixta masiva / Peritoneal Pseudomyxomata tumor as uncommon cause of massive mixed ascites

Se presenta el caso clínico de una paciente de 32 años de edad con historia de aumento progresivo de volumen del abdomen, que le dificultaba la respiración y la alimentación, quien ingresa en el Servicio de Medicina Interna del hospital del instituto ecuatoriano del seguro social de la ciudad de Ibarra, con diagnóstico de ascitis para estudio. Al realizar la paracentesis se extrae líquido de aspecto gelatinoso, por lo cual se plantea la hipótesis de un seudomixoma peritoneal. Teniendo en cuenta estas características del líquido se recupera el informe de biopsia de la apendicectomía efectuada 2 años antes, donde se halló la presencia de un tumor mucinoso de apéndice. Se efectuó cirugía citorreductora sin hipertermia intraperitoneal y se confirmó la citada hipótesis.

The case report of a 32 years patient with history of progressive increase in abdomen volume making difficult breathing and feeding is presented. She is admitted in the Internal Medicine Service of the Ecuatorian institute hospital of social insurance in Ibarra city, with ascites diagnosis to be studied. When carrying out the abdominal tap, a jelly-like liquid is extracted, reason why the hypothesis of a peritoneal pseudomyxomata tumor is stated. Taking into account these characteristics the biopsy report from an appendectomy made 2 years earlier is recovered, where the presence of an appendix mucinous tumor was found. Cytoreduction surgery was performed without intraperitoneal hyperthermia and the mentioned hypothesis was confirmed.

Trombocitopenia por aracnidismo en un adulto joven / Thrombocytopenia due to aracnidism in a young adult

Se describe el caso clínico de un paciente de 26 años de edad, atendido en el Hospital del Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social de la ciudad de Ibarra, luego de haber sido mordido por una araña del género Cyclosternum sp y de la familia Theraphosidae, quien presentaba como característica principal del cuadro clínico las cifras de plaquetas disminuidas en 29 %. Este fue tratado con hidrocortisona por vía intravenosa y 5 semanas después las plaquetas alcanzaron su valor inicial. La relevancia del caso está dada en lo infrecuente que resulta esta reacción a causa de la picada de arañas de este tipo.

The case report of a 26 years patient, assisted in the Hospital of the Ecuadorean Institute for Social Security of Ibarra city, after being bitten by a spider of the Cyclosternum sp gender and of the Theraphosidae family is described. The main characteristic of the clinical pattern was a decrease of platelets values in 29%. He was treated with intravenous hydrocortisone and 5 weeks later the platelets reached their initial value. The relevance of the case is given by the infrequent of this reaction as a result of the bite of this spider species.

[Prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in diabetic patients]. / Prevalencia de hipertrofia ventricular izquierda en pacientes diabéticos.

In order to establish the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, (DM) a cross-sectional study was conducted in these patients studying their anthropometric characteristics, blood pressure and metabolic control. To evaluate the presence of LVH, a trans-thoracic echocardiogram was used. The study included 91 patients, finding a 63.7% prevalence of HVI, with women being more affected than men (p=0.001). Additionally, 46.2% of patients were found to have diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle. We conclude that there is an important prevalence of LVH in diabetic patients without defined causes of hypertrophy. There was no association with sex, metabolic control, BMI and time of diagnosis.

Prevalencia de hipertrofia ventricular izquierda en pacientes diabéticos / Prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in diabetic patients

Con el objetivo de establecer la prevalencia de hipertrofia ventricular izquierda (HVI) en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM), se realizó un estudio transversal en estos pacientes, estableciendo sus características antropométricas, presión arterial y control metabólico. Para evaluar la presencia de HVI se empleó ecocardiografía transtorácica. El estudio incluyó 91 pacientes, en los cuales la prevalencia de HVI fue de 63,7%, siendo más frecuente en mujeres que en varones (p=0,001). Adicionalmente, se encontró un 46,2% de pacientes con disfunción diastólica del ventrículo izquierdo. Se concluye que existe una importante prevalencia de HVI en pacientes diabéticos sin antecedentes de causas definidas de hipertrofia. No se encontró relación con sexo, control metabólico, IMC y tiempo de diagnóstico.

In order to establish the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, (DM) a cross-sectional study was conducted in these patients studying their anthropometric characteristics, blood pressure and metabolic control. To evaluate the presence of LVH, a trans-thoracic echocardiogram was used. The study included 91 patients, finding a 63.7% prevalence of HVI, with women being more affected than men (p=0.001). Additionally, 46.2% of patients were found to have diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle. We conclude that there is an important prevalence of LVH in diabetic patients without defined causes of hypertrophy. There was no association with sex, metabolic control, BMI and time of diagnosis.

Effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist treatment on subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of thiazolidinedione treatment on subclinical atherosclerosis progression in insulin-requiring patients with clinical characteristics suggesting type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Eligible participants (n = 299) were randomized within strata of baseline common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT) (<0.8 mm, >or=0.8 mm) to 400 mg troglitazone daily or placebo for 2 years. A general linear mixed-effects model was used to compare the rate of change in CCA-IMT between treatment groups. RESULTS: Overall, average rates of CCA-IMT change were not significantly different between troglitazone- and placebo-treated subjects (0.0030 +/- 0.021 vs. 0.0066 +/- 0.021 mm/year; P = 0.17). In the stratum of subjects with CCA-IMT >or=0.8 mm, troglitazone significantly reduced the progression of CCA-IMT relative to placebo (0.0013 +/- 0.022 vs. 0.0084 +/- 0.023 mm/year; P = 0.03). Fasting glucose, insulin, and HbA(1c) were significantly lower in troglitazone- versus placebo-treated subjects (P < 0.01). Whereas blood pressure significantly differed between treatment groups in the >or=0.8-mm stratum, there was no difference between treatment groups in the <0.8-mm stratum. CONCLUSIONS: Insulin sensitization and reduction in blood pressure may be contributory mechanisms by which troglitazone reduced subclinical atherosclerosis progression in this cohort of well-controlled insulin-dependent patients with clinical characteristics suggesting type 2 diabetes.