Intraosseous Hemangioma of the Ethmoid Sinus.

Intraosseous hemangiomas, also referred to as bony hemangiomas, arising within the nasal cavity are exceedingly rare with only 2 cases arising in the ethmoid region. Despite their rarity, they are important to consider in a patient presenting with long-standing nasal congestion. While characteristic findings on computed tomography imaging may be observed, biopsy is diagnostic. En bloc resection using a transnasal endoscopic approach with or without preoperative embolization is the treatment of choice for intranasal intraosseous hemangiomas.

Giant Parathyroid Adenoma Associated With Aberrant Subclavian Artery and Nonrecurrent Laryngeal Nerve.

Parathyroid adenomas are responsible for 80% to 85% of cases of primary hyperparathyroidism. Giant parathyroid adenomas are a rare type of parathyroid adenoma defined as weighing >3.5 grams. Although giant parathyroid adenomas are rare entities whose clinical presentation may not be atypical, their surgical management can be challenging, especially in the setting of anatomical variants. We present here a case of a 29-year-old female with a 37-gram giant adenoma which was diagnosed after presentation with recurrent severe headaches. The presentation was also unique in that it was associated with a right aberrant subclavian artery and nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve.

The effect of cranberry consumption on lipid metabolism and inflammation in human apo A-I transgenic mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet.

Lipid metabolism and inflammation contribute to CVD development. This study investigated whether the consumption of cranberries (CR; Vaccinium macrocarpon) can alter HDL metabolism and prevent inflammation in mice expressing human apo A-I transgene (hApoAITg), which have similar HDL profiles to those of humans. Male hApoAITg mice were fed a modified American Institute of Nutrition-93M high-fat/high-cholesterol diet (16 % fat, 0·25 % cholesterol, w/w; n 15) or the high-fat/high-cholesterol diet containing CR (5 % dried CR powder, w/w, n 16) for 8 weeks. There were no significant differences in body weight between the groups. Serum total cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and TAG concentrations were significantly lower in the control than CR group with no significant differences in serum HDL-cholesterol and apoA-I. Mice fed CR showed significantly lower serum lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activity than the control. Liver weight and steatosis were not significantly different between the groups, but hepatic expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism was significantly lower in the CR group. In the epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), the CR group showed higher weights with decreased expression of genes for lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation. The mRNA abundance of F4/80, a macrophage marker and the numbers of crown-like structures were less in the CR group. In the soleus muscle, the CR group also demonstrated higher expression of genes for fatty acid ß-oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis than those of the control. In conclusion, although CR consumption elicited minor effects on HDL metabolism, it prevented obesity-induced inflammation in eWAT with concomitant alterations in soleus muscle energy metabolism.

Simbología en medicina y ciencias de la salud / Symbology in medicine and health sciences

La inclusión curricular de la historia de la medicina se hace cada vez más importante, y dentro de la misma el estudio de la simbología en medicina es un tema muy interesante y a veces polémico. Los símbolos asociados a la medicina usualmente presentan serpientes asociadas a los mismos, siendo los más reconocidos el bastón de Asclepio/Esculapio y el caduceo de Hermes/Mercurio. Las serpientes se encuentran asociadas a consideraciones positivas y negativas en las diferentes culturas del mundo. En el Antiguo Egipto eran símbolos de sabiduría y poder. En la Biblia tenían un rol dual y una participación en al menos un evento relacionado a curaciones masivas. La mitología griega nos provee de elementos que conectan a serpientes enrolladas en torno a una rama o vara directamente con la medicina. El tratamiento de la dracunculiasis nos otorga otra vía de conexión entre esta imagen y la medicina. El bastón de Asclepio/Esculapio se reconoce como símbolo de la medicina y las ciencias de la salud en general, mientras que el caduceo se asocia a otras profesiones no médicas.

The curricular inclusion of the history of medicine is becoming more and more important, and within it the study of symbology in medicine is a very interesting and sometimes controversial subject. The symbols associated with medicine usually present snakes associated with them, the most recognized being the rod of Asclepius/ Aesculapius and the Hermes/Mercury caduceus. Snakes are associated with positive and negative considerations in the different cultures of the world. In Ancient Egypt they were symbols of wisdom and power. In the Bible they had a dual role and a participation in at least one event related to massive healings. Greek mythology provides us with elements that connect snakes coiled around a branch or rod directly to medicine. The treatment of dracunculiasis gives us another way of connection between this image and medicine. The rod of Asclepius/ Aesculapius is recognized as a symbol of medicine and health sciences in general, while the caduceus is associated with other non-medical professions

Aronia berry polyphenol consumption reduces plasma total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in former smokers without lowering biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress: a randomized controlled trial.

Former smokers are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that dietary aronia polyphenols would reduce biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk, inflammation, and oxidative stress in former smokers. We also determined the extent these effects were associated with polyphenol bioavailability. A 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 49 healthy adult former smokers (n = 24/placebo, n = 25/aronia) to evaluate if daily consumption of 500 mg aronia extract modulated plasma lipids, blood pressure, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and lipid transport genes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The primary outcome was change in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from baseline, and multivariate correlation analysis was performed to determine if changes in lipids were associated with urinary polyphenol excretion. Aronia consumption reduced fasting plasma total cholesterol by 8% (P = .0140), LDL-C by 11% (P = .0285), and LDL receptor protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (P = .0036) at 12 weeks compared with the placebo group. Positive changes in the urinary polyphenol metabolites peonidin-3-O-galactoside, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid, and unmetabolized anthocyanin cyanidin-3-O-galactoside were associated with lower plasma total cholesterol and LDL-C in the aronia group. Aronia consumption did not change blood pressure or biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Aronia polyphenols reduced total and LDL-C in former smokers but did not improve biomarkers of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. The cholesterol-lowering activity of aronia extract was most closely associated with urinary levels of cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and peonidin-3-O-galactoside, its methylated metabolite. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01541826.