A rare complication of ear piercing: a case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by Veronaea botryosa in China.

We present the third case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by Veronaea botryosa in China and the tenth case worldwide. A 16-year-old Chinese girl developed crusted, verrucous lesions, initially on the left ear and later on the left buttock, within 2-5 months of receiving an ear piercing. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens confirmed diagnosis of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis. Microscopic examination of the colonies recovered in culture from a portion of the biopsy specimen resulted in the identification of Veronaea botryosa based primarily on the presence of two-celled, brownish pigmented, cylindrical conidia produced sympodially from erect conidiogenous cells. The lesions significantly improved with daily oral treatment with itraconazole 400 mg and adjuvant thermotherapy for 6 months. A maintenance therapy with low dose itraconazole was prescribed in order to achieve clinical and mycological cure. A two-year follow-up didn't reveal any recurrence of infection. Our case is the first report of V. botryosa infection associated with a cosmetic procedure, which suggests that skin piercing could precipitate V. botryosa or other dematiaceous, as well as opportunistic fungal infections.

[Clinical observation on effect of Xianlong capsule in treating vascular dementia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Xianlong Capsule (XLC) in treating vascular dementia (VD) and to explore its therapeutic mechanism. METHODS: The criteria of learning and memory related cholinergic nerve system, oxygen free radical and nitrogen monoxide (NO) in 35 patients with VD treated with XLC and 33 patients treated with hydergine were observed and compared with the normal control group. RESULTS: XLC could lower the acetylcholine esterase activity, increase the acetylcholine content in erythrocytes and plasma and decrease the NO content. No toxic adverse reaction was found in the observation period. CONCLUSION: XLC has definite effect in treating VD in aged patients, the therapeutic mechanism may be related with the actions in strengthening cholinergic nerve system, improving oxygen free radical metabolism, regulating NO and relieving its excitatory neurotoxicity.

[Effect of huancongdan capsule on lipoprotein, apolipoprotein and serum immunoglobulin in vascular dementia patients].

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the effect of Huancongdan capsule (HCDC) on the vascular dementia (VD) related factors, including lipoprotein, apolipoprotein (apo) and serum immunoglobulin. METHODS: Fifty-two patients of VD were divided into the HCDC group (27 patients, treated with HCDC) and the control group (25 patients, treated with Naofukang). Changes of related parameters were observed. RESULTS: The effects in lowering triglyceride and total cholesterol and elevating high density lipoprotein cholesterol in the HCDC group were superior to those in the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but the effect in lowering low density lipoprotein cholesterol was similar in the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with data before treatment, in the HCDC group after treatment, the levels of serum apoA1 increased, and serum apoB100, IgA, IgG and circulating immune complex decreased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but the change of apoE level was insignificant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Through adjusting lipid metabolism, HCDC could improve blood rheologic characteristics, promote cerebral blood flow, improve the oxygen carrying capacity of blood to prevent and treat VD. One of its mechanisms is increasing apoA1 and decreasing apoB100 levels, preventing and improving atherosclerosis and reducing damage of vascular endothelial cells, the another may be its action in improving immune function.

[Clinical study of effect of yizhi capsule on senile vascular dementia].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Yizhi capsule (YZC) in treating senile dementia. METHODS: Sixty-one vascular dementia (VaD) patients were randomly divided into YZC and control groups. There were 32 cases in YZC group, 4 capsules each time three times a day. In control group, there were 29 cases, 2 mg of hydergine were given each time three times a day, single-blind method was used and the treatment course was two months. RESULTS: YZC could remarkably increase mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS) marks of VaD patients. YZC had the effect of improving balance and gait ability of VaD patients. YZC could improve the abnormal blood velocity (BV), as well as improve cerebral blood flow, brain electrical activity monitoring (BEAM) and hemorheological indexes especially for the abnormal case. No side-effect or toxic-effect was observed in the administration period. CONCLUSION: YZC had certain effect on senile VaD, and it was safe in application.

[Clinical study of bugu shengsui capsule in treating primary osteoporosis with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of Bugu Shengsui capsule (BGSSC) in treating primary osteoporosis. METHODS: Using double energy X-ray bone densimeter and radioimmunoassay (RIA), the effect of BGSSC in treating primary osteoporosis (OP) with Kidney-Yang Deficiency syndrome. RESULTS: The clinical markedly effective and total effective rates of BGSSC were 46% and 82%, respectively. The rate of TCM group is significantly higher than that of the control group (Vitamin D plus calcium). BGSSC could improve bone mineral density by the verification of double energy X-ray bone dansity (DEXA). It could also increase the level of serum calcitonin, luteinizing hormone and calcium, decrease the activity of parathyroid hormone. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of BGSSC on primary OP included increasing patient's bone mineral density, depressing bone resorption and decreasing bone loss.

[Clinical study on the effect of shuxuening tablet in treatment of coronary heart disease].

Shuxuening was made of extract of Folium Ginkgo, the Shuxuening tablet No. 2 was a pure extract and No. 1 was a crude extract. Forty-six coronary heart disease patients were divided randomly into two groups according to the ratio of 2:1, Shuxuening tablet No. 1 and No. 2 were given to the two groups respectively. Results showed that both of them could alleviate the symptom of angina, the total effective rate of 2 groups were 60.00% and 83.87%, there was no significant difference between the two groups. But for the angina of middle and severe degree, the total effective rate of No. 2 was 83.33%, while that of No. 1 was 33.33%, the difference was significant (P < 0.01). They could also improve the abnormal electrocardiogram, the total effective rate of two groups were 60.00% and 74.19%, no significant difference between them was found. The two drugs could decrease the blood lipid as well.

[Clinical and laboratory studies of effect of longevity-antihypertensive-mixture on elderly hypertension with kidney deficiency].

UNLABELLED: Longevity-Antihypertensive-Mixture (LAM) is a Chinese herbal drug, which could tonify Kidney in treating the hypertension with Kidney Deficiency in aged patients. RESULTS: 302 patients were randomly divided into three group: The treated group was subdivided into group I (107 Kidney Yin Deficiency patients) and group II (96 non-Kidney Yin Deficiency cases) and group III (99, control group). After treatment of LAM for 8 weeks, the rate of normalizing the blood pressure was 92.52% in group I while in group II, it was 84.43%, the symptoms were also significantly alleviated, and in group III, the rate was 70.71% only. The aorta compliance in group I significantly improved after LAM treatment (P < 0.025), the quality index of left ventricle reduced in treated group, and there was significant difference between treated and control groups. After treatment, LAM could shorten the length of extracorporal thrombus in group. The study showed that LAM could treat hypertension through LAM, administration with good effect.

[Effect of youjiangzhi capsule on senile hyperlipidemia].

61 aged with hyperlipidemia were randomly divided into treatment and control group according to the ratio of 2:1, which were treated with Youjiangzhi capsule and Mai-an Powder respectively. After 8 weeks of administration, all of the four indexes of blood lipid (TC, TG, HDL-C, TC-HDL-C/HDL-C) were significantly improved in both groups, but the effective rate of TC-HDL-C/HDL-C was much better in treatment group than that in control. The result showed that there was a good effect of Youjiangzhi Capsule on the senile hyperlipidemia.