Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome by fish: Not necessarily a restricted diet.

Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food hypersensitivity usually due to cow's milk or soy. Recent researches show that fish is 1 of the most important triggers of FPIES in the Mediterranean countries. Due to the risk of multiple-food FPIES, avoiding foods in the same category or that often occur together may be reasonable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution and follow-up of FPIES related to fish over a period of 20 years. We describe the clinical features of our population, discuss different approaches to oral food challenges, and analyze the possibility of introducing the culprit fish or other nonrelated fish to avoid unnecessary restricted diets.

Social Media as a Tool for the Management of Food Allergy in Children.

BACKGROUND: Food allergy markedly impairs quality of life, and avoiding the offending food requires extensive patient education. Social media have been proven a useful source of information for other chronic conditions. Our aim was to describe how pediatric patients with food allergy and their families are using social media. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study in the pediatric allergy unit of a tertiary hospital. Patients with food allergy were questioned about their disease and their use of social media. The survey was completed by the patients themselves in the case of those aged over 13 years and by parents or guardians in the case of younger patients. RESULTS: We included 193 patients (162 guardians, 31 adolescents). Social media were used by 109 guardians (67.3%) and 29 adolescents (90.3%), of whom 30.3% and 6.9%, respectively, used them for food allergy-related purposes. The most popular websites were Facebook for guardians (52.2%) and YouTube for teenagers (80.6%). Having cow's milk and/or egg allergy was the only feature related to using social media for food allergy. Using social media for information on food allergy did not correlate with the frequency of recent reactions, self-scored knowledge about food allergy, or opinion on evidence-based or alternative therapies for the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients and guardians of patients with food allergy used social media. However, only a small portion accessed used them to increase their knowledge of the disease.

Do Skin Prick Test and In Vitro Techniques Diagnose Sensitization to Peach Lipid Transfer Protein and Profilin Equally Well in Allergy to Plant Food and Pollen?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the skin prick test (SPT) with in vitro techniques (single and multiplex fluorescence enzyme-immunoassay [FEIA]) for detecting sensitization to profilin and lipid transfer protein (LTP). METHODS: We retrospectively studied 181 patients with pollen and/or plant food allergy and 61 controls. SPT was performed with date palm profilin (Pho d 2) and peach LTP (Pru p 3), and specific IgE (sIgE) to Phl p 12 and Pru p 3 was analyzed using single FEIA and microarray. RESULTS: Fifteen of 201 patients with negative results for LTP in the SPT were sensitized to this allergen in the in vitro tests, and 18 of 41 patients with positive results for LTP in the SPT were not sensitized according to the in vitro tests. Seventeen of 186 patients with negative results for profilin in the SPT were sensitized to Phl p 12 by serum sIgE, and 30 out of 56 patients with positive results for profilin in SPT were not sensitized to Phl p 12 according to the other tests. Moderate agreement was observed between the 3 techniques studied. CONCLUSIONS: SPT is a sensitive technique for detecting sensitization to LTP and profilin. Its results are similar to those of in vitro techniques, especially in patients with negative SPT results for peach LTP and palm tree profilin.

Early skin testing is effective for diagnosis of hypersensitivity reactions occurring during anesthesia.

Allergic skin tests have to be performed 4-6 weeks after an allergic anesthetic reaction. Patients with allergic reactions during anesthesia were prospectively included (n = 44). Skin tests were performed in two stages: (i) Stage 1 (S1), 0-4 days after the reaction; and (ii) Stage 2 (S2), 4-8 weeks after. Five (11.5%) surgical procedures were suspended due to the reaction. Positive skin tests were obtained in 25/44 patients (57%). Allergic diagnosis was carried out at S1 in 15/25 (60%) and at S2 in 10/25 (40%). Three patients resulted positive only in S1. Overall agreement among S1 and S2 skin tests was 70.45%. The kappa statistic was 0.41 (P-value = 0.002). Odds ratio of obtaining a false negative in S1 (compared with S2) was 3.33. Early allergological study is useful, could minimize false negatives, but should be considered as a complement to late skin tests.

Outcomes of pregnant patients with Pap smears classified as atypical glandular cells.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of cervical cancers increases with age. Due to the trend of increasing age of first pregnancy, abnormal Pap smears including those classified as atypical glandular cells (AGC) are being found more often in early pregnancy. Once invasive cancer is excluded, conservative management of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) in pregnancy is considered safe; however, optimal management of AGC is not well established. The aim of our study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with AGC diagnosed from smears during pregnancy. METHODS: The study included 17 patients referred to us in early pregnancy with Pap smears reported as AGC: 11 not otherwise specified (AGC-NOS), five favour neoplasia (AGC-FN) and one adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS). Thirty-one with high-grade SIL (HSIL) Pap smears confirmed on punch biopsy in early pregnancy comprised a control group. Human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity was found in seven patients with persistent AGC-NOS (including all four who had CIN3 postpartum). All the women were initially examined by expert colposcopy and those with AGC-FN or AIS smears also by transrectal ultrasound to exclude invasive endocervical cancer. Follow-up controls were carried out every 8-12 weeks and, if there were no signs of progression, revaluation was scheduled 6-8 weeks after delivery. RESULTS: The mean age of the women was 31.4 years. Conization in one patient in the study group was performed in the 16th week of pregnancy due to colposcopic signs of microinvasive squamous cell cancer confirmed on histology. Progression to invasive cancer was not found in any of the other 16 patients in the study group or in the control group. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or AIS was confirmed postpartum by conization or punch biopsy in 47.1% (8/17) of patients in the study group and, in 77.4% (24/31) of patients in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative management of women with AGC in pregnancy is safe where invasive cancer is excluded. As histological verification of glandular pre-cancerous lesions by punch biopsy is not reliable and the postpartum regression rate cannot be determined precisely, conization should be performed in all cases with AGC-FN or AIS. Triage of persistent AGC-NOS with HPV testing is useful in distinguishing significant underlying lesions.

[Follow-up after the treatment of ovarian cancer - really without Ca 125?]. / Follow-up po lécbe karcinomu ovaria -opravdu bez Ca 125?

Results of study MRC OV05 and EORTC/GCCG 55955 (Rustin et al.) have raised a considerable interest and controversy by questioning the early beginning of recurrent ovarian cancer treatment and the role of Ca 125 monitoring in the follow-up of ovarian cancer patients. Main pitfalls and limitations of this study are introduced in a survey. On their basis an author's opinion on the continuing role of Ca 125 monitoring is expressed with a possible benefit for the subgroup of patients with a solitary or operable relaps or those with new treatment possibilities or with inclusion to new clinical studies.

[The rational preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumors - imaging techniques and tumor biomarkers (review)]. / Racionální predoperacní diagnostika benigních a maligních ovariálních nádoru - zobrazovací metody, nádorové markery.

The majority of patients who suffer from an early-stage or advanced-stage of ovarian cancer complain about symptoms, mainly gastrointestinal ones. The pelvic examination in ovarian cancer detection is limited by the adnexal position in the pelvis and frequent extraovarian spread of disease. Recently, any reliable tumor biomarker (CA 125 and/or HE4), which can be used in differential diagnosis between benign and malignant ovarian tumors, does not exist. According the results of the largest multicenter International Ovarian Trial Analysis (IOTA), ultrasound if performed by an experienced sonologist is an ideal diagnostic method in differential diagnosis between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. The experienced examiner is also able to detect extraovarian tumor spread and to assess tumor operability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used only to complement ultrasound in cases when high tissue resolution is needed. Computed tomography (CT) is a useful method for detection of extraovarian spread, especially in cases when an ultrasound examiner experienced in abdominal scanning is not available. Similarly, fusion of positron emission tomography with CT (PET/CT) is a highly accurate method for the detection of abdominal and extraabdominal tumor spread, but its use is limited by cost and the low availability of this method. On the other hand, PET/CT is not recommended for primary ovarian cancer detection because of its lower sensitivity in comparison to ultrasound and its high false positive rates as well.

Can component-based microarray replace fluorescent enzimoimmunoassay in the diagnosis of grass and cypress pollen allergy?

BACKGROUND: Few data on the diagnostic accuracy in pollinosis of the microarray ISAC of allergens are available. OBJECTIVE: We aim to comparatively analyse ISAC CRD103 with the whole-extract ImmunoCAP in grass and cypress pollen allergy, evaluating the suitability of the manufacturer's recommended cut-off points for both techniques. METHODS: We studied 120 atopic patients grouped into grass and cypress pollen-allergic patients and controls based on clinical history and skin prick tests. Specific IgE against Phleum pratense and Cupressus arizonica by ImmunoCAP and ISAC CRD103 were performed on all subjects. RESULTS: In the grass pollen group (43 allergic/26 controls), both microarray and CAP showed high sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) values (ISAC: Se 97.7, Sp 92.3; CAP: Se 95.3, Sp 96.1) for recommended cut-off points. Comparing the optimal (ISAC: 0.4 ISU; CAP: 0.33 kU/L) with the recommended cut-off points within the same technique, diagnostic agreement was observed in both techniques. Thus, CAP and ISAC showed similar diagnostic performance in grass pollen allergy when using recommended cut-off points. In cypress pollen group (12 allergic/92 controls), the microarray (Se: 91.7, Sp 91.3) showed similar Se but significantly higher Sp (P=0.034) than CAP (Se: 91.7, Sp: 80.4) using recommended cut-off points. However, although diagnostic performance of the microarray did not change when comparing the optimal (0.82 ISU) with the recommended cut-off point, CAP improved diagnosis of cypress pollen allergy, when applying the optimal (0.66 kU/L)(CAP Se: 91.7, Sp: 89.1) instead of the manufacturer's recommended cut-off point. Thus, when the most suitable cut-off point for both techniques (ISAC: 0.3 ISU; CAP: 0.66 kU/L) is selected, microarray and CAP provide equivalent diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Component-based microarray ISAC CRD103 and whole-allergen CAP showed high Se and Sp diagnosing equally grass and cypress pollen allergy. The cut-off point for each allergen should be properly applied for both techniques.

[Hereditary susceptibility to endometrial cancer]. / Dedicná dispozice ke vzniku karcinomu endometria.

OBJECTIVE: To present up-to-date knowledge concerning field of hereditary susceptibility to endometrial cancer as a part of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome). SUBJECT: Review. SETTING: Oncogynecological Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charles University in Prague, First Faculty of Medicine and General Faculty Hospital, Prague. SUBJECT AND METHOD: After having gone over the now-a-days literature and summarized our experience with management of high risk women of Lynch syndrome families we present up-to-date overview of this field problematics. CONCLUSION: Although endometrial cancer arising due to germ-line susceptibility account for a small part of these malignancies only, they represent disease with clearly defined and detectable serious risk factor. Management approach for these women is now defined and allows for early detection or lowering the risk. Educated gynecologist, as a field specialist, has good chance to identify women at risk and manage them in an appropriate way.

[Guideline for treatment of gynaecological malignant tumours 2010---endometrial carcinoma]. / Guideline gynekologických zhoubných nádoru 2010. Primární chirurgická lécba zhoubných nádoru endometria.

OBJECTIVE: To develop guideline for primary surgical treatment of endometrial carcinoma. DESIGN: Review, consensus of expert group. SETTING: Dept. of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 3rd Medical Faculty of Charles University in Prague. METHOD: A retrospective review of published data, analysis of statistic data from Czech Republic, consensus among proposers and opponents. RESULTS: The guideline recognizes endometrial carcinoma patients based on their risk and recommends type of surgical treatment for certain group. It emphasizes the importance of centralized oncogynaecological treatment. Surgical staging remains the basic principle for treatment of endometrial carcinoma patients. The aim of pre-operative diagnostics is to estimate the extent of the disease--"interim staging", that can be different from definitive histopathological staging. Based on risk factors patients are divided into low or high risk group. Standard procedure for low risk patients is hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy. It is advisable to use peroperative biopsy in these patients that can shift the patient to high risk group. High risk patients are recommended for hysterectomy, bilateral salpingoophorectomy, and systematic aortopelvic lymphadenectomy. The guideline contains recommendation for young patients wishing to preserve their fertility, for cases of inadequate surgery and for follow-up. CONCLUSION: Guideline for treatment of endometrial carcinoma is recommendation for clinicians and other subjects who participate on the process of the diagnostics/treatment of endometrial carcinoma patients. All points of the guideline were discussed and voted about by all participants of expert group.

Late morbidity following nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Nerve-sparing (NS) modification of radical hysterectomy (RH) has been developed with the main purpose of improving the quality of life after radical surgical treatment of early-stage cervical cancer. Although the procedure has been discussed for almost 30 years, there are only limited data available on late morbidity. The aim of the study was to prospectively evaluate the morbidity of patients before and 6 months after NS RH and compare that with the morbidity in patients following different types of parametrectomy without nerve sparing. METHODS: Multiple parameters were assessed prospectively using 20-item self-reported questionnaire, focusing on three main areas of morbidity: bladder, sexual, and anorectal functions. Excluded were patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy. RESULTS: Enrolled were women following NS RH (N=32), type C RH (N=19), and type D RH (N=21). Nine parameters significantly deteriorate in the whole group after the treatment: defecation straining (p=0.03), defecation regularity (p=0.0006), defecation frequency (p=0.02), need to use laxatives (p<0.001), flatulence incontinence (p<0.001), urinary incontinence (p<0.001), nocturia (p=0.002), loss of bladder sensation (p=0.04), and straining to void (p<0.001). There were significant differences (p<0.05) between groups following NS and type C or D RH in changes of following parameters: defecation regularity, receptivity to sexual activity, urinary incontinence, nocturia, and straining to void, while no differences were found between type C and D RH. Minimal changes were observed in any of 10 parameters of sexual functions. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed a significant negative impact of RH on bladder and anorectal functions. Autonomic nerve preservation significantly improved morbidity 6 months after treatment.

Sentinel node (SLN) biopsy in the management of locally advanced cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy can significantly contribute to the management of locally advanced cervical cancers with high risk of lymph node (LN) positivity. However, low detection rate and sensitivity were reported in larger tumors, albeit on a small number of cases. It was the aim of our study to verify the SLN reliability in large tumors, with modified dye application technique and a careful identification of side-specific lymphatic drainage. METHODS: The study involved 44 patients with tumors 3 cm in diameter or larger, stages IB1 to IIA, or selected IIB. In cases where SLN could not be detected, systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed on the respective side. Systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed during the second step radical procedure if not already done. RESULTS: Detection rate in the whole cohort reached 77% per patient and 59% bilaterally. No significant difference was found whether a blue dye or a combined method was used (75% vs 80%, and 55% vs 67%). Systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed in cases with undetected SLN unilaterally in 8 and bilaterally in 10 women. A systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy was included in the second step radical procedure in 19 cases and no positive LN were found. There was no case of false-negative SLN result in patients who underwent surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: Detection rate in locally advanced cervical cancer could be improved by a careful dye application technique. Low false-negative SLN rate could be achieved if pelvic lymphatic drainage is evaluated on a side-specific principle by performing systematic lymphadenectomy if SLN is not detected.

[Molecular characterization of epithelial ovarian borderline tumors with respect to clinical management and prognosis]. / Molekulární charakteristiky borderline ovariálních tumoru ve vztahu k biologickému chování nádoru.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze up-to-data knowledge in the field of molecular characterization of epithelial ovarian borderline tumors with respect to clinical management and prognosis. DESIGN: Review. SETTING: Oncogynecological Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charles University in Prague, First Faculty of Medicine, and General Faculty Hospital, Prague. METHODS: Based on literature search and own experimental data in the field of molecular biology of ovarian cancer and borderline tumors of ovary, we summarize up-to-date knowledge of molecular differences and specific features of BTO with respect to implementation of these knowledge into the clinical management. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We suppose that spectrum of genomic changes (i.e. genetic and epigenetic) causing tumor transformation is limited and these changes take place in stem or progenitor cell. Analysis of genomic changes can help to define certain subtypes of BTO and, correlated to clinical characteristics, to identify subtypes with different biological behavior. Such molecular typing of BTO allows to individualize treatment.

[Use of transrectal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the staging of early-stage cervical cancer]. / Vyuzití transrektálního ultrazvukového vysetrení a magnetické rezonance ve stagingu casných stadií zhoubného nádoru delozního hrdla.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to compare the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)--a standard method--and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) in the staging and determination of significant prognostic parameters in early-stage cervical cancer. The following prognostic parameters were evaluated: identification of residual tumor in the cervix after cone-biopsy, tumor volume, and early parametrial infiltration. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Oncogynecological Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Faculty Hospital of Charles University, Prague. METHODS: Patients referred to Oncogynecological Center from January 2004 to February 2006, in whom early-stage cervical cancer (T1a1-T2a) was diagnosed by clinical examination, were prospectivelly enrolled in the study. Only those patients who were examined by both MRI and TRUS with following surgical treatment were included. Imaging results were compared with pathology findings. RESULTS: Data from 95 patients were evaluated. The accuracy of tumor detection in 95 patients was 93.7% for TRUS and 83.2% for MRI (P < or = 0.006). In small tumors (< or = 1 cm3), the accuracy of tumor detection by TRUS was 90.5% and 81.1% by MRI (P < or = 0.049). The accuracy of parametrial infiltration detection by TRUS and MRI was 98.9% and 94.7%, respectively (P < or = 0.219). The accuracy was not influenced by body mass index values. CONCLUSION: Our results show TRUS achieving comparable or even higher accuracy than the more commonly used MRI in staging of early-stage cervical cancer.

[Ultrasound-guided intervention in the treatment of abdomino-pelvic advanced tumors]. / Význam intervencní ultrasonografie v l écbe pokrocilých abdomino-pelvických nádoru.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and safety of ultrasound-guided tru-cut biopsy in advanced abdomino-pelvic tumors in a sufficiently large cohort. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Oncogynecological Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Faculty Hospital of Charles University, Prague. METHODS: Patients indicated for tru-cut biopsy were those with primarily inoperable tumors, with advanced tumors and compromised performance status preventing a primary surgical procedure, and with recurrent pelvic tumors requiring histological verification. All were referred to the Oncogynecological Center between January 2005 and June 2007. Tru-cut biopsy was taken either from pelvic tumor or from its metastatic sites transvaginally or transabdominally under ultrasound guidance. Sample adequacy was evaluated. RESULTS: Altogether, 119 patients were referred for tru-cut biopsy during a study period. Only 4 cases were found unsuitable for tru-cut biopsy and the patients were referred for laparoscopy instead. Samples were obtained transvaginally in 67 patients (58.3%) and transabdominally in 48 patients (41.7%). The biopsy was taken from pelvic tumor in 59 patients (51.3%), omental cake in 14 patients (12.2%), from peritoneal visceral or parietal carcinomatosis in 37 patients (32.2%) and from other localities in 5 patients (4.3 %). The diagnostic adequacy of ultrasound-guided tru-cut biopsy reached 94.8% (95% CI, 94.17-99.40%). There were only two tru-cut biopsy-related complications: The first case involved bleeding from tumor in a patient with mild thrombocytopenia that required laparotomy; in the second case, diagnostic laparoscopy was indicated after a minor bleeding occurred in the biopsy site on ultrasound, however, no significant pelvic bleeding was confirmed by the procedure. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided tru-cut biopsy is a safe, reliable, fast, and cost-effective diagnostic method for histological verification of both advanced primary and recurrent abdomino-pelvic tumors. It can be performed in an outpatient setting without the need for general anesthesia, causing a minimal discomfort to the patient in comparison with laparoscopy or laparotomy. The risk of complications is low and the main advantage is the acquirement of a sample adequate for further immunohistochemical examination, which is a necessary requirement for the choice of optimal oncological treatment.