Diagnostic accuracy of carotid intima media thickness by B-mode ultrasonography in coronary artery disease patients.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the main cause of premature deaths worldwide, and atherosclerosis (AS) is a major risk factor associated with them. B-mode ultrasound is a well-validated research tool that has been translated increasingly into clinical practice. The aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of carotid intima media thickness by B-mode ultrasonography in coronary artery disease patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a case control study, including 100 cases and the same number of controls. Patients with positive angiographic findings and chest pain were considered as cases and those without as negative. Duplex carotid ultrasound was used to detect intima-media thickness (IMT). B-mode real-time ultrasonic images were obtained with a 7 MHz transducer. An intima media thickness of 0.6 mm was considered as being without plaque. RESULTS: The angiographic findings were single-vessel disease, double-vessel disease, and triple-vessel disease in 18%, 11.5%, and 20.5% of cases, respectively, while there were no findings in controls. There was plaque formation in 14.5% and calcification in 12% of the cases. Sensitivity of B-mode ultrasonography was found to be 78%, specificity 75%, positive predictive value 75.72%, and negative predictive value 77.31%. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid ultrasonography can be utilised as a valuable screening tool due to having several advantages, including ease of application, reproducibility, low cost, and strong correlation with atherosclerosis.

Diagnostic concordance rates in the subtyping of basal cell carcinoma by different dermatopathologists.

BACKGROUND: There are numerous subtypes of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Defining the histopathologic subtype is an essential element in patient management, but there is little known data regarding interobserver precision in subtyping BCC. METHODS: We studied interobserver variance between six board-certified dermatopathologists who subtyped 100 BCCs in a blinded fashion. We used kappa statistic to calculate the concordance in suggested subtype by different dermatopathologists. Provided diagnoses were then re-categorized into low-risk and high-risk phenotypes, and kappa statistic for concordance on high-risk BCC was determined. RESULTS: The overall κ statistic was 0.301, indicating fair agreement among the six observers. Superficial and fibroepithelial BCC had the highest individual kappa statistics. When subtypes were re-classified into a two-tier system of high-risk and low-risk phenotypes, there was substantial interobserver agreement on high-risk BCC with a κ statistic of 0.699. CONCLUSION: These results suggest only fair agreement among dermatopathologists on specific BCC subtypes, but substantial agreement on superficial, fibroepithelial and high-risk BCC growth patterns. A simplified classification system comprised of superficial, fibroepithelial, nodular and infiltrative subtypes would increase interobserver precision and facilitate clinical decision-making.

New onset of multiple keratoacanthomas and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis caused by the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma with a new generation multi-kinase inhibitor.

The use of new generation multi-kinase inhibitors for the treatment of various malignancies has brought unique and previously unrecognised cutaneous reactions to the attention of dermatologists. We report the case of a patient with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who presented to our dermatology clinic with eruptive squamous cell carcinomas with keratoacanthomatous features and painless palmoplantar hyperkeratosis while taking sorafenib (Nexavar). Dermatological toxicity from sorafenib has been well described in the literature. Herein we describe a combination of unusual symptoms due to sorafenib.