Assessment of Corneal Epithelial Thickness in Asymmetric Keratoconic Eyes and Normal Eyes Using Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose. To compare the characteristics of asymmetric keratoconic eyes and normal eyes by Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) corneal mapping. Methods. Retrospective corneal and epithelial thickness OCT data for 74 patients were compared in three groups of eyes: keratoconic (n = 22) and normal fellow eyes (n = 22) in patients with asymmetric keratoconus and normal eyes (n = 104) in healthy subjects. Areas under the curve (AUC) of receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves for each variable were compared across groups to indicate their discrimination capacity. Results. Three variables were found to differ significantly between fellow eyes and normal eyes (all p < 0.05): minimum corneal thickness, thinnest corneal point, and central corneal thickness. These variables combined showed a high discrimination power to differentiate fellow eyes from normal eyes indicated by an AUC of 0.840 (95% CI: 0.762-0.918). Conclusions. Our findings indicate that topographically normal fellow eyes in patients with very asymmetric keratoconus differ from the eyes of healthy individuals in terms of their corneal epithelial and pachymetry maps. This type of information could be useful for an early diagnosis of keratoconus in topographically normal eyes.

[Baboon syndrome]. / Síndrome de baboon.

Andersen et al described baboon syndrome in 1984. It was characterized by a clinical presentation of systemic contact dermatitis with pruritic and confluent maculopapular light-red eruption, localized in the gluteal area and the major flexures, developed several hours or days after drug or agent contact. This syndrome has a pathognomonic distribution but its cause has not been elucidated yet. Histopathology of the lesions shows non-specific features of dermatitis. Several drugs have been previously described as responsible for the Baboon syndrome origin. Mercury is the most frequent implicated agent; other agents are nickel, different antibiotics, heparine, aminophylline, pseudoephedrine, terbinafine and immunoglobulins

Síndrome de baboon / Baboon syndrome

El síndrome de baboon fue descrito por primera vez por Andersen en 1984 que lo definió como la presentación clínica de una dermatitis de contacto sistémica caracterizada por la presencia de prurito y erupción maculopapular eritematosa confluente en el área de los glúteos y de las flexuras mayores que aparece varias horas después e incluso varios días, tras el contacto con un fármaco u otro agente. La distribución de las lesiones es patognomónica aunque se desconoce la patogénesis. En la mayoría de los casos descritos, la anatomía patológica de las lesiones confirman cambios inespecíficos de dermatitis. Se han demostrado numerosos fármacos como desencadenantes de este tipo de reacciones. No obstante, el agente más frecuente es el mercurio, según numerosos casos publicados. Otros agentes causantes son: niquel, diferentes antibióticos, heparina, aminofilina, pseudoefedrina, terbinafina e inmunoglobulinas (AU)

Andersen et al described baboon syndrome in 1984. It was characterized by a clinical presentation of systemic contact dermatitis with pruritic and confluent maculopapular light-red eruption, localized in the gluteal area and the major flexures, developed several hours or days after drug or agent contact. This syndrome has a pathognomonic distribution but its cause has not been elucidated yet. Histopathology of the lesions shows non-specific features of dermatitis. Several drugs have been previously described as responsible for the Baboon syndrome origin. Mercury is the most frequent implicated agent; other agents are nickel, different antibiotics, heparine, aminophylline, pseudoephedrine, terbinafine and immunoglobulins (AU)

Fenofibrate decreases plasma fibrinogen, improves lipid profile, and reduces uricemia.

Plasma fibrinogen has been found to be a major cardiovascular disease risk factor. This 2-year trial was designed to assess the effect of fenofibrate on fibrinogen and, as secondary end points, on lipid profile and uric acid in patients with dyslipidemia. Eighty subjects (40 women and 40 men) were admitted to either a control or an active group. Sixty-seven (84%) had sole hypercholesterolemia, 13 (16%) subjects had mixed dyslipidemia. The effect attributable to fenofibrate was a decrease of 15% in fibrinogen, 26% in the ratio low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-20% low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, +10% high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), 34% in triglycerides (median), and 13% in uric acid (P < .0001 for all). Fenofibrate simultaneously affected hemostasis (by lowering fibrinogenemia) and lipid profile. Because fenofibrate has few adverse effects, it could be a fair option for patients who need polytherapy and do not tolerate resins or niacin. Its clinical efficacy should be tested in long-term studies to assess its real capacity to prevent cardiovascular events.

Depth perception in random dot stereograms is not affected by changes in either vergence or accommodation.

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that extraretinal cues related to vergence angle and lens accommodation are used to scale horizontal disparities for fixation distance. METHODS: Depth perception of random dot stereograms was studied in 10 healthy adult subjects with normal visual acuity by modifying retinal disparity, fixation distance, vergence angle, and accommodation. Statistical analysis was used to compare the data. RESULTS: Depth perception increased with fixation distance. The increment of depth perception persisted even when horizontal retinal disparity was kept constant. The magnitude of depth perception was independent of vergence angle. Depth perception did not vary with changes in accommodation. CONCLUSIONS: Extraretinal cues related to vergence angle and accommodation seem to be not necessary to scale horizontal disparities for viewing distance.

Regression models: calculating the confidence interval of effects in the presence of interactions.

The main goal of regression analysis (multiple, logistic, Cox) is to assess the relationship of one or more exposure variables to a response variable, in the presence of confounding and interaction. The confidence interval for the regression coefficient of the exposure variable, obtained through the use of a computer statistical package, quantify these relationships for models without interaction. Relationships between variables that present interactions are represented by two or more terms, and the corresponding confidence intervals can be calculated 'manually' from the covariance matrix. This paper suggests an easy procedure for obtaining confidence intervals from any statistical package. This procedure is applicable for modifying variables which are continuous as well as categorical.

[Detection of soluble interleukin-2 receptor in the serum of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma]. / Determinación del receptor soluble de la interleucina 2 en el suero de pacientes con linfoma no hodgkiniano.

BACKGROUND: Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) have increased serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sCD25). In this study the authors investigate: a) the value of sCD25, compared to other serum markers, as tumor marker, and b) the relationship of the sCD25 with the response to therapy and prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum interleukin-2 receptor (sCD25) levels were measured at diagnosis in 63 patients with NHL (low-grade lymphoma 30 and high-grade lymphoma 33). RESULTS: High levels of sCD25 were found in these patients compared to a control group (median 1,757 U/ml vs 385 U/ml; p < 0.0001). Significant differences were also found between the high-grade group and the low-grade group, as a whole and within the same Ann Arbor stage. sCD25 showed a correlation coefficient higher than other serum parameters (albumin, LDH, beta 2-microglobulin, uric acid, C-reactive protein) with Ann Arbor stage and with the number of involved lymph nodes or extralymphatic organs. In the high-grade NHL, the median of sCD25 (3,000 U/ml) separates patients with differences in the overall survival (p = 0.0138) and in percentage of complete remisions (p = 0.0079). All the patients with sCD25 < or = 3,000 U/ml reached the remision. The association sCD25 > 3,000 U/ml and albumin < 3.5 g/dl selected to 5 out of 6 patients who failed induction chemotherapy, and only 2 out of 22 who reached the remision. CONCLUSIONS: The sCD25 is the best serum factor for estimating tumor burden in NHL. sCD25 level isolates or associated with albumin provides prognostic information.

Myoelectrical activity of clinical rest position and jaw muscle activity in young adults.

Electromyographic activity of anterior temporal, superficial masseter, deep masseter and anterior digastric muscles was measured in 40 young healthy men and women during rest (at the beginning and the end of tests), clench, maximal opening, lateral displacement and CR manipulation. During initial rest position myoelectrical activity was 1.9 microV increasing to 2.1 microV at the end of tests (P = 0.08). During clench and maximal opening no significant differences between the sexes were found. The digastric muscle showed considerable activity during maximal opening, lateral displacement and CR manipulation.

[3 year survival in patients hospitalized for acute cerebrovascular disorders]. / Supervivencia a los 3 años en pacientes hospitalizados por enfermedad cerebrovascular aguda.

For three years we studied the mortality and functional situation of all patients admitted in 1991 to the Neurology Service suffering from acute stroke with the exception of subarachnoid haemorrhage cases. We analyzed the cause of death whether directly related to the initial illness or not. Out of 134 patients admitted for acute stroke, 48 (41.02% of the 117 patients examined after excluding 17 whom we did not obtain complete information from) had died after three years. The main causes of death were directly related to acute stroke (37.5%) and pneumonia (37.5%). Death occurred mainly in the first month (79.16% of deaths). Predictive variables for mortality directly related to acute stroke during the first month include severe weakness, brain haemorrhage, dysphasia and earlier incidence of acute stroke. Variables related to higher mortality rate due to other causes in the first month were dysphasia, age and angina antecedents, whereas earlier incidence of acute stroke was associated with a lesser mortality rate for these causes, as distinct from acute stroke itself. Greater levels of weakness and sphincteral incontinence are the best predictive signs of dependency functional situation at the end of the first month and, along with diabetes, after one and three years.