Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infection in invasive Eastern Cottontail Rabbits Sylvilagus floridanus in Northwestern Italy.

Sylvilagus floridanus is a lagomorph introduced for hunting purposes from North America to Europe where, in certain areas like Northern Italy, its population reached high densities. Brain, kidney and skeletal muscle of 144 Eastern Cottontail Rabbits S. floridanus were examined by PCR for Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. DNA of E. cuniculi was found with a prevalence of 9.72% (CI 95% 0.058-0.156). T. gondii and N. caninum DNA was detected in 2.08% (CI 95% 0.0071-0.0595) and 2.78% (CI 95% 0.0109-0.0692) of the samples examined, respectively. This is the first report of E. cuniculi infection in a lagomorph species other than in its natural host Oryctolagus cuniculus, and this is also the first time N. caninum is found to naturally infect S. floridanus. E. cuniculi, T. gondii and N. caninum infect S. floridanus at low but relevant prevalences, considered the important role that these pathogens could play in both animal and human health.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome caused by psychogenic food refusal: MR findings.

A 37-year-old woman developed Wernicke encephalopathy after prolonged psychogenic food refusal. MR revealed characteristic signal abnormalities in the midbrain and dorsal thalamus. Follow-up scans showed atrophy and third ventricular enlargement. Wernicke encephalopathy can occur in nonalcoholics, and MR imaging is useful in both the diagnosis and follow-up.

Pituitary abnormalities in eating disorders: further evidence from MRI studies.

1. The frequent occurrence of hypothalamo-pituitary dysfunction in patients with eating disorders as well as prior reports that nutritional and endocrine status influence pituitary morphology, led us to hypothesize that pituitary size and shape may be altered in patients with eating disorders. 2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not use ionizing radiation and is currently one of the most feasible modalities available to study the pituitary gland in vivo. Using MRI, we have previously reported in a preliminary study that female patients with eating disorders had significantly smaller pituitary glands than controls. In addition MRI excluded any pituitary mass lesions. 3. In this report, we confirm our previous MRI findings and provide further evidence of pituitary abnormalities in an expanded sample of eating disorder patients. Preliminary data on pituitary volume estimates from MRI scans are provided for a subset of patients and controls.