Intraventricular haemorrhage as the first manifestation of congenital Cytomegalovirus infection.

Congenital Cytomegalovirus infection (CCMV) is the most common intrauterine infection. Early diagnosis of CCMV is hindered by three factors: There is no screening programme for CMV infection in pregnant women; a high percentage of infections in neonates are asymptomatic; the clinical signs of CCMV infection are uncharacteristic. The aim of this article is to analyse the clinical picture and course of CCMV treatment in a 3-week-old newborn, analyse adverse events in 14-week-long antiviral therapy and also assess intraventricular bleeding as an early indicator for the diagnosis of CCMV.

Lack of changes in the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and in the activities of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes in alcohol-dependent patients after detoxification.

BACKGROUND: Chronic alcohol consumption induces an increase in oxidative stress. There are studies that indicate changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the concentration of lipid peroxidation products in the blood of organisms as a result of alcohol consumption, but published results are somewhat conflicting. The aim was to study the effect of alcohol withdrawal and detoxification on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) in erythrocytes and on the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the erythrocytes and blood plasma of alcohol-dependent patients. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study group consisted of 42 alcohol-dependent men who underwent seven-day detoxification at an addiction treatment department. The control group consisted of 20 healthy male volunteers. Blood for analysis was taken from the antecubital vein before detoxification, after the first detoxification, and after several (> or =3) detoxifications. RESULTS: Before detoxification, the concentration of TBARS in the men's blood plasma was 40% higher (p<0.001) than in the control group. After detoxification, the concentration of TBARS decreased, but remained higher than in the control group. The activities of SOD and GPx in erythrocytes of alcohol-dependent persons were statistically significantly lower than in the control group both before and after detoxification. However, after detoxification, a slight increase in the activity of SOD was observed compared to that before detoxification. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that alcohol-dependency leads to oxidative stress in the peripheral blood. Seven-day alcohol withdrawal and detoxification has no effect on TBARS concentration and antioxidant enzyme activity.

[The value of anorectal manometry as differentiated organic and functional disorders in children and youth with chronic constipation]. / Wartosc badania manometrycznego jako róznicujacego zaburzenia organiczne i czynnosciowe dolnego odcinka przewodu pokarmowego u dzieci i mlodziezy z przewleklym zaparciem stolca.

UNLABELLED: Constipation is the most frequent ailment from digestive tract in children and youth. Anorectal manometry is no invasion research, contribute to the explanation of pathomechanisms of defecation disorders. THE AIM: of our study is the value of anorectal manometry in diagnostics organic and functional constipation in children and youth. MATRIAL AND METHOD: The study was comprised 100 patients, in it 35 girls and 65 boys, aged from 3 to 17 years old (median age 7 years), who were diagnosed and treated in Chair and Clinic of Pediatrics, Allergology and Gastroenterology by the reason of constipation. The difficulties with constipation were kept at least by three months. Among of analyzed patients 64 came from city and 36 came from the country environment. Transit time was measured in all patients by Abrahamsson' method in modification Hinton. In all patients was measured also anorectal manometry and rectoscopy with histological research. RESULTS: At age group from 3-6 years old and 7-12 years old near 70% were boys. At the group 13-17 years old frequently constipation were in girls (70%). Majority analyzed with constipation in the three groups came from city (group I - 60%, group /II - 71%, group /1/ - 67%). The total colonic transit time was prolonged in 50 (50%) patients with constipation, in 50 (50%) transit time was normal. In 19 patients was the lack of nerve cells in rectum. In 6 patients with the lack of nerve cells in histological research was the lack of rectoanal inhibitory reflex in anorectal manometry. In all patients with presence of nerve cells was RAIR in anorectal manometry. In 66 (66%) children had normal dynamics of defecation. At 34% patients had disturbance of dynamics of defecation (in 21 patients paradoxical shrink of anorectal sphincter, 13 the lack of sphincters relaxation during straining). The organic lesions in anorectal region were in 16 children with constipation. 84 patients granted criteria of functional disorders defecation from 1999 (so called I1 classification of roman functional disturbance). There were not observed essential statistically differences in frequency paradoxical shrink of sphincter and the lack of sphincters relaxation during straining in the group children with organic and functional constipation (p > 0.05). We were observed strong relationship important statistically between presence nerve cells and presence RAIR (p < or =0.01). CONCLUSION: On the base of conducted analysis may be stated at anorectal manometry is useful research in differentiating the kind of defecation disorders in children and youth, which can limit the range of invasion diagnostic research.

The effect of brachytherapy on antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in patients with cancer of the uterine cervix.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of brachytherapy on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in patients with uterine cervix cancer. The study was conducted on 84 uterine cervix cancer patients from the Brachytherapy Department of the Regional Centre of Oncology in Bydgoszcz. Patients with uterine cervix cancer were found to have elevated levels of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defence system impairment relative to healthy females. The results of the study indicate that brachytherapy has no direct effect on the antioxidant system of patients with uterine cervical carcinoma. However, the normalisation of catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity and erythrocyte TBARS level observed six months after the end of therapy may be due to the arrest of the progression of the disease.

Langerhans' cell histiocytosis of the mandible in bone scintigraphy and CT.

UNLABELLED: The authors present a case of a 4-year old boy with a quickly growing tumor of the jaw. The CT examination revealed a destructive tumor in the body of the mandible involving soft tissues. A diagnosis of eosinophilic granuloma of the mandible was confirmed by a biopsy of the tumor. Skeletal scintigraphy showed areas of increased and decreased radiotracer uptake. The fusion of CT and scintigraphy images showed that the "cold" focus corresponds with the osteolytic area and the "hot" focuses are larger than the areas of osseous reconstruction shown in CT. CONCLUSION: In cases of histiocytosis skeletal scintigraphy and CT are complementary methods that enable one to make an assessment of the extent of the disease.