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Journal Article 2014; 35(4): 285-289 PubMed PMID: 25038607 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Radiosurgery, Treatment Outcome, Trigeminal Nerve:pathology, Trigeminal Neuralgia:etiology,.   

OBJECTIVES: The etiology of classic trigeminal neuralgia (CTN) is still under debate and, together with neurovascular compression (NVC), other anatomical abnormalities have been considered, including differences of trigeminal nerve (TN) volume.r />r /> DESIGN: We evaluated the volumes of affected and non-affected nerves and the presence and type of NVC in large group of 84 CTN subjects prior to gamma knife treatment (GKS) on MR images. Correlation between affected nerve volume and NVC, treatment outcome and demographic characteristics were explored.r />r /> RESULTS: NVC was detected in 71% of affected nerves, 52% of non-affected nerves, and in 31% of subjects bilaterally. Lower trigeminal nerve volume was detected on the affected side (p<0.001, affected mean 34.9 mm3 ± 14.4 SD, non-affected mean 41.9 mm3 ± 17.7 SD), however, no correlation between affected nerve volume and the presence and type NVC, treatment outcome or demographic data was detected.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that NVC may trigger CTN in susceptible subjects but is not a reliable disease marker. Lower trigeminal nerve volume appears to manifest independently of NVC, and may represent nerve asymmetry rather than atrophy. No correlation between volumetry and clinical data was detected including treatment outcome after GKS....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(4): 327-333 PubMed PMID: 25038606 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Blood Glucose:analysis, Blood Pressure:physiology, Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory, Diabetes, Gestational:physiopathology, Electrocardiography, Female, Heart Rate:physiology, Heart Ventricles:pathology, Humans, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester,.   

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the optimal diabetes control on the left ventricular parameters and ambulatory blood pressure in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).r />r /> METHODS: The patients with GDM were followed up according to predetermined protocol in order to optimize blood glucose and optimal weight gain. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and transthoracal and tissue echocardiography were examined in 36th week of pregnancy.r />r /> RESULTS: The age of 35 women with GDM was 33.1±3 and 30.5±4.4 years in 31 healthy control subjects (p=0.2). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in the patients with GDM was 5.0±0.5 mmol/L compared to 4.6±0.3 mmol/L in control subjects (p=0.002). Average weight gain during pregnancy was significantly lower in women with GDM; 10±7.6 kg vs. 13.1±3.7 kg in healthy pregnant women (p=0.05). No significant differences were recorded in 24 hours mean heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and number of nondippers between both groups. The significant correlation was detected between FPG and blood pressure dipping in subjects with GDM. Interventricular septal, posterior wall and relative wall thickness of the left ventricle were significantly higher in patients with GDM comparing to healthy pregnant women but no significant differences of the left ventricular functions were recorded.r />r /> CONCLUSION: The optimal control of diabetes in GDM is associated with normal 24 hours blood pressure profile and prevention of the left ventricular function changes in GDM patients. The differences in the left ventricular walls thicknesses may be explained by metabolic changes in GDM....

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Case Reports 2014; 35(4): 249-251 PubMed PMID: 25038605 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Blindness:etiology, Breast Neoplasms:pathology, Choroid Neoplasms:complications, Fatal Outcome, Female, Humans, Multiple Organ Failure:etiology, Neoplasm Metastasis:pathology,.   

rong>:rong> Intraocular choroidal metastasis is a very rare cause of blindness. Carcinoma of breast is the most common primary malignancy the accounts for choroidal metastasis in females. Other primary neoplasms which can uncommonly metastasize to the choroid are gastrointestinal tract, thyroid, pancreas, prostate and testis. Metastatic neoplasm to the eye outnumbers the primary tumors such as retinoblastoma and malignant melanoma. We present a case of sudden loss of vision due to breast cancer metastasis to the eyeball. The interval between the diagnosis of the primary tumor and the choroidal metastasis was 4 years.

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Journal Article 2014; 35(4): 301-305 PubMed PMID: 25038604 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Diabetes Mellitus:epidemiology, Female, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Newborn, Diseases:epidemiology, Poland:epidemiology, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Infectious:microbiology, Pregnancy Trimester, Third, Rectum:microbiology,.   

rong>BACKGROUND:rong> To evaluate Streptococcus group B (GBS) serotype distribution in anovaginal isolates of women in term pregnancy and to assess the correlation of the distribution with socio-epidemiological variables and neonatal outcomes.r />r /> rong>DESIGN:rong> An observational study.r />r /> rong>SETTINGS:rong> Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Specialist Teaching Hospital in Tychy, Poland.r />r /> rong>POPULATION:rong> 80 women between 37 and 40 gestation weeks with preserved fetal membranes and who had not been treated with antibiotics for at least two weeks before the study.r />r /> rong>MATERIAL AND METHODS:rong> The specimens from the vagina and the rectum of pregnant women were collected. GBS colonization tests were conducted in compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. Serotyping of the isolates was performed using the Essum GBS Serotyping Kit (Umea, Sweden) according to manufacturer's instruction. Mein outcome measures. GBS serotype distribution in the population of Polish women in term pregnancy.r />r /> rong>RESULTS:rong> In the studied group of 80 pregnant women GBS colonization rate was 28.7%. Four GBS serotypes were observed (Ia, V, III and II). Serotype Ia was the most predominant - 43.47%. For GBS Ia, V and III serotypes, no significant difference in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and neonatal outcomes was observed. Only in one case early-onset sepsis was diagnosed in the neonate and serotype Ia was determined.r />r /> rong>CONCLUSIONS:rong> 1) From among four identified GBS serotypes in the population of Polish pregnant women, serotype Ia was the most dominant. 2) For GBS serotypes, no significant difference in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and neonatal outcomes was observed. 3) Active immunization aimed for preventing GBS colonization in mothers should include not only serotypes V, II and III but also Ia in order to be an effective and safe in preventing life threatening neonatal infections.

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Comparative Study 2014; 35(4): 297-300 PubMed PMID: 25038603 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Endometrium:diagnostic imaging, Endosonography:instrumentation, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Perimenopause, Postmenopause, Sodium Chloride, Ultrasonography:instrumentation, Ultrasonography, Interventional:instrumentation, Uterine Hemorrhage:diagnost.   

OBJECTIVES: To assess the usefulness of SIS and to compare its diagnostic accuracy with conventional transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) and hysteroscopy (HSC) to detect intracavitary abnormalities in peri- and postmenopausal women with abnormal endometrial appearance or abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) prior to admission.r />r /> DESIGN AND SETTING: The study group consisted of 40 patients in peri- and postmenopausal period referred to the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw due to AUB or abnormal endometrial appearance on TVS between January 2013 and June 2013. All the participants underwent TVS followed by SIS in order to plan further management. Only the patients with uterine abnormalities on TVS examination, proved by SIS were qualified for HSC. Hysteroscopical guided biopsies were taken in cases with focal lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of TVS, SIS and HSC were calculated by comparison with the final pathological diagnosis as the gold standard.r />r /> RESULTS: The comparison of the three diagnostic procedures revealed that the diagnostic accuracy of SIS and HSC is superior to conventional TVS. SIS and HSC had identical accuracy for submucosal myomas (PPV and NPV 1.0 for both), while in case of polypoid lesions the accuracy of HSC was higher than of SIS (HSC: PPV 0.8, NPV 1.0; SIS: PPV 0.75; NPV 0.75).r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Due to its accuracy and cost-effectiveness, SIS could be regarded as a primary diagnostic method allowing proper qualification for further invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures in the detection of uterine abnormalities among peri- and postmenopausal women....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(4): 265-273 PubMed PMID: 25038602 Citation  Keywords:  Humans, Serotonin Syndrome:diagnosis,.   

rong>:rong> Serotonin syndrome is a potentially serious clinical condition. In this article, the authors put serotonin syndrome into historical context, discuss its pathophysiology, review in detail its clinical presentations, diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis and treatment. Special attention is given to drugs that most often cause serotonin syndrome, and the gene polymorphisms involved in the metabolism of these drugs.

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Comparative Study 2014; 35(4): 314-321 PubMed PMID: 25038601 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Faculty, Female, Firefighters, Humans, Hydrocortisone:biosynthesis, Male, Middle Aged, Occupational Diseases:etiology, Saliva:chemistry, Sex Factors, Stress, Psychological:metabolism,.   

BACKGROUND: It's indicated negative-perceived stress could induce worse health status and change of cortisol secretion.r />r /> OBJECTIVES: To assess salivary cortisol levels in two occupations with a high psychosocial workload, but different features, teachers and firefighters.r />r /> METHODS: The study population consisted of 142 school teachers and 136 firefighters. Four saliva samples were collected from pedagogical participants during their busiest workday. The cortisol measures used were: morning values, evening values, slope of decline, ratio (evening value divided by morning value), and area under the curve (AUC).r />r /> RESULTS: The salivary cortisol measurements in both genders were almost equal regarding morning values, slope, and AUC increase. Evening values were lower and the relative reactivity was higher (lower ratio) for female teachers, compared to male teachers. There was a tendency of a lower total daytime output of cortisol (AUC ground) among female teachers. Firefighters had lower levels of cortisol, lower total daytime output, and higher relative reactivity (lower ratio), but lower absolute reactivity, regarding both slope and AUC increase.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Overall, male teachers might be the group most affected by stress in this study, even if some of their cortisol values were almost equal to the female teachers' values. Male teachers also seemed to be more affected by stress, according to salivary cortisol, compared to male firefighters, even if there were some inconsistencies....

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Comparative Study 2014; 35(4): 274-279 PubMed PMID: 25038600 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Body Water:metabolism, Brain:metabolism, Cerebral Cortex:physiopathology, Disease Models, Animal, Electrophysiological Phenomena:physiology, Male, Neurons:physiology, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Water Intoxication:chemically induced,.   

OBJECTIVES: Our previous experiments with animal models revealed that water intoxication induces brain oedema and opens plasma membranes. Present study is aimed to determine whether the standard method of hyperhydration can influence cerebral microenvironment also in young rats. Neuronal functions were tested by standard electrical cortical stimulation.r />r /> METHODS: Hyperhydration was induced by administration of distilled water (DW) intraperitoneally. Three groups of young rats were used: 12, 25, and 35-day-old. Cortical excitability was tested 19 to 20 hours after DW administration by electrical stimulation of the sensorimotor cortex with intensity necessary to elicit cortical afterdischarges (AD). Water content in the brain was estimated by dry/wet ratio and value of natremia by standard biochemical examination. Control animals of the same age groups were tested in the same way, only they did not receive DW.r />r /> RESULTS: Brain water content in hyperhydrated animals was smaller than in controls in all studied age groups. Natremia was the same (normal) in both the hyperhydrated and control animals aged 25 days. Excitability of cortical neurons in young hyperhydrated animals was significantly inhibited in comparison to the same age groups of controls.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Hyperhydration induced in young rats (12, 25, 35-day-old) had different effects than in adults. Absence of hyponatremia, lower water content in the brain and significant inhibition of cortical excitability can be explained on the basis of ontogenetically dependent aquaporine expression (AQP 4) and different activity of ionic membrane transporters....

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