Bisphenol-A and pentachlorophenol sodium levels in patients with rosacea.

BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES: Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Endocrinedisrupting chemicals (EDC) are toxic substances, that may gain entry through the skin and subsequently interfere with hormonal and immune functions. Bisphenol A (BPA) and pentachlorophenol sodium (PCS) are two of these EDCs, incriminated in the pathogenesis of certain inflammatory skin disorders. We aimed to test the hypothesis that exposure to BPA and PCS might be involved in the pathogenesis of rosacea. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study involved 34 patients with rosacea (18F/16 M; mean age 48.5 ± 11 years) and 34 age and sex-matched healthy controls (20 F/14 M; mean age 48.2 ± 10.2 years). Main anthropometric measures, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin, HOMA-IR, lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), BPA, and PCS levels were quantified and recorded. RESULTS: Serum CRP (9.6 ± 3.4 vs. 3.7 ± 1.6 mg/L, respectively, p0.05 for all). Serum BPA levels were 55.8 ± 14.4 and 51.9 ± 19.2 ng/mL, and PCS levels were 63.3 ± 45.9 ng/mL and 68.6 ± 40.8 ng/mL for patients and healthy controls, respectively. There was no significant difference in BPA and PCS levels between the two groups (p > 0.05 for both). No significant association was found among HOMAIR, CRP, BPA, and PCS levels (p > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Although the present study fails to provide presumptive evidence for the role of BPA and PCS in rosacea, the question as to other EDCs might be involved in its etiopathogenesis remains. This hypothesis requires confirmation in large-scale future prospective trials.

An essential component of antimicrobial stewardship during the COVID-19 pandemic in the intensive care unit: de-escalation.

BACKGROUND: The antimicrobial de-escalation strategy (ADE) plays a crucial role in antimicrobial stewardship, reducing the likelihood of bacterial resistance. This study aims to evaluate how often the intensive care unit (ICU) used ADE for empirical treatment during COVID-19. MATERIALS: Adult ICU patients receiving empirical antimicrobial therapy for bacterial infections were retrospectively studied from September 2020 to December 2021. ADE was defined as (1) discontinuation of an antimicrobial in case of empirical combination therapy or (2) replacement of the antimicrobial to narrow the antimicrobial spectrum within the first 3 days of therapy, according to the test results and clinical picture. RESULTS: A total of 99 patients were included in the study. The number of patients who received empirical combined therapy (38.4%) was lower than those who received monotherapy (61.6%). The most preferred monotherapy (45.9%) was piperacillin-tazobactam, while the most preferred in combination treatment (22.7%) was meropenem. Within the first 3 days of admittance to the ICU, 3% of patients underwent ADE for their empirical antimicrobial therapy, 61.6% underwent no change, and 35.4% underwent change other than ADE. Procalcitonin levels were below 2 µg/L on the third day of treatment in 69.7% of the patients. Culture or culture-antibiogram results of 50.5% of the patients were obtained within the first 3 days of empirical therapy. There was no growth in the culture results of 21 patients (21.2%) during their ICU stay. CONCLUSION: In this study, ADE practice was much lower than expected. In order to reduce the significant differences between theory and reality, clinical, laboratory, and organisational conditions must be objectively assessed along with patient characteristics.

Intracorneal implantation of a misdirected foldable intraocular lens during phacoemulsification surgery: a case report / Implantação intracorneana de uma lente intraocular dobrável direcionada incorretamente durante cirurgia de facoemulsificação: relato de caso

ABSTRACT A 59-year-old man presented with a unilateral blurring of vision in his left eye. His left eye's visual acuity was hand movements level. He underwent phacoemulsification surgery, and an intrastromal posterior chamber intraocular lens was implanted. The intrastromal intraocular lens was extracted and a new intraocular lens was implanted. Usinge the Snellen chart, the final best-corrected visual acuity was 20/40. With this case report, we wish to emphasize that a single stepwise clear corneal incision merged with wound-assisted intraocular lens injections can result in intraocular lens misdirection into the corneal stroma. As a result, while performing a misdirected intraocular lens removal, we recommend that the wound be carefully constructed.

RESUMO Um homem de 59 anos apresentou embaçamento visual unilateral no olho esquerdo. Sua acuidade visual nesse olho era no nível de movimentos da mão. O paciente havia se submetido a uma cirurgia de facoemulsificação em que foi feita a implantação intraestromal de uma lente intraocular de câmara posterior. Foi feita a extração dessa lente intraestromal intraocular e uma nova lente intraocular foi implantada. A melhor acuidade visual corrigida final foi de 20/40 pela tabela de Snellen. Com este relato de caso, os autores desejam apontar que uma incisão de degrau único em córnea clara, quando combinada com a injeção de uma lente ocular através da incisão, pode levar a um direcionamento incorreto da lente intraocular para dentro do estroma corneano. Portanto, recomenda-se uma construção cuidadosa da incisão ao se remover uma lente intraocular direcionada incorretamente.

A unique case of isolated sebaceous adenoma of the bulbar conjunctiva / Um caso único de adenoma sebáceo isolado de conjuntiva bulbar

ABSTRACT Our patient was a 34 year-old male who presented with a painless conjunctival mass that had developed 3 months before his first visit. On performing slit-lamp biomicroscopy, a lobulated pink-yellowish solid mobile mass was observed on the nasal bulbar conjunctival surface of his left eye. The tumor was excised, and histopathologic examination of the tumor revealed a sebaceous adenoma. Systemic examination was normal. No recurrence was observed during the 24-month follow-up period. Sebaceous adenoma of the bulbar conjunctiva is an extremely rare benign tumor, which may be observed to be isolated in the absence of malignancy.

RESUMO Nosso paciente era um homem de 34 anos que apresentou uma massa conjuntival indolor desde há 3 meses antes da primeira consulta. Na biomicroscopia por lâmpada de fenda, observa-se uma massa rosa-amarelada, sólida, móvel e lobulada na superfície conjuntival bulbar nasal, em seu olho esquerdo. O tumor foi retirado e o exame histopatológico demonstrou um adenoma sebáceo. O exame sistêmico era normal. Nenhuma recidiva foi observada durante os 24 meses de acompanhamento. Adenoma sebáceo da conjuntiva bulbar é um tumor benigno extremamente raro e pode ser visto isolado, sem quaisquer doenças malignas associadas.

A case report of bilateral choroidal metastases of epithelial carcinoma of pancreas / Um relato de caso de metástases de coroide bilaterais de carcinoma epitelial de pâncreas

A 49-year-old woman with acute loss of vision in her left eye was examined in our clinic. Two months before arriving at out clinic, she was diagnosed with pancreatic endothelial carcinoma. Her visual acuities were 20/20 for the right and 20/200 for the left eye. Fundus examination and fundus fluorescein angiography showed bilateral subretinal solitary mass. Multiple metastases to lung, pleura, liver, spleen, and abdominal lymph nodes were detected during the initial diagnosis. The patient underwent chemotherapy during the period when the visual symptoms were observed. No additional treatment was offered because of the extent of the disease and poor general health. Although pancreatic endothelial carcinoma usually spreads to the abdominal visceral organs and lungs, choroidal metastases are rarely observed.

Uma mulher de 49 anos de idade, com perda visual aguda de seu olho esquerdo, que teve diagnóstico de carcinoma endotelial de pâncreas há dois meses, foi examinada em nossa clínica. Suas acuidades visuais eram 20/20 no olho direito e 20/200 no olho esquerdo. O exame de fundo de olho e a angiofluoresceinografia mostraram massa solitária sub-retiniana bilateral. Múltiplas metástases do pulmão, pleura, fígado, baço e nódulos linfáticos abdominais foram detectados no diagnóstico inicial. A paciente foi submetida a quimioterapia durante o tempo que os sintomas visuais foram observados. Nenhum tratamento adicional foi oferecido por causa da extensão da doença e problemas de saúde em geral. Embora o carcinoma endotelial de pâncreas normalmente se espalhe para órgãos abdominais e pulmões, este pode ser uma causa rara de metástases de coroide.