RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease is the most common cause of ESRD. There is poor correlation between the degree of renal fibrosis and current screening markers. A noninvasive imaging technique is needed to assess the degree of structural changes in the kidney. The aim of this study was to assess the role of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease. Forty adult diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease as well as 20 age- and sex-matched adult healthy controls were recruited from Nephrology Department of our University Hospital. All patients underwent renal MR-DWI and ADC mapping on a 1.5-T scanner (Philips Achieva) using phased array body coil. RESULTS: Among the studied 40 diabetic patients, five groups of patients were resulted 8 patients for each and the ADC values were inversely correlated with advancement in renal parenchymal affection, ie, in late stages of the disease the ADC values were lower than in early stages. The mean ADC values of renal parenchyma in patients with diabetic kidney disease were considerably lower than that of healthy controls with normal renal function (2.1±0.3x10-3 mm2/s vs 2.4±0.1x10-3 mm2/s with p<0.001). CONCLUSION: ADC value is a possible noninvasive technique in evaluating the stage of renal dysfunction with assessment of disease progression.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of live bee stings at fertility points and acupuncture in treating symptoms and managing infertility in premature ovarian failure (POF) of autoimmune etiology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with primary POF were allocated randomly into two groups: group I: subjected to acupuncture at specific fertility points and group II: subjected to live bee stings at sites of fertility points. RESULTS: A total of 24 cases show significant reduction of Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level to normal range with gradual decline over the study duration: 13 cases in group I and 11 cases in group II. Eight cases got pregnant while the other 13 cases regained normal menses but still infertile. CONCLUSIONS: Both bee sting therapy and acupuncture were effective in reduction of FSH levels with restoration of regular menstrual patterns and restoration of fertility. The bee sting therapy was superior in the pregnancy rate, while acupuncture was superior in alleviation of symptoms.
