Chondroma of falx: case report of a rare condition

Chondroma is a benign tumor which mostly occurs in extremities but also sometimes in brain. Most intracranial chondromas arise from skull base, but chondroma of falx origin is a rare circumstance. Indeed, the intracranial chondromas rise from falx is mostly in relation with syndromic disorders such as Mafucci's syndrome or Ollier's syndrome. Here, we reported a rare case of falxian intracranial chondroma in a young man who has normal physical examination and no signs of any syndromic disorder. The goal of this paper was to raise awareness about chondromas and suggest that chondroma be ruled out in any patient with masses arising from falx

Diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection in candidates for kidney transplantation [comparison of two tests]

It is assumed that about 10% of individuals infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis develop tuberculosis. The rate of tuberculosis in solid organ transplant recipients has been estimated to be 50-fold higher than in the general population. Candidates for solid organ transplantation are routinely screened for latent tuberculosis infection [LTBI]. In this study we aimed to compare Tuberculin Skin Test [TST] with QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube [QFT] for the detection of LTBI in candidate for kidney transplantation. Between October 2009 and November 2010, 64 candidates for kidney transplant who referred to the transplant clinic in Imam Khomeini Hospital, were enrolled in the study. Patients were screened for LTBI with both QFT and TST. Concordance between two test results and variables associated with test discordance were assessed. The mean age of patients was 38.5 years [range 16-65]; female/male ratio was 26/38. Positive results were found in 21.9% and 21.9%, by TST and QFT, respectively. Four patients [6.3%] had indeterminate QFT. Overall agreement between QFT and TST was 75% [k=0.28 and P=0.028]. BCG vaccination and past positive TST were not associated with positive QFT result [P=0.13 and P=0.09 respectively]. Overall agreement between test results was fair. Comparison among test results showed that TST and QFT can be used interchangeably for latent TB screening in kidney transplant candidates. The decision to select QFT or TST will depend on the purpose of testing and resource availability

Comparison between transepicardial cell transplantations: Autologus undifferentiated versus differentiated marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] have been heralded as a source of great promise for the regeneration of the infarcted heart. There are no clear data as to whether or not in vitro differentiation of MSCs into major myocardial cells can increase the beneficial effects of MSCs. The aim of this study was to address this issue. To induce MSCs to transdifferentiate into cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells, 5-Azacytidine and vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] were used, respectively. Myocardial infarction in rabbits was generated by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The animals were divided into three experimental groups: I] control group, II] undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cell transplantation group, and III] differentiated mesenchymal stem cell transplantation group. The three groups received peri-infarct injections of culture media, autologous undifferentiated MSCs, and autologous differentiated MSCs, respectively. Echocardiography and pathology were performed in order to search for improvement in the cardiac function and reduction in the infarct size. Improvements in the left ventricular function and reductions in the infarcted area were observed in both cell transplanted groups [Groups II and III] to the same degree. There is no need for prior differentiation induction of marrow-derived MSCs before transplantation, and peri-infarct implantation of MSCs can effectively reduce the size of the infarct and improve the cardiac function