Breast cancer: from the earliest times through to the end of the 20th century.

Breast cancer is a daunting disease and constitutes a continuing medical health problem through the ages for millions of women worldwide. Physicians, from the early periods of recorded history have tried to heal breast cancer patients, with results that were fairly promising at times and disappointing at others. The science of medicine evolved through the ages under the careful scrutiny and critical thought of the many prominent scholars and researchers of their times who constantly added to the therapeutic armamentarium. Surgeons described new therapeutic approaches, and anatomists, through their elaborate descriptions, added useful insights on the art of healing. Theories about the origin of cancer change as new scientific data are presented and validated. Although the Middle Ages hindered temporarily any progress in the field of medicine, the Renaissance became the vaulting horse for science in its broadest sense. However, it was not until the 19th century, with the discovery of anesthesia, the introduction of antisepsis, and the establishment of microscopy that giant scientific leaps in the field of breast cancer treatment occurred. The 20th century with the development of chemotherapy and radiation and the undertaking of numerous clinical trials offered new insights regarding breast cancer management. This article attempts a historical journey through the ages unfolding the problem of breast cancer through the different eras.

Respiratory tract infections in a military recruit setting: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are an important cause of morbidity in the military setting. Respiratory viruses are the most frequently implicated pathogens, especially adenovirus and respiratory syncytial virus. We performed this study to investigate the role of factors such as obesity, cigarette smoking, and educational level on the development of respiratory tract infections in a military recruit setting. METHODS: A cohort of 472 military recruits was prospectively followed up for the basic training period of 3 weeks. Symptoms of infections were monitored during this period. RESULTS: Eighty-four of 472 recruits (17.8%) were diagnosed with infection; 55 (65.5%) with upper RTI (mainly rhinitis), 23 (27.4%) with flu-like syndrome, and 6 (7.1%) with tonsillitis. There was no association between age, BMI, or smoking status and symptomatic RTI (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Occurrence of respiratory tract infections in military recruits is common, at least in some populations and settings. We did not find an association between risk factors such as BMI and smoking and symptomatic respiratory infection in our population, a result that may be associated with the limited power of this study.

From the roots of parasitology: Hippocrates' first scientific observations in helminthology.

Although knowledge of intestinal parasites predates Hippocrates, the Hippocratic Corpus provides the first scientific observations about the clinical perception and treatment of helminthic diseases. These observations follow the scientific principles of Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who relied on knowledge and observation. This article is based on a systematic study of the Hippocratic texts, and presents observations on diseases caused by intestinal parasites with respect to regularity of appearance, patient age, symptoms, and treatment. Three types of helminths are described: "helmins strongyle" (roundworm), "helmins plateia" (flatworm), and "ascaris" (which corresponds to Enterobius vermicularis). Helminthic diseases primarily appear during childhood, well after teething. The described systemic symptoms include weakness, sickness, discomfort, tiredness, anorexia, and emotional instability; gastrointestinal symptoms include change in bowel movements, vomiting, and colic pain in the epigastrium. We identified several accounts of cases of helminthic diseases in the Hippocratic texts. Of particular interest are the descriptions of a helminth emerging from a fistula in the navel region and the surgical treatment of helminthic diseases, reinforced by being described on a dedicatory inscription at the Asclepion in Epidaurus. We finally encountered the use of powerful purgatives as antihelminthics, which have been widely used, even into the 21st century.

Spondylodiscitis due to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an increasingly recognized cause of severe nosocomial infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. Community-acquired infections have also been reported. Spondylodiscitis due to S. maltophilia has only once before been described in the literature. We present a case of spondylodiscitis due to community-acquired S. maltophilia infection in a renal transplant recipient with liver cirrhosis.

Serologic indices of hepatitis B virus infection in military recruits in Greece (2004-2005).

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in Greece has been decreasing over the last decades. However, recent epidemiological data are lacking. METHODS: We studied 1,840 Army recruits from 05/2004 until 10/2005, and performed serological testing for HBsAg, anti-HBsAg, and anti-HBcAg. We also examined their association with several factors, including age, residential area, socioeconomic class, and educational level. RESULTS: Mean age (+/- SD) of the recruits was 20.5 (+/- 2.1) years. Antibodies to HBV core antigen [anti-HBcAg (+)] were found in 31 (1.68%) of 1,840 participants. Only 6 (0.32%) were HBsAg (+)/anti-HBsAg (-)/anti-HBcAg (+), while 21 (1.14%) were HBsAg (-)/anti-HBsAg (+)/anti-HBcAg (+), and 4 (0.22%) were HBsAg (-)/anti-HBsAg (-)/anti-HBcAg (+). Overall, 1,144 recruits (62.17%) had antibodies against HBsAg [HBsAg (-)/anti-HBsAg (+)/anti-HBcAg (-)]; 665 recruits (36.14%) had undetectable anti-HBsAg levels. Multivariable analysis showed that younger age (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.82-0.92) and advanced educational level (OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.32-1.93) were independently associated with serologic evidence suggestive of previous HBV vaccination. CONCLUSION: We document a further decline of the prevalence of chronic HBV infection among Greek military recruits, a fact that may support the effectiveness of the ongoing immunization programme.

Prevalence and predictors of tuberculin skin positivity in Hellenic Army recruits.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading causes of death among infectious diseases worldwide. Despite its low incidence rates in countries of Western Europe and North America, the resurgence of TB in Eastern Europe and the increased immigration from high-incidence countries imply that extreme vigilance is required in order to detect early, treat, and isolate all new cases. In this study, we analyzed the prevalence and predictors of tuberculin skin testing positivity in Hellenic Army recruits. METHODS: The study population consisted of 953 Greek military recruits enlisted inthe Army during the period from November 2005 to February 2006. Tuberculin skin testing was performed on all study subjects upon enrollment, according to the routine procedures. A tuberculin skin test reaction size >15 mm was considered positive for all study participants. Epidemiological data regarding age, repatriation status, geographic area of residence, smoking habits, and parental occupation were collected by means of personal interviews. In addition, body weight, height, and body mass index were measured. RESULTS: The mean age of the studied subjects (+/- SD) was 23.5 (+/- 6.4) years. The overall prevalence of tuberculin positivity was 3.9% (37/953), and bivariable analysis showed that it was associated with lower weight (p = 0.047) and repatriation status (p < 0.001). Tuberculin skin testing was positive in 2.6% of natives (24/900) and 24.5% of repatriates (13/53). A backward, stepwise multivariable logistic regression model showed that only repatriation status was independently associated with tuberculin positivity (p < 0.001; odds ratio [OR]: 14.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.5-30.3). CONCLUSION: While the incidence of tuberculosis in the native Greek population is low, and comparable to other Western European countries, the extremely high tuberculin positivity in repatriated persons underscores the importance of actively screening for TB in order to promptly identify, isolate, and treat cases of active and latent infection.

Autoimmune hepatitis in an HIV infected patient that responded to antiretroviral therapy.

Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare disease with unclear pathogenesis. Several viruses have been proposed to act as triggering agents for the inflammatory process of the disease; however, HIV has only very rarely been reported to be associated. We report a case of a patient with autoimmune hepatitis and HIV infection. The possible pathogenetic mechanism is discussed. Antiretroviral treatment led to normalization of liver biochemistry, supporting the hypothesis of HIV induced autoimmune hepatitis.