Successful management of systemic lupus erythematosus with levamisole in a Dachshund dog

A 5-year-old neutered female Dachshund dog presented with a 3-month history of hyperthermia, skin lesions, and shifting lameness. Based on physical examination, blood tests, urinalysis, and radiographs, the dog was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. Clinical signs improved after administration of prednisolone and cyclosporine but relapsed after the prednisolone was reduced due to side effects. Oral levamisole was commenced and the other immunosuppressants were tapered over a period of 2 months and then stopped. Levamisole was retained as the sole therapy for an additional 2 months. Six months after discontinuation of all treatment, the patient remained in remission.

Successful management of systemic lupus erythematosus with levamisole in a Dachshund dog

A 5-year-old neutered female Dachshund dog presented with a 3-month history of hyperthermia, skin lesions, and shifting lameness. Based on physical examination, blood tests, urinalysis, and radiographs, the dog was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. Clinical signs improved after administration of prednisolone and cyclosporine but relapsed after the prednisolone was reduced due to side effects. Oral levamisole was commenced and the other immunosuppressants were tapered over a period of 2 months and then stopped. Levamisole was retained as the sole therapy for an additional 2 months. Six months after discontinuation of all treatment, the patient remained in remission.

A rare case of intramural patent ductus arteriosus in a dog: anatomic, histopathologic, and radiographic features

A 5-year-old dog was evaluated for a lethargy and respiratory distress. Radiograph revealed cardiomegaly with pleural effusion, and the dog died during a thoracocentesis. At necropsy, the descending aorta and pulmonary trunk were dilated and in close contact, but there was no external evidence of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). When the descending aorta was opened however, an ostium opening into the pulmonary trunk was evident. Histopathological investigation revealed that the intramural PDA resembled vascular tissue with a structure and architecture. The diagnosis was an intramural PDA, an extremely rarely reported type of PDA in the dog.

Application of epoxy putty external skeletal fixator for stabilization of tarsocrural arthrodesis in small dogs and cats

Two small-breed dogs and two cats, with an average body weight of 4.88 kg (range: 4.3–5.5 kg), suffered hindlimb lameness due to luxation with or without fractures of the tarsocrural joint. These patients underwent tarsocrural arthrodesis with epoxy putty external skeletal fixator. The animals’ skins were incised minimally, and the articular cartilage of the tarsocrural joint was removed, followed by autogenous cancellous bone grafting. Epoxy putty and positive Centerface®, pins with diameters 1.2 mm and 2.0 mm, were used for connecting bar and as a full pin fixation, respectively. All the patients regained the ability to bear weight on the affected limb within 3–7 days and resumed a normal gait within 9–15 weeks. The external skeletal fixator frame was removed within 13–17 weeks without major complications. Tarsocrural arthrodesis using epoxy putty external skeletal fixator resulted in excellent outcomes without severe postoperative complications in this study. Epoxy putty external skeletal fixator can be a valuable surgical option for tarsocrural arthrodesis in patients weighing less than 5.5 kg.

Application of epoxy putty external skeletal fixator for stabilization of tarsocrural arthrodesis in small dogs and cats

Two small-breed dogs and two cats, with an average body weight of 4.88 kg (range: 4.3–5.5 kg), suffered hindlimb lameness due to luxation with or without fractures of the tarsocrural joint. These patients underwent tarsocrural arthrodesis with epoxy putty external skeletal fixator. The animals’ skins were incised minimally, and the articular cartilage of the tarsocrural joint was removed, followed by autogenous cancellous bone grafting. Epoxy putty and positive Centerface®, pins with diameters 1.2 mm and 2.0 mm, were used for connecting bar and as a full pin fixation, respectively. All the patients regained the ability to bear weight on the affected limb within 3–7 days and resumed a normal gait within 9–15 weeks. The external skeletal fixator frame was removed within 13–17 weeks without major complications. Tarsocrural arthrodesis using epoxy putty external skeletal fixator resulted in excellent outcomes without severe postoperative complications in this study. Epoxy putty external skeletal fixator can be a valuable surgical option for tarsocrural arthrodesis in patients weighing less than 5.5 kg.

Idiopathic type-4 hiatal hernia in a middle-aged cat / 대한수의학회지

A 6-year-old female domestic short hair cat presented with acute onset of vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, and tachypnea. The cat was apparently healthy prior to presentation without history of trauma. On diagnostic imagings, the entire stomach and spleen were detected in the thoracic cavity. An emergent celiotomy was performed, and a type-4 hiatal hernia was confirmed; the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and duodenum were herniated through the esophageal hiatus. It was corrected using phrenicoplasty, esophagopexy, and left-sided gastropexy and there was no recurrence 16 months after surgery. This is the first case report of an idiopathic type-4 hiatal hernia in a cat.

Idiopathic type-4 hiatal hernia in a middle-aged cat

A 6-year-old female domestic short hair cat presented with acute onset of vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, and tachypnea. The cat was apparently healthy prior to presentation without history of trauma. On diagnostic imagings, the entire stomach and spleen were detected in the thoracic cavity. An emergent celiotomy was performed, and a type-4 hiatal hernia was confirmed; the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and duodenum were herniated through the esophageal hiatus. It was corrected using phrenicoplasty, esophagopexy, and left-sided gastropexy and there was no recurrence 16 months after surgery. This is the first case report of an idiopathic type-4 hiatal hernia in a cat.

Sleep Problems Associated with Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms as Well as Cognitive Functions in Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It has been shown that sleep problems in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are associated with cognitive impairment and behavioral problems. In fact, most of studies have founded that daytime sleepiness is significantly correlated with cognitive decline in AD. However, a few studies have also shown that nighttime sleep problems are associated with cognitive function and behavioral symptoms in AD. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of nighttime sleep on cognition and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in AD. METHODS: The study population comprised 117 subjects: 63 AD patients and 54 age- and sex-matched non-demented elderly subjects. Detailed cognitive functions and behavioral symptoms were measured using the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB) and the Korean version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-K). Sleep characteristics were evaluated using the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K). The correlations between PSQI-K and SNSB scores and between PSQI-K and NPI-K scores were analyzed. RESULTS: In AD patients, sleep latency was found to be negatively correlated with praxis (p=0.041), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) immediate recall (p=0.041), and RCFT recognition (p=0.008) after controlling for age and education, while sleep duration and sleep efficiency were positively correlated with praxis (p=0.034 and p=0.025, respectively). Although no significant correlation was found between PSQI-K and NPI-K scores, sleep disturbance and total PSQI-K scores were found to be significantly associated with apathy/indifference in AD. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep problems such as prolonged sleep duration, sleep latency, and poor sleep efficiency in AD patients were correlated with cognitive dysfunction, and especially frontal executive and visuospatial functions, and BPSD. These findings suggest that treatment of nighttime sleep problems might improve cognition and behavioral symptoms in AD patients.

Pilot Study on Resting-State Functional Connectivity under the Effects of Familial Loading in People at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis / 대한정신분열병학회지

OBJECTIVES: People at ultra-high risk for psychosis have heterogenous character and different long-term outcomes. We divided ultra-high risk subjects into two subgroups by presence of familial history and tried to find different pattern of functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) between the two groups in order to examine the effects familial loading. METHODS: Eleven subjects at clinical-high risk (CHR) group with familial history of psychiatric illness and nineteen subjects of CHR group without familial history were recruited. All the subjects were scanned using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. A posterior cingulate cortex was the seed region of the analysis, and the DMN of the both high risk group were analyzed with voxel-wise two sample T test. RESULTS: The CHR group with familial history showed greater functional connectivity in the precuneus area in contrast with the other high risk subjects (peak-level t=5.49, p<0.001). There were no significant differences in total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Scales of Psychosis-risk Syndrome between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that the abnormalities of functional connectivity between precuneus and posterior cingulate area may be associated with the genetic vulnerability of high risk trait.

Additive Effects of Intra-articular Injection of Growth Hormone and Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Model of Collagenase-induced Osteoarthritis

In a rabbit model of collagenase-induced osteoarthritis, the additive effects of intra-articular recombinant human growth hormone (GH) administration to hyaluronic acid (HA) were evaluated. After intra-articular collagenase injection, mature New Zealand white rabbits (n=30) were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 (control rabbits) received once weekly intra-articular saline injections for 4 weeks. Group 2 rabbits received 6 mg HA injections, and group 3 rabbits were injected with 6 mg HA and 3 mg recombinant human GH. These injections were initiated 4 weeks after collagenase injections. Lameness was observed for 9 weeks after collagenase injections. Macroscopic and histopathological knee joint findings were also evaluated at the end of 9 weeks after collagenase injections. Although all animals had lameness after collagenase injections, the duration and severity of lameness were significantly shorter and less severe in group 3 than group 1 and 2 (P<0.01). Macroscopic scores showed that femoral condyles of group 3 rabbits received significantly less cartilage damage than those of groups 1 and 2 rabbits (P<0.01). Histopathological score was also the lowest in group 3 (P<0.01). These results suggest that co-injection of intra-articular HA and recombinant human GH is more effective than HA injections alone in an osteoarthritis model.

The Safety and efficacy of a new self-expandable intratracheal nitinol stent for the tracheal collapse in dogs

To evaluate the potential utility of a self-expandable intratracheal nitinol stent with flared ends for the treatment of tracheal collapse in dogs, endotracheal stenting therapy was performed under fluoroscopic guidance in four dogs with severe tracheal collapse. During the 4 to 7 month followup, after stent implantation, clinical signs, including dyspnea and respiratory distress, dramatically improved in all dogs. The radiographs showed that the implanted stents improved the tracheal collapse, and there were no side effects such as collapse, shortening or migration of the stents. In conclusion, the self-expandable intratracheal nitinol stents provided adequate stability to the trachea and were effective for attenuating the clinical signs associated with severe tracheal collapse.

The Statistical Parametric Mapping Analysis between Pre- and Post-Operative FDG-PET Images in Patients with Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy / 대한간질학회지

BACKGROUND: To investigate postoperative changes in the cerebral glucose metabolism of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis was performed on pre- and post-operative 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomographic (FDG-PET) images. METHODS: We included 28 patients with MTLE who had under-gone surgery and had been seizure free postoperatively (16 had left MTLE and 12 right MTLE). All patients showed hippocampal sclerosis by pathology or brain MRI. FDG-PET images of the 12 right TLE patients were reversed to lateralize the epileptogenic zone to the left side in all patients. RESULTS: Application of the paired t-test in SPM to pre- and postoperative FDG-PETs showed that the postoperative glucose metabolism decreased in the caudate nucleus, pulvinar of thalamus, fusiform gyrus, lingual gyrus, and in the posterior region of the insular cortex in the hemisphere ipsilateral to resection, whereas postoperative glucose metabolism increased in the anterior region of the insular cortex, temporal stem white matter, midbrain, inferior precentral gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus in the hemisphere ipsilateral to resection. No significant postsurgical changes of cerebral glucose metabolism occurred in the contralateral hemisphere. Subtraction between pre- and postoperative FDG-PET images in individual patients produced similar findings to the SPM results. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that brain regions showing a postoperative increase in glucose metabolism appear to represent the propagation pathways of ictal and interictal epileptic discharges in MTLE while a postoperative decrease in glucose metabolism may be related to a permanent loss of afferents from resected anterior-mesial temporal structures.

Surgical removal of stones in the stomach of a tiger shovelnose catfish

A seven months old, tiger shovelnose catfish was referred to the veterinary medical teaching hospital of the college of veterinary medicine, Konkuk university because of suspecting a foreign body in the stomach. By physical and radiologic examinations, the catfish revealed abdominal enlargement, vomiting, inactivity and radiopaque foreign bodies in the stomach. Under general anesthesia with dilute isoflurane solution, celiotomy was performed. Stomach was atonic, and three foreign bodies were palpated in the stomach. In this process, three stones came out through mouth. Abdominal muscles were closed with a simple continuous suture pattern, and skin was closed with a simple mattress suture pattern. Sutured site was covered with glue and mucous taken from allogenic skin. On the second day after surgery, the patient recovered to normal condition, showing increased appetite and activity.

Bell's Palsy during Interferon Therapy for Chronic Hapatitis C Infection

Alpha-interferon is a drug of proven effect in both hepatitis B and C infection. But, the interferons are associated with numerous adverse reactions including various neurologic syndromes. We report a case of Bell's palsy during interferon therapy. The patient commenced on alpha 2b-interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection. He developed Bell's palsy fifth months after commencing therapy. Although Bell's palsy in our patient may have occurred by chance, a neuropathic effect of alpha 2b-interfeon on the facial nerve cannot be excluded.