Improvement in papilledema and visual loss after endovascular stent placement in dural sinus thrombosis.

OBJECTIVE: To report two cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with papilledema and visual loss that improved after endovascular stent placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective case series from a tertiary ophthalmic center. RESULTS: Two cases of venous sinus occlusion treated with angioplasty and stenting are described. Both cases experienced improvement in optic disc edema and visual function following the procedures. CONCLUSION: Endovascular stent placement may relieve increased intracranial pressure and papilledema caused by cerebral sinus thrombosis and may prevent further visual loss.

The only way out is through: emotional processing and recovery after a depressing life event.

This two-part study addresses the question of whether emotional processing is a useful strategy for coping with dysphoria following a depressing life event. In Part I, after a covert, moderately distressing mood induction, subjects who were assigned to an emotional processing condition reported better mood in the long run than subjects who were assigned to either distraction or unemotional problem solving conditions. In Part II, content analysis of the essays written by the subjects supported a simple habituation model of the benefits of emotional processing. Weak support was also found for the hypothesis that low to moderate levels of emotional arousal potentiate positive cognitive restructuring. Taken together, the results suggest that the negative emotional arousal that accompanies activation of depressive schemata may be a component of natural recovery from depression.

Perinatal aspects of abdominal surgery for nonobstetric disease.

Surgical interventions for nonobstetric reasons during pregnancy are reported to occur in 0.2% to 2.2% of all gestations with obvious perinatal implications. In this retrospective study, 57 parturients were identified who underwent nonobstetric abdominal surgery. Thirty-one patients underwent exploratory celiotomy for suspected appendicitis, 16 for adnexal disease other than ectopic pregnancy, six for cholecystectomy, three for intestinal disorders, and one with a pheochromocytoma. Alterations in disease expression are related to the severity of the disease and advancing gestational age, being more important in cases of appendicitis. Preterm labor reflecting fetal morbidity relates to the presence of peritonitis and then only during the third trimester. In this retrospective study, tocolysis with intravenous magnesium sulfate had an uncertain effect on the incidence of preterm delivery. Prospective studies will be required to assess the indications and limitations of tocolysis for nonobstetric abdominal surgical conditions.