[Advanced periocular basal cell carcinoma-a therapeutic challenge]. / Das fortgeschrittene periokuläre Basalzellkarzinom ­ eine therapeutische Herausforderung.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinomas are the most common periocular malignant tumor. In advanced periocular basal cell carcinoma, vismodegib is a new treatment option which might potentially avoid surgical eye removal. CASE REPORT: We treated a 76-year-old patient unwilling to consent to surgery with vismodegib for advanced periocular basal cell carcinoma on the left forehead that had already undergone several previous treatments. After initial partial remission, the tumor regrew under ongoing therapy, so that radical surgical excision including orbital exenteration was performed. Unfortunately, the patient died thereafter due to septic multi-organ failure. CONCLUSION: Basal cell carcinoma and its new treatment options are gaining importance for ophthalmology due to rising incidence and prevalence rates. Vismodegib is a new encouraging option. However, for advanced tumors, it must be resolved whether complete histological remission may be achieved to avoid surgical intervention, or whether the area of resection can be significantly reduced. Current multicenter studies investigate these aspects further (ClinicalTrails.gov identifier: NCT03035188).

Snakebite envenomation in children: a 10-year retrospective review.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology, short-term outcomes, and clinical characteristics of rattlesnake bites (RSB) in children. METHODS: This was a 10-year retrospective chart review of all patients who were <13 years old admitted to a medical toxicology referral service in a major metropolitan area of the southwestern United States with a diagnosis of RSB. RESULTS: Sixty-six children (mean age, 6.33 years) presented to or were transferred to our center with a diagnosis of RSB. Sixty-three percent were male, and the majority of bites (71.93%) occurred on the lower extremities. Forty-nine children (85.96%) developed coagulopathies, and 50 children (87.72%) received Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent (ACP) administration. Of the 50 children receiving ACP, 19 developed an immediate hypersensitivity reaction. Five cases of morbidity resulted, but no deaths were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Serious morbidity is infrequent in children following RSB.

Minicultures of mammalian cells in a new plastic plate.

A new disposable micro tissue culture plate was developed and tested for use in virological procedures. Miniature mammalian cell cultures (minicultures) were grown in these plates. Each plate contained 96 circular cultures in flat wells (7 mm in diameter). Replicate titrations of a number of viruses were performed in various tissues. Excellent reproducibility was demonstrated. Mean infectivity titers determined by miniculture methods were generally within 0.6 log(10)/ml of macro tube titrations. Standard tissue culture assay techniques such as hemadsorption, interference titration, and microneutralization were easily carried out with this method and were very reproducible. Development of this noncytotoxic disposable micro tissue culture plate now permits the routine performance of rapid, reliable, and reproducible tissue culture tests at a very significant reduction in cost and labor.