Clinicians' beliefs and attitudes to physical activity and exercise therapy as treatment for knee and/or hip osteoarthritis: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinicians' attitudes and beliefs about physical activity and exercise therapy as treatment for individuals with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis (OA). METHOD: This was a scoping review, mapping available knowledge about the topic derived from qualitative research designs and methods. A comprehensive search of selected databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE; CINAHL; Web of Science) was conducted and data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Twelve articles met inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis identified three interrelated main themes: 1) Understandings of OA and its trajectory and management; 2) Attitudes to activity and exercise as part of OA management; 3) Clinicians' perceived knowledge of and expertise in OA management. Findings highlight that many clinicians involved in knee/hip OA management, particularly general practitioners and physiotherapists, perceive OA to be a low priority 'wear-and-tear' disease with expected progression of symptoms, making joint replacement surgery eventually inevitable. Further, many clinicians appear to lack knowledge about and interest in physical activity and exercise therapy in the management of knee/hip OA, and seem to show uncertainty about the effectiveness and safety of physical activity and exercise therapy on joint health. CONCLUSION: Clinicians' attitudes and beliefs about physical activity and exercise therapy in OA seem to reflect an outdated narrative which describes OA as a wear-and-tear disease with inevitable disease progression to joint replacement surgery. Clinicians need to adopt a contemporary narrative, which accurately reflects current knowledge and evidence-based practice, thereby ensuring consistent utilisation of exercise therapy as first-line care as recommended in OA guidelines.

Fracture-induced changes in biomarkers CTX, PINP, OC, and BAP-a systematic review.

To assess the time from fracture until bone turnover markers (BTM), which are biochemical markers reflecting in vivo bone formation and resorptive activity, have returned to a stable level since BTM have been shown to be at least as good as bone mineral density in monitoring the effect of anti-resorptive treatment in osteoporosis. This study searched for articles in PUBMED, CINAHL, Medline, EM-BASE, and Cochrane, and identified 3486 unique articles. These articles were screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven articles addressing time to normalization of either CTX, PINP, osteocalcin, or bone-specific alkaline phosphatase after a recent fracture were identified and these were analyzed qualitatively. CTX appeared to return to baseline within 6 months. PINP appeared to return to baseline within 6 months and interestingly dip below baseline after a year. Osteocalcin was elevated throughout the first year after a fracture, with most changes in the first 6 months. Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) was increased for up to a year, however with a discrepancy between used assays. Seven studies were identified, showing CTX and PINP to return to baseline within 6 months. OC was elevated for 12 months. BAP was increased for up to a year. However, none of these studies had fasting patients and a long follow-up period with regular measurements. The studies could indicate that the BTM CTX and PINP have returned to baseline within 6 months; however, further studies are needed assessing pre-analytical factors while having a long follow-up. Bone turnover markers appear as good as or better than bone mineral density in monitoring the effect of anti-resorptive medication in osteoporosis. This study tries to identify the time from fracture until BTM are back at baseline. Most studies did not however take pre-analytical variation into consideration. Further research is therefore needed.

Liver Transplantation for Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis: Report of a Single Center Pilot Program.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LT) can significantly improve mortality for severe alcoholic hepatitis (AH). However, this practice remains controversial. Our aim is to report the findings from our institution regarding outcomes for LT in severe AH and to discuss the results of a pilot program for discharging selected patients with close follow-up, in order to demonstrate sustained outpatient sobriety before listing. METHODS: Patient records were reviewed retrospectively from January 1, 2015 to January 17, 2018. The primary outcomes were patient and graft survival after LT. Secondary outcomes included relapse rates after LT, survival for those not transplanted, and reasons for denial among those not approved for transplant listing. RESULTS: A total of 18 patients with severe AH were considered for LT, of which 10 were transplanted and 8 were either denied transplantation or died before completing the evaluation. Patient and graft survival rates were 100% among those transplanted, and only 1 of the 10 patients (10%) returned to harmful drinking. In comparison, 6 of 8 (75%) of patients not transplanted died. Among the 10 patients transplanted, 4 were initially not approved for listing and were discharged with close follow-up, to demonstrate outpatient sobriety. All 4 of those patients demonstrated short-term abstinence and ultimately underwent transplantation, with no instances of relapse post-LT. CONCLUSIONS: Liver transplantation for AH can achieve excellent outcomes with low rates of relapse. Carefully selected patients can be discharged with close monitoring to demonstrate commitment to outpatient sobriety prior to transplant listing.

Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Acute Respiratory Failure in a Liver Transplant Patient: A Case Report.

Intraoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, both venoarterial and venovenous (VV), have been used sparingly and with limited success in the setting of liver transplantation. Here, we report the successful use of VV-ECMO in the resuscitation and pulmonary bridging support after severe systemic inflammatory response in a combined liver and kidney transplant recipient who suffered primary nonfunction of both allografts. Where conventional ventilator maneuvers may prove ineffective, the implementation of VV-ECMO should be considered as a therapeutic option in limited, short-lived acute pulmonary injury.

Change in patient-reported outcomes in patients with and without mechanical symptoms undergoing arthroscopic meniscal surgery: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with degenerative or traumatic meniscal tears are at high risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. We investigated if younger (≤40 years) and older (>40 years) patients with preoperative mechanical symptoms (MS) improved more in patient-reported outcomes after meniscal surgery than those without MS. DESIGN: Patients from Knee Arthroscopy Cohort Southern Denmark (KACS) undergoing arthroscopic surgery for a meniscal tear completed online questionnaires before surgery, and at 12 and 52 weeks follow-up. Questionnaires included self-reported presence of MS (i.e., sensation of catching and/or locking) and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). We analyzed between-group differences in change in KOOS4 from baseline to 52 weeks, using an adjusted mixed linear model. RESULTS: 150 younger patients (mean age 31 (SD 7), 67% men) and 491 older patients (mean age 54 (SD 9), 53% men) constituted the baseline cohorts. Patients with MS generally had worse self-reported outcomes before surgery. At 52 weeks follow-up, younger patients with preoperative MS had improved more in KOOS4 scores than younger patients without preoperative MS (adjusted mean difference 10.5, 95% CI: 4.3, 16.6), but did not exceed the absolute postoperative KOOS4 scores observed for those without MS. No difference in improvement was observed between older patients with or without MS (adjusted mean difference 0.7, 95% CI: -2.6, 3.9). CONCLUSIONS: Younger patients (≤40 years) with preoperative MS experienced greater improvements after arthroscopic surgery compared to younger patients without MS. Our observational study result needs to be confirmed in randomized trials.

Outcomes of Highly Sensitized Patients Undergoing Simultaneous Liver and Kidney Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience With Desensitization.

BACKGROUND: Preformed donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies (DSAs) in patients undergoing simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation (SLKT) are an independent risk factor for poorer patient and renal allograft survival. The outcomes of patients highly sensitized (HS) against HLA antigens undergoing SLKT and select HS SLKT recipients undergoing desensitization at a high-volume desensitization center were investigated. METHODS: Seventy-five patients undergoing SLKT at a high-volume desensitization center between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. HS patients were defined by panel-reactive antibody (PRA) >30% (n = 17 patients), 11 of whom received pre- or perioperative desensitization with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) ± rituximab. RESULTS: HS patients had significantly higher class I and class II PRA (class I = 41.3% ± 40.0% vs 2.5% ± 6.3%; class II = 45.7% ± 36.4% vs 1.0% ± 2.9%; P < .001), were more likely to be female (P = .05), and more likely to have had a prior transplant (P = .03). HS patients demonstrated greater susceptibility to renal cell-mediated rejection (CMR) (23.5% vs 5.2%, P = .02) compared to nonsensitized patients. Higher renal antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) was also observed in HS patients, 11.8% vs 3.4%, but did not reach significance (P = .18). Desensitization in select HS SLKT patients was well tolerated but did not improve patient and allograft survival or significantly curtail rejection. CONCLUSION: HS SLKT recipients demonstrated increased allograft rejection, particularly CMR, but patient and graft survival were not impacted in the first year post-transplant. Select HS SLKT patients tolerated desensitization with high-dose IVIG ± rituximab and may have received additional immunoprotection against ABMR but survival was not affected.

Changes in knee joint load indices from before to 12 months after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) are at increased risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Meniscal damage and/or surgery may alter knee joint loading to increase OA risk. We investigated changes in knee joint loading following medial APM surgery, compared with the contra-lateral leg. METHODS: We estimated indices of knee joint loading (external peak knee adduction moment (KAM), KAM impulse and peak knee flexion moment (KFM)) normalized to body size (i.e., body mass (BM) and height (HT)) using 3D gait analysis in 23 patients (17 men, mean (SD) 46.2 (6.4) years, BMI 25.8 (3.4) kg/m(2)) without radiographic knee OA before and 12 months after medial APM. Static alignment was assessed by radiography and self-reported outcomes by Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). RESULTS: Peak KAM and KAM impulse increased in the APM leg compared to the contra-lateral leg from before to 12 months after surgery (change difference: 0.38 Nm/BM*HT% 95% CI 0.01 to 0.76 (P = 0.049) and 0.20 Nm*s/BM*HT% 95% CI 0.10 to 0.30 (P < 0.001)). Patients self-reported improvements on all KOOS subscales (KOOS pain improvement: 22.8 95% CI 14.5 to 31.0 (P < 0.01)). CONCLUSIONS: A relative increase in indices of medial compartment loading was observed in the leg undergoing APM compared with the contra-lateral leg from before to 12 months after surgery. This increase may contribute to the elevated risk of knee OA in these patients. Randomized trials including a non-surgical control group are needed to determine if changes in joint loading following APM are caused by surgery or by changes in symptoms.

Liver Transplantation in a Patient With CD40 Ligand Deficiency and Hyper-IgM Syndrome: Clinical and Immunological Assessments.

Monoclonal antibodies that disrupt CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) interactions are likely to have use in human transplantation. However, the extent of the immunosuppressive effects of CD40-CD40L blockade in humans is unknown. Hyper-IgM syndrome (HIGM) is a rare primary immunodeficiency syndrome characterized by defects in the CD40-CD40L pathway, severe immune deficiency (IgG), and high or normal IgM levels. However, the effects of CD40L deficiency on T- and natural killer (NK)-cell function is not established. Here, we present a patient with HIGM syndrome who underwent liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus infection. Posttransplantation, NK-cell antibody-dependent cytokine release (γ-interferon) to alloantigens and T cell responses to viral antigens and mitogens were assessed and showed normal CD4+ , CD8+ , and NK-cell responses. We also examined antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against a CD40+ and HLA-expressing cell line. These experiments confirmed that the patient's NK cells were equivalent to those of normal subjects in mediating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity despite the absence of CD40-CD40L interactions. Mitogenic stimulation of the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed no expression of CD40L on T and NK cells compared with increased expression in normal subjects. Taken together, these data suggest that absence of CD40L expression is responsible for aberrant B cell immunity but had little impact on NK- and T cell immune responses in vitro.

Combined Heart and Liver Transplantation: The Cedars-Sinai Experience.

PURPOSE: Combined heart-liver transplantation is an increasingly accepted treatment for select patients with heart and liver disease. Despite growing optimism, heart-liver transplantation remains an infrequent operation. We report our institutional experience with heart-liver transplantation. METHODS: All combined heart-liver transplantations at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from 1998-2014 were analyzed. Primary outcomes were patient and graft survival and secondary outcomes included rejection, infection, reoperation, length of stay, and readmission. RESULTS: There were 7 heart-liver transplants: 6 simultaneous (single donor) and 1 staged (2 donors). Median follow-up was 22.1 (IQR 13.2-48.4) months. Mean recipient age was 50.8 ± 19.5 years. Heart failure etiologies included familial amyloidosis, congenital heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, systemic lupus erythematosus, and dilated cardiomyopathy. Preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction averaged 32.3 ± 12.9%. Five (71.4%) patients required preoperative inotropic support; 1 required mechanical circulatory support. The most common indications for liver transplant were amyloidosis and cardiac cirrhosis. Median Model for End-stage Liver Disease score was 10.0 (9.3-13.8). Six-month and 1-year actuarial survivals were 100% and 83.3%, with mean survival exceeding 4 years. No patient experienced cardiac allograft rejection, 1 experienced transient liver allograft rejection, and 1 developed progressive liver dysfunction resulting in death. Five developed postoperative infections and 3 (42.9%) required reoperation. Median ICU and hospital stays were 7.0 (7.0-11.5) and 17.0 (13.8-40.5) days. There were 4 (57.1%) readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: For carefully selected patients with coexisting heart and liver disease, combined heart and liver transplantation offers acceptable patient and graft survival.

Successful Treatment of Mitochondrial Toxicity in an HIV-Positive Patient After Liver Transplantation.

Liver transplantation in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been increasingly performed with reasonable outcomes; however, medical management of both immunosuppression and antiretroviral therapy can be challenging owing to drug toxicities and interactions. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), a common backbone of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), were the first class of effective antiretroviral drugs developed. NRTIs are commonly used for posttransplant HAART therapy and have a rare but fatal complication of mitochondrial toxicity, manifesting as severe lactic acidosis, hepatic steatosis, and lipoatrophy. Herein, we have reported on the first known successful treatment of severe mitochondrial toxicity secondary to NRTIs in an HIV-infected transplant recipient.

Obesity is independently associated with infection in hospitalised patients with end-stage liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Infection is the most common cause of mortality in end-stage liver disease (ESLD). The impact of obesity on infection risk in ESLD is not established. AIM: To characterise the impact of obesity on infection risk in ESLD. METHODS: We evaluated the association between infection and obesity in patients with ESLD. Patients grouped as non-obese, obesity class I-II and obesity class III were studied using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Validated diagnostic code based algorithms were utilised to determine weight category and infections, including bacteraemia, skin/soft tissue infection, urinary tract infection (UTI), pneumonia/respiratory infection, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Risk factors for infection and mortality were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 115 465 patients identified, 100 957 (87.5%) were non-obese and 14 508 (12.5%) were obese, with 9489 (8.2%) as obesity class I-II and 5019 (4.3%) as obesity class III. 37 117 patients (32.1%) had an infection diagnosis. Infection was most prevalent among obesity class III (44.0%), followed by obesity class I-II (38.9%) and then non-obese (31.9%). In multivariable modelling, class III obesity (OR = 1.41; 95% CI 1.32-1.51; P < 0.001), and class I-II obesity (OR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.01-1.15; P = 0.026) were associated with infection. Compared to non-obese patients, obese individuals had greater prevalence of bacteraemia, UTI, and skin/soft tissue infection as compared to non-obese patients. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is newly identified to be independently associated with infection in end-stage liver disease. The distribution of infection sites varies based on weight category.

Literature review: perceptions and management of body size among normal weight and moderately overweight people.

Improved understanding of how normal weight and moderately overweight people manage their body weight and shape could be used to inform initiatives to prevent and treat obesity. This literature review offers a thorough appraisal of existing research into perceptions and management of own body size among normal weight and moderately overweight people. The studies reported in the 47 publications reviewed here address various themes based on different conceptualizations. The studies point out that normal weight and moderately overweight people are much concerned about their body size, but huge discrepancies are found between their own perceptions and study categorizations. The studies also indicate that normal weight and moderately overweight people are actively engaged in managing their body size through numerous managing strategies, and dieting is widespread. Together the studies do not form a unified and coherent research field, and there is a bias towards North American study populations. Methodological problems were identified in some publications, raising questions about generalizability of the findings. Moreover, only few studies give deeper insight into the specific perceptions and actions. Repeated studies are needed in broader and more differentiated geographical, social and cultural contexts, and longitudinal studies and more in-depth explorations are especially needed.

Virologic and clinical outcomes of hepatitis B virus infection in HIV-HBV coinfected transplant recipients.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the treatment of choice for end-stage liver disease, but is controversial in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Using a prospective cohort of HIV-hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfected patients transplanted between 2001-2007; outcomes including survival and HBV clinical recurrence were determined. Twenty-two coinfected patients underwent LT; 45% had detectable HBV DNA pre-LT and 72% were receiving anti-HBV drugs with efficacy against lamivudine-resistant HBV. Post-LT, all patients received hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) plus nucleos(t)ide analogues and remained HBsAg negative without clinical evidence of HBV recurrence, with a median follow-up 3.5 years. Low-level HBV viremia (median 108 IU/mL, range 9-789) was intermittently detected in 7/13 but not associated with HBsAg detection or ALT elevation. Compared with 20 HBV monoinfected patients on similar HBV prophylaxis and median follow-up of 4.0 years, patient and graft survival were similar: 100% versus 85% in HBV mono- versus coinfected patients (p = 0.08, log rank test). LT is effective for HIV-HBV coinfected patients with complications of cirrhosis, including those who are HBV DNA positive at the time of LT. Combination HBIG and antivirals is effective as prophylaxis with no clinical evidence of HBV recurrence but low-level HBV DNA is detectable in approximately 50% of recipients.

No association between hip geometry and four common polymorphisms associated with fracture: the Danish osteoporosis prevention study.

Both osteoporosis and hip geometry are independently associated with fracture risk. There is a significant genetic contribution to the risk of osteoporosis, and evidence provided by twin studies has suggested that hip geometry may also in part be genetically programmed. Polymorphisms in a number of genes, including those coding for methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR c.677C > T), the purinergic P2X(7) receptor (Glu496Ala and Ile568Asn), and the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5 exon 9 [c.266A > G]), have been associated with an increased fracture incidence and/or reduced bone mineral density (BMD). The aim of the present study was to test whether these polymorphisms influence hip structural geometry in perimenopausal women. The four polymorphisms were genotyped in 800 healthy recently perimenopausal women never using hormone replacement therapy. BMD of the femoral neck was measured using a Hologic QDR-2000 densitometer and femoral neck axis length, neck width, neck shaft angle, and femoral head diameter were measured from the screen images. Genotype frequencies were compatible with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No significant differences between homozygotes for the minor allele and carriers of the common allele regarding parameters of hip geometry were demonstrated. According to the anthropometric characteristics of the subjects, only body height in the MTHFR TT genotype group was significantly different from the combined CT/CC genotype group (P < 0.05). The geometric dimensions of the proximal femur in perimenopausal women are not associated with the MTHFR c.677C > T, P2X(7) (Glu496Ala), P2X(7) (Ile568Asn), and LRP5 exon 9 (c.266A > G) polymorphisms.

Disproportional geometry of the proximal femur in patients with Turner syndrome: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with Turner syndrome (TS) have altered growth and increased risk of osteoporosis due to oestrogen deficiency and possibly a host of other factors. Thus, TS patients have a 4.9-fold increased risk of femoral neck fractures. Most patients are treated with oestrogen during puberty and adolescence to facilitate pubertal development and prevent secondary osteoporosis. The geometry of the hip is a predictor for hip fractures independent of bone mineral density (BMD). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the variation of the geometry of the hip in patients with TS in comparison with healthy controls. PATIENTS: The study population comprised 58 patients with TS (aged 22-67 years) and 60 age-matched healthy women (aged 21-65 years). MEASUREMENTS: Hip axis length (HAL), neck width (NW), neck shaft angle (NSA), and femoral head-radius (HR) on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screen images. These parameters related to age of oestrogen supplementation, menarche, and duration of oestrogen exposure. RESULTS: Height was 146.6 +/- 6.9 cm and 167.1 +/- 6.2 cm (P < 0.1) and weight 57.4 +/- 13.9 kg and 62.3 +/- 8.3 kg (P < 0.001) in patients and controls, respectively. After adjustment for differences in height, HAL was not significantly different (9.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 9.5 +/- 0.5 cm; NS) in TS compared with controls while NW was significantly increased (3.5 +/- 0.4 cm vs. 3.3 +/- 0.2 cm, P < 0.001), NSA was similar (129 +/- 4 degrees vs. 130 +/- 4 degrees , NS), and HR was significantly decreased (4.1 +/- 0.4 vs. 4.5 +/- 0.3 cm, P < 0.001). The duration of oestrogen exposure was significantly shorter among TS, but did not correlate significantly with the geometrical parameters in either TS or controls. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrates that hip geometry is disproportionate in TS compared with normal controls. The altered hip geometry, however, cannot explain the increased risk of hip fracture in TS.

Abdominal compartment syndrome secondary to retroperitoneal hematoma as a complication of ERCP after liver transplantation.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is frequently employed in the management of postoperative biliary complications in the liver transplant patient. Bleeding after ERCP most commonly presents as gastrointestinal bleeding and often can be managed with repeat endoscopy. ERCP can also be complicated by retroperitoneal hematoma, which in rare cases can lead to hemodynamic compromise due to relentless hemorrhage or from secondary abdominal compartment syndrome. We describe the first reported case of post-ERCP retroperitoneal hematoma in a liver transplant recipient that led to abdominal compartment syndrome and shock liver. We will present the case, discuss management, and review the complications of ERCP in the liver transplant recipient. Close post-procedure monitoring, rapid detection, and low threshold for decompressive laparotomy are keys to the successful management of the liver transplant recipient experiencing expanding retroperitoneal hematoma after ERCP.

Geometry of the proximal femur in relation to age and sex: a cross-sectional study in healthy adult Danes.

PURPOSE: To describe the natural variation in hip geometry in relation to Danish population characteristics, and to establish normal reference values. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 249 healthy individuals (94 M and 155 F, aged 19-79 years) and measured hip-axis-length (HAL), neck-width (NW), neck-shaft-angle (NSA), and femoral head-radius (HR) on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screen images. RESULTS: HAL, NW, HR, and NSA were higher in men than in women (10.9 +/- 0.7 vs. 9.5 +/- 0.6 cm (P<0.001), 3.8 +/- 0.3 vs. 3.3 +/- 0.3 cm (P<0.01), 2.5 +/- 0.3 vs. 2.3 +/- 0.2 cm (P< 0.001), and 131 +/- 5 vs. 129 +/- 5 degrees (P< 0.01). NSA was higher in post-menopausal than in pre-menopausal women (130 +/- 4 vs. 128 +/- 5 degrees (P<0.001)). In multiple regression analysis, HAL, NW, and HR were positively related to body height in both sexes (R = 0.20 to 0.63, P<0.05 to P<0.001). In females, NSA was positively related to body height (R = 0.20, P<0.05) and negatively to body weight (R = -0.30, P<0.01). NW increased with age in men (R = 0.34, P<0.01) but not in women. CONCLUSION: Hip dimensions differ between genders in the Danish population. HAL, NW, and HR depend on body height. Finally, NW increases with age in men but not in women.

Consider the diagnosis of splenosis for soft tissue masses long after any splenic injury.

Splenosis represents the autotransplantation of splenic tissue after splenic trauma or surgery. Disruption of the splenic capsule causes fragments of splenic tissue to be seeded mainly throughout the peritoneal cavity, where they are characterized by diffusely scattered bluish implants. Extraperitoneal locations are very rare and mainly include the thoracic cavity after thoracoabdominal trauma with simultaneous splenic rupture and diaphragmatic laceration. We retrospectively identified all patients in the pathology registry with the diagnosis of splenosis between December 1974 and July 2003 at our urban teaching hospital. Data collected included presenting signs and symptoms, history, imaging studies, treatment, pathology, and outcome. Five cases of splenosis were identified and described. Location of the splenosis was intraperitoneal in two and intrahepatic, intrathoracic, and subcutaneous in one each. In these cases, there was an average interval of 29 years between splenic injury and diagnosis, and most were found incidentally. One of the cases was managed entirely laparoscopically and another thoracoscopically.

Sirolimus-induced hyperlipidaemia in liver transplant recipients is not dose-dependent.

BACKGROUND: Sirolimus is a potent immunosuppressive medication that acts by inhibiting T-cell proliferation. It has been used in kidney transplantation because of its lack of nephrotoxicity. It is now being investigated in liver transplantation, but there are concerns about safety and long-term side effects such as dyslipidaemia. Hypertriglyceridaemia is a common adverse event seen with sirolimus use, and often does not respond to dose reduction or anti-lipemic drugs. METHOD: We report six patients who have developed significant hyperlipidaemia while receiving sirolimus, in spite of therapeutic trough levels. CONCLUSION: All six patients showed either resolution or improvement in lipid levels with discontinuation of sirolimus.

When should densitometry be repeated in healthy peri- and postmenopausal women: the Danish osteoporosis prevention study.

Intervention should be considered in postmenopausal women with bone mineral density (BMD) > or = 1 SD below the reference (T or Z score < -1). However, it is unclear when densitometry should be repeated. This study aimed at determining the need for repeat DXA within 5 years in untreated peri-/postmenopausal women to detect declines of T or Z score to below -1 with 85% confidence. A cohort of 925 healthy women (aged 51.2 +/- 2.9 years) were followed within the Danish Osteoporosis Prevention Study (DOPS) for 5 years without hormone-replacement therapy (HRT). DXA of spine, hip, and forearm was done at 0,1, 2, 3, and 5 years (Hologic QDR-1000/2000). The annual loss in SD units was 0.12 +/- 0.10 at the spine (1.3%), 0.10 +/- 0.09 at the femoral neck (1.2%), and 0.07 +/- 0.09 at the ultradistal (UD) forearm (1.0%). Accordingly, T scores below -1 developed earlier at the spine. The need for a future DXA scan to predict declines of T and Z scores below -1 depended strongly on baseline BMD. In subjects with a positive T score, the risk of developing T < -1 remained at <15% for 5 years at all measured sites. A new scan was needed after 1 year if the T score was below -0.5, and after 3 years if the T score was between 0 and -0.5. Slightly longer intervals apply if Z scores are used. Follow-up densitometry in untreated women should be individually targeted from baseline BMD rather than scheduled at fixed time intervals. An algorithm for planning repeat densitometry in perimenopausal women is provided.