ABSTRACT
Though osteoid osteoma is a common primary benign lesion of the bones, intra-articular involvement is rare and poses diagnostic difficulties when it affects middle-aged patients. We present the case of a 51-year-old woman with a 2.5 year history of anterior knee pain that was misdiagnosed as osteochondritis dissecans. Radiological findings were absent, whereas MRI showed a well-circumscribed lesion. A local excisional biopsy was performed and microscopic appearance confirmed diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Bone Neoplasms/diagnosis , Osteoma, Osteoid/diagnosis , Patella , Arthralgia/etiology , Bone Neoplasms/surgery , Cryosurgery , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Middle Aged , Osteoma, Osteoid/surgery , Patella/surgeryABSTRACT
Although spondylitis is the most common of the complications of brucellosis, and is often debilitating and difficult to treat, there is no consensus on the preferred combination of antibiotics used. We attempted to perform a meta-analysis based on series on brucellar spondylitis published in the last 22 years. Meta-analysis was aborted largely due to insufficient data recorded in most series. However, useful conclusions could be drawn, such as the importance of prolonged treatment, usually more than 12 weeks. No antibiotic combination was proven to be superior, but 14 different regimens were used in the series studied. The authors propose the use of a combination of doxycycline and ciprofloxacin for a period of 3 months, and report the successful use of such a combination in five patients with brucellosis and spondylitis.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Brucella/pathogenicity , Brucellosis/drug therapy , Fluoroquinolones/therapeutic use , Spondylitis/drug therapy , Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , Brucellosis/microbiology , Brucellosis/pathology , Doxycycline/administration & dosage , Doxycycline/therapeutic use , Drug Therapy, Combination , Fluoroquinolones/pharmacology , Meta-Analysis as Topic , Spondylitis/microbiology , Spondylitis/pathologyABSTRACT
The world of infectious diseases has been rarely presented in the cinema with accuracy. Apart from random biographies of scientists and retellings of stories about great epidemics from the past, most films focus on the dangers presented by outbreaks of unknown agents that originate from acts of bioterrorism, from laboratory accidents, or even from space. We review these films and underline the possible effect that they have on the public's perception of infection--a perception that, when misguided, could prove to be problematic in times of epidemics.
Subject(s)
Communicable Diseases/epidemiology , Disease Outbreaks , Motion Pictures , Bioterrorism , Communicable Disease Control , Communicable Diseases/microbiology , Communicable Diseases/virology , Humans , Perception , Population Surveillance , VaccinationABSTRACT
Bone lesions are present in 1% to 2% of cases of hydatid disease. Hydatid synovitis can usually be identified due to secondary extension from the adjacent bone, or infrequently after hematogenous spread. We present an extremely rare case of hydatid synovitis without bony involvement. A 74-year-old man with diagnosed hydatid disease was admitted to our department because of left knee swelling. Neither physical examination nor laboratory studies revealed any remarkable findings. Radiographic evaluation of the knee joint was noncontributory. The patient underwent an arthroscopically assisted synovectomy, and the biopsy revealed an echinococcus contamination. No complications occurred during the postoperative period.
