Benign oral vascular lesions treated by sclerotherapy with ethanolamine oleate: A retrospective study of 43 patients.

BACKGROUND: Although sclerotherapy is a common treatment for benign oral vascular lesions, there is no well-standardized protocol for this purpose. The aim of the present study was to describe the clinical characteristics of patients treated by sclerotherapy with ethanolamine oleate (EO), in order to contribute to a better understanding of this technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records and images of 90 patients treated by the same sclerotherapy protocol were retrieved and analysed. Thus, 43 cases with complete information were selected and described. RESULTS: The most affected age group was 41-70 years, with a female predominance and 86% of patients being Caucasian. Lips were the most affect site (70%) followed by the tongue (16%). Regarding clinical appearance, approximately 90% of lesions were classified as nodules, and 90% of patients reported no pain. Approximately 40% of lesions were 0.5-1.0 cm in size. In 58% of the patients, only one application of ethanolamine oleate was necessary. The application doses varied according to the lesion size and number of applications. Complete clinical regression occurred in 91% of cases, whereas 9% showed partial regression. CONCLUSIONS: Sclerotherapy with EO is an acceptable, effective and affordable treatment for benign oral vascular lesions.

Dilution and magnification effects on image analysis applications in activated sludge characterization.

The properties of activated sludge systems can be characterized using image analysis procedures. When these systems operate with high biomass content, accurate sludge characterization requires samples to be diluted. Selection of the best image acquisition magnification is directly related to the amount of biomass screened. The aim of the present study was to survey the effects of dilution and magnification on the assessment of aggregated and filamentous bacterial content and structure using image analysis procedures. Assessments of biomass content and structure were affected by dilutions. Therefore, the correct operating dilution requires careful consideration. Moreover, the acquisition methodology comprising a 100× magnification allowed data on aggregated and filamentous biomass to be determined and smaller aggregates to be identified and characterized, without affecting the accuracy of lower magnifications regarding biomass representativeness.

Rickettsia felis rickettsiosis in Yucatán.

Three patients with fever, exanthem, headache, and central-nervous-system involvement were diagnosed with Rickettsia fells infection by specific PCR of blood or skin and seroconversion to surrogate Rickettsia antigens. Although R. felis's relationship to other Rickettsia species is known and the pathogenic potential of this clade is well documented, R. felis's role as a pathogen has not been fully understood.

The effectiveness of protein supplementation on the nutritional management of patients on CAPD.

Repeated episodes of peritonitis cause malnutrition in CAPD patients because of increased protein loss into the dialysate, a high protein catabolic rate (PCR), and/or a decrease in appetite. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether protein supplements could improve the nutritional status of CAPD patients and secondarily reduce their incidence of peritonitis. Eight patients on CAPD were studied for 2 months as a baseline, then given protein supplementation for 4 months. There was significant (p less than .05) increase in dietary intake and nitrogen balance, with supplementation. The PCR decreased significantly (p less than .05). There was a concomitant decrease in the incidence of new episodes of peritonitis. In conclusion, protein supplementation can improve the catabolic state of CAPD patients.

Fluctuations in the enzymatic activity of the human endometrium.

Cyclic fluctuations were studied in the activity of oxidoreductases playing a role in the major energy metabolic pathways, lysosomal and non-lysosomal hydrolases and some non-enzymatic cytochemical components demonstrable in different developmental physiological or pathophysiological phases of human endometrium. The total scope of the study involved 170 tissues and cytological specimens. The cytological material included microcurettings, aspirates, brush preparations and tissue prints. An evaluation of the usefulness of the application of enzyme cytochemistry to cytological material is included. The most important results were a cyclic fluctuation and a progestagenic controlled increase in the activity of many oxidoreductases, especially the NADPH regenerating enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway, and of the NADP+ dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase. The histochemical evaluation of the activity of these NADP+ linked enzymes can therefore be recommended for the evaluation of the physiological status of the endometrial cells, especially in patients with infertility problems.

Histochemical and cytochemical studies of metastasizing carcinoma of Bartholin's gland.

A case of adenocarcinoma of Bartholin's glands in a middle aged female is presented. This well known, but rather uncommon malignancy is reported since it shows an unusual structure consisting of a combination of two different histological entities, namely an adeno-cystic component and adenopapillary component. An interval of 21 years elapsed between the appearance of the primary lesion and the recurrence which showed extensive haematogenous and lymphogenous metastases and proved fatal within two years of the recurrence. The study includes an enzyme histochemical evaluation and a fine needle cytological examination. The former revealed a high degree of activity of the NADP+ regenerating enzymes of the pentose shunt as well as a definite, but variable, activity of many lysosomal enzymes, mainly non specific esterases, acid phosphatase, aryl sulphatase and beta-glucuronidase. In contrast to other adenocarcinomas arising in the female genital tract, especially those of endometrium and ovary, the tumour cells showed only a slight activity of alkaline phosphatase, As is the case in many other adenocarcinomas, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase was strongly evident.

Schistosoma intercalatum infection in Syrian hamsters. An experimental and histopathological study.

Syrian hamsters were infected with increasing numbers of circariae of Schistosoma intercalatum and Schistosom mansoni. Various organs were then studied histopathologically. These studies revealed a relatively higher pathogenicity of S. intercalatum in rodents than in human cases reported in a previous communication. Yet the magnitude of infection and its complications were milder in cases of S. intercalatum than in S. mansoni. The absence of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis in S. intercalatum infection is in agreement with our previous experience with human subjects. It is apparent that this parasite produces much more pigment than S. mansoni and the other well known types of Schistosomas. The development of the granulomatous reaction, mainly in liver, rectal mucosa and in lung parenchyma of infected animals seems to be a similar process in all types of Schistosoma infections without major qualitative differences and irrespective of the density of infection. The worm load as roughly indicated by the worm return through perfusion is not always indicative of the severity of infection since a very low worm load in a long term infection can lead to the same results as a short term very dense infection. Some evidence suggesting the possibility of 'reaction' around pulmonary blood vessels, not related to the granulomatous lesion was found. This finding requires further immunological investigation.

Enzyme histochemical studies on the conducting system of the human heart.

In this communication, the results of applying various histochemical techniques for the localization of oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases and isomerases in the human heart are presented. The Purkinje fibres of the atrioventricular conducting system of the human heart differ from the myocardium proper in containing a slightly higher activity of most of the glycolytic and gluconeogenetic enzymes investigated. The relatively higher activity of 6-phosphofructokinase, the key enzyme in anaerobic carbohydrate metabolism, is especially noteworthy. On the other hand, the activities of some of the enzymes that play a part in the aerobic energy metabolism is slightly less than those in the myocardium fibres. As for the activity of the NADPH regenerating enzymes, the activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase (oxaloacetate-decarboxylating) is somewhat higher, and the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase similar, in the Purkinje fibres compared to that in the myocardial fibres. The activity of myosin ATPase is similar for both types of fibre. Likewise, the fibres of the conducting system and of the myocardium show a similar activity of acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase, non-specific naphthylesterase and peroxidase. The neurogenic function of the conducting system of the human heart was demonstrated by the high activity of acetylcholinesterase in the Purkinje fibres and in the atrioventricular node. All these histochemical findings in Purkinje fibres are similar at widely differing levels of the conducting system.

The enzyme histochemistry of metastasising basal cell carcinoma of the skin.

A case of metastasising basal cell carcinoma of the skin is presented. The tumour was analysed by enzyme histochemistry and cytology and criteria are set out for establishing the diagnosis of this rather uncommon entity. The lesion is apparently rich in enzymes of the pentose shunt and tricarboxylic acid cycles and shows insignificant acid phosphatase activity and no activity of alkaline phosphatase. These enzyme histochemical findings are thought to be important in the differential diagnosis of various types of tumour.

Antiarrhythmic activity of four pteridine compounds in ouabain intoxication.

The antiarrhythmic effects of 4 pteridine analogues, 2 of which are potassium-sparing diuretics, triamterene (2, 4, 7-triamino-6-phenylpteridine) and [2-phenyl-4, 7 diaminopteridine-6-(N-diethylaminoethyl) carboxamide] and 2 of which have no diuretic effects [2-phenyl-4, 7-diaminopteridine-6-(N-2-hydroxyethyl) carboxamide], on ouabain-induced ventricular tachycardia in intact pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs were investigated. Ouabain was given as a continuous infusion 2 mug/kg/min intravenously until 5 min after the onset of a sustained ventricular tachycardia. It was found that both 6-(N-dimethylaminopropyl) and 6-(N-diethylaminoethyl) carboxamide derivates of the pteridine had a significant protective effect against ouabain-induced ventricular tachycardia in dogs that had been pretreated with a dose of 5 mg/kg intravenously. At this dose the 2 pteridine compounds with diuretic activity exhibited a transient antiarrhythmic effect in abolishing the ouabain-induced ventricular tachycardia while those without diuretic properties failed to suppress the ventricular tachycardia.