Bilateral simultaneous femoral neck fracture mimicking abdominal pain in a cerebral palsy patient.

Simultaneous bilateral femoral neck fractures are unusual lesions, generally associated with an underlying condition which causes impaired bone mineralization, triggered by an increased bone stress. We present a 24-year-old cerebral palsy patient, who was previously evaluated in another institution due to inability to walk, interpreted as abdominal pain. No alteration in blood analysis or abdominal X-rays was found. As no response to treatment was observed, a new abdominal X-ray was taken, which incidentally depicted bilateral medial femoral neck fracture. He was referred to our practice after a resection arthroplasty was offered in another institution. After admission, bilateral one-stage THA was performed. Several reports emphasize bone disease as a major precipitating factor, and there is an increased incidence of hip fractures in chronic epilepsy, renal osteodystrophy, and chronic steroid use. Femoral head resection has been proven to be effective in immobilized patients, whereas this was not a reasonable option in this patient who presented walking ability. Despite the treatment election, primary care physicians should be aware of and alert to the possibility of fractures in patients with neurological disorders and calcium metabolism alterations. Late diagnosis of orthopedic injuries in this type of patients may lead to permanent disability.

Mechanical properties of normal and diseased cerebrovascular system.

BACKGROUND: Blood vessel mechanics has traditionally been of interest to researchers and clinicians. Changes in mechanical properties of arteries have been associated with various diseases. OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive review directed towards understanding the basic biomechanical properties of cerebral arteries under normal and diseased conditions. METHODS: Literature review supplemented by personal knowledge. RESULTS: The mechanical properties of vascular tissue may depend on several factors including macromolecular volume fraction, molecular orientation, and volume or number of cells such as smooth muscle cells. Mechanical properties of a blood vessel have been characterized using different methods such as in vitro tensile testing, non-invasive ultrasound examination, and mathematical models. Experiments are complicated by the variation in properties and content of materials that make up the vessel wall and more challenging as the size of the vessel of interest decreases. Therapeutic interventions aiming to alter the mechanical response are either pharmaceutical: including calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), and ß-blockers; or, mechanical interventions such as angioplasty, stent placement, mechanical thrombectomy, or embolization procedures. CONCLUSION: It is apparent from the literature that macromolecular and cellular mechanics of blood vessels are not fully understood. Therefore, further studies are necessary to better understand contribution of these mechanisms to the overall mechanics of the vascular tissue.

A proving of Parthenium hysterophorus, L

Parthenium hysterophorus belongs to the family Asteracaeae (compositae), many plants of which are capable of causing allergic contact dermatitis. Parthenium hysterophorus was introduced to India in the 1950s. Its dermatitis causing tendency was first reported by Ranade and others. Fornias, Duenas and Sleight had earlier undertaken its proving on human beings as well as on a few animals; we have re-proved P. hysterophorus in Indian conditions, particularly... (AU)

Surface antigens of and cross-protection between two geographical isolates of Schistosoma mansoni.

Two isolates of Schistosoma mansoni from Puerto Rico and Egypt were examined to determine if there were differences in surface antigens of the schistosomulum and to assess the ability of the two isolates to induce protection against one another in vivo. Immune mouse and human patient antisera recognized the same antigens on the schistosomulum surface of both isolates. However, mice immunized with schistosomula-released products from the Egyptian isolate recognized an additional antigen of Mr 13K on the Egyptian schistosomulum surface which was not present in the Puerto Rican isolate. In quantitative radioimmunoassay, sera from mice vaccinated with irradiated Egyptian cercariae bound more strongly to Egyptian schistosomula than to Puerto Rican parasites. Both isolates cross-protected against each other, but mice were less immune to challenge with Egyptian cercariae after being immunized with Puerto Rican irradiated cercariae. There was no difference in immunity to challenge when Egyptian irradiated cercariae were used to immunize. Although this evidence suggested some heterogeneity within the Egyptian isolate, cloned cercariae of the Egyptian isolate did not vary in their ability to cross-protect against each other. Furthermore, antisera from mice immunized with clones of Egyptian cercariae recognized the same schistosomulum surface antigens. The results reported here indicate that although there were small differences between the two isolates the major surface antigens are conserved.