Discromatosis hereditaria universal: relato de un caso / Dyschromatosis universal hereditary: case report

Comunicamos un caso de discromatosis hereditaria universal (DHU) en una paciente adolescente de 12 años de edad, que acude a la consulta por múltiples máculas hipo e hiperpigmentadas, asintomáticas y de distribución universal, con un patrón reticulado. Las lesiones aparecieron y fueron aumentando en número desde los 3 meses de edad, sin otro hallazgo patológico. Realizamos, además, una breve revisión de la literatura sobre el tema.

We report a case of dyschromatosis universalis hereditaria (DUH) in a 12 years old female with chief complain of asymptomatic, multiple hypopigmented and hyperpigmented macules, with reticulate pattern, involving almost the entire body, of many years of duration. The literature regarding this topic is also discussed.

Analysis of magnetic elements in otoliths of the macula lagena in homing pigeons with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry / 神经科学通报·英文版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The macula lagena in birds is located at the apical end of the cochlea and contains many tiny otoliths. The macula lagena is innervated and has neural projections to the brainstem, but its physiological function is still unclear. It remains disputable that it is because otoliths in the lagena are rich in elements Fe and Zn that birds can obtain geomagnetic information for homing. To clarify this issue, we carried out a study to determine whether or not otoliths in the lagena of homing pigeons are richer in magnetic elements than those in the saccule and the utricle.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The contents of ferromagnetic elements (Fe, Co, Ni) and other metal elements in lagenal otoliths of adult homing pigeons were precisely analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) of high sensitivity, and then they were compared with those in saccular and utricular otoliths (all the contents were normalized to Ca).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In adult homing pigeons, the contents of ferromagnetic elements (Fe, Co, Ni) in lagenal otoliths were less than 0.7% (normalized to Ca element) and were the same order in magnitude as those in saccular and utricular otoliths. The content of Fe in lagenal otoliths was not significantly different from that in utricular otoliths and was even lower than that in saccular otoliths. The content of Co in lagenal otoliths was lower than that in saccular otoliths and higher than that in utricular otoliths. The content of Ni in lagenal otoliths was not significantly different from that in saccular otoliths and was higher than that in utricular otoliths. The contents of other metal elements Na, Mg, K, Al, Mn and Pb in lagenal otoliths were not significantly different from those in utricular and saccular otoliths. The contents of metal elements Zn, Ba and Cu in lagenal otoliths were lower than those in saccular otoliths.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The contents of magnetic elements in lagenal otoliths of homing pigeons are not much higher than those in utricular and saccular otoliths, which does not support the hypothesis that birds depend on high contents of Fe and Zn in lagenal otoliths for sensation of geomagnetic information. Similarities in morphology, element ingredient and element content between lagenal otoliths and utricular otoliths suggest that the two types of otolithic organs may play similar roles in sensing gravitational and acceleration signals.</p>

Analysis of retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness measurements in healthy subjects using 3-dimensional optical coherence tomography [3-D OCT]

To investigate the reproducibility of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer [RNFL] and macular thickness measurements in healthy Egyptian subjects using 3-dimensional optical coherence tomography [3-DOCT]. Fifty eyes of 50 healthy Egyptian subjects [30 females and 20 males] attending the outpatient clinic of Mansoura Ophthalmic Center during August and September 2008 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A randomly chosen single eye from each healthy subject underwent thickness measurements using 3-D OCT, before and after pupillary dilatation, by 3 trained and experienced operators. Average measurements of penpapillary RNFL and macular thickness were calculated. Comparisons of thickness measurements before and after pupillary dilatation, and among the 3 operators were performed. The RNFL thickness measurements were higher in the inferior penipapillary area by RNFL scan [average 104.7 +/- 16.7 tm] and the macular thickness measurements showed a ring-shaped hump in the 3 mm perifoveal area by macular scan [average 254.6 +/- 6.7 tim]. Comparing the penipapillary RNFL and macular thickness before and after pupillary dilatation, there was no significant difference [P > 0.05] in average, superior, inferior, temporal, or nasal peripapillary areas, in total macular volume and foveal thickness, nor in 1, 3, and 6-mm perifoveal areas, whether before or after pupillary dilatation and irrespective of which operator performed the measurements. The inferior RNFL area and the 3-mm perifoveal area showed higher thickness measurements in the peripapillary region and macular region, respectively. The thickness measurements performed using 3-D OCT showed no significant differences before and after pupillary dilatation, and showed good reproducibility

Localization of vesicular glutamate transporters in the peripheral vestibular system of rat / 神经科学通报·英文版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the vesicular glutamate transporters (VGluTs: VGluT1-VGluT3) in the peripheral vestibular system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The vestibular structures, including Scarpa's ganglion (vestibular ganglion, VG), maculae of utricle and saccule, and ampullary cristae, from normal Sprague-Dawley rats were processed immunohistochemically for VGluTs, by avidin-biotinylated peroxidase complex method, with 3-3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) as chromogen.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) VGluT1 was localized to partial neurons of VG and to the putative primary afferent fibers innervating vestibular end-organs. (2) Intense VGluT3 immunoreactivity was detected in large number of sensory epithelia cells, and weak labeling of VGluT3-positive afferent fibers was in the maculae and ampullary cristae. (3) No or very weak VGluT2 immunoreactivity was observed in the VG and acoustic maculae.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results provide the morphological support that glutamate exists in the peripheral vestibular system, and it may play an important role in the centripetal vestibular transmission.</p>